Catholic News 2

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(Vatican Radio) The streets of Assisi are always peopled with pilgrims and tourists from every race and all walks of life. These days in Assisi, however, many can be seen wearing a particular lanyard with the Thirst for Peace emblem emblazoned on it. They are here for three days of dialogue ahead of the World Day of Prayer for Peace, which this year is marking the 30^th anniversary of its first celebration under Pope St. John Paul II.

The Sant’Egidio community, which Pope St. John Paul II charged with carrying forward the message and the “spirit” of Assisi, has organized these days in order to take a measure of the progress made over the past three decades and – with the help of Pope Francis’ presence on Tuesday, September 20^th, for the culminating event – to rekindle a sense of urgency and universal duty to pray and work for peace.

Despite our differences – which are real and honestly felt – the desire for peace is, like the longing for the divine source of its being, built into the human person. It is to this profound and enduring truth of human nature that participants are gathered to give witness, each according to his or her best lights.

One participant, the General Secretary of the Communion of Reformed Churches, Rev. Chris Ferguson, told Vatican Radio the Reformed communities have found the World Day of Prayer for Peace to be a propitious occasion for renewing commitment to oneness in faith for all disciples of Christ and to celebrate the unity of the human family. “To be Reformed Christians is to be ecumenical, and to be ecumenical is to embrace solidarity with all humanity, he said. Rev. Ferguson went on to say, “‘All things to God’s glory,” is a maxim of the Reformed ethos, “and we echo the Church Fathers in saying, ‘God’s glory are human beings fully alive.’”

Rev. Ferguson also told us the contribution of Pope Francis to the quest for peace in the spirit of Assisi.

“We [Reformed leaders] had the privilege of meeting with Pope Francis in June, and we said that we were brought together by a strong sense of urgency and a strong sense of joy: joy at our common accomplishments.” He went on to say, “Pope Francis, for us, is a dialogue partner, a leader, and – in that sense – a friend of our common efforts.”

Listen to the full interview:

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The social action arm of the Philippine Archdiocese of Manila concluded a 3-day programme on Sunday, in which  drug addicts were offered livelihood training and marketing assistance. "Part of the church's drug rehabilitation and restoration program is to give [drug users] new opportunities through alternative livelihood programmes," said Father Anton Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila.  He said the church will use its social enterprise marketing arm, Caritas Margins, to provide help to victims of illegal drugs. "We want them to become social entrepreneurs," said the priest in an interview on Sept. 16.  Caritas Margins showcased various products from different community partners, such as artwork from inmates of penal communities under the Caritas Restorative Justice Ministry.  The priest said that extending the program to drug offenders is one way of reintegrating them to society.

Manila Archbishop, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle last week welcomed drug addicts who have responded to the government's call to surrender to church-run rehabilitation programmes.  "We welcome you with all our hearts and we pray that your humility to surrender and the decision to have a new life be blessed by God," the cardinal said on Sept. 15, in an address to drug addicts in Manila.  "We are here for you. We love you. Let us not waste life, it is important, and it has to be protected and nurtured," he said.  The archdiocese will also provide livelihood projects and skills formation that will be "beneficial for everyone to use their God-given skills and talent."  Manila Archdiocese has opened several community-based rehabilitation programmes for drug addicts in parishes.

The number of drug-related killings in the Philippines since Rodrigo Duterte became president two months ago on a pledge to wipe out the illegal
drug trade, has reached around 2,000, according to data released on Tuesday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday he needed six more months for his war on drugs, saying he only realised how bad the country's narcotics problem was after taking office over two months ago.  Duterte, a former crime-busting mayor of the southern city of Davao, won the presidency in May promising to suppress crime and wipe out drugs and drug dealers in three to six months.  More than 3,500 people - or about 47 per day - have been killed in the past 10 weeks in connection with the illegal drugs trade, nearly two thirds by unknown assailants and the rest in legitimate police operations, according to local police. (Source: UCAN/Reuters)

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A diocese in Bangladesh held a three-day pastoral meeting last week on the theme of "joy of merciful love in the Christian family" to reflect on the sacrament of marriage and to respond to the crisis of the family.  The Bishop, priests and speakers of Rajshahi Diocese came together September 12 to 14 to discuss the many challenges facing families in the diocese.  While stressing on the indissolubility of Christian marriage, Bishop Gervas Rozario who heads the diocese of over 60 thousand Catholics, noted that "only love makes the family alive and family life joyful”.   

