Catholic News 2
LOVELOCK, Nev. (AP) -- O.J. Simpson once thrilled crowds as he ran for touchdowns and hurdled airport seats in car rental ads to achieve Hollywood celebrity before he was acquitted of murder in the 1995 "trial of the century" in Los Angeles....
PARIS (AP) -- A French woman captured in the Iraqi city of Mosul with her four children is facing possible prosecution in Iraq for allegedly collaborating with the Islamic State group, in a test case for how governments handle the families of foreign fighters now that the extremists are in retreat....
CHICAGO (AP) -- An Illinois sheriff's office said Wednesday that it has identified a Minnesota runaway as one of the victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court says the Trump administration can strictly enforce its ban on refugees, but at the same time is leaving in place a weakened travel ban that includes grandparents among relatives who can help visitors from six mostly Muslim countries get into the U.S....
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- An Australian woman who heard what she thought was a sexual assault behind her home called 911 not once but twice before she was fatally shot, concerned that officers had the wrong address when no one immediately responded....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans overwhelmingly want lawmakers of both parties to work out health care changes, with only 13 percent supporting Republican moves to repeal "Obamacare" absent a replacement, according to a new poll....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lecturing fellow Republicans, President Donald Trump summoned GOP senators to the White House Wednesday and told them face-to-face they must not leave town for their August recess without sending him an "Obamacare" repeal bill to sign....
The Asian Youth Day (AYD), a major event of the Catholic Church in the continent, is taking centre stage in 2 weeks time in Yogyakarta in the Archdiocese of Semarang, Indonesia. Over 2000 young people from 21 Asian countries are gathering in the central Javanese city, August 2-6, for the 7th Asian Youth Day (AYD7) on the theme, “Joyful Asian Youth: Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia!”The Youth Desk under the Office of Laity and Family of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) in collaboration with the bishops’ conference of host country organizes the meet. AYD7 is an outcome of the World Youth Day that was instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 1985. The first AYD was held in Hua Hin, Thailand in 1999. Since then the continent-level event has been held in intervals of 2, 3...
The Asian Youth Day (AYD), a major event of the Catholic Church in the continent, is taking centre stage in 2 weeks time in Yogyakarta in the Archdiocese of Semarang, Indonesia. Over 2000 young people from 21 Asian countries are gathering in the central Javanese city, August 2-6, for the 7th Asian Youth Day (AYD7) on the theme, “Joyful Asian Youth: Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia!”
The Youth Desk under the Office of Laity and Family of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) in collaboration with the bishops’ conference of host country organizes the meet. AYD7 is an outcome of the World Youth Day that was instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 1985. The first AYD was held in Hua Hin, Thailand in 1999. Since then the continent-level event has been held in intervals of 2, 3 and 5 years, with the last AYD held in Daejeon Dicoese in Korea in 2014 which Pope Francis attended.
Organizers have divided the entire AYD7 into three events spread across 11 days from July 30 to August 9, with the main event in the centre. On arrival, the participants will head to the 11 of Indonesia’s 37 dioceses who will be hosting them from July 30 to August 2 for what is called Days in the Dioceses (DID). There they will interact and share experiences with their counterparts from Indonesia and other countries. All the participants will then converge in Yogyakarta from August 2 to 6 which is the central event of the AYD7. With each day having a sub-theme of the main theme, “Joyful Asian Youth: Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia,” the 5 days will include a variety of activities such as adoration, confession, Mass, testimonies, workshops, group sharing, country exhibition and cultural performances. The AYD7 will wind up with the Asian Youth Ministers Meeting, August 6 to 9.
Among the 21 countries participating in the AYD7 is also India. To know about it, we called Fr. Deepak K.J. Thomas, the executive secretary of the Council for Youth of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). The Indian Catholic Church’s youth ministry is coordinated by the Council for Youth through the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) that is spread across all the dioceses and regions of the country. The ICYM also coordinates national delegation to World Youth Day, Asian Youth Day and other such meets. Speaking to us from New Delhi on his mobile phone Fr. Deepak first told us how many Catholic youth are participating in the meet:
Listen:
Summary
Fr. Deepak, who has been serving as executive of the Council for Youth since August 2015, said that there were 84 young people representing India at the AYD7. Fr. Deepak said since it is difficult for the participants to come together physically in one place from the far-flung regions to prepare for the AYD, they are very much connected with one another online via email, Whatsapp and ICYM’s own app (for Apple and Android devices) which has a special link to the AYD7.
The 84 participants were chosen by the dioceses and diocesan youth directors of all the regions of India. Fr. Deepak said all participants are bearing their own expenses, with ICYM office bearers having a little discount.
On landing in Indonesia, the Indian youth delegation will head for the Archdioceses of Palembang and Pontianiak to which they have been assigned for the first phase of the AYD – Days in the Diocese. As for the cultural show, he said, they will be presenting one from the western region and one from Goa. An during the main AYD7 event in Yogyakarta, they will be presenting a combined 10-minute show of dance and music.
The 21 participating countries have also been asked to prepare an exhibition on Pope Francis’ 2015 environmental encyclical “Laudato Si”. Fr. Deepak said India will also have a booth on caring for our common home.
