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(Vatican Radio) The Holy See Press Office has announced that “Peter’s Pence” will now have a Facebook page.Peter’s Pence is the name given to the financial support offered by the faithful to the Holy Father as a sign of their sharing in the concern of the Successor of Peter for the many different needs of the Universal Church and for the relief of those most in need.The move to Facebook follows the opening of Twitter and Instagram accounts for Peter’s Pence, which took place earlier this year.According to a press release from the Vatican, the decision to utilize the largest social network in the world has a double objective: “on the one hand, to create a community open to everyone wherever the use of Facebook is widespread; and, on the other hand, to share and relate the activities of this longstanding Office of Solidarity.”Peter’s Pence on Facebook “is intended to promote dialogue with all those who have a common intent, helpi...
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See Press Office has announced that “Peter’s Pence” will now have a Facebook page.
Peter’s Pence is the name given to the financial support offered by the faithful to the Holy Father as a sign of their sharing in the concern of the Successor of Peter for the many different needs of the Universal Church and for the relief of those most in need.
The move to Facebook follows the opening of Twitter and Instagram accounts for Peter’s Pence, which took place earlier this year.
According to a press release from the Vatican, the decision to utilize the largest social network in the world has a double objective: “on the one hand, to create a community open to everyone wherever the use of Facebook is widespread; and, on the other hand, to share and relate the activities of this longstanding Office of Solidarity.”
Peter’s Pence on Facebook “is intended to promote dialogue with all those who have a common intent, helping the most needy and concretely supporting the works of charity.” The press release gives examples of a number of projects supported by Peter’s Pence: the expansion of the “Filippo Smaldone” Institute for poor and hearing-impaired children in Kigali, Rwanda; the awarding of scholarships to help displaced university students of Iraqi Kurdistan; the opening of a new primary school for Dalit children in India.
The new “Peter’s Pence” Facebook page will be able to draw attention to these and other charitable works supported by the organization. Traditionally the collection for Peter’s Pence takes place throughout the Catholic world on the Solemnity of St Peter, 29 June, or on the Sunday closest to that feast, depending on the diocese.
As with other social media platforms, this initiative was born of the desire of the Holy See, the fruit of a close collaboration between the Secretariat of State, the Secretariat for Communications, and the Governorate of the Vatican City State.
For more information on the work of Peter’s Pence, one can visit the Peter's Pence website.
As Sri Lanka marked the 8th anniversary of the end of its civil war on Thursday, an international human rights group criticized the government’s latest anti-terrorism bill saying rights abuse could continue under it. Sri Lanka’s Cabinet approved the third draft of the Counter Terrorism Act (CTA) on May 3, 2017, but no parliamentary vote has been set. Human Rights Watch said that the bill falls far short of the government’s pledges to the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2015 to end abusive detention without charge. While the bill improves upon the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), it would still permit many of the abuses occurring under current law, and raises a number of new concerns, the New York-based group said in a statement on may 18. The CTA has been proposed to replace the archaic PTA, which was enacted in 1979 to deal with the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The UN and rights groups ha...
As Sri Lanka marked the 8th anniversary of the end of its civil war on Thursday, an international human rights group criticized the government’s latest anti-terrorism bill saying rights abuse could continue under it. Sri Lanka’s Cabinet approved the third draft of the Counter Terrorism Act (CTA) on May 3, 2017, but no parliamentary vote has been set. Human Rights Watch said that the bill falls far short of the government’s pledges to the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2015 to end abusive detention without charge. While the bill improves upon the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), it would still permit many of the abuses occurring under current law, and raises a number of new concerns, the New York-based group said in a statement on may 18.
The CTA has been proposed to replace the archaic PTA, which was enacted in 1979 to deal with the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The UN and rights groups have accused the Sri Lankan military of killing thousands of civilians, mostly Tamils, during the final weeks of the war, which ended on May 18, 2009, and have pressed for justice for the families of those who disappeared.
More than 100,000 are believed to have died and some 65,000 went missing during the 26-year conflict.
“Sri Lanka’s counterterrorism bill buries its abusive intent under detailed procedures, but it still won’t protect people from wrongful detention,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “While some provisions could prevent abuses, the fundamental danger of prolonged detention without charge remains. This isn’t what UN member countries sought when they agreed that Sri Lanka would reform its security laws.” Human Rights Watch urged the government to reject any counterterrorism legislation that is not in accordance with international best practices.
