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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday speaking to the members of the Italian Committee for Bioethics, underlined how the Church supports the efforts of civil society to promote, "the search for truth and goodness on complex human and ethical issues".

He told those gathered that the Church had a sensibility to ethical issues adding that “the Church did not claim any special voice in this field." But, what he highlighted was the importance of serving man, all men and women, he said, with special attention and care, from the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, who are struggling find the their voice.

On this level, he said, “the ecclesial community and civil society meet and are called to cooperate, in accordance with their distinct skills. "

Respect for the human person from conception to natural death

The Pope noted the fact that the Committee "had repeatedly dealt with the respect for the integrity of the human being and the protection of health from conception to natural death, considering the person in his singularity, always as an end and never simply as a means ":

He added that "this ethical principle was also crucial with regard to biotechnology applications in the medical field, which may never be used in a manner detrimental to human dignity, or guided solely by industrial or commercial purposes".

Bioethical research on complex issues, the Pope emphasized, is not easy and does not always quickly reach a harmonious conclusion; it always requires humility and realism, he said.

Concluding his address, the Holy Father stressed three specific areas in which he wanted to encourage the committee’s work.

The first was the interdisciplinary analysis of the causes of environmental degradation.

The Pope said, he hoped that the Committee would  formulate guidelines, in areas that concern the life sciences, to stimulate actions of conservation, preservation and care of the environment essential for future generations.

Secondly, he highlighted the issue of disability and marginalization of vulnerable groups, in a society he said, tending towards competition, and the acceleration of progress.

The culture of waste

Pope Francis stressed the importance and challenge of tackling what he called “the culture of waste,” which, he underlined had many forms, such as treating human embryos and even the sick and elderly who are approaching death as disposable materials.

Thirdly, the Holy Father encouraged the committee to work towards increasing dialogue internationally, even if, he said, that presented difficulties, in order to reach a harmonization of biological and medical standards and rules so that they are able to recognize core values ??and fundamental rights.

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Denver, Colo., Jan 28, 2016 / 03:06 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Julia Greeley was a familiar sight on the streets of Denver in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Wearing a floppy hat, oversized shoes, and dabbing her bad eye with a handkerchief, Greeley was often seen pulling her red wagon of goods to deliver to the poor and homeless of the city. She had a particularly special devotion to the Sacred Heart, and would deliver images and information about the icon to firefighters throughout Denver every month.

Her charitable work earned her the title of a "one-person St. Vincent de Paul Society" from one writer, and has made her the local model of mercy for the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Born a slave in Hannibal, Missouri sometime between 1833 and 1848, Greeley endured some horrific treatment – once, a whip caught her right eye and destroyed it as a slave master beat Greeley’s mother.

One of many slaves freed by Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Greeley’s work with the family of William Gilpin, Colorado’s first territorial governor, brought her to Denver in 1878.

After leaving the Gilpins' service, Greeley found odd jobs around the city, and came upon the Sacred Heart Parish of Denver, where she would convert to Catholicism in 1880. She was an enthusiastic parishioner, a daily communicant, and became an active member of the Secular Franciscan Order starting in 1901. The Jesuit priests at her parish recognized her as the most fervent promoter of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Despite her own poverty, Greeley spent much of her time collecting food, clothing and other goods for the poor. She would often do her work at night, so as to avoid embarrassing the people she was assisting.

“She stood out because of how extraordinary she was,” David Uebbing, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Denver, told the Denver Catholic.

“Even though she was only earning $10 to $12 a month cleaning and cooking, she was using it to help other people who were poor,” he said.

“That spoke volumes about the charitable heart she had. In addition, she had great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and was known for walking (monthly) to 20 different firehouses to give (felt) badges of the Sacred Heart and tracts to firemen. That brings to life the corporal and spiritual works of mercy this holy year is dedicated to.”

Julia Greeley died on June 7, 1918 - the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Although her death came unexpectedly, she was able to receive last rites. It is estimated that she was around 80 years old, though because she was born into slavery, her exact age was never known.

After her death, her body lay in state in a Catholic parish for five hours, during which a constant stream of people came to pay their last respects to the well-known, well-loved woman.

Although only one known photograph exists of Greeley, holding a child she cared for at the time, the Archdiocese of Denver has commissioned an icon be made of her.

Iconographer Vivian Imbruglia of California has been chosen to write the image on wood covered in linen, which will include symbols of her life such as the Rocky Mountains, her red wagon, a child, a firehouse and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

A documentary about Greeley, based on the book In Secret Service of the Sacred Heart: The Life and Virtues of Julia Greeley, was also produced by the Archdiocese of Denver for the year of Mercy.

Mary Leisring, president of the Julia Greeley Guild, told Denver Catholic that she was happy about the recognition Greeley was receiving during the Year of Mercy.

“We had a saint walking the streets of Denver, yet very few people know about her.”

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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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Rome, Italy, Jan 28, 2016 / 12:06 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Bishop Santo Loku Pio Doggale joined his brother prelates from South Sudan and Sudan for a time of rest and prayer in Rome last week, during which they were able to discuss key issues the two countries face, including decades of internal conflict and war.

