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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- An officer responding to a reported armed robbery shot and killed a 13-year-old boy when the teen pulled a firearm from his waistband that was later determined to be a BB gun but looked "practically identical" to the weapon that police use, authorities said Thursday....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The four-star officers in charge of each U.S. military branch pleaded with lawmakers to find common ground and avoid the return of strict, across-the-board spending limits that increase the risk of sending inadequately trained and equipped troops into combat....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Donald Trump says he believes women should be able to obtain birth control without a prescription....
Am 8:4-7; I Tm 2:1-8; Lk 16:1-13 Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, once told about a make-believe country where only ducks lived. On Sunday morning all the ducks came into Church, waddled down the aisle, waddled into their pews and squatted. Then the duck minister came in, took his place behind the pulpit, opened the Duck Bible and read, "Ducks! You have wings, and with wings you can fly like eagles. You can soar into the skies! Ducks! You have wings!" All the ducks yelled, "Amen!" and then they all waddled home. [Jim Burns, Radically Committed (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1991).] No one flew or even tried. Friends, there’s just too much truth to that little fable. Using the parable of a rascal manager in today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges us to see that it is time for the children of light to quit waddling. It's time for us to soar by wisely using our God-given talents and blessings for the welfare of others, thus glorifying God...
Am 8:4-7; I Tm 2:1-8; Lk 16:1-13
Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, once told about a make-believe country where only ducks lived. On Sunday morning all the ducks came into Church, waddled down the aisle, waddled into their pews and squatted. Then the duck minister came in, took his place behind the pulpit, opened the Duck Bible and read, "Ducks! You have wings, and with wings you can fly like eagles. You can soar into the skies! Ducks! You have wings!" All the ducks yelled, "Amen!" and then they all waddled home. [Jim Burns, Radically Committed (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1991).] No one flew or even tried. Friends, there’s just too much truth to that little fable. Using the parable of a rascal manager in today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges us to see that it is time for the children of light to quit waddling. It's time for us to soar by wisely using our God-given talents and blessings for the welfare of others, thus glorifying God and becoming eligible for our eternal reward. May we be the people that Jesus praises because we saw something that needed to be done and we did it.
Introduction: All three selections for today’s liturgy pertain to the subject of faithful stewardship. Condemning the crooked business practices of the 8th century BC merchants of Judea, the prophet Amos, in the first reading, reminds the Israelites, and us, to be faithful to our Covenant with Yahweh by practicing justice and mercy as God’s faithful stewards. He warns us against having the making of money as the goal of our life, whatever the means. The second reading, I Timothy, instructs the first-century Judeo-Christians to become true stewards of the Gospel of Jesus, the only mediator between God and man, by preaching the “Good News” to the pagans and including them in intercessory prayers. Today’s Gospel challenges us to use our blessings -- time, talents, health and wealth -- wisely and diligently so that they will serve for our good in eternity. We are on the right road only if we use our earthly wealth to attain our Heavenly goal.
First reading: Amos 8:4-7: Amos was the first of the writing prophets during the 38-year span when Uzziah was king of Judah (781-743 BC). For a long time, the territory we call the Holy Land was divided between a Northern Kingdom called Israel with Samaria as its capital, and a Southern Kingdom known as Judah with Jerusalem as its capital. In the 8th century BC, Israel was prosperous only for the upper classes and the corrupt business community which exploited the poor people. In those days, commercial activities were forbidden on the Sabbath and during days around the New Moon. Not only did these predatory merchants resent the Sabbath rest as a loss of profits, but their business methods were completely unscrupulous. The businessmen wanted those sacred periods to be over so that they might get more time to make profits by their dishonest business practices like charging high prices, using false weights and measures, and selling poor quality merchandise. Hence, Amos prophesied the downfall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel for its lack of Covenant morality. In the Covenant relationship between God and his people, loving compassion and concern for the unfortunate, honesty and integrity were supposed to be distinguishing qualities in the community. Amos unequivocally declared that God would not tolerate the abuse of the weak.
Second reading: I Timothy 2: 1-8: Paul struggled to get Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians to respect each other and not to compartmentalize God’s salvation. Hence, in today’s second reading, he reminds Timothy (a community leader equivalent to a bishop), and his congregation that God's concern extends to all people, not just themselves. Some scholars think that some early Jewish Christians might have refused to pray for pagans, and that this passage was intended to correct that mistake. In the passage, Paul insists again that he has been called to take the Gospel to all peoples. He requests prayers for civil rulers and those in high positions, so that all people may live a quiet and peaceable life and come to salvation through the one mediator, Christ Jesus. This teaching is reflected in our modern Prayer of the Faithful, which should embrace the needs of the whole world, not just those of the Church.
Exegesis: A strange parable: The parable of the crooked steward or dishonest manager has shocked good Church people for centuries. St. Augustine said, “I can’t believe that this story came from the lips of our Lord.” Jesus tells a paradoxical story about the steward (manager), of the estate of a rich absentee landlord. The steward was an out-and-out rascal. But his boss praised him for his rascality because he acted with foresight. Facing the coming return of his master and an audit of his accounts, the steward cleverly converted the debtors of his master into his own debtors. He bought "friends" with his master’s money, and used these "friends” to secure a means of livelihood for the rapidly and certainly approaching point when he would be dismissed (for his previous embezzlement). In Luke’s account there are four morals drawn from the story to unfold its meaning. The parable advises us to take inventory of the resources placed in our charge: time, talents, opportunities, health, intelligence, education, and other advantages. It also challenges us to use these resources wisely so that they will serve for our good in eternity.
