Catholic News 2

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring

By Junno Arocho Esteves

VATICAN CITY (CNS) Mercy and mission have a close relationship that calls all Christians to be missionaries who share the joy of the Gospel without trying to force others to believe, Pope Francis said.

The joy that comes from conveying God's love and mercy is "the concrete sign that we have met Jesus," the pope said during his first jubilee audience Jan. 30. However, he added, "this does not mean proselytizing. This is making a gift: 'I am giving you what gives me joy.'"

An estimated 30,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square for the jubilee audience, an event that will be held one Saturday each month throughout the Holy Year of Mercy.

In his talk, the pope said the Holy Year is a reminder for Christians to never tire of feeling the need for God's forgiveness "so that when we are weak his closeness makes us strong and allows us to live our faith with greater joy."

Christians are called to be missionaries of the Gospel like the first disciples, feeling the need to share the good news they have received. "We feel within us that we cannot hold back the joy that has been given to us and we want to spread it," the pope said. "The joy that arises is what pushes us to communicate it."

The experience of the first disciples called by Jesus, he said, is an experience of love that "transforms us and compels us" to share its strength with others.

"In some way, we can say that from the day of our baptism each one of us was given an additional name to what our moms and dads had given us and this name is 'Christopher,' which means 'Christ-bearer.' Every Christian is a bearer of Christ," he said.

God's mercy is not just a "private consolation" but a catalyst that transforms Christians into "missionaries of mercy" to those in need. The pope called on the faithful to take their calling seriously and to live their lives as believers "because only then can the Gospel touch the hearts of all people and open them to the grace of love."

Before concluding the jubilee audience, Pope Francis led the crowd in praying for a woman named Elvira who, along with her husband, worked at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the pope's residence. The long-time employee passed away Jan. 29 after a long period of sickness, the pope said.

Saying his residence is like a family, the pope told the crowd that he was sad at her passing.

"I invite you today to do two works of mercy: to pray for the deceased and console the afflicted," he said. "I invite you to pray a Hail Mary for Elvira's eternal peace and eternal joy, and pray that the Lord may console her husband and her children."

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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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A French missionary bishop who spent decades helping revive a decimated Catholic community in Cambodia after the devastation of the Khmer Rouge, died on Jan. 28.  Bishop Emile Destombes died at the age of 80 in his home in Phnom Penh, after receiving Holy Communion from his successor, Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler of Phnom Penh.  Born in 1931 in Roncq, France, Emile Destombes was ordained to the priesthood in 1961.  He was appointed coadjutor vicar apostolic of Phnom Penh in 1997, succeeded in 2001 and retired in 2010.

A member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, Fr. Destombes was sent to Cambodia in 1964, at the age of 29.  As civil war worsened in the 1970s, Father Destombes risked his life smuggling food to thousands of ethnic Vietnamese imprisoned as part of the Lon Nol government’s anti-Vietnamese campaign.  With hundreds of thousands of war refugees flooding into Phnom Penh in the first half of the decade, Father Destombes worked to provide them with housing and assistance, allowing them to ultimately become self-sufficient.  He also stood with the people of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975, welcoming the approach of the Khmer Rouge - whom they believed would bring long-awaited peace.  One of the last foreigners to leave the country, Father Destombes stayed in the French embassy for 15 days, before finally being expelled from the country.  

After spending the next 14 years teaching in France and carrying out missionary work in Brazil, Father Destombes returned to the region in 1989, where he worked with Cambodian refugees along the Thai-Cambodian border.  In 1990, the government returned Catholic churches and allowed the community to freely worship once again.  Fr. Destombes went to Phnom Penh, celebrating Mass at his house while readying the church for the first services in 15 years.   As he grew sick, he remained committed to Cambodia, wishing to die and be buried in his adopted homeland.  (Source: UCAN)

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