Around 203 Catholics from 21 parishes attended the meeting with each parish submitting a report on the problems encountered in families.  They picked out challenges such as lack of dialogue between husband and wife, increasingly frequent cohabitation outside of marriage, alcoholism and drugs, and suggested practical ways to overcome them.   A priest, Fr. Gomes identified challenges such as the lack of trust between husband and wife, the lack of religious and social values, cohabitation by young people, indifference to religious practices,  alcoholism and drug addiction.   Some of his advice to offset the trend is renewing of relationship between couples and praying, eating and attending Mass  together.  The priest also noted many families live far from the Catholic Church and invited Christian leaders to help them return to the Church through love.  Participants in the meeting staged cultural performances for which awards were presented.

The family is one of the top priorities of the pontificate of Pope Francis.  He called a two-part worldwide synod of bishops in the Vatican on the family, which was held in October, 2014 and 2015.  The outcome of the synod was the Pope's apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), released April 8. (Source: UCAN)

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The Missionaries of Charity in the Catholic Diocese of Maralal are a happy lot after the canonization of their founder, Mother Theresa of Kolkata on 4th, September 2016. This has renewed their faith and zeal to serve the poorest of the poor.

In an exclusive interview with Waumini News Today, Sr. Jane Maria MC said, the Sisters received the news of the canonization with a lot of joy.

“I was so happy that Mother Theresa has been made a saint, I lived with her in Kolkata for a year, and I am excited that one of the people I knew personally is a Saint because I am sure she continues praying for me and the others,” said Sr. Jane Maria.

In Kenya, the sisters who follow closely in the footsteps of St. Theresa of Calcutta serve in one of the remotest and inaccessible villages of Samburu County inhabited by the Samburu, Pokot and Turkana people who are mostly pastoralists.

According to Sr. Jane Maria , the nuns rescue infants as young as one day old whose mothers have died; nurse and feed the elderly; preach to alcohol addicts at their drinking den and invite them to daily Mass at the Sisters’ convent. They also visit different communities to evangelise and to advocate against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and against early marriages for young girls. Instead, they encourage parents to educate all children.

Every Saturday two or three Sisters led by Sr. Jenny Rozario go to a village known as Malasso where the plateau drops 8,000 feet into the Rift Valley. There they meet a community still steeped in its traditions and culture.

“It takes us three hours to descend to the valley, we then take about one hour to rest as we wait for the community members to come to the market, after which we take about two hours to tell them about God with the help of a trained local catechist after which it takes us another three hours or more to ascend to the top of the valley.” Sr. Maria MC said.

The Missionaries of Charity Sisters in Maralal are currently educating 11 street children in a boarding school and take care of 15 children below the age of 5. Where possible, the children are later reunited with their extended family members or given up for adoption.

Sr. Jane Maria is happy that through Catechism classes, two primary school going girls from Malasso village in the Great Rift Valley have received the Sacrament of Baptism after successfully attending Catechism classes.

(By Rose Achiego in Nairobi)

Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va 
 

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(Vatican Radio) A Holy See delegation, led by the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, on Monday joined other world leaders in New York for a high level Summit hosted by the UN General Assembly to address issues related to large scale movements of refugees and migrants.

Faith-based organizations are holding a side event on the same subject to make sure questions regarding the human rights of refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants are not up for debate.  

One of the faith-based organizations calling for a people-centered, human rights and dignity approach to internal and international migrants and refugees is the Jesuit Refugee Service.

Jesuit Father Michael Gallagher, JRS representative to the United Nations in Geneva told Linda Bordoni that while he welcomes the unprecedented summit and its outcome document which reiterates a series of fundamental commitments, there are important issues – such as the commitment not to detain migrant children - that have not been addressed.

