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Updated: 2 hours 43 sec ago
Archbishop Chaput urges Americans to 'wake up' on religious freedom
Philadelphia, Pa., May 24, 2013 / 01:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia says Americans need to awaken to threats against religious freedom given the new revelations about IRS targeting of religious groups and the continued burdens of the HHS mandate.
“The day when Americans could take the Founders’ understanding of religious freedom as a given is over. We need to wake up,” Archbishop Chaput said in his May 24th column for CatholicPhilly.com.
“Selective IRS pressure on religious individuals and organizations has drawn very little media attention. Nor should we expect any, any time soon,” he said.
“But the latest IRS ugliness is a hint of the treatment disfavored religious groups may face in the future, if we sleep through the national discussion of religious liberty now.”
Although the IRS controversy initially focused on allegations the agency selectively targeted conservative-leaning “tea party” groups with burdensome demands, more incidents against other groups and individuals have been brought to light.
Anne Hendershott, a Catholic professor and writer, has said her Internal Revenue Service audit focused on her writings critical of President Obama and the 2010 health care legislation. She said the audit discouraged her from criticizing the president.
The IRS asked pro-life groups to provide large amounts of paperwork. The agency asked the groups to promise not to protest Planned parenthood or to say whether they planned to educate the public about both sides of the abortion issue. An IRS employee in 2012 allegedly leaked a confidential donor’s list from the National Organization for Marriage to the Human Rights Campaign, a backer of “gay marriage” whose president was named national co-chair of the Obama campaign.
Archbishop Chaput said the mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services similarly pressures religious groups.
Although the Catholic bishops have long supported access to adequate health care coverage, he said, “health care has now morphed into a religious liberty issue provoked entirely – and needlessly — by the current White House.”
He said the Obama administration, despite “a few small concessions,” refuses to withdraw or “reasonably modify” the mandate requiring insurance coverage for sterilizations, contraceptives and abortifacient drugs. Archbishop Chaput said the mandate “violates the moral and religious convictions of many individuals, private employers and religiously affiliated and inspired organizations.”
He said the mandate “can only be understood as a form of coercion.”
“Access to inexpensive contraception is a problem nowhere in the United States,” the archbishop said. “The mandate is thus an ideological statement; the imposition of a preferential option for infertility. And if millions of Americans disagree with it on principle – too bad.”
He said that these controversies show that the debate on issues of sexual morality needs “a parallel and vigorous defense of religious freedom.”
The U.S. bishops’ conference will hold another Fortnight for Freedom from June 21-July 4. Like last year, it will feature public rallies, prayer vigils and Masses for the defense of religious freedom.
“The day when Americans could take the Founders’ understanding of religious freedom as a given is over. We need to wake up,” Archbishop Chaput said in his May 24th column for CatholicPhilly.com.
“Selective IRS pressure on religious individuals and organizations has drawn very little media attention. Nor should we expect any, any time soon,” he said.
“But the latest IRS ugliness is a hint of the treatment disfavored religious groups may face in the future, if we sleep through the national discussion of religious liberty now.”
Although the IRS controversy initially focused on allegations the agency selectively targeted conservative-leaning “tea party” groups with burdensome demands, more incidents against other groups and individuals have been brought to light.
Anne Hendershott, a Catholic professor and writer, has said her Internal Revenue Service audit focused on her writings critical of President Obama and the 2010 health care legislation. She said the audit discouraged her from criticizing the president.
The IRS asked pro-life groups to provide large amounts of paperwork. The agency asked the groups to promise not to protest Planned parenthood or to say whether they planned to educate the public about both sides of the abortion issue. An IRS employee in 2012 allegedly leaked a confidential donor’s list from the National Organization for Marriage to the Human Rights Campaign, a backer of “gay marriage” whose president was named national co-chair of the Obama campaign.
Archbishop Chaput said the mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services similarly pressures religious groups.
Although the Catholic bishops have long supported access to adequate health care coverage, he said, “health care has now morphed into a religious liberty issue provoked entirely – and needlessly — by the current White House.”
He said the Obama administration, despite “a few small concessions,” refuses to withdraw or “reasonably modify” the mandate requiring insurance coverage for sterilizations, contraceptives and abortifacient drugs. Archbishop Chaput said the mandate “violates the moral and religious convictions of many individuals, private employers and religiously affiliated and inspired organizations.”
He said the mandate “can only be understood as a form of coercion.”
“Access to inexpensive contraception is a problem nowhere in the United States,” the archbishop said. “The mandate is thus an ideological statement; the imposition of a preferential option for infertility. And if millions of Americans disagree with it on principle – too bad.”
He said that these controversies show that the debate on issues of sexual morality needs “a parallel and vigorous defense of religious freedom.”
The U.S. bishops’ conference will hold another Fortnight for Freedom from June 21-July 4. Like last year, it will feature public rallies, prayer vigils and Masses for the defense of religious freedom.
Pope stresses vigilant love of God as guard against laziness
Vatican City, May 24, 2013 / 09:50 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis counseled the Italian bishops to avoid becoming lukewarm by remaining vigilant in their love for God, as he reflected on Jesus asking Peter if he loved him.
“The question is addressed to me and to each one of you, to all of us,” the Pope told them on May 23, as they listened to his meditation on John 21 inside Saint Peter’s Basilica.
“If we avoid reacting too hastily and superficially, it encourages us to look within, to enter into ourselves,” he stated.
The pontiff warned that a “lack of vigilance … makes the pastor lukewarm” and he “runs the risk, like the Apostle Peter, of denying the Lord, even if he is present to us and speaks in his name.”
“He becomes distracted, forgetful and even impatient,” the Pope said.
A careless priest can become seduced by “the prospect of a career, the lure of money, and compromises with the spirit of the world,” he added.
The lack of attentiveness “makes him lazy, turning him into a functionary, a cleric worried more about himself, about organizations and structures, than about the true good of the People of God,” he told the bishops.
The Italian bishops were gathered in Rome to hold their 65th general assembly. Their meeting culminated in a Thursday evening prayer service that included a Liturgy of the Word, a reflection from Pope Francis, and a solemn profession of faith that he led.
The ceremony began with Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, delivering opening remarks and offering his thanks to the Pope.
After the Liturgy of the Word, Pope Francis offered a brief meditation on the Bible passages that were read, including John 21, where Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him.
Turning to Jesus response to Peter – “feed my sheep” – Pope Francis said that being pastors means “walking in front of the flock, freed from the burdens that hinder a healthy apostolic swiftness, and without hesitation in leading, to make our voice recognizable both to those who have embraced the faith, but also to those who are not of this fold.”
And it also means to be “capable of listening to the silent story of the suffering and bearing up the steps of those who are afraid of not succeeding,” the Holy Father reflected.
He said that they should do this “to raise up, to reassure, and inspire hope” and encouraged them to share their faith with “the humble” and particularly with priests, whom he called “our sons and our brothers.”
“A special place is reserved for our priests,” advised the Pope. “Especially for them, our hearts, our hands, and our doors remain open at all times.”
“They are the first faithful we bishops have, our priests,” he added. “Let us love them, let us love them from the heart!”
The bishops and Pope Francis closed their encounter by making a solemn profession of faith in front of St. Peter’s tomb.
“The profession of faith that we now renew together is not a formal act, but is a renewal of our response to the ‘follow me’ with which the Gospel of John concludes,” the pontiff said.
“Allow your own life to unfold according to the project of God, committing your whole self to the Lord Jesus,” he remarked.
According to Pope Francis, the consequence of loving the Lord is “giving absolutely everything, even one’s very life.”
“This is what must distinguish our pastoral ministry, it is the litmus test that shows how profoundly we have embraced the gift received in response to the call of Jesus, and how we are joined to the people and the communities that have been entrusted to us,” he said.
“The question is addressed to me and to each one of you, to all of us,” the Pope told them on May 23, as they listened to his meditation on John 21 inside Saint Peter’s Basilica.
“If we avoid reacting too hastily and superficially, it encourages us to look within, to enter into ourselves,” he stated.
The pontiff warned that a “lack of vigilance … makes the pastor lukewarm” and he “runs the risk, like the Apostle Peter, of denying the Lord, even if he is present to us and speaks in his name.”
“He becomes distracted, forgetful and even impatient,” the Pope said.
A careless priest can become seduced by “the prospect of a career, the lure of money, and compromises with the spirit of the world,” he added.
The lack of attentiveness “makes him lazy, turning him into a functionary, a cleric worried more about himself, about organizations and structures, than about the true good of the People of God,” he told the bishops.
The Italian bishops were gathered in Rome to hold their 65th general assembly. Their meeting culminated in a Thursday evening prayer service that included a Liturgy of the Word, a reflection from Pope Francis, and a solemn profession of faith that he led.
The ceremony began with Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, delivering opening remarks and offering his thanks to the Pope.
After the Liturgy of the Word, Pope Francis offered a brief meditation on the Bible passages that were read, including John 21, where Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him.
Turning to Jesus response to Peter – “feed my sheep” – Pope Francis said that being pastors means “walking in front of the flock, freed from the burdens that hinder a healthy apostolic swiftness, and without hesitation in leading, to make our voice recognizable both to those who have embraced the faith, but also to those who are not of this fold.”
And it also means to be “capable of listening to the silent story of the suffering and bearing up the steps of those who are afraid of not succeeding,” the Holy Father reflected.
