Catholic News 2

Full Article

 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.
---
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
# # #
MEDIA CONTACT
Don Clemmer
O: 202-541-3206

Full Article

The Tamil translation of  'Early Christians of 21st Century -  stories of incredible Christian witness from Kandhamal jungles' was released on January 23rd at Madurai at the Tamil Nadu Bishops Council (TNBC) assembly.

Bishop Peter Remigius of Kotar diocese, TNBC outgoing president, released and handed over the first copy of the Tamil translation of the internationally acclaimed investigative book authored by journalist Anto Akkara, to Archbishop Antony Pappusamy of Madurai, who was elected president of TNBC at the Jan 21-23 assembly.

"I am happy to introduce this book as Anto has been keenly involved in documenting the sufferings and the witness of the Kandhamal Christians. He has persistently drawn attention to Kandhamal with his books," pointed out Bishop Remigius while introducing the Tamil translation to the bishops of the TNBC comprising 22 Catholic dioceses of Tamil Nadu.

The English book - chronicling the incredible witness of the Kandhamal Christians amid brutal persecution - authored by the journalist Akkara after 22 trips to remote Kandhamal district in Odisha has been already translated into Malayalam, Hindi, Mizo and French besides Tamil.

"The encounter with the poor but valiant Kandhamal Christians has changed my life. I have gone there 22 times to document their suffering and incredible witness," said the journalist author who has also authored the secular investigative book 'Kandhamal craves for Justice' after five years.

The Tamil translation that carries a Foreword by Archbishop George Antonysamy of Madras Myaplore apart from the 'Foreword' by Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai and president of FABC - Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences - is published by 'Word of Christ' based in Chennai.

Full Article

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is asking us to live this Lenten period as a favourable time for conversion during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.

In his message for Lent entitled “I desire mercy and not sacrifice. The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee” the Pope reiterates the importance of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and condemns the attitude and actions of  the proud, the powerful and the wealthy who refuse to open the doors of their hearts to God and to the poor.

Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: 

By reflecting upon and putting into practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy – Pope Francis says - Christians will be able to reawaken their consciences which too often have grown dull in the face of poverty.

In his Message for a special Lenten period which takes place this year within the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the Pope says that it is a season to be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience the transforming miracle of divine Mercy.

Pointing out that poor have a special place at the heart of the Gospel, he warns of  the “blindness” and of the  “illusion of omnipotence” which often afflicts the rich and powerful who close their hearts to the poor and end up themselves – he says - being the poorest of the poor.

This illusion of omnipotence, the Pope continues – can “likewise take social and political forms as shown by the totalitarian systems of the twentieth century, and in our day by the ideologies of monopolizing thought and techno-science which would make God irrelevant and reduce man to raw material to be exploited”.

The powerful message - presented on Tuesday morning in the Vatican Press Office – calls on believers to practice the works of mercy and to listen to God’s Word.

“Let us not waste this season of Lent – Pope Francis says – so favourable a time for conversion!”.

  
Please find below the full text of Pope Francis’ message for Lent:
 
“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13).
The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee

1. Mary, the image of a Church which evangelizes because she is evangelized

In the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, I asked that “the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy” (Misericordiae Vultus, 17).  By calling for an attentive listening to the word of God and encouraging the initiative “24 Hours for the Lord”, I sought to stress the primacy of prayerful listening to God’s word, especially his prophetic word.  The mercy of God is a proclamation made to the world, a proclamation which each Christian is called to experience at first hand.  For this reason, during the season of Lent I will send out Missionaries of Mercy as a concrete sign to everyone of God’s closeness and forgiveness. 

After receiving the Good News told to her by the Archangel Gabriel, Mary, in her Magnificat, prophetically sings of the mercy whereby God chose her.  The Virgin of Nazareth, betrothed to Joseph, thus becomes the perfect icon of the Church which evangelizes, for she was, and continues to be, evangelized by the Holy Spirit, who made her virginal womb fruitful.  In the prophetic tradition, mercy is strictly related – even on the etymological level – to the maternal womb (rahamim) and to a generous, faithful and compassionate goodness (hesed) shown within marriage and family relationships. 

