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(Vatican Radio) On Wednesday 17th of Feburay Pope Francis is going to celebrate Holy Mass in Ciudad Juarez on the border between Mexico and the United States right across from El Paso where Monsignor Arturo Bañuelas serves as parish priest at St Marks'. And where like many others on the Texan border he's involved in pastoral ministry to migrants. Veronica Scarisbrick asks him how he views this highly symbolic celebration in a place which has seen so much death and destruction.

Listen to Monsignor Arturo Bañuelas of  El Paso as he looks ahead with Veronica Scarisbrick to the arrival of Pope Francis at the border:

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(Vatican Radio) The Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, has sent a letter to the bishops of the world, appealing to them for aid to the Church in the Holy Land.

Dated Ash Wednesday, 2016, the letter looks forward to the worldwide collection for the Christians of the Holy Land, which is made at Good Friday each year in churches around the globe.

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“The Collection for the Holy Land,” writes Cardinal Sandri, “reminds us of an ‘ancient’ duty, which the history of recent years has made more urgent, but no less a source of the joy that comes from helping our brothers.”

Below, please find the full text of Cardinal Sandri’s letter, in its official English version

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February 10, 2016

Ash Wednesday

Your Excellency,

Good Friday is the day when evil seemed to triumph, as the Innocent One suffered death on the Cross. It is a day that never seems to end in the Holy Land, where apparently interminable violence must be endured. Broadening our the gaze to the whole world, it is no less difficult to give wings to hope for a serene future.

The human heart, restless and troubled, seeks light, life and hope; it wants to walk in brotherhood, together with fellow human beings. Desiring to set out anew, it looks beyond its present condition, longing for a reality that is greater and truer: a salvation already won, yet ever to be striven for.

The Good Friday collection rekindles in us this sure hope along with a clearer perception of the evil that surrounds us. It turns our gaze to the Holy Land, to the East whence comes our Redemption. There lie our roots; there lies our heart. We are indebted to those who went out from there, carrying the light of faith to the world. Likewise, we are indebted to those who remained to give witness to that faith, in spite of the conflicts that have always tortured that Land.

Nonetheless, the Christians in the Holy Land care for the places marked by the passage of Jesus Himself, allowing us to touch, as it were, the truth of our faith. This Land challenges our charity, as it always has, yet today with a growing urgency. Indeed, every person who lives and works there deserves our prayers and our concrete assistance, so necessary for the continuation of the work of healing wounds and fostering confidently justice and peace.

In this Jubilee year, we are urged more than ever to demonstrate our mercy and solicitude for our brothers in the Middle East. Refugees, displaced persons, the elderly, children, and the sick are all in need of our help. In this land of the East, people are dying, being kidnapped and even killed. Many live in agony for their loved ones, or suffer when the family is divided on account of forced migration and exodus. They know the darkness and fear of neglect, of loneliness, of misunderstanding. It is a time of trials and challenges, even of martyrdom. All this necessarily augments our obligation to help, to respond to emergencies, to reconstruct and to invent new ways of meeting the whole gamut of needs. Such acts of mercy, all necessary and urgent, allow us each day to experience that “if the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor”.

We live clinging to the Cross of Good Friday, but sustained by the light of the Resurrection. The Holy Land is a place of dialogue, whose inhabitants never cease dreaming of constructing bridges, and in which the Christian community lives to proclaim the Gospel of Peace. It is a Land of “ecumenism of blood” and at the same time a place of extraordinary normality.

“We cannot remain indifferent: God is not indifferent! God cares about mankind, God does not abandon us” (Pope Francis). This care is expressed by our open hands, contributing generously. It can also be shown by making pilgrimages without fear to the places of our salvation, visiting also the schools and centers of assistance, where one can draw near to the local Christians and listen to their stories.

The Collection for the Holy Land reminds us of an “ancient” duty, which the history of recent years has made more urgent, but no less a source of the joy that comes from helping our brothers.

