Catholic News 2

(Vatican Radio) Vatican Weekend for January 30, 2016 features a brief history of 'Celam', the Episcopal Council for Latin America and the Caribbean, a  reflection by Monsignor Peter Fleetwood of the Liverpool Archdiocese in England, by the title of 'God's Friends' for his series 'Why Bother? Staying Catholic Despite it All'. This is followed by a guided tour of St.Peter's Basilica with Carmelite Father Reginald Foster. 

A programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick:

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the participants in the annual Plenary Session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on Friday in the Vatican.

Listen to Christopher Altieri's report: 

The CDF is tasked with a range of responsibilities, from determining the doctrinal soundness of theological and catechetical works, to advising and giving judgment on matters relating to areas like medicine and bioethics, to conducting canonical trials in cases of child sex abuse by clergy – work for which the Holy Father had words of praise and encouragement.

Pope Francis focused his broad-ranging remarks around three distinct points: the inter-relatedness of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; the importance of collegiality in ecclesial life and governance; the complementary relationship of charismatic and hierarchical gifts in the life and mission of the Church.

“When, in the evening of life,” said Pope Francis, “it shall be asked of us what we did to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, equally shall it be asked of us if we helped people find their way out of doubt, if we were committed to welcoming sinners – admonishing or correcting them, if we were capable of combatting ignorance, especially that ignorance which regards Christian faith and the good life.”

The Pope went on to praise the initiatives of the CDF in building and strengthening rapports with various bishops’ conferences, especially those of Europe, which, he said, “contribute to stirring up in the faithful a new missionary élan and a greater openness to the transcendent dimension of life, without which Europe risks losing that humanistic spirit which she loves and defends.”

Pope Francis went on to explain that the Church’s hierarchical structure and the movements of the Spirit in the Church’s life are both gifts of God to be cherished and nurtured, especially through an ever-greater appreciation of Synodality. “The relation between the hierarchical and charismatic gifts, in fact, directs us to its Trinitarian root, in the bond that unites the divine Logos incarnate and the Holy Spirit, who is always a gift of the Father and the Son.”

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(Vatican Radio) The 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) has utilized social media  to spread the message of the power of the Eucharist.

News, photos, and videos from Cebu, Philippines, have been sent around the world via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other social media platforms.

The visit by Pope Francis in January, 2015, was when the Bishops of the Philippines fully grasped the power of social media, and they wanted to use the Papal Visit as a launching pad for how they promoted the IEC.

“This is like a spillover of the papal visit last year, so they decided that given what took place last January, 2015, we would come up with some sort of similar template, and we would want to bring the 51st International Eucharistic Congress to the whole world,” said Bishop Mylo Vergara of Pasig, and chairman of the Communications Team of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.

Listen to the interview by Seàn-Patrick Lovett with Bishop Mylo Vergara: 

“It’s doing well,” he told Vatican Radio. “In fact, there have been reactions from different parts of the globe very grateful for sharing bits and pieces of the Congress to them.”

Bishop Vergara a key role of the Communications Team’s social media strategy is played by young people.

“They’re very excited,” he said. “I think this is how we connect with the young.”

The bishop said young people now use social media as a way to evangelize.

“It is a realization that what happens is the young become more connected to God given social media,” said Bishop Vergara. “What happens is they are touched by whatever happens and they want to promote it to others.”

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Flint, Mich., Jan 29, 2016 / 03:09 am (CNA/EWTN News).- “It all started before Christmas. We knew something was wrong with the water.”

Vicky Schultz is president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties, headquartered in Flint, Michigan. In a recent interview, she recounted the development of the city’s public health crisis over the last two years.

“Everybody knew that the water had an orange tint. Everyone talked about the smell of it,” said told CNA.

Schultz recalled that the discoloration was so pronounced, it could be seen yards and yards away.  Looking out from her office, she watched as fire hydrants were flushed out: “It could be running for hours, and it was still orange coming out.”

In recent months, the employees at Catholic Charities – which affected by the water pollution themselves – have been a vital resource for a struggling community.

“We’re all doing whatever it takes at ground level to just do what we’re doing, serve our communities and keep our head above water,” Schulz said.

The problems with Flint’s tap water go back to 2014. In April of that year, the city of Flint switched water sources – it stopped purchasing treated Lake Huron water from Detroit and began sourcing its own water the Flint River as part of a larger batch of cost-saving measures. The river was a long-time disposal site for industrial waste from automobile companies, sewage and local runoff, but local city official celebrated the switch with a toast of city water inside the Flint water treatment facility.

Immediately, locals began complaining that the water smelled bad, that it was rust-colored, that it tasted strange. Some people started to develop rashes or intestinal issues, while others started losing their hair after drinking, bathing and swimming in the water. In August 2014, Flint officials advised the public to begin boiling their water for safety: E. Coli was found in the water.

