Catholic News 2
FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- Fort Hood commanders were in the process of closing roads on the sprawling Army post in Central Texas when a truck carrying 12 soldiers overturned in a fast-flowing flooded creek during a training exercise, killing five and leaving four missing, officials said Friday....
PARIS (AP) -- The swollen Seine River kept rising Friday, spilling into Paris streets and forcing one landmark after another to shut on Friday. Across the city, parks and cemeteries were being closed as the city braced for flooding that could take weeks to fully clear....
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- More than 110 bodies were pulled from the sea off Libya's shores Friday after a smuggling boat carrying mainly African migrants sank into the Mediterranean, and a separate massive search-and-rescue operation in the open sea saved 340 people and recovered nine bodies....
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- FIFA has revealed that disgraced former officials Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves raises and World Cup bonuses totaling $80 million over their last five years in office....
(Vatican Radio) There are a great many hymns written in honour of the Sacred Heart. These hymns make a strong appeal to the emotions. One reason perhaps why the devotion grew so fast was that it counteracted an overemphasis on rationalistic religion. Monsignor Philip Whitmore...Listen to a musical meditation presented by Monsignor Philip Whitmore and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick:
(Vatican Radio) There are a great many hymns written in honour of the Sacred Heart. These hymns make a strong appeal to the emotions. One reason perhaps why the devotion grew so fast was that it counteracted an overemphasis on rationalistic religion. Monsignor Philip Whitmore...
Listen to a musical meditation presented by Monsignor Philip Whitmore and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick:
(Vatican Radio) On Friday 3 June, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass with priests in St Peter's Square as part of a special Jubilee of Mercy for Priests.Please find below the prepared text for the Holy Father's Homily: This celebration of the Jubilee for Priests on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus invites us all to turn to the heart, the deepest root and foundation of every person, the focus of our affective life and, in a word, his or her very core. Today we contemplate two hearts: the Heart of the Good Shepherd and our own heart as priests. The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy. There the Father’s love shines forth; there I know I am welcomed and understood as I am; there, with all my sins and limitations, I know the certainty that I am chosen and loved. Contemplating that heart, I renew my...
(Vatican Radio) On Friday 3 June, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass with priests in St Peter's Square as part of a special Jubilee of Mercy for Priests.
Please find below the prepared text for the Holy Father's Homily:
This celebration of the Jubilee for Priests on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus invites us all to turn to the heart, the deepest root and foundation of every person, the focus of our affective life and, in a word, his or her very core. Today we contemplate two hearts: the Heart of the Good Shepherd and our own heart as priests.
The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy. There the Father’s love shines forth; there I know I am welcomed and understood as I am; there, with all my sins and limitations, I know the certainty that I am chosen and loved. Contemplating that heart, I renew my first love: the memory of that time when the Lord touched my soul and called me to follow him, the memory of the joy of having cast the nets of our life upon the sea of his word (cf. Lk 5:5).
The Heart of the Good Shepherd tells us that his love is limitless; it is never exhausted and it never gives up. There we see his infinite and boundless self-giving; there we find the source of that faithful and meek love which sets free and makes others free; there we constantly discover anew that Jesus loves us “even to the end” (Jn 13:1), without ever being imposing.
The Heart of the Good Shepherd reaches out to us, above all to those who are most distant. There the needle of his compass inevitably points, there we see a particular “weakness” of his love, which desires to embrace all and lose none.
Contemplating the Heart of Christ, we are faced with the fundamental question of our priestly life: Where is my heart directed? Our ministry is often full of plans, projects and activities: from catechesis to liturgy, to works of charity, to pastoral and administrative commitments. Amid all these, we must still ask ourselves: What is my heart set on, where is it directed, what is the treasure that it seeks? For as Jesus says: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mt 6:21).
