Catholic News 2

(VATICAN RADIO) Clinical fees are leaving Nigerian mothers and newborns trapped in hospitals – relying on food that family and friends bring to them and oftentimes sleeping on the floor.

"Some babies have stayed here until they started crawling," one nurse said, adding that some mothers had managed to escape the hospital with their babies while no one was watching.

Few Nigerians have health insurance, so many patients, not just those giving birth, are forced to remain in hospitals, usually under poor conditions, clinging to the hope that their bills will be waived by hospital directors or covered by generous visitors.

Katie Ascough spoke with Fr. Evaristus Bassey, National Director of Caritas Nigeria, to find out more about these “Awaiting Bill Settlement” patients.

Listen:  

Fr. Bassey explained:  “There was a law that came into effect last year called the ‘National Health Act’ which…[said] that no one under emergency care should be turned away. But not many facilities are…obeying the law yet because the enforcement is not very efficient.”

The problem for hospitals is that some people who are not under emergency situations are coming to them for care. Fr. Evaristus explained how the hospitals must “break even” and that “if people know that they can go to a place and take treatment and go away without paying” the hospitals would shoot themselves in the foot and run out of funds.

At the same time, though, there are also people who desperately need care that are being trapped in hospitals because of astronomical debts, relying on charity or prison break to be set free.

More executive power and tighter regulation is needed, so that health care is not distributed willy-nilly to anyone who stubs their toe, but rather is dished out according to those who need it most. This way, those in true emergency situations can be looked after without being forced into hospital confinement.

Far from five-star treatment, hospital confinement was described by Fr. Bassey as often not having a sleeping space and just having to find a way to look after yourself. Hopefully patients may be fortunate enough to have family or friends who can bring food; but for some, this means being cooped up all alone begging neighbours to share their meagre resources.

Who’s to blame? It probably doesn’t help that the National Health Insurance Act only covers those who are in public service. According to Fr. Bassey, “The percentage of those who are actually employed in public service is not that high.”

“And then of course,” Fr. Bassey elaborated, “we have the majority of people who are not under any employment:  trading, and farming, and so on…and there is no special safety net as such, which those who are not employed can key into.”

When asked if there is hope, Fr. Bassey said:  “I always have hope, and this government, I think, they are sincere…[Unfortunately] their means of implementation is quite slow, and their capacity in terms of income is low…So it is the economic challenge that might dampen that hope.”

But, he said, if we join our voices and advocate well, we can make health care, through the National Care Act, a right for every person.

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(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has arrived in Poland at the start of his 15th pastoral visit abroad. During his 5-day visit the Pope will attend the World Youth Day celebrations taking place in the southern city of Krakow and also visit the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. 

The Alitalia Airbus A321 on which he is travelling touched down at Krakow airport just before 16 hours local time on Wednesday.

He was accompanied on board the plane by a Pontifical Delegation and some 70 members of the press.

Before setting off for the airport in Rome, a group of young refugees of different nationalities, nine boys and six girls, gathered at his residence in the Vatican to say goodbye and wish him a good journey.

Other highlights of the Pope's visit to Poland include the celebration of Holy Mass at the nation's holiest shrine at Jasna Gora, a prayer at the Shrine of Divine Mercy and the celebration of Mass together with the young people from across the world who have travelled to Krakow for the 31st World Youth Day .     

Pope Francis is due to return to the Vatican on Sunday, July 31.

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The oldest church in Japan has been nominated to be a UNESCO World Heritage site for 2018.

Oura Catholic Church in Nagasaki and several other Christian sites in southwestern Japan were selected as candidates for the world heritage list by a government panel on July 25, reported  Japan Today.

Following a long period of persecution against Christians, French priests, Fathers Louis Furet and Bernard Petitjean, initially built the church in 1863, which was rebuilt 16 years later into the Gothic structure that remains today.

“Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki” comprises 12 cultural assets in eight cities and towns, and show how Christianity took off in Japan from the 16th century before being banned with Christians being persecuted.

The church honors 26 missionaries and converts who were crucified in 1597 on the orders of a warlord. (UCAN)

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(Vatican Radio) During the first official event of his five day visit to Poland, Pope Francis urged the country’s political leaders to welcome migrants fleeing from wars and hunger, while at the same time protecting human life from conception until natural death.

The Pope’s words came as he met with the nation’s president, prime minister and other political leaders in the courtyard of Krakow’s historic Wawel Castle complex.

