Catholic News 2

The Catholic Church in Rwanda apologised on Sunday for the Church's role in the 1994 genocide, saying it regretted the actions of those who participated in the massacres.

“We apologise for all the wrongs the Church committed. We apologise on behalf of all Christians for all forms of wrongs we committed. We regret that Church members violated (their) oath of allegiance to God's commandments,”  said the statement by the Conference of Catholic Bishops, which was read out in parishes across the country.

The statement acknowledged that Church members planned, aided and executed the genocide, in which over 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists.

In the years since the genocide which was sparked by a contentious plane crash that killed the then-president, a Hutu the local church had resisted efforts by the government and groups of survivors to acknowledge the Church's complicity in mass murder, saying those Church officials who committed crimes acted individually.

Many of the victims died at the hands of priests, clergymen and nuns, according to some accounts by survivors, and the Rwandan government says many died in the Churches where they had sought refuge.

The Bishops' statement is seen as a positive development in Rwanda's efforts at reconciliation.

“Forgive us for the crime of hate in the country to the extent of also hating our colleagues because of their ethnicity. We didn't show that we are one family but instead killed each other,” the statement said.

The statement was timed to coincide with the formal end Sunday of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis, said Bishop Phillipe Rukamba, spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Rwanda.

Tom Ndahiro, a Rwandan genocide researcher, said he hoped the Church's statement will encourage unity among Rwandans.

“I am also happy to learn that in their statement, bishops apologise for not having been able to avert the genocide,” he said.

(AP,  Kigali in  Rwanda)

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Bishop Joseph Obanyi of the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega has called on the faithful to ensure that they live the works of Mercy even after the end of the Jubilee year of Mercy which ended on Sunday, 20 November.

“We must endear to practice more and more the works of mercy in our daily lives. The same duties we had during the Jubilee Year of Mercy must be our way of life always,” Bishop Obanyi told CISA today.

He noted that the faithful should begin living “more concretely the Mercy of God within their parishes, dioceses and the entire Church since this will encourage growth of their faith.”

“The Catholic Women Associations, the legionaries, Catholic Men Associations amongst many others should maintain their commitment to do something that is in line with the works of mercy within their parishes, dioceses and even in the outstations,” said Bishop Obanyi.

He continued, “If you were paying school fees for children in schools and seminaries, then you must keep doing so. If you were going to visit prisoners and the sick people you too must keep doing that to ensure that it is your way of life,” said Bishop Obanyi.

He called on priests to ensure that the Sacrament of reconciliation and love is more accessible even after the end of the year of mercy.

Pope Francis marked the end the Jubilee Year by closing the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica with a Mass on Sunday.

(CISA in Nairobi)

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(Vatican Radio) The Dicastery for Laity, the Family, and Life issued a communiqué on Tuesday listing the themes for the next three World Youth Days (WYD).

The press release notes that the themes were chosen by Pope Francis “for the three-year World Youth Day journey that will culminate at the international celebration of the event to be held in Panama in 2019.”  World Youth Day is celebrated at the diocesan level each year on Palm Sunday, with an international gathering every two to three years. The most recent international Day was celebrated in August, 2016, in Krakow, Poland.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is at the heart of the themes for the upcoming WYDs, which are taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke:

32^nd World Youth Day, 2017: “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His Name” (Lk 1:49)

33^rd World Youth Day, 2018: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God” (Lk 1:30)

34^th World Youth Day, 2019: “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38)

The themes are a continuation of the reflections begun by Pope Francis for the last three World Youth Days, which focused on the Beatitudes. The Dicastery’s press release recalled Pope Francis’ remarks at World Youth Day in Krakow, when he invited young people to have “memory of the past, courage for the present and to have/be hope for the future.” The themes “are intended to give a clear Marian tone to the spiritual journey of the next three WYDs” and at the same time “give a picture of young people on a journey between the past (2017), present (2018), and future (2019), inspired by the three theological virtues of faith, charity, and hope.”

The Dicastery noted that the “path that is being proposed to young people can also be seen to be in harmony with the reflection that Pope Francis has entrusted to the next Synod of Bishops: Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment.”

