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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: TUES. OCT. 19, 2010


CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: TUES. OCT. 19, 2010: HEADLINES-
VATICAN: POPE - LETTER TO SEMINARIANS -
TODAY'S SAINT: OCT. 19: ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS -




VATICAN: POPE - LETTER TO SEMINARIANS

LETTER TO SEMINARIANS OF BENEDICT XVI VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2010 (VIS REPORT) - Given below are ample extracts from the English-language version of a Letter to Seminarians, written by the Pope to mark the end of the Year for Priests and dated 18 October. "When in December 1944 I was drafted for military service, the company commander asked each of us what we planned to do in the future. I answered that I wanted to become a Catholic priest. The lieutenant replied: 'Then you ought to look for something else. In the new Germany priests are no longer needed'. I knew that this 'new Germany' was already coming to an end, and that, after the enormous devastation which that madness had brought upon the country, priests would be needed more than ever. Today the situation is completely changed. In different ways, though, many people nowadays also think that the Catholic priesthood is not a 'job' for the future, but one that belongs more to the past. You, dear friends, have decided to enter the seminary and to prepare for priestly ministry in the Catholic Church in spite of such opinions and objections. You have done a good thing. Because people will always have need of God, even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalisation: they will always need the God Who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, the God Who gathers us together in the universal Church in order to learn with Him and through Him life's true meaning and in order to uphold and apply the standards of true humanity. Where people no longer perceive God, life grows empty; nothing is ever enough". "In this letter I would like to point out - thinking back to my own time in the seminary - several elements which I consider important for these years of your journeying. "(1) Anyone who wishes to become a priest must be first and foremost a 'man of God', to use the expression of St. Paul. For us God is not some abstract hypothesis. ... God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. ... It follows that the most important thing in our path towards priesthood and during the whole of our priestly lives is our personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. The priest is not the leader of a sort of association whose membership he tries to maintain and expand. He is God's messenger to His people. He wants to lead them to God and in this way to foster authentic communion between all men and women. That is why it is so important, dear friends, that you learn to live in constant intimacy with God. When the Lord tells us to 'pray constantly', He is obviously not asking us to recite endless prayers, but urging us never to lose our inner closeness to God". "(2) For us God is not simply Word. In the Sacraments He gives Himself to us in person, through physical realities. At the heart of our relationship with God and our way of life is the Eucharist. Celebrating it devoutly, and thus encountering Christ personally, should be the centre of all our days. ... In the liturgy we pray with the faithful of every age - the past, the present and the future are joined in one great chorus of prayer. As I can state from personal experience, it is inspiring to learn how it all developed, what a great experience of faith is reflected in the structure of the Mass, and how it has been shaped by the prayer of many generations. (3) "The Sacrament of Penance is also important. It teaches me to see myself as God sees me, and it forces me to be honest with myself. ... Even when we have to struggle continually with the same failings, it is important to resist the coarsening of our souls and the indifference which would simply accept that this is the way we are. ... Moreover, by letting myself be forgiven, I learn to forgive others. In recognising my own weakness, I grow more tolerant and understanding of the failings of my neighbour. "(4) I urge you to retain an appreciation for popular piety, which is different in every culture yet always remains very similar, for the human heart is ultimately one and the same. Certainly, popular piety tends towards the irrational, and can at times be somewhat superficial. Yet it would be quite wrong to dismiss it. Through that piety, the faith has entered human hearts and become part of the common patrimony of sentiments and customs, shaping the life and emotions of the community". "(5) Above all, your time in the seminary is also a time of study. The Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension. Were it to lack that dimension, it would not be itself. ... I can only plead with you: Be committed to your studies! ... The point is not simply to learn evidently useful things, but to understand and appreciate the internal structure of the faith as a whole, so that it can become a response to people's questions, which on the surface change from one generation to another yet ultimately remain the same. For this reason it is important to move beyond the changing questions of the moment in order to grasp the real questions, and so to understand how the answers are real answers. It is important to have a thorough knowledge of Sacred Scripture as a whole, in its unity as the Old and the New Testaments. ... It is important to be familiar with the Fathers and the great Councils in which the Church appropriated, through faith-filled reflection, the essential statements of Scripture. ... I do not need to point out the importance of knowing the essential issues of moral theology and Catholic social teaching. The importance nowadays of ecumenical theology, and of a knowledge of the different Christian communities, is obvious. ... But you should also learn to understand and - dare I say it - to love canon law, appreciating how necessary it is and valuing its practical applications. ... I will not go on with this list, but I simply say once more: love the study of theology and carry it out in the clear realisation that theology is anchored in the living community of the Church, which, with her authority, is not the antithesis of theological science but its presupposition. Cut off from the believing Church, theology would cease to be itself and instead it would become a medley of different disciplines lacking inner unity. "(6) Your years in the seminary should also be a time of growth towards human maturity. It is important for the priest, who is called to accompany others through the journey of life up to the threshold of death, to have the right balance of heart and mind, reason and feeling, body and soul, and to be humanly integrated. ... This also involves the integration of sexuality into the whole personality. Sexuality is a gift of the Creator yet it is also a task which relates to a person's growth towards human maturity. When it is not integrated within the person, sexuality becomes banal and destructive. Today we can see many examples of this in our society. Recently we have seen with great dismay that some priests disfigured their ministry by sexually abusing children and young people. Instead of guiding people to greater human maturity and setting them an example, their abusive behaviour caused great damage for which we feel profound shame and regret. As a result of all this, many people, perhaps even some of you, might ask whether it is good to become a priest; whether the choice of celibacy makes any sense as a truly human way of life. Yet even the most reprehensible abuse cannot discredit the priestly mission, which remains great and pure. Thank God, all of us know exemplary priests, men shaped by their faith, who bear witness that one can attain to an authentic, pure and mature humanity in this state and specifically in the life of celibacy. Admittedly, what has happened should make us all the more watchful and attentive, precisely in order to examine ourselves earnestly, before God, as we make our way towards priesthood, so as to understand whether this is his will for me. It is the responsibility of your confessor and your superiors to accompany you and help you along this path of discernment". "(7) The origins of a priestly vocation are nowadays more varied and disparate than in the past. Today the decision to become a priest often takes shape after one has already entered upon a secular profession. Often it grows within the communities, particularly within the movements, which favour a communal encounter with Christ and His Church, spiritual experiences and joy in the service of the faith. It also matures in very personal encounters with the nobility and the wretchedness of human existence. ... The movements are a magnificent thing. You know how much I esteem them and love them as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Yet they must be evaluated by their openness to what is truly Catholic, to the life of the whole Church of Christ, which for all her variety still remains one. The seminary is a time when you learn with one another and from one another. In community life, which can at times be difficult, you should learn generosity and tolerance, not only bearing with, but also enriching one another. .. This school of tolerance, indeed, of mutual acceptance and mutual understanding in the unity of Christ's Body, is an important part of your years in the seminary. "Dear seminarians, with these few lines I have wanted to let you know how often I think of you, especially in these difficult times, and how close I am to you in prayer. Please pray for me, that I may exercise my ministry well, as long as the Lord may wish".




