Catholic News 2

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is concerned about the continuing tensions triggered by the situation in North Korea.

Responding to a question about the delicate situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke on Tuesday said:  "I can confirm that the concern of the Holy Father and the Holy See about the continuing tensions in the area on account of the nuclear tests carried out by North Korea, was reiterated today by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, the Holy See’s Undersecretary for Relations with States, speaking in Vienna at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)."

Full Article

(Vatican Radio) The Society of Jesus is to hold the first plenary session of its 36th General Congregation at the Jesuit Curia in Rome on October 3rd.

The Congregation will last until it has completed its business which is to discuss the renewal of Jesuit life and mission within the complexities of the current world scenario; and to discuss renewal of governance.

A General Congregation represents the supreme governing body of the Jesuit order. It has only taken place 35 times since the Society was founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

During this congregation 215 Jesuits from around the globe will gather to elect a new Superior General as Father Adolfo Nicolas has announced his intention to resign.

Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni spoke to  Jesuit Father Patrick Mulemi, Director of the Communications and Public Relations Office of the Society of Jesus about how he expects the General Congregation to play out.

Listen:

Asked what is the inspiration behind the Logo for GC 36 which reads ‘Rowing into the Deep’ Fr Mulemi explains it comes from Pope Francis’ message to the Jesuits upon the  200th anniversary of the restoration of the Society of Jesus in 2014 in the Church of the Gesù in Rome.

“He invited us to row, he invited us to keep rolling and he invited us to row along with him ‘to weather the storms’” he says. 

He also says that in a way the logo reflects the complexity of the world today and the challenges faced by the Jesuits although the atmosphere in which they are about to gather is of utmost serenity.

Fr Mulemi explains that the ‘postulata’ (petitions/requests received from province congregations) have already been presented to the Congregation from different parts of the world and they reflect the different challenges, the different works, the different intentions and the direction people want the Society to take in different parts of the globe.

“That’s what we are going to be looking at especially in the first week of the Congregation: looking at the state of the Society and what Jesuits in different parts of the world are saying; how they are experiencing the Society, the Church; and more in general, how they are experiencing the ministry. So all that is going to have a play in the general direction the Congregation takes” he says.

It is meaningful that the GC 36 is happening at a moment in time in which there has been a significant demographic shift with a decrease in vocations in the past 50 years in Europe and North America, and an increase in vocations in Asia and Africa.
Fr Mulemi points out that given the changing demographics,  like most of the Church the Society is moving towards the global South.

“It is shaping up very well, we have good numbers coming into the Society so there is great hope that we are going to be moving in the right direction” he says.

He concedes that the ‘global South’ has a lot to give to the world and says that for a long time the rest of the world was ‘not listening’, not hearing the voice of the South. But more and more, he says, the voice of the South is being heard in the world and in the Church.

“The shape of our ministries is going to be defined in the next few years by the activities and experiences of the global South” he says.

As regards having a Jesuit for Pope, Fr Malemi says: “it is great!”

“He has helped the Society to be heard, for people to get to know what the Society is really all about” he says.
 
Fr Mulemi says that for many years the Society of Jesus has tried to project its image; some people have misunderstood, others have understood well, but, he says, with Francis as Pope that has changed the dynamics and finally people are beginning to understand what it means to be a Jesuit.

“All you have to do these days is look at what the Pope is doing, how he does his thing and you say: ‘oh, OK: he’s doing that mostly because of his Jesuit formation and this is what the Jesuits have been about all these years! A lot of the things he talks about, we nod our heads and say: ‘yeah – that’s our experience – that’s the world we live in, that’s the world we serve, that’s how we carry out our ministry’” he says.
        
     

Full Article

Cartagena, Colombia, Sep 27, 2016 / 12:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin praised the signing of a peace agreement in Colombia on Monday, telling Colombians that a better future is possible, while also stressing that reconciliation is a commitment everyone must make, and which begins with those who have suffered.

Cardinal Parolin spoke from Cartagena, where he said Mass Sept. 26 to mark the signing of the peace agreement between the country’s government and FARC rebels. He was present on behalf of Pope Francis for the signing of the agreement, where attendees dressed in white to symbolize peace.

“You can build a different future in which you can coexist without massacring each other and which possesses different convictions,” the cardinal said Sept. 26.

He stressed that while recent decades have been challenging, it’s possible to achieve a brighter future “within the framework of the respect of democratic rules, of human dignity, and of the Catholic tradition of this great nation.”