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Is 2:1-5; Rom 13:11-14; Mt 24:37-44

President John F. Kennedy was very fond of a particular story which he often used to close his speeches during his 1960 presidential campaign. It is the story of Colonel Davenport, Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives back in the year 1789.  One day, while the House was in session, the sky of Hartford suddenly grew dark and gloomy. Some of the Evangelical House representatives looked out the windows and thought this was a sign that the end of the world had come.  Uproar ensued, with the representatives calling for immediate adjournment.  But Davenport rose and said, "Gentlemen, the Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not.  If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment.  If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty.  Therefore, I wish that candles be brought."  Candles were brought and the session continued. Today’s readings contain the same message: we always need to be prepared to receive Jesus at his second coming by accepting him now as our personal savior and doing now what he has commanded us to do.

Introduction: The readings in the early Sundays of Advent always carry forward the "end of the world" theme from the last Sundays of the previous year, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Feast of Christ the King, the 34th and final Sunday of the Liturgical year. This links each ending year with the one following it. Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the “Sunday of Hope” in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, through whom God has promised to save and redeem His people. Today we begin our yearly re-enactment of the drama of our salvation, starting with the mystery of the Incarnation (Christmas) and culminating in the celebration of Christ’s ultimate victory (Christ the King). It is our yearly pilgrimage through the scenes and events of our history of salvation.  Advent is a time for looking both backward and forward.  We look backward as we prepare to celebrate the historical birth of Jesus. At the same time, we look forward to his Second Coming, as we prepare ourselves to welcome him into all areas of our lives during the Advent season.  In the Eucharistic Acclamation we profess our faith in Jesus’ Second Coming: "We proclaim Your Death, O Lord, and profess Your Resurrection until You come again"; and in the Creed we proclaim our belief that “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” One Bible scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ’s second coming in the Old Testament and 318 references in the New Testament. We see the traditional signs of Advent in our Church: violet vestments and hangings, dried flowers on the altar, and the Advent wreath. We light a candle on this wreath each Sunday until all four are lit.   These signs remind us that we are waiting for the rebirth of Jesus in our hearts and lives in love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness.

In the first reading, Isaiah (2:1-5) reports his vision of all nations gathering on Mount Zion, as described also by Micah (4: 1-3), using the image of pilgrimage. The prophet looks forward to the time when the Covenant between God and His people will be extended to all people, and the Temple in Jerusalem will be the worshipping place for all mankind, so that all may live in peace and harmony with God and their fellow-humans. In the late eighth century BC, God's people were already divided into a northern kingdom called Israel, and a southern kingdom known as Judah.  Israel had fallen under Assyrian rule, while Judah and its capital Jerusalem were in danger of being conquered by Babylon.  In the vision of Isaiah, however, Judah is shown as the place to which all nations will come for “instructions in righteous living.” (Zion in Jerusalem was the holy mountain where Solomon's Temple had stood).  The result will be universal peace.  The Lord will mediate all disputes among nations, and "they shall beat their swords into plowshares." The prophet reveals to his audience the radical notion that God might love other nations in addition to Judah. The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 122) is a joyous hymn originally meant to be sung as pilgrims journeyed to Jerusalem, the site of the Temple, the dwelling place of God on earth. As we sing the Psalm today, it invites us to look longingly toward Christmas, the feast that celebrates the Incarnation of God among us.

The second reading (Romans 13:11-14) is Paul’s exhortation to the Roman Christians showing them how to bring about Isaiah’s vision of peace. Because of its concentration on the Parousia, or the Second Coming of Jesus, the Christian  community was neglecting its actual day-to-day duties. The Jewish Christians among them lived according to the Law of Moses, a moral code which even pagans admired.  But the Gentile Christians were not yet fully free from the “orgies, drunkenness, promiscuity and lust” of their pagan days.  Hence, Paul advises them: “Conduct yourselves properly.” He warns them against “orgies and drunkenness...promiscuity and lust.” He condemns their “rivalry and jealousy” and advises them to get ready to meet Jesus at his Second Coming.  Paul believes that Jesus' Second Coming will be a day of salvation only for those who are already acting in a proper manner. We, too, must act as pilgrims, entering wholeheartedly into our yearly pilgrimage through salvation history, leaving behind whatever might hinder our progress, and accepting whatever hardships our journey might entail.