The great riches of the Heart of Jesus are two: the Father and ourselves. His days were divided between prayer to the Father and encountering people. So too the heart of Christ’s priests knows only two directions: the Lord and his people. The heart of the priest is a heart pierced by the love of the Lord. For this reason, he no longer looks to himself, but is turned towards God and his brothers and sisters. It is no longer “a fluttering heart”, allured by momentary whims, shunning disagreements and seeking petty satisfactions. Rather, it is a heart rooted firmly in the Lord, warmed by the Holy Spirit, open and available to our brothers and sisters.
To help our hearts burn with the charity of Jesus the Good Shepherd, we can train ourselves to do three things suggested to us by today’s readings: seek out, include and rejoice.
Seek out. The prophet Ezekiel reminds us that God himself goes out in search of his sheep (Ez 34:11, 16). As the Gospel says, he “goes out in search of the one who is lost” (Lk 15:4), without fear of the risks. Without delaying, he leaves the pasture and his regular workday. He does not put off the search. He does not think: “I have done enough for today; I’ll worry about it tomorrow”. Instead, he immediately sets to it; his heart is anxious until he finds that one lost sheep. Having found it, he forgets his weariness and puts the sheep on his shoulders, fully content.
Such is a heart that seeks out – a heart that does not set aside times and spaces as private, a heart that is not jealous of its legitimate quiet time and never demands that it be left alone. A shepherd after the heart of God does not protect his own comfort zone; he is not worried about protecting his good name, but rather, without fearing criticism, he is disposed to take risks in seeking to imitate his Lord.
A shepherd after the heart of God has a heart sufficiently free to set aside his own concerns. He does not live by calculating his gains or how long he has worked: he is not an accountant of the Spirit, but a Good Samaritan who seeks out those in need. For the flock he is a shepherd, not an inspector, and he devotes himself to the mission not fifty or sixty percent, but with all he has. In seeking, he finds, and he finds because he takes risks. He does not stop when disappointed and he does not yield to weariness. Indeed, he is stubborn in doing good, anointed with the divine obstinacy that loses sight of no one. Not only does he keep his doors open, but he also goes to seek out those who no longer wish to enter them. Like every good Christian, and as an example for every Christian, he constantly goes out of himself. The epicentre of his heart is outside of himself. He is not drawn by his own “I”, but by the “Thou” of God and by the “we” of other men and women.
Include. Christ loves and knows his sheep. He gives his life for them, and no one is a stranger to him (cf. Jn 10:11-14). His flock is his family and his life. He is not a boss to feared by his flock, but a shepherd who walks alongside them and calls them by name (cf. Jn 10:3-4). He wants to gather the sheep that are not yet of his fold (cf. Jn 10:16).
So it is also with the priest of Christ. He is anointed for his people, not to choose his own projects but to be close to the real men and women whom God has entrusted to him. No one is excluded from his heart, his prayers or his smile. With a father’s loving gaze and heart, he welcomes and includes everyone, and if at times he has to correct, it is to draw people closer. He stands apart from no one, but is always ready to dirty his hands. As a minister of the communion that he celebrates and lives, he does not await greetings and compliments from others, but is the first to reach out, rejecting gossip, judgements and malice. He listens patiently to the problems of his people and accompanies them, sowing God’s forgiveness with generous compassion. He does not scold those who wander off or lose their way, but is always ready to bring them back and to resolve difficulties and disagreements.
Rejoice. God is “full of joy” (cf. Lk 15:5). His joy is born of forgiveness, of life risen and renewed, of prodigal children who breathe once more the sweet air of home. The joy of Jesus the Good Shepherd is not a joy for himself alone, but a joy for others and with others, the true joy of love. This is also the joy of the priest. He is changed by the mercy that he freely gives. In prayer he discovers God’s consolation and realizes that nothing is more powerful than his love. He thus experiences inner peace, and is happy to be a channel of mercy, to bring men and women closer to the Heart of God. Sadness for him is not the norm, but only a step along the way; harshness is foreign to him, because he is a shepherd after the meek Heart of God.
Dear priests, in the Eucharistic celebration we rediscover each day our identity as shepherds. In every Mass, may we truly make our own the words of Christ: “This is my body, which is given up for you.” This is the meaning of our life; with these words, in a real way we can daily renew the promises we made at our priestly ordination. I thank all of you for saying “yes” to giving your life in union with Jesus: for in this is found the pure source of our joy.
