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(Vatican Radio) This year’s Christmas tree and crib were due to be inaugurated and lit up on Friday afternoon in St Peter’s Square. Earlier in the day in the Paul VI hall, Pope Francis met with the donors of the tree and the nativity scene, telling them that these gifts “form a message of hope and love.”

Listen to Lydia O’Kane report

Welcoming the donors of this year’s Christmas Tree and crib, Pope Francis thanked them for their gifts which he said, would be admired in Saint Peter’s Square “by pilgrims from around the world during Advent and the Christmas holidays.”

The 25 metre high spruce tree was donated by the Lagorai Forests Association which is located the Trentino region of Northern Italy and the Pope remarked that, “the beauty of those views is an invitation to contemplate the Creator and to respect nature, the work of his hands.”

The Pope also had a special word of thanks to the children who decorated the tree, with the support of the "Lene Thun Foundation" that organises the ceramic therapy workshops in various Italian hospitals for children undergoing treatment for cancer and other illnesses.

He told them that, “the multicoloured ornaments you have created represent the values of life, love and peace that Christ's Christmas proposes to us anew each year.”

This year’s crib in the Square, was donated by the Bishops and the Government of Malta and is the work of artist Manwel Grech from Gozo.

The Nativity scene features 17 figures dressed in traditional Maltese costume as well as a replica of a traditional “Luzzu” Maltese boat.

The Holy Father said that this typical Maltese vessel, recalled “the sad and tragic reality of migrants on boats making their way toward Italy”, and he expressed the hope that “those who visit this nativity scene would be invited to rediscover its symbolic value", which, he said, was “a message of fraternity, of sharing, of welcome and solidarity.”

Pope Francis concluded by telling those gathered that, “the crib and the tree form a message of hope and love, and help create a Christmas spirit that can draw us closer to living with faith the mystery of the birth of the Redeemer who came to this earth in simplicity and meekness.” 

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(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Peter Turkson made an introductory address to a conference reviewing how the Holy See’s response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa could contribute to other health pandemics such as Zika.

The two-day conference in Rome was organized by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and Caritas Internationalis, in conjunction with the US Embassy to the Holy See.

“In sharing lessons learned with international organizations and partners, the conference seeks to strengthen church-related structures and personnel in countries affected by health emergencies as well as mitigate the impact of future epidemics on affected families and communities”, according to a press release from the US Embassy to the Holy See.

Cardinal Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said he was asked at the height of the Ebola outbreak by Pope Francis to oversee the Church’s response to the crisis, coordinating with Apostolic Nuncios and other Catholic organizations.

“We identified, as a principal aim for the initiative, the strengthening of church-related medical, social, educational, and pastoral structures and personnel in the affected countries. The intention was to mitigate the tragic impact of the epidemic on families and on communities right away. Then, looking to the future, the aim was to reduce the impact in the event of another Ebola outbreak,” he said.

The full text of Cardinal Turkson’s address is below:

Lessons Learned Review Conference

Holy See Initiative in Response to the Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa and Strategic Planning on Catholic Church Response to Zika Epidemic

Hotel il Cantico – Rome, 9-10 December 2016

Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson

President, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

Your Excellencies, members of the Roman Curia and of the Diplomatic Corps, Dear Bishops representing the Anglican Church, Experts and Officials of international and governmental public health agencies, and all participants, my Brothers and Sisters in Our Lord, Jesus Christ,

I am very pleased to welcome you to this important Conference with its two related intentions. First of all, we will review lessons to learn from the response to the Ebola outbreak by the Holy See, at the special request of His Holiness Pope Francis, and of the Catholic Church, both in the most affected countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and throughout the world. Thanks to the presence of our ecumenical brothers, two bishops from the Anglican Church, we can also share experiences of other Christian communions in the face of the challenges presented by Ebola. Secondly, we will attempt to benefit from these lessons as we strategize for more effective and comprehensive religious responses to other health-related humanitarian crises that will surely confront us in the future. The first of these is the growing public health threat of Zika Virus.

While governments and inter-governmental organizations struggled to mount a coordinated response to the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the Catholic Church and the wide range of Catholic-inspired organizations responded immediately and effectively to this crisis at the global, national, and local or community levels. This was done by:

- maintaining and strengthening services provided in Catholic health care programmes in the affected locales;

- securing, from international Church-related donors, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), medications, and funds for risk incentive pay for staff;

- counteracting panic and the stigmatization of those already infected and of their families, as well as of survivors of the disease;

- offering material, psycho-social, and pastoral assistance to those unable to provide for their daily sustenance (in particular, those in 21-day quarantine);

- assisting the World Health Organization (WHO) to revise its “Guidelines for Safe and Dignified Burials”.

