Catholic News 2
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A woman trying to take a picture of a dolphin at SeaWorld in Florida with an iPad apparently got a bit too close because it snatched the device right out of her hands....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Young people in America overwhelmingly support LGBT rights when it comes to policies on employment, health care and adoption, according to a new survey....
CHICAGO (AP) -- Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appeared on a courtroom video Tuesday in prison-issued clothing, his once-dark hair now white, as a judge weighed whether to cut his 14-year sentence after an appeals court threw out some convictions related to his alleged attempt to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama's old Senate seat....
DALLAS (AP) -- Travelers on Delta Air Lines endured hundreds more canceled and delayed flights on Tuesday as the carrier slogged through day two of its recovery from a global computer outage....
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday after talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin that the two nations can rebuild their damaged ties and make them even closer, promising to back major energy projects with Russia....
(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has issued a message for the 71st anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan at the end of World War II, on August 6th and 9th respectively.The message was delivered by Fr. Michael Czerny, SJ - a member of the Council - on August 6 at a two-day conference on disarmament and security sponsored by Religions for Peace at the United Nations University in Tokyo. The inter-religious meeting hosted by the Tendai Buddhist Community, and the Diocese of Hiroshima's programme including a concelebrated Mass at the Cathedral on August 6th.Listen to Devin Watkins' report: Seventy-one years have passed since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, acts of aggression which sought to put an end to World War II.Yet, in a world still permeated by the proliferation of nuclear arms, “God’s great river of mercy” still flows. That was the message of the Pontifical Council for Jus...
(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has issued a message for the 71st anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan at the end of World War II, on August 6th and 9th respectively.
The message was delivered by Fr. Michael Czerny, SJ - a member of the Council - on August 6 at a two-day conference on disarmament and security sponsored by Religions for Peace at the United Nations University in Tokyo. The inter-religious meeting hosted by the Tendai Buddhist Community, and the Diocese of Hiroshima's programme including a concelebrated Mass at the Cathedral on August 6th.
Listen to Devin Watkins' report:
Seventy-one years have passed since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, acts of aggression which sought to put an end to World War II.
Yet, in a world still permeated by the proliferation of nuclear arms, “God’s great river of mercy” still flows. That was the message of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace for the 71st anniversary, delivered by Fr. Michael Czerny in Tokyo.
Speaking on behalf of the Pontifical Council’s president, Cardinal Peter Turkson, Fr. Czerny linked the commemoration to the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy and to the Transfiguration of Christ.
He said the two events give us ‘the opportunity to revisit the sinful and sorrowful moments of our lives, not in order to be crushed and to despair, but in order to allow God’s loving grace to enter with forgiveness and healing’.
For ‘from the heart of the Trinity’, he continued, ‘from the depths of the mystery of God, the great river of mercy wells up and overflows unceasingly. The Church is called above all to be a credible witness to mercy, professing it and living it as the core of the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Misericordiae Vultus, § 25). Especially today, we pray that God may flood all our sins, recriminations and discouragement with His “great river of mercy”.’
The full text of the message – entitled ‘God’s great river of mercy’ – is below:
On behalf of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, of Cardinal Peter Turkson its president, and of all its members, consultors and staff: peace to you from God our Father!
It is always an important grace to commemorate the tragic anniversary of the atom-bombings of Hiroshima and of Nagasaki. For me it is a special honour to do so in person; and to extend to everyone here present, to the Church in Japan and to the entire Japanese nation, the most sincere prayer of solidarity and hope.
For over a thousand years, many Christian denominations have celebrated the solemn feast of the Transfiguration. The Transfiguration reveals the glory of Christ and demands a response of listening to Jesus Christ and of following him. His glory is revealed because, as Pope Francis preached on 1 March 2015, his “full adherence to the will of the Father makes his humanity transparent to the glory of God, who is Love” and mercy.
On 6 August we also remember the passing from this life of Pope Paul VI, 38 years ago, who most famously declared at the United Nations on 4 November 1965, “Never again one against the other, never, never again! ... Never again war, never again war!” With the challenging encouragement of Blessed Pope Paul, let us pray and act in solidarity with the victims of the atom bombs and of all wars and all terrorism around the world.
With all the significance of 6th August, then, what makes 2016, the 71st anniversary, a unique and special occasion for our prayerful commemoration?
By Divine Providence, it takes place during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy established by Pope Francis. This Jubilee gives each and every one of us the opportunity to revisit the sinful and sorrowful moments of our lives, not in order to be crushed and to despair, but in order to allow God’s loving grace to enter with forgiveness and healing.