SYNOD FATHERS MEET IN LANGUAGE GROUPS VATICAN CITY, 19 OCT 2010 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, the Synod Fathers who are currently participating in the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops met in language groups. During the course of today they are due to come together to prepare and approve the propositions on the theme of the synodal assembly.SE/
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AMERICA: USA: DEATH OF PRO-LIFE DR. MILDRED JEFFERSON
LifeSiteNews.com report – Dr. Mildred Jefferson, a civil rights pioneer who aggressively dedicated her life and talents to defending the rights of unborn children, died Friday at the age of 84 at home.Anne Fox, President of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, broke the news of Jefferson’s passing to the media. While no cause of death has been specified, Fox said that Jefferson’s health had been declining for the past few weeks.Jefferson is an important figure for her accomplishments both as a black American and as a woman during the civil rights era. She broke the barriers of her day when in 1951 she became the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School and then the first female surgical intern at Boston City Hospital. She later became the first female doctor at Boston University Medical Center.But a turning point in Jefferson’s career from accomplished surgeon to pro-life leader came when the American Medical Association in 1970 resolved that member physicians could perform abortions ethically in states where the procedure was legal. According to the Boston Globe, the 2004 book “African-American Lives” said that this profoundly disturbed Jefferson, who saw the AMA’s position as an abandonment of the Hippocratic Oath which admonishes doctors to “do no harm.”Jefferson would lend her mind and voice to advocating the pro-life cause with exceptional passion, intelligence, and rhetorical excellence.These gifts could be seen in her famous explanation to the American Feminist magazine in 2003 for why she dedicated herself to the fight for the right to life.“I am at once a physician, a citizen and a woman, and I am not willing to stand aside and allow this concept of expendable human lives to turn this great land of ours into just another exclusive reservation where only the perfect, the privileged and the planned have the right to live,” she said.Jefferson was a co-founder of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), and served as vice-chairman of NRLC’s board in 1973, then as chairman. She held the post of president from 1975 – 1978, providing leadership in those critical years for the pro-life movement, as it struggled to coalesce into an effective political force in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision."The right-to-life movement has lost a champion and a pioneer. And we have lost a dear friend," said Darla St. Martin, NRLC co-Executive Director, in a statement. "Mildred Jefferson was a valued colleague in our fight for the most vulnerable members of our society and she will be greatly missed."Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, co-chairman of the congressional Pro-Life Caucus, recollected that Jefferson was a “trailblazer” who was “always graceful” and “embodied compassion.”“Poised and passionate, always focused and extremely devoted, she made history and inspired an entire generation of pro-life leaders,” said Smith.“It was an honor to work alongside Dr. Jefferson on critical pro-life issues, and I know her legacy and memory will live on in the lives of the unborn children she helped save.”NRLC noted that Jefferson during her tenure as president stressed the necessity for the pro-life movement to be a broad-based coalition in defense of life."We come together from all parts of our land,” Jefferson wrote in the 1977 NRLC convention journal. “We come rich and poor, proud and plain, religious and agnostic, politically committed and independent ... The right-to-life cause is not the concern of only a special few but it should be the cause of all those who care about fairness and justice, love and compassion and liberty with law."Massachusetts Citizens for Life announced that Jefferson was a former director, and actively involved herself with pro-life groups such as the American Life League, Americans United for Life Legal Defense Fund, Black Americans for Life, and others."Mildred Jefferson used every forum available to educate America and encourage people of all ages to become active in the right-to-life movement," said NRLC’s St. Martin. "Her legacy will be the countless people - most especially young people - that she brought to the movement by her constant presence and tireless dedication to the cause of life." SOURCE
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10101907.html
Posted by JesusCaritasEst at 5:34 PM 0 comments








AFRICA: BURUNDI: BISHOPS' CONFERENCE OPENS
Agenzia Fides REPORT - Today, October 19, the Conference for the Catholic Bishops of the Great Lakes Region opened in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi. It will be dedicated to the issues of peace and justice.According to a note sent to Fides, the conference, which ends October 21, is being attended by delegates of the two regional conferences of bishops, ACEAC (Association des Conférences Episcopal de l'Afrique Centrale) and AMECEA (Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa) in addition to those from the national bishops' conferences of Burundi, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. The aim is to undertake a joint action to make the Church in the region a greater sign and promoter of a culture of peace and reconciliation.The conference was originally commissioned by the Episcopal Conferences of Tanzania and Burundi, on a proposal from the Joint Commission for Refugees formed by the two conferences. Tanzania has, for a long time, been home to hundreds of thousands of Burundian refugees. A few years ago, they started the repatriation of these people, with the assistance of several organizations, including the Catholic Church in the two countries.The proposal was echoed by the other episcopal conferences mentioned above. The Catholic Peacebuilding Network of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame University in the United States has offered technical help in the preparation of the event.Among the participants are the Presidents and General Secretaries of the Bishops' Conferences organizing the conference, the Presiding Bishops of the respective Commissions for Justice and Peace, and the bishops of the dioceses bordering Burundi. There will also be delegates from the CPN, from the United States Bishops' Conference, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS), from the Civil Service for Peace (AGEH), Missio and MISEREOR of Germany, and CORDAID of Holland. http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=27627&lan=engaree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=27627&lan=eng
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AUSTRALIA: LARGE CELEBRATION PLANNED FOR MACKILLOP CANONISATION
Cath News report: A celebration of "epic proportions" will be held tomorrow at Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast in honour of Australia's new St Mary of the Cross.The Port Maquarie News said the Port Macquarie Regional Sports Stadium will host a crowd of up to 5000 people in planned celebrations.Catholic schools from Port Macquarie, Kempsey, 50km to the north, Wauchope, 20km to the west, and Laurieton in the Camden Haven, will unite for the day of worship.Lunch and a games afternoon will follow the liturgy, which begins at 10.45 am. Tomorrow's celebrations will be hosted by St Agnes' parish priest, Father Leo Donnelly, and is open to all, said the report. http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=23850
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ASIA: INDIA: BIBLE GOES ON PILGRIMAGE TO HOUSES