Noting that this visit marks his first to central-eastern Europe, the Pope spoke about the importance of history in establishing a national identity, based on human and spiritual resources. Recalling the recent 1.050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland, he said the event marked a powerful moment of national unity, reaffirming harmony, “even amid a diversity of opinions”.

Pope Francis said that while negative historical memories keep the heart and mind fixed on evil, goodPope memories can help a country move forward and forge better relations between peoples and nations. He noted especially the offering of mutual forgiveness between Polish and German Church leaders after the Second World War and the more recent rapprochement between the Catholic Church in Poland and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Speaking of the challenges facing the country today, including the economy, environmental concerns and “the complex phenomenon of migration”, the Pope called for “a spirit of readiness to welcome those fleeing” conflicts or deprived of their basic rights. At the same time, he said, new forms of international cooperation must be developed in order to resolve the problems that force people to leave their native lands.

Please find below the English translation of Pope Francis’s address to Polish authorities in Krakow’s Wawel Castle:

Mr President, Honourable Authorities, Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps, University Rectors, Ladies and Gentlemen,

            I offer a respectful greeting to His Excellency the President, and I thank him for his gracious welcome and kind words.  I am pleased to greet the distinguished members of Government and Parliament, the University Rectors, the regional and municipal Authorities, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps and the other authorities present.  This is my first visit to central-eastern Europe and I am happy to begin with Poland, the homeland of the unforgettable Saint John Paul II, originator and promoter of the World Youth Days.  Pope John Paul liked to speak of a Europe that breathes with two lungs.  The ideal of a new European humanism is inspired by the creative and coordinated breathing of these two lungs, together with the shared civilization that has its deepest roots in Christianity.

            Memory is the hallmark of the Polish people.  I was always impressed by Pope John Paul’s vivid sense of history.  Whenever he spoke about a people, he started from its history, in order to bring out its wealth of humanity and spirituality.  A consciousness of one’s own identity, free of any pretensions to superiority, is indispensable for establishing a national community on the foundation of its human, social, political, economic and religious heritage, and thus inspiring social life and culture in a spirit of constant fidelity to tradition and, at the same time, openness to renewal and the future.  In this sense, you recently celebrated the 1,050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland.  That was indeed a powerful moment of national unity, which reaffirmed that harmony, even amid a diversity of opinions, is the sure path to achieving the common good of the entire Polish people.

            Similarly, fruitful cooperation in the international sphere and mutual esteem grow through awareness of, and respect for, one’s own identity and that of others.  Dialogue cannot exist unless each party starts out from its own identity.  In the daily life of each individual and society, though, there are two kinds of memory: good and bad, positive and negative.  Good memory is what the Bible shows us in the Magnificat, the canticle of Mary, who praises the Lord and his saving works.  Negative memory, on the other hand, keeps the mind and heart obsessively fixed on evil, especially the wrongs committed by others.  Looking at your recent history, I thank God that you have been able to let good memory have the upper hand, for example, by celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the forgiveness mutually offered and accepted between the Polish and German episcopates, following the Second World War.  That initiative, which initially involved the ecclesial communities, also sparked an irreversible social, political, cultural and religious process that changed the history of relationships between the two peoples.  Here too we can think of the Joint Declaration between the Catholic Church in Poland and the Orthodox Church of Moscow: an act that inaugurated a process of rapprochement and fraternity not only between the two Churches, but also between the two peoples.

            The noble Polish nation has thus shown how one can nurture good memory while leaving the bad behind.  This requires a solid hope and trust in the One who guides the destinies of peoples, opens closed doors, turns problems into opportunities and creates new scenarios from situations that appeared hopeless.  This is evident from Poland’s own historical experience.  After the storms and dark times, your people, having regained its dignity, could say, like the Jews returning from Babylon, “We were like those who dream… our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy” (Ps 126:1-2).  An awareness of the progress made and joy at goals achieved, become in turn a source of strength and serenity for facing present challenges.  These call for the courage of truth and constant ethical commitment, to ensure that decisions and actions, as well as human relationships, will always be respectful of the dignity of the person.  In this, every sphere of action is involved, including the economy, environmental concerns and the handling of the complex phenomenon of migration.

            This last area calls for great wisdom and compassion, in order to overcome fear and to achieve the greater good.  There is a need to seek out the reasons for emigration from Poland and to facilitate the return of all those wishing to repatriate.  Also needed is a spirit of readiness to welcome those fleeing from wars and hunger, and solidarity with those deprived of their fundamental rights, including the right to profess one’s faith in freedom and safety.  At the same time, new forms of exchange and cooperation need to be developed on the international level in order to resolve the conflicts and wars that force so many people to leave their homes and their native lands.  This means doing everything possible to alleviate the suffering while tirelessly working with wisdom and constancy for justice and peace, bearing witness in practice to human and Christian values.