Listen: 

Father Michael Gallagher who has been working with refugees since 1994 describes 2016 as “very, very disheartening.” 

He speaks of how in February he personally witnessed the arrival of Syrian families in Greece as they made their way to the Macedonian border and then into Europe (before the closing of the borders) on a day in which 1500 people arrived from Lesbos.

“It was quite touching, but also saddening when you saw the response that came later on” he says.

As regards the UN Refugee Summit Gallagher does not entertain much hope for significant change in the short term.

“It’s a State-run process which is to say that in the UN – when it’s a State-run process – they work by consensus” which means, he says - that the actors involved will end up adopting the law’s common denominator.

And he says, with respect to the outcome document and to the refugee part of it, there is not anything that is new. 

In fact he points out  there are some things that are troubling: “for example that they did not make a clear commitment not to detain children who are migrants”.

Gallagher explains that with respect to refugees, the outcome document basically follows the refugee process of “identification, settling in, assessment of claims, and solutions for the people who are recognized as refugees - which is essentially the structure of the 1951 Refugee Convention”.

He says that although it repeats the pledge of not sending people back to a place where they will be persecuted, this doesn’t always translate into reality on the ground.

When asked whether new problems that have arisen following controversial new policies and agreements or the closure of borders will be tackled, Fr Gallagher says the outcome document remains at a level of generality, and the commitments are: “we will make serious efforts to….”

Gallagher says that one of the things that NGOs were pushing for during preparation for the Summit was for a commitment by UN member States to take 10% of the refugee population each year to resettle, and to divide that 10% among the some 193 such States in the world. Of course, he points out, they had to be the States where refugees could make a living – Europe, United States and Australia - but that did not come about.

He says however that it is important to look at the glass which is “half full” rather than “half empty” and is convinced that it is good that nothing was taken away from the document,  that States reaffirmed their commitment to the ‘rule of law’, to the human rights of people who are on the move, that they reacted strongly against the xenophobic tendencies throughout the world. But, he reiterates: “it remains at the level of generalities”.

Father Gallagher talks about the difficulty people – nations – seem to have in welcoming “the foreigner” and of how Pope Francis’ repeated appeals to change that kind of mindset is reaching the ears – and the hearts – of so many, including high level politicians who may, one day become leaders who will hopefully be instrumental in changing unjust policies.

He also speaks of some of the concrete effects of the Pope’s call for solidarity and welcome and points to the project agreed upon by the Sant Egidio Community with some Governments – including the Italian one – to  set up ”humanitarian corridors” to receive refugee families.

“That is a wonderful programme and should be a model for Europe; it should be a model for the whole world” he says.

Unfortunately, Father Gallagher concludes, at a Summit such as the one taking place in New York “what you will get are a lot of canned speeches – they never really talk to each other at a meeting like that (…) you speak about what is your government position, not what you like to see done”.

The hope of JRS, he says, “is that things won’t get worse, that maybe the talk may make some inroads in local populations so they will resist the quick call to xenophobia – blaming all domestic problems on people coming from Syria, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Somalia…” 

“We are certain that it is important to keep talking and we hope that the Summit will be a step in continuing the process toward a more welcoming world for people who need to leave because they are running for their lives” he says.

          
    

           

 

 

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday accepted the credentials of Britain’s new ambassador to the Holy See, Sally Axworthy, who has worked extensively on conflict resolution in north and eastern Africa.

Axworthy, who is married with four children, joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1986 and has recently headed its department for North Africa, as well as for the Great Lakes, East Africa and Somalia regions.She has also had diplomatic experience in Russia, Ukraine, Germany and India.

Just after the papal audience, she came to Vatican Radio to share her impressions and to talk about the skills she hopes to bring to this new position.

Listen to Philippa Hitchen's interview with Ambassador Axworthy: 

Ambassador Axworthy speaks first of her first meeting with Pope Francis who, she said, was very humble, simple, friendly and keen to “pass on his good memories of meeting the Queen”.