Since 1964, as many as 260,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in Colombia's civil war. The Marxist FARC rebels and the Colombian government had been engaged in peace talks in Cuba since 2012.

The deal brings a much-awaited end to the 52-year conflict. It was signed Sept. 26 in front of a large group of diplomatic delegations and will be submitted to a popular vote by the Colombian people Oct. 2.

The accord, which will incorporate some of FARC's leadership into the government in exchange for their disarmament and renunciation of kidnapping and drug trafficking, has been welcomed by many, but some – including former president Alvaro Uribe – charge that it is too lenient on the FARC.

In his homily for the Mass honoring the agreement, Cardinal Parolin said that while the deal marks the end of a long negotiation, it also signals the beginning of “a process, still open, of change which requires the support and respect of all Colombians.”

Colombia “must ease the pain of so many of its citizens who are humiliated and oppressed by violence, it must stop the hatred and change the course of history in order to build a better future within just and strong institutions,” he said.

The most effective way to do this, he said, is to start by rebuilding “the dignity of those who suffer” and have suffered due to the conflict. However, in order to do this, one must draw near to these people “without time restrains, to the point of identifying oneself with them.”

When it comes to true peace, the kind for which Colombia yearns, goes beyond “the necessary pursuit of certain structures or conventions,” and centers on the “reconstruction of the person,” the cardinal said.

“In fact, it’s in the wounds of the human heart where the deepest causes of the conflict that in recent decades has torn this country apart are found.”

Only God is able to give us the strength to address and overcome these problems, Cardinal Parolin said, explaining that the signing of the peace agreement shouldn’t be considered as just “one more event,” but as a show of confidence in the authorities and all who follow the situation with prayer.

“We ask God to grant us the heroism of solidarity, which is necessary to fill, in truth and in justice, the abyss of the evil produced by violence,” he said.

Colombia has experienced “in its own flesh that the ambition of money and power, and, because of this, the exploitation of man by man, forced displacement, violence and the disregard of human dignity of the victims, among other scourges, constantly haunt mankind,” he said.

The cardinal closed his homily by praying to God “for the future of this dear people,” and for the journey the Colombian people will continue to make “on paths of truth, justice and peace.”

In comments to CNA on the signing of the accord, Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos praised the agreement as “something positive” that comes at the end of a long, violent conflict, but he also cautioned that true peace goes beyond paper, and is rooted in goodwill and forgiveness.

Cardinal Castrillon, who was born in Medellín and served the Church in Colombia from 1952 to 1996, is known to have spoken out vocally against the violence and terrorism of the conflict, encouraging the Church to help in peace efforts.

“I believe only in a signature that has the harmony of the Trinitarian God … I do not believe in a peace that doesn’t forgive; this is not the peace of Christ; I do not believe in a peace that deceives and is made for political gain,” said the president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, explaining that a superficial peace which continues to destroy is not real.

Peace, he said, implies a renouncement from weapons and drug trafficking, “which are powerful in this world,” as well as an authentic desire to respect the other party.

“If in the moment that of signing I don’t think you should be respected, this signature means nothing,” he warned, but said “we are happy” that an agreement has finally been reached, because “among many negative things, this can also be something positive.”

Full Article

IMAGE: NS photo/L'Osservatore Romano handout via EPA

By Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Don't respond to grief or anguish with pills, alcohol or avoidance, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

Figure out what is going on inside your heart, then turn to God and beg him for help, he said Sept. 27 during an early morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

Reflecting on the day's readings, the pope looked at the "spiritual desolation" experience by Job and the responsorial psalm, "Let my prayer come before you, Lord."

Job lost everything and felt utterly abandoned and unfairly tormented, the pope said. He unleashed his desperate cries to God, venting all of his feelings of hopeless despair and regret, and yet, he never blasphemed or cursed God in his ranting, he said.

Everyone has experienced some degree of despair that "makes us feel as if our soul were crushed," unable to breathe and perhaps even eager for death, the pope said.

"We have to understand when our spirit is in this state of extended sadness, where there is almost no air. This happens to all of us" to some degree, he said.

Some people might "take a sleeping pill," avoid facing the situation or "have two, three, four shots" of something strong to drink; but that "doesn't help," he said.

So then what should people do when they go through "these dark moments because of a family tragedy, an illness, something that brings me down?" he asked.

In times of hopeless, spiritual despair, he said, the answer is to pray hard, just like Job, who cried out day and night for God to listen.

