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 WASHINGTON-Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York called on everyone "concerned about the tragedy of abortion" to recommit to a "vision of life and love, a vision that excludes no one" on January 14. His statement marks the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Cardinal Dolan chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Most Americans oppose a policy allowing legal abortion for virtually any reason - though many still do not realize that this is what the Supreme Court gave us," wrote Cardinal Dolan. "Most want to protect unborn children at later stages of pregnancy, to regulate or limit the practice of abortion, and to stop the use of taxpayer dollars for the destruction of unborn children. Yet many who support important goals of the pro-life movement do not identify as 'pro-life,' a fact which should lead us to examine how we present our pro-life vision to others."

"Even as Americans remain troubled by abortion," wrote Cardinal Dolan, a powerful and well-funded lobby holds "that abortion must be celebrated as a positive good for women and society, and those who cannot in conscience provide it are to be condemned for practicing substandard medicine and waging a 'war on women'." He said this trend was seen recently when President Obama and other Democratic leaders prevented passage of the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, "a modest measure to provide for effective enforcement" of conscience laws.

"While this is disturbing," said Cardinal Dolan, "it is also an opportunity." Pro-life Americans should reach out to "the great majority of Americans" who are "open to hearing a message of reverence for life." He added that "we who present the pro-life message must always strive to be better messengers. A cause that teaches the inexpressibly great value of each and every human being cannot show disdain or disrespect for any fellow human being." He encouraged Catholics to take part, through prayer and action, in the upcoming "9 Days for Life" campaign, January 16-24. More information on the campaign is available online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxJwfcefUiU

He also cited the Year of Mercy called by Pope Francis as a time for women and men to find healing through the Church's Project Rachel post-abortion ministry.

The full text of Cardinal Dolan's message is available online.
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Keywords: Roe v. Wade, anniversary, Pro-Life, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, 9 Days for Life, USCCB, U.S. bishops, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Year of Mercy, Project Rachel, Pope Francis
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Aboard the papal plane, Feb 18, 2016 / 10:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Update Feb. 19: In a statement to Vatican Radio, Holy See spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said that Pope Francis’ comment “was never intended to be, in any way, a personal attack or an indication of how to vote.” Fr. Lombardi noted that Pope Francis had explicitly stated that he was not going into issues of voting and had also spoken in the conditional in his remarks, saying that he wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to the Republican candidate.   

Pope Francis has repeatedly talked about the need to build bridges rather than walls throughout his pontificate, and his remarks should be understood in this sense, the Vatican spokesman said. “It is not a specific issue, limited to this case. It is his general attitude, very consistent with a courageous following of the Gospel's teachings of welcoming and solidarity.”

During his inflight news conference en route from Juarez to Rome, Pope Francis responded to recent criticism from Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, who called the Pope “political” and has threatened to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel,” the Pope said Feb. 18.

Pope Francis was asked to respond to comments from Donald Trump, who had referred to the Pope as a “pawn” for the Mexican government. Trump says that he will build a wall along the border of the United States and Mexico to prevent undocumented immigrants from entering the U.S.
 
The Pope spoke to journalists on his return flight from Mexico's Ciudad Juarez to Rome. He paid an official Feb. 12-17 visit to the country, which climaxed with the celebration of Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border Mass in Juarez City.

Immigration is a theme close to Francis' heart. A son of Italian immigrants, the Argentine pontiff frequently speaks out asking world leaders to overcome an attitude of indifference and to welcome incoming migrants with dignity and respect.

The Pope also touched on the issue in his speech to U.S. Congress last September, telling lawmakers not to be “fearful of foreigners,” and reminding them of the many positive contributions immigrants make to the life of society. He also pointed out that many of them are descendants of immigrants themselves.

However, in a Feb. 11 interview with Fox Business Network, Donald Trump criticized the Pope’s sympathy toward immigrants, as well as his decision to celebrate a Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I think the Pope is a very political person, I think he doesn't understand the problems our country has,” he said.