Asia News report: The Word of God is celebrated in the new diocese of Miao (founded in 2005) by bringing the Holy Scriptures directly to the homes of the faithful, surrounded by flowers, incense and songs.Manmao (AsiaNews) – The Church of Our Lady of Pilar in the diocese of Miao, a northeastern region of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, has organised Bible reading classes for the month of October in order to help Catholics become better acquainted with the Word of God.“We wish our faithful to be close to God,” said Sister Filicita Kispotta, who runs the programme. For this reason, “we have decided to organise Bible reading for a month.”The holy book goes house to house. At each stop, it is placed on a table surrounded by flowers, lighted candles and incense. The travelling priest who brings the text reads some passages from the Holy Scriptures, explains the Word of God, and together with the host family reads a prayer and sings a song. At the end of the service, children take blessings from their parents and elders.The Diocese of Miao was created in 2005. Since 2 May, it is home to the state’s only Roman Catholic cathedral, and the biggest statue of Jesus Christ in the whole of Asia.The state’s Catholic population is about 70,000, out of a population of a million people.Arunachal Pradesh is on India’s border with China. Both nations claim it, and have engaged in military confrontation over it in the past. http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Arunachal-Pradesh:-Bible-goes-on-“pilgrimage”-house-to-house-19765.html-en/Arunachal-Pradesh:-Bible-goes-on-“pilgrimage”-house-to-house-19765.html
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EUROPE: PORTUGAL: 11TH MISSIONARY VOLUNTEER DAY
Agenzia Fides REPORT - 11th Missionary Volunteer Day to be held October 23 at Teatro Miguel Franco and Santana Mercado in Leiria, will reflect on the fight against poverty and social exclusion. "Against Poverty, You Can Make a Difference" is the slogan for the initiative promoted by the Foundation Evangelization and Culture (FEC), with the support of the Missionary Group Ondjoyetu and the City of Leiria.According to information sent from the FEC to Fides, the opening conference will be on the theme: “Promoting human development: from local to global,” by Alfredo Bruto da Costa, president of the Portuguese National Commission for Justice and Peace. "In order to motivate participants to take action against poverty, there will be a presentation of some projects initiated by Amnesty International, CAIS, Jesuit Refugee Service, and Caritas Leiria.In this year 2010, we celebrate the European Year against poverty and social exclusion, and celebrate 10 years of the United Nations Millennium Declaration on the fight against extreme poverty. "These are two examples of initiatives that call for joint action in communion, for the same goal, i.e. integral human development,” says the FEC. “In an increasingly more interdependent world, the great challenge of globalization is to transform this interdependence into interaction. To ensure that this change occurs at the global level, the transformation must take place first at a local and personal level."John Paul II said that "we are all really responsible for everyone." This is a goal that should be permanent: that each person works so that humanity can live in a permanent supportive relationship, where everybody is responsible for everybody else. http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=27629&lan=eng
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TODAY'S SAINT: OCT. 19: ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS
St. Paul of the CrossFOUNDER OF THE PASSIONIST FATHERSFeast: October 19Information:Feast Day:October 19Born:January 3, 1694, Ovada, Piedmont, Duchy of Savoy (now modern-day Italy)Died:October 18, 1775, Church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, RomeCanonized:29 June 1867, Rome by Pope Pius IXMajor Shrine:Church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, RomePaul Francis Daneii, born at Ovada, Genoa, Italy, 3 January, 1694; died in Rome, 18 October, 1775.His parents, Luke Danei and Anna Maria Massari, were exemplary Catholics. From his earliest years the crucifix was his book, and the Crucified his model. Paul received his early education from a priest who kept a school for boys, in Cremolino, Lombardy. He made great progress in study and virtue; spent much time m prayer, heard daily Mass, frequently received the Sacraments, faithfully attended to his school duties, and gave his spare time to reading good books and visiting the churches, where he s p e n t much time before the Blessed Sacrament, to which he had an ardent devotion. At the age of fifteen he left school and re turned to his home at Castellazzo, and from this time his life was full of trials. In early manhood he renounced the offer of an honorable marriage; also a good inheritance left him by an uncle who was a priest. He kept for himself only the priest's Breviary.Inflamed with a desire for God's glory he formed the idea of instituting a religious order in of the Passion. Vested in a black tunic by the Bishop of Alessandria, his director, bearing the emblem of our Lord's Passion, barefooted, and bareheaded, he retired to a narrow cell where he drew up the Rules of the new congregation according to the plan made known to him in a vision, which he relates in the introduction to the original copy of the Rules. For the account of his ordination to the priesthood, of the foundation of the Congregation of the Passion, and the approbation of the Rules, see PASSIONISTS. After the approbation of the Rules and the institute the first general chapter was held at the Retreat of the Presentation on Mount Argentaro on 10 April, 1747. At this chapter, St. Paul, against his wishes, was unanimously elected first superior general, which office he held until the day of his death. In all virtues and in the observance of regular discipline, he became a model to his companions. "Although continually occupied with the cares of governing his religious society, and of founding everywhere new houses for it, yet he never left off preaching the word of God, burning as he did with a wondrous desire for the salvation of souls" (Brief of Pius IX for St. Paul's Beatification, 1 Oct., 1852). Sacred missions were instituted and numerous conversions were made. He was untiring in his Apostolic labours and never, even to his last hour, remitted anything of his austere manner of life, finally succumbing to a severe illness, worn out as much by his austerities as by old age.Among the distinguished associates of St. Paul in the formation and extension of the congregation were: John Baptist, his younger brother and constant companion from childhood, who shared all his labours and sufferings and equaled him in the practice of virtue; Father Mark Aurelius (Pastorelli), Father Thomas Struzzieri (subsequently Bishop of Amelia and afterwards of Todi), and Father Fulgentius of Jesus, all remarkable for learning, piety, and missionary zeal; Venerable Strambi, Bishop of Macerata and Tolentino, his biographer. Constant personal union with the Cross and Passion of our Lord was the prominent feature of St. Paul's sanctity. But devotion to the Passion did not stand alone, for he carried to a heroic degree all the other virtues of a Christian life. Numerous miracles, besides those special ones brought forward at his beatification and canonization, attested the favour he enjoyed with God. Miracles of grace abounded, as witnessed in the conversion of sinners seemingly hardened and hopeless. For fifty years he prayed for the conversion of England, and left the devotion as a legacy to his sons. The body of St. Paul lies in the Basilica of SS. John and Paul, Rome. He was beatified on 1 October, 1852, and canonized on 29 June, 1867. His feast occurs on 28 April. The fame of his sanctity, which had spread far and wide in Italy during his life, increased after his death and spread into all countries. Great devotion to him is practiced by the faithful wherever Passionists are established.
