Catholic News 2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is making the case that Iran is drawing down its elite fighting force from Syria in an effort to allay fears that Tehran is using its powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria to strengthen its influence across the Middle East. Yet the Iranian government said Monday it has dispatched commandos to the war and it is still taking high-ranking casualties....
QARYATAIN, Syria (AP) -- Syrian troops fired their guns in celebration amid smoldering buildings inside the town of Qaryatain on Monday, hours after recapturing it from retreating Islamic State militants who had abducted and terrorized dozens of its Christian residents....
MADRID (AP) -- The Latest on the publication by a coalition of media outlets of an investigation into offshore financial dealings by the rich and famous (all times local):...
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- A massive leak of 11.5 million documents from a Panama-based law firm offers a glimpse into the shadowy world in which the rich and powerful stash their wealth - and raises sharp questions about the use of shell companies that hide the identity of their true owners....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation encouraging the faithful to open their hearts to God and to say ‘yes’ to his message of salvation.Speaking during the homily at morning Mass the Pope asked those present to ask themselves the question whether they are men and women who respond to the Lord’s call or whether they look the other way to avoid answering.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: Celebrating Mass at the Casa Santa Marta for the first time since the Easter break, the Pope took his cue from the April 4th Feast of the Annunciation which tells of Mary’s “yes” to God and opens the door to the “yes” of Jesus. Pope Francis focused his homily on the chain of affirmative answers that run through the Scriptures. He spoke of Abraham who obeyed the Lord and left his land without knowing his destination and he recalled that “humanity of men and women” – even a...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation encouraging the faithful to open their hearts to God and to say ‘yes’ to his message of salvation.
Speaking during the homily at morning Mass the Pope asked those present to ask themselves the question whether they are men and women who respond to the Lord’s call or whether they look the other way to avoid answering.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:
Celebrating Mass at the Casa Santa Marta for the first time since the Easter break, the Pope took his cue from the April 4th Feast of the Annunciation which tells of Mary’s “yes” to God and opens the door to the “yes” of Jesus.
Pope Francis focused his homily on the chain of affirmative answers that run through the Scriptures.
He spoke of Abraham who obeyed the Lord and left his land without knowing his destination and he recalled that “humanity of men and women” – even although many were elderly like Abraham or Moses - “who said ‘yes’ to hope offered by the Lord.”
The Pope also mentioned those who initially refused or hesitated – like Isaiah or Jeremiah – but ended up saying “yes” to the Lord.
And reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day, Pope Francis said it marks the end of ‘this chain’ while opening the door to yet another ‘yes’.
Mary's ‘yes’ – he explained – allows God not only to look over man and walk with him, but to become one of us and take on our flesh.
“Mary’s ‘yes’ opens the door to Jesus’ ‘yes’: I have come to do Your will, this is the ‘yes’ that Jesus carries with him throughout his life, until the cross” he said.
And Pope Francis pointed out that Mary’s affirmative answer contains the whole history of salvation.
“Today, he said, is a beautiful day in which to thank God for showing us that path, but also for thinking about our lives”
With a special word for some of the priests present who were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their Ordination, the Pope said “every day each one of us is called to say ‘yes’ to God”. And he asked them to think of how many times they may have chosen to pretend they hadn’t heard, and he encouraged them to persevere in always listening to the Lord’s voice.
Finally, Pope Francis said, it is God’s ‘yes’ that creates and re-creates the world and man: “It is God’s ‘yes’ that sanctifies us and keeps us alive in Jesus Christ”.
He concluded inviting the faithful to thank God for all of this and prayed the Lord to give us the grace to always say ‘yes’ to His call.
(Vatican Radio) The Press Office of the Holy See on Monday confirmed that Pope Francis met on Saturday, April 2, 2016, with the head of the dissident traditionalist Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (SSPX), Bishop Bernard Fellay.The confirmation came through a one-sentence communiqué from the Press Office, saying, “The Press Office confirms that Saturday, 2 April, a meeting took place in the Vatican between Pope Francis and Bishop Bernard, Fellay, Superior General of the St. Pius X Fraternity.”The SSPX, as it is commonly known, was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in order to preserve the centuries-old tradition of Catholic worship in the Latin Church.In 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops in defiance of explicit Papal dispositions and in violation of an agreement reached a short time before, under the terms of which Lefebvre would have been permitted to consecrate one bishop (in order to guarantee continuity of leadership within the ...
(Vatican Radio) The Press Office of the Holy See on Monday confirmed that Pope Francis met on Saturday, April 2, 2016, with the head of the dissident traditionalist Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (SSPX), Bishop Bernard Fellay.