Lessons of the parable as presented by Luke: 1. Let the children of light acquire the prudence of the children of this world (verse 8). The steward in the parable was a dishonest rascal who had been put in charge of his master's estate. His master was probably a Palestinian landlord residing in a large city. When caught red-handed for misappropriation of profits, the steward cleverly falsified the entries in the account books so that the debtors appeared to owe far less than their actual debt. The steward knew that when his master fired him, he would need friends. His dishonest plan would serve two purposes. First, the debtors would be grateful to him and would support him financially. Second, he would be in a position to exercise a little judicious blackmail to silence them.
‘The children of this world’ are the children of darkness who see and value only the things of this world. They live for this world, concentrate their attention on it, invest everything in it, give the energies of mind and body fully to it, and find in it their entire purpose for living. Christian believers, however, are ‘the children of light’ who see real, eternal, spiritual values as primary and regard temporal values as secondary. The children of this world regard themselves as owners, while true Christians regard themselves as mere stewards of God who view their resources as merely loaned to them by God. To the Christian, "riches" mean spiritual and human values. Our stewardship requires us to use our advantages to help others.
Obviously, Jesus was not commending the steward’s dishonesty. He was commending only his shrewd resourcefulness. The parable points out that Christians should be as prudent and resourceful in acquiring goodness as the steward was in acquiring money and making his future safe. Christians must give as much attention to things that concern their souls as they do to the things that concern worldly matters. In saving our souls and spreading the Good News, our Lord wants us to apply the same ingenuity and effort that other people put into their worldly affairs or into their attempts to attain some human ideal. In other words, our Christianity will begin to be real and effective when we spend as much time and effort on spiritual matters as we do on worldly activities, and when the Church uses the worldly business sense of a good steward in conducting its ministries.
2. Invest temporal goods to acquire eternal welfare. Jesus reminds us that earthly resources will eventually run out. Hence, our material possessions should be used for the good of others, to cement friendships wherein lie the real and permanent values of life. This can be done in two ways. (a) In regard to eternity. It was a Jewish belief that charity given to the poor would stand to a man's credit in the world to come. A man's true wealth consisted, not in what he owned, but in what he gave away. The right use of wealth, according to Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, is to help the poor, the hungry, and the starving. That is the way that we make friends with God and please God according to this text. There are many people in our parish who live a life of generosity. There are many people in the Catholic Church who understand that God has given us money so that we can be generous to the needy, the poor and the starving. Thus, many of us are making wise investments for the future. (b) In regard to this world. A man can use his wealth not only to make life easier for himself, but also for his fellow-man. Perhaps he will fund scholarships for students or give to charitable organizations and missionary endeavors. There are a million possibilities.
3. Integrity and fidelity are the true yardsticks for promotion and eternal reward (verse 10). A man's way of fulfilling a small task is the best proof of his fitness or unfitness to be entrusted with a larger task. No man will be advanced to a higher office until he has given proof of his honesty and ability in a lower position. Jesus extends this principle to eternity. He calls us to faithfulness in little things because most of our life is made up of seemingly small opportunities to do good. Few of us can hope to "save the world." Still, we can conduct our business in honesty, tutor a child, visit a person in a nursing home, or help a neighbor in distress and make a difference in his or her life. Then our Lord will welcome us with the words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.” (Mt. 25:21).
How we handle our money and our possessions is a test of our character. It reveals whether or not we are morally qualified to receive the true riches of Heaven. How we treat what belongs to another is a test of our fitness to be entrusted with our own possessions. How do we treat others: their name, their possessions, their time, their ministry, their feelings, their family? The answer will reveal our fitness for true stewardship. This is why Jesus asked the question, “If you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" (verse 12). While we live on earth we are in charge of things which are not really ours. We cannot take them with us when we die. They are only lent to us--we are only stewards over them. On the other hand, in Heaven we will receive what is really and eternally ours. Our Heavenly destiny depends on how we use the things of earth.
4. "No servant can serve two masters" (verse 13). In the Greco-Roman world, the master had exclusive possession of his slave. A slave had no spare time of his own, since every ounce of his energy belonged to his master. In this saying, Jesus reminds us that, like slaves, we cannot serve God on a part-time basis. Once a man chooses to serve God, every moment of his time and every atom of his energy belong to God. God is the most exclusive of masters. We belong to Him either totally or not at all. As Christians, we are called to serve God first. We must not use money and possessions exclusively to serve our own purposes. Let us remember the proverb, “Money can buy everything but true happiness, and it can purchase a ticket to every place except to Heaven.” This parable of serving two masters may seem ironic. Perhaps, Jesus was attacking the Sadducees and Pharisees. The Sadducees cheated a bit on the Mosaic Law so that they might accommodate themselves to the Roman government. The Pharisees made a big show of giving small amounts of money to the poor. The lesson is that we cannot be nominal Christians, calling ourselves “Christians” and committing little wrongs while expecting God's praise.
Life messages: 1) We need to be faithful in little things of life: Often we get so caught up in our work that we ignore the little things of life. But let us not ignore these little matters -- things like dropping someone an encouraging note or extending people a simple, "Thank you." Similarly, we ought to take time out of our workday to help others in small things. As Saint John Chrysostom said, "Faithfulness in little things is a big thing." We may not be able to reach millions of people all over the world by satellite as famous talk show hosts or televangelists do. But in our own part of the world we can faithfully do little things to point people toward Jesus. Our future opportunities in the eternal service of God largely depend on our stewardship in handling the little opportunities we have had on earth. As St. Teresa of Calcutta (Blessed Mother Teresa, canonized September 4, 2016 by Pope Francis), used to recommend, “Do little things with great love.”