Our Heavenly Father “never tires of casting open the doors of his heart and of repeating that he loves us and wants to share his love with us ... From the heart of the Trinity, from the depths of the mystery of God, the great river of mercy wells up and overflows unceasingly ... The Church is called above all to be a credible witness to mercy, professing it and living it as the core of the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Misericordiae Vultus, § 25). Especially today, we pray that God may flood all our sins, recriminations and discouragement with His “great river of mercy”.
As we commemorate the atomic bombings of 71 years ago, may the Year of Mercy and the feast of the Transfiguration inspire, teach and guide us. May they open us to the mercy with which our Heavenly Father so ardently wishes to flood our hearts. May the graces of pardon, reconciliation, solidarity and hope touch each person, each faith community and social group we encounter.
Together we pray to our all-merciful Father in the name of Jesus Christ and with the intercession of our Blessed Mary, Mother of Mercy, and of Blessed Paul VI, Amen!
Michael Czerny S.J.
Office of the President
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
Hiroshima, 6 August 2016
(Vatican Radio) Landslides due to Hurricane Earl have killed 38 people in Mexico, with the death toll expected to rise.James Blears reports from Mexico: Prior to hitting Mexico, Hurricane Earl, killed nine people. Thirteen people died in the Dominican Republic when falling power lines hit their bus; three drowned in Haiti, when their boat capsized.But Mexico has suffered the brunt of Earl. Twenty eight are confirmed dead in the remote village of Huauchinango in Puebla State, while authorities in Veracruz State confirm ten more deaths, due to landslides engulfing homes with tons of thick, cloying mud.Mexican troops in olive green fatigues, wearing white arm bands are working around the clock, digging, sifting and clearing a deluge of mud and debris, and uncovering buried buildings.Many roads and highways have been closed, due to flooding, which has led to severe structural damage. The true extent of the crisis is yet to be fully known, as many more remote and isolate settlements re...
(Vatican Radio) Landslides due to Hurricane Earl have killed 38 people in Mexico, with the death toll expected to rise.
James Blears reports from Mexico:
Prior to hitting Mexico, Hurricane Earl, killed nine people. Thirteen people died in the Dominican Republic when falling power lines hit their bus; three drowned in Haiti, when their boat capsized.
But Mexico has suffered the brunt of Earl. Twenty eight are confirmed dead in the remote village of Huauchinango in Puebla State, while authorities in Veracruz State confirm ten more deaths, due to landslides engulfing homes with tons of thick, cloying mud.
Mexican troops in olive green fatigues, wearing white arm bands are working around the clock, digging, sifting and clearing a deluge of mud and debris, and uncovering buried buildings.
Many roads and highways have been closed, due to flooding, which has led to severe structural damage. The true extent of the crisis is yet to be fully known, as many more remote and isolate settlements remain cut off.
Each and every year communities throughout the Americas, are in desperate peril, as the hurricane and tropical storm season, blitzes the region.
Many families of modest means have no choice, but build homes in the shadow of looming hillsides which easily saturate, because there`s simply no other land available.
(Vatican Radio) Japanese Emperor Akihito threw a challenge to conservative tradition in Japan on Monday, saying as an aging leader he may wish one day to retire. The move would create a modern-day precedent.Listen to Alastair Wanklyn's report: In a rare national address, Emperor Akihito said declining health may force him to review his duties.Eighty-two years old, Akihito has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, although his health is otherwise good and he maintains a busy public schedule. The words he spoke were indirect, but the message was unprecedented. No Japanese emperor has abdicated in almost 200 years. Many nationalists here regard the role as untouchable. And constitutional experts say current law does not even allow abdication, so legal revisions will be needed. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government will examine what it can do to reduce the emperor's workload. Akihito commands respect from peopl...
(Vatican Radio) Japanese Emperor Akihito threw a challenge to conservative tradition in Japan on Monday, saying as an aging leader he may wish one day to retire. The move would create a modern-day precedent.
Listen to Alastair Wanklyn's report:
In a rare national address, Emperor Akihito said declining health may force him to review his duties.
Eighty-two years old, Akihito has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, although his health is otherwise good and he maintains a busy public schedule.
The words he spoke were indirect, but the message was unprecedented. No Japanese emperor has abdicated in almost 200 years. Many nationalists here regard the role as untouchable.
And constitutional experts say current law does not even allow abdication, so legal revisions will be needed.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government will examine what it can do to reduce the emperor's workload.