(Vatican Radio) A conference looking at the career of Irish leader Hugh O’Neill opened this Friday morning at the British School here in Rome. Hugh O’Neill led the Irish resistance to the English conquest of Ireland at the time of Queen Elisabeth the first at the end of the 16th century.The conflict known as the Nine Years War took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603 and was fought mainly in the northern province of Ulster, although there was also conflict in other parts of the country.The war ended in defeat for O’Neill and other Irish leaders which led to their exile in what was called the Flight of the Earls.In April 1608, the earls including O’Neill ended up in Rome where they were greeted by Pope Paul V.So just how did the Holy See view the situation in Ireland at the time?One of the organisers and speakers at the conference is Dr Hiram Morgan from University College Cork, he explains that, “the problem was that at this time the resistance to...
(Vatican Radio) A conference looking at the career of Irish leader Hugh O’Neill opened this Friday morning at the British School here in Rome. Hugh O’Neill led the Irish resistance to the English conquest of Ireland at the time of Queen Elisabeth the first at the end of the 16th century.
The conflict known as the Nine Years War took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603 and was fought mainly in the northern province of Ulster, although there was also conflict in other parts of the country.
The war ended in defeat for O’Neill and other Irish leaders which led to their exile in what was called the Flight of the Earls.
In April 1608, the earls including O’Neill ended up in Rome where they were greeted by Pope Paul V.
So just how did the Holy See view the situation in Ireland at the time?
One of the organisers and speakers at the conference is Dr Hiram Morgan from University College Cork, he explains that, “the problem was that at this time the resistance to Queen Elizabeth was really being led by Spain, and the Popes at this time in fact wanted to disengage from Spanish control and that is one of the major problems. O’Neill was in alliance with the Spaniards…”
Dr Morgan also says that, “at this time the Popes had mistakenly believed that Queen Elizabeth would be replaced by James I but they also thought that James I would become a Catholic …but that certainly didn’t happen”.
Listen to Lydia O'Kane's interview with Dr Hiram Morgan
Hugh O’Neill was already well known in Rome when he arrived because his war had been well publicized and he was well received in the city, but his hopes and plans to return to Ireland to resume his activities came to nothing and he died in the eternal city on July 20 1616
According to the Dr Hiram Morgan, O’Neill was “a great political maneuverer” who gets his comeuppance in the end, adding that the aim of this conference is to draw attention back to this Irishmen as the 400 the anniversary of his death approaches and to bring more recent research to bare about his military and political tactics.
“From Ulster to Rome: A retrospective on the career of Hugh O’Neill, earl of Tyrone 1550 to 1616” runs from the 3rd to 4th June at the British School in Rome.
(Vatican Radio) Monsignor Janusz Urbanczyk, the Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has encouraged member-states to cooperate “in advancing the participation of national minorities in social, economic and political life.”He was speaking on Thursday after a report was presented by the OSCE’s High Commissioner for National Minorities.“Violence does not appear out of nowhere,” – Msgr. Urbanczyk said – “It is the tragic consequence of that slippery slope that so often begins with mockery or other forms of social exclusion or bigotry, that in turn leads to acts of discrimination – sometimes even enshrined in legislation – and unleashes an intolerance that turns to violence.” The full statement by Msgr. Urbanczyk is below STATEMENTBY MONSIGNOR JANUSZ URBANCZYKPERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOLY SEE,AT THE 1102 MEETING OF THE OSCE PERMANENT...
(Vatican Radio) Monsignor Janusz Urbanczyk, the Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has encouraged member-states to cooperate “in advancing the participation of national minorities in social, economic and political life.”
He was speaking on Thursday after a report was presented by the OSCE’s High Commissioner for National Minorities.
“Violence does not appear out of nowhere,” – Msgr. Urbanczyk said – “It is the tragic consequence of that slippery slope that so often begins with mockery or other forms of social exclusion or bigotry, that in turn leads to acts of discrimination – sometimes even enshrined in legislation – and unleashes an intolerance that turns to violence.”