When Pope Francis entrusted me with the responsibility to plan and implement a special Holy See initiative to address this health crisis, I worked in close consultation with the members of the hierarchy and the Apostolic Nuncios in the highly affected countries and with the Catholic organizations already so engaged. We identified, as a principal aim for the initiative, the strengthening of church-related medical, social, educational, and pastoral structures and personnel in the affected countries. The intention was to mitigate the tragic impact of the epidemic on families and on communities right away. Then, looking to the future, the aim was to reduce the impact in the event of another Ebola outbreak.

In relation to Health Care, we decided to prioritize support for health in general. While governments, inter-governmental agencies, and international aid agencies specifically supported Ebola treatment in the affected countries, the Church’s health facilities continued to address the health care needs of the general population. This funding supported, inter alia, the following measures to enhance the quality and safety of health care, as well as to prevent further transmission of Ebola among staff and other patients:

- purchase of protective supplies, medications, and vehicles for patient transport;

- building changes to ensure sanitary conditions in health facilities;

- engagement of additional personnel and extra pay for personnel engaged in high-risk services.

In relation to Community Response, we recognized immediately the key role being played by local parishes. Parishes are a trusted institution in local communities – a place where direct, honest, and credible information can be transmitted to parishioners. Funding was provided to:

- train parishioners and residents of local communities on the behavioural changes necessary to stop the spread of Ebola;

- provide food and hygiene kits to households;

- support families under observation for possible Ebola infection to access adequate nutrition and other essential needs;

- support orphans and other children and families with special needs.

In addition, since Catholic school teachers and students could help prevent the further spread of the virus, funding also supported the re-opening of Catholic schools.

In relation to Pastoral Response, the Church has unique capacity and the mandate to attend to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those who are sick and suffering. Some in the Church are called to serve as “doctors of the body” but others receive the call to serve as “doctors of the soul”.

Funding assisted local dioceses, parishes, religious congregations, and Catholic-inspired organizations to:

- train clergy, religious, and lay leaders to serve the pastoral and spiritual needs of those infected with Ebola and their family members in local communities. Where public health regulations prevented religious ministers from being in direct contact with Ebola patients, we urged them to interact with such persons at a safe distance and offer spiritual closeness in ways to bring them and their family members comfort and hope.

- Training also helped priests and other pastoral caregivers through skills-building to challenge stigmatization and rejection, and to instruct their parishioners about the basic religious teachings in this regard.

With this ample programme in mind, we asked for proposals to carry it out. Requests for proposals were sent to the members of the hierarchy and the Apostolic Nuncios in the respective affected countries; to international and local superiors of the religious congregations; and to international and local leadership of Catholic-inspired organizations actively engaged in Ebola response in those countries. In order to assist with the selection of appropriate proposals, I appointed a small Review Committee, including: Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo of Caritas Internationalis; Sr. Barbara Brillant, FMM, Coordinator of the National Catholic Health Council, Liberia; Fr. Aris Miranda, MI, General Councillor and Coordinator of the Camillian Emergency Response Team, Rome; Fra Pascal Ahodegnon, OH, General Councillor, Hospitaler Brothers of St. John of God, General Councillor, Rome.

In order to implement this initiative, we received generous support from Pope Francis; from Catholic Relief Services  and the Catholic Health Association in the USA, from the Sister Adorers of the Holy Cross and the Raskob Foundation. In addition, FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities) launched its own projects in close consultation with the Holy See. In total, we supported 5 projects in Guinea, 7 projects in Sierra Leone, and 10 projects in Liberia.

While I have concentrated mainly on the Holy See Initiative, I wish to acknowledge the generous and expert engagement of Caritas Internationalis. Thanks to its emergency appeal to Caritas members throughout the world, direct funding came from such Caritas members as Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Germany, Secours Catholique – Caritas France, Caritas Italiana, CAFOD of England and Wales, and Cordaid of the Netherlands. Other Catholic donors and providers of technical assistance included Misereor – Germany, the Medical Mission Institute – Germany, CUAMM of Italy (Doctors for Africa), and the Sovereign Order of Malta. Generous self-forgetful service was provided by religious congregations such as the Brothers of St. John of God, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the Consolata Sisters, and the Fathers and Brothers of St. Camillus, and many others.

