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Zec 12:10-11, 13: 1; Gal 3:26-29; Lk 9:18-24In his book, Pray from Where You Are, James Carroll recalls something many of us remember from our childhood. Every Sunday, the comic page of our newspapers used to carry a series of printed games. One of everybody’s favorites was a picture showing some scene, like a family enjoying a picnic in a park. Printed beneath the picture were the words, “Can you find the man hidden in the picture?” You’d look and look, and at first wouldn’t see anything that looked like a man. Then you’d turn the paper this way and that to get a different view of it. Suddenly, from the edge of a fluffy white cloud you’d see an ear. Then, from the green leaves of a tree you’d see a mouth, and so on, until you’d see an entire man’s face smiling out at you from the picnic scene. Once you saw the man, that picnic scene was never the same again. For you had found the hidden man. You yourself had seen the smi...
(Vatican Radio) As Nigeria continues to face increasing instability over its security and economy, the President and Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama and Bishop William Avenya have released a statement to both the Nigerian government and people, asking them to continue to pray for a strong Nation.Whilst appreciating the efforts the Nigerian government has gone to in order to combat corruption and insurgency, both Archbishop Kaigama and Bishop Avenya have said that the country still needs to address the complex challenges which continue to emerge, which have raised the level of insecurity in every aspect of daily life.Listen to the report by Georgia Gogarty: Please see the full statement below:OUR CONCERN OVER THE SECURITY OF OUR NATIONA Statement by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)We, the Catholics Bishops of Nigeria, deeply appreciate the sincere efforts made by the past and present Admin...
(Vatican Radio) Responding to Pope Francis’ call to make business and wealth work for the poor, a Vatican Conference will explore ways of investing to generate beneficial social effects in addition to financial gain.The Conference on ‘Impact Investing’ – which actively seeks to make a positive impact by investing, for example, in non-profits that benefit the community or in clean technology enterprises - will take place in Rome between the 26 and 28 June under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and Catholic Relief Services.Please find below the press release for the event: Second Vatican Conference on Impact Investing &n...
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican’s representative to the UN in Geneva has spoken at the Human Rights Council about the need for consistent policies to protect migrants, especially the most vulnerable children, women and elderly people.Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, on Tuesday addressed the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, reiterating Pope Francis’ appeals that migrants should not be treated solely as “a threat to national stability”, left to the “exploitation of unscrupulous people or treated as mere commodities or products, without any real concern for their rights and aspirations”.He stressed the importance of valuing the positive contribution of migrants to the receiving countries - many of them facing demographic problems due to ageing populations. He said migrants contribute by “building bridges among cultures and fostering the well-be...
(Vatican Radio) Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom gave a keynote address on the situation of Christians in the Middle East to the annual National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast (NPPB) in London on Tuesday. During his address Bishop Angaelos spoke about the persecution of Christians and minority communities, and the millions subsequently displaced and living as refugees.Speaking to an audience of over 700 parliamentarians, civic and faith leaders, ambassadors, and heads of NGOs, Bishop Angaelos said “Christians in the Middle East are indigenous people and reject minority status.”Calling for people of all parties and all faiths to work together, he said: “As religious and civic leaders, we have an opportunity and responsibility to change the narrative and expectation of the Middle East from one of hopelessness and conflict to one of hope and promise.”“Regardless of which House one sits in, which Church one worships in, ...
Christian leaders including a Catholic bishop have criticized and cast doubt over the effectiveness of an ongoing anti-militancy drive that have seen thousands of arrests in Bangladesh over the past three days.Police in Bangladesh said Monday they detained more than 8,500 people in the first four days of a countrywide security operation aimed at combating extremist violence against religious minorities and secular activists. Thousands of policemen and members of paramilitary units are taking part in the crackdown, which is targeting suspected militants and people with criminal records, according to police. Of the people arrested, 120 are suspected militants, police said. The political opposition said Sunday that the law-enforcement agencies were rounding up opposition activists on the pretext of fighting terrorism, something authorities denied.Bishop Gervas Rozario of Rajshahi, chairman of the Bangladesh Catholic bishops’ Justice and Peace Commission said the government...
"The Year of Mercy is something real, it is not simply something where we say a prayer or attend a conference. We can answer the call of Pope Francis by generously launching concrete action plans, in favor of the poor and the suffering": says Salesian Fr. Joe Mannath, to Agenzia Fides."The need is urgent, the possibilities are big, and we religious are in a better position than most people: our contribution can make a difference", explains Fr. Mannath who is the National Secretary of the "Conference of Religious Indians" (CRI), which unites the congregations and religious orders in India. “This is why the Conference of Religious in India has proposed an action plan to all congregations which suggests over 40 practical commitments to carry out during the Jubilee and also to continue once the special Year of Mercy has finished,” he said."There are 40 action plans to choose from: we are already in the month of June and half a year has al...
Santiago, Chile, Jun 14, 2016 / 06:39 am (CNA).- In what is being lamented as a heinous act of desecration, an emblematic Catholic church in Santiago de Chile was brutally attacked after a recent student march, with masked individuals stealing and smashing a large crucifix from the building.“This is not the first time that they've attacked a church in downtown Santiago. Violence leads nowhere, it is very painful for us that they would attack the symbols of our beliefs, the symbols of our faith,” said the Vicar of the Downtown Area of the Archdiocese of Santiago, Father Marek Burzawa.The attack took place after a student march last week, called by the Confederation of Chilean Students to protest for improvements in the current educational system in the country. The march ended near The Church of National Gratitude.Masked individuals, who have not been identified, forced open the side door to one of rooms in the church, which is normally used for wakes. They stole vari...
Vatican City, Jun 14, 2016 / 06:46 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog has issued a new document affirming that while some might be hesitant in the face of new lay movements in the Church, they are a “great gift” in ecclesial life.However, at the same time the document stressed that these movements must respect the authority of the Church’s hierarchy, both local and universal.Lay movements “are not to be considered optional in the life of the Church,” but are rather “to be considered as gifts of indispensable importance for the life and mission of the Church,” read document, published June 14. “In the essential work of the new evangelization, it is now more than ever necessary to recognize and value the numerous charisms capable of reawakening and nourishing the life of the faith of the People of God,” it continued. Quoting St. John Paul II, the document said these new movements provide “a ...
IMAGE: CNS/Paul HaringBy Cindy WoodenVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Local bishops have an obligation towelcome new movements and communities and guide them, while the groups have anobligation to obey the local bishop and avoid the appearance of setting up aparallel church, said a new Vatican document.The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's letter tobishops around the world on "the relationship between hierarchical andcharismatic gifts in the life and mission of the church" was released June14.The hierarchical gifts -- teaching, sanctifying andgoverning -- are those conferred with ordination. The charismatic gifts referto those given by the Holy Spirit to groups or individuals to help them livethe faith more intensely and to share the faith with others through missionaryactivity and acts of charity.At a Vatican news conference, Cardinal Gerhard Muller, doctrinalcongregation prefect, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregationfor Bishops, presented the document, which form...