2. God’s covenant with humanity: a history of mercy

The mystery of divine mercy is revealed in the history of the covenant between God and his people Israel.  God shows himself ever rich in mercy, ever ready to treat his people with deep tenderness and compassion, especially at those tragic moments when infidelity ruptures the bond of the covenant, which then needs to be ratified more firmly in justice and truth.  Here is a true love story, in which God plays the role of the betrayed father and husband, while Israel plays the unfaithful child and bride.  These domestic images – as in the case of Hosea (cf. Hos 1-2) – show to what extent God wishes to bind himself to his people.

This love story culminates in the incarnation of God’s Son.  In Christ, the Father pours forth his boundless mercy even to making him “mercy incarnate” (Misericordiae Vultus, 8).  As a man, Jesus of Nazareth is a true son of Israel; he embodies that perfect hearing required of every Jew by the Shema, which today too is the heart of God’s covenant with Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Dt 6:4-5).  As the Son of God, he is the Bridegroom who does everything to win over the love of his bride, to whom he is bound by an unconditional love which becomes visible in the eternal wedding feast. 

This is the very heart of the apostolic kerygma, in which divine mercy holds a central and fundamental place.  It is “the beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead” (Evangelii Gaudium, 36), that first proclamation which “we must hear again and again in different ways, the one which we must announce one way or another throughout the process of catechesis, at every level and moment” (ibid., 164).  Mercy “expresses God’s way of reaching out to the sinner, offering him a new chance to look at himself, convert, and believe” (Misericordiae Vultus, 21), thus restoring his relationship with him.  In Jesus crucified, God shows his desire to draw near to sinners, however far they may have strayed from him.   In this way he hopes to soften the hardened heart of his Bride. 

3. The works of mercy 

God’s mercy transforms human hearts; it enables us, through the experience of a faithful love, to become merciful in turn.  In an ever new miracle, divine mercy shines forth in our lives, inspiring each of us to love our neighbour and to devote ourselves to what the Church’s tradition calls the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.  These works remind us that faith finds expression in concrete everyday actions meant to help our neighbours in body and spirit: by feeding, visiting, comforting and instructing them.  On such things will we be judged.  For this reason, I expressed my hope that “the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; this will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty, and to enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy” (ibid., 15).  For in the poor, the flesh of Christ “becomes visible in the flesh of the tortured, the crushed, the scourged, the malnourished, and the exiled… to be acknowledged, touched, and cared for by us” (ibid.).  It is the unprecedented and scandalous mystery of the extension in time of the suffering of the Innocent Lamb, the burning bush of gratuitous love.  Before this love, we can, like Moses, take off our sandals (cf. Ex 3:5), especially when the poor are our brothers or sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith. 

In the light of this love, which is strong as death (cf. Song 8:6), the real poor are revealed as those who refuse to see themselves as such.  They consider themselves rich, but they are actually the poorest of the poor.  This is because they are slaves to sin, which leads them to use wealth and power not for the service of God and others, but to stifle within their hearts the profound sense that they too are only poor beggars.  The greater their power and wealth, the more this blindness and deception can grow.  It can even reach the point of being blind to Lazarus begging at their doorstep (cf. Lk 16:20-21).  Lazarus, the poor man, is a figure of Christ, who through the poor pleads for our conversion.  As such, he represents the possibility of conversion which God offers us and which we may well fail to see.  Such blindness is often accompanied by the proud illusion of our own omnipotence, which reflects in a sinister way the diabolical “you will be like God” (Gen 3:5) which is the root of all sin.  This illusion can likewise take social and political forms, as shown by the totalitarian systems of the twentieth century, and, in our own day, by the ideologies of monopolizing thought and technoscience, which would make God irrelevant and reduce man to raw material to be exploited.  This illusion can also be seen in the sinful structures linked to a model of false development based on the idolatry of money, which leads to lack of concern for the fate of the poor on the part of wealthier individuals and societies; they close their doors, refusing even to see the poor. 