He said that they should do this “to raise up, to reassure, and inspire hope” and encouraged them to share their faith with “the humble” and particularly with priests, whom he called “our sons and our brothers.”
“A special place is reserved for our priests,” advised the Pope. “Especially for them, our hearts, our hands, and our doors remain open at all times.”
“They are the first faithful we bishops have, our priests,” he added. “Let us love them, let us love them from the heart!”
The bishops and Pope Francis closed their encounter by making a solemn profession of faith in front of St. Peter’s tomb.
“The profession of faith that we now renew together is not a formal act, but is a renewal of our response to the ‘follow me’ with which the Gospel of John concludes,” the pontiff said.
“Allow your own life to unfold according to the project of God, committing your whole self to the Lord Jesus,” he remarked.
According to Pope Francis, the consequence of loving the Lord is “giving absolutely everything, even one’s very life.”
“This is what must distinguish our pastoral ministry, it is the litmus test that shows how profoundly we have embraced the gift received in response to the call of Jesus, and how we are joined to the people and the communities that have been entrusted to us,” he said.
Schönstatt Movement overjoyed at receiving original chapel
Rome, Italy, May 24, 2013 / 09:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- One of the oldest movements in the Church will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, but on Wednesday its members received an early gift when they learned that the chapel where it all started was being given to them.
Father Andrew Pastore, the movement’s communications officer, explained in a May 23 interview with CNA that the Pallottine Fathers announced during their provincial assembly that “they’re actually going to give the shrine to the Schönstatt Movement as a gift for this great jubilee year in the hope that we can together move forward.”
The provincial superior of the movement, Father Theo Breitinger, added in a May 22 statement that the community received the “surprising” news with “great joy” and that the gift shows the Pallottine’s “good will.”
The movement first began on Oct. 18, 1914, when Pallottine Father Joseph Kentenich lead a group of his students in dedicating themselves to Mary in the small chapel that had served as a garden tool shed before they refurbished it.
“You can imagine 1914 was the outbreak of the First World War. Father Kentenich was looking for ways to ground these people in faith and to give them a strength that they needed to take on the challenges of the transforming world around them,” Fr. Pastore said.
“There weren’t many people in the little chapel, there was Father Kentenich and a few of the boys who were around the age of 14 to 16,” he explained.
“Fr. Kentenich just very tentatively said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Our Lady would take up her throne here and from this little place she could work throughout the course of history, the course of time, the course of the world.”
With the transfer of the original chapel, both the Pallottines and the Schönstatt movement hope that “the things that have happened in these last 100 years can happen in the 100 years to come.”
The historical interaction has not been without its difficulties, though, as is often the case with new movements that are born from a pre-existing community.
In 1964 the Schönstatt movement and Fr. Kentenich parted ways with the Pallottine Fathers, but the small chapel remained in the hands of the religious order, which provided for the pastoral needs of those who came to the shrine.
Fast-forward 50 years and the movement is present all over the globe and is gearing up to celebrate its 100th anniversary, with activities planned in Schönstatt and Rome.
The organizers expect around 15,000 pilgrims from 48 countries to attend the Oct. 16-19, 2014 festivities at the shrine in Schönstatt, which will also include a Mass with Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko.
Fr. Pastore explained the importance of also holding a celebration in Rome by quoting from the words inscribed on their founder’s coffin: “Delexit Ecclesiam” (He loved the Church).
The gathering in the Eternal City will take place between Oct. 23-26 next year, and will feature a pilgrimage on foot from the Basilica of St. Mary Major to St. Peter’s Basilica, visits to the shrines run by the movement, and a possible meeting with Pope Francis.
During the meetings the movement will also focus on five areas in the culture that it is working to proclaim the message that “Mary bears Christ as the answer to the burning questions of the age.”
Those areas are: marriage and family life, working with youth, education, integrating its charism into diocesan life, and renewing society.
To learn more about the Schönstatt Movement and its celebrations, please visit: http://www.schönstatt.org.
Father Andrew Pastore, the movement’s communications officer, explained in a May 23 interview with CNA that the Pallottine Fathers announced during their provincial assembly that “they’re actually going to give the shrine to the Schönstatt Movement as a gift for this great jubilee year in the hope that we can together move forward.”
The provincial superior of the movement, Father Theo Breitinger, added in a May 22 statement that the community received the “surprising” news with “great joy” and that the gift shows the Pallottine’s “good will.”
The movement first began on Oct. 18, 1914, when Pallottine Father Joseph Kentenich lead a group of his students in dedicating themselves to Mary in the small chapel that had served as a garden tool shed before they refurbished it.
“You can imagine 1914 was the outbreak of the First World War. Father Kentenich was looking for ways to ground these people in faith and to give them a strength that they needed to take on the challenges of the transforming world around them,” Fr. Pastore said.
“There weren’t many people in the little chapel, there was Father Kentenich and a few of the boys who were around the age of 14 to 16,” he explained.
“Fr. Kentenich just very tentatively said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Our Lady would take up her throne here and from this little place she could work throughout the course of history, the course of time, the course of the world.”
With the transfer of the original chapel, both the Pallottines and the Schönstatt movement hope that “the things that have happened in these last 100 years can happen in the 100 years to come.”
The historical interaction has not been without its difficulties, though, as is often the case with new movements that are born from a pre-existing community.
In 1964 the Schönstatt movement and Fr. Kentenich parted ways with the Pallottine Fathers, but the small chapel remained in the hands of the religious order, which provided for the pastoral needs of those who came to the shrine.
Fast-forward 50 years and the movement is present all over the globe and is gearing up to celebrate its 100th anniversary, with activities planned in Schönstatt and Rome.
The organizers expect around 15,000 pilgrims from 48 countries to attend the Oct. 16-19, 2014 festivities at the shrine in Schönstatt, which will also include a Mass with Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko.
Fr. Pastore explained the importance of also holding a celebration in Rome by quoting from the words inscribed on their founder’s coffin: “Delexit Ecclesiam” (He loved the Church).
The gathering in the Eternal City will take place between Oct. 23-26 next year, and will feature a pilgrimage on foot from the Basilica of St. Mary Major to St. Peter’s Basilica, visits to the shrines run by the movement, and a possible meeting with Pope Francis.
During the meetings the movement will also focus on five areas in the culture that it is working to proclaim the message that “Mary bears Christ as the answer to the burning questions of the age.”
Those areas are: marriage and family life, working with youth, education, integrating its charism into diocesan life, and renewing society.
To learn more about the Schönstatt Movement and its celebrations, please visit: http://www.schönstatt.org.
Canada's politicians targeted for 'failure' to protect children
Calgary, Canada, May 24, 2013 / 04:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A pro-life group in Canada is renewing its efforts to ignite discussion and conversion in their country by calling out major politicians who support abortion.
“We very much want to change public opinion so that we can change public policy,” Stephanie Gray of the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform told CNA May 21.
The campaign called “Face the Children” consists of postcards featuring images of some of Canada’s most powerful politicians alongside graphic pictures of aborted children.
“Our experience has been that when people see the pictures it does change their minds,” Gray explained.
With a team made up of volunteers, summer interns and staffers, the organization has been scouring neighborhoods with the postcards and distributing them door-to-door.
“We’ve seen a range of reactions,” Gray said. While some recipients have called their office with words of encouragement and suggesting that they target more pro-choice politicians, others have been angry and upset.
“The point we make is that the images are disturbing,” Gray said, “but what’s more disturbing is that the picture of the politician next to the image has failed the children.”
“If we just had leaders who would implement laws to protect the pre-born, then these images wouldn’t have to be circulated,” she added.
So far, the group has revealed two of the five politicians they will be highlighting throughout the summer.
In the first round of postcards, a smiling picture of the Prime Minister is shown next to a baby girl aborted at six months with text that reads “Stephen Harper won’t ban this.”
The second postcard the group began distributing just this week features Michelle Rempel, Member of Parliament of Calgary Centre North, alongside a baby aborted at six months with the words “One of
Canada’s most powerful women failed Canada’s most powerless children.”
Each round of the campaign, which will run for five weeks, distributes 50,000 postcards in each politicians riding – or constituency – amounting to a total of 250,000 postcards circulating throughout Canada.
“So, if you think just that on average, say two people see a postcard, that’s basically half a million people that will be targeted with the pro-life message in four months,” Gray said.
Just as the murder trial of Kermitt Gosnell – the late-term abortionist who was convicted of first-degree murder for three babies who survived botched abortions and third-degree murder of one mother – has brought the images of abortion to the public eye in the United State, so too will this campaign in Canada.
“We need to bring what’s in darkness into light because if it remains in the dark, it will carry on,” she said, “but if it comes into the light those with functioning consciences will respond accordingly.”
This is not the first campaign featuring graphic images that the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform has conducted.
The group frequently gathers outside of high schools with poster board-sized images of aborted babies and engages in conversation about what abortion actually is.
“We very much want to change public opinion so that we can change public policy,” Stephanie Gray of the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform told CNA May 21.
The campaign called “Face the Children” consists of postcards featuring images of some of Canada’s most powerful politicians alongside graphic pictures of aborted children.
“Our experience has been that when people see the pictures it does change their minds,” Gray explained.
With a team made up of volunteers, summer interns and staffers, the organization has been scouring neighborhoods with the postcards and distributing them door-to-door.