Trump said the Pope doesn’t understand the “danger” of having an open border with Mexico, and suggested that Mexico’s leaders seduced the Pope into the Mass in order to keep the border the way it is, “because they're making a fortune and we're losing.”

In addition to his comments about Pope Francis, Trump has repeatedly made offensive remarks toward immigrants, and has threatened not only to build a wall along the border, but to make Mexico pay for it when he does.

In a June 28 interview with CNN, Trump suggested that should he be elected, he would build a 2,500 km wall along the U.S.-Mexican border because, in his opinion, “a wall is needed in certain areas.”

He said that Mexico “makes a fortune” off the U.S., and that a wall “is a tiny little peanut compared to that. I would do something very severe unless they contributed or gave us the money to build the wall.”

In his comments to journalists onboard the papal plane, Pope Francis jested, saying he is grateful to have been called a politician, since Aristotle defined the human person as “animal politicus,” meaning, “a political animal.”

“At least I am a human person,” he said, adding that as for being a pawn of the Mexican government, he’ll leave that “up to your judgment and that of the people.”

While he can’t tell anyone who vote for, Francis said that what he can say is that “this man is not Christian if he has said things like that.” The Pope said that we have to see if Trump really said things the way he did, but that in the meantime he’s willing to give him “the benefit of the doubt.”

On Wednesday Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi responded to Trump’s criticism of the Pope’s sympathy toward immigrants, calling the presidential candidate’s remarks “very strange” and suggesting that he get more perspective.

“The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane manner, of hosting those who come from other countries in search of a life of dignity and peace,” Lombardi said.

He noted that Pope Francis frequently makes similar remarks to leaders across Europe, which is something Trump would know “if he came to Europe.”

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Juarez, Mexico, Feb 19, 2016 / 02:06 pm (CNA).- After taking the Internet by storm last fall with their hit “Confia en Dios,” this group of singing sisters was invited to perform at Pope Francis’ U.S.-Mexico border Mass in Juarez earlier this week.

“We are very happy…we never imagined that we would receive an invitation,” Sister Mónica Nobl told CNA Feb. 17.

One of the leaders of the musical group “The Siervas,” meaning “Servants,” Nobl said that the invite to sing at the papal Mass was something none of them expected, but came through Facebook.

After checking out their Facebook page and seeing the viral video for their song “Confia en Dios,” a priest from Mexico wrote them asking if they wanted to sing at the Pope’s final Mass in Juarez.

The immediate reaction was “Of course! How can we not participate in this great event?” Sr. Monica said, adding that they were “very, very happy and very excited to participate.”

The 12 sisters in the group are all part of the community of the Servants of the Plan of God. Founded Aug. 15, 1998, in Peru, the community lives a life of full apostolic availability, evangelizing in the areas of youth, the family and culture, with a special emphasis on the fragile, ill, poor and suffering.

Some of the more musical members of the community banded together, literally, last fall in order to put their musical talents to use in spreading the message of the Gospel.

In September 2015 “The Siervas” released their first CD in Spanish, “Ansias que queman,” which a month later was presented with a tour in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Peru.

The biggest hit on the album is a song called “Confia en Dios,” or “Trust in God.” Since it was posted to YouTube in October, the music video for the song has been viewed over 365,000 times.

It shows the sisters playing both classical instruments as well as the drums and the electric and bass guitars while singing the catchy tune in their religious habits from a rooftop helipad.

Nobl explained that “The Siervas” composed the music and lyrics for the songs themselves, and that they chose a selection of different types of songs to perform for the Pope’s Mass.

“We prepared a variety of songs to encourage people,” she said, adding that “our rhythms are well motivated,” since they are a mix of pop, rock and Latin pop genres.

The blend of rock with religious hymns has gained popularity among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Out of the many non-Catholic and non-religious people who have commented on the “Confia en Dios” music video, the majority say that despite not sharing the sisters’ faith, they are big fans of the song and think it touches people on a human level.

What the group hopes to demonstrate is that even Catholic music “can be composed with the highest musical standards,” Nobl said.