Exegesis: The context: Matthew’s audience was mostly made up of Jewish converts to Christianity. These Christians were ridiculed and ostracized by their Jewish friends who had not accepted Christ as the Messiah, and they wondered why some Jews were selected to become Christians and others not. To clear their doubts, Matthew quotes Jesus in today’s Gospel, suggesting the apparently arbitrary nature of the election on the last day. Just as at the time of the Deluge, Noah and his small family were spared while others perished, so shall it be at "the end." The emphasis on the unpredictability of election may have helped Matthew's Jewish Christian audience to deal with the fact that many of their fellow-Christians were recently despised Gentiles. This apocalyptic section of Matthew’s Gospel begins with Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the Temple, and goes on to Christ's   Second Coming, and the signs preceding both.  Jesus answers the disciples by giving them signs of the end of the age (24:3-8), foretelling persecutions (24:9-14), and recalling the sacrilege prophesied by Daniel (24:15-28).  Jesus also tells the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (24:32-35), in which he warns his disciples to be alert and prepared.

The need for preparedness: The consistent warning in today’s Gospel text is that we should be prepared for the coming of the master.  Our text indicates that the end will seem to be a peaceful and normal time, with people eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and working in their homes or businesses.  In this routine normal life, it might be easy to forget the "coming of the Son of Man."   In a reference to the story of Noah, Jesus says that the sin of the people was placing too much emphasis on the normal cares and necessities of life.  They were too concerned with eating and drinking – just as we are during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays.  Jesus reminds us that there is something more important than feasts or weddings: the Son of Man will come to us unexpectedly, either at our death or at the end of the world, and that could be at any moment.   Since God will show up without an appointment, we must be prepared at all times.

The “Rapture.” The reading from Romans contains a disputed reference to the so-called "rapture," an event in which, it is supposed, some people will be taken up from life on earth directly into the air to meet the returning Christ.  This concept of “dispensationalism," proposed by Rev. Nelson Darby an Irish Anglican lawyer -pastor  in A.D. 1800, is a misinterpretation, however.   The belief in the Rapture is rooted in the fourth and fifth chapters of 1 Thessalonians, which are placed into an elaborate chronology of "end-time" events based on other passages from Revelation, Daniel, and Matthew 24. In this scheme, the Rapture was called the "day of the Lord" which would come like “a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2). After this secret removal of believers would come the rise of the Antichrist and the placement of the "Mark of the Beast" on his followers during seven years of Tribulation. At the end of those seven years, the second coming of Christ and Armageddon, the final battle between good and evil, would take place. The passage in Matthew (24:40-41), does, indeed, talk about some people being "taken" and some being "left behind,” but the word for "taken" (paralambanomai) means, not "to go up" but rather "to go along with.”  It isn't a magical word about the “born again and saved” people floating up in the air as many of our Protestant brothers believe.  It is much more like Jesus' words to the apostles by the Sea of Galilee:  “follow me” or “come along with me."

We need to be alert even while we work: The man working in the field and the woman working at the mill will be “left", because they won’t leave their work.  True enough – work is important.  We need to provide food and shelter for ourselves and our families.  But there is something more important than our work: the coming of the Son of Man. God will arrive unexpectedly. We don't know when a thief might break into our house, so we are prepared for him at all times.  We lock our doors and windows.  We leave a light on when we're gone. We put in an alarm system. We insure our possessions.  We do these things now because a thief could come at some unknown time.  Hence, even during this busy Christmas season we must keep our daily life centered on Christ.

How do we prepare for the unexpected coming of the Son of Man?  In Jesus’ parable, we have an example of the proper and improper methods of waiting.  The faithful slave who, with sincerity and good management, has faithfully carried out his master's instructions to ensure the welfare of his fellow-slaves (20:26-27), is always ready for his master's coming. In contrast, the wicked servant is primarily concerned with power, food and drink.  The master is the image for Jesus.   To be prepared for his coming (Matt. 24:3, 36-43), we must be obedient to the Divine will, which means that our actions must serve the community.  The question we might ask is: "Am I being faithful and wise in caring for others while waiting for Christ's return?"  The text reminds us that our preparation for the Incarnation of our Lord is only one aspect of our Advent preparation, and not necessarily the most important.  Let us remind ourselves of our need to be prepared for our Lord’s return in judgment without "doomsday paranoia" on the one hand or complacency on the other.

Life messages:  1) An Advent project: How to be alert and watchful in the spirit of today’s Gospel.  Every morning when we get up, let us pray, “Lord, show me someone today with whom I may share your love, mercy and forgiveness.”  St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), once said, "Whatever you do in your family, for your children, for your husband, for your wife, you do for Jesus."  Every night when we go to bed, let us ask ourselves, “Where have I found Christ today?”  The answer will be God’s Advent gift to us that day. By being alert and watchful, we’ll be getting an extra gift:  Christ himself.  There is a saying about being saved which goes back to St. Thomas Aquinas: "Without God, I can't.  Without me, He won't."  

