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Former Botswana President, Festus Mogae who is South Sudan’s Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) chairperson says that he is not giving up on pushing for peace in South Sudan. The JMEC is the body responsible for monitoring and overseeing the implementation of South Sudan’s Peace Agreement. 

South Sudan’s Catholic Radio Network (CRN) quotes Mogae as saying notwithstanding the challenges in South Sudan; he is not giving up. 
“We will continue to push for the implementation of the peace agreement because there is no option to peace,” Mogae said. 

Mogae said the JMEC was concerned with the escalation of violence and human rights violations in the country. Mogae appealed to stakeholders of the agreement to come on board and complete the peace deal. Inclusive dialogue was the only sure solution to South Sudan’s conflict, he emphasised. 

(Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va)

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday told participants at an international conference on vocations that faith cannot be reduced to a set of rules and regulations, but, instead, must be a way of life which inspires others to discover the joy of the Gospel message.

The Pope’s words came as he met with a large group of cardinals, bishops, priests and religious attending a Rome conference entitled with the Latin words which describe Jesus’ calling of St. Matthew: ‘Miserando atque eligendo’ or ‘having mercy and choosing’ him.

Philippa Hitchen reports: 

Pope Francis recalled that he chose those same words for his own bishop’s motto as a reminder of how clearly he felt the Lord calling in his own life as a young man. The question of vocations, he told participants, must never be reduced to mere pastoral planning or human calculations, but must rather be about learning to imitate the way Jesus lived, talked and showed God’s mercy to those around him.

Church on the move

The Pope said this way of life that Jesus exemplified can be summarized by the three verbs: to go out, to see and to call. Firstly, he insisted, the Church must always be going out, on the move, broadening its horizons, rather than being hemmed in by the fear of failure. There will never be a fruitful harvest of vocations, he said, if Church leaders cannot boldly and creatively redefine their goals, structures, styles and methods of evangelization.

Seeing through Jesus' eyes

Secondly, Pope Francis said, pastors must learn to see the way Jesus saw the people of his day, defying popular prejudices and creating space for others to feel God’s love in their lives. The Church and the world needs mature and well-balanced priests, he stressed, who are intrepid and generous in discerning and accompanying people without seeking to control their consciences.

Calling and questioning

Finally the Pope said that pastors must learn to imitate Jesus' way of calling people, not through proselytism, long lectures or pre-packaged answers but, rather, by inviting others to ask the right questions and to follow where Jesus is leading them.

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(Vatican Radio)  A press release from the Holy See announced that beginning on October 22nd, the pontifical apartment in the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo will be opened to the public for the first time ever. Visits to the formerly private apartment are being run by the Vatican Museums and details of the opening and closing hours can be found by going to the official website of the Vatican Museums (www.museivaticani.va)

At a special inauguration ceremony on Friday, the Director of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci, paid tribute to this “unexpected gift from the Pope” and spoke of the beauty of the setting with its views over Lake Albano and the densely wooded surrounding hills and of the sense of history that pervades the Apostolic Palace.

Journalists and others attending the inauguration listened to a selection of popular Chinese music performed by a Chinese choir.

The apartment on display to the public includes the Pope’s private library, his study, his chapel and his bedroom where during the Nazi occupation Jewish women gave birth to their babies whilst they were being secretly sheltered at the Palace by Pope Pius XII. 

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(Vatican Radio) The Holy See’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, has condemned the “gruesome” impact of the Syrian conflict and the dire humanitarian situation facing its people. In an address on Friday to the 25th Special Session of the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Syria and the recent situation in the city of Aleppo, Archbishop Jurkovic said the complexity of the Syrian conflict must not prevent the international community from urgently finding a diplomatic solution and he called again for an immediate ceasefire.

Please find below the full text of Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic’s address:  

Mr. President,

The  Delegation of the Holy See expresses its gratitude to the Members States of the Council for requesting this special session to address the tragic  and prolonged crisis in Syria. The gruesome facts of this conflict, well into its sixth year, that it has brutally taken hundreds of thousands of lives, especially innocent women and children, that it has forced even more people to flee for their lives, that it is destroying societies and cities, should be sufficient motivation for the International Community to renew its commitment to finding a peaceful and durable solution.

The political, social and economic, complexity underlying the situation in Syria, which also concerns the stability of the Middle East and beyond, must  not be a barrier for the International Community to address urgently the  pressing need of finding a solution through diplomatic dialogue. The ongoing conflict has only produced a disastrous humanitarian situation, leaving many without the basic needs of food, water and medicines. The human rights situation in Aleppo is one among many examples where the humanitarian situation is dire. An effective response will  begin with an immediate ceasefire, allowing humanitarian assistance through safe corridors to be provided for victims and the continued and committed “formal and informal” negotiations for a peaceful resolution.