Archbishop Telesphore-George Mpundu, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka and President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), over the weekend, congratulated the Zambian Church on the occasion marking the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the arrival of Catholic Christianity in Zambia.Addressing a huge outdoor Mass in the Zambian capital of Lusaka held at the city’s Showgrounds, Archbishop Mpundu noted that after 125 years of her existence, the Zambian Catholic Church is no longer missionary but has grown to be a Church on mission. As such, the Archbishop encouraged the vibrant, mature and dynamic Church to soldier on in her faith, especially by sharing it with others.“Share your faith with other people, members of your extended families, and with other Zambians. Faith that is not shared remains small and is infantile. Faith shared is multiplied,” stated the Archbishop.Reflecting further on the 125 years existence of the Catholic Church in Z...
Archbishop Telesphore-George Mpundu, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka and President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), over the weekend, congratulated the Zambian Church on the occasion marking the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the arrival of Catholic Christianity in Zambia.
Addressing a huge outdoor Mass in the Zambian capital of Lusaka held at the city’s Showgrounds, Archbishop Mpundu noted that after 125 years of her existence, the Zambian Catholic Church is no longer missionary but has grown to be a Church on mission. As such, the Archbishop encouraged the vibrant, mature and dynamic Church to soldier on in her faith, especially by sharing it with others.
“Share your faith with other people, members of your extended families, and with other Zambians. Faith that is not shared remains small and is infantile. Faith shared is multiplied,” stated the Archbishop.
Reflecting further on the 125 years existence of the Catholic Church in Zambia, Archbishop Mpundu paid glowing tribute to the many roles played by women in the Zambian Catholic Church.
Women, the Archbishop said, are “the heartbeat of our parishes, without them, the Church would be dead,” Archbishop Mpundu said. He implored particularly the Catholic women professionals, in the country, to take an even more active role in the affairs of the Church; to utilise their talents and to add value to the Church of Zambia.
Archbishop Julio Murat, the Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia echoing the homily of the Archbishop of Lusaka, encouraged the Zambian Church to send missionaries to the Western world. The Holy Father’s representative in Zambia then imparted, to the people of Zambia, the Holy Father Pope Francis’ Apostolic blessing.
“During the Jubilee year, we have to thank God, ask Him for forgiveness and pledge to do better with God. Since the Church in Zambia has grown, it is now time to send missionaries to the world,” Archbishop Julio Murat said.
The year 1891 is associated with the arrival of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) in Zambia when they successfully established a mission in the northern part of the country.
The Fr. Stanislaus Lubungo, the current Superior General of the ‘White Fathers’ also attended the closing celebrations. He paid tribute to every person who had contributed to the growth of the Church in Zambia. He challenged the Zambian Church not to lose focus in her practice of authentic faith.
“I believe that today should also be about keeping alive the memory of our ancestors in the faith by imitating them. But we will not do that simply through symposiums, workshops or even grandiose liturgies….. if we do not continue to look for ways in which the flame of the passion of our ancestors in the faith can empower us to lead the kind of committed lives they led -at the service of the needy. It is in that way that our Catholic faith will become a beacon of hope as we strive to reach out to those that society casts to the peripheries,” said Fr. Lubungo.
The country’s Vice President; government, civil and traditional leaders attended the event. Many Christians from other denominations together with their leaders participated in the celebrations. Also present at the colourful Mass were several Catholic Bishops, the faithful from all corners of Zambia, priests and the religious.
(Fr. Clifford Mulasikwanda, Sesheke in Zambia)
Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va
(Vatican Radio) Father Hans Zollner, SJ says a new report on abuse at a prestigious German musical institution is an “important step forward.” Father Zollner is President of the Centre for Child Protection of the Pontifical Gregorian University, and a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.The report identified hundreds of instances of physical abuse, as well as dozens of cases of sexual abuse of members of the Regensburger Domspatzen boys choir in Germany. Forty-nine members of the Church are accused of abusing the children, including nine persons accused of carrying out sexual violence against children.In an interview with Vatican Radio, Fr Zollner said the report shows that Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg “has taken seriously all the allegations, that he did not shy away from all that would ensue.”The fact that the investigation was carried out independently, and conducted to the highest scientific standards, all with th...
(Vatican Radio) Father Hans Zollner, SJ says a new report on abuse at a prestigious German musical institution is an “important step forward.” Father Zollner is President of the Centre for Child Protection of the Pontifical Gregorian University, and a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
The report identified hundreds of instances of physical abuse, as well as dozens of cases of sexual abuse of members of the Regensburger Domspatzen boys choir in Germany. Forty-nine members of the Church are accused of abusing the children, including nine persons accused of carrying out sexual violence against children.
In an interview with Vatican Radio, Fr Zollner said the report shows that Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg “has taken seriously all the allegations, that he did not shy away from all that would ensue.”
The fact that the investigation was carried out independently, and conducted to the highest scientific standards, all with the willing cooperation of the local Church, “shows that the bishop is very courageous in taking on an issue that has been looming for many years.” Zollner acknowledged that the scandal of abuse at the choral institution was “the talk of the city” for many years, but it is only now that the facts have become “plain, in the light of day.” Bishop Voderholzer, he said, “has done something that will bring at least the chance of some justice for the abused.” It will also give institutions the opportunity to review their procedures with regard to screening personnel, and to responding to reports of abuse.
Father Zollner noted that the report on the scandal is not the first time the Church has investigated abuse within its own ranks – a similar independent report, on abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich in 2010. “This shows that there has been very good examples of such courage that really should penetrate our conscience,” Zollner said, “and should reach all church leaders and be an example for them, so that they do the same today because this will help, first of all those who have been harmed in the past.” And it should help us remain motivated, he said, “in terms of prevention and safeguarding of abuse, all that we have should be focused and should be taken to a level of implementation so that young people are safe in our institutions.”