The full statement by Msgr. Urbanczyk is below
STATEMENT
BY MONSIGNOR JANUSZ URBANCZYK
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOLY SEE,
AT THE 1102 MEETING OF THE OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL
2 JUNE 2016
RE: REPORT PRESENTED BY MS. ASTRID THORS, OSCE HIGH COMMISSIONER
FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES
Mr. Chairman,
The Holy See wishes once more to express its gratitude to the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities, Madam Astrid Thors, for her competent and diligent work, a work that seeks to avoid tensions that have the potential to develop into conflict, and thus promote peace and stability in our region.
Therefore, I gladly join the previous speakers in welcoming Madam Thors back to the Permanent Council, as well as in thanking her for the comprehensive report she has just presented.
Allow me to dwell on three points:
First, the report of the High Commissioner emphasizes the advantages of cooperation between the participating States and the HCNM in advancing the participation of national minorities in social, economic and political life. The Delegation of the Holy See would encourage such cooperation, while recognizing the freedom of each participating State to make use of the various structures of our Organization, in accord with its own needs and situations.
Second, my Delegation is deeply concerned by the increase of hate speech targeting national minorities in several participating States, as reported by the High Commissioner, and we share her view that “if left unaddressed, hate speech can lead to acts of violence and contribute to conflict on a wider scale.Preventing hate speech is conflict prevention”.
In fact, violence does not appear out of nowhere. It is the tragic consequence of that slippery slope that so often begins with mockery or other forms of social exclusion or bigotry, that in turn leads to acts of discrimination – sometimes even enshrined in legislation – and unleashes an intolerance that turns to violence.
In addition, we must acknowledge the growth of political discourse targeting national minorities or making use of deep -seated stereotypes about such minorities to promote a political agenda, another trend clearly reflected in the High Commissioner’s report, which should be countered through the continued advancement of political participation of all citizens.
My Delegation is also concerned by the fact that language, and in particular discrimination based on language, can be – and actually is – a source of tension and wishes to recall the numerous and longstanding commitments on non-discrimination based on language.
These commitments do not seem to have been given adequate attention by the participating States.
And finally: The Holy See shares the view expressed by the HCNM that “education has played [– and continues to play –] a key role in the conflict prevention work”. Since education, especially of the young, contributes to make every human being a peace-maker and promoter of true tolerance and non-discrimination, educational programmes should be developed and strengthened in order to promote a better understanding and respect for different cultures, ethnicities and religions.
These programmes should also instil universal values, such as respect for the dignity of every person, solidarity among people and respect for the other’s religion, as such values would also reduce harmful misunderstandings and stereotypes.
Education, therefore, in addition to being a means of promoting the active participation of national minorities in social and political life, becomes a place where tolerance and non-discrimination are nurtured and bridges for peace and stability are constructed, for society as a whole.
Based on the abovementioned points, my Delegation takes this opportunity to urge the German Chairmanship to include hate speech targeting national minorities, as well as the role of education in promoting peace, in the agenda of the upcoming SHDM on national minorities.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, my Delegation renews to Madam Thors its gratitude for her leadership and efforts in bringing ever closer for national minorities the full enjoyment of their rights, while conveying to her and the entire staff of HCNM best wishes for their future endeavours.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Jubilee for Priests on Friday, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.In his homily for the feast, the Holy Father reflected on “two hearts: the Heart of the Good Shepherd” and the hearts of priests.“The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy,” the Pope said. He reminded priests that “the Heart of the Good Shepherd reaches out to us, above all to those who are most distant.”The contemplation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Heart of the Good Shepherd, is an invitation to priests to reflect on the question, “Where is my heart directed?” Priestly ministry, the Pope said, is often caught up in “plans, projects, and activities.” While this is necessary, the Holy Father invited priests to consider that the Heart of Jesus is directed to two treasures: the Father and ourselves. Jesus’ day...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Jubilee for Priests on Friday, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In his homily for the feast, the Holy Father reflected on “two hearts: the Heart of the Good Shepherd” and the hearts of priests.