2) We need to act wisely, trusting in the power and assistance of God. Today’s parable gives us some practical advice. We are urged to stride into the future with confidence -- not in ourselves or our abilities, but in the power and grace of God. The manager in Jesus’ story used all his resources to secure his future. We must be no less resourceful. At our disposal we have Hope in God’s justice, Faith in God’s assistance, and trust in God’s grace. We have the Holy Mass and the Seven Sacraments as sources of Divine grace, the Holy Bible as the word of God for daily meditation and practice, and the Spirit-guided Church to direct us. These are the best possible resources; we need to use them in such a way that it will be said of us, "And the master commended them because they acted so wisely."
3) We need to be prepared to give an account of our life. We are all stewards of what God has entrusted to us, so some day we will have to give Him an account of our stewardship. We prepare ourselves for all kinds of things, most of which never happen. But do we care enough for our souls to insure ourselves against the one thing that most certainly will happen? We must meet God, and give an accounting. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil” (II Corinthians 5:10). Thus, the only thing that will count in our favor is the testimony of those who will say, "Lord, when I was really in need, he gave to me, at cost to himself. He helped me along. He showed love to me, and proved it by giving himself to me."
Jenny Lind, the great Swedish soprano disappointed many of her friends because she turned down so many big business contracts that would have made her world famous. One day a friend was surprised to find her sitting on a sunny seashore reading the New Testament. The friend rebuked the singer for not seizing her chances. Quickly, Jenny put her hand over the New Testament and said, "I have found that making vast sums of money was spoiling my taste for this." Robert Kimchi says thus: "This world is a house; Heaven the roof, the stars the lights; the earth, with its fruits, a table spread; the master of the house is the holy and blessed God; man is the steward, into whose hands the goods of this house are delivered; if he behaves himself well, he will find favour in the eyes of the Lord; if not, he will be turned out of his stewardship." We are all stewards; therefore the day of accounting is there for each one of us.
(Source: Homilies of Fr. Anthony Kadavil)
Bitrus Zachariah with his wife Rebecca came under the ferocious attack of Boko Haram elements on the 21 August 2014. This attack happened before the widely-publicised 2015 massive offensive which saw Boko Haram terrorists completely overran the headquarters of the multinational Joint Task Force in the town of Baga.Baga, a Nigerian town at the extreme north of Borno State has had more than its share of Boko Haram atrocities.Rebecca narrated to me how Boko Haram fighters stormed her town. In great confusion, she fled her lovely home with her husband, Bitrus and two sons, Zachariah who was 3 years, and Jonathan 1. At the time, she was expecting a third child. She lost her pregnancy six months later owing to the subhuman condition she was subjected to after her capture by the militants.On that fateful day of the attack, as they fled, she knew that her husband was the primary target of the militants. With Boko Haram hot in pursuit, Bitrus could not run fast enough because he was ...
Bitrus Zachariah with his wife Rebecca came under the ferocious attack of Boko Haram elements on the 21 August 2014. This attack happened before the widely-publicised 2015 massive offensive which saw Boko Haram terrorists completely overran the headquarters of the multinational Joint Task Force in the town of Baga.
Baga, a Nigerian town at the extreme north of Borno State has had more than its share of Boko Haram atrocities.
Rebecca narrated to me how Boko Haram fighters stormed her town. In great confusion, she fled her lovely home with her husband, Bitrus and two sons, Zachariah who was 3 years, and Jonathan 1. At the time, she was expecting a third child. She lost her pregnancy six months later owing to the subhuman condition she was subjected to after her capture by the militants.
On that fateful day of the attack, as they fled, she knew that her husband was the primary target of the militants. With Boko Haram hot in pursuit, Bitrus could not run fast enough because he was carrying their one year old son, Jonathan. Rebecca pleaded with Bitrus to run and save his life. She urged him to leave them behind. Bitrus heeded her advice and quickly ran to hide in a nearby bush. When Boko Haram came looking for him, they could not find him and so they kept spraying bullets in his direction. Luckily for him, no bullet touched him. After some time, Bitrus emerged from his hiding place but by now had become separated from his wife and children.
Bitrus was left wondering what to do next. He suffered from shame and guilt for not protecting his family when they needed him the most. Bitrus says he went to the nearby town of Mongonu and for two weeks kept searching for his family. As he waited for days on end, he would see a lot of people coming out of Baga.
“I kept asking them of the whereabouts of my wife....no one could tell me any good news. I became depressed and regularly experienced bouts of a migraine and High Blood pressure.
Rebecca explained, “When Bitrus fled to hide, Boko Haram came to me. They kept saying, "...da mun kashe Mujin ki..da mun Sami lada....ama ton da Allah bai bari ba...ke da yaran ki sai ku je ku yi aikin Allah,” meaning if only we had killed your husband we would have received Allah’s reward...but since Allah did not permit that.... you and your children will go and work for Allah...thereafter they hit me with the butt of a big Gun knocking out some of my teeth.”
Rebecca’s nightmare had only just begun. They took her and her two sons across Lake Chad. Crossing the lake was an ordeal with water sometimes coming up to her neck. After a long trek lasting about seven days, they arrived at a place called Kwalleram. Rebecca was assigned the task of cleaning, washing and cooking for the for militants and their wives. Sometimes the captives would remove surrounding bushes and make pathways for the motorcycles of the militants.
They kept moving. The militants took Rebecca to a town called Gurva where she found 2000 other Nigerians who had been forcibly captured by Boko Haram.
About two months later, they had to move yet again. This time she was taken to a town called Tilma.
“It was in Tilma that they engraved the number 69 on my back. I don’t really know its meaning, and I never cared to ask. Soon after, they sold me to a man called Bage Guduma. I was with him for about 55 days. They gave me Palm fruit to eat but thank God I didn't eat any of it. That would have cast a spell on me, and I would have been hypnotised and lost my senses. I also could not bear to be touched by the man. For that, his boys beat me up ruthlessly. They made me dig a hole for three weeks till I hit water level. Sometimes I received 98 lashes. They took my second son Jonathan and threw him into Lake Chad alive. My son drowned and died,” Rebecca recalls.