Schultz, and countless others, were concerned. “I was going to some city meetings saying, ‘Whats going on?’ It was explained to us…they were treating it.”

Yet, despite the assurances that the strange tastes, smells and colors were part of the treatment process, the city also began distributing bottles of water – including at one Catholic Charities site.

Schultz said the request was confusing. “I’m scratching my head thinking, ‘If there’s nothing wrong with the water, why are we giving out cases of water?’” she recalled, saying that she approached the mayor at one water distribution event. Schultz said that at the water distribution event, she approached the mayor with her concerns.  “I can remember saying to the mayor, ‘If there’s nothing wrong with the water, you guys on city council should be drinking it, showing and demonstrating to the general public it was safe’.”  

But the water was not safe. In June 2014, the US Environmental Protection Agency found evidence of lead in the water, although city and state officials dismissed the findings and maintained the lead levels were the result of plumbing issues in the house of a local activist who raised the alarm. While local and state officials assured the EPA that they were following federal guidelines requiring corrosion control for its treatment plant and municipal pipes, these measures were never put into place. When testing for lead in 2015, few samples were taken, and samples that were taken were done improperly. In addition, two samples that would have indicated an “actionable” lead issue and required public notification were discarded.

By September 2015, pediatricians in Flint found that the number of children with elevated levels of lead in their blood had nearly doubled from 2.1 to 4 percent city-wide and were even higher – 6.3 percent – in some neighborhoods. Lead poisoning impacts every major bodily system, including the kidneys, heart, reproductive system and brain. The heavy metal also interferes with nervous system development in children, potentially leading to developmental and learning disabilities, and has been linked to some mood disorders. In severe cases, lead poisoning can lead to coma or death.

In October 2015, the city and the state admitted the extent of the issues with the water supply and again began purchasing water from Detroit. However, concerns remain due to pipe corrosion that the Flint River water caused in the pipes, creating a continued leaching of lead.

For the people of Flint, this means continuing to use filtered or bottled water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, bathing.

Catholic Charities is offering help, starting with the most vulnerable – children, infants and the unborn.

“Since about October, November we’ve been giving either a case of water or a gallon jug of water to every mother coming to pick up diapers,” Schultz said, so that mothers can use fresh water in formula and other care for their children.

The organization is also ensuring that its foster children receive the care – and access to clean water – they need. This means lead tests, water filters and regular cases of water. The same is true for the other houses run by Catholic Charities and the services that it offers.

In addition, the water crisis is forcing the organization to reconsider its future plans. Schultz told CNA that she has been planning for years to create a space for homeless clients in Flint to shower and do laundry, and that the project was moving forward.

Now, however, those plans have to be reconsidered. “I don’t know if we’ve even incorporated anything about a water filtration system. And now I’m thinking we have to do that,” she said. “We have to think ahead because if the city doesn’t have this resolved and we’re in the process of renovating a building – we have to think about it.” Schultz noted that similar concerns over adding filtration systems are affecting hospitals, schools and other community services.

The challenges brought by the water crisis raise serious questions as to what the future of Catholic Charities services will look like. “There’s so many pieces and we’re not set up with the infrastructure to deal with the crisis,” Schultz admitted.

Addressing mental health needs – both from the emotional impact of the crisis and from the physical impact of the lead poisoning itself – is another prime concern. “We’ve got a lot of people very anxious,” she explained. “They’re worried about their children.”

Health care for the children suffering from lead poisoning is a grave concern. Children bearing the consequences of water contamination will be in even greater need for access to healthy, balanced and safe meals for the best outcomes, she explained.

And even so, she added, “It’s lead poisoning. It’s never reversible.”

“Are we going to pay for this for the next 20-something years of these kids’ lives in school and everything else?” she questioned. “I don’t know what this means for the future, for these kids who could be affected by this lead.”

Schultz said she is also concerned about how to fund a long-term response to the water contamination. Flint was already facing high poverty levels before the crisis, she explained, and it is uncertain whether money to back any possible solution will materialize.

The workers at Catholic Charities are not immune from the water crisis, Schultz noted, explaining that this makes the task even more difficult, particularly when it comes to counseling people and reassuring them when at times it is tough to know what information is true.

But despite the challenges before them, Catholic Charities will “carry on,” she told CNA. “We’re trying. I just don’t think we were prepared for anything like this, and we’re just trying to find our way through it.”

Still, hope remains. Since the news of the situation in Flint has spread, Schultz has been floored by the public concern, which she calls “a Godsend.”

“It’s been crazy, because we’re getting calls from all over the country,” she said. “It is unbelievable the outpouring of support, concern – we know it’s across the entire nation.”  

However, even the flood of donations has presented challenges, such as finding adequate forklifts and storage space to handle the donated water. Catholic Charities is working with organizations like the American Red Cross and other charities to coordinate water distribution.  