In December 2014, accompanied by Mons. Vitillo, I was privileged to make visits to local church communities in both Liberia and Sierra Leone, where I relayed the concern and solidarity of the Holy Father. Wherever I went, I shared with our Catholic and other brothers and sisters, the words of the Holy Father: “In the face of the worsening Ebola epidemic, I would like to express my deep concern about this relentless disease that is spreading on the African continent, especially among the more disadvantaged groups. I am close with love and prayer to those stricken, as well as to the doctors, nurses, volunteers, religious institutes and associations, who are working heroically to help our sick brothers and sisters. I renew my appeal that the International Community exert all necessary effort to weaken this virus, effectively alleviating the hardship and suffering of all those so sorely tried. I invite you to pray for them and for those who have lost their lives.” [1]

I was deeply impressed and inspired by the faith of the people in the areas that I visited – their living faith grew stronger, despite and through the adversity they faced. When I met with the President of Liberia, Her Excellency Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, she confirmed the frightening impact of the epidemic. The closing of businesses and other employments have played havoc with an already fragile economy. So too, the social costs are very serious; for instance, where schools are closed for a long time, one finds a rise in teenage pregnancies; as young people wander the streets with nothing to do, petty crime goes up, too. Further, Ebola orphans have often faced rejection in their local communities and by their extended families, even after they have been confirmed as “Ebola free”.

At many stops during our visit, as we gathered in prayer, people expressed the tragic pain of suffering and loss. They also proclaimed their hope that God would bring them physical, emotional and, above all, spiritual healing, to their loved ones and their community. Through the light of faith and hope, they envisioned a time when the epidemic would end – a vision that was not yet shared by many of the public health authorities. God listened and responded to those prayers. As a result, we can now gather during these two days to share what we have learned. We can strengthen our resolve and good practices to lessen the impact of future outbreaks of Ebola and other life-threatening communicable diseases. May God bless and accompany us in these timely efforts.

[1] Pope Francis during the General Audience, 29 October 2014

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New York City, N.Y., Dec 9, 2016 / 03:02 am (CNA).- Emma and Isabella are suing their mother, Sofia Vergara, according to court documents obtained by the New York Post.

Emma and Isabella are Vergara’s frozen embryos.

Vergara is a Colombian-born actress perhaps best known for her role as the quirky but loving Gloria Delgado-Pritchett from the ABC series “Modern Family”. In 2013, she created and froze embryos with then-fiancé Nick Loeb, a businessman, in a California clinic through in-vitro fertilization.

Reportedly, a contractual agreement struck between Vegara, then 40, and Loeb, then 37, stipulated that nothing could be done with the embryos without the consent of the other. The contract did not specify what would happen should the couple separate.

The recent lawsuit, filed in Louisiana, argues that the embryos are being denied their inheritance of a trust in the state of Louisiana by not being allowed to be born. The state of Louisiana legally recognizes a fertilized egg as a "juridical person".

Reportedly, the lawsuit was brought forth on behalf of the unborn embryos. It does not name Loeb directly, but rather a trustee as the plaintiff.

The suit asks that Loeb receive full custody of the embryos so that they may be brought to term and allowed to receive their inheritance, which would cover health care and education expenses, among other things.

It is not the first time the couple has sparred over the fate of their embryos.

In August 2014, Loeb unsuccessfully sued for full custody of the embryos under a pseudonym, hoping to keep the case private.

As the story broke, Loeb took to the New York Times op-ed pages to argue that his two frozen children had a right to live.

Loeb wanted custody of the embryos in order to implant them in a surrogate mother. Vergara, a Catholic, has said that while she does not want to destroy the embryos, she wants them to remain frozen indefinitely, which Loeb wrote would be “tantamount to killing them.”

According to court documents, the IVF process prompted the following text exchange:

Loeb: "Now what. You can't keep 4 frozen lives forever or kill them, we will go to hell."

Vergara: "We r going to hell regardless."

The Catholic Church is against the freezing of embryos, primarily because it requires the creation of embryos outside of the human person and because it puts the lives of those embryos at risk.