In conclusion, I assure you of the deepest gratitude of the Holy Father Francis and that of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, which seeks to accompany our brothers and sisters of the East with attentive care. Kindly extend this heartfelt thanks to all the Christian faithful of your particular Church.

With most cordial and fraternal greetings in our Lord, I remain

Sincerely

Leonardo Card. Sandri

Prefect  

?        Cyril Vasil’, S.J.

Archbishop Secretary

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Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, was born at Marktl am Inn, Diocese of Passau (Germany) on 16 April 1927 (Holy Saturday) and was baptised on the same day.His faith and the education received at home prepared him for the harsh experience of those years during which the Nazi regime pursued a hostile attitude towards the Catholic Church. From 1946 to 1951 he studied philosophy and theology in the Higher School of Philosophy and Theology of Freising and at the University of Munich. He received his priestly ordination on 29 June 1951. In 1953 he obtained his doctorate in theology with a thesis entitled "People and House of God in St Augustine’s Doctrine of the Church". Four years later, under the direction of the renowned professor of fundamental theology Gottlieb Söhngen, he qualified for University teaching with a dissertation on: "The Theology of History in St Bonaventure". From 1962 to 1965 he made a notable contribution to Vatican II as an "expert"; being present at the Council as theological advisor of Cardinal Joseph Frings, Archbishop of Cologne. On 25 March 1977 Pope Paul VI named him Archbishop of Munich and Freising. Paul VI made him a Cardinal with the priestly title of "Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino", during the Consistory of 27 June of the same year. In 1978 he took part in the Conclave of 25 and 26 August which elected John Paul I, who named him his Special Envoy to the III International Mariological Congress, celebrated in Guayaquil (Ecuador) from 16 to 24 September. In the month of October of the same year he took part in the Conclave that elected Pope John Paul II. John Paul II named him Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and of the International Theological Commission on 25 November 1981. 

After the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005, the Cardinals entered the Conclave on 18 April 2005. Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope on 19 April 2005, choosing the name Benedict XVI. On 11 February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation from the Papal office, the first Pope to resign in 600 years. His resignation took effect on 28 February 2013 at 8pm Rome time.

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(Vatican Radio) It sounds a bit New Age, but the United Arab Emirates has just appointed state ministers for happiness, tolerance and youth. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the UAE prime minister who is also the ruler of Dubai, announced the new lineup on Wednesday via his official Twitter account. The new institution was established in the context of the broader reorganization of governmental structures created since the Country was established, 44 years ago.

It is apparently part of a move to show the government is offering more than simply providing basic services for its citizens. "Happiness in our nation is not a wish .. but there will be plans, projects and programs and indicators .. and it will be part of the work of all our ministries .. and a part of our way of life," Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

"It is the beginning of a new journey towards new acquisitions, to the benefit of the people", wrote the Prime Minister in a message via his Twitter account. The mission of the new ministry - refer sources consulted by Agenzia Fides - is to ensure the government's policies are aligned to create social good and satisfaction among the country's citizens. For this purpose - added the Prime Minister - the new department "has been created to promote tolerance as a fundamental value in UAE society".

The series of tweets sent out to coincide with the summit did not offer a timeframe for when the plans would be implemented. However, they come amid a push by Sheikh Mohammed, 66, focused on happiness in his emirate, which is known for its futuristic skyscrapers and a liberal disposition. In his tweets on Monday night, Sheikh Mohammed said that the changes in the federal government came after he consulted Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi's crown prince.

The job went to Ohood Al Roumi, who will continue her existing role as director-general of the prime minister’s office. She was one of seven women named to posts in the new 29-member Cabinet. "The new cabinet focuses on the future, youth, happiness, developing education and combating climate change," tweeted the 66-year-old prime minister, who is also the Emirati vice president and ruler of Dubai.