For all of us, then, the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year is a favourable time to overcome our existential alienation by listening to God’s word and by practising the works of mercy.  In the corporal works of mercy we touch the flesh of Christ in our brothers and sisters who need to be fed, clothed, sheltered, visited; in the spiritual works of mercy – counsel, instruction, forgiveness, admonishment and prayer – we touch more directly our own sinfulness.  The corporal and spiritual works of mercy must never be separated.  By touching the flesh of the crucified Jesus in the suffering, sinners can receive the gift of realizing that they too are poor and in need.  By taking this path, the “proud”, the “powerful” and the “wealthy” spoken of in the Magnificat can also be embraced and undeservedly loved by the crucified Lord who died and rose for them.  This love alone is the answer to that yearning for infinite happiness and love that we think we can satisfy with the idols of knowledge, power and riches.  Yet the danger always remains that by a constant refusal to open the doors of their hearts to Christ who knocks on them in the poor, the proud, rich and powerful will end up condemning themselves and plunging into the eternal abyss of solitude which is Hell.  The pointed words of Abraham apply to them and to all of us: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Lk 16:29).  Such attentive listening will best prepare us to celebrate the final victory over sin and death of the Bridegroom, now risen, who desires to purify his Betrothed in expectation of his coming. 

Let us not waste this season of Lent, so favourable a time for conversion!  We ask this through the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, who, encountering the greatness of God’s mercy freely bestowed upon her, was the first to acknowledge her lowliness (cf. Lk 1:48) and to call herself the Lord’s humble servant (cf. Lk 1:38).

Full Article

(Vatican Radio) It’s the fourth day of the International Eucharistic Congress taking place in Cebu, Philippines and this morning thousands of people gathered in a pavilion built especially for the event to hear a message that arrived from the President of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, Cardinal Peter Turkson on the “Care for Creation”.

The Head of Vatican Radio’s English programme Seàn Patrick Lovett is in Cebu and told us that this event is much more than just a Eucharistic Congress, it is an experience of encounter.

Listen: 

Full Article

Ibadan, Nigeria, Jan 27, 2016 / 12:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The bishops of southwest Nigeria have praised the country’s apparent progress towards countering the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Occurrences of senseless killing by the Boko Haram have decreased and many displaced people are apparently returning to their former homes. We prayerfully congratulate the Nigerian Army and the security forces for their sacrifice and commitment,” the Catholic bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province said.

“We appeal to the government that the current general vigilance in the area of security be sustained so as to forestall a recurrence of the worst days of insurgency in Nigeria. In the meantime we plead that great care be taken to avoid punishing innocent people for the crimes of the guilty insurgents.”

The Islamist extremist group Boko Haram began a violent uprising in northern Nigeria in 2009. It seeks to impose an Islamic state. An estimated 20,000 people have been killed in the uprising, while 2.3 million may have been driven from their homes.

The group became notorious around the world after its partisans kidnapped over 200 girls from a school in Chibok in 2014. The group’s activities have expanded into Cameroon.

The bishops of the Ibadan region said that the public in Nigeria tends to believe that President Muhammadu Buhari is well intentioned and is working hard to address critical problems like the insurgency and corruption.

The province’s bishops issued their statement at the close of their first plenary meeting of 2016, held Jan. 18-19. The province includes the Archdiocese of Ibadan and five other dioceses.

Their message noted the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Mercy. The year is intended “to remind all human beings of the mercy we enjoy from God the Father of all and to focus us on the role of Jesus Christ as the face and personification of God's mercy.” The bishops echoed Pope Francis’ call for God’s mercy to be manifest wherever Christians are.

“We call especially on all Catholics in Nigeria to seek God's mercy through penance, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy which includes the mutual forgiveness of wrongs,” they added.

The bishops outlined their “ABCs” of the Year of Mercy: ask for God’s mercy; be merciful; and communicate God’s mercy.

“That so much injustice, violence and bloodshed permeate our society today is a clear indication that we all indeed need God's mercy, for blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy,” the message continued.

The bishops praised efforts to enhance and protect “the sanctity of human life, marriage and family in all areas of life.” They have authorized a pro-life, pro-family catechesis as a handbook on Church teaching.

They also praised Catholic education efforts, while warning of a lack of resources and unjust takeovers of schools.

The bishops discussed the economic downturn in Nigeria and emphasized the need to resolve conflicts over the payment of workers’ salaries. The controversy is causing “considerable hardship” among people in many Nigerian states.

“Our leaders must avoid any sign of threat, arrogance or impunity in dealing with sensitive public challenges,” they said. “Most people are bearing the brunt of the current economic situation with everything they have and the leaders must not add more emotional trauma to their burden.”

According to the bishops, Nigerians are happy to see prosecutions for embezzlement of public funds. They called for respect for the rights and dignity of the accused. Official lawlessness is “always toxic for public sanity,” they warned.

The bishops noted the desire for peaceful co-existence and the need for “genuine, harmonious relations among religions.”