South Sudan – which won its independence from Sudan in 2011 – has endured its own civil war for more than two years, since a power struggle erupted between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar, who was accused by the president of attempting a coup.

The only solution to ongoing conflicts in the area is to “put an end to this violence by stopping the war,” Bishop Santo, auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Juba, told CNA in an interview. “The bishops are asking for true support for the suffering people in Sudan and in South Sudan.”

He said pressure must be applied to the governments of both Sudan and South Sudan, that they might put their peoples’ interests over political agendas.

“The people should be put first, and that’s the only way that this pressure should go on, so that we achieve peace in both countries,” the bishop said, explaining that to make peace only in South Sudan without doing so in their northern neighbor “will not be a viable peace.”

This week South Sudan missed a deadline to create a transitional government, which was part of a peace deal made in August 2015. Both sides accuse each other of violating the deal. Two months after the peace agreement was made, Kiir decreed that the country's 10 states were to be replaced with 28 states, a move by opposition leaders and international players.

The bishops of Sudan and South Sudan were invited to Rome for a time of rest and prayer by Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

The Jan. 11-21 spiritual retreat included a private audience with Pope Francis, and provided an opportunity for the bishops to discuss the various challenges both countries face, which range from war and poverty to catechetical and clerical formation.

Sudan has been the scene of nearly continuous civil war since it gained independence in 1956. Many of the initial problems were caused by corruption in the government, which led to the political, economic, and religious marginalization of the country’s peripheries.

The Second Sudanese Civil War ended in 2005, and eventually resulted in the secession of South Sudan in 2011. However, tensions between the two countries remain, primarily surrounding border issues and oil.

The conflict has led to serious human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and a severe humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s southern regions of Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, which are among the hardest-hit by fighting.
Although South Sudan is now independent from Sudan, the two countries share an episcopal conference, the operation of which was also touched on in the discussions between the South Sudanese and Sudanese bishops and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

In their meeting with Pope Francis last week, each bishop had the opportunity to explain the situation of their own local Church, Bishop Santo said.

“Pope Francis was very delighted to receive us,” he said. “Of course he is the father of the Church, our father, so we felt at home; the meeting was warm.”

One of the most serious problems both Sudan and South Sudan face is the humanitarian crisis brought about by their years of war and internal conflict.

“Right now we have people suffering in South Sudan and war in South Sudan,” Bishop Santo said. “Displaced people move to Sudan, and then displaced people move from Sudan to South Sudan, so we have crossroads of displaced people in both countries suffering from the political elite who don’t take their people in heart.”

The majority of issues the country faces are political problems “that have been created by the ruling elites in all Sudan,” making life difficult for both Christians and Muslims alike, he said.

In the beginning, war “was created by this political elite, using fundamental ideologies in order to make life difficult,” the bishop said, explaining that while the situation has somewhat improved since South Sudan’s 2011 secession, “the political war is still in place.”

The South Sudanese Civil War has been characterized as having both political and ethnic dimensions, and it is estimated that thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced from their homes since the violence began.

This war “is what the bishops are praying should come to the end sooner or later because the suffering is too much,” Bishop Santo said.

He offered thanks to the international organizations assisting in the humanitarian crisis on the ground in conflict areas.

Many humanitarian workers “risk their lives, they leave their countries, they go down to help us,” but at the same time are blocked by the government from getting the aid to those who need it, the bishop said, noting that at times they are even harassed “in carrying out this noble humanitarian task.”

He made an appeal to the governments of both Sudan and South Sudan to drop political interests and help with the crisis “so that aid can reach those in need.”

“This is very urgent and it is needed now, because if the people are cut off, (if) they lack medicines, they lack water, they lack food, many of them will die.”

With water points far and hard to get to as the hot season approaches, the need is becoming even more dire, the bishop said, adding that “if this conflict continues in the dry season it’s going to affect millions and millions of people.”

“So we continue to appeal that the international community. Most urgently we would like to see that these people are safe. Once they are safe and protected then they will need the basic necessities of life.”

Bishop Santo drew specific attention to the need for education for displaced children, who are particularly vulnerable and “who are not part of this war, but it is brought to them. So this is very, very urgent and very urgently needed now more than before in both countries.”

According to a recent report from Unicef South Sudan has the highest proportion of children unable to attend school, at 51 percent.

Many youth in Sudan and South Sudan have left and joined terrorist groups in neighboring countries such as Chad and the Central African Republic. Given the political situation and the war, it's “very difficult” for young people to find opportunities for education and a better life, the bishop said.

“Therefore when the extremists came to Sudan, especially, they offered chances and these young people embraced these chances and began to go into this violence.”

As the bishops return to their respective dioceses to face the looming challenges, Bishop Santo said he is grateful to have had the time to pray and to discuss the issues. He offered his thanks to the Pope and Cardinal Filoni for “such a cordial response” to the problems at hand in both Sudan and South Sudan: “We are taking back home a lot of memories and blessings.”

“The Holy Mother Church stands with the suffering people of South Sudan … and therefore it is a great affection to each and every one of us,” he said.

“So we will continue to carry our responsibilities and our duties in order to continue building the Church as God wants it throughout our times.”

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