The confirmation came through a one-sentence communiqué from the Press Office, saying, “The Press Office confirms that Saturday, 2 April, a meeting took place in the Vatican between Pope Francis and Bishop Bernard, Fellay, Superior General of the St. Pius X Fraternity.”
The SSPX, as it is commonly known, was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in order to preserve the centuries-old tradition of Catholic worship in the Latin Church.
In 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops in defiance of explicit Papal dispositions and in violation of an agreement reached a short time before, under the terms of which Lefebvre would have been permitted to consecrate one bishop (in order to guarantee continuity of leadership within the controversial Society).
Since that time, the status of the SSPX has been canonically irregular: efforts to repair the relationship between the SSPX and Church leadership in Rome have continued despite recurrent difficulties.
(Vatican Radio) The Secretariat for Communications announced an new web initiative on Monday: a dedicated office – DotCatholic – to inform and engage the worldwide virtual community with Catholic doctrine, preaching, and ethos.Please find Vatican Radio’s English translation of the statement from the Secretariat, below*****************************************At the invitation of the Secretariat, of State of the Holy See, the Secretariat for Communications has established a Bureau called “DotCatholic” with the purpose of utilizing a generic Internet domain name (.catholic) of the first level, in order to share the teachings, the message and the values of the Catholic Church with the broader global community in Cyberspace.The former director of Vatican Radio’s Information Technology department, Eng. Mauro Milita, has been named head of the new working group, which counts 7 IT technicians on its staff.
(Vatican Radio) The Secretariat for Communications announced an new web initiative on Monday: a dedicated office – DotCatholic – to inform and engage the worldwide virtual community with Catholic doctrine, preaching, and ethos.
Please find Vatican Radio’s English translation of the statement from the Secretariat, below
*****************************************
At the invitation of the Secretariat, of State of the Holy See, the Secretariat for Communications has established a Bureau called “DotCatholic” with the purpose of utilizing a generic Internet domain name (.catholic) of the first level, in order to share the teachings, the message and the values of the Catholic Church with the broader global community in Cyberspace.
The former director of Vatican Radio’s Information Technology department, Eng. Mauro Milita, has been named head of the new working group, which counts 7 IT technicians on its staff.
(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the papal charitable office, will be organizing the distribution of funds raised in response to Pope Francis’ appeal for aid to the people of Ukraine.Listen to this report by Tracey McClure: The situation in the former Soviet state remains dramatic though the ongoing conflict between government forces and pro-Russia separatists has fallen off the collective radar. Calling it a “worn out land,” on Sunday, Pope Francis appealed for an end to the conflict amid reports of fresh fighting. More than 9,000 people have been killed since clashes erupted in April 2014. 1.7 million people have been displaced - particularly in Crimea, annexed by Russia - and the eastern Donbass region. Implementation of a deal agreed in Minsk last year and a lull in the violence had raised hopes that the conflict could be resolved soon.Half a million people urgently need food and health authorities say more th...
(Vatican Radio) The Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the papal charitable office, will be organizing the distribution of funds raised in response to Pope Francis’ appeal for aid to the people of Ukraine.
Listen to this report by Tracey McClure:
The situation in the former Soviet state remains dramatic though the ongoing conflict between government forces and pro-Russia separatists has fallen off the collective radar.
Calling it a “worn out land,” on Sunday, Pope Francis appealed for an end to the conflict amid reports of fresh fighting. More than 9,000 people have been killed since clashes erupted in April 2014. 1.7 million people have been displaced - particularly in Crimea, annexed by Russia - and the eastern Donbass region.
Implementation of a deal agreed in Minsk last year and a lull in the violence had raised hopes that the conflict could be resolved soon.
Half a million people urgently need food and health authorities say more than double that number require urgent medical attention. Essential medicines, anesthesia and insulin are lacking and many operations are performed without anesthesia.
Drinking water is scarce for 1.3 million people and gas and electricity are only intermittently available.
Special collection for Ukraine 24 April
Pope Francis announced that a special collection for Ukraine will be taken up in churches across Europe on Sunday 24 April.
“This gesture of charity, beyond alleviating material suffering, expresses my personal closeness and the solidarity of the entire Church” he said. He expressed his profound hope that it may be of help to promote peace and the respect for rights.
About 10% of Ukraine’s mostly Orthodox population, Catholics in Ukraine have mobilized to assist their countrymen in need, regardless of background or creed. Proceeds from the Europe-wide collection will be distributed by the leaders of Ukraine’s various religious communities.