“The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy,” the Pope said. He reminded priests that “the Heart of the Good Shepherd reaches out to us, above all to those who are most distant.”
The contemplation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Heart of the Good Shepherd, is an invitation to priests to reflect on the question, “Where is my heart directed?” Priestly ministry, the Pope said, is often caught up in “plans, projects, and activities.” While this is necessary, the Holy Father invited priests to consider that the Heart of Jesus is directed to two treasures: the Father and ourselves. Jesus’ days, he said, “were divided between prayer to the Father and encountering people.” Like Jesus, the priest should have his heart turned towards God and towards his brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis than offered three suggestions to help priests’ hearts “burn with the charity of the Good Shepherd”: seek out; include; and rejoice. Like the Good Shepherd who goes out to find the lost sheep, priests must not only “keep the doors open,” but actively go out to find those who are lost. Priests, too, must be inclusive, welcoming all. No one, the Pope said, must be excluded “from his heart, his prayer, or his smile.” Finally, the joy of Jesus “the Good Shepherd is not a joy for himself alone, but a joy for others and with others, the true joy of love” and this is “also the joy of the priest.”
The Holy Father concluded his homily by recalling the words of consecration, prayed by priests each day at the Mass: “This is My Body, which is given up for you.” This, he told the assembled priests, “This is the meaning of our life; with these words, in a real way we can daily renew the promises we made at our priestly ordination” — and he thanked them for saying “yes” to giving their lives “in union with Jesus.”
The full text of the Holy Father's homily can be found here.
(Vatican Radio) Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Germany to protest against the German Parliament's decision to declare the massacre of Armenians during World War I a "genocide". The vote heightens German-Turkish tensions amid an ongoing refugee crisis. Listen to Stefan Bos' report: "An example of ignorance and disrespect". That was how Turkey described the decision by German legislators to overwhelmingly adopt a resolution Thursday declaring the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 a genocide.Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their mainly Christian people died in the atrocities of 1915. Turkey says the toll was much lower and rejects the term "genocide".Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the resolution would seriously affect relations with Germany, and that the government would consider further measures in response to the vote. "I have recently consulted the prime minister and we have agreed on...
(Vatican Radio) Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Germany to protest against the German Parliament's decision to declare the massacre of Armenians during World War I a "genocide". The vote heightens German-Turkish tensions amid an ongoing refugee crisis.
Listen to Stefan Bos' report:
"An example of ignorance and disrespect". That was how Turkey described the decision by German legislators to overwhelmingly adopt a resolution Thursday declaring the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 a genocide.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their mainly Christian people died in the atrocities of 1915. Turkey says the toll was much lower and rejects the term "genocide".
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the resolution would seriously affect relations with Germany, and that the government would consider further measures in response to the vote. "I have recently consulted the prime minister and we have agreed on the fact to call back our ambassador [from Germany] for further consultations to Turkey," he told reporters.
"When the ambassador comes back we are going to sit down and we are going to discuss these issues which have the potential of creating significant tensions and have the potential of impacting the relations between Germany and Turkey," he added.
Sensitive time
The vote comes at a sensitive time in German-Turkish relations: Germany and other European Union nations say they need Turkey's help control the arrival of people fleeing war and poverty.
Yet German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she hopes the vote will not further escalate tensions. “Regarding the vote in the German parliament I would like to say that there is a lot that binds Germany to Turkey," she said.
"And even if we have a difference of opinion on an individual matter, the breadth of our links, our friendship, our strategic ties, is great, starting with defence issues and many other issues, and last but not least the three million Turkish citizens that live in our country,” the chancellor stressed.
Some analysts have suggested however that economic relations between Turkey and Germany are huge and that therefore the vote will not have a long term impact on ties.
Several other leaders had already described their concerns over the mass killings of Armenians. In 2015 Pope Francis described the World War I-era slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as the first genocide of the 20th century.