“We’ve seen a range of reactions,” Gray said. While some recipients have called their office with words of encouragement and suggesting that they target more pro-choice politicians, others have been angry and upset.
“The point we make is that the images are disturbing,” Gray said, “but what’s more disturbing is that the picture of the politician next to the image has failed the children.”
“If we just had leaders who would implement laws to protect the pre-born, then these images wouldn’t have to be circulated,” she added.
So far, the group has revealed two of the five politicians they will be highlighting throughout the summer.
In the first round of postcards, a smiling picture of the Prime Minister is shown next to a baby girl aborted at six months with text that reads “Stephen Harper won’t ban this.”
The second postcard the group began distributing just this week features Michelle Rempel, Member of Parliament of Calgary Centre North, alongside a baby aborted at six months with the words “One of
Canada’s most powerful women failed Canada’s most powerless children.”
Each round of the campaign, which will run for five weeks, distributes 50,000 postcards in each politicians riding – or constituency – amounting to a total of 250,000 postcards circulating throughout Canada.
“So, if you think just that on average, say two people see a postcard, that’s basically half a million people that will be targeted with the pro-life message in four months,” Gray said.
Just as the murder trial of Kermitt Gosnell – the late-term abortionist who was convicted of first-degree murder for three babies who survived botched abortions and third-degree murder of one mother – has brought the images of abortion to the public eye in the United State, so too will this campaign in Canada.
“We need to bring what’s in darkness into light because if it remains in the dark, it will carry on,” she said, “but if it comes into the light those with functioning consciences will respond accordingly.”
This is not the first campaign featuring graphic images that the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform has conducted.
The group frequently gathers outside of high schools with poster board-sized images of aborted babies and engages in conversation about what abortion actually is.
Famous exorcist says Pope's simple prayer cast out demon
Rome, Italy, May 24, 2013 / 03:58 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Rome’s most well known exorcist says Pope Francis performed an exorcism in St. Peter’s Square last Sunday and that the man was possessed because of Mexico’s abortion law.
“The Pope, in good faith, got close to him and performed an exorcism on him in the form of a liberation prayer, not like the classical exorcism that one does with a book,” said Father Gabriele Amorth in a May 22 evening interview with CNA.
“He is really a soul of God, which the Lord is using to criticize Mexico for legalizing abortion,” he said.
According to Fr. Amorth, he himself performed an exorcism for over an hour on the Mexican man before the Pope prayed over him later that same day in St. Peter's Square.
“I’m well informed about that young man; a good, golden, young man, he appears younger than what he is,” said Fr. Amorth. “He is 43 years-old (and) married with children.”
“I saw John Paul II do this same prayer three times,” he said. “Pope Francis laid his hands on him, prayed, and that’s it. It is enough.”
Fr. Amorth, aged 88, has performed over 70,000 exorcisms during the past 27 years. The number is high because carrying out an exorcism can require multiple sessions and each time the rite is administered it is counted as one instance.
After the interview with CNA, he made comments May 22 at Rome’s Lepanto Foundation, a Catholic book organization where he was invited to speak on his two latest books: “The last exorcist, my battle against Satan” and “The sign of the exorcist, my latest battles against Satan.”
“You must have noticed that in his 10 short speeches, this Pope has always mentioned 'his excellency,' the devil,” he said during the evening meeting, which had a dramatic feel to it because of the subject matter and the pouring rain and thunder outside.
“What did he do last Sunday?” asked the exorcist. “When Mass finished, as he normally does, with his simplicity, he walked over to greet a few sick, and a Mexican priest pointed out to him a young man possessed by the devil.”
He noted that the Pope “did not hide himself in this liberation prayer that he did on this young man at the Square.”
“Jesus did exorcisms on the street, in homes, wherever,” said Fr. Amorth. “I’ve had to change 23 places in Rome to be able to do exorcisms.”
“I would like for everyone to attend exorcisms,” he added. “I’ve seen many priests that, after having seen one, did not doubt anymore about the existence of Satan. One has to see it.”
Fr. Amorth said people no longer believe in the devil now and there is a shortage of exorcists.
“Today there are no more exorcists because of the bishops,” he charged. “I’ve been saying for 27 years that when a bishop doesn’t provide, he commits a mortal sin.”
“But not all bishops are in the state of mortal sin, shucks that would be a lot of bishops,” he joked.
Fr. Amorth stated that everyone has the power to cast out devils if they have enough faith in Jesus Christ, and that these abilities are “gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
“But if one truly has this gift he keeps it hidden and is humble about it,” he pointed out.
“The Pope, in good faith, got close to him and performed an exorcism on him in the form of a liberation prayer, not like the classical exorcism that one does with a book,” said Father Gabriele Amorth in a May 22 evening interview with CNA.
“He is really a soul of God, which the Lord is using to criticize Mexico for legalizing abortion,” he said.
According to Fr. Amorth, he himself performed an exorcism for over an hour on the Mexican man before the Pope prayed over him later that same day in St. Peter's Square.
“I’m well informed about that young man; a good, golden, young man, he appears younger than what he is,” said Fr. Amorth. “He is 43 years-old (and) married with children.”
“I saw John Paul II do this same prayer three times,” he said. “Pope Francis laid his hands on him, prayed, and that’s it. It is enough.”
Fr. Amorth, aged 88, has performed over 70,000 exorcisms during the past 27 years. The number is high because carrying out an exorcism can require multiple sessions and each time the rite is administered it is counted as one instance.
After the interview with CNA, he made comments May 22 at Rome’s Lepanto Foundation, a Catholic book organization where he was invited to speak on his two latest books: “The last exorcist, my battle against Satan” and “The sign of the exorcist, my latest battles against Satan.”
“You must have noticed that in his 10 short speeches, this Pope has always mentioned 'his excellency,' the devil,” he said during the evening meeting, which had a dramatic feel to it because of the subject matter and the pouring rain and thunder outside.
“What did he do last Sunday?” asked the exorcist. “When Mass finished, as he normally does, with his simplicity, he walked over to greet a few sick, and a Mexican priest pointed out to him a young man possessed by the devil.”
He noted that the Pope “did not hide himself in this liberation prayer that he did on this young man at the Square.”
“Jesus did exorcisms on the street, in homes, wherever,” said Fr. Amorth. “I’ve had to change 23 places in Rome to be able to do exorcisms.”
“I would like for everyone to attend exorcisms,” he added. “I’ve seen many priests that, after having seen one, did not doubt anymore about the existence of Satan. One has to see it.”
Fr. Amorth said people no longer believe in the devil now and there is a shortage of exorcists.
“Today there are no more exorcists because of the bishops,” he charged. “I’ve been saying for 27 years that when a bishop doesn’t provide, he commits a mortal sin.”
“But not all bishops are in the state of mortal sin, shucks that would be a lot of bishops,” he joked.
Fr. Amorth stated that everyone has the power to cast out devils if they have enough faith in Jesus Christ, and that these abilities are “gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
“But if one truly has this gift he keeps it hidden and is humble about it,” he pointed out.
Western culture 'lost God' through demise of family
Washington D.C., May 24, 2013 / 02:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Scholar Mary Eberstadt says most theories of secularization do not take into account the role of the family in religious practice, noting how its demise is critically linked to an increasingly secular West.
“The reasons commonly offered for secularization don’t hold up when you scrutinize them,” Eberstadt, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., told CNA May 23.
“This means that modern secular sociology has gotten a pretty big thing wrong, and it’s gotten it wrong because it’s ignored the role of the family and what motivates people to go to church.”
She noted that “the conventional story line” often assumes secularization is a natural effect of a variety of forces such as modernization, the industrial revolution, education, and material wealth.
While these forces are important, Eberstadt conceded, none of them, by themselves can explain the secularization of Western society.
She pointed to examples made in her recent book, “How the West Really Lost God,” which notes that despite the predictions of many proponents and scholars of secularizations, religion is more prominent among the educated and wealthy. This seemingly disproves, she noted, those who claim religion is mere superstition or comfort for the struggling.
Her book – released April 24 by Templeton Press – also shows how following the industrial revolution, these two groups have been able to maintain the ability to retain family ties in ways that those who are less educated and facing financial misfortunes have not been able to.
“When we see secularization, we’re seeing something other than the fact that people got richer or the fact that people got more educated,” Eberstadt emphasized.
Instead, she aims to “forth an alternative theory:” that the “family has been a hidden and critical player all along” in both the success and decline of religious observance.
“In times of family decline, you see a religious decline; in times of family prosperity you see religious prosperity,” Eberstadt said of her research, adding that “the fracturing of the modern family and the atomization of the modern family have a lot to do with the secularization of society.”
To those wishing to reverse the trends of secularization, she emphasized “the first thing we need to do is understand what exactly is going on,” she said
“It’s not a hopeless situation,” Eberstadt stressed, adding that secularization is not an inevitable effect of modernization, as many claim.
She suggested that those wishing to challenge the trend of declining religious observance look at “what makes it easier to have families,” noting in particular ways of supporting young families in times of need, such as “pro-bono marital counseling,” and increased child support within communities.
Eberstadt also stressed that “religious believers benefit society,” and that attempts to marginalize and stigmatize religious practice are “shortsighted.
“People who have a creed that tells them to take care of poor and sick people are more likely to do that,” Eberstadt said, noting sociological trends such as a “charity gap” between religious and nonreligious persons, as well as “very little private donation” in irreligious countries.