            In the light of its thousand-year history, I invite the Polish nation to look with hope to the future and the issues before it.  Such an approach will favour a climate of respect between all elements of society and constructive debate on differing positions.  It will also create the best conditions for civil, economic and even demographic growth, fostering the hope of providing a good life for coming generations.  The young should not simply have to deal with problems, but rather be able to enjoy the beauty of creation, the benefits we can provide and the hope we can offer.  Social policies in support of the family, the primary and fundamental cell of society, assisting underprivileged and poor families, and helping responsibly to welcome life, will thus prove even more effective.  Life must always be welcomed and protected.  These two things go together – welcome and protection, from conception to natural death.  All of us are called to respect life and care for it.  On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the State, the Church and society to accompany and concretely help all those who find themselves in serious difficulty, so that a child will never be seen as a burden but as a gift, and those who are most vulnerable and poor will not be abandoned.

Mr President,

            As throughout its long history, Poland can count on the cooperation of the Catholic Church, so that, in the light of the foundational Christian principles that forged Poland’s history and identity, the nation may, in changed historical conditions, move forward in fidelity to its finest traditions and with trust and hope, even in times of difficulty.

            In expressing once again my gratitude, I offer heartfelt good wishes to you and all present, for a serene and fruitful service of the common good.

            May Our Lady of Czestochowa bless and protect Poland!

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(Vatican Radio)  Referring to recent acts of violence including the killing of a priest in France, Pope Francis said on Wednesday that the world is at war but stressed “it is not a war of religions but for power.

"There is one word I wish to say to clarify." "When I speak about "war" I'm speaking about a war for real, not a "war of religions." It is," he continued, “a war about (economic) interests, money, natural resources and the domination of peoples." All religions, he said, "desire peace. Other people want war." Right!" The Pope was speaking to journalists accompanying him on the plane from Rome to Krakow in Poland.  

Pope Francis began his remarks by noting that the word which is being repeated very often now is “insecurity” but, he said, the real word is “war.”  The world is at war, a piecemeal war. There was the 1914 war with its methods, then the 1939-45 one and now this one.”

“It is not very organic (structured) but it is organized, it is war.  This saintly priest, killed right at the moment when he was offering prayers for peace.  He is one (victim), but how many Christians, how many innocent people, how many children… Let’s think about Nigeria, for example.  We say, well, that is Africa!  It’s war.  We’re not frightened to tell the truth, the world is at war because it has lost (sight) of peace.”

Speaking about the World Youth Day gathering in Poland, the Pope said “Young people always tell us to have hope.  We’re hoping that young people can tell us something that gives us a bit more hope at this time.” 

Pope Francis expressed thanks for the condolences he received following the killing of the priest in France, “especially” those from France’s President Hollande, who he said had spoken to him on the phone “like a brother.” 

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis sent telegrams to the leaders of Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia, on Wednesday, as his flight from Rome to Krakow traveled through each country’s airspace. All but one of the telegrams – that sent to Italian President Sergio Mattarella – were in English. We bring you the telegrams below, with Vatican Radio’s translation of the Italian message

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 ITALIA
A SUA ECCELLENZA
ON. SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENTE  DELLA  REPUBBLICA ITALIANA
PALAZZO  DEL  QUIRINALE    00187   ROMA

NEL MOMENTO IN CUI MI ACCINGO A PARTIRE PER LA POLONIA IN OCCASIONE DELLA GIORNATA MONDIALE DELLA GIOVENTU’, ANIMATO DAL VIVO DESIDERIO DI INCONTRARE I GIOVANI PROVENIENTI DA TUTTO IL MONDO PER UN SIGNIFICATIVO RADUNO NEL SEGNO DELLA FEDE E DELLA FRATERNITA’, MI E’ GRADITO RIVOLGERE A LEI, SIGNOR PRESIDENTE, E A TUTTI GLI ITALIANI IL MIO AFFETTUOSO E BENEAUGURANTE SALUTO CHE ACCOMPAGNO CON OGNI PIU’ CORDIALE ED ORANTE AUSPICIO  DI  PACE  E  DI  PROSPERITA’

                                                                                                          FRANCISCUS  PP

To His Excellency
Hon. Sergio Mattarella
President of the Italian Republic
Quirinal Palace 00187 Rome

In the moment in which I prepare to depart for Poland, on the occasion of World Youth Day, and animated by the ardente desire to encounter young people from all around the world for a meaningful gathering under the sign of faith and fraternity, it has pleased me to address to you, Mr. President, and to all Italians, my affectionate greetings and best wishes, with which I also accompany every most cordial and prayerful hope for peace and prosperity

CROATIA

HER EXCELLENCY KOLINDA GRABAR-KITAROVIC
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
ZAGREB

ENTERING CROATIAN AIRSPACE ON MY PASTORAL JOURNEY TO POLAND, I EXTEND WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY.  I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY BESTOW UPON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS THE BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
FRANCISCUS PP.

