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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning, with the members of the C-9 group of Cardinal-advisors who are working to reform the Church’s central governing apparatus.In remarks following the Readings of the Day, the Holy Father focused on Christ’s call to all the faithful to be salt and light in and for the world.Pope Francis began by stressing that the proclamation of the Gospel is “decisive” – that there are no “shades” to saying “yes” or “no” to the Gospel. Any attempt to offer a “nuanced” response to the Gospel will “lead you to seek artificial safety,” as is the case with “casuistry”.The Holy Spirit leads us to Christian witness“Yes,” “Salt,” “Light.” These three words – proposed by the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians – and highlighted by Pope Francis in his ref...
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced on Tuesday it is hosting an "International Debate on Corruption" to be held at the Casina Pio IV on Thursday, 15 June.In a communique, the Dicastery said this will be the first such event to reflect on the global problem of corruption. "The group brings together Christians and non-Christians, ecclesiastical and institutional figures, magistrates, police representatives, members of movements and organizations, victims of crime, journalists and intellectuals. Several ambassadors accredited to the Holy See will also attend the meeting".At the conclusion of the Debate, participants will visit the Sistine Chapel and the Room of the Segnatura as a way of highlighting, "through the beauty of artistic heritage, the importance of the function of education in the commitment to justice and against corruption."The communique also points out that a book-interv...
Christians from across Surat city and district in western India’s Gujarat state on Monday submitted a memorandum to the district collector, vehemently objecting against a state Hindi school textbook where Jesus Christ is referred to as “haivan” or “demon”. Christians from Syrian Church, Pentecost, Brethren Mission, Protestant, Roman Catholic and other denominations have expressed shock over the class IX Second Language Hindi textbook published by Gujarat State School Textbook Board (GSSTB). Christians took out a rally and submitted a memorandum to district collector Mahendra Patel.Jesus - “haivan” (demon)Chapter 16 in the textbook titled 'Bharatiya sanskriti mein guru-shishya sambandh' (teacher-student relationship in Indian culture) says, "Is sambandh me haivan Isa ka ek kathan sada smaraniya hai (In this context, one statement of demon Jesus is always memorable). Jesus Christ is quoted as saying, "My f...
(Vatican Radio) On the frontlines of need, assisting refugees and displaced people in the Middle East is the Church’s humanitarian umbrella organization, Caritas Internationalis.The local Caritas Jordan agency is on the ground throughout the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan bringing emergency aid and long term development programmes to the huge numbers of Syrian refugees hosted by the nation.Marking 50 years from its foundation this year, Caritas Jordan has also just launched a special campaign.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: Most of the 657,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan are Muslim. That’s why the local Caritas campaign, especially launched for the holy month of Ramadan, aims both to support those in need and to live the spirit of the month in mercy and fraternity.This year, the campaign is rooted in Caritas’ aptly named “Mercy Restaurant” which prepares “Iftar” or evening meals for its fasting br...
(Vatican Radio) A two day seminar on migrants and refugees concluded in the Vatican on Tuesday, with experts from countries across the globe looking ahead to an intergovernmental conference due to take place at the United Nations in 2018.Representatives of bishops conferences from some 40 nations have drawn up a document to be presented to world leaders, as they prepare to adopt a Global Compact on safe, orderly migration flows. The document is based around four principles that Pope Francis himself named to sum up the Catholic response to the current forced migration phenomenon –that is, Welcome, Protection, Promotion and Integration.The Rome meeting was organised by the Migrants and Refugees section of the new Vatican office for Integral Human Development. Among those taking part was Pakistani Father Bonnie Mendes, former executive secretary of the office for human development at the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences.Listen to Fr Bonnie talking to Philippa Hitchen Fr ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a handwritten message to Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, full of well-wishes for his name day.The feast day of the apostle St. Bartholomew is celebrated in the Oriental Churches on 11 June."May Catholics and Orthodox continue on the path towards full communion, working together to promote peace, cooperation, and dialogue at all levels," the Pope wrote.Recalling their recent trip to Egypt, Pope Francis wrote of their shared "conviction that the witness offered by Christians of their ever-greater fraternal bonds will be a sign of hope and consolation for the whole world". Addressing the Patriarch as his "dear brother in Christ", the Pope recalled the words of an Orthodox hymn."To the Church thou hast appeared as a great daystar; with thy teachings as thy rays and beams of awesome miracles, thou hast enlightened those praising thee, the Lord's Apostle, O sacred Bartholomew."
Vatican City, Jun 13, 2017 / 06:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The last meeting of the head of dicasteries of the Roman Curia took place last May 29. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the possibility of priests being incardinated directly into ecclesial movements rather than into a diocese. Pope Francis made the issue a central topic of his regular meeting with the head of dicasteries, though these kind of meetings usually deal with topics related to the government and the organization of the Roman Curia.Via “incardination,” a member of the clergy is placed under the jurisdiction of a bishop or, in the case of a religious, an ecclesiastical superior.Aside from dioceses and religious institutes, only personal prelatures and ordinariates can incardinate priests.Some ecclesial movements have been asking for some time to have priests directly incardinated.The request of the movements is based on the fact that there are priests whose vocation is born and nurtured within...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Robert DuncanBy Carol GlatzVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People cannot sit back and beindifferent or unresponsive to growing poverty in the world as a privilegedminority accumulates "ostentatious wealth," Pope Francis said."God created the heavens and the earth for all; yetsadly some have erected barriers, walls and fences, betraying the original giftmeant for all humanity, with none excluded," the pope said in a message forthe first World Day of the Poor.The newly established commemoration and the period ofreflection and action preceding it are meant to help Christians develop andmaintain a more consistent and sincere lifestyle built on sharing, simplicityand the essential truths of the Gospel, the pope said in the message releasedJune 13, the feast of St. Anthony of Padua.The World Day of the Poor -- to be marked each year on the 33rd Sunday ofOrdinary time -- will be celebrated Nov. 19 this year and will focus on theApostle John's call to love "not with words, but with ...
By SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (CNS) -- When U.S.immigration agents rounded up and arrested Chaldean Christians in southeastMichigan June 11, it was "a very strange and painful day for our communityin America," said the head of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomasthe Apostle, based in Southfield."With the many Chaldeansthat were awakened by Immigration Customs Enforcement agents and consequentlypicked up for deportation, there is a lot of confusion and anger," BishopFrancis Y. Kalabat said in a statement posted on the eparchy's website.News reports said about 40people were arrested near or at their homes and were put on buses June 12 to betaken to a federal detention center in Youngstown, Ohio. The same day, a rally outsidethe Mother of God Chaldean Catholic Church in Southfield drew dozens of people,many of whom said the federal government's actions had left them sad andfrustrated.In his statement, Bishop Kalabatsaid the eparchy was contacting and working with "many agencies to tryto ...
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Latest on the special counsel's probe into Russian interference in the U.S. election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign (all times local):...
