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 he United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States. The purpose of the Conference is to promote the greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the circumstances of time and place. This purpose is drawn from the universal law of the Church and applies to the episcopal conferences which are established all over the world for the same purpose.

The bishops themselves constitute the membership of the Conference and are served by a staff of approximately 315 lay people, priests, deacons, and religious located at the Conference headquarters in Washington, DC. There is also a small Office of Film and Broadcasting in New York City and a branch office of Migration and Refugee Services in Miami.http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/resources/upload/SCYP-Resource-Document.pdf

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(Vatican Radio) In occasion of the UN International Day of Peace on September 21, and at a time in which war and persecution have driven over 65 million people from their homes worldwide, the Jesuit Refugee Service and the Religious Islamic Community of Italy have joined to appeal for a culture of welcome.

In a statement released this week they are calling upon governments, religious institutions and people of good-will to work together to tackle the root causes of forced migration, to share the responsibility of providing protection for refugees, to ensure good reception conditions and access on arrival, and to recognize diversity as an opportunity - not a threat.

JRS International Advocacy Coordinator, Amaya Valcarcel, told Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni the appeal has particular resonance in this Holy Year of Mercy:

Listen: 

Amaya Valcarcel says that all JRS members work under the principle of “working for others and for all peoples regardless of religion, race, ethnic background”.

“We work – she explains – under the principle of impartiality, which for us Christians is the principle of universal love”.

And quoting from the Gospel of Matthew she says Jesus tells us ‘I was thirsty and you gave me water, I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ she points out he didn’t say ‘I was a Hebrew or a Judean stranger’ and this, she says, is the basis of JRS’s response: working for all people.

Valcarcel speaks of the work JRS is carrying out in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo where it is distributing food baskets to people of all backgrounds.

She highlights the fact that the way JRS works sows a seed of reconciliation in Syria because it involves groups of young people, many of them volunteers who are Muslims and Christians.

“It really is not an issue for them, the criteria is that we work together for the most vulnerable people” she says.

This seed of reconciliation, she points out  “leads us to organize and articulate the work – in communications and in advocacy – in an interfaith perspective”.       

And this interfaith perspective, Valcarcel explains, is the base for the just-released statement which JRS issued together with the Islamic Communities of Italy and with the Imam Yahya Pallavicini (Vice President and imam of the Italian CO.RE.IS.  - Italian Islamic Religious Community).

She says JRS has an excellent relationship with the Imam and is in dialogue with his organization:  “we are happy to learn from each other”.

Valcarcel says the statement, subtitled ‘An inter-religious statement on behalf of forced migrants’ reflects the question of peace and the common values Christianity and Islam share, including the value of mercy – which in this Holy Year of Mercy – is clearly a shared value.   

But, she says “we are also reflecting on the value of hospitality: at this time in which we are seeing the response of governments and of nationalistic movements which are making an effort to build walls rather than offering access to asylum and hospitality”.

“We think this is our main message to the world: that we together, as religious leaders and religious people, think the value of hospitality is an added value today, and that refugees need it as they need water or food – they need warmth, they need to feel they are welcomed” she says.

Valcarcel says the statement is especially directed to governments but also to all religious people.

“We are also seeing tendencies in some religious groups which are against this principle of impartiality” and are perhaps helping some rather than others, she says.

And she reiterates the principle that Christianity is not in opposition to other faiths, but as the Society of Jesus is saying in another recently published statement: Christianity stands not in opposition but in dialogue and in the process of learning from one another.

Valcarcel says Pope Francis is JRS’s best advocate, “it is clear he has refugees in his heart, and he has a sense of urgency”.

We are seeing a lot of declarations now days – Valcarcel says – but what refugees need is “today: access to protection, access to food and not another declaration in two years’ time”.

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Vatican Weekend for September 25, 2016 features a reflection on the Sunday Gospel reading in the next in Jill Bevilacqua's series: "There's More in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye," plus, our resident Vatican expert, Joan Lewis takes a look back at the past week's events in the Vatican.

Listen to the programme presented and produced by Tracey McClure:

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Vatican Weekend for September 24, 2016 features reports on Pope Francis’ recent visit to Assisi at the conclusion of an international prayer gathering for peace and on his tough words on the “shame” of war - at Mass at Santa Marta.  Plus, we go back in time to revisit chief moments in Pope Francis’ apostolic journey to the United States one year ago: his historic speeches to Congress and the United Nations.  And, we remember his visit to Ground Zero and speak to the world renowned architect who rebuilt the site following the September 11^th terror attacks of 15 years ago.