SLOVENIA

HIS EXCELLENCY BORUT PAHOR
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA
LJUBLJANA

ENTERING SLOVENIAN AIRSPACE ON MY PASTORAL JOURNEY TO POLAND, I OFFER WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AS I INVOKE GOD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS UPON THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.

AUSTRIA

HER EXCELLENCY DORIS BURES
PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL
OF THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIAVIENNA

I SEND WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS AS I FLY OVER AUSTRIA ON MY WAY TO POLAND FOR MY PASTORAL VISIT.  I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY GRANT YOU ALL THE DIVINE BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY. 
FRANCISCUS PP.  

HUNGARY

HIS EXCELLENCY JÁNOS ÁDER
PRESIDENT OF HUNGARY
BUDAPEST

ENTERING HUNGARIAN AIRSPACE ON MY PASTORAL JOURNEY TO POLAND, I EXTEND WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXECELLENCY. I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY BESTOW UPON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
FRANCISCUS PP.

SLOVACCHIA

HIS EXCELLENCY ANDREJ KISKA
PRESIDENT OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
BRATISLAVA

AS I ENTER SLOVAKIAN AIRSPACE ON MY WAY TO POLAND FOR MY PASTORAL VISIT, I OFFER WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY.  UPON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS I INVOKE THE ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF ALMIGHTY GOD.
FRANCISCUS PP.

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Vatican City, Jul 27, 2016 / 09:05 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the flight to Poland for World Youth Day, Pope Francis on Wednesday responded to recent violence across the globe by saying that the world is at war.

“When I speak of war, I talk about it seriously, but it’s not a war of religion. It’s a war for money, for resources, for nature, for dominion. This is the war,” Pope Francis told journalists on his July 27 flight from Rome to Krakow.

“Could one think of a religious war? No. All religions want peace. Others want war,” he said. “Is that clear?”

Francis addressed the 70 journalists on board the papal plane when, as usual, he came to the back to greet them each individually and thank them for their work.

However, before going down the rows of eager writers and photographers on board, Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ, who will retire as Vatican spokesman after the trip, asked the Pope to offer some words on the “emotional days” at hand considering recent tragedies, including yesterday’s attack in at a church in Rouen that left an 84-year-old priest dead.

In his comments, Francis noted that “for some time we have said that the world is in a piecemeal war. This is war.”

Frequently what’s happening is called “insecurity, but the true word is war. There was that of 14 (First World War), with its methods, then that of 39 to 45 (Second World War), and now there’s another great war. This is what we are experiencing now.”

This war is real, he said, noting that while it might not necessarily be “organic,” it is organized.

He pointed to yesterday’s attack in the French diocese of Rouen in which Fr. Jacques Hamel, 84, was killed by two Islamic State supporters while celebrating Mass.

“This holy priest who died precisely in the moment in which he offered prayers for the entire Church is one, but there are many Christians, many innocent people, many children,” who suffer the same type of violence and hatred, he noted, pointing to Nigeria as an example.

“It’s war: we’re not afraid to tell this truth,” Francis said, explaining that the world is at war because “it has lost peace.”

The Pope then thanked the journalists for their work during World Youth Day, adding that youth “always speaks to us of hope.”

“Now we hope that the youth tell us something and give us hope at this time,” he said, and offered his thanks to those who “harbor condolences” for yesterday’s attack, as well as French president Francois Holland, who “called me like a brother” after the incident, “and I thank him.”

After offering these brief words to those on board, Pope Francis went down the rows of journalists to greet each of the 70 on board individually.

 

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IMAGE: CNS photo/Bob Roller

By Dennis Sadowski

KRAKOW, Poland (CNS) -- Jesus did not stop talking about mercy even though he was nearly thrown from a cliff after his first public talk in a Nazareth synagogue, and the rest of his life can serve as an example for people of faith to follow, Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley told an energized World Youth Day audience.