2) We need to be wakeful and watchful: We are so future-oriented that we frequently forget the present entirely.  We spend too much time trying to protect ourselves against future misfortunes.  We save for a rainy day, to get married, to buy a home, to send the children to college, to retire in comfort and to protect ourselves against future misfortunes with varieties of insurance.  But we need to be more spiritually wakeful to prepare for our eternal life.  Let us make this Advent season the time of such preparation. 

There was this very strong woodcutter who asked for a job with a timber merchant and got it. The wages the timber merchant paid were really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day the woodcutter brought 18 trees. "Congratulations' the boss said "go on that way." Very motivated by the words of the boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he could only bring 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder but brought only 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees. "I must be losing my strength," the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying he could not understand what was going on. "When was the last time you sharpened your axe? The boss asked. "Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees.." - We may have been busy with so many things, we may have neglected our spiritual life. Like the axe that needs sharpening, we also need to sharpen our spirit. Let us sharpen our spirit this Advent by becoming more loving, more prayerful, more compassionate, more generous and more faithful. Life is not about finding yourself! Life is about recreating yourself! Advent is God's marvelous gift to all of us. Let this season unfold slowly and nicely. (John Pichappilly in The Table of the Lord; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

Source: Homilies of Fr. Anthony Kadavil

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said death is not frightening if we are faithful to the Lord but warned against being trapped into basing our lives around superficial things that are not transcendent as though we never had to die. He was speaking at his Mass celebrated on Tuesday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.

Taking his cue from the day’s reading from the book of Revelation, the Pope’s homily focused on the reality of how all of us will face Jesus on the day of judgement. He said a call from the Lord to think about the end of our lives, the end for each of us because all of us will die, comes as the Church heads into the final week of the Liturgical Year. Pope Francis acknowledged that we do not like to think of these things but said this is the reality facing all of us. He then disclosed that he keeps a diary where he writes down when a person dies and each day “I see that anniversary” and I see how time has passed. The Pope said this obliges us to think about what we’ll leave behind and what will be the trace of our lives and what will be the judgement for each one of us.

“We’d do well to think: ‘But what will the day be like when I will be in front of Jesus? When He asks me about the talents that he gave me, what use I made of them, when He will ask me: how was my heart when the seed was dropped, like a path or like thorns: that Parable of the Kingdom of God. How did I receive His Word? With an open heart?  Did I make it germinate for the good of all or in secret?”

Warning that each one of us will stand in front of Jesus on the day of judgement, Pope Francis quoted from the gospel reading that warns Christians not to be deceived. And the deception being spoken about, he explained, is ‘alienation,’ estrangement, the deception of superficial things that do not have transcendence, the deception of ‘living as though we never had to die.’ When the Lord comes, the Pope asked, “how will he find me?  Waiting for Him or in the midst of the many ‘alienations’ of life?”

“I remember as a child, when we went to catechism we were taught four things: death, judgement, hell or glory.  After the judgement there is this possibility. ‘But Father, this is to frighten us…’ ‘No, this is the truth because if you do not take care of your heart, because the Lord is with you and (if) you always live estranged from the Lord, perhaps there is the danger, the danger of continuing to live estranged in this way from the Lord for eternity.’ And this is a terrible thing!”

Pope Francis concluded his homily by urging his listeners to think about their day of judgement and how they will fare but not to fear that moment  because quoting once again from the day’s reading, the Lord tells us, “remain faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.”

“Fidelity to the Lord does not disappoint. If each one of us is faithful to the Lord, when death comes, we will say like Francis (of Assisi) ‘come sister death…’ we won’t be afraid. And when the day of judgement comes, we will look at the Lord: ‘Lord I have many sins but I have tried to be faithful.’ And our Lord is good.  I give you this advice: ‘be faithful until death – said the Lord - and I will give you the crown of life.’ With this fidelity we won’t be afraid of death, when we die we won’t be afraid of the day of judgement.”

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The people across Miao Diocese in eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh concluded the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy with Eucharistic Procession on 20 November 2016.

Concluding the liturgical calendar 2016 that coincided with the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy with Pope Francis officially closing the Door Mercy at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on 20 November, the people across Miao Diocese made Eucharistic Procession with religious piety.

