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(Vatican Radio) A conference looking at the career of Irish leader Hugh O’Neill opened this Friday morning at the British School here in Rome. Hugh O’Neill led the Irish resistance to the English conquest of Ireland at the time of Queen Elisabeth the first at the end of the 16th century.The conflict known as the Nine Years War took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603 and was fought mainly in the northern province of Ulster, although there was also conflict in other parts of the country.The war ended in defeat for O’Neill and other Irish leaders which led to their exile in what was called the Flight of the Earls.In April 1608, the earls including O’Neill ended up in Rome where they were greeted by Pope Paul V.So just how did the Holy See view the situation in Ireland at the time?One of the organisers and speakers at the conference is Dr Hiram Morgan from University College Cork, he explains that, “the problem was that at this time the resistance to...
(Vatican Radio) Monsignor Janusz Urbanczyk, the Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has encouraged member-states to cooperate “in advancing the participation of national minorities in social, economic and political life.”He was speaking on Thursday after a report was presented by the OSCE’s High Commissioner for National Minorities.“Violence does not appear out of nowhere,” – Msgr. Urbanczyk said – “It is the tragic consequence of that slippery slope that so often begins with mockery or other forms of social exclusion or bigotry, that in turn leads to acts of discrimination – sometimes even enshrined in legislation – and unleashes an intolerance that turns to violence.” The full statement by Msgr. Urbanczyk is below STATEMENTBY MONSIGNOR JANUSZ URBANCZYKPERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOLY SEE,AT THE 1102 MEETING OF THE OSCE PERMANENT...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Jubilee for Priests on Friday, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.In his homily for the feast, the Holy Father reflected on “two hearts: the Heart of the Good Shepherd” and the hearts of priests.“The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy,” the Pope said. He reminded priests that “the Heart of the Good Shepherd reaches out to us, above all to those who are most distant.”The contemplation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Heart of the Good Shepherd, is an invitation to priests to reflect on the question, “Where is my heart directed?” Priestly ministry, the Pope said, is often caught up in “plans, projects, and activities.” While this is necessary, the Holy Father invited priests to consider that the Heart of Jesus is directed to two treasures: the Father and ourselves. Jesus’ day...
(Vatican Radio) Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Germany to protest against the German Parliament's decision to declare the massacre of Armenians during World War I a "genocide". The vote heightens German-Turkish tensions amid an ongoing refugee crisis. Listen to Stefan Bos' report: "An example of ignorance and disrespect". That was how Turkey described the decision by German legislators to overwhelmingly adopt a resolution Thursday declaring the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 a genocide.Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their mainly Christian people died in the atrocities of 1915. Turkey says the toll was much lower and rejects the term "genocide".Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the resolution would seriously affect relations with Germany, and that the government would consider further measures in response to the vote. "I have recently consulted the prime minister and we have agreed on...
Denver, Colo., Jun 3, 2016 / 03:02 am (CNA).- By now, everyone's probably seen the ads on YouTube touting the “romantic comedy of the year.” A young, shapely woman in a red dress, and a handsome man – in a wheelchair?The short clips are brilliant, and the intrigue is palpable. Could it be? A mainstream, box-office hit that portrays a person with disabilities as a desirable partner?The answer is both a yes, and a horrifying no.While everyone can handle death as a tragic but compelling end of a good romance, it's a bit different when a character – despite being happy in love – chooses to kill himself.But this is the premise of “Me before You,” originally a best-selling book in the U.K. before it was made into a film with breakout stars Emelia Clarke and Sam Claflin.When a cautious small town girl takes a caretaker job for a moody business mogul paralyzed in a recent accident, their unlikely relationship becomes a friendship that eventu...
PARIS (AP) -- The swollen Seine River kept rising Friday, spilling out across its banks and some streets in Paris as curators at the Louvre scrambled to protect a huge trove of art from the museum's priceless collection from the flooding....
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The Latest on incidents of migrant boats sinking in the Mediterranean Sea (all times local):...
NEW YORK (AP) -- Donald Trump says the federal judge presiding over a lawsuit brought by former Trump University students has an "absolute conflict" in handling the case because he is "of Mexican heritage."...
During the recent release of The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board's 2015 Annual Report on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter was mistakenly named as an eparchy and as non-compliant. Bishop Steven J. Lopes was ordained the Ordinariate's first bishop in February 2016. The Ordinariate did not participate in the 2015 audit due to its new ecclesiastical structure in the United States. In collaboration with StoneBridge Business Partners, the Ordinariate will participate in a data collection for the 2016 audit, with a scheduled onsite visit for the 2017 audit. The information in the report was gathered between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. The report on the response of the Catholic Church in the United States to clergy sexual abuse includes an annual survey conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Ap...
(Vatican Radio) A Vatican summit of legal experts from around the world opens on Friday to discuss ways of combatting human trafficking and organised crime. The two day meeting has been organised by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and is scheduled to include an audience with Pope Francis and the signing of a final declaration.Over a hundred judges, magistrates, prosecutors, and representatives of legal organizations from some 20 different countries are sharing best practices from their experience of working to fight trafficking, slave labour and the trade in human organs. In particular they are exploring how they can better incorporate humanitarian values into their legal systems, how to enhance judges’ appreciation of the needs of survivors and how money confiscated from the traffickers can be directed towards their victims.Among those addressing the opening session of the meeting is Ambassador Susan Coppedge, the new U.S. Ambassador at Large for Monitoring and Combating...