Emphasizing the World Youth Day theme focused on mercy and the Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis, Cardinal O'Malley called on the young people in Tauron Arena July 27 to bring God's mercy to life as Jesus did.

The Jubilee Year is a chance to reboot or start over again, said Cardinal O'Malley, who serves on the pope's Council of Cardinals. "We need to find a new route to take us where we need to go."

The cardinal said he considers his first homily -- to a group of inmates after he was assigned as a prison chaplain -- a failure as well. He said he decided to focus on the freeing power of God after reading in a book that a homily should embrace the experience of the listeners. That night, six inmates escaped, he said.

"I was crestfallen that my sermon would be the last," he said.

But a fellow priest consoled him, and a young Father O'Malley persevered by remembering the needs of the people to whom he ministers. Cardinal O'Malley called on the young people to do likewise.

Explaining that Jesus is "the full meaning of jubilee," Cardinal O'Malley explained that Pope Francis' declaration of a Jubilee Year invites the faithful "to share this wonderful sign of grace" and mercy.

He invited the audience to embrace mercy every day and participate in a community of faith to escape isolation and sadness.

To illustrate the idea of mercy, he told the story of a group of people who were on a beach and one man noticed that a tidal wave was approaching. So he ran up a nearby hill to his home and set it afire. Many left the beach to help extinguish the flames and they were saved. The people who stayed behind drowned.

"Sometimes we think we are doing God a favor when we do a work of mercy. But actually we are climbing that mountain of love, where we find mercy and salvation for ourselves. Only as a result of climbing the mountain we show mercy to others. Only by making a gift of ourselves will we find fulfillment, happiness and salvation," Cardinal O'Malley said.

The morning catechetical program included presentations by Sister Bethany Madonna, a member of the Sisters of Life, and Jason and Crystalina Evert, a married couple who are leaders in Chastity Project -- www.thechastityproject.com -- to guide young people in their lives.

Sister Bethany offered words of encouragement to the thousands of young adults in the audience, saying they were purposely chosen by God to be in Krakow for World Youth Day so they could be an inspiration to others.

God never forgets anyone, and that realization can help overcome life's burdens and anxieties, Sister Bethany said.

"In baptism you became one in Jesus. You belong. You're accepted. You're loved. You're not alone. God made you as his own beloved daughter or his beloved son. This was not random," she said.

"God creates with a plan and a purpose. That you exist means God as a plan for your life," she added.

Sister Bethany encouraged the young adults to consider their vocation, whether it is in marriage or religious life. She said society needs holy and committed husbands and wives as much as it needs people who become a priest, brother or sister.

The Everts discussed the importance of living a chaste life and getting to know their future spouse through faith and love. They explained how they strayed from moral teaching -- Crystalina through parties and Jason through pornography -- until discovering God's plan for their lives.

Jason Everts offered four tips for the young audience: Enjoy being single, step back and work on personal shortcomings, face fears and keep any relationships with the opposite sex pure.

Mixing Scripture with practical tips on dating and relationships, the couple stressed that one of the best ways to show love for another person is to not shape the other person to their desires.

"Marriage is not about finding the perfect person," Jason Everts said. "Successful marriages are about perfecting yourself so you can be the person (your spouse) deserves for you to be."

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Follow Sadowski on Twitter: @DennisSadowski

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By Junno Arocho Esteves

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT TO KRAKOW, POLAND (CNS) -- The world, not religion, is waging a war in pieces, Pope Francis said.

While it "is not at as organic" as past world wars, "it is organized and it is war," the pope told journalists July 27 on his flight to Krakow.

"Someone may think that I am speaking about a war of religions. No, all religions want peace. Others want war," the pope said.

He spoke one day after the murder of a priest during Mass in a Catholic church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, France. Two men, armed with knives, entered the church during Mass. The attackers murdered 84-year-old Father Jacques Hamel, slitting his throat.

"This holy priest who died precisely at the moment he was offering prayers for the whole church," he said. While lamenting the priest's death, the pope added that was one of countless innocents butchered by a war fought in pieces.

"How many Christians, how many children, how many innocents?" he said. "We are not afraid of saying this truth: The world is at war because it has lost peace."

The pope also thanked people for their the countless condolences following the murder. He said this included French President Francois Hollande, who "wished to connect with me by telephone, like a brother."

Pope Francis expressed his desire that young people attending World Youth Day in Krakow offer a message of hope in a chaotic world.

"Youths always give us hope. Let us hope the youths may tell us something that will give us more hope in this moment," he said. 

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Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju.

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Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.

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