She continued her narration, “Malla became the second man they brought to me. They forced me to sleep with Malla and when I resisted they threw me into their prison -a dark pit, I was in the pit for two whole days without food or water. When I came out, Malla forced himself on me, and I become pregnant. After that, I tried to kill myself, but the wife of a Pastor, herself abducted from Gwoza, pleaded with me not to take my life. She already had two children fathered by the militants. When the time came for me to give birth, I delivered at home, alone. No one came to my aid. I cut the placenta myself. I was in great pain. I received no medical attention. They named my son Ibrahim. They liked him because he is a boy. The fighters want women who give birth to male children. Malla, the Boko Haram man, had travelled out and only came back six weeks after I had given birth.”
After Ibrahim's birth, Malla began to grow tired of Rebecca and promised to sell her to another man. It was then she decided to try and escape.
Once when most of the Boko Haram fighters had travelled out, Rebecca obtained permission from a female Boko Haram militant, probably the commander’s wife to see a friend in another area under Boko Haram control. When permission was granted, Rebecca headed instead to a small community called Maitele. From there, Rebecca with her sons Zachariah and Ibrahim joined others walking towards what they thought was the Nigerian border. She was not sure of her whereabouts, but she pressed on. Hungry and thirsty, she eventually ended up in Diffa, a town in Niger. With the help of some people, she linked up with military personnel operating in the area. The military in Niger gave her sons and herself some badly needed medical care. They also gave them some food and brought her and her sons to some Nigerian soldiers in Damaturu. Damaturu is a local government area of Yobe state in Nigeria.
It was also the military who eventually helped her reach Maiduguri where she reunited with her husband, Bitrus. Rebecca has nothing but praise for the military personnel she met in Niger and Nigeria including some of whom she thinks may have been US military personnel.
For Bitrus, "seeing my wife with the son of a Boko Haram father frightens me a lot. I was very happy to see my wife but the boy makes my heart break. May God make me love him...yes, the son of a snake...,” Bitrus comments with bitterness.
Rebecca is not sure what will happen between her and Bitrus. If Bitrus does not come to terms with the presence of the child, Ibrahim, she is contemplating relocating to join her parents. Her parents are currently in Cameroon.
Sometimes, she too has mixed feelings about her son, Ibrahim. This is compounded by the stigma that traumatised women and girls rescued along with children fathered by Boko Haram fighters encounter from their erstewhile societies. Rebecca has even tried to give the child “to the government” but the military personnel encouraged her to keep the child. Ibrahim is now eight months.
For now, Bitrus and his family are in the custody of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri. 500 Internally Displaced Persons are currently housed in the incomplete buildings that were meant to have been the Diocesan Secretariat compound.
(By Fr. Gideon Obasogie, Directorate of Social Communications in Maiduguri, Nigeria/ edited: Fr. Paul Samasumo)
Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va
(Vatican Radio) Papal diplomats from around the world are in Rome this week for a special Jubilee event that includes both practical refresher seminars and moments of spiritual reflection with the Holy Father.Relations with Islam, gender culture and other challenges facing the Church today are on the programme, as Philippa Hitchen reports:The year of mercy may be drawing to a close but Pope Francis is maintaining a packed agenda of Jubilee events. From September 15th to 17th he’s meeting with over a hundred representatives of the Holy See working in locations right across the globe. Of the 108 diplomatic missions in existence today, 103 are headed by archbishops serving as papal nuncios, while the other five posts are permanent observers to international organisations.The Jubilee event began on Thursday morning with Mass, presided over by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in St Peter’s Basilica, followed by two seminars held in the Synod Hall. The fi...
(Vatican Radio) Papal diplomats from around the world are in Rome this week for a special Jubilee event that includes both practical refresher seminars and moments of spiritual reflection with the Holy Father.
Relations with Islam, gender culture and other challenges facing the Church today are on the programme, as Philippa Hitchen reports:
The year of mercy may be drawing to a close but Pope Francis is maintaining a packed agenda of Jubilee events. From September 15th to 17th he’s meeting with over a hundred representatives of the Holy See working in locations right across the globe. Of the 108 diplomatic missions in existence today, 103 are headed by archbishops serving as papal nuncios, while the other five posts are permanent observers to international organisations.
The Jubilee event began on Thursday morning with Mass, presided over by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in St Peter’s Basilica, followed by two seminars held in the Synod Hall. The first of these was focused on the Pope, the Church and the world today, led by Professor Piero Coda, president of the Sofia University Institute founded by the Focolari movement just south of Florence. The second session, led by Rev. Robert Ghal from the Pontifical Holy Cross University in Rome is entitled ‘Genesis and the case of gender culture’ and will be followed by dinner with Pope Francis at the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican gardens.
On Friday morning participants will have a working session with officials from the Secretariat of State and in the afternoon they’ll attend a third seminar, focused on interreligious dialogue and relations with Islam, led by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran. In the evening, they’ll join heads of all the Curial offices and ambassadors accredited to the Holy See for a reception in the Vatican museums.
The final day, Saturday, will include many of the 40 retired apostolic nuncios and will be a time for spiritual communion, starting with Mass concelebrated with Pope Francis in the Santa Marta chapel. That’ll be followed by a reflection from Mgr Pierangelo Sequeri of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Life. The diplomats will then make their way through the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica before meeting together with Pope Francis in the Clementine hall of the apostolic palace.