They encouraged groups and individuals in interreligious work to foster interaction and collaboration among people of different religions. In their view, such efforts will help promote mutual understanding and prevent hatred and violence.

Full Article

Yangon, Burma, Jan 27, 2016 / 01:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A century and a half ago, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd took their mission of evangelization and service to what is now Myanmar, or Burma. This year, they’re celebrating their anniversary jubilee in the country.

“The journey of 150 years reminds us to honor the past, celebrating the present and to nurture a legacy of our mission for the future with hope,” Sister Elizabeth Joseph, R.G.S., told CNA Jan. 19.

On Jan. 16 the sisters held a jubilee thanksgiving Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Yangon. Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, said the Mass.

“It’s a joyful moment for our communities to be grateful to God and pay tribute to our founding members and missionaries who bravely dedicated their lives serving Christ through their service despite tough moments,” Sr. Elizabeth said.

The Good Shepherd sisters launched a year of spiritual preparation for the jubilee. Its members reflected on themes like “Rooted in God and in Reality,” “Remembering the Past with Gratitude,” “Embracing Challenges with Hope” and “Taking Risks Together for Mission.”

The preparations included spiritual retreats, reflections and monthly community sharing. Sr. Elizabeth said these helped deepen the sisters’ spirituality and strengthen their vision and mission “in the footsteps of our founding members.” The preparations produced “deep joy and gratitude.”

“We are committed to the Gospel values of justice, mercy, respect, human dignity and reconciliation for creating a better world,” Sr. Joseph emphasized.

Cardinal Bo, the first cardinal from Myanmar, used his homily at the jubilee Mass to praise the contributions and service of the Good Shepherd sisters in the country.

He noted the sisters’ ministry in serving the disadvantaged, marginalized and oppressed. He praised their role in the development of the country, and compared the sisters’ history to Myanmar's most prominent river, the Irrawaddy.

“It flows to give life to the whole of Myanmar,” the cardinal said.

“The Good Shepherd sisters carry  a mission of reconciliation, searching for the lost, healing the wounded, sharing merciful love.... which will continue to flow,” Cardinal Bo continued.

At the conclusion of Mass, Sr. Regina Htoo, R.S.G., provincial superior for Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, delivered a message of gratitude. She thanked God and everyone who accompanied the journey of the congregation. She summarized the words of the sisters’ foundress, St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier: “gratitude is the memory of the heart.”

The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd was founded by St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier. Gregory XVI approved its establishment in 1835 in Angers, France.

The Good Shepherd Sisters answered a request for help from Bishop Paul Ambrose Bigandet, the first apostolic vicar of Lower Myanmar, arriving in 1866.
 
The pioneering sisters experienced many trials in the underdeveloped region inhabited by myriad ethnic tribes. The people suffered poverty, ethnic civil wars, illiteracy, and corruption. On top of this, the country suffered natural disasters like drought and floods. Low-technology farming, poor communication, and poor transportation systems also posed barriers.

In the 1960s the country went through a nationalization drive accompanied by an ideology of Burmese socialism. The anti-Western trend included xenophobia that worked to suppress the missionaries and isolate the country. The trends had disastrous impacts on the country’s economy and worsened poverty.

Christian institutions were seen with suspicion and considered foreign. They were confiscated, and all nuns and missionaries were driven out of the country and the institutions fell into the hands of corrupt and unqualified staff. This led to the deterioration of education, health and social services in the country.

Meanwhile, a few Good Shepherd sisters returned in 1973 to re-establish the Good Shepherd missions. They engaged themselves in teaching catechism and the English language in seminaries.

From 1973 to the present, the Good Shepherd mission has grown remarkably in pastoral activities. The sisters are active in several dioceses and have established a strategic network with the local administration and NGOs. There are more than 50 sisters serving in over six communities in Myanmar.

The sisters now help provide education and vocational training for young women in social crisis. The sisters are active in healthcare. They run a boarding school for poor girls and day-care centers for HIV-positive children and the children of parents living with HIV or drug addiction.

The sisters also care for prostitutes, women at risk of human trafficking, and street children. They are active in prison ministry, social outreach and advocacy programs on human rights and dignity, gender equality, pro-life issues, ecology, justice and peace. They are active in interreligious dialogue, especially with Buddhists who constitute the majority religion in Myanmar.

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article