In her first blog post, the new ambassador talks about her top priorities as countering violent extremism and conflict resolution. She notes that in the last 5 years she’s worked on Somalia and Libya, two countries where “the UK took a lead with international partners in trying to bring conflicts to an end” by getting the warring parties around the negotiating table.  In Somalia, she points out, a new government has been formed which “is inching forwards towards greater stability” and in Libya there’s also been a government of national unity formed, so it has been an important experience “to see how the international community could support local processes”.

In preparing for her new job, Axworthy says she’s been very struck by the extensive networks of both bishops conferences and religious communities, “often working in conflict areas when others have found it too dangerous or too difficult to remain”. She believes the Holy See and the UK have “complementary things to bring to the table”, the former through its grass roots information networks and the latter through its political and diplomatic influence, so she hopes to help “bring the two things together to support peace processes in some of the troubled parts of the world”.

Asked about the migration crisis and about Britain’s intention to build a wall in Calais to stop migrants heading towards the country, the ambassador says this issue was not on the agenda during her first papal audience. She says the solutions to this crisis are “not clear to anyone” but she praises the Pope’s focus on treating people as individuals with their dignity respected. The UK, she continues, also has to consider the impact of migration on the local population, and she points to the need to help end the conflicts in those countries from where most of the migrants come.

Speaking of Britain’s recent vote to leave the European Union, Axworthy says the Holy See is not part of the EU so the referendum should not affect that working relationship. The will of the people must be respected, she says and the government must work “in line with that decision”.

On a personal note, she says that in preparation for her new job, she walked along parts of the ancient pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome, the Via Francigena, to help her “step back” and reflect on the challenges ahead. She explains that although she is an Anglican, she used to stay in Catholic monasteries in the UK to find space for peace and reflection. She notes that “one doesn't apply to this role without being interested in faith and religion”.

Speaking of the challenge of operating in "largely male world" in the Vatican, the new ambassador notes that the UK has moved a long way over the last 20 or 30 years towards greater gender equality, so that “you’d now expect to see women in all walks of life”, and in every job. “This is a different environment”, she says with a smile, “so I’m going to need to get used to that!”

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IMAGE: CNS/L'Osservatore Romano

By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A nuncio is not simply a "diplomat in a (priest's) collar," but must truly be a priest and bishop who listens, supports and serves as a channel of God's mercy, Pope Francis said.

Spending much of the day Sept. 17 with 106 archbishops who represent him and the Vatican in countries around the world, Pope Francis thanked the nuncios for their constant willingness to pack up, move to a new country, learn a new language and deal with new challenges.

And, he said, he knew that every four or five years they get another "sugarcoated" phone call from Rome and do it all again.

Gathered at the Vatican from their posts around the world, the nuncios had meetings, Masses and prayer services as part of their Year of Mercy celebration.

At an early morning Mass, a mid-morning meeting and a luncheon in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the pope looked at their personal lives as priests, their service to local churches as his representative and their diplomatic service in a world often marked by conflict, fear and attempts to limit religious freedom.

"One of my deepest concerns regards the selection of future bishops," he told the nuncios, who have the task of identifying potential candidates for vacant dioceses, consulting with people who know them, evaluating their suitability and forwarding their names to the Vatican.

A good candidate, he said, must be an authentic witness of the Risen Lord and not simply someone with an impressive curriculum vitae.

Look for "bishop-pastors and not princes and functionaries. Please!" the pope told them.

"You need to cast your nets wide," the pope said, and not always rely on recommendations from the same people. "If we always go fishing in an aquarium, we will never find them!"

As representatives of the pope in a certain country, he said, a nuncio must take the pope's message and share it locally, helping bishops, priests and laypeople live it out in their own cultures.

Today, he said, the message is mercy and concrete signs of closeness to people who are often confused, in pain and yearning for a word of hope.

In daily contact with a nation's bishops, he said, "you touch with your hands the flesh of the church, the splendor of love that makes it glorious, but also the wounds and injuries that make it beg for forgiveness."

A nuncio is sent to a local church "to support and not only to correct," so he must listen before making decisions and reach out to promote understanding and reconciliation, the pope said.