The event concludes with a lunch in Santa Marta, but the Pope has invited all 163 staff members of the nunciatures and diplomatic missions for their own Jubilee here in the Vatican on November 18th.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday reflected on how we are created in the image and likeness of the Creator, and warned us – God’s children – against the temptation of undermining our intrinsic dignity by embracing false idols. The Pope’s words came during a speech to members of the Italian Biblical Association whom he received in the Vatican on the occasion of National Biblical Week.Pope Francis remarked on the theme chosen for the occasion which focusses on the male-female polarity in the Scriptures.He recalled the cycle of catechesis held by St. John Paul II during the first part of his pontificate regarding the many aspects of the relationship between man and woman stemming from the analysis of biblical texts. The Pope said that he himself, during a Catechesis last year, had occasion to stress that “God, after having created the universe and all living beings, created his masterpiece, the human being, whom He made in his own image...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday reflected on how we are created in the image and likeness of the Creator, and warned us – God’s children – against the temptation of undermining our intrinsic dignity by embracing false idols.
The Pope’s words came during a speech to members of the Italian Biblical Association whom he received in the Vatican on the occasion of National Biblical Week.
Pope Francis remarked on the theme chosen for the occasion which focusses on the male-female polarity in the Scriptures.
He recalled the cycle of catechesis held by St. John Paul II during the first part of his pontificate regarding the many aspects of the relationship between man and woman stemming from the analysis of biblical texts.
The Pope said that he himself, during a Catechesis last year, had occasion to stress that “God, after having created the universe and all living beings, created his masterpiece, the human being, whom He made in his own image: ‘in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them’” (Gen 1:27).
And inviting those present to reflect on how we are created in the image and likeness of the Creator, he said that it is essential to note the differences that exist within creation.
This, he said, helps us to understand the dignity of all men and women, a dignity which has its roots in the same Creator.
The Pope said we must never forget we are all children of God and we are not only shaped by Him, but guided by Him just as a father does with his children.
He warned against the possibility of ‘degrading’ this dignity that has been granted to us by God and said this happens when we embrace idolatry, when we make place in our hearts for false idols – as narrated in the Bible passage about the exodus from Egypt when Moses, tempted by the devil, built an idol made of gold (Ex 32).
This idol of gold, Pope Francis said, symbolizes the attractive force of wealth, and the fact that man loses his dignity when riches take the place of God in his heart.
Reiterating the preciousness of the gift of dignity, Pope Francis reflected on the possibility of sharing this dignity so that it triggers a positive reciprocity and he invited those present to ask the question ‘How can I make the other feel worthy? How can I "infect" the other with dignity?”
When one despises, segregates or discriminates, the Pope concluded, he does not “share or infect the other” with his God-given dignity
(Vatican Radio) In a “world that suffers the crisis of a great orphanhood,” we have a Mother that accompanies and defends us. That was the message of Pope Francis during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.The Gospel of the day brings us to Calvary. All the disciples had fled, except for St John and a few women. At the foot of the Cross is Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Everyone is looking at her, saying, “That’s the mother of this delinquent! That is the mother of this subversive!”“And Mary heard these things. She suffered terrible humiliation. And she also heard the dignitaries, even some priests, whom she respected, because they were priests, [saying] “You who are so good, come down! Come down!” With her Son, naked, there [on the Cross]. And Mary had such great suffering, but she didn’t go away. She didn’t deny her Son! He was her flesh.”Pope Francis recalled that, when he was...
(Vatican Radio) In a “world that suffers the crisis of a great orphanhood,” we have a Mother that accompanies and defends us. That was the message of Pope Francis during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The Gospel of the day brings us to Calvary. All the disciples had fled, except for St John and a few women. At the foot of the Cross is Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Everyone is looking at her, saying, “That’s the mother of this delinquent! That is the mother of this subversive!”
“And Mary heard these things. She suffered terrible humiliation. And she also heard the dignitaries, even some priests, whom she respected, because they were priests, [saying] “You who are so good, come down! Come down!” With her Son, naked, there [on the Cross]. And Mary had such great suffering, but she didn’t go away. She didn’t deny her Son! He was her flesh.”
Pope Francis recalled that, when he was in Buenos Aires and would visit prisoners in the jails, he always saw lines of women waiting to enter:
“They were moms. But they were not ashamed: their flesh was there inside. And these women suffered not only the shame of being there – “Look at her! What did her son do?” -- but they also suffer the ugly humiliation of the searches they had to undergo before entering. But they were mothers, and they went to find their own flesh. And so it was with Mary: she was there, with her Son, with that very great suffering.”
Jesus, the Pope said, has promised not to leave us orphans, and on the Cross he gives us His Mother as our Mother:
“We Christians have a Mother, Jesus’ [Mother]; we have a Father, Jesus’ [Father]. We are not orphans! And she gives birth to us in that moment with such great sorrow: She is truly a martyr. With a pierced heart, she accepts giving birth to all of us in that moment of sorrow. And from that moment she becomes our Mother, from that moment she is our Mother, the one who takes care of us and is not ashamed of us: she defends us.”
The mystics of the early centuries, Pope Francis said, counsel us to take refuge under the mantle of the Mother of God in moments of spiritual turbulence: “The devil can’t enter there.” He continued, explaining that Mary is a mother, and she will defend as a Mother. The West later took this advice to heart and composed the Latin version of the Marian antiphon: Sub tuum praesidium, “under your mantle, under your protection, O Mother!” We are safe there, he said.
“In a world we could call an orphan,” Pope Francis concluded, “in this world that suffers the crisis” of a great experience of being orphaned, “perhaps our help lies in saying ‘Look to your Mother!’” We have a mother “who defends us, teaches us, accompanies us; who is not ashamed of our sins. She is not ashamed, because she is our Mother. May the Holy Spirit, this friend, this companion along the way, this Paraclete or advocate Whom the Lord has sent, make us understand this very great mystery of the maternity of Mary.”
