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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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(Vatican Radio) During his General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis called attention to a Jubilee Year initiative of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, promoting a day of spiritual retreat for persons and groups dedicated to the service of charitable works. These days of retreat, to be offered in each diocese during the coming Lent, will offer an opportunity to reflect on the call to be merciful as the Father is merciful. “I invite you to welcome this initiative,” Pope Francis said, “making use of the suggestions and materials prepared by Cor Unum.”

The day of retreat will have as its theme “Caritas Christi urget nos” (2 Cor 5,14: the love of Christ compels us). In a letter announcing the initiative, Cor Unum suggests that each individual charitable group should celebrate its own day of reflection, citing the Holy Father’s desire that the Jubilee be celebrated in local communities. The letter suggests the retreat be organized in three parts: “a penitential celebration with individual confessions; a time of sharing in group and the Eucharistic celebration.”

More information on the Day of Spiritual Retreat can be found here.

The Pontifical Council Cor Unum was instituted by Pope Paul VI in 1971 and, in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, its tasks are to orient and coordinate the Organizations and charitable activities promoted by the Catholic Church.

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday dedicated his weekly General Audience to God’s work of mercy throughout the history of the Chosen people.

Below please find the official English language summary of Pope Francis’ remarks:

Dear Brothers and Sisters:  Continuing our weekly catecheses inspired by this Holy Year devoted to divine mercy, we now consider God’s mercy at work in the history of the Chosen People.  The Scriptures show the Lord’s merciful concern for Israel throughout its history, beginning with the call of Abraham.  God’s mercy is expressed particularly, however, in the experience of the exodus from Egypt.  God heard the cry of his people, as he hears the cry of the poor and oppressed in every age.  He raised up Moses to be the mediator of his mercy and salvation.  Through Moses, he led Israel to freedom and, through the covenant, he made them his own possession, “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:5-6), a people precious in his eyes.  The mystery of God’s mercy culminates in the sending of his Son, the Lord Jesus, in that “new and eternal covenant” inaugurated in his blood, whereby we are granted the forgiveness of our sins and become truly God’s children, beloved sons and daughters of our good and merciful Father.

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(Vatican Radio)  The need for “substantive” and “sustained” peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians and the conviction that this week’s peace negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland are the “best chance the International Community has to bring a stable and lasting peace to Syria and to the region:”  those are the key points made by a top Vatican diplomat in an address Tuesday at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on the situation in the Middle East.

Direct peace negotiations needed between Israelis, Palestinians

Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the U.N. in New York, said acts of violence in the Holy Land “continue to spiral, bringing many to doubt seriously the continued validity of the Oslo Accords.”  He called for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians “with the strong support of the international community.” Such talks, he added, require “courageous decisions from both Parties” and demand “fair mutual concessions.”

Vatican/Palestine Accord offers a model for other Arab, Muslim countries

The chief of Vatican diplomacy in New York also expressed hope that the Comprehensive Agreement recently signed between the Holy See and the State of Palestine may serve as an example of dialogue and cooperation…for other Arab and Muslim majority countries” where in “some countries” Christians have suffered persecution. The accord, signed June 26, 2015, entered into force on January 2 this year and concerns the life and activity of the Church in Palestine.

Syrian conflict: stop the flow of arms, step up humanitarian action

“Unspeakable acts of horror” have been “committed against the civilian population in Syria and in parts of Iraq” by foreign fighters from “all over the globe,” Archbishop Auza observed, adding that these have led to sectarian violence and persecutions of religious and ethnic minorities.

Recalling Pope Francis’ conviction that “only common and agreed political action can stem the spread of extremism and fundamentalism that spawn terrorist acts,” the Vatican diplomat appealed for “all those concerned to stop the flow of arms into the region and intensify humanitarian action” that will allow refugees and the displaced to remain as close as possible to their homeland.

Peace/Humanitarian conferences best chance to settle conflict and ease suffering

The Holy See, he concluded, “looks forward” to peace talks scheduled to begin Friday in Geneva as the “best chance the International Community has to bring a stable and lasting peace to Syria and to the region.”  Archbishop Auza also expressed hope that the Fourth Humanitarian Conference 4 February 2016 will “ease the suffering of the people in the region and contribute to the overall settlement of the conflict.”

Below, please find the full text of Archbishop Auza’s intervention:

Mr. President,

The Holy See commends the Presidency of Uruguay for bringing the topic of the Middle East to the attention of the international community through this Security Council Open Debate.

My delegation wishes to address first the stalled peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. With the lack of substantive negotiations taking place, acts of violence continue to spiral, bringing many to doubt seriously the continued validity of the Oslo Accords.

The Holy See believes that the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians can move forward only if it is directly negotiated between the Parties, with the strong support of the international community. This certainly requires courageous decisions from both Parties and demands fair mutual concessions. But there is no alternative, if both Israel and Palestine are to  enjoy  security,  prosperity  and  peaceful  co-existence,  side  by  side  with  internationally recognized borders.  Certain elements among both peoples have suffered too long from  the misguided view that force will resolve their differences. Only sustained negotiations, entered into in good faith, will resolve their differences and bring peace to the peoples of Israel and Palestine.