Sheikha Lubna al-Qassimi, the former development and international cooperation minister, was made state minister for tolerance. Twenty-two year old, Western-educated Shama al-Mazroui was made state minister for youth affairs.

The United Arab Emirates, which has one of the highest levels of GDP per capita in the Arab world, is seen as a haven of stability in a region beset by turmoil and where public devotion to the rulers is high and little dissent is tolerated.

It is home to the glitzy emirate of Dubai, which transformed from a desert backwater to a global financial hub, where thousands of Arab expatriates flock to seek professional and entrepreneurial opportunities not available in as much supply in other unstable Arab countries.

"The new lineup is a new stage whose headline is the future ... the youth ... happiness ... developing education ... and dealing with climate change to protect our environment," Sheikh Mohammed said.

On June 12 last year, a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Paul was inaugurated in Mussaffah, suburb of Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State. The day before, the inaugural ceremony was attended by the Minister for Culture, Nahyan bin Mubarak, who in his speech described the opening of the new church as a sign of "religious tolerance" on behalf of national leaders.

On the same occasion, Cardinal Parolin had noticed how the consecration and dedication of a new church also represents "a sign of vitality" of the local church community, and Bishop Paul Hinder, OFM, Apostolic Vicar for South Arabia, expressed gratitude "for the stability and peace that we enjoy in this Country". In UAE there are about 900 thousand Catholics: the community is made up of immigrant workers who mostly come from other Asian Countries, starting from the Philippines and India.

(Source: Reuters, Agenzia Fides, Daijiworld News) 

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday morning paid a private visit to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, where – as has become customary – he prayed before the icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani ahead of his Apostolic Voyage to Mexico.

From St Mary Major, the Holy Father made the short journey to Rom’s Cathedral, the Archbasilica of St John Lateran, where the priests of the diocese were meeting at the beginning of Lent. During the visit, Pope Francis heard the confessions of several priests.

On the website of the Vicariate of Rome, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the Vicar for the City of Rome, explained the meeting of priests had a “penitential” character, offering the clergy the opportunity “to have an experience of the mercy of the Father; and, in turn, to be able to ministers of mercy in the communities entrusted to us.”

As a Lenten “sign,” the offering taken up during the encounter was donated to the diocesan branch of Caritas.

Finally, Cardinal Vallini noted, Pope Francis offered as a gift to each of the priests of the diocese a copy of his book “The Name of God is Mercy.” 

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Washington D.C., Feb 11, 2016 / 03:57 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Human trafficking. It’s been called “modern-day slavery” and a “silent epidemic.” It affects tens of millions every year and yet remains largely in the shadows – even within the United States.

Much remains to be done in fighting the scourge of human trafficking, say experts and survivors. And that starts with a better understanding of what trafficking really looks like.

But while initiatives based on awareness, prevention and recovery are taking place at different levels throughout the country, a key part of efforts to combat the practice may be at risk.

“The way you’re thinking about trafficking isn’t the reality,” said Tina Frundt, a survivor of human trafficking and founder of Courtney’s House, a survivor-run program offering help and support to survivors in the Washington D.C. area.  

Frundt spoke at a conference last summer on human trafficking. Held at The Catholic University of America the event was entitled, “Answering Pope Francis's Call: An American Catholic Response to Modern-Day Slavery.”

Human trafficking takes various forms: Victims are recruited, transported, or harbored under coercion, threats or use of force. They are exploited through forced labor, sexual coercion or removal of organs.

Globally, the International Labor Organization estimates that over 20 million people – men, women, and children – are currently victims of human trafficking: trapped in jobs or services they were deceived or forced into joining and which they cannot leave freely.

According to the U.S. Department of State, between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, while the Department of Justice estimates that more than 17,000 people are trafficked into the United States itself.

The Department of Justice also has identified 83 percent of victims in confirmed sex trafficking incidents as U.S. citizens. Meanwhile, 67 percent of labor trafficking victims, the department says, are undocumented immigrants, with an additional 28 percent consisting of documented immigrants.