http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stpaulofthecross.asp
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TODAY'S SAINT: OCT. 19: ST. ISAAC JOGUES
St. Isaac JoguesMARTYRFeast: October 19Information:Feast Day:October 19Born:January 10, 1607, OrlĂ©ans, FranceDied:October 18, 1646, Auriesville, New YorkCanonized:29 June 1930, Rome, Italy by Pope Pius XIMajor Shrine:National Shrine of the North American Martyrs, Auriesville, New York, USAThe labors of the Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries in the New World form an important chapter in the history of the Church and of the Western Hemisphere. These missionaries were for the most part men of culture and learning, carefully chosen and rigorously trained. Many of them gave up important careers in the Church to endure the dangers and privations of the wilderness. In New France, as Canada was then called, where Isaac Jogues spent his missionary years, their lot was hardship, disease, solitude, and, not infrequently, torture or violent death. The perils of forest and trail, the intense cold, the wretched food and verminous huts of the Indians, changed them, after a few years, into haggard old men; yet their spirits remained undaunted, strengthened as they were by an indomitable faith. What the American historian, Francis Parkman, in , wrote of Father Brebeuf, Jesuit leader in Canada, applies almost equally to the other members of this noble band: "His was the ancient faith uncurtailed, redeemed from the decay of centuries, kindled with new life, and stimulated to a preternatural growth and fruitfulness."The pioneer French explorers, Cartier and Champlain, were men of piety, eager to have the aid of the religious orders in opening up the new continent, and both Jesuits and Franciscans were encouraged to establish Catholicism in Canada. Jesuits led the way here, while Franciscans and Dominicans became active in the southwest of the United States and in South America. Early in the seventeenth century the Jesuits began to arrive in Quebec; they would quickly push on into the interior, to be engulfed by the forest or to be taken prisoner by the Indians and treated as slaves or objects of barter; yet at times they met with a heartening response. Among the more notable of these men were Brebeuf, Daniel, Masse, Lalemant, Chabanel, Ragueneau, Garnier, Jogues, and Le Jeune. It was Le Jeune, a Huguenot in early life, who conceived the plan for keeping his superiors of the Society of Jesus, as well as the European laity, informed of the great undertaking, by the careful compilation of missionaries' letters, which described in detail their experiences and impressions. Every summer, for a period of forty years, these reports were despatched back to Paris, where they were published serially under the title of . They form an historical chronicle of the highest value, and it is to them that we are mainly indebted for our knowledge of Father Jogues.Called the "Apostle of the Mohawks," and known to the Mohawks themselves as Ondessonk, "the indomitable one," Isaac Jogues has been selected to represent this group of North American saints. He was born on January 10, 1607, at Orleans, France, into a good bourgeois family; at the age of seventeen he entered the Jesuit novitiate school at Rouen. Later he studied at the royal college of La Fleche, which Henry IV had founded a short time before. From one of the teachers there, Louis Lalemant, who had two brothers and a nephew serving as missionaries in Canada, the young man heard stories that may well have turned his thoughts towards the New World. He also had meetings with the pioneers, Brebeuf and Masse, on their return from Canada in 1629, when Quebec was captured by the English. Three years later the province was again in French hands, and Richelieu had formed the Company of One Hundred Associates, which was to control New France for the next thirty odd years. Isaac Jogues continued his education at the College of Clermont, University of Paris, and in due time was ordained and accepted for missionary service. He was already recognized as an able scholar, with talents for writing and teaching. In the summer of 1636, at the age of twenty-nine, he embarked for Canada with several of his fellows, among them Charles Garnier. Drawings of Jogues made at about this time reveal features of unusual refinement; this air of delicacy was, however, deceptive, for beneath it lay heroic powers of physical endurance.Sailing on the same ship with the young missionaries was Sieur Huault de Montmagny, the new French governor sent out to replace Champlain, who had died a few months before. After a stormy voyage, they sailed up the St. Lawrence to the lofty citadel of Quebec. On arrival Jogues wrote as follows to his mother: "I do not know what it is to enter Heaven, but this I know—that it would be difficult to experience in this world a joy more excessive and more overflowing than I felt in setting foot in the New World, and celebrating my first Mass on the day of the Visitation." His later letters show the same exaltation of spirit.Father Jogues' companions were at once sent on westward to join Father Brebeuf, who in 1626 had established an outpost on the peninsula of Lake Huron, to minister to the Huron Indians, one of the less warlike tribes. Jogues went with them as far as the settlement of Trois Rivieres, and there, some weeks later, he saw a flotilla of canoes descending the St. Lawrence. In the first, wielding a paddle, was Father Anthony Daniel, one of Brebeuf's coworkers, exhausted and emaciated, his cassock in tatters. He was bound for Quebec for a period of recuperation, and Jogues was to replace him. The young missionary lost no time in organizing the expedition. The post was nine hundred miles away, up the river, through forests, across portages. On long trips such as these the missionaries and their guides had to carry provisions, and sometimes stored corn in by the way.Arriving at last at the Lake Huron post, Father Jogues collapsed in Brebeuf's arms. Almost at once he fell ill of a fever, which in turn struck down others. At this time the fathers were living in crude huts, and their food was poor and scanty. When the missionaries had recovered, a similar epidemic broke out among the Indians, who, blaming it on the Black Coats, as they called the Jesuits, threatened to kill them all. Brebeuf conciliated them and by the following year relations had so improved that he was able to write in one of his reports: "We are gladly heard, and there is scarcely a village that has not invited us to go to it.... And at last it is understood from our whole conduct that we have not come to buy skins or to carry on any traffic, but solely to teach them, and to procure for them their souls' health." Indian good will, however, was fickle, and before long the medicine men had fomented so much hostility that in a tribal council the Indians decided that the Jesuit priests must die. Once more the Indians were pacified.For six years Father Jogues labored here. He learned the language and ways of the Hurons, developed into a skilled woodsman with great stamina, and often went on missions. He and Garnier were chosen to go south to the Petun Indians, called the Tobacco Nation, with the Gospel, and he and Raymbault were sent to make the acquaintance of the Indians further north. On this latter trip, traversing uncharted lands and waterways, they may have been the first white men to stand on the shore of Lake Superior, at the site of the present city of Sault Ste. Marie. About 2,000 Ojibways were gathered there to celebrate their Feast of the Dead, and Jogues addressed them. He erected a cross facing west towards the country of the Sioux, who were settled around the headwaters of the Mississippi. This was thirty years before Pere Marquette set out to explore the great river. With the good will of the Indians in these parts gained, the way was prepared for Marquette and others, who were able to carry on their work without suffering martyrdom.Back on the Huron peninsula, near the mouth of the Wye River, the Jesuits established their main settlement, calling it Ste. Marie. A church, living quarters, a cemetery, a hospital, and a fort were eventually built, and a way of life that was half monastic, half patriarchal grew up in this remote spot. The surrounding lands were cleared and cultivated, food was stored against famine, and here the Indians came in times of sickness and trouble, as well as on Sundays and feast days. Although no tangible evidence of the Jesuits' enterprise survives today save a part of the foundation of the fort, archeologists are of the opinion that the buildings were well-designed and impressive; the achievement is noteworthy in view of the scarcity of materials and the primitive nature of the available tools. Here in the lonely north woods the missionaries tried to create order and organization and to demonstrate in their manner of life the teachings of their religion.The year 1642 brought a very poor harvest and much sickness among the Indians. Also Father Raymbault was ill and needed medical