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, lamented how often in today’s throw-away culture, the elderly feel useless and alone because they have lost their proper place in society. His remarks came during an address on Wednesday at a Session of the UN’s Human Rights Council dealing with the Rights of Older Persons. Archbishop Jurkovic expressed the Holy See’s concern over the “increasing discrimination” faced by the elderly and said some of the biggest challenges to their welfare include poverty and inadequate access to health care. He also said the Holy See considers of “utmost importance” the need to “keep older people engaged in decision-making about their lives and their social integration.” Please find below the full text of Archbishop Jurkovic’s address to the U.N. Session: Mr. President,My Delegation is grateful for the Report of the...
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, lamented how often in today’s throw-away culture, the elderly feel useless and alone because they have lost their proper place in society. His remarks came during an address on Wednesday at a Session of the UN’s Human Rights Council dealing with the Rights of Older Persons. Archbishop Jurkovic expressed the Holy See’s concern over the “increasing discrimination” faced by the elderly and said some of the biggest challenges to their welfare include poverty and inadequate access to health care. He also said the Holy See considers of “utmost importance” the need to “keep older people engaged in decision-making about their lives and their social integration.”
Please find below the full text of Archbishop Jurkovic’s address to the U.N. Session:
Mr. President,
My Delegation is grateful for the Report of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons. As presented in the Report, the population of older persons represents the fastest growing segment of the global population. “By 2050, for the first time, there will be more older persons than children under the age of 15 worldwide, and it is projected that the number of older persons will more than double from 900 million currently to nearly 2 billion”. In a world that is living a critical demographic transformation the elderly face a number of particular challenges in the enjoyment of their human rights that need to be addressed urgently. The major challenges summarized by the Independent Expert in the area of health care, the right to work, social protection, access to justice, violence and abuse, the participation of older persons, and their increasing discrimination, represent a grave concern for the Holy See.
One of the most pressing challenges to the welfare of older persons is poverty, including their often inadequate living conditions. As highlighted in the Report, “Poverty and lack of income security constitute major concerns for many older persons. Social transfers, in particular adequate pensions, significantly contribute to ensuring the financial security of older persons and are a suitable means of reducing the at-risk-of-poverty rate, their vulnerability and social exclusion”.
Pensions are essential to ensuring rights, dignity and income security for older persons. The right to income security in old age, as grounded in human rights instruments and international labour standards, includes the right to an adequate pension. However, “nearly half of all people over pensionable age do not receive a pension. For many of those who do receive a pension, pension levels are not adequate.”
As a result, most of the world’s older women and men have no income security, have no right to retire and have to continue working as long as they can – often with poor remuneration and in precarious conditions. Yet, despite lower income levels, older persons may be the main providers for the household and the primary caregivers, including for the care of grandchildren and other members of the family.
Mr. President,
In a society often dominated by the logic of efficiency and profit, the elderly can easily be considered unproductive and useless. Several States have recognized the relatively low standard of living among older persons as compared to other segments of the population, including the prevalence of poverty, and even extreme poverty.
In the sector of health care, older patients are usually discharged with complex medical problems, high stress and vulnerability, and these factors place the elderly at risk for poor outcomes. Transitional care, such as a discharge planning programmes, facilitates the care process from hospital to home. The sustainable access to health care can be realized through stronger policies in strengthening the primary care and by helping families, even to financial subsidies, to take care of parents at home.
Older people have a wealth of skills and experiences, they have lived through situations others cannot even imagine, and yet we continue to dismiss these lifetimes of experiences when they begin to need care and support and instead people become a list of care needs. On a macro level, older people contribute financially to society and to the workplace, and at a local level, they contribute to their communities and individual networks in terms of experience. They have also contributed for many decades which is often forgotten. In the Political Declaration and Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (2002), States have foreseen the human right of older persons to participate in all aspects of society, highlighting the rights to work, to health, to independence and to accessibility. Consistent with the Madrid Plan of Action, the Holy See considers of utmost importance to keep older people engaged in decision-making about their lives and their social integration. Often these decisions are relegated to others even when older persons are competent to decide and discern their best interest. Respect for their human dignity and rights requires that they be engaged in such decisions and that others take over responsibility for determining their care only when there is verified evidence that they are incapable of doing so.
Making cities inclusive of older persons means generating opportunities for their economic and social participation in accessible and safe environments. It also means providing affordable housing as well as the basic health and social services needed to support ageing in place. This will necessitate a reflection on and development of more just and equitable policies aimed at re-defining the concept of social utility for those who have retired from the system of paid employment but who are quite capable and needed to strengthen the fabric of society through volunteer service and social presence as respected and learned members of families and communities. As stated by Pope Francis a society that does not take care of the elderly has no future. “The elderly are those who transmit history to us, who transmit doctrine, who transmit the faith and give it to us as an inheritance.”
The Holy See considers essential the promotion of policies and systems of education that propose an alternative approach to the dominant “throw-away culture” that judges human beings simply by what they produce. So often, the elderly feel useless and alone because they have lost their proper place in society.