Because of this, the group is already recording their second album, which they chose to do in collaboration with renowned musical producers in both Peru and the United States.

Although their community was founded in Peru, members of “The Siervas” hail from countries all over the world, including Argentina, China, the Philippines, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador and Japan.

In addition to their gig in Juarez, the sisters will also play in several other Mexican cities as part of a mini tour that includes stops in Chihuahua, San Juan del Rio and Mexico City.

As part of their Mexican tour, “The Siervas” will also be performing charity work throughout the trip in soup kitchens and schools in the cities they visit.

Out of all the stops they will make, Nobl said that their performance in Juarez was especially significant not just because they played for the Pope, but also because of the suffering those who live in the city face on a daily basis.

To perform in a place like the violent and conflicted border between Mexico and the United States “excites us a lot because this is why we do music, so that the message of the faith arrives to and crosses borders, and arrives above all to those who suffer most,” she said.

“Our mission is to help those in need. We assist poor people, those who suffer. So it is very meaningful and very symbolic for us to be in Ciudad Juarez, which suffers a lot.”

With communities throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, the sisters run numerous projects assisting marginalized groups, such as the homeless and those who live in extreme poverty, and have a school for disabled children.

 

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By Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Australian Cardinal George Pell called for an inquiry into the leaking of accusations that he is under police investigation for the alleged abuse of minors.

Calling the accusations "without foundation and utterly false," the cardinal "strongly denies any wrongdoing. If the police wish to question him, he will cooperate, as he has with each and every public inquiry," said a statement from the cardinal's office in Rome Feb. 19.

"The cardinal understands that several media outlets have received confidential information leaked by someone within the Victorian police," the government law enforcement agency in the Australian state of Victoria, the statement said.

"Given the serious nature of this conduct, the cardinal has called for a public inquiry to be conducted in relation to the actions of those elements of the Victorian police who are undermining the Royal Commission's work," it said. The Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is a government inquiry into church, state and other institutions' response to the sexual abuse of children.

The cardinal also called on the state prime minister and police minister "to immediately investigate the leaking of these baseless allegations," the statement said.

Victoria's The Herald Sun reported late Feb. 18 that "legal sources" told reporters more than a dozen special task force detectives have been investigating past claims that the cardinal abused between five and 10 boys when he was a priest in Ballarat and archbishop of Melbourne.

The Sano Task Force, which was established to look into allegations stemming from the Royal Commission's work, presented its evidence to the Victoria police, the newspaper reported. It said the task force is also investigating allegations the cardinal -- then a seminarian -- abused an altar boy in 1961. Former Judge Alec Southwell, appointed by the Australian bishops' conference to investigate the case, dismissed those charges in 2002.

Cardinal Pell, who has been working at the Vatican since 2014 as head of the Secretariat for the Economy, was scheduled to give evidence Feb. 29 to the Royal Commission concerning the Archdiocese of Melbourne's response to abuse allegations and a case study involving the response of church authorities in Ballarat.

The commission accepted the cardinal's offer to give evidence via video link after his doctor advised him against taking the long flight to Australia. He has already appeared before the Royal Commission twice and appeared before the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Organizations.

The Feb. 19 statement from the cardinal's office in Rome said, "The timing of these leaks is clearly designed to do maximum damage to the cardinal and the Catholic Church and undermines the work of the Royal Commission."

"It is outrageous that these allegations have been brought to the cardinal's attention through a media leak," it said.

"The cardinal has called for a public inquiry into the leaking of these spurious claims by elements in the Victorian police in a manner clearly designed to embarrass the cardinal, in a case study where the historical failures of the Victorian police have been the subject of substantial evidence."

The statement refers to evidence given to the commission that police superiors in the 1950s through 1970s intentionally refused to take action against or charge clerics suspected of abuse.

The statement called it "outrageous" that people within the police publicly attacked him through the leaks when he is "a witness in the same case study that has exposed serious police inaction and wrongdoing."