Pope Francis, in his 11 January 2016 Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See,  spoke  of  this  failure  to  bring  forward  the  peace  process  between  the  Israelis  and Palestinians. He expressed the hope that the New Year that has begun “can heal the deep wounds dividing Israelis and Palestinians, and enable the peaceful coexistence of two peoples who – of this I am sure – in the depth of their hearts ask only for peace.” Acts of violence and inflammatory rhetoric must be set aside in favor of the voices of dialogue to give both peoples that peace for which their hearts long.

Mr. President,

The Comprehensive Agreement signed between the Holy See and the State of Palestine on June 26, 2015 entered into force on January 2, 2016. It basically concerns the life and activity of the Church in Palestine.  In  the complex reality of the Middle East, where, in some countries, Christians have suffered persecution, the Holy See hopes that the Agreement may serve as an example  of  dialogue  and  cooperation,  in  particular  for  other  Arab  and  Muslim  majority countries.

Mr. President,

The nearly five-year conflict in Syria rages on. More than being a conflict between Syrians, foreign fighters coming from all over the globe continue to commit unspeakable acts of horror against the civilian population in Syria and in parts of Iraq. The influence of these foreign elements,  has led to sectarian violence and persecutions of religious and ethnic minorities.

Pope  Francis,  calling  upon  the  International  Community  in  his  11  January  2016  address, expressed the conviction  that only  common and agreed political action can stem the spread of extremism and fundamentalism, that spawn terrorist acts which reap countless victims, not only in Syria and Libya, but in other countries in the region and in North Africa.

My delegation will not repeat the litany of horrendous acts of violence against the people of Syria, already mentioned by various delegations, but would rather reiterate its appeal to all those concerned to stop the flow of arms into the region and intensify humanitarian   action, in order to give the desperate refugees, and all those displaced, the wherewithal to remain in their country, or as near as possible to their homeland, with adequate food, medical supplies, water, electricity, access to education for the young, and those elements necessary for a stable and secure life in their own homeland.

Mr. President,

My delegation expresses its support for resolution 2254 of this Council, which calls for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and for a political settlement to the conflict in Syria. The Holy See looks forward to the talks scheduled to begin in Geneva later this week. In spite of the many strong differences still to be found among  the  parties  to  the  talks,  the  Holy  See  believes  that  these  negotiations  are  the  best chance the International Community has to bring a stable and lasting peace to  Syria and  to the  region.  The  Holy  See  also  looks  forward  to  the  Fourth  Humanitarian  Conference scheduled for 4 February 2016 and hosted by the United Kingdom, Germany, Kuwait, Norway and the United Nations, hoping that it will ease the suffering of the peoples in the region and contribute to the overall settlement of the conflict.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis made a special appeal for suffering Christians in the Middle Ease on Wednesday, during the course of his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square. “God does not remain silent before the suffering and cries of His children,” he said, “nor does He remain silent before injustice and persecution: He rather intervenes and gives, by His mercy, rescue and salvation.”

“God uses patience with the sinner,” the Holy Father continued, “to induce him to conversion, and he searches for the lost sheep, for, “[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:4)”

Pope Francis has been a vocal advocate for the rights of religious minorities around the world, and particularly of Christians in the Middle East, where ancient Christian communities are suffering often brutal and deadly persecution, particularly at the hands of militants fighting for the so-called Islamic State.

Pope Francis concluded his remarks to Arabic-speaking pilgrims with a blessing and an invocation of Divine protection. “God bless you all,” he said, “and protect you from the Evil One.”

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(Vatican Radio) The Papal legate to the 51st International Eucharist Congress (IEC), Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, said the divide between rich and poor does not exist because of a lack of resources, but because of “poor distribution.”

Cardinal Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, spoke to Vatican Radio in Cebu, Philippines, during the IEC, where he has called for a “World War III against poverty.”

“The whole world and the whole global people should participate in solving this poverty,” he said.

Listen to the interview by Seàn-Patrick Lovett with Cardinal Charles Maung Bo:

“The Poor and the Rich are there, not because we do not have the natural resources, not because there is not enough food…but because of the poor distribution,” he said.

“There should be a system in all the religions, and all the Churches, and in all the countries with the governments … they should set up a system that we have sharing with all the other people,” Cardinal Bo added, pointing to the leadership provided by Pope Francis.

The Cardinal also spoke to Vatican Radio about the political changes happening in Myanmar – also known as Burma – where Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a landslide victory late last year.

The country had been under military rule for over 50 years, and the November elections have been viewed as the most important step so far in the transition to democracy.

“Of course, we have to pray very hard that the transition is very smooth and peaceful because the military – once you have power for half-a-century – it is difficult for them to hand over power.” Cardinal Bo said.

“Aung San Suu Kyi herself, although she won, is trying to compromise [and] have an understanding with the military so they won’t have a very aggressive, violent movement in the country,” he continued.  “So we have to work very hard on that, so the transition is smooth.”

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