Mr. President,
Living longer must never be seen as an exception, a burden or a challenge, but rather it must be recognized as the blessing that it is. Older persons enrich society and their positive and constructive presence in society is valued. The elderly are a source of wisdom and a great resource. The quality of a society, of a civilization, may also be judged by how it treats its elderly and by the place reserved for them in communal life. Existing arrangements to protect the human rights of older persons are inadequate and dedicated measures to strengthen the international protection regime are required. Bearing in mind the General Assembly Resolution 67/139 of 20 December 2012 about the need to strengthen the protection of the human rights of older persons, the Holy See wishes that the existing divergences will be soon overcome, given the millions of older persons waiting for their human rights to become a reality.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter motu proprio on Thursday, in which he brings the basic legal instruments that govern the Latin Church and the Eastern Churches in communion with Rome more closely into accord with one another in several different specific areas regarding the discipline of the sacraments, and ecclesial identity of the faithful.The Holy Father has introduced material changes only to the Code of Canon Law that governs the Latin Church, in order to bring the Latin code into harmony with the Eastern code, especially as regards the valid celebration of marriages with spouses of mixed Rite, the circumstances under which a spouse may change Rite, how to determine the Rite to which a child belongs properly, and other questions in a similar vein.A note issued by the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts explains that the reason for the reforms is that of responding to the desire to facilitate the pastoral care of all the faithful, especially of...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter motu proprio on Thursday, in which he brings the basic legal instruments that govern the Latin Church and the Eastern Churches in communion with Rome more closely into accord with one another in several different specific areas regarding the discipline of the sacraments, and ecclesial identity of the faithful.
The Holy Father has introduced material changes only to the Code of Canon Law that governs the Latin Church, in order to bring the Latin code into harmony with the Eastern code, especially as regards the valid celebration of marriages with spouses of mixed Rite, the circumstances under which a spouse may change Rite, how to determine the Rite to which a child belongs properly, and other questions in a similar vein.
A note issued by the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts explains that the reason for the reforms is that of responding to the desire to facilitate the pastoral care of all the faithful, especially of those very great and increasing numbers of Eastern Christians living in predominantly Latin environments.
Below, please find the full text of the motu proprio in Latin
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Litterae Apostolicae Motu Proprio datae
Quibus nonnullae normae Codicis Iuris Canonici immutantur.
FRANCISCUS PP.
De concordia inter Codices valde solliciti, quasdam discrepantias animadvertimus inter Codicis Iuris Canonici et Codicis Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium normas reperiri.
Duo enim Codices partim communes normas continent, partim vero peculiares ac proprias, id quod utrumque autonomum reddit. Oportet tamen ut etiam peculiares normae apte inter se componantur. Namque discrepantiae, si et quatenus adsint, in pastorali praxi incommoda secum ferunt, praesertim cum relationes inter membra tum ad Ecclesiam latinam tum ad aliquam Ecclesiam orientalem pertinentia moderandae sunt.
Id accidit praesertim nostris temporibus, cum nempe ex populorum migratione sequatur ut plures christifideles orientales in regionibus latinis degant. Quaestiones pastorales et iuridicae haud paucae inde sunt exortae, quae ut solvantur accommodatas normas postulant. Speciatim est memorandum christifideles orientales ad suum cuiusque ritum servandum teneri, ubicumque terrarum inveniantur (cfr CCEO can. 40 § 3; Conc. Oecum. Vat. II, Decr. Orientalium Ecclesiarum, 6), ac proinde auctoritatis ecclesiasticae competentis est maximopere curare ut congrua media apparentur quibus ipsi hanc suam obligationem implere queant (cfr CCEO can. 193, § 1; CIC can. 383 §§ 1-2; Adhort. ap. postsyn. Pastores gregis, 72). Normarum concordia haud dubie medium est quod valde iuvabit ut venerabilium rituum orientalium incremento faveatur (cf. CCEO can. 39), ita ut Ecclesiae sui iuris curam pastoralem efficacius exercere valeant.
Prae oculis tamen habenda est necessitas agnoscendi peculiares notas disciplinares illius regionis in qua relationes interecclesiales eveniunt. In Occidente enim, qui est maiore ex parte latinus, oportet consentaneam aequilibritatem servari inter tutelam iuris proprii minoris partis orientalis et obsequium exhibendum erga historicam traditionem canonicam maioris partis latinae, ita ut indebiti concursus et conflictus vitentur omniumque catholicarum communitatum in illa regione commorantium fructuosa cooperatio foveatur.
Accedit et alia ratio ut normae CIC expressis quibusdam compleantur dispositionibus, iis quidem similibus quae in CCEO continentur, postulatio nempe ut accuratius determinentur relationes cum christifidelibus ad Ecclesias orientales non catholicas pertinentibus, quorum in praesentia auctus est numerus in territoriis latinis.
Prae oculis quoque habendum est canonistarum commentaria animadvertisse discrepantias quasdam inveniri inter utrumque Codicem ac fere unanimiter ostendisse quae sint praecipuae quaestiones et quomodo eae concordes sint reddendae.
Finis igitur normarum quae his Litteris Apostolicis Motu Proprio datis introducuntur in eo consistit ut perveniatur ad concordem disciplinam, quae certam signet viam sequendam singulis in casibus in exercitio curae pastoralis.
Pontificium Consilium de Legum Textibus per Commissionem peritorum in Iure canonico orientali et latino quaestiones repperit quae prae ceteris egere videntur accommodata renovatione legislativa sicque textum elaboravit transmissum ad triginta circiter totius orbis Consultores et Iuris canonici cultores necnon ad Auctoritates Ordinariatuum latinorum pro orientalibus. Expensis receptis animadversionibus, novus textus approbatus est a Sessione Plenaria Pontificii Consilii de Legum Textibus.
His omnibus perpensis, quae sequuntur decernimus:
Art. 1. Canon 111 CIC integre sequenti textu substituitur, in quo adiungitur nova paragraphus et nonnullae expressiones mutantur:
§1 Ecclesiae latinae per receptum baptismum adscribitur filius parentum, qui ad eam pertinent vel, si alteruter ad eam non pertineat, ambo concordi voluntate optaverint ut proles in Ecclesia latina baptizaretur; quodsi concors voluntas desit, Ecclesiae sui iuris ad quam pater pertinet adscribitur.
§2 Si vero unus tantum ex parentibus sit catholicus, Ecclesiae ad quam hic parens catholicus pertinet adscribitur.