“Every human embryo is a human being with intrinsic worth like all other human beings. To freeze a human being, and thereby risk their life, is to treat a human being like a mere thing, to use him or her as a means,” Christopher Kaczor, a professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, told The Tidings in 2015.

The recent lawsuit has again brought into question at what point a fertilized embryo is considered a human being. The news also comes after Ohio legislators approved a bill which would ban abortions after the detection of a heartbeat in a fetus. The bill allows exceptions if the mother’s life is deemed to be in danger.

If signed by Governor John Kasich, the law could mean no abortions as early as six weeks after conception.

 

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Vatican City, Dec 9, 2016 / 05:21 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Friday the Vatican announced that Bishop John O. Barres of Allentown – who was baptized by the famed and saintly Archbishop Fulton Sheen – will be taking the helm in the Diocese of Rockville Center.

“I must…thank the priests and the entire people of God of the Diocese of Allentown, where I have had the great blessing of serving as bishop for the last seven-and-a-half years,” Bishop Barres said in a Dec. 9 press release announcing his appointment.

“You will all always be in my heart, my memories, my prayers and my Masses as I remember our days of ‘holiness and mission’ together.”

A native of Larchmont, N.Y., Bishop Barres, 56, has led the Diocese of Allentown since July 2009, and will take over in Rockville Center for retiring Bishop William Murphy, who has reached the age limit of 75.

His transfer will make him the first bishop of Allentown in their 55 year history to ever be transferred to another diocese.

The Rockville Center diocese, which includes the Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, was established in 1957 and is the sixth largest diocese according to Catholic population in the U.S., serving 1.5 million Catholics with 291 active priests in 133 parishes.

According to the press release, Barres will be introduced to his new diocese by concelebrating with Bishop Murphy in Rockville Center’s Cathedral of St. Agnes. He will be officially installed in the cathedral Jan. 31, 2017.

Until then, Barres will serve as diocesan administrator for Allentown. Once he makes the official transfer to Rockville Center, Allentown’s College of Consultors, which consists of 10 senior priests in the diocese, will select a new administrator, who will serve until another bishop is appointed.

Born in 1960, Barres is the fifth of six children born to two Protestant ministers who met at Yale Divinity School and eventually converted to Catholicism in 1955, according to the bishop’s biography on the Allentown Diocese’s website.

Barres himself was baptized by then-Bishop Fulton Sheen in 1960. His father had been working for Sheen at the Propagation of the Faith in New York City.

The media-savvy archbishop – who served as host of the “Catholic Hour” radio show and the television show “Life is Worth Living” – headed the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and served as an auxiliary bishop of New York and as Bishop of Rochester before his death in 1979 at the age of 84.

Pope Benedict XVI authorized a decree that recognized the heroic virtues of the archbishop in 2012, allowing his cause for canonization to move forward. The process has been stalled for the past two years due to a diocesan dispute over his remains, however, it is expected to move forward again soon.

After completing secondary school, Bishop Barres graduated from Princeton University with a BA in English Literature before moving on to obtain a MBA in Management from the New York University Graduate School of Business Administration.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wilmington Oct. 21, 1989, by Bishop Robert Mulvee after studying in seminary at the Theological College of the Catholic University of America. He began his priestly ministry by serving as an associate pastor at different parishes throughout Newark and Wilmington.

Eventually Barres went to Rome for further study before returning to Wilmington, where he then served as Vice Chancellor and then Chancellor of the diocese.

The bishop’s theological background includes an STB and STL in Systematic Theology, which he got from the Catholic University of America, and a JCL in Canon Law and an STD in Spiritual Theology from Rome’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

In 2000 St. John Paul II gave him the title “Monsignor,” and he was named bishop of Allentown by Benedict XVI in 2009 by Cardinal Justin Rigali, who was Archbishop of Philadelphia at the time.

As shepherd of the Allentown diocese, Bishop Barres launched a diocesan-wide society for lawyers, called the St. Thomas More Society, in an order to promote religious liberty. He also established a special program aspirant for young men considering the priesthood.

He was also instrumental in expanding the diocese’s Hispanic ministry, given the fact that the Hispanic population is one of the fastest growing in the diocese. He is also known for his strong social media presence, particularly on Twitter and a video blog he launched for the diocese.

Beyond his diocese, Barres has also served on the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, and since 2013 has held the role of Episcopal Liaison to the Pontifical Mission Societies.

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