treatment. Father Jogues was appointed to lead an expedition to Quebec for supplies and reinforcements. The journey was safely made, but unfortunately they had been sighted on the way down by a Mohawk scouting party. The Mohawks were members of the confederation of Five Nations into which the great Iroquois people had banded themselves, and were the sworn enemies of the Hurons. More Mohawk warriors were recruited by the scouting party and they lay in wait for the Black Robes and their detested Huron converts as the flotilla traveled back upstream.Father Jogues was in command of the twelve canoes, carrying in all some forty persons; there were but three white men-William Couture, Rene Goupil, and himself. Goupil was a young Frenchman who had failed of admission to the Society of Jesus because of poor health, but he had nevertheless taken up the study of medicine and had come to Canada to offer his services to the missionaries. Couture was another layman of great courage and integrity. Among the company was a noted Huron chief, a Huron medicine man and his young niece Therese, who had been trained by the Ursulines in Quebec and was returning to teach her people. The canoes were loaded with vestments, altar vessels, bread and wine for the Eucharist, writing materials, tools, and food. About a day's journey beyond Trois Rivieres, the main body of warriors fell upon them, killing or maiming some and taking many prisoners, including the girl Therese. The more agile of the Hurons escaped to the woods. Father Jogues could also have escaped, but gave himself up when he saw that Goupil had been taken. Couture was singled out for severe torture later because in the fray he had slain a Mohawk leader.The white men and the Huron prisoners were led south to the home ground of the Mohawks in east central New York. At the southern end of Lake Champlain is a small island, now called Jogues Island, which is believed to have been the scene of barbarous cruelties inflicted on the prisoners. Jogues wrote: "We were made to go up from the shore between two lines of Indians who were armed with clubs, sticks, and knives. I was the last and blows were showered on me. I fell on the ground and thought my end had come, but they lifted me up all streaming with blood and carried me more dead than alive to the platform." Worse tortures followed. The Iroquois were especially cruel to the Huron converts. At this time and during subsequent torturings Father Jogues suffered the loss of two fingers.The horrible journey south continued. Their destination was Ossernenon, a village on the banks of the Mohawk River, a little above where the Schoharie flows into the larger stream. Known as the Lower Castle, it was in fact a very strong fortress which served to protect the Mohawks against their enemies as well as from the rigors of winter. It consisted of a double palisade, with a trench between, and, inside the enclosure, a number of communal dwellings called Long Houses, each of which was large enough to accommodate several families or clans. The captives were exposed to mistreatment there and in the other Mohawk villages of Teonontogen and Andaragon. Couture was left in one of them, while Jogues and Goupil were brought back to Ossernenon, where the Indians apparently intended to burn them alive. The news of their capture soon reached the Protestant Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam at the mouth of the Hudson, and Commandant Van Corlear came up in person to ransom them. His overtures were rejected, but the Indians decided not to kill such valuable captives—perhaps in the hope of getting an even higher ransom from the French.Before long, however, Goupil was tomahawked from behind by an Indian who had observed him making the sign of the cross on the head of an Indian girl, a gesture which, according to the Indian medicine men, brought bad luck. Jogues, who happened to be nearby, took the dying man in his arms, and gave him the last absolution before he died. The Indians snatched the body away from the grieving priest and concealed it in a stream. Guided by a friendly Indian, Jogues went in search of the corpse, and on finding it, hid it deeper in the stream, hoping to return and give it proper burial before he too was killed. The Indians thwarted him by destroying the body. Father Jogues wrote of the young doctor's death: "Thus on the 28th of September this angel of innocence and martyr of Jesus Christ was immolated in his thirty-fifth year, for Him who had given His life for his ransom. He had consecrated his heart and soul to God and his life and labor to the welfare of the poor Indians."Jogues' slavery lasted for more than a year. His record of it, written for his Superior, has been studied by scholars who are amazed at his endurance. "He would sometimes escape," Parkman wrote, ". . . and wander in the forest, telling his beads and repeating passages of Scripture. In a remote and lonely spot he cut the bark in the form of a cross from the trunk of a great tree; and here he made his prayers. This living martyr, half clad in shaggy furs, kneeling in the snow among the icicled rocks and beneath the gloomy pines, bowing in adoration before the emblem of his faith in which was his only consolation and his only hope, is alike a theme for the pen and a subject for the pencil." Later Jogues was to report to his spiritual guide, "The only sin I can remember during my captivity is that I sometimes looked on the approach of death with complacency." The Indians were not without respect for their strange captive, naming him "the indomitable one." He had at least one good friend among the Mohawks, an old woman whom he called "aunt." She tried to heal his wounds and to warn and protect him when danger threatened. His days were passed in menial work, learning the language, and comforting Huron prisoners who were sometimes brought in. He was taken on fishing and hunting expeditions, when he suffered much from hunger and exposure. As opportunity offered, he baptized children he found dying. During the year he baptized some seventy persons, New York State's first Catholic baptismal record.The Dutch hoped to rescue him, though they did not wish to jeopardize their own fairly peaceful relations with the Mohawks. Their efforts finally freed Jogues. His captors were lured into bringing him to Fort Orange, at Rensselaerwyck, now Albany. The Dutch told him on arrival that it would be possible to escape that night to a boat lying offshore in the Hudson which was ready to sail for Bordeaux. He and his Indian guards were to sleep in a Dutch farmer's big barn. Before dawn, guided by a farm hand, he picked his way over the sleeping Indians around him, and got to the river. Rowing out to the anchored vessel, he was taken on board and concealed. The enraged Mohawks were soon on his trail, threatening reprisals against the Dutch for their part in the affair. Learning of this, Jogues insisted on going back on shore. "If this trouble has been caused by me," he said, "I am ready to appease it at the loss of my life. I have never wished to escape if it meant injury to the least man in the colony." But the Indians were now persuaded to relinquish all claim to his person for the sum of 300 livres, which the Dutch paid. Yet Jogues' life continued in jeopardy, and for the next six weeks, while awaiting another boat, he was kept in close, uncomfortable confinement, befriended by the Dutch pastor, Dominie Megalolensis.At last, Jogues got passage down the river to New Amsterdam, on the island of "Manhatte." His descriptions of the fort and the town, now New York City, have been incorporated in the official records of the state. He was the first Catholic priest to visit the settlement, and to the two Catholics living there at the time he offered the comforts and rites of the Church. "No religion is publicly exercised here but the Calvinist," he noted, "and orders are to admit none but Calvinists; but this is not observed. There are in the colony Catholics, Puritans, Lutherans, Anabaptists, etc."On November 5, 1643, Jogues sailed, and towards the end of December reached the coast of Cornwall. He was able to get aboard a collier bound for France and on Christmas Day was put ashore in Brittany. Kindly people helped him reach the town of Rennes. At the rector's house, he sent word by a servant that he was the bearer of news from New France. Unknown to Jogues, his own fate was a matter of widespread concern in France, for the latest volume of had contained the details of his capture. When the rector came to the door, after an exchange of courtesies, he asked the shabbily-dressed man if he had known Father Jogues. "Very well indeed," was the answer. "Have they murdered him?" "No, Father, he is alive and free—and I am he!"The astonishing news spread quickly. Jogues reported to his superiors, and such was his fame that ladies, courtiers, and even the Queen Regent desired to meet him and do him honor. Jogues was received by Anne of Austria, and told his story. At its conclusion, the Queen arose and stooped to kiss the mutilated hands, which the priest habitually kept covered