Mr. President,

My Delegation would like to conclude by echoing the appeal of last October 12th of Pope Francis: “I want to underline  and reiterate my closeness to all the  victims of the  inhuman conflict in Syria.  It is with a sense of urgency that I renew my appeal  to leaders, imploring  with all my strength,  to take  steps  for  an  immediate ceasefire, to be  imposed and respected at least for the time necessary to evacuate the  civilians, especially children, who are still trapped  by the cruel bombings.”

Thank you, Mr. President.

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Vatican City, Oct 21, 2016 / 06:17 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Friday the Vatican announced they will be sending a representative to Egypt to set plans for the official re-launching of dialogue between the Holy See and the Al-Azhar Mosque and adjunct University, marking a seismic step in Catholic-Muslim relations.

In an Oct. 21 communique, the Vatican said the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, will be heading back to Cairo for an Oct. 23 meeting with a delegation from Al-Azhar.

He will be accompanied by Msgr. Khaled Akasheh, head of the council’s Office for Islam; Bishop Emmanuel Ayad Bishop of Luxor, Egypt; Professor Joseph Maila, an expert in Islamic Studies and Fr. Jean Druel, O.P., Director of the Dominican Institute of Oriental Studies.

According to the communique, the meeting in Cairo is to prepare for an encounter that will take place in Rome, “probably toward the end of April 2017, and which marks the official resumption of dialogue between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Al-Azhar.”

The visit to Cairo will also serve as an opportunity to evaluate, together with Archbishop Bruno Musarò, nuncio to Egypt, and the Deputy of the Great Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheik Abbas Shouman, “the possibility to promote concrete initiatives for peace.”

Bishop Ayuso made a similar visit to Al-Azhar in July, where he met with Sunni academic and politician Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk that to discuss the formal resumption of dialogue between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Al-Azhar University. The current Oct. 23 meeting, then, can be seen as a fruit of that encounter.

The Imam of al Azhar, currently Ahmed al Tayyeb, is considered by some Muslims to be the highest authority the 1.5-billion strong Sunni Muslim world and oversees Egypt’s al-Azhar Mosque and the prestigious al-Azhar University attached to it.

Founded in the Fatimid dynasty in the late 10th century together with the adjoining mosque, the university is one of the most renowned study centers for the legal principals of Sunni Islam.

Al Tayyeb paid a visit to the Vatican May 23 for a meeting with Pope Francis, which marked a major step in thawing relations between the al-Azhar institution and the Holy See, which were strained in 2011 with claims that Pope Benedict XVI had “interfered” in Egypt’s internal affairs by condemning a bomb attack on a church in Alexandria during the time of Coptic Christmas.

In an interview with Vatican Radio published May 24, Al Tayyeb spoke out harshly against terrorism carried out by extremist Islamic groups such as ISIS, saying that “those who kill Muslims, and who also kill Christians, have misunderstood the texts of Islam either intentionally or by negligence.”

“We must not blame religions because of the deviations of some of their followers,” he said, and issued a global appeal asking that the entire world to “close ranks to confront and put an end to terrorism.”

If the growing problem of terrorism is neglected, it’s not just the east that will pay the price, but “both east and west could suffer together, as we have seen.”

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IMAGE: Nancy Wiechec

By Nancy Wiechec

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (CNS) -- Mary Morris was lured to the Chapel of the Sacred Heart inside of the national park by a small wooden road sign.

"I didn't know the chapel was here," the Hampshire, Illinois, resident told Catholic News Service in August during a visit to Wyoming's popular national park. "I just happened to see the sign and stopped in."

Morris had been camping in Yellowstone when she made the drive south to Grand Teton National Park.

She walked through the chapel door, made the sign of the cross, signed a guestbook and ducked into a pew to pray.

Afterward, she said the beauty of chapel in the Tetons made her feel grateful.

"I just came in here to say a little prayer of thanksgiving for everything."

The chapel's all-log construction is in character with the mountain environment.

Inside, shadows of swaying pine branches flitter behind the saturated hues of a single stained-glass window. The space is warm and quiet.

"It's a beautiful church, beautiful inside and outside," Morris said. "I really like it because of the setting. ... This is such a gorgeous place and it keeps you very grounded."

Deacon Doug Vlchek has heard similar impressions expressed by other Sacred Heart visitors many times over.