For those interested in supporting Catholic Charities’ response to the water crisis, the organization has set up a GoFundMe page for monetary donations, which will be used both for clean water and future water-related needs. Information can also be found on its Flint Water Recovery page.

Local residents in need of clean water can find resources and aid at the Center for Hope on 517 Fifth Ave, Flint, MI, at its soup kitchen, on 735 Stewart St., Flint, MI, and also at local fire stations.
 
Through the challenges that lie ahead, Flint and Catholic Charities will stay and serve the community, Schultz stressed.

“We’re resilient, we’re gonna be here. It might look different, but we’re going to be here to serve the community.”


Photo credit: eyal granith via www.shutterstock.com

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Calgary, Canada, Jan 29, 2016 / 06:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- “Totalitarianism.” That was the word the Bishop of Calgary used to describe the Alberta government’s new mandatory gender guidelines.

The Alberta provincial government’s gender education guidelines “show no evidence of consultation with, or sensitivity to, the Catholic community,” Bishop Frederick Henry of Calgary charged Jan. 25.

“They breathe pure secularism. This approach and directive smack of the madness of relativism and the forceful imposition of a particular narrow-minded anti-Catholic ideology.”

On Jan. 13 Alberta's education minister David Eggen announced policies that are mandatory in all schools in the province.

The 21-page policy document said that students have the right to self-identify their gender and gender expression. The guidelines say teachers should allow students to choose their own name and pronoun and which bathroom they use, CBC News reports. It encourages staff not to attach “male” or “female” to students’ names in school records, and calls for the elimination of separate activities based on sex, including school sports.

The policies require the establishment of LGBT advocacy Gay-Straight Alliances at any school where a student requests one. School employees in supervisory positions are advised to “anticipate, support and value staff diversity, including diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.”

Bishop Henry’s message in part recounted his Jan. 13 critiques of the Alberta government's policy. He was strongly critical of the clubs in schools.

“GSAs and QSAs are highly politicized ideological clubs which seek to cure society of ‘homophobia’ and ‘heterosexism,’ and which accept the idea that all forms of consensual sexual expression are legitimate. The view of sexuality that they espouse is not Catholic,” the bishop said Jan. 13.

Bishop Henry stressed Catholic schools’ belief that all children are loved by God and deserve compassion and respect. Each school has a mission “to help each student to fulfill their God-given potential in all aspects of their persons: physically, academically, socially, morally and spiritually.”

He also stressed the importance of chastity.

“Chastity unites our sexuality with our entire human nature. It approaches sexuality as related to our spiritual natures so that sex is seen as more than a physical act. Sexuality affects the whole person because of the unity of body and soul. Jesus is the model of chastity.”

Bishop Henry suggested the guidelines violate legal precedent. He cited a unanimous Canadian Supreme Court ruling from March 2015 that protected the rights of a Catholic school in Quebec to teach from a Catholic viewpoint.

The court ruling said that “to tell a Catholic school how to explain its faith undermines the liberty of the members of its community who have chosen to give effect to the collective dimension of their religious beliefs by participating in a denominational school.”

“(I)t amounts to requiring a Catholic institution to speak about Catholicism in terms defined by the state rather than by its own understanding of Catholicism,” the court continued.

The decision protected parents’ rights to transmit the Catholic faith to their children and to guide their religious upbringing.

School boards in Alberta have until the end of March to approve their policies implementing the guidelines. Eggen, the education minister, said there would soon be meetings with Catholic Church leaders about the guidelines.

Bishop Henry’s stance has drawn objections from critics such as University of Calgary professor Tonya Callaghan, who is monitoring what she considers to be homophobia in Catholic schools. She told CBC News that the Catholic Church’s position is “discriminatory, oppressive and should be abolished.”

According to her faculty profile page, her research aims to “free members of sexual and gender minority groups from religiously-inspired heterosexist oppression.”

Bishop Henry countered criticisms that the Catholic view is judgemental.

“Only God can judge the state of the human soul but it is pure nonsense to suggest we cannot and should not judge human behavior. Reluctance to judge moral behavior is the inevitable consequence of moral relativism and moral subjectivism that has eroded confidence in the ability to determine objective moral truth on which sound judgment is based,” he said.

He noted that Pope Francis spoke about gender ideology in his 2015 encyclical on care for our common home, Laudato si'.

“The acceptance of our bodies as God's gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home,” the Pope wrote.

The Pope noted the need to accept one’s body in its masculinity or femininity.

“In this way we can joyfully accept the specific gifts of another man or woman, the work of God the Creator, and find mutual enrichment. It is not a healthy attitude which would seek to cancel out sexual difference because it no longer knows how to confront it,” Pope Francis said.

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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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Mexico City, Mexico, Jan 29, 2016 / 12:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The miraculous cure of a baby with brain damage through the intercession of Mexican martyr Blessed José Luis Sánchez del Río has been approved by the Vatican, completing the final step for the teen’s path to sainthood.