“Religious practice helps everybody in the public,” she stated. “These are people who are actually giving back in the public square a meaningful way.”
“The reasons commonly offered for secularization don’t hold up when you scrutinize them,” Eberstadt, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., told CNA May 23.
“This means that modern secular sociology has gotten a pretty big thing wrong, and it’s gotten it wrong because it’s ignored the role of the family and what motivates people to go to church.”
She noted that “the conventional story line” often assumes secularization is a natural effect of a variety of forces such as modernization, the industrial revolution, education, and material wealth.
While these forces are important, Eberstadt conceded, none of them, by themselves can explain the secularization of Western society.
She pointed to examples made in her recent book, “How the West Really Lost God,” which notes that despite the predictions of many proponents and scholars of secularizations, religion is more prominent among the educated and wealthy. This seemingly disproves, she noted, those who claim religion is mere superstition or comfort for the struggling.
Her book – released April 24 by Templeton Press – also shows how following the industrial revolution, these two groups have been able to maintain the ability to retain family ties in ways that those who are less educated and facing financial misfortunes have not been able to.
“When we see secularization, we’re seeing something other than the fact that people got richer or the fact that people got more educated,” Eberstadt emphasized.
Instead, she aims to “forth an alternative theory:” that the “family has been a hidden and critical player all along” in both the success and decline of religious observance.
“In times of family decline, you see a religious decline; in times of family prosperity you see religious prosperity,” Eberstadt said of her research, adding that “the fracturing of the modern family and the atomization of the modern family have a lot to do with the secularization of society.”
To those wishing to reverse the trends of secularization, she emphasized “the first thing we need to do is understand what exactly is going on,” she said
“It’s not a hopeless situation,” Eberstadt stressed, adding that secularization is not an inevitable effect of modernization, as many claim.
She suggested that those wishing to challenge the trend of declining religious observance look at “what makes it easier to have families,” noting in particular ways of supporting young families in times of need, such as “pro-bono marital counseling,” and increased child support within communities.
Eberstadt also stressed that “religious believers benefit society,” and that attempts to marginalize and stigmatize religious practice are “shortsighted.
“People who have a creed that tells them to take care of poor and sick people are more likely to do that,” Eberstadt said, noting sociological trends such as a “charity gap” between religious and nonreligious persons, as well as “very little private donation” in irreligious countries.
“Religious practice helps everybody in the public,” she stated. “These are people who are actually giving back in the public square a meaningful way.”
Denver archbishop calls for end to Colo. death penalty
Denver, Colo., May 24, 2013 / 12:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver has called for the repeal of the death penalty following the Colorado governor’s grant of a temporary reprieve to a death row inmate convicted of four murders.
“My support for the death penalty’s repeal is rooted in my respect for the dignity of all human life,” the archbishop said May 22.
“Every human being has a fundamental right to life. It is wrong to take life needlessly, either through execution, or abortion, or criminal acts of violence.”
“Humanity is at its best when it protects and defends human life from the time of conception until natural death. Let us continue to work for peace in our families, our communities, and in our state,” he added.
Gov. John Hickenlooper on Wednesday chose to delay Nathan Dunlap’s execution three months before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection.
He said in an executive order that Colorado’s capital punishment system is “not flawless.” Hickenlooper noted that death sentences are not handed down “fairly,” citing a judge who said the punishment is the result of “happenstance” like a district attorney’s decision, the jurisdiction of the trial, and possibly the race or economic circumstances of the defendant.
“Colorado’s system of capital punishment is imperfect and inherently inequitable,” the governor said after announcing the order. “Such a level of punishment really does demand perfection.”
Although the governor refrained from granting full clemency to Dunlap, he said it is “highly unlikely” he will reconsider the death penalty for his case, the Denver Post reports.
Dunlap was convicted of killing four employees, including several teenagers, at an Aurora, Colo. Chuck E. Cheese’s pizza parlor in 1993. He was 19 at the time and a former employee of the restaurant. He shot and seriously wounded a fifth employee before stealing about $1,500.
His attorneys have argued that Dunlap was a victim of continual abuse as a youth and suffers from bipolar disorder. They said he was in the middle of a manic episode when the killings took place.
Many relatives of the victims responded to the temporary reprieve with anger and disappointment.
“The knife that's been in my back...was just twisted by the governor,” Bob Crowell, whose 19-year-old daughter Sylvia was among the slain, told the Denver Post after a conference call between the governor and victims’ families.
Archbishop Aquila voiced his support for the victims and their families.
“My heart goes out most to the families of the victims of Dunlap’s heinous crime,” he said. “I pray that they will find closure to the violence that was committed to their loved ones and to them. Few of us will ever experience that type of violence.”
However, he said Gov. Hickenlooper was right to emphasize that execution is “a matter which should be considered thoughtfully by all Coloradans.”
“Coloradans should work together to end the practice of punitive killing – for the sake of justice, and the sake of human dignity,” he said.
“When will Americans open their eyes to recognize that violence only begets violence? We who stood for the life of Nathan Dunlap should work together to end violence undertaken in our state, in the womb, and in our hearts,” the archbishop added.
“My support for the death penalty’s repeal is rooted in my respect for the dignity of all human life,” the archbishop said May 22.
“Every human being has a fundamental right to life. It is wrong to take life needlessly, either through execution, or abortion, or criminal acts of violence.”
“Humanity is at its best when it protects and defends human life from the time of conception until natural death. Let us continue to work for peace in our families, our communities, and in our state,” he added.
Gov. John Hickenlooper on Wednesday chose to delay Nathan Dunlap’s execution three months before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection.
He said in an executive order that Colorado’s capital punishment system is “not flawless.” Hickenlooper noted that death sentences are not handed down “fairly,” citing a judge who said the punishment is the result of “happenstance” like a district attorney’s decision, the jurisdiction of the trial, and possibly the race or economic circumstances of the defendant.
“Colorado’s system of capital punishment is imperfect and inherently inequitable,” the governor said after announcing the order. “Such a level of punishment really does demand perfection.”
Although the governor refrained from granting full clemency to Dunlap, he said it is “highly unlikely” he will reconsider the death penalty for his case, the Denver Post reports.
Dunlap was convicted of killing four employees, including several teenagers, at an Aurora, Colo. Chuck E. Cheese’s pizza parlor in 1993. He was 19 at the time and a former employee of the restaurant. He shot and seriously wounded a fifth employee before stealing about $1,500.
His attorneys have argued that Dunlap was a victim of continual abuse as a youth and suffers from bipolar disorder. They said he was in the middle of a manic episode when the killings took place.
Many relatives of the victims responded to the temporary reprieve with anger and disappointment.
“The knife that's been in my back...was just twisted by the governor,” Bob Crowell, whose 19-year-old daughter Sylvia was among the slain, told the Denver Post after a conference call between the governor and victims’ families.
Archbishop Aquila voiced his support for the victims and their families.
“My heart goes out most to the families of the victims of Dunlap’s heinous crime,” he said. “I pray that they will find closure to the violence that was committed to their loved ones and to them. Few of us will ever experience that type of violence.”
However, he said Gov. Hickenlooper was right to emphasize that execution is “a matter which should be considered thoughtfully by all Coloradans.”
“Coloradans should work together to end the practice of punitive killing – for the sake of justice, and the sake of human dignity,” he said.
“When will Americans open their eyes to recognize that violence only begets violence? We who stood for the life of Nathan Dunlap should work together to end violence undertaken in our state, in the womb, and in our hearts,” the archbishop added.
Boys Scouts of America lifts ban on openly gay members
Washington D.C., May 23, 2013 / 04:22 pm (CNA).- The Boy Scouts of America has voted in favor of a resolution that lifts the ban on openly gay members but will not allow gay adult troop leaders.
During its annual meeting in Grapevine, Texas, some 1,400 Boy Scouts delegates voted on whether or not the groups should lift its ban on openly homosexual youth members.
The resolution, which allows gay youth members, was passed with an over 60 percent majority of votes.
In a May 22 op-ed for USA Today, Boy Scouts of America President Wayne Perry said the resolution to lift the ban on openly gay scouts “reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and that any sexual conduct, heterosexual or homosexual, is contrary to the virtues of Scouting.”
The resolution, he explained, will not allow “the use of the organization to promote or advance any social or political positions or agendas.”
The announcement of the resolution follows several months of policy review after the Boy Scouts lost funding from high-profile donors such as UPS, Merck and Intel over the old rules, which barred openly gay members. In 2000, the Supreme Court upheld this policy as a constitutional expression of free speech.
The organization decided to delay a vote on the issue back in February, citing the complexity of the issue and need for dialogue and review.
The new resolution, which will go into effect Jan. 2014, will continue to prevent gay adults from serving as troop leaders.
The resolution affects only the national policy and allows each local unit to set its own guidelines, allowing “the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address the issue.”
Many pro-family groups, including Concerned Women for America, Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute and Family Research Council, had urged the scouts to continue their old policy, arguing that it helps to protect scouts from sexual abuse and aligns with the group’s founding morals.
During its annual meeting in Grapevine, Texas, some 1,400 Boy Scouts delegates voted on whether or not the groups should lift its ban on openly homosexual youth members.
The resolution, which allows gay youth members, was passed with an over 60 percent majority of votes.