The conclusion of Jubilee of Mercy coinciding with the Feast of Christ the King and the last day of the liturgical calendar made the Eucharistic Procession very solemn.

There were Eucharistic processions in Christ the King Church, Khonsa in Tirap District, St. Paul’s Church, Nampong,  and Sacred Heart Church Netoan in Changlang District.

People gathered for the procession with candle recited Divine Mercy chaplets and concluded it with praise and thanksgiving. (Miao Diocese)

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Washington D.C., Nov 22, 2016 / 03:22 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The kingship of Christ is lived out through service to those in need, said the homilist at the annual Washington, D.C. Mass for those with special needs and those who care for them.

“We must remember – Jesus reigns. He is a king who serves. His royalty is in giving back,” said Monsignor John Enzler, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.

In his homily, Msgr. Enzler shared how his own life had been shaped by volunteer work with those who have special needs.

“I learned a lot from this community about love shared and love given back to those who share their blessings,” he said. “In many ways, I might even say my vocation as priest began to be formed in that experience of serving and helping those in need.”

He also touched on the efforts of the local Church in serving those with disabilities, from care and advocacy efforts to resources, employment coaching and autism ministry.

Held on Sunday Nov. 20, the Feast of Christ the King, the annual archdiocesan White Mass recognizes the gifts offered by the deaf community and persons with disabilities.

Participants – including both persons with disabilities and those who care for people with special needs – were invited to wear white to commemorate the renewal of baptismal vows and the bonds of community created by baptism.

Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville of Washington celebrated the Mass and performed the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling of the Holy Water. The Mass was sign language interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Prayers were offered during the Mass for those with special needs and mental illness, and for those who serve them. Other intentions included parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of disability, those experiencing chronic or terminal illness, and for the creation of a culture of life that embraces those with disabilities of any kind.

The Mass was held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle and hosted by the archdiocese’s Department of Special Needs Ministries, which supports parishes and groups in using the gifts and talents of those with disabilities.   

“The desire is to foster a place of welcome and belonging for every individual,” the archdiocese said in a statement.

It noted that for almost 30 years, it “has provided outreach to clergy, parish, ministry and nonprofit partners, including support for mothers receiving a prenatal diagnosis of a disability, parish-based catechetical programs for students with special needs, adult faith experiences for deaf Catholics and outreach to veterans with a service-related disability or service-related PTSD.”

 

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Indianapolis, Ind., Nov 22, 2016 / 06:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Critics say an Indiana mayor's decision to rename the city's Good Friday holiday in the name of inclusivity ended up marginalizing Christians.

Mayor John Hamilton of Bloomington cited the city’s diverse workforce and said changing the names of Good Friday and Columbus Day holidays would “better reflect cultural sensitivity in the workplace.”

“That diversity makes us stronger and more representative of the public we proudly serve,” he said. “These updated names for two days of well-merited time off is another way we can demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity.”

City employees receive paid time off for both holidays. Good Friday will now be known as “Spring Holiday” while Columbus Day will be changed to “Fall Holiday.”

The mayor’s Good Friday change drew criticism from Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

“He opted to rename Good Friday ‘Spring Holiday,’ because he doesn’t mind offending Christians. Yes, it is just that simple,” Donohue charged. He said the name change excludes Christians by “denying recognition of a central day in their religious calendar.”

Pastor Alan Phillips of Bloomington’s Sherwood Oaks Christian Church told WDRB News he was saddened by the move.

“It just seems like, almost to me, singled out to put Christianity down,” Pastor Phillips said.

Hamilton’s wife, Dawn Johnsen, is a past legal director of the pro-abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America and served on the White House transition team. She was named to head President Obama’s Office of Legal Counsel, but her nomination was held up for years and withdrawn.

The Catholic League had opposed her nomination, claiming she had an “anti-Catholic record.” The group cited her 1988 support for an American Civil Liberties Union effort to strip the tax exempt status from the Catholic Church because of its pro-life position.

Mayor Hamilton also changed Columbus Day's name to Fall Holiday.

Christopher Columbus has traditionally been lauded by Italian-Americans, many Catholics and others for his role in bringing Christianity to the New World and establishing permanent relations between the Old World and the New. His critics cite Columbus’ mistreatment of indigenous peoples or hold him responsible for the injustices of European colonialism that followed his arrival.

CNA sought comment from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis but did not receive a response by deadline.

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