While Victoria's police had not taken steps to pursue "the false allegations" after he was cleared of them in 2002, "the cardinal certainly has no objection to them reviewing the materials that led Justice Southwell to exonerate him. The cardinal is certain that the police will quickly reach the conclusion that the allegations are false."

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By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The pope is human. Pope Francis demonstrated that in Mexico, as he does wherever he goes, and most people find it attractive most of the time.

In Pope Francis, Catholics can see a real person trying to live his faith in a complicated world. Sometimes he waves at them and they can see the frayed edges of his soutane sleeve. When his sciatica is acting up, he needs extra help going down steps. His aides do not keep his reading glasses, so sometimes he fumbles with the soutane pocket trying to get them out.

Crowds "ahhh" when he tenderly strokes the face of an obviously sick person, and they applaud when he gives a big hug to a child. However, they can be shocked when the human side of the pope is impatience or downright anger like it was Feb. 16 in Morelia, Mexico, when one of the thousands of people who grab the pope at public events yanked him, pulling him on top of a person seated in a wheelchair.

"What's the matter with you?" the pope snapped. "Don't be selfish!"

While security officers helped the pope back up, Pope Francis caressed the face of the boy he'd fallen on.

The off-the-cuff Pope Francis is very human, too. That touches people who experience a pope really listening to them and who is taking notes as people ask him questions. It sometimes frustrates journalists who are given his prepared remarks in advance, knowing full well that he may use little or none of the printed text. For people who do not usually agree with Pope Francis, the ad-libbing is just a nightmare. And, those spontaneous remarks can be frustratingly incomplete or imprecise.

But the pope knows that. For example, when he speaks about the growing gap between the rich and poor, he openly approximates. "If I'm not mistaken -- the figures are approximate -- but more or less 80 percent of human wealth is in the hands of less than 20 percent of the population," he said Feb. 10 at his weekly general audience at the Vatican.

When people call Pope Francis "the pope of surprises," they usually say it with a delighted sense of expectation. But there are people in the world who really don't like surprises.

As far back as the papal trips of St. John Paul II, journalists have valued being on the papal plane because it is the only time they are guaranteed a chance to ask the pope questions. Popes do not hold regular news conferences. With Pope Francis, unlike with Pope Benedict XVI, the questions are not submitted in advance, and his answers almost always make the news.

Flying back from Mexico Feb. 17, Pope Francis was asked to react to Donald Trump's accusations that the pope is political and, since the pope had just celebrated Mass at the Mexican-U.S. border, he also was asked to comment on Trump's proposal to build a wall along the entire length of the border and deport millions of immigrants. Pope Francis answered, "If he says these things, this man is not Christian."

The pope was less clear in responding to a question about whether "avoiding pregnancy" could be considered a "lesser evil" when facing the possibility of birth defects from the Zika virus. The pope used the word "contraception" when referring to Blessed Paul VI allowing women religious in the Belgian Congo in the 1960s to take the pill to avoid becoming pregnant if they were the victim of rape, which was being used as a weapon of war.

Then, answering the question about Zika, he said, "Avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil. In certain cases, such as the one I mentioned of Blessed Paul VI, it was clear." The answer led to headlines saying the pope said it was possible that using birth control in response to Zika could be tolerated.

The pope's responses to journalists, particularly, to the Trump question and to the Zika question made a splash in the news and on social media.

Thomas Peters, who tweets as @AmericanPapist, tweeted, "For the 1 millionth time, no more in-flight papal news conferences please!" And a bit later, he added, "Seriously, who believes that off-the-cuff interviews at 30,000 feet after a weeklong international trip is a good idea anymore?"

Pope Francis' answer to another question, one that did not make the news, also illustrates his human side. He was asked what he was praying for during the 20 minutes he sat before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

He said he prayed for so many things that Mary, "poor thing," probably had a headache when he was done. He said he prayed for forgiveness, for the growth of the church, for the Mexican people, for priests, nuns, bishops. "I asked for a lot."

But he would not say more or give more details. "The things a child tells his mother are kind of secret," he explained.

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Follow Wooden on Twitter: @Cindy_Wooden

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