by the folds of his cassock. But public acclaim was the last thing the modest priest desired; he even refrained from going to see his mother, wishing to spare her the pain of another parting and the sight of his maimed hands. He feared that their condition would debar him from saying Mass, but Pope Urban VIII abrogated in his case the canonical ruling.Father Jogues' only desire was to get back to Canada, and in June, 1644, he was again in Quebec. From there he was sent to Montreal, to spend his time helping to build up that new outpost, until the cessation of warfare would permit him to return to the Hurons. Two years later an embassy of Iroquois came to Trois Rivieres to discuss terms of truce and the ransom of prisoners. Many fine speeches were made and gifts were exchanged. The Jesuit priest participated in these conclaves. After the deliberations were concluded, the French thought it prudent to send a conciliatory deputation to meet with other Iroquois chieftains at Ossernenon. This embassy was led by Father Jogues and Sieur Jean Bourdon, an engineer, who represented the government of New France. "Oh, how I should regret to lose so glorious an occasion," wrote the priest to his superior before starting, "when it may depend only on me that some souls be saved! I hope that His goodness, which has not abandoned me in the hour of trial, will aid me still."The party traveled south, stopping first at Fort Orange, where the priest saw again his Dutch friends and reimbursed them for his ransom of the year before. The Dutch were astonished to learn that he was going back to the scene of his painful captivity Ondessonk indeed deserved his name! The Mohawks, too, when he appeared among them, were impressed by his courage and disarmed by his gentleness, for he showed no trace of ill-will. The old "aunt" greeted with friendly words the man who had been the tribe's despised captive and who now returned as an envoy of peace. "With us you will always have a mat to lie on and a fire to warm yourself," she told him. Gifts were exchanged between Frenchmen and Indians, and belts of wampum offered for the release of the Hurons held captive. Thus the purpose of the visit was achieved, the pact confirmed, and Jogues went back to Quebec. He was to return to spend the winter among the Mohawks, now that friendly relations were established.In the meanwhile, after Jogues and Bourdon had left Ossernenon, an epidemic broke out, caterpillars ate the crops, and famine threatened. As usual, the Mohawks blamed all their troubles on Black Coat, even though, on his latest trip, he had not worn priestly garb. But had he not left with them a mysterious box? True, he had showed them its contents, which consisted of personal necessaries, but he had locked it up and asked them to keep it. No doubt a devil was concealed in the box, to bring upon them all manner of evils. They threw the box into the river. Totally unaware of the mounting tension and antagonism, Jogues, with John Lalande, a lay missionary, once more started south for Ossernenon. On the trail they were met by a party of Mohawks on the warpath. The three or four Hurons serving Jogues as guides turned back to escape capture, while the two Frenchmen were led on as prisoners. At Ossernenon Jogues' arguments seemed to affect his hearers. "I am a man like yourselves," he replied to their charges. "I do not fear death or torture. I do not know why you wish to kill me. I come here to confirm the peace and show you the way to Heaven, and you treat me like a dog." In the councils the majority were ready to give the brave Ondessonk his freedom, but the minority faction, members of the Bear clan, took matters into their own hands. They invited Jogues to pay them a visit, and as he unsuspectingly entered the cabin of the Bear chief, he was brutally tomahawked. The next day Lalande met the same fate, and both bodies were thrown into a nearby ravine. Their heads were cut off and placed on poles facing the trail by which they had come, as if in warning to other Black Robes. When the news of the martyrdom was carried to Fort Orange, the Dutch pastor hastened to Ossernenon to denounce the Mohawks for their crime. Later on some of the Indians went to the fort with Father Jogues' breviary, missal, and cassock, hoping to make a profitable trade, and the pastor again censured them.The Iroquois now once more began to attack and plunder the Huron villages, sparing neither Christians nor non-Christians. Garnier, Daniel, Gabriel, Lalemant, and Brebeuf were killed. But in the Mohawk Valley the example of Jogues' heroism was not forgotten, for the gentle priest had possessed in high degree the virtue the Indians most admired, bravery. And when, some years later, there was peace, the three Jesuit priests sent from Canada to establish the Mission of the Martyrs were well received. Before long Mohawk converts were traveling to the seminary in Quebec to be trained as Christian leaders. Today, near the town of Auriesville, New York, which on the best archeological authority is accepted as the site of Ossernenon, there is a famous Catholic shrine and pilgrimage place. It was dedicated in 1885 to the Martyrs of North America and to their Indian converts. Here pilgrims come to honor the memory of the Jesuits of the seventeenth century who faced death in the wilderness. The eight martyrs—Jogues, Lalande, Brebeuf, Lalemant, Garnier, Daniel, Goupil, and Chabanel—were solemnly beatified in 1925 and canonized in 1930.
http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/I/stisaacjogues.asp
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TODAY'S GOSPEL- OCT. 19- Luke 12: 35 - 38
Luke 12: 35 - 3835"Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning,36and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks.37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.38If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!
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CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: MON. OCT. 18, 2010


CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: MON. OCT. 18, 2010: HEADLINES-
ASIA: VIETNAM DEATH OF BISHOP THUAN -
AMERICA: USA: CLOSE TO 6000 ROSARY RALLIES -






VATICAN: POPE: SUMMARY OF SYNOD AND OTHER NEWS

NINTH GENERAL CONGREGATION VATICAN CITY, 15 OCT 2010 (VIS REPORT) - The Ninth General Congregation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops took place this afternoon in the Synod Hall of the Vatican. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. The Holy Father was present for the period of free discussion at the end of the session. Extracts from some of the Synod Father's speeches are given below: CARDINAL WILLIAM JOSEPH LEVADA, PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH. "My intervention will focus on the notion of the living Tradition of the Church as taught in the Vatican Council II Constitution on Divine Revelation 'Dei Verbum', and on the understanding of the role of the Pope in Apostolic Tradition. ... Cardinal Newman, through his study of the Fathers of the Patristic age and of the first Ecumenical Councils, found precisely the living Tradition that led him to embrace the fullness of faith in the Catholic Church. ... I would envision a useful study and exchange of views about how the ministry of the Successor of Peter, with its essential doctrinal characteristics, could be exercised in different ways, according to the diverse needs of times and places. This remains a chapter of ecclesiology to be further explored and completed. Such theological reflection, however, does not supplant the vital testimony of the Catholics of the Middle East to their Orthodox and Muslim brethren about how Church doctrine develops in the living Apostolic Tradition, guided by Christ's gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church's Magisterium in every age. This Magisterium necessarily includes the role of the Pope as head of the Apostolic College of Bishops, together with Christ's commission to confirm His brethren in the unity of faith so that 'all may be one'". MSGR. MIKAEL ANTOINE MOURADIAN, PATRIARCHAL VICAR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR THE PATRIARCHAL CLERGY OF BZOMMAR, LEBANON. "It is true that the Middle East is the Holy Land and the land of saints. This has been demonstrated by the canonisations and beatifications that have taken place in recent years: Mar Charbel, Naamat Allah al-Hardini, Rafka, Abouna Yaacoub, Ignace Maolyan, Al Akh Stephan. However, this should not cloud our vision to the truth about the Middle East, where there is also a crisis of vocations. ... What are the causes for the decrease in religious vocations, what are the short-, mid- and long-term consequences, and the possible solutions? ... (1) Primary causes: The decline in the birth rate in Christian families. Material and moral problems which families must face. A crisis of values. Difficulty in committing to the long term. The emancipation of women. Crisis of faith. Counter-witness by consecrated persons. (2) Possible solutions: Support the family. Educate them in true values. Consecrated