In a May 22 op-ed for USA Today, Boy Scouts of America President Wayne Perry said the resolution to lift the ban on openly gay scouts “reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and that any sexual conduct, heterosexual or homosexual, is contrary to the virtues of Scouting.”
The resolution, he explained, will not allow “the use of the organization to promote or advance any social or political positions or agendas.”
The announcement of the resolution follows several months of policy review after the Boy Scouts lost funding from high-profile donors such as UPS, Merck and Intel over the old rules, which barred openly gay members. In 2000, the Supreme Court upheld this policy as a constitutional expression of free speech.
The organization decided to delay a vote on the issue back in February, citing the complexity of the issue and need for dialogue and review.
The new resolution, which will go into effect Jan. 2014, will continue to prevent gay adults from serving as troop leaders.
The resolution affects only the national policy and allows each local unit to set its own guidelines, allowing “the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address the issue.”
Many pro-family groups, including Concerned Women for America, Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute and Family Research Council, had urged the scouts to continue their old policy, arguing that it helps to protect scouts from sexual abuse and aligns with the group’s founding morals.
Pope Francis urges Christians to not be 'museum pieces'
Vatican City, May 23, 2013 / 04:07 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis reflected May 23 on Jesus Christ's exhortation to be “salt of the earth,” warning that Christians who do not live their faith become “flavorless salt” and are fit to be museum pieces.
The pontiff said that God gives Christians the “salt” of faith, hope and charity. This salt should not be hoarded “because if the salt is preserved in a bottle it does not do anything: it is good for nothing.”
“We can show the salt: this is my salt – and how lovely it is! This is the salt that I received in Baptism, this is what I received in Confirmation, this is what I received in catechesis,” he said. “But look: museum-piece Christians! A salt without flavor, a salt that does nothing.”
The Pope’s comments came in his homily during morning Mass at the chapel of St. Martha's residence in the Vatican, Vatican Radio reports. The day’s gospel reading, from the Gospel of Mark’s ninth chapter, contains Jesus’ question to his disciples: “if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?”
Pope Francis said that faith preached with this salt helps others receive it according to their own individual circumstances, as when it is used judiciously on food.
“Each with his own peculiarities receives the salt and becomes better,” he added. “The Christian originality is not a uniformity! It takes each one as he is, with his own personality, with his own characteristics, his culture – and leaves him with that, because it is a treasure.”
He said this “salt” also gives something more. “It gives flavor!” he said. “This Christian originality is so beautiful.”
He said those who want everything to be salted in the same way risk a situation where a cook throws in too much salt.
“One tastes only salt and not the meal,” he said. The Christian originality is this: each as he is, with the gifts the Lord has given him.”
He urged Christians to “get out there with the message, to get out there with this richness that we have in salt, and give it to others.”
The Pope said Christians may give this salt both in service to others and in service to God. The “salt” of faith also keeps its flavor through preaching, prayer and adoration.
“With the worship of the Lord I go beyond myself to the Lord, and with the proclamation of the Gospel I go out of myself to give the message,” he said.
He repeatedly encouraged Christians to share their faith.
“Salt makes sense when you (use) it in order to make things more tasty,” he said. “The salt that we have received is to be given out, to be given away, to spice things up. Otherwise, it becomes bland and useless.”
He said Christians should pray that God not let them become “Christians with flavorless salt that stays closed in the bottle.”
The pontiff said that God gives Christians the “salt” of faith, hope and charity. This salt should not be hoarded “because if the salt is preserved in a bottle it does not do anything: it is good for nothing.”
“We can show the salt: this is my salt – and how lovely it is! This is the salt that I received in Baptism, this is what I received in Confirmation, this is what I received in catechesis,” he said. “But look: museum-piece Christians! A salt without flavor, a salt that does nothing.”
The Pope’s comments came in his homily during morning Mass at the chapel of St. Martha's residence in the Vatican, Vatican Radio reports. The day’s gospel reading, from the Gospel of Mark’s ninth chapter, contains Jesus’ question to his disciples: “if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?”
Pope Francis said that faith preached with this salt helps others receive it according to their own individual circumstances, as when it is used judiciously on food.
“Each with his own peculiarities receives the salt and becomes better,” he added. “The Christian originality is not a uniformity! It takes each one as he is, with his own personality, with his own characteristics, his culture – and leaves him with that, because it is a treasure.”
He said this “salt” also gives something more. “It gives flavor!” he said. “This Christian originality is so beautiful.”
He said those who want everything to be salted in the same way risk a situation where a cook throws in too much salt.
“One tastes only salt and not the meal,” he said. The Christian originality is this: each as he is, with the gifts the Lord has given him.”
He urged Christians to “get out there with the message, to get out there with this richness that we have in salt, and give it to others.”
The Pope said Christians may give this salt both in service to others and in service to God. The “salt” of faith also keeps its flavor through preaching, prayer and adoration.
“With the worship of the Lord I go beyond myself to the Lord, and with the proclamation of the Gospel I go out of myself to give the message,” he said.
He repeatedly encouraged Christians to share their faith.
“Salt makes sense when you (use) it in order to make things more tasty,” he said. “The salt that we have received is to be given out, to be given away, to spice things up. Otherwise, it becomes bland and useless.”
He said Christians should pray that God not let them become “Christians with flavorless salt that stays closed in the bottle.”
Mideast Christians unite in prayer for abducted bishops
Aleppo, Syria, May 23, 2013 / 02:55 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Orthodox and Catholic Christians in the Middle East gathered this week to pray for and appeal for the realease of two Orthodox bishops who were kidnapped in Syria one month ago.
“We renew our request for the abductees to...release the two Archbishops without hurting their health or physical situation; and release all other abducted priests and innocent civilians,” the Syriac and Greek Orthodox archdioceses of Aleppo said May 22.
“We trust that the mercy of the one God whom we all believe in, will guide the abductees and induce them to release the Archbishops without any pre-conditions, because there is no price equals the freedom of the two Archbishops, and no condition equals their safe return to their communities and churches.”
Just over a month ago, on April 22, Archbishop John Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Archbishop Paul Yagizi of the Greek Orthodox Church were kidnapped by armed men who killed their driver, Deacon Fatha' Allah Kabboud.
The bishops were abducted on their way back from the Turkish border, where they were negotiating the release of two priests, Fathers Michael Kayyal and Maher Mahfouz, who had themselves been kidnapped Feb. 9.
Last weekend, Christians in Aleppo gathered for an ecumenical prayer service at the city's Greek Orthodox cathedral. It was attended by Bishop Antoine Audo, the Chaldean Catholic bishop of the Aleppo eparchy.
He told Vatican Radio that it was a “sad” occasion, those attending having “tears in their eyes.” He said the situation has been confusing, as the kidnappers have made no ransom demands for their release, and added that “it's not a question of money.”
The Greek Orthodox in Damascus gathered May 20 to pray for Bishops Ibrahim and Yagizi, and Patriarch John X met May 22 with Eva Felipi, the Czech ambassador to Syria. They discussed the grievous Syrian civil war and the need for the return of the bishops, as well as all others kidnapped in the country.
In neighboring Jordan, some 2,000 Christians participated in a candlelight procession from a Greek Orthodox church to a Syriac Orthodox church in the capital, Amman.
Archbishop Maroun Lahham, an auxiliary bishop of the Jerusalem patriarchate, prayed at the procession for “tranquility and stability in beloved Syria” and for the release of the bishops, whom he called “two of the most significant Arab Christian personalities of our time.”
He told Fides after the prayers that “we prayed so that Jordan is not plagued by conflicts that are causing suffering to the peoples of neighboring countries.”
Two weeks ago, Syrian refugees already represented 10 percent of the Jordanian population. The nation's foreign minister said it could reach 25 percent by the end of the year. The flood of refugees are straining resources in the area.
The situation is so desperate that some refugee families are arranging marriages for their teenage daughters, or selling them, to older men so that they might have stability and escape the unsanitary conditions of the refugee camps.
The Syrian civil war has dragged on for 26 months. The United Nations estimates that 80,000 have died in the conflict. There are 1.5 million Syrian refugees in nearby countries, most of them in Jordan and Lebanon.
An additional 4.25 million Syrian people are believed to have been internally displaced by the war.
The Syriac and Greek Orthodox of Aleppo added that they are daily “living the nightmare” of lacking their abducted shepherds.
“We...express day after day our sadness and increasing pain about the abduction and the absence of these two eminent Prelates, and what they represent in terms of their holiness, their local and international rank, their active role on all levels including the spiritual, the thoughts, the academic, the education and the social (spheres).”
“But above all,” the archdioceses noted, “the humanitarian work which they were carrying within the current crisis which is engulfing our country Syria.”
“We renew our request for the abductees to...release the two Archbishops without hurting their health or physical situation; and release all other abducted priests and innocent civilians,” the Syriac and Greek Orthodox archdioceses of Aleppo said May 22.
“We trust that the mercy of the one God whom we all believe in, will guide the abductees and induce them to release the Archbishops without any pre-conditions, because there is no price equals the freedom of the two Archbishops, and no condition equals their safe return to their communities and churches.”
Just over a month ago, on April 22, Archbishop John Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Archbishop Paul Yagizi of the Greek Orthodox Church were kidnapped by armed men who killed their driver, Deacon Fatha' Allah Kabboud.
The bishops were abducted on their way back from the Turkish border, where they were negotiating the release of two priests, Fathers Michael Kayyal and Maher Mahfouz, who had themselves been kidnapped Feb. 9.