The Catholic deacon lives in Grand Teton National Park and has had a connection with the chapel for much of his adult life. It's the place he says that makes him feels closest to God.

"This chapel does something for everybody that walks into it and certainly for everybody who worships here," he said. "This building evangelizes people."

The chapel was constructed in 1937 before the expansion of Grand Teton National Park. It now sits within the park's boundaries and is a summer mission of Our Lady of the Mountains Church, where Deacon Vlchek is based in nearby Jackson.

"On any given day we probably have 100 to 200 people come and visit this chapel, sit and pray for a little while, have a beautiful respite and some time to spend with God," he said.

When the church and chapel were founded in the late 1930s, the population of Teton County was 2,500 and was considered mission territory by the church. Today, the county has more than 22,000 residents and annual visitors numbering around 4 million.

The chapel has been restored twice, in the late 1960s and again in 2002. The latest renovation included new log beams, a new sanctuary and the addition of the Sacred Heart stained-glass window. The total cost -- $450,000 -- was funded by a single New York and Wyoming family in memory of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Sacred Heart is open 24 hours a day June through September. During those months, Mass is celebrated Sunday evenings. It's closed in the winter.

Although a log chapel inside a national park might seem uncommon, there are actually two within Grand Teton.

Chapel of the Sacred Heart is located near the shore of Jackson Lake across from Signal Mountain. Further south, near the park's Moose entrance, is the Episcopal Chapel of the Transfiguration, constructed in 1925 to serve ranchers and tourists. Both worship spaces welcome all visitors.

During the National Park Service's centennial this year, visitors to many of the U.S. parks have told CNS the peace and beauty offered by these preserved outdoor spaces help them connect spiritually and the worship spaces inside the park perimeters add to that experience.

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Follow Wiechec on Twitter: @nancywiechec.

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By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In its ministry to young people, and especially in vocations promotion work, church workers must step out of the sacristy and take seriously the questions and concerns of the young, Pope Francis said.

Young people are searching for meaning, and the best response is to go out to where they are, stop and listen to them and then call them to follow Jesus, the pope said Oct. 21.

Meeting participants at a vocations promotion conference sponsored by the Congregation for Clergy, Pope Francis emphasized the need for church workers to be on the move and to echo the vocations call Jesus used with the disciples, "Follow me."

"Jesus' desire is to set people out on a journey, moving them from a lethal sedentary lifestyle and breaking through the illusion that they can live happily while remaining comfortably seated amid their certainties," Pope Francis said.

The seeking and desire to explore that comes naturally to most young people "is the treasure that the Lord puts in our hands and that we must care for, cultivate and make blossom," the pope said.

Care is key, he said. It requires an ability for "discernment, which accompanies the person without ever taking over his or her conscience or pretending to control the grace of God."

Vocations promotion, which is the responsibility of every Catholic, the pope said, must follow the same steps Jesus used when interacting with people.

"Jesus stopped and met the gaze of the other, without rushing," he said. "This is what makes his call attractive and fascinating."

Jesus did not stay in "the secure fortress of the rectory," the pope said, but set out into the cities and villages, pausing to listen to the people he came across, "taking in the desire of those who sought him out, the delusion of a failed night of fishing, the burning thirst of a woman who went to the well to get water or the strong need to change one's life."

"In the same way, instead of reducing faith to a book of recipes or a collection of norms to observe, we can help young people ask the right questions, set out on their journey and discover the joy of the Gospel," he said.

Every pastor and, particularly, everyone involved with helping young Catholics discern their vocations, he said, must have a pastoral style that is "attentive, not rushed, able to stop and decipher in depth, to enter into the life of the other without making him or her ever feel threatened or judged."

Pope Francis told conference participants that he has never liked speaking about vocations ministry as an office in the diocesan chancery or headquarters of a religious order. It's not an office or a project because it is all about helping someone meet the Lord and answer the Lord's call.

"Learn from the style of Jesus, who went to the places of daily life, stopped without rushing and, looking upon his brothers and sisters with mercy, led them to an encounter with God the father," the pope said.

While looking at the young with mercy, vocations directors and bishops also must evaluate candidates for the priesthood with "caution (and) without lightness or superficiality," he said. "Especially to my brother bishops, I say: Vigilance and prudence. The church and the world need mature and balanced priests, pastors who are intrepid and generous, capable of closeness, listening and mercy."

Vocations promotion work can be frustrating and discouraging at times, Pope Francis said, "but if we don't close ourselves up in whining and we keep going out to proclaim the Gospel, the Lord will stay with us and give us the courage to cast the nets again even when we are tired and disappointed at having caught nothing."

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Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.

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