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At least 2,000 Catholics attended a Mass presided over by Bp. Hubertus Leteng of Ruteng, Indonesia, against a plan to build hotels on a 4.2-hectare area of Pede Beach."Small people want to feel God’s love and attention on Pede Beach, so protect this beach," said Bp. Hubertus in his homily during the Mass. "Pede Beach is a green space for all people from different backgrounds. It isn’t only for the rich. So let's save this beach for the sake of harmony," he said.The May 31 Mass was staged to oppose plans by an investment company to build hotels on a 4.2-hectare area of Pede Beach near Labuan Bajo in West Manggarai district.Bishop Leteng promised to continue staging protests against the development plans.The local government, seeking to promote tourism, recently granted the firm permission to develop the area. (UCAN)
(Vatican Radio) The Catholic diocese of Southwark in south-east England has a new auxiliary bishop, Paul Mason, who has served for the past two years as the Episcopal Vicar for Kent.Bishop Paul’s ordination took place in St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, at midday on May 31st, the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Originally from North Shields, in the north of England, Bishop Paul worked in Turin and London before training for the priesthood at the Venerable English College in Rome in the 1990s. He served for a decade as hospital chaplain to St. Thomas’ & Guys Hospital Trust in London before taking up a position as Pastoral Director at Allen Hall seminary in the diocese of Westminster.Shortly before his episcopal ordination, Bishop Paul talked to Philippa Hitchen about his job and about the challenges facing the Church in the diocese of Southwark…Listen: Bishop Paul explains that the archdiocese of Southwark is divided into three...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis, during his General Audience on Wednesday, met with Veronica Cantero Burroni, a young Argentinian author, who turns 14-years-old on Friday.She was just awarded the Elsa Morante Prize in children’s literature for her book Il ladro di ombre (‘The Shadow Thief’).Veronica was a triplet, and the birth caused neurological damage which has affects her motor skills, but that has not kept her from writing and publishing books since she was eight-years-old.The children’s literature selection for the Elsa Morante Prize is chosen through a two-part process. A jury of experts chooses three books as finalists, with the winner being chosen by a group of young people who have read the books.There were two books written by Argentinians among the three finalists for the award: The Name of God Is Mercy – written by Pope Francis with journalist Andrea Tornielli – was the other.
(Vatican Radio) The Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on Wednesday released details of the ecumenical events that Pope Francis will attend in southern Sweden on October 31st 2016. The joint Lutheran-Catholic commemoration will mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and will feature a liturgy in Lund cathedral, followed by a public event at an arena in the nearby city of Malmö.The commemoration, structured around the themes of thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness, will also celebrate the fruits of 50 years of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue.The prayer service in Lund cathedral will be led by Pope Francis, LWF President Bishop Munib Younan and LWF General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge, based on a shared liturgical guide and the joint report entitled ‘From Conflict to Communion’. The event in the Malmö arena will showcase the common witness of the LWF’s World Service and Caritas In...
The Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bukavu (comprising the Dioceses of Butembo-Beni, Goma, Kasongo, Kindu and Uvira) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have urged President Joseph Kabila to come clean and resolve the political impasse in the electoral process of the country.Meeting in a regular session last week in Kindu, the prelates expressed their determination to do all that is necessary to promote peace and return to normalcy in their troubled region. South Kivu, in particular, is home to various armed militia groups that have caused severe suffering and made life impossible for citizens. The Bishops have pledged to continue preaching and promoting a unifying message of peace and tolerance in this part of the country shaken not only by insecurity but ethnic conflicts as well. They appeal to political leaders in the DRC to prioritise the interests of citizens and help cultivate a sense of patriotism in the country.Last November, the Bishops of Bukavu appeal...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday sent greetings to the 20th Lednica 2000 Youth Meeting which will take place on Saturday in Poland.The Lednica meeting was started by Father Jan Góra, OP, in 1997, and has become the largest annual gathering of Catholic young people in the world.This year’s 20th meeting – which take place near Lake Lednica, the traditional site of the baptism of the first Polish king, Mieszko I in AD 966 – is of special significance because of the convergence of several events: The Jubilee Year of Mercy, the 1050th anniversary of the ‘Baptism of Poland’, the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the Dominican Order, and the upcoming World Youth Day in Krakow. It will also be the first Lednica Youth Meeting without Father Jan, who died on 21 December 2015 at the age of 67.The theme of the meeting is simply “Amen.”Pope Francis sent his greetings during his address to Polish-speaking pilgrims a...
Vatican City, Jun 1, 2016 / 06:59 am (CNA/EWTN News).- One who prays with humility and awareness of his or her sin speaks to God, Pope Francis said on Wednesday, whereas one who prays with arrogance and self-righteousness is speaking to a mirror.“It is not enough to ask ourselves how often we pray,” the Pope said to the thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square for the weekly general audience. “We must also ask ourselves how we pray, or rather, how our heart is.”The pontiff centered his June 1 catechesis on Jesus' parable of the tax collector and the pharisee.The problem with the pharisee – who stands in the temple and gives thanks for not being like other sinners – is that, as he prays to God, he looks at himself, Francis said.“Instead of having the Lord before his eyes, he has a mirror,” the Pope said. When he prays, the pharisee lists his good deeds, and is made happy by following “precepts.”“Yet, ...
By Junno Arocho EstevesVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While the prayer of a proud personisn't strong enough to reach God's heart, the prayer of a humble and contriteheart is capable of opening wide the door to his mercy and love, Pope Francissaid. "God has one weakness: He has a weakness for the humbleones. In front of a humble heart, God opens his heart fully," the popesaid June 1 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. The pope continued his catechetical series on prayer, focusingon Jesus' parable of the Pharisee, who prayed with arrogance of his own assumedrighteousness, and the tax collector, who would "not even raise his eyesto heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me asinner.'"The Pharisee "prayed to himself," and his prayerwas a display of his own merits and sense of superiority disguised as a"prayer of thanksgiving toward God," the pope said. "Instead of having the Lord in front of his eyes, hehad a mirror," he said. "His attitude and his wo...
LONDON (AP) -- They came, they saw, they got down to business....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is pressuring the food industry to make foods from breads to sliced turkey less salty, proposing long-awaited sodium guidelines in an effort to prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart disease and stroke....