persons witness sincerely to their faithfulness to Christ and to their consecration. Ensure a proper discernment of vocations. Oversee proper spiritual guidance in vocations. Obtain appropriate initial and permanent formation. ... It is also in the believing and practicing family that vocations are born". ARCHBISHOP CYRIL VASIL S.J., SECRETARY OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE ORIENTAL CHURCHES. "Synodality has a special bond with the mechanism for choosing candidates to the episcopacy. Checks on the suitability of the candidates should be carried out by the bishops and the Synod in a more appropriate manner than sometimes happens at present, in order to facilitate and speed up the process of pontifical assent. ... First and foremost, formative and academic institutions must be constantly evaluated as regards the level of cultural and spiritual formation they offer. The difficulties students encounter in their higher studies outside the Eastern context, for example in Rome, cannot be ignored and there is no point in hiding them. We have to ask ourselves if the time has finally come to open a first cycle of Eastern theological studies here in Rome, in an Eastern Theological Faculty. ... As regards the faithful who move from the Middle East, claims are sometimes made for a 'planetary' extension of Patriarchs' jurisdiction, as if this were a right and a universal solution to the problem of the pastoral care of migrants. It should be remembered that there is a great difference between the claimed universal right and the detailed, justified request". ARCHBISHOP MICHEL ABRASS B.A., AUXILIARY OF ANTIOCH OF THE GREEK-MELKITES, SYRIA. "The question of choice of 'regime', as applicable to Lebanon, is a serious problem affecting the laity today. Many lay persons ask themselves what will become of them if they declare themselves as Christians, ... something which depends on the degree of emancipation of their non-Christian interlocutor, who in the Middle East is often a Muslim. These Christians need some kind of 'positive secularism'. Where do they go to find it? Presently, our 'lay faithful' are in self-denial. They must be given legitimacy, and the only people with the power to provide it are ecclesiastics, provided that it has been authorised by their statutes. We think that Christians who so desire should be authorised to adopt a lay statute, so long as it does not undermine the dogmas or the teachings of the Churches, bearing in mind that we are in a land that is not solely Christian". ARCHBISHOP ATHANASE MATTI SHABA MATOKA OF BAGHDAD OF THE SYRIANS, IRAQ. "Iraq is still in a situation of instability, suffering and war, the most recent being the American occupation. Christians have always shared in the sacrifices and tribulations, having lost martyrs in the wars and suffered many different hardships. Since 2003, Christians have been victims of a deadly situation which has caused mass emigration from Iraq. Although there are no definite statistics, indications are that half the Christians have abandoned Iraq and that there are only about 400,000 Christians left of the 800,000 who once lived there. The invasion of Iraq by America and its allies brought to Iraq in general, and especially to its Christians, destruction and ruin on all levels. ... Seven years have passed and Christianity is still bleeding. Where is the world's conscience? All the world stands and watches what is happening in Iraq, especially with regard to Christians. We want to sound the alarm. We ask this question of the great powers: is it true that there is a plan to empty the Middle East of Christians and that Iraq is one of the victims? I think this Synod should study this subject carefully and should see what can be put down in writing in order to reach a solution for the situation existing in the Middle East". ARCHBISHOP DENYS ANTOINE CHAHDA OF ALEP, BEROEA, HALAB OF THE SYRIANS, SYRIA. "Christ asks all the baptised to be united, just as He and His Father are One. ... He wanted their unity to be a sign for the nations and 'Signum inter Gentes', a light attracting mankind to His Father and inviting them to believe in Him. Indeed, the division in the Church is an act of unfaithfulness to her founder and a scandal for those who do not believe in Jesus. I feel that what separates us from our Orthodox brothers is the understanding of the Primacy of Peter. It is up to the theologians to find a new interpretation. Why not achieve unity in faith, but in diversity? The Synod of Jerusalem in the year 49 could be the key to finding a solution to the division of the Churches".SE/ VIS 20101018 (1250) TENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION VATICAN CITY, 16 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Tenth General Congregation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops was held this morning in the Vatican's Synod Hall. During the session, the draft of the final message was presented and discussed, and a first round of voting took place for members of the Special Council for the Middle East of the General Secretariat of the Synod. The president delegate on duty was His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Lebanon.SE/ VIS 20101018 (100) ELEVENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Eleventh General Congregation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops was held this morning in the Synod Hall in the presence of the Holy Father. The sitting was dedicated to the presentation of the "Relatio post disceptationem" (report after the discussion), and the president delegate on duty was Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. The "Relatio post disceptationem" was delivered by His Beatitude Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt. Extracts from the document are given below: THE SITUATION OF CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST "The proclamation of the Gospel and the proclamation of Christ to all peoples is the supreme duty of our Churches and all Churches. Our Churches need to reawaken our missionary zeal and to renew in us the meaning, significance, ardour, enthusiasm and dynamism of our being missionary. ... Missionary formation is necessary for our faithful, especially those in leadership positions in the life of the Church". "Religion must not be politicised nor the State take precedence over religion. ... Modern media (texts, website, internet, television, radio) have an important place in this field. They provide a powerful and valuable means for spreading the Christian message, for meeting the challenges it faces, and for communicating with the faithful of the diaspora. People in key positions need formation to achieve these ends. Eastern Christians must commit themselves to working for the common good, in all its aspects, as they have always done". "The socio-political situations in our countries have a direct impact on Christians, who feel their negative consequences more strongly. While condemning the violence whatever its origin and calling for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we express our solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose current situation encourages fundamentalism. We also call upon the political world to pay sufficient attention to the tragic situation of Christians in Iraq who are the main victims of the war and its effects". "Religious freedom is an essential component of human rights. The lack of religious freedom is most often associated with deprivation of fundamental rights. Freedom of worship is an aspect of religious freedom. In most of our countries freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution. But even then, in some countries, certain acts or practices limit its application. ... Religious freedom is not a relativism that treats all faiths equally. Rather it is the result of the duty of every person to adhere to the truth by a firm choice of conscience, while respecting the dignity of each person. ... Religious freedom also includes the right to confess one's faith, which is a right and duty for every religion". "One of the major challenges threatening the presence of Christians in some countries in the Middle East is emigration. ... The main causes of this troubling phenomenon are economic and political situations, the rise of fundamentalism, and the restriction of freedoms and equality, strongly exacerbated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war in Iraq. ... Emigration is a natural right which falls to the free choice of individuals and families, especially those living in harsh conditions. But the Church has the duty to encourage her faithful to remain as witnesses, apostles and builders of peace and wellbeing in their countries". "The danger threatening Christians in the Middle East comes not only from their minority status, or external threats, but above all from their being distanced from the truth of the Gospel, from their faith and their mission. This divided life is more dangerous to Christianity than any other threat. The true tragedy of man is not when he suffers because of his mission, but when