Last weekend, Christians in Aleppo gathered for an ecumenical prayer service at the city's Greek Orthodox cathedral. It was attended by Bishop Antoine Audo, the Chaldean Catholic bishop of the Aleppo eparchy.
He told Vatican Radio that it was a “sad” occasion, those attending having “tears in their eyes.” He said the situation has been confusing, as the kidnappers have made no ransom demands for their release, and added that “it's not a question of money.”
The Greek Orthodox in Damascus gathered May 20 to pray for Bishops Ibrahim and Yagizi, and Patriarch John X met May 22 with Eva Felipi, the Czech ambassador to Syria. They discussed the grievous Syrian civil war and the need for the return of the bishops, as well as all others kidnapped in the country.
In neighboring Jordan, some 2,000 Christians participated in a candlelight procession from a Greek Orthodox church to a Syriac Orthodox church in the capital, Amman.
Archbishop Maroun Lahham, an auxiliary bishop of the Jerusalem patriarchate, prayed at the procession for “tranquility and stability in beloved Syria” and for the release of the bishops, whom he called “two of the most significant Arab Christian personalities of our time.”
He told Fides after the prayers that “we prayed so that Jordan is not plagued by conflicts that are causing suffering to the peoples of neighboring countries.”
Two weeks ago, Syrian refugees already represented 10 percent of the Jordanian population. The nation's foreign minister said it could reach 25 percent by the end of the year. The flood of refugees are straining resources in the area.
The situation is so desperate that some refugee families are arranging marriages for their teenage daughters, or selling them, to older men so that they might have stability and escape the unsanitary conditions of the refugee camps.
The Syrian civil war has dragged on for 26 months. The United Nations estimates that 80,000 have died in the conflict. There are 1.5 million Syrian refugees in nearby countries, most of them in Jordan and Lebanon.
An additional 4.25 million Syrian people are believed to have been internally displaced by the war.
The Syriac and Greek Orthodox of Aleppo added that they are daily “living the nightmare” of lacking their abducted shepherds.
“We...express day after day our sadness and increasing pain about the abduction and the absence of these two eminent Prelates, and what they represent in terms of their holiness, their local and international rank, their active role on all levels including the spiritual, the thoughts, the academic, the education and the social (spheres).”
“But above all,” the archdioceses noted, “the humanitarian work which they were carrying within the current crisis which is engulfing our country Syria.”
US bishops praise immigration bill's advance in senate
Washington D.C., May 23, 2013 / 02:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The U.S. bishops welcomed a U.S. Senate committee's passage of a major immigration bill as an “important step,” urging the full senate to consider the bill as soon as possible.
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, lauded the Senate Judiciary Committee’s passage of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.
The committee approved the legislation May 21 by a vote of 13-5.
“I applaud Chairman Patrick Leahy and the committee members for their efforts and strong bipartisan cooperation,” the archbishop said May 23.
He urged the senate to amend the bill to widen “the path to citizenship” and maximize the number of people who can “come out of the shadows.”
“To leave a large population behind would defeat the purpose of the bill, which is to bring persons into the light so they can become full members of our communities,” he said.
The senate's 867-page immigration bill would allow the estimated 11 million illegal residents of the U.S. to obtain provisional immigrant status six months after the bill if they meet certain conditions, the Washington Post reports.
Those eligible must have arrived in the U.S. before Dec. 31, 2011 and must have maintained continuous physical presence since then. They must also pay a $500 fine every six years.
After 10 years of provisional status, immigrants can seek a green card and lawful permanent resident status if they meet certain conditions, including paying a $1,000 fine, keeping current on their taxes and learning English. Additionally, they must meet work requirements. Those with a felony conviction or three or more misdemeanor convictions are ineligible.
These conditions are also dependent on whether the Department of Homeland Security develops and enacts adequate border security and fencing plans. Residents may obtain provisional immigrant status six months after the bill passes only if the plans are developed.
They may obtain a green card and legal permanent resident status only if border security “triggers” have been met and if the government has processed all legal immigrant applications pending upon the date of the bill’s enactment.
If passed, the bill would allow those brought to the country as youths to get green cards in five years and citizenship immediately afterward. Those deported for non-criminal reasons may apply to re-enter the U.S. with provisional status if they have a spouse or a child who is a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. Deportees may also apply for reentry if they were brought to the U.S. as a child.
The bishops’ conference has worked to shorten the waiting period for individuals who want to apply for permanent residency and to expand the cut-off date for eligibility. They have also asked for a relaxation of income and work requirements.
The senate bill bars citizens from sponsoring their siblings and allows them to sponsor their married children only if their children are under age 31.
In his statement Thursday, Archbishop Gomez criticized cuts to the family-based aspects of the immigration system.
“We must not abandon our focus on families, which are the backbone of our society,” he said. “Family unity, based on the union of a husband and a wife and their children, must remain the cornerstone of our nation's immigration system.”
The U.S. Senate is expected to consider the legislation in June, though its passage is not certain.
The senate bill’s counterpart in the House of Representatives faces opposition over whether federal healthcare should be prohibited for undocumented immigrants as they transition to legal resident and permanent resident status, Reuters reports. Several House Republicans have said that the senate bill will not pass the House.
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, lauded the Senate Judiciary Committee’s passage of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.
The committee approved the legislation May 21 by a vote of 13-5.
“I applaud Chairman Patrick Leahy and the committee members for their efforts and strong bipartisan cooperation,” the archbishop said May 23.
He urged the senate to amend the bill to widen “the path to citizenship” and maximize the number of people who can “come out of the shadows.”
“To leave a large population behind would defeat the purpose of the bill, which is to bring persons into the light so they can become full members of our communities,” he said.
The senate's 867-page immigration bill would allow the estimated 11 million illegal residents of the U.S. to obtain provisional immigrant status six months after the bill if they meet certain conditions, the Washington Post reports.
Those eligible must have arrived in the U.S. before Dec. 31, 2011 and must have maintained continuous physical presence since then. They must also pay a $500 fine every six years.
After 10 years of provisional status, immigrants can seek a green card and lawful permanent resident status if they meet certain conditions, including paying a $1,000 fine, keeping current on their taxes and learning English. Additionally, they must meet work requirements. Those with a felony conviction or three or more misdemeanor convictions are ineligible.
These conditions are also dependent on whether the Department of Homeland Security develops and enacts adequate border security and fencing plans. Residents may obtain provisional immigrant status six months after the bill passes only if the plans are developed.
They may obtain a green card and legal permanent resident status only if border security “triggers” have been met and if the government has processed all legal immigrant applications pending upon the date of the bill’s enactment.
If passed, the bill would allow those brought to the country as youths to get green cards in five years and citizenship immediately afterward. Those deported for non-criminal reasons may apply to re-enter the U.S. with provisional status if they have a spouse or a child who is a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. Deportees may also apply for reentry if they were brought to the U.S. as a child.
The bishops’ conference has worked to shorten the waiting period for individuals who want to apply for permanent residency and to expand the cut-off date for eligibility. They have also asked for a relaxation of income and work requirements.
The senate bill bars citizens from sponsoring their siblings and allows them to sponsor their married children only if their children are under age 31.
In his statement Thursday, Archbishop Gomez criticized cuts to the family-based aspects of the immigration system.
“We must not abandon our focus on families, which are the backbone of our society,” he said. “Family unity, based on the union of a husband and a wife and their children, must remain the cornerstone of our nation's immigration system.”
The U.S. Senate is expected to consider the legislation in June, though its passage is not certain.
The senate bill’s counterpart in the House of Representatives faces opposition over whether federal healthcare should be prohibited for undocumented immigrants as they transition to legal resident and permanent resident status, Reuters reports. Several House Republicans have said that the senate bill will not pass the House.
New academic post aims to renew Africa's political culture
Vatican City, May 23, 2013 / 08:31 am (CNA).- Cardinal Robert Sarah, the president of Benin and officials from the Pontifical Lateran University presented a new chair whose goal will be to study African politics and form new generations of leaders in the Church’s social doctrine.
The new position, which is named after the late Beninese Cardinal Bernard Gantin, was dedicated May 23, “to recall what his life meant for the people of Benin, for the Church in Africa, and for the universal Church,” explained Cardinal Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
“I hope that this chair in his name – on ‘Socialization Policy in Africa’ – will initiate reflection on politics in the African context and prepare future leaders of African society who are guided by the Church's Social Doctrine,” the cardinal told the press.
President Thomas Yayi Boni was also present at the May 23 press conference to unveil the effort, and he spoke in French about the need for a renewal of the political culture in Africa. Making this a reality will require transforming the system and the individual, he added.
Professor Martin Nkafu Nkemnkia, who heads the university’s Department of Social and Human Science – African Studies, explained that the chair will be responsible for holding courses and seminars, promoting conferences and workshops, and seeking collaboration with institutions to increase and give value to Africa’s political culture.
“The contribution of the chair will be a renewal, but above all a formation of leaders, motivated by deep-rooted ethical principles, to overcome the difficult situation of crisis and corruption, both in politicians as well as in civil society itself, through a just economic vision and a more balanced form of the service that politics should offer,” Nkafu said.