§3 Quilibet baptizandus qui quartum decimum aetatis annum expleverit, libere potest eligere ut in Ecclesia latina vel in alia Ecclesia sui iuris baptizetur; quo in casu, ipse ad eam Ecclesiam pertinet quam elegerit.
Art. 2. Canon 112 CIC integre sequenti textu substituitur, in quo adiungitur nova paragraphus et nonnullae expressiones mutantur:
§1. Post receptum baptismum, alii Ecclesiae sui iuris ascribuntur:
1° qui licentiam ab Apostolica Sede obtinuerit;
2° coniux qui, in matrimonio ineundo vel eo durante, ad Ecclesiam sui iuris alterius coniugis se transire declaraverit; matrimonio autem soluto, libere potest ad latinam Ecclesiam redire;
3° filii eorum, de quibus in nn. 1 et 2, ante decimum quartum aetatis annum completum itemque, in matrimonio mixto, filii partis catholicae quae ad aliam Ecclesiam sui iuris legitime transierit; adepta vero hac aetate, iidem possunt ad latinam Ecclesiam redire.
§2. Mos, quamvis diuturnus, sacramenta secundum ritum alius Ecclesiae sui iuris recipiendi, non secumfert adscriptionem eidem Ecclesiae.
§3. Omnis transitus ad aliam Ecclesiam sui iuris vim habet a momento declarationis factae coram eiusdem Ecclesiae Ordinario loci vel parocho proprio aut sacerdote ab alterutro delegato et duobus testibus, nisi rescriptum Sedis Apostolicae aliud ferat; et in libro baptizatorum adnotetur.
Art. 3. Paragraphus secunda can. 535 CIC integre sequenti textu substituitur:
§ 2. In libro baptizatorum adnotentur quoque adscriptio Ecclesiae sui iuris vel ad aliam transitus, necnon confirmatio, item quae pertinent ad statum canonicum christifidelium, ratione matrimonii, salvo quidem praescripto can. 1133, ratione adoptionis, ratione suscepti ordinis sacri, necnon professionis perpetuae in instituto religioso emissae; eaeque adnotationes in documento accepti baptismi semper referantur.
Art. 4. Numerus secundus primae paragraphi can. 868 CIC integre sequenti textu substituitur:
§1. 2° spes habeatur fundata eum in religione catholica educatum iri, firma § 3; quae si prorsus deficiat, baptismus secundum praescripta iuris particularis differatur, monitis de ratione parentibus.
Art. 5. Canon 868 CIC posthac tertiam paragraphum habebit ut sequitur:
§3. Infans christianorum non catholicorum licite baptizatur, si parentes aut unus saltem eorum aut is, qui legitime eorundem locum tenet, id petunt et si eis corporaliter aut moraliter impossibile sit accedere ad ministrum proprium.
Art. 6. Canon 1108 CIC posthac tertiam paragraphum habebit ut sequitur:
§3. Solus sacerdos valide assistit matrimonio inter partes orientales vel inter partem latinam et partem orientalem sive catholicam sive non catholicam.
Art. 7. Canon 1109 CIC integre sequenti textu substituitur:
Loci Ordinarius et parochus, nisi per sententiam vel per decretum fuerint excommunicati vel interdicti vel suspensi ab officio aut tales declarati, vi officii, intra fines sui territorii, valide matrimoniis assistunt non tantum subditorum, sed etiam, dummodo alterutra saltem pars sit adscripta Ecclesiae latinae, non subditorum.
Art. 8. Prima paragraphus can. 1111 CIC integre sequenti textu substituitur:
§ 1. Loci Ordinarius et parochus, quamdiu valide officio funguntur, possunt facultatem intra fines sui territorii matrimoniis assistendi, etiam generalem, sacerdotibus et diaconis delegare, firmo tamen eo quod praescribit can. 1108 § 3.
Art. 9. Prima paragraphus can. 1112 CIC integre sequenti textu substituitur:
§ 1. Ubi desunt sacerdotes et diaconi, potest Episcopus dioecesanus, praevio voto favorabili Episcoporum conferentiae et obtenta licentia Sanctae Sedis, delegare laicos, qui matrimoniis assistant, firmo praescripto can. 1108 § 3.
Art. 10. Canon 1116 CIC posthac tertiam paragraphum habebit, ut sequitur:
§3. In iisdem rerum adiunctis, de quibus in §1, nn. 1 et 2, Ordinarius loci cuilibet sacerdoti catholico facultatem conferre potest matrimonium benedicendi christifidelium Ecclesiarum orientalium quae plenam cum Ecclesia catholica communionem non habeant si sponte id petant, et dummodo nihil validae vel licitae celebrationi matrimonii obstet. Idem sacerdos, semper necessaria cum prudentia, auctoritatem competentem Ecclesiae non catholicae, cuius interest, de re certiorem faciat.
Art. 11. Prima paragraphus can. 1127 CIC integre sequenti textu substituitur:
§ 1. Ad formam quod attinet in matrimonio mixto adhibendam, serventur praescripta can. 1108; si tamen pars catholica matrimonium contrahit cum parte non catholica ritus orientalis, forma canonica celebrationis servanda est ad liceitatem tantum; ad validitatem autem requiritur interventus sacerdotis, servatis aliis de iure servandis.
Quaecumque vero a Nobis hisce Litteris Apostolicis Motu Proprio datis decreta sunt, ea omnia firma ac rata esse iubemus, contrariis quibuslibet non obstantibus, peculiari etiam mentione dignis, atque decernimus ut per editionem in actis diurnis L’Osservatore Romano promulgentur et deinde in Actis Apostolicae Sedis commmentario officiali edantur.
Datum Romae, apud Sanctum Petrum, die XXXI mensis Maii anno MMXVI, Pontificatus Nostri quarto.