he no longer has a mission and thereby loses the meaning and purpose of his life". ECCLESIAL COMMUNION "We need a better appreciation, understanding and experience of the unity of the Church. It is essential that we teach the Church as a 'communion' in catechesis, homilies, and in the formation of clergy, religious and laity. Communion must first be affective before becoming effective. It is important for us to cultivate a deep sense of spiritual communion, of belonging to one and the same Church". "'Communion' among Churches is the first goal and first task of this Synod. ... Pastors must help the faithful to know, appreciate, love and live the beautiful variety of the Church in unity. ... Inter-ecclesial relations must be encouraged, not only among the 'sui iuris' Churches in the Middle East, but also with the Eastern Churches and with the Latin Church in the diaspora, in close unity with the Holy Father, the Holy See and pontifical representatives". "It is of vital importance to appreciate the role of lay men and women and their participation in the life and mission of the Church. In order for this Synod to become, for them and for the entire Church, a true spiritual, pastoral and social springtime, we need to reinforce the commitment of the laity to the joint pastoral work of the Church. Women, both consecrated and lay, need to find their proper place and mission in this field". "Mission and ecumenism are closely linked. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches have much in common. ... A sincere effort is necessary to overcome prejudices, to better understand one another, and to aim for the fullness of communion in the faith, the Sacraments and hierarchical service. This Synod should help towards further communion and unity with our sister Orthodox Churches and the ecclesial communities". "It has been pointed out that ecumenism is going through a crisis today. ... It is vital to make ecumenism a primary goal in episcopal meetings and conferences. The creation of an ecumenical commission in the Council of Eastern Catholic Patriarchs has been proposed. The media should be used to reinforce and vivify ecumenism". CHRISTIAN WITNESS. WITNESSES OF RESURRECTION AND LOVE "We must encourage all the faithful, but especially priests, religious, consecrated persons and those responsible for pastoral activity and the apostolate to follow the Church's teachings and to study the documents of the Magisterium". "Special attention must be given to the family, which risks being torn apart and undermined by Western relativism and the predominantly non-Christian outlook in our region. Families of mixed religions must be the subject of special pastoral care. The catechetical manuals must make up for shortcomings and correct errors which are to be found elsewhere". "It was suggested that a commission be formed for the vitalisation and co-ordination of the communications media in the Middle East. ... The media and communication are a powerful means to consolidate communion". "In our Eastern Churches, the divine liturgy is the centre of religious life. It has an important role in safeguarding Christian identity, in strengthening membership of the Church and in animating the life of faith. We must preserve and cultivate the sense of the sacred, of symbols and of popular religiosity, which needs to be purified and deepened". "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict affects relations between Christians and Jews. The Holy See has clearly and repeatedly expressed its position, appealing for both peoples to be able to live in peace, each in its own homeland, with secure and internationally recognised borders. ... Our Churches reject anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism". "For a fruitful dialogue, Christians and Muslims must know one another better. ... Numerous initiatives prove that it is possible to come together and work on the basis of shared values (peace, solidarity, non-violence). ... The Eastern Churches are the most qualified to promote inter-religious dialogue with Islam. This duty is theirs because of their history, their presence and their mission. ... It is necessary to avoid any provocative, offensive, humiliating action and any anti-Islamic attitude. To be authentic, dialogue must take place in truth". "The West tends to be identified with Christianity and the choices of States are often attributed to the Church. In reality, however, the governments of the West are secular and increasingly opposed to the Christian faith. It is important to explain this reality as well as the positive significance of the secular State, which distinguishes politics from religion. Within this context Christians have an obligation and a mission to live out Gospel values. ... It is by our lives that we must testify constantly, without syncretism or relativism, but with humility, respect, sincerity, and love". CONCLUSION "What does the future hold for Christians in the Middle East? 'Do not be afraid, O little flock!'". "Together we must work to prepare a new dawn for the Middle East. We are strengthened by the prayers, understanding and love of our brothers and sisters around the world. We are not alone. This Synod has made that very clear".SE/ VIS 20101018 (1460)
HOLY FATHER MEETS WITH POLISH PRESIDENT VATICAN CITY, 16 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today: "This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Bronislaw Komorowski, president of the Republic of Poland. The President subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States. "The cordial discussions began by recalling the felicitous coincidence of the president's visit with the thirty-second anniversary of the election to the papacy of Servant of God Pope John Paul II. Attention then turned to the importance of dialogue between Church and State, each according to its own competencies, for the promotion of the common good. The parties expressed their mutual desire to continue effective co-operation in areas of joint interest - for example, in education and in promoting the fundamental values of society - and emphasis was given to the importance of defending human life in all its stages. The meeting closed with an exchange of opinions on the current situation in Europe".OP/ VIS 20101018 (190)
CONCERT BY ENOCH ZU GUTTENBERG IN HONOUR OF THE POPE VATICAN CITY, 16 OCT 2010 (VIS) - This evening in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI and the Synod Fathers attended a concert given in the Pope's honour by the composer Enoch zu Guttenberg. He conducted the Klang Verwaltung orchestra and the Neubeuern choir in Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem Mass. At the end of the concert the Holy Father arose to address some remarks to those present. "Giuseppe Verdi", he said, "spent his life scrutinising the heart of man, and in his works he highlighted the drama of the human condition. ... His theatre is full of unhappy souls, of the persecuted, of victims. This tragic vision of human destiny is echoed in many parts of his Requiem Mass, where we touch the inescapable reality of death and the fundamental question of the transcendent world". Verdi, "who in a famous letter to the publisher Ricordi, defined himself as being 'a bit atheist', wrote this Mass which seems to like a great appeal to the Eternal Father, an attempt to overcome the cry of desperation in the face of death, to rediscover the breath of life which becomes the silent and heartfelt prayer: 'Libera me, Domine'". "This 'musical cathedral'", the Pope concluded, "thus appears as a description of the spiritual drama of man before Almighty God, of man who cannot escape the eternal question concerning his own existence".AC/ VIS 20101018 (240)
BENEDICT XVI CANONISES SIX BLESSEDS VATICAN CITY, 17 OCT 2010 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. today Benedict XVI celebrated the Eucharist in the atrium of the Vatican Basilica, and canonised the following six blesseds: Stanislao Soltys, called Kazimierczyk, Polish professed religious of the Order of Canons Regular Lateranense (1433-1489); Andre Bessette (ne Alfred), Canadian professed religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (1845-1937); Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola (nee Juana Josefa), Spanish founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus (1845-1912); Mary of the Cross MacKillop (nee Mary Helen), Australian founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (1842-1909); Giulia Salzano, Italian founder of the Congregation of Sisters Catechists of the Sacred Heart (1846-1929), and Battista da Varano (nee Camilla), professed nun of the Order of Poor Clares (1458-1524). At the beginning of his homily the Pope explained how "this Sunday's liturgy offers us a fundamental teaching: the importance of ceaseless prayer. Sometimes we get tired of praying, we have the impression that prayer is not very useful in life, that it is not terribly effective. So we are tempted to dedicate ourselves to activity, to using human means to achieve our aims, without turning to God. However, Jesus affirms that