Frundt explained that many U.S. victims of sex trafficking do not fit the stereotypes many associate with vulnerable populations, but instead come from a wide variety of racial and economic backgrounds.

“We think this only affects the people who are poor,” she said, but in reality, the wealthy are also targeted.

And it is not just girls who are victims of trafficking, but boys as well, she said, adding that members of all ethnicities are targeted for exploitation.

Victims do tend to have one trait in common: youth. “It’s easy to manipulate kids,” Frundt said, pointing to the average age of entry into sex trafficking between 11 and 14.

“Trafficking sounds like this: ‘I just met him in my neighborhood’,” she said. Many times, parents are not even aware that their child has met a trafficker, because “kids only tell you things when it gets real bad.”

“You have to think of pimps as marketers,” Frundt stressed. “They’re so smart they convinced the world they didn’t exist.” Oftentimes, they access to young people by gaining their trust, embedding fears into their target, and generally staying away from initiating sexual advances, in order to avoid suspicion from adults.

The strategic actions of pimps and handlers are a key reason for the misunderstandings about who the victims of trafficking are, she said. Many expectations in popular culture are so different from the reality of trafficking, that “when a survivor comes to you and says this happened to them, you don’t believe them.”

These misconceptions about human trafficking also exist when it comes to labor trafficking, said Gerardo Reyes Chavez, leader and organizer for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, an organization representing tomato farmers in south Florida. “There’s many connections that we forget exist.”

One observation that may surprise people: for many victims of labor trafficking, exploitation initially resembles common working practices for wage laborers, such as wage retention. “Slavery is nothing more than the continuation of the poor working conditions that we allow to continue,” Reyes Chaves said.

These poor working conditions “devalue our humanity” for all workers who are mistreated, he said, but also make recognizing more grievous practices – such as the chaining and imprisonment of workers, or violence against them – much more difficult to detect.

“Slavery doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Many times we live in denial.”

Today, many common food items, like lettuce and tomatoes, are harvested by trafficked workers, Reyes Chaves said, because companies are allowed to disregard whether all their workers are there of their own free will. The market, in this case, is a two-edged sword, that “is helping to create these problems” but can also be used as part of the solution.

The key to achieving that solution? Companies and consumers who are willing to stand up and put pressure on the processes in place.

“We need to recognize that we are connected,” he said. “We’re not talking about someone who’s that far away from us.”

Amy O’Neill Richard, senior advisor to the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, explained that the federal government and non-profits also have a role to play in stopping human trafficking both at home and abroad.

Federal government officials work to not only prosecute violators of human trafficking laws, but also protect victims and prevent trafficking from happening in the first place, through a variety of government initiatives and partnerships – including with Catholic charities and organizations.

Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are two of the prominent Catholic groups that have partnered with the State Department in its anti-trafficking work. With their broad reach and large number of people on the ground in various areas, the religious groups have been hailed as an important partner in the fight against trafficking.

Such partnerships could soon be at risk, though.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last year announced that groups seeking anti-trafficking partnership grants must offer abortion counseling or else ensure that such counseling is provided by a third party.

The policy shift quietly expands on an earlier policy change from 2011. That change said that “strong preference” for grants would be given to organizations offering referrals for the “full range of legally permissible gynecological and obstetric care.”

That year, the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services failed to win a grant renewal, after years of being a grant recipient to provide food, housing, medical services and other aid to trafficking victims in more than 44 states.

Consistently given excellent ratings, the U.S. bishops’ group even met criteria to be given special preference, based on its experience and ability to serve underserved populations in a variety of locations, including those with high incidences of trafficking.

However, the group does not offer abortions or contraception. After the change in instructions, it did not win the grant renewal, which was instead given to two other groups that “scored so low they did not make the cutoff when evaluated by an independent review board,” according to a U.S. bishops’ spokesperson.

This article was originally published on CNA July 25, 2015.

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