The new position, which is named after the late Beninese Cardinal Bernard Gantin, was dedicated May 23, “to recall what his life meant for the people of Benin, for the Church in Africa, and for the universal Church,” explained Cardinal Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
“I hope that this chair in his name – on ‘Socialization Policy in Africa’ – will initiate reflection on politics in the African context and prepare future leaders of African society who are guided by the Church's Social Doctrine,” the cardinal told the press.
President Thomas Yayi Boni was also present at the May 23 press conference to unveil the effort, and he spoke in French about the need for a renewal of the political culture in Africa. Making this a reality will require transforming the system and the individual, he added.
Professor Martin Nkafu Nkemnkia, who heads the university’s Department of Social and Human Science – African Studies, explained that the chair will be responsible for holding courses and seminars, promoting conferences and workshops, and seeking collaboration with institutions to increase and give value to Africa’s political culture.
“The contribution of the chair will be a renewal, but above all a formation of leaders, motivated by deep-rooted ethical principles, to overcome the difficult situation of crisis and corruption, both in politicians as well as in civil society itself, through a just economic vision and a more balanced form of the service that politics should offer,” Nkafu said.
New academic post aims to renew Africa's political culture
Vatican City, May 23, 2013 / 08:31 am (CNA).- Cardinal Robert Sarah, the president of Benin and officials from the Pontifical Lateran University presented a new chair whose goal will be to study African politics and form new generations of leaders in the Church’s social doctrine.
The new position, which is named after the late Beninese Cardinal Bernard Gantin, was dedicated May 23, “to recall what his life meant for the people of Benin, for the Church in Africa, and for the universal Church,” explained Cardinal Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
“I hope that this chair in his name – on ‘Socialization Policy in Africa’ – will initiate reflection on politics in the African context and prepare future leaders of African society who are guided by the Church's Social Doctrine,” the cardinal told the press.
President Thomas Yayi Boni was also present at the May 23 press conference to unveil the effort, and he spoke in French about the need for a renewal of the political culture in Africa. Making this a reality will require transforming the system and the individual, he added.
Professor Martin Nkafu Nkemnkia, who heads the university’s Department of Social and Human Science – African Studies, explained that the chair will be responsible for holding courses and seminars, promoting conferences and workshops, and seeking collaboration with institutions to increase and give value to Africa’s political culture.
“The contribution of the chair will be a renewal, but above all a formation of leaders, motivated by deep-rooted ethical principles, to overcome the difficult situation of crisis and corruption, both in politicians as well as in civil society itself, through a just economic vision and a more balanced form of the service that politics should offer,” Nkafu said.
The new position, which is named after the late Beninese Cardinal Bernard Gantin, was dedicated May 23, “to recall what his life meant for the people of Benin, for the Church in Africa, and for the universal Church,” explained Cardinal Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
“I hope that this chair in his name – on ‘Socialization Policy in Africa’ – will initiate reflection on politics in the African context and prepare future leaders of African society who are guided by the Church's Social Doctrine,” the cardinal told the press.
President Thomas Yayi Boni was also present at the May 23 press conference to unveil the effort, and he spoke in French about the need for a renewal of the political culture in Africa. Making this a reality will require transforming the system and the individual, he added.
Professor Martin Nkafu Nkemnkia, who heads the university’s Department of Social and Human Science – African Studies, explained that the chair will be responsible for holding courses and seminars, promoting conferences and workshops, and seeking collaboration with institutions to increase and give value to Africa’s political culture.
“The contribution of the chair will be a renewal, but above all a formation of leaders, motivated by deep-rooted ethical principles, to overcome the difficult situation of crisis and corruption, both in politicians as well as in civil society itself, through a just economic vision and a more balanced form of the service that politics should offer,” Nkafu said.
Nigerian bishops lament disunity among local Catholics
Abuja, Nigeria, May 23, 2013 / 04:06 am (CNA).- As the Catholics of the Diocese of Ahiara protested the appointment of a bishop from a nearby diocese as their shepherd, local bishops expressed sadness at the disunity in the Church of Nigeria.
Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke – formerly a priest of the Awka diocese – was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Ahiara in Nigeria May 21, while many residents of the diocese rallied against the move.
Due to the strong opposition among the local Mbaise community, Bishop Okpaleke was installed outside his new diocese, at Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Ulakwo, in the Archdiocese of Owerri.
Bishop Okpaleke was consecrated by Archbishop Anthony J. V. Obinna of Owerri, Ahiara's metropolitan archbishop, with a cardinal and several bishops in attendance, as well as heightened security.
The homily was given by Bishop Lucius I. Ugorji of Umuahia, who said that “acceptance of the papal appointment is a respect for the Pope, while the outright rejection and inflammatory statements and protests are spiteful and disrespectful of papal authority,” according to The Sun of Lagos.
According to the Vanguard of Lagos, Archbishop Obinna said May 19 that “we decided to organize the ordination away from Mbaise so as to give peace a chance...it is sad that what we are experiencing is a war between Catholics and Catholics.”
Bishop Okpaleke comes from the Awka diocese, 62 miles from Ahiara, and is not an ethnic Mbaise. The Catholics of the diocese wanted one of their own to be appointed bishop over them.
“The Mbaise people wanted their own bishop, who knows what's going on within the community,” George Awuzie, an Mbaise emigrant to California and a representative of Mbaise USA, told CNA May 20.
“They're sending someone from a different community, a different village, that doesn't know what we do within our area.”
The Mbaise are the most Catholic among Nigerian people – 77 percent of the population of 620,000 are Catholic. Surrounding diocese range between 4 and 64 percent Catholic.
Families in the rural diocese foster priestly and religious vocations, with at least 167 priestly ordinations for the diocese since its establishment in 1987.
The diocese is currently served by 127 priests and 113 religious, according to Vatican Radio. The Ahiara diocese covers 164 square miles – roughly one sixth the size of Rhode Island.
With such a wealth of priests, the Ahiara diocese sends many as missionaries to Western countries, and many Mbaise hoped that one of its own would become their bishop.
Ahiara's first ordinary, Bishop Victor A. Chikwe, served from 1987 until his death in Sept., 2010. The diocese was vacant for 26 months until Pope Benedict appointed Father Okpaleke last December.
Bishop Okpaleke was born in 1963, and was ordained a priest in 1992. He has served a pastor, university chaplain, and diocesan chancellor. After his ordination he studied canon law at Holy Cross Pontifical University in Rome, and has served on the tribunal for the Onitsha ecclesiastical province.
Both priests and faithful have made vocal, public protests against Bishop Okpaleke's appointment, blocking access to Ahiara's cathedral and disrupting both automobile and foot traffic in the area.
On May 16, some 400 Mbaise protested the appointment in the streets of the diocese, carrying signs with slogans such as “Awka has 5 bishops, Mbaise has 0 bishops” and asking for an “Mbaise son as Mbaise bishop.”
Conflict over the episcopal appointment highlights tribal tensions in Nigeria. Opposition to Bishop Okpaleke has not suggested any poor administration on his part, but focuses solely on his not being a member of the people whom he is to shepherd.
“They ended up going over (the priests of Ahiara) to get someone from another village; appointed a bishop from another village to be bishop of the Mbaise people,” Awuzie told CNA.
Awka, whence Bishop Okpaleke comes, is located in the state of Anambra. Ahiara, meanwhile, is located to the south in Imo state. Mbaise assert that the Nigerian hierarchy favors Anambra.
Mbaise note the appointment of bishops from the Onitsha province – based in Anambra – while few if any episcopal appointments are made of priests from the Owerri province, in Imo and Abia states.
The Mbaise, who are proud of their identity and strong Catholicism, resent what they call the “Anambranization” of the Church in southeast Nigeria, believing there to be corruption within the Church in Nigeria and a “recolonization” of the Mbaise.
The Mbaise are a tribe of the Igbo, one of the three major ethnic groups of Nigeria. Most Christians in Nigeria are Igbo, and reside in the south-east of the country. Soon after Nigeria gained independence from British colonialism, the government, led by the Yoruba and Hausa peoples, began to persecute the Igbo.
In 1967, the Igbo rebelled, forming the Republic of Biafra, resulting in the Nigerian Civil War. The rebellion was put down by 1970, and the region has yet to recover, having lost as many as one million of its population to war and famine.
Overall, Nigerian society is perceived as struggling with corruption, ranking at 139 among 176 countries considered by Transparency International's 2012 Corruption Perception Index. It is just ahead of Bangladesh, and in the company of Pakistan and Kenya.
In the face of division among the Igbo, brought to light by the controversy over Bishop Okpaleke, there have been calls for greater Igbo unity and identity.
Father Stan Chu Ilo, who is Igbo and teaches theology at the University of St. Michael's College in Toronto, wrote Jan. 11 at “Sahara Reporters” that the crisis has caused him to note that “after the Civil War and the ongoing marginalization of Ndigbo in Nigeria, I believe that the Igbo people should unite and work together as brothers and sisters for the good of the ethnic nation and the wider Nigerian, African and international community.”
“Igbo Catholicism should be the veritable instrument for bringing unity in our communities, parishes, dioceses and states in Igbo land,” he concluded.
Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke – formerly a priest of the Awka diocese – was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Ahiara in Nigeria May 21, while many residents of the diocese rallied against the move.
Due to the strong opposition among the local Mbaise community, Bishop Okpaleke was installed outside his new diocese, at Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Ulakwo, in the Archdiocese of Owerri.