Recent interviews by Human Rights Watch found that those arrested under the PTA, including since the end of the war, gave accounts of torture and mistreatment, forced confessions, and denial of basic rights such as access to lawyers or family members. The rights group acknowledged improvement in several sectors under the proposed counterterrorism law, such as greater detainee access to counsel, entry of magistrates and Human Rights Commission officers to detention facilities, and reporting requirements that could help prevent enforced disappearances. However, a number of provisions are likely to facilitate human rights abuses, such as the bill’s broad and vague definitions of terrorist acts, which include a wide array of illegal conduct, and the power of police and military officers to make arrests without a warrant. Suspects may be detained without charge for 12 months, a reduction from the 18 months permitted under the PTA. Bail is only to be granted for exceptional reasons. If enacted, the new law would prohibit ordinary dealings with many ethnic Tamil organizations, including those based abroad, that were declared illegal during the armed conflict and remain so, even if during or since the war they never engaged in any terrorist activity.
On the 8th anniversary of the end of the Sri Lankan conflict, Amnesty International also called for the repeal of the “highly repressive” PTA, saying any legislation replacing it should meet international standards. The failure to repeal the notorious law, it said, is one of several commitments that the government has stalled on since coming to power two years ago, when it pledged to deliver truth, justice and reparation to victims of the conflict and enact reforms that would prevent further human rights violations.”
“The PTA is a highly repressive law that contributed to many of the human rights violations during and following Sri Lanka’s conflict. Despite being in power for two years, the current government has failed on its promise to repeal the law,” said Biraj Patnaik, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director. “What’s worse, it’s considering adopting a new Counter Terrorism Act that would continue to give the police very broad powers to arrest and detain suspects without charge and place them in administrative detention,” Patnaik said.
The London-based rights group called on the Sri Lankan government to present a clear and coordinated roadmap to implement its commitments to justice, truth, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, including repeal of the PTA. It noted that under the draconian law still in force, the police retain broad powers to arrest and detain suspects without effective human rights safeguards. Amnesty said it has received credible testimony alleging human rights violations in the aftermath of the conflict under the PTA, with Sri Lankan security forces subjecting people to arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, rape and enforced disappearance.
“Transparency is absolutely vital. Draft legislation, including the CTA, should be open for public and civil society consultation,” Patnaik said.
Despite the government’s commitments, it has yet to establish effective justice mechanisms to investigate abuses of international human rights and international humanitarian by all sides of the conflict, including acts reported during the final months of the conflict that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“Each anniversary is a depressing reminder of the conflict’s ugly and unresolved legacy. Every year that passes is a reminder of the horrific injustices that were visited on people and what little has been done to address them. Eight years is a long time to wait. The victims and their families should not have to wait any longer. Justice is long overdue,” said Patnaik. Amnesty International is deeply concerned about the harassment of activists and victims who are campaigning for justice and memorializing the victims of the conflict. "It is appalling that nearly a decade after the conflict ended, people are still being prevented from remembering the dead. No one should be stopped from demanding justice or grieving the loss of loved ones," said Patnaik.
(Vatican Radio) True doctrine unites; ideology divides. That was the message of Pope Francis in the homily at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Friday.The Pope based his reflections on the so-called Council of Jerusalem which, around the year 49 A.D., decided that gentile converts to Christianity would not have to be circumcised.The Holy Father was commenting on the First Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles. He noted that even in the first Christian community “there were jealousies, power struggles, a certain deviousness that wanted to profit from and to buy power.” There are always problems, he said: “We are human, we are sinners” and there are difficulties, even in the Church. But being sinners leads to humility and to drawing close to the Lord, as Saviour who saves us from our sins. With regard to the gentiles who the Spirit called to become Christians, the Holy Father recalled that, in the reading, the apostles and the elders chose several ...
(Vatican Radio) True doctrine unites; ideology divides. That was the message of Pope Francis in the homily at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Friday.
The Pope based his reflections on the so-called Council of Jerusalem which, around the year 49 A.D., decided that gentile converts to Christianity would not have to be circumcised.
The Holy Father was commenting on the First Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles. He noted that even in the first Christian community “there were jealousies, power struggles, a certain deviousness that wanted to profit from and to buy power.” There are always problems, he said: “We are human, we are sinners” and there are difficulties, even in the Church. But being sinners leads to humility and to drawing close to the Lord, as Saviour who saves us from our sins. With regard to the gentiles who the Spirit called to become Christians, the Holy Father recalled that, in the reading, the apostles and the elders chose several people to go to Antioch together with Paul and Barnabas. The reading describes two different kinds of people: those who had “forceful discussions” but with “a good spirit,” on the one hand; and those who “sowed confusion”:
“The group of the apostles who want to discuss the problem, and the others who go and create problems. They divide, they divide the Church, they say that what the Apostles preached is not what Jesus said, that it is not the truth.”
The apostles discussed the situation among themselves, and in the end came to an agreement:
“But it is not a political agreement; it is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that leads them to say: no things, no necessities. Only those who say: don’t eat meat at the time, meat sacrificed to idols, because that was communion with the idols; abstain from blood, from animals that were strangled, and from illegitimate unions.”
The Pope pointed to the “liberty of the Spirit” that leads to agreement: so, he said, the gentiles were allowed to enter the Church without having to undergo circumcision. It was at the heart of the “first Council” of the Church: the Holy Spirit and they, the Pope with the Bishops, all together,” gathered together in order “to clarify the doctrine;” and later, through the centuries – as at Ephesus or at Vatican II – because “it is a duty of the Church to clarify the doctrine,” so that “what Jesus said in the Gospels, what is the Spirit of the Gospels, would be understood well”:
“But there were always people who without any commission go out to disturb the Christian community with speeches that upset souls: ‘Eh, no, someone who says that is a heretic, you can’t say this, or that; this is the doctrine of the Church.’ And they are fanatics of things that are not clear, like those fanatics who go there sowing weeds in order to divide the Christian community. And this is the problem: when the doctrine of the Church, that which comes from the Gospel, that which the Holy Spirit inspires – because Jesus said, “He will teach us and remind you of all that I have taught’ – [when] that doctrine becomes an ideology. And this is the great error of those people.”
These individuals, the Pope explained, “were not believers, they were ideologized,” they had an ideology that closed the heart to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles, on the other hand, certainly discussed things forcefully, but they were not ideologized: “They had hearts open to what the Holy Spirit said. And after the discussion ‘it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.’”
Pope Francis’ final exhortation was to not be afraid in the face “of the opinions of the ideologues of doctrine.” The Church, he concluded, has “its proper Magisterium, the Magisterium of the Pope, of the Bishops, of the Councils,” and we must go along the path “that comes from the preaching of Jesus, and from the teaching and assistance of the Holy Spirit,” which is “always open, always free,” because “doctrine unites, the Councils unite the Christian community, while, on the other hand, “ideology divides.”
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is continuing his “Mercy Friday” activities. Begun during the 2015-1016 Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Mercy Fridays see the Holy Father engaged in specific corporal and spiritual works of mercy.A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See explains that the Pope on this Friday made a visit to public housing projects in the parish of Stella Maris – Star of the Sea parish – in the coastal town of Ostia on the outskirts of Rome.The communiqué goes on to explain that the Holy Father was to bless the abodes of the parishioners in the complex located at Piazza Francesco Conteduca, 11, just as the parish priest does traditionally each year during Eastertide.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is continuing his “Mercy Friday” activities. Begun during the 2015-1016 Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Mercy Fridays see the Holy Father engaged in specific corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See explains that the Pope on this Friday made a visit to public housing projects in the parish of Stella Maris – Star of the Sea parish – in the coastal town of Ostia on the outskirts of Rome.
The communiqué goes on to explain that the Holy Father was to bless the abodes of the parishioners in the complex located at Piazza Francesco Conteduca, 11, just as the parish priest does traditionally each year during Eastertide.
By Junno Arocho EstevesVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians who turn doctrine intoideology commit a grave mistake that upsets souls and divides the church, PopeFrancis said. From the beginning, there have been people in the church whopreach "without any mandate" and become "fanatics of things thataren't clear," the pope said May 19 in his homily during Mass at DomusSanctae Marthae."This is the problem: When the doctrine of the church,the one from the Gospel, the one inspired by the Holy Spirit -- because Jesussaid, 'He willteach you and remind you of what I have taught!' -- when that doctrine becomesideology. And this is the greatest mistake of these people," he said. The pope reflected on the day's first reading from the Actsof the Apostles (15:22-31), in which, after much debate, the apostles andpresbyters send representatives to allay the concerns of the gentile convertsafter they were ordered by overzealous believers to follow Jewish practices if theywished to be saved. However, th...
By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians who turn doctrine into ideology commit a grave mistake that upsets souls and divides the church, Pope Francis said.
From the beginning, there have been people in the church who preach "without any mandate" and become "fanatics of things that aren't clear," the pope said May 19 in his homily during Mass at Domus Sanctae Marthae.
"This is the problem: When the doctrine of the church, the one from the Gospel, the one inspired by the Holy Spirit -- because Jesus said, 'He will teach you and remind you of what I have taught!' -- when that doctrine becomes ideology. And this is the greatest mistake of these people," he said.
The pope reflected on the day's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (15:22-31), in which, after much debate, the apostles and presbyters send representatives to allay the concerns of the gentile converts after they were ordered by overzealous believers to follow Jewish practices if they wished to be saved.
However, the apostles ruled that "it is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond" abstaining from meat sacrificed to idols and from strangled animals, blood and unlawful marriages.
The initial debate about how to deal with the gentiles, the pope said, was between "the group of the apostles who wanted to discuss the problem and the others who go and create problems."
"They divide, they divide the church, they say that what the apostles preach is not what Jesus said, that it isn't the truth," he explained.
Those who sow discord and "divide the Christian community," the pope said, do so because their "hearts are closed to the work of the Holy Spirit."
These individuals, he added, "weren't believers, they were ideologues."
Pope Francis said the exhortation sent to the gentiles by Peter and the other apostles encourages all Christians to be unafraid before "the opinions of the ideologues of doctrine."
"The church has its own magisterium, the magisterium of the pope (and) the bishops," and it must follow along the path "that comes from Jesus' preaching and the teaching and assistance of the Holy Spirit," the pope said.
Doctrine, he said, unites the Christian community because it is "always open, always free" while "ideology divides."
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Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju.
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Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
IMAGE: CNSBy Cindy WoodenVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Despite a few pointed comments in thepast and fundamental differences on issues such as immigration, economic policy,military spending and climate change, sparks are not expected to fly May 24when Pope Francis welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump to the Vatican.The two will have a private conversation, with interpreterspresent, and while anything is possible, protocol dictates that the jointstatement issued after the meeting will describe it as "cordial."Going into the meeting, Pope Francis made it clear he hopedit would be.On Pope Francis' flight back to Rome from Portugal May 13, areporter asked him, "What are you expecting from a meeting with a head ofstate who seems to think and act in a way contrary to your own?"The pope replied, "I never make a judgment about peoplewithout hearing them first. It is something I feel I should not do. When wespeak to each other, things will come out. I will say what I think; he will saywhat he think...
IMAGE: CNS
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Despite a few pointed comments in the past and fundamental differences on issues such as immigration, economic policy, military spending and climate change, sparks are not expected to fly May 24 when Pope Francis welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump to the Vatican.
The two will have a private conversation, with interpreters present, and while anything is possible, protocol dictates that the joint statement issued after the meeting will describe it as "cordial."
Going into the meeting, Pope Francis made it clear he hoped it would be.
On Pope Francis' flight back to Rome from Portugal May 13, a reporter asked him, "What are you expecting from a meeting with a head of state who seems to think and act in a way contrary to your own?"
The pope replied, "I never make a judgment about people without hearing them first. It is something I feel I should not do. When we speak to each other, things will come out. I will say what I think; he will say what he thinks. But I have never, ever, wanted to make a judgment without hearing the person."
Pope Francis said he would look first for areas of agreement and shared principles -- his basic recipe for creating "a culture of encounter."
"There are always doors that are not closed," the pope said about his meeting with Trump. "We have to find doors that are at least a little open in order to go in and speak about things we have in common and go forward. Step by step."
The key, he said, is "respect for the other, saying what we think, but with respect, walking together. Someone sees things in a certain way: say so, be honest in what each of us thinks."
Honesty, even if not completely diplomatic, characterized a couple of pointed remarks Pope Francis and then-presidential candidate Trump made in reference to the other's positions.
Flying in February 2016 to Rome from Mexico, where he had just paid homage to people who have lost their lives trying to cross into the United States, Pope Francis was asked about candidate Trump's promise to build a wall the entire length of the border.
"A person who thinks only of building walls, wherever it may be, and not of building bridges, is not Christian," the pope said. He added that he would not tell anyone how to vote and that he would "have to see if he said these things, and thus I will give him the benefit of the doubt."
Trump responded by saying that the Mexican government had given Pope Francis only "one side of the story" and was "using the pope as a pawn."
Also, he said, "for a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened, unlike what is happening now."
Efforts to protect freedom of conscience for employers and health-care workers and the need to defend religious freedom are likely to be a starting point for finding common ground.
A discussion about religious persecution could open the door to Pope Francis restating his conviction of the moral obligation to welcome strangers, especially those fleeing persecution, terrorism, war and abject poverty.
Protecting the unborn is another common concern and would provide an opening for Trump to talk about his Supreme Court nominee and his steps to halt funding of abortions overseas. It also would give Pope Francis an opening to talk about the protection of all life -- especially the weakest -- with health care, education, job opportunities and a clean environment where people can thrive.
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Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- The mayor of Cincinnati has tearfully apologized to city police after his office unwittingly approved a proclamation honoring a man suspected of killing an officer in an ambush....