Listen to the programme presented and produced by Tracey McClure:

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Charlotte, N.C., Sep 23, 2016 / 03:32 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Father Patrick Winslow is a priest at a Catholic church in Charlotte’s University City neighborhood.

After a police shooting left a man dead and roused hundreds of people in protest amid conflicting stories, he’s been thinking about what he can say to his flock.

“I think they need to hear a simple message of prayer, of charity, and reassurance that we are called to be a light in the midst of many darknesses in this world,” Father Patrick Winslow told CNA.

“If there were a Christian way forward it would simply be one of drawing closer together and listening and relating, with a sense of vulnerability,” he said.

Father Winslow is pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte’s University City neighborhood, which surrounds the main campus of University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

In an apartment complex less than a mile from the church, a police shooting rocked the community.

Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed by police who were looking for another man named in a warrant on Sept. 20.

Scott was a father of seven. His family said that he was unarmed and sitting in his car reading a book as he waited for his son to return from school, CNN reports. A woman reported to be his daughter livestreamed the aftermath of the shooting on the internet, claiming Scott was disabled, didn’t have a gun, and was afraid of the officers.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney disputed the account. He said Scott left his car with a gun. He said officers repeatedly told Scott to drop his gun before an officer shot him.

Scott, Chief Putney, and the officer who shot Scott are all black.

The police chief said officers could not find a book at the scene of the shooting.

“It's time to change the narrative because I can tell you from the facts that the story's a little bit different as to how it's been portrayed so far, especially through social media,” Chief Putney said.

In reaction to the shooting, hundreds of protesters rallied in Charlotte. Some threw rocks at police and set fires. Some blocked Interstate 85 and set a fire in the middle of the highway, blocking traffic for miles.

Sixteen officers were injured in the protests, Putney said. At least seven people were hospitalized with minor injuries and five others were arrested.

The mayor of Charlotte, Jennifer Roberts, has asked faith leaders to work for healing in the community.

At St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Fr. Winslow planned to speak before the Wednesday evening Mass.

“We’re probably 500 yards from the shooting. This is our neighborhood,” he told CNA.

Father Winslow said he was aware of the different experiences of different people in the neighborhood.

“The African-American community is going to feel different than the university kids across the street, versus all the other different people in the area,” he said.

The priest said he could not make a judgment on the shooting, knowing what is only in the news.

“Obviously I would feel a great deal of compassion for the family who lost someone that they love. I would also feel a great deal of compassion for all of those families who have people in law enforcement who were wounded as a result of the violence last night,” he said.

“I think that many who have not experienced prejudice and bigotry would be surprised by the experience of those who experience it regularly,” the priest continued. “Those who experience it regularly might be surprised that there are many who are not bigoted in their thoughts.”

He said he thought the majority of churchgoers at his diverse parish are not bigoted in their thinking.

Some of his parishioners have experienced acts of racism and bigotry in the wider community, such as a French-speaking black woman who was mistreated because of her skin color.

Fr. Winslow said he wanted to speak about how painful these experiences are.

He said the community was also surprised how a national narrative about law enforcement and race “collided in our backyard.”

The protests follow months of unrest and tensions in cities across the U.S.

In addition to the incident in Charlotte, a police shooting of Terence Crutcher, a 40-year-old black man in Tulsa, Oklahoma also prompted protests on Tuesday. A police officer responded to reports of an abandoned SUV.

Video recordings show Crutcher raising his hands before being tasered and fatally shot. However, the camera angle is obstructed in the preceding moments. Police reports indicate that he was unarmed.

Tulsa Police officer Betty Shelby is facing first-degree manslaughter charges in relation to the death of Crutcher.

Tulsa Bishop David A. Konderla responded in a statement, saying, “Today the prayers of the faithful of the Diocese of Tulsa are extended to the families of Terence Crutcher and Officer Betty Shelby. The tragic incident that took place last Friday will forever mark the lives of everyone involved, including our larger community.”

“We offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Crutcher family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.”

“We offer our appreciation to those in our city government and our public service employees who work hard every day to serve our community,” he continued. “We pray that God would grant wisdom and discernment to all parties involved in the investigation of this sad event. We ask that everyone would join us in praying for continued peace and healing for all people of goodwill in Tulsa and throughout our nation.”

 

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