Bishop Okpaleke was consecrated by Archbishop Anthony J. V. Obinna of Owerri, Ahiara's metropolitan archbishop, with a cardinal and several bishops in attendance, as well as heightened security.
The homily was given by Bishop Lucius I. Ugorji of Umuahia, who said that “acceptance of the papal appointment is a respect for the Pope, while the outright rejection and inflammatory statements and protests are spiteful and disrespectful of papal authority,” according to The Sun of Lagos.
According to the Vanguard of Lagos, Archbishop Obinna said May 19 that “we decided to organize the ordination away from Mbaise so as to give peace a chance...it is sad that what we are experiencing is a war between Catholics and Catholics.”
Bishop Okpaleke comes from the Awka diocese, 62 miles from Ahiara, and is not an ethnic Mbaise. The Catholics of the diocese wanted one of their own to be appointed bishop over them.
“The Mbaise people wanted their own bishop, who knows what's going on within the community,” George Awuzie, an Mbaise emigrant to California and a representative of Mbaise USA, told CNA May 20.
“They're sending someone from a different community, a different village, that doesn't know what we do within our area.”
The Mbaise are the most Catholic among Nigerian people – 77 percent of the population of 620,000 are Catholic. Surrounding diocese range between 4 and 64 percent Catholic.
Families in the rural diocese foster priestly and religious vocations, with at least 167 priestly ordinations for the diocese since its establishment in 1987.
The diocese is currently served by 127 priests and 113 religious, according to Vatican Radio. The Ahiara diocese covers 164 square miles – roughly one sixth the size of Rhode Island.
With such a wealth of priests, the Ahiara diocese sends many as missionaries to Western countries, and many Mbaise hoped that one of its own would become their bishop.
Ahiara's first ordinary, Bishop Victor A. Chikwe, served from 1987 until his death in Sept., 2010. The diocese was vacant for 26 months until Pope Benedict appointed Father Okpaleke last December.
Bishop Okpaleke was born in 1963, and was ordained a priest in 1992. He has served a pastor, university chaplain, and diocesan chancellor. After his ordination he studied canon law at Holy Cross Pontifical University in Rome, and has served on the tribunal for the Onitsha ecclesiastical province.
Both priests and faithful have made vocal, public protests against Bishop Okpaleke's appointment, blocking access to Ahiara's cathedral and disrupting both automobile and foot traffic in the area.
On May 16, some 400 Mbaise protested the appointment in the streets of the diocese, carrying signs with slogans such as “Awka has 5 bishops, Mbaise has 0 bishops” and asking for an “Mbaise son as Mbaise bishop.”
Conflict over the episcopal appointment highlights tribal tensions in Nigeria. Opposition to Bishop Okpaleke has not suggested any poor administration on his part, but focuses solely on his not being a member of the people whom he is to shepherd.
“They ended up going over (the priests of Ahiara) to get someone from another village; appointed a bishop from another village to be bishop of the Mbaise people,” Awuzie told CNA.
Awka, whence Bishop Okpaleke comes, is located in the state of Anambra. Ahiara, meanwhile, is located to the south in Imo state. Mbaise assert that the Nigerian hierarchy favors Anambra.
Mbaise note the appointment of bishops from the Onitsha province – based in Anambra – while few if any episcopal appointments are made of priests from the Owerri province, in Imo and Abia states.
The Mbaise, who are proud of their identity and strong Catholicism, resent what they call the “Anambranization” of the Church in southeast Nigeria, believing there to be corruption within the Church in Nigeria and a “recolonization” of the Mbaise.
The Mbaise are a tribe of the Igbo, one of the three major ethnic groups of Nigeria. Most Christians in Nigeria are Igbo, and reside in the south-east of the country. Soon after Nigeria gained independence from British colonialism, the government, led by the Yoruba and Hausa peoples, began to persecute the Igbo.
In 1967, the Igbo rebelled, forming the Republic of Biafra, resulting in the Nigerian Civil War. The rebellion was put down by 1970, and the region has yet to recover, having lost as many as one million of its population to war and famine.
Overall, Nigerian society is perceived as struggling with corruption, ranking at 139 among 176 countries considered by Transparency International's 2012 Corruption Perception Index. It is just ahead of Bangladesh, and in the company of Pakistan and Kenya.
In the face of division among the Igbo, brought to light by the controversy over Bishop Okpaleke, there have been calls for greater Igbo unity and identity.
Father Stan Chu Ilo, who is Igbo and teaches theology at the University of St. Michael's College in Toronto, wrote Jan. 11 at “Sahara Reporters” that the crisis has caused him to note that “after the Civil War and the ongoing marginalization of Ndigbo in Nigeria, I believe that the Igbo people should unite and work together as brothers and sisters for the good of the ethnic nation and the wider Nigerian, African and international community.”
“Igbo Catholicism should be the veritable instrument for bringing unity in our communities, parishes, dioceses and states in Igbo land,” he concluded.
Health care includes spiritual needs, archbishop tells World Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland, May 23, 2013 / 12:03 am (CNA).- The head of a Vatican delegation to the World Health Assembly on Wednesday called for universal health care coverage and an “integral” approach to health care that responds to a person’s spiritual needs.
Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, head of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, stressed the need for “integral development.” This approach, he said, does not focus only on health care or economic growth, but also attends to “the spiritual state of the person.”
“Health and development ought to be integral if they are to respond fully to the needs of every human person. What we hold important is the human person - each person, each group of people, and humanity as a whole,” he said May 22 to the 66th World Health Assembly.
The assembly is meeting from May 20-28 in Geneva. It is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, the public health arm of the United Nations.
The archbishop said that health care contributes to the development of nations “and benefits from it.” He said that the Holy See “strongly believes” that universal health care coverage as a goal of government policy is a more certain way to achieve “the wide range of health concerns,” including preserving present advances.
Archbishop Zimowski then turned to efforts to save the lives of millions of people who die each year “from conditions that can easily be prevented.” He praised a resolution before the assembly to improve the quality, supply and use of 13 “life-saving commodities.”
“The Holy See strongly agrees with the need to achieve further reductions in the loss of life and prevention of illness through increased access to inexpensive interventions that are respectful of the life and dignity of all mothers and children at all stages of life, from conception to natural death,” he said.
However, he voiced “serious concerns” about the assembly’s secretariat report and its executive board-recommended resolution that includes “emergency contraception.” He said some of these drugs have an abortifacient effect.
“For my delegation, it is totally unacceptable to refer to a medical product that constitutes a direct attack on the life of the child in utero as a ‘life-saving commodity’ and, much worse, to encourage ‘increasing use of such substances in all parts of the world’,” he said.
The archbishop welcomed the assembly’s proposed global action plan to control non-communicable diseases. He said his delegation was “especially pleased” that the plan recognizes the “key role” of civil society institutions including faith-based organizations in encouraging the prevention and treatment of these diseases.
“Our delegation is aware that Catholic Church-inspired organizations and institutions throughout the world already have committed themselves to pursue such actions at global, regional, and local community levels,” he said.
Archbishop Zimowski also voiced interest in aspects of preventing and controlling diseases in older age, noting faith-based institutions’ long tradition of care for the aged and the rapid growth of the elderly population. He noted that the Vatican will host an international conference Nov. 21-23 about caring for the elderly with neurodegenerative diseases.
Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, head of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, stressed the need for “integral development.” This approach, he said, does not focus only on health care or economic growth, but also attends to “the spiritual state of the person.”
“Health and development ought to be integral if they are to respond fully to the needs of every human person. What we hold important is the human person - each person, each group of people, and humanity as a whole,” he said May 22 to the 66th World Health Assembly.
The assembly is meeting from May 20-28 in Geneva. It is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, the public health arm of the United Nations.
The archbishop said that health care contributes to the development of nations “and benefits from it.” He said that the Holy See “strongly believes” that universal health care coverage as a goal of government policy is a more certain way to achieve “the wide range of health concerns,” including preserving present advances.
Archbishop Zimowski then turned to efforts to save the lives of millions of people who die each year “from conditions that can easily be prevented.” He praised a resolution before the assembly to improve the quality, supply and use of 13 “life-saving commodities.”
“The Holy See strongly agrees with the need to achieve further reductions in the loss of life and prevention of illness through increased access to inexpensive interventions that are respectful of the life and dignity of all mothers and children at all stages of life, from conception to natural death,” he said.
However, he voiced “serious concerns” about the assembly’s secretariat report and its executive board-recommended resolution that includes “emergency contraception.” He said some of these drugs have an abortifacient effect.
“For my delegation, it is totally unacceptable to refer to a medical product that constitutes a direct attack on the life of the child in utero as a ‘life-saving commodity’ and, much worse, to encourage ‘increasing use of such substances in all parts of the world’,” he said.
The archbishop welcomed the assembly’s proposed global action plan to control non-communicable diseases. He said his delegation was “especially pleased” that the plan recognizes the “key role” of civil society institutions including faith-based organizations in encouraging the prevention and treatment of these diseases.
“Our delegation is aware that Catholic Church-inspired organizations and institutions throughout the world already have committed themselves to pursue such actions at global, regional, and local community levels,” he said.
Archbishop Zimowski also voiced interest in aspects of preventing and controlling diseases in older age, noting faith-based institutions’ long tradition of care for the aged and the rapid growth of the elderly population. He noted that the Vatican will host an international conference Nov. 21-23 about caring for the elderly with neurodegenerative diseases.