Akihito commands respect from people across the board in Japan, in particular for speaking up for marginalized people, such as those still living as evacuees five years after the tsunami and nuclear disaster.
He has also spoken of sorrow for people overseas who live with the legacy of World War II.
These actions stand in contrast with those of Japan's government, which is often silent on such questions.
If Akihito were to abdicate, the next in line to the throne is his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito. But then the succession becomes complicated. Naruhito has only a daughter, and women cannot inherit Japan's throne. So the role would pass sideways to Naruhito's brother.
(Vatican Radio) Officials say the brother-in-law of one of the men who attacked the satirical Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris has been jailed in Bulgaria. Authorities suspect him of trying to join extremists in Syria.Listen to Stefan Bos' report: Bulgaria's Interior Ministry confirmed that 20-year-old Mourad Hamyd is being held in the Balkan nation amid concerns that he wanted to join the ranks of the so-called Islamic State terror group.Interior Minister Rumiana Bachvarova said Hamyd had "behavior typical for a foreign fighter and that's how he was identified."A Bulgarian court was to rule Tuesday on his detention. French prosecutors plan to use a European arrest warrant to gain custody of Hamyd, who is the brother-in-law of Cherif Kouachi, a feared militant.Kouachi and his brother Said shot dead 12 people in an attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris last year, including 10 journalists and two police officers. They were lat...
(Vatican Radio) Officials say the brother-in-law of one of the men who attacked the satirical Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris has been jailed in Bulgaria. Authorities suspect him of trying to join extremists in Syria.
Listen to Stefan Bos' report:
Bulgaria's Interior Ministry confirmed that 20-year-old Mourad Hamyd is being held in the Balkan nation amid concerns that he wanted to join the ranks of the so-called Islamic State terror group.
Interior Minister Rumiana Bachvarova said Hamyd had "behavior typical for a foreign fighter and that's how he was identified."
A Bulgarian court was to rule Tuesday on his detention. French prosecutors plan to use a European arrest warrant to gain custody of Hamyd, who is the brother-in-law of Cherif Kouachi, a feared militant.
Kouachi and his brother Said shot dead 12 people in an attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris last year, including 10 journalists and two police officers. They were later killed by security forces.
More bloodshed
The bloodshed was followed by a coordinated assault by gunmen in the French capital in November that killed 130 people.
Mourad Hamyd was initially suspected of a role in the January 2015 attack on the paper. But his high school classmates launched a successful social media campaign to clear his name, saying he was in class at the time.
In published remarks he described himself as a student "who lives peacefully with his parents". Yet authorities remained concerned about his alleged ties to Islamist militants.
On Monday the Paris prosecutor's office said that someone close to Hamyd warned of his probable trip to Syria where the Islamic State group is very active.
Hamyd, who was apparently being monitored by French security services, was reported missing on July 25 by his family in France. Officials said Monday that he was eventually detained in late July in Bulgaria after being turned back at the Turkish border.
It's now up to Bulgaria to decide when and if he will be extradited to France.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a telegramme on Monday expressing his condolences and prayers for the victims of Hurricane Earl in Central America.Hurricane Earl is estimated to have caused damages in excess of US$50 million and left 13 people dead in the Dominican Republic and at least 45 others in Mexico.The telegramme – dated 8 August and signed by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin – was addressed to the Mexican Episcopal Conference.A Vatican Radio English translation of the telegramme is below:In the face of the grave damage caused by the hurricane which affected several areas of the country – causing numerous victims and extensive material damage – the Holy Father expresses his affection for the beloved Mexican people, offering his prayers for those who lost their lives and desiring to show his closeness to their families and the victims. At the same time, His Holiness asks the Lord to sustain the will of the authorities and peopl...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent a telegramme on Monday expressing his condolences and prayers for the victims of Hurricane Earl in Central America.
Hurricane Earl is estimated to have caused damages in excess of US$50 million and left 13 people dead in the Dominican Republic and at least 45 others in Mexico.
The telegramme – dated 8 August and signed by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin – was addressed to the Mexican Episcopal Conference.
A Vatican Radio English translation of the telegramme is below:
In the face of the grave damage caused by the hurricane which affected several areas of the country – causing numerous victims and extensive material damage – the Holy Father expresses his affection for the beloved Mexican people, offering his prayers for those who lost their lives and desiring to show his closeness to their families and the victims. At the same time, His Holiness asks the Lord to sustain the will of the authorities and people of Mexico and to awaken in all a spirit of solidarity. He also imparts his Apostolic Blessing.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness
