Catholic News 2
MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- Mark Melancon got a big free-agent contract from the San Francisco Giants. Aroldis Chapman returned to the New York Yankees for a record-breaking deal. Kenley Jansen stayed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wade Davis was traded to the Chicago Cubs, and the Washington Nationals looked outside before looking internally for an answer....
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Cardboard boxes certainly aren't new technology. But when they're linked to a practice that started in Finland decades ago to help babies sleep safely, they're taking on a new purpose as so-called baby boxes make their way to the U.S....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Secret Service says a person is under arrest after climbing a fence and getting onto the south grounds of the White House....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Judge Neil Gorsuch wasn't convinced that a teenager who made burping sounds in a classroom should be arrested, handcuffed and taken to juvenile detention in a police car....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It took former President Barack Obama and his Democrats more than a year to pass the Affordable Care Act, a slow and painstaking process that allowed plenty of time for a fierce backlash to ignite, undermining the law from the very start....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions is seeking the resignations of 46 U.S. attorneys who were holdovers from the Obama administration....
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to Colombia from 6 to 11 September 2017.Listen to our report: A communique from the Holy See Press Office confirmed that the Holy Father will visit the cities of Bogotá, Villavicencio, Medellín, and Cartagena:“Accepting the invitation of the President of the Republic and the Colombian bishops, His Holiness the Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Trip to Colombia from 6 to 11 September 2017, visiting the cities of Bogotá, Villavicencio, Medellín and Cartagena. The programme for the trip will be published shortly.”Official Logo and MottoThe logo of the Journey contains the motto of the Pope’s Apostolic Journey: “Let’s take the first step” [Demos el primer paso].A message accompanying the logo says the words refer to "the more than 50 years of violence" which divided Colombia.“The visit of Pope Francis to C...
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to Colombia from 6 to 11 September 2017.
Listen to our report:
A communique from the Holy See Press Office confirmed that the Holy Father will visit the cities of Bogotá, Villavicencio, Medellín, and Cartagena:
“Accepting the invitation of the President of the Republic and the Colombian bishops, His Holiness the Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Trip to Colombia from 6 to 11 September 2017, visiting the cities of Bogotá, Villavicencio, Medellín and Cartagena. The programme for the trip will be published shortly.”
Official Logo and Motto
The logo of the Journey contains the motto of the Pope’s Apostolic Journey: “Let’s take the first step” [Demos el primer paso].
A message accompanying the logo says the words refer to "the more than 50 years of violence" which divided Colombia.
“The visit of Pope Francis to Colombia is a moment of grace and happiness in order to dream about the possibility of transforming our country and taking the first step. The Holy Father is a missionary of reconciliation.”
The message goes on to say the logo represents the Pope’s visit “with the image of the Holy Father walking, as a symbol of action, taking a step to begin to build and to dream, because every change begins with the conversion of the heart (individual) and every change requires a moment to return to encountering one another (collective). It is the moment in our history to discover our identity as a country, which is reflected in the depiction of Colombia’s pre-Columbian figure.”
Over 3,000 young people from different religious communities gathered in Semarang, capital of Central Java province, to attend an interreligious meeting, committing themselves to "develop an inclusive attitude and to combat all forms of radicalism and intolerance in Indonesian society". As Fides learns, the meeting was organized on March 5 by the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Semarang and by five universities (three Islamic, one public, one Catholic). The meeting was attended by young Indonesians from 71 different communities. The meeting was presided by Fr. Lukas Awi Tristanto, secretary of the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Semarang and was attended by the Mayor of Semarang, Hendrar Prihadi who said: "Those who are not willing to accept diversity, leave Indonesia!"Speaking to Fides, Fr. Lukas Awi Trisanto said that the interreligious event had the primary purpose of "...
Over 3,000 young people from different religious communities gathered in Semarang, capital of Central Java province, to attend an interreligious meeting, committing themselves to "develop an inclusive attitude and to combat all forms of radicalism and intolerance in Indonesian society". As Fides learns, the meeting was organized on March 5 by the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Semarang and by five universities (three Islamic, one public, one Catholic). The meeting was attended by young Indonesians from 71 different communities. The meeting was presided by Fr. Lukas Awi Tristanto, secretary of the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Semarang and was attended by the Mayor of Semarang, Hendrar Prihadi who said: "Those who are not willing to accept diversity, leave Indonesia!"
Speaking to Fides, Fr. Lukas Awi Trisanto said that the interreligious event had the primary purpose of "building true brotherhood and reject intolerance": "Being part of a religious community in Indonesia means to profess one’s faith alongside others who profess different religions", he said.
The youth present committed themselves to "love and create harmony in diversity, in order to build the civilization of love for a prosperous society, with dignity, regardless of religious background".
Apart from attempts to continue to build brotherhood and true friendship, the final declaration of the meeting refers to "support the Pancasila, the Constitution of 1945, the unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and the principle of 'unity in diversity' in the public life of the nation".
Some religious leaders spoke and offered their reflections during the meeting: K.H. Ubaidullah Achmad (Muslim), Father Aloys Budi Purnomo (Catholic), Rev. Tjahjadi Nugroho (Protestant), Pandita Aggadhammo Warto (Buddhist), Andi Tjiok (Confucian), ho Nengah Wirta Darmayana (Hindu), Sumarwanto (indigenous cults).
The Buddhist Warto asked young people to see the differences as a strength for the development of Indonesia; the Hindu Darmayana said that "the unity of Indonesia is realized when Indonesian people nurture mutual respect". According to Achmad, "a religion that ignores diversity is not a true religion"; Tjahjadi asked young people to "thank God and pray so that Indonesia can survive radicalism, terrorism and intolerance"; Sumarwato believes that intolerant people "are those who have not understood the essence of the universal divinity"; Father Purnomo stressed the need "to build true brotherhood and a society where there is well-being, dignity and peace, regardless of the faith of each person".
(Source: Agenzia Fides)
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the staff and volunteers of the Telefono Amico Italia service on Saturday. Celebrating fifty years of activity this year, Telefono Amico is a volunteer service that makes itself available to anyone feeling lonely, depressed, anxious, or angry – or who simply wants to reach out and talk to a friendly person willing to listen.There are 700 volunteers staffing the organization’s telephones in 20 locations throughout Italy, from 10am to midnight every day.Click below to hear our report The Holy Father told his guests dialogue allows us to know and understand each other's needs.“First,” he said, “it shows a great deal of respect, because it places people in an attitude of openness to one another, in order for each to receive the best aspects of his interlocutor.”Dialogue is also an expression of charity, insofar as it can help people search out paths forward while respecting each other’s differences, al...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the staff and volunteers of the Telefono Amico Italia service on Saturday. Celebrating fifty years of activity this year, Telefono Amico is a volunteer service that makes itself available to anyone feeling lonely, depressed, anxious, or angry – or who simply wants to reach out and talk to a friendly person willing to listen.
There are 700 volunteers staffing the organization’s telephones in 20 locations throughout Italy, from 10am to midnight every day.
Click below to hear our report
The Holy Father told his guests dialogue allows us to know and understand each other's needs.
“First,” he said, “it shows a great deal of respect, because it places people in an attitude of openness to one another, in order for each to receive the best aspects of his interlocutor.”
Dialogue is also an expression of charity, insofar as it can help people search out paths forward while respecting each other’s differences, all with a view to the common good. “Through dialogue,” said Pope Francis, “we can learn to see the other not as a threat, but as a gift of God[.]”
The Pope went on to say, “Dialogue helps people to humanize their relationships and overcome misunderstandings.”
“If there was more dialogue - real dialogue - in families, in the workplace, in politics,” he added, “so many questions would be resolved so much more easily.”
The Pope went on to say that the ability to listen – which unfortunately is not very common – is a basic and necessary condition of dialogue. “Listening to the other requires patience and attention,” said Pope Francis. “Only those who can keep quiet, know how to listen: to God, to one’s brother or sister who needs help; to a friend, or a family member.”
The Pope said God himself is the finest example of listening.
“[E]ach time we pray,” he said, “He hears us, without asking for anything and he even precedes us and takes the initiative in meeting our requests for help.”
“Aptitude for listening, of which God is the model,” said Pope Francis, “urges us to break down the walls of misunderstanding, [and] to create bridges of communication, overcoming isolation and closure in within one’s own little world.”
(Vatican Radio) The President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, has written to Pope Francis on behalf of the whole Conference, to offer congratulations on the fourth anniversary of the Holy Father's election to the See of Peter, which took place on march 13, 2013.Cardinal Nichols offers expressions of gratitude for the Holy Father's steadfast leadership. "Holy Father," writes Cardinal Nichols, "we thank you for the steadfast way in which you uphold the teachings of Christ and the Church, presenting them in deed and in word with a freshness and directness, which draws the attention of the world."The full text of the letter is available on the website of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, here.
(Vatican Radio) The President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, has written to Pope Francis on behalf of the whole Conference, to offer congratulations on the fourth anniversary of the Holy Father's election to the See of Peter, which took place on march 13, 2013.
Cardinal Nichols offers expressions of gratitude for the Holy Father's steadfast leadership.
"Holy Father," writes Cardinal Nichols, "we thank you for the steadfast way in which you uphold the teachings of Christ and the Church, presenting them in deed and in word with a freshness and directness, which draws the attention of the world."
The full text of the letter is available on the website of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, here.