He said Psalm 88 and its response -- "Let my prayer come before you, Lord" -- "is a prayer of knocking at (God's) door, but hard. 'Lord my soul is surfeited with troubles and my life draws near to the nether world. I am numbered with those who go down into the pit; I am a man without strength.'"

This is praying with genuine candor and honesty, he said, because it is the way a child pours out his emotions to his father. And this is how "we must pray in the most terrible, darkest, most desolate, crushing moments."

When someone is hurting and trapped in this spiritual despair, he said, the best thing to do is "talk as little as possible" because in these cases speeches "ultimately do not help and they can cause harm, too."

A person can help with loving silence, "being close, a caress and prayers to the father."

The pope asked that people pray for the grace to recognize and reflect upon the reasons for their despair, the grace to pray fervently to the Lord in times of trouble, and the grace to know how to best accompany those who are suffering, sad and despairing.

- - -

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.

Full Article

IMAGE: CNS photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit

By Jessica Trygstad

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) -- An estimated 12,000 students, teachers and staff of Catholic schools filled a baseball park in downtown St. Paul Sept. 22 for the first all-school Mass of the Holy Spirit in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens and more than 60 priests concelebrated the Mass for fourth- through eighth-grade students from the archdiocese's 79 Catholic grade schools after a performance from the local band Sonar.

In his homily, Archbishop Hebda told the crowd filling the stadium seats and spread across CHS Field -- where the St. Paul Saints baseball team plays -- that the Holy Spirit is what makes Catholic schools great. And, in turn, students must ask the Holy Spirit to help them reach greatness.

"I am so happy that we have that opportunity at the beginning of this school year to pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit," Archbishop Hebda said. "Certainly, on all of you -- our wonderful students, certainly on our teachers, certainly on those students who weren't able to be here this morning, certainly on all those wonderful parishioners who support our Catholic schools.

"But we understand that we need the Holy Spirit if we are going to be great," he continued. "And all that we need to do is to ask for the Holy Spirit. That's how great is our God's love, that all we have to do is to ask."

Referencing the Gospel reading, Archbishop Hebda noted how the apostles were changed once they received the Holy Spirit.

"My hope, that of Bishop Cozzens, that of all of these priests and deacons, that of all of your parents, and parishioners, is that as we ask for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit this day that we become men and women who are bold and brave in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ," the archbishop said, "that we're able to share the good news that we have a God who loves us without end, a God who forgives us when we sin, a God who gives us second chances, third chances, a God who calls us to greatness."

Telling students they have the benefit of a good Catholic education, Archbishop Hebda said he hopes they'll be great sons and daughters of God who'll go on to be great parents, husbands and wives, doctors, lawyers, teachers, even second basemen.

"We don't know what it is that God has in store for you, but that you're going to be able to do it with greatness because you know Jesus Christ, and you have received the Holy Spirit that he desires to place in our hearts."

Students from different schools read the prayers of the faithful and assisted priests during Communion.

The Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit, sponsored the Mass.

The organization's president, Gail Dorn, said the event took nine months of planning, 220 buses, and a lot of security and communication with the schools.

"We're just so happy that we're able to have this community of faith and be able to celebrate with one another," said Dorn, adding that they'd like to make the Mass of the Holy Spirit an annual event.

"It was a holy day. And it was a healing for our students and for our schools," she told The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocesan newspaper. "It's very powerful to worship together. I think it was very nourishing for our students to strengthen them in their faith and their belief, not just in our holy Eucharist and celebration of our faith, but also the community of our schools and our belief that they should be stronger and better."

Bishop Cozzens, who is archdiocesan vicar of education and a board member of Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, said after the Mass that it was a great opportunity to get all the students together to help them see that they're part of something bigger.

Masses of the Holy Spirit date back to the Jesuits in the 16th century. Noting the church celebrates the start of important events, such as papal conclaves, with a Mass of the Holy Spirit, Bishop Cozzens said the day highlighted the "treasure" of a Catholic education.

Thankful the weather cooperated for the event, Bishop Cozzens said he most enjoyed seeing students' joy and love for Jesus as they came forward to receive Communion.

The all-school Mass was a visible sign for teachers, too, that they're part of something bigger.

Kathy McRae, a seventh-grade religion and English teacher at Nativity of Our Lord School in St. Paul, has taught for 29 years, called the Mass "an incredible experience."

Nativity eighth-grader Chip Knap, who will be confirmed this year, said the archbishop's message was meaningful.

"It was the best Mass I've ever been at," he said. "I really liked the energy of it."

- - -

Trygstad is assistant editor of The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

- - -

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.

Full Article