Pope Francis signed the decree Jan. 21, verifying the inexplicable recovery of a baby who doctors said had “no hope of survival” due to a myriad of health problems including brain damage caused by a stroke as a miracle attributed to Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio, a teenager who was martyred for his faith during the Cristero wars of the 1920s.

Ximena Guadalupe Magallón Gálvez was just a few weeks old in September 2008 when her parents took her to Sahuayo in the Mexican state of Michoacán where Bl. José was born. During the visit, Ximena began running a fever that her regular doctor was unable to treat, her mother Paulina Gálvez Ávila said in a post on the Facebook page dedicated to Bl. José.

Concerned that the fever was a sign of something more serious like pneumonia, the doctor sent her to have X-rays at Santa María Hospital in Sahuayo where doctors ruled out that disease, but were still unable to treat the fever. Her parents took Ximena to get a second opinion from Dr. Rosendo Sánchez in Aguascalientes State who had the child readmitted to the hospital, saying that she might be suffering from atypical pneumonia.

“We spent two months living that nightmare and (the doctors) didn’t know what was going on since she wasn’t responding to any treatments,” Mrs. Gálvez said.

They sought another opinion from Dr. Adán Macías who diagnosed her with pneumococcus, a bacterial infection that can cause several different life-threatening illnesses including meningitis, severe pneumonia, and bloodstream infections. Ximena was transferred back to to Aguascalientes where Dr. Rosendo discovered that Ximena’s right lung was filled with fluid. She would need to immediately undergo an operation which could be very risky on such a young child.

“Dr. Rosendo spoke with us and informed us that she would have to undergo a very delicate operation since she could bleed and die. We gave our consent and we told him to do whatever it takes  to save little Ximena and that we were putting her in God’s hands,” Mrs. Gálvez said.

Concerned about their young child’s worsening health, the couple decided to have her baptized before the operation rather than waiting until she was older.

The operation was successful, but upon examining lung tissue, doctors discovered that Ximena had been suffering from tuberculosis.

“When they told us it was in fact tuberculosis and they brought her to us in the room, she looked strange, just staring off with an empty look in her eyes. We talked to her but she didn’t react. I told the doctor she looked bad, it wasn’t my baby because she was always smiling before,” the mother said.

The baby underwent began intense treatment for tuberculosis, but her health took a turn for the worse when doctors informed the parents that baby Ximena had suffered from a stroke, causing 90 percent of her brain to be dead.

Mrs. Gálvez asked to see her daughter. Before going into the room where the child was, one of the doctors warned her “that my baby was already in a vegetative state and that appropriate procedures should be initiated.”

“Dr. Rosendo arrived and crying I begged him to save my daughter. They put her into an induced coma and gave us 72 hours to see if she would live, since 90 percent of her brain was dead,” she said.

During those three days, Ximena’s parents went to Mass everyday “to ask God and Joselito to intercede for my baby, that they would work a miracle” she said, using the affectionate nickname her family had for Bl. José Luis Sánchez del Río.

Mrs. Gálvez said, “I asked them to let me be with her and hug her, then they disconnected her.”

“At that moment I put my baby in God’s hands and the intercession of Joselito and at that moment she opened her eyes and smiled.”

Ximena looked at the doctors “and she started laughing with them.”

The doctors “couldn’t explain what had happened. Because they had done everything medically possible and that’s when they said it’s a miracle.”

The doctors took Ximena to do a CT scan and an encephalogram. They were surprised to see that 80 percent of her brain had recovered. When they examined her the next day, her brain had become completely healthy again.

Even after such an inexplicable recovery, doctors told Ximena’s parents that as a result of the temporary brain damage, she would never be able to eat or walk properly and that would most likely be blind and deaf and unable to speak due to the stroke.

However, when her mother gave her a bottle of milk at the hospital, she drank eight ounces right away. The doctors were astonished.

Contrary to all of the doctors predictions, Ximena completely recovered and is “perfectly well thanks to God and the intercession of Joselito,” Mrs. Gálvez said.

“We give endless thanks to Almighty God for this miracle and to Blessed Martyr José Sánchez del Río for his ample intercession.”

 

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Posted by Beato Mártir José Sánchez del Río on Friday, January 22, 2016  

Blessed José Luis Sánchez del Río was brutally tortured and killed when he was 14 years old during the 1924-1928 religious persecution by Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles. José Luis had enlisted in the ranks of the Cristeros, under the command of General Prudencio Mendoza.

He was martyred by the Federal Army on Feb. 10, 1928. According to the story, the soldiers cut off the soles of his feet and forced him to walk barefoot to his grave. Moments before he was killed, the boy shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!”, or “Long live Christ the King!”

No date has been set yet for his canonization.

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