"See, analyze and report are essential verbs, but not sufficient in the life of a nuncio," he said. "He also must encounter, listen, dialogue, share, propose and work together" to ensure people know that he truly loves the local population and the local church to which he has been sent.

"It is not enough to point a finger or attack those who do not think the way we do," the pope told the nuncios. "That is a tactical method of modern political and cultural wars, but cannot be the church's method."

Around the world there are signs of growing fear, leading people to build walls and dig trenches, he said. "We can understand the reasons for the fear, but we can never embrace it."

Pope Francis urged the nuncios to go out, "open doors, build bridges, weave ties, maintain friendships, promote unity."

Obviously, he said, there is evil in the world and there are situations of injustice and persecution -- especially the persecution of Christians in the Middle East -- that must be denounced.

Protecting the freedom of the church in the face of any power that tries to silence it is an enormous task today, the pope said. While diplomatic agreements are important instruments for guaranteeing the church is free to carry out its activities, the church will be truly free only if it proclaims the Gospel and its members are willing to be "a true sign of contradiction" in societies that deny Gospel truths.

At the same time, he said, convinced that God is truth, beauty, love and mercy, and confident that he will be victorious in the end, Christians must persistently and patiently practice dialogue and educate consciences.

"You are not asked to be gullible lambs," he said, but "I encourage you not to indulge yourselves in a climate of being under siege, giving in to the temptation of feeling sorry for yourself or playing the victim of those who criticize, goad or even belittle us."

Mercy is the true power of the church, Pope Francis told the nuncios. "We don't have the right to deprive the world -- including in the forum of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activity -- of this richness, which no one else can give. This knowledge must push us to dialogue with everyone and, in many cases, to be a prophetic voice for those marginalized because of their faith, ethnicity or economic, social and cultural condition."

Foreign diplomats are used to writing in code, but Pope Francis told the nuncios that "mercy must be the cipher of the diplomatic mission of a nuncio."

Even in the world of political power, he said, inside every human person there is a space where the voice of God can reach and mercy is what can tap into it.

"Dialogue with clarity and do not be afraid that mercy might confuse or diminish the beauty and strength of truth," he said. "The completeness of truth is found only in mercy."

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Follow Wooden on Twitter: @Cindy_Wooden.

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IMAGE: CNS photo/Nikos Arvanidtis, EPA

By Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Offering migrants and refugees truly helpful and loving hospitality is the greatest guarantee against terrorism, Pope Francis said.

The current refugee and migration crisis, with more than 65 million people forcibly displaced from their homes, has become "the greatest humanitarian crisis after the Second World War," he said.

"At this place and time in history, there is great need for men and women who hear the cry of the poor and respond with mercy and generosity," he told graduates of Jesuit schools and universities during an audience at the Vatican Sept. 17.

The alumni are members of the World Union and the European Confederation of Jesuit Alumni; they were in Rome taking part in a conference on the migration and refugee crisis.

The pope told them that with their Jesuit education and understanding of Gospel values, they can help the church "respond more fully to the human tragedy of refugees through acts of mercy that promote their integration into the European context and beyond."

"I encourage you to welcome refugees into your homes and communities, so that their first experience of Europe is not the traumatic experience of sleeping cold on the streets, but one of warm human welcome," he said.

"Remember that authentic hospitality is a profound Gospel value that nurtures love and is our greatest security against hateful acts of terrorism," he added.

Too many refugee children and young people lack access to education, he said, urging the alumni to work with the Jesuit Refugee Service and "put your mercy in motion" to help "build a stronger Europe and a brighter future for refugees."

He told his audience to remember they were not alone as many church organizations and individuals were also dedicated to helping the marginalized and excluded.

"Remember that the love of God accompanies you in this work. You are God's eyes, mouth, hands and heart in this world."

"I urge you to help transform your communities into places of welcome where all God's children have the opportunity not simply to survive, but to grow, flourish and bear fruit," he said.

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NEW YORK (AP) -- The Latest on explosive devices being found in two states (all times local):...

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Aaron Rodgers has two NFL MVP awards and one Super Bowl ring, and he's in his ninth season as the starter for Green Bay....

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