Church leaders from across the Philippines have condemned Friday’s violence in drought-stricken southern Mindanao island between police and farmers demanding food relief. Two farmers died and dozens were injured after security forces opened fire as they dispersed protesters along a highway in Kidapawan City, the capital of Cotabato Province. Several rights groups have blamed the government for the tragedy, in which 40 policemen were also hurt. Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said “a death is always tragic, even more when violent death visits God’s poor.” “We pray for our farmers in Kidapawan. May those who died find peace and happiness in heaven,” While appealing to the protesters and the victims’ families to avoid vengeance, Arch. Villegas hoped the issue will be resolved immediately. May their families not give in t...
Church leaders from across the Philippines have condemned Friday’s violence in drought-stricken southern Mindanao island between police and farmers demanding food relief. Two farmers died and dozens were injured after security forces opened fire as they dispersed protesters along a highway in Kidapawan City, the capital of Cotabato Province. Several rights groups have blamed the government for the tragedy, in which 40 policemen were also hurt.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said “a death is always tragic, even more when violent death visits God’s poor.” “We pray for our farmers in Kidapawan. May those who died find peace and happiness in heaven,” While appealing to the protesters and the victims’ families to avoid vengeance, Arch. Villegas hoped the issue will be resolved immediately. May their families not give in to the cycle of vengeance but instead seek ways to restore peace,” he said. “May the police and military return to their mandate to preserve peace, protect the weak and serve justice,” he added.
The drought-hit farmers are asking for food-aid assistance until they can resume planting. They also appealed for free seeds and agricultural support services so they can replace the crops they have lost.
The Redemptorist congregation in Manila has spoken out against the treatment of protesters by police. "Such criminal acts are unacceptable and demand urgent enforcement of justice," the congregation said in a statement. "We cannot accept that what you give to those who are hungry is an offer to voluntarily dismantle and disperse their barricade. It is indefensible that when the farmers assert their rights it is okay for the police to simply transform into a murderous frenzy [for they cannot stomach the rights of others]," it said in a collective statement. "What happened then in North Cotabato is a murderous and criminal act done by the police officers of the government. And, we join the victims in their demand for justice," it added.
On Saturday, Italian missionary Fr. Peter Geremiah, parish priest of Arakan town in Cotabato, visited the detained farmers, some of whom are his parishioners and beneficiaries of the parish projects. The United Methodist Church also deplored the violence, as its leaders ask for a “just and peaceful” solution to the problem “that upholds the dignity and protects the human rights of all persons.” “I pray for an end to violent confrontation and a spirit of compassion and reason,” said Susan Henry-Crowe, UMC General Secretary. Many of the protesting farmers have taken refuge in the Spottswood Methodist Center.
Indonesian Catholics are engaged in an environmental programme in central Java to help repopulate a local river’s fish stock. Some 1,000 Indonesian Catholics took part on Divine Mercy Sunday in an effort to spread 500,000 fertilized fish eggs into the Banjir Kanal Barat river in Semarang. The programme called, "Church Cares for River" was jointly conducted by seven parishes in Semarang to help preserve the 9.2-kilometer-long river, said Natalis Utomo, the event organizer. "The programme is a movement of repentance for ecological sins so as to remind all of us that our life is very supported by the womb of Mother Earth," he told UCANEWS. Utomo said that the program was aimed at spurring an interest in environment for all local residents, not just Catholics.Jesuit Father Agustinus Sarwanto, an ecological expert and parish priest at St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Bongsari, said that the river and the Jatibarang r...
Indonesian Catholics are engaged in an environmental programme in central Java to help repopulate a local river’s fish stock. Some 1,000 Indonesian Catholics took part on Divine Mercy Sunday in an effort to spread 500,000 fertilized fish eggs into the Banjir Kanal Barat river in Semarang. The programme called, "Church Cares for River" was jointly conducted by seven parishes in Semarang to help preserve the 9.2-kilometer-long river, said Natalis Utomo, the event organizer. "The programme is a movement of repentance for ecological sins so as to remind all of us that our life is very supported by the womb of Mother Earth," he told UCANEWS. Utomo said that the program was aimed at spurring an interest in environment for all local residents, not just Catholics.
Jesuit Father Agustinus Sarwanto, an ecological expert and parish priest at St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Bongsari, said that the river and the Jatibarang reservoir were chosen for the program because "the fish population in the river and reservoir has diminished." Gov. Ganjar Pranowo thanked the church for organizing the program, saying that local people find it difficult to catch fish in the river.
Agus Mohadi, who lives in nearby Krobokan village, said he looks forward to returning to the river in a few months in the hope that the parrotfish will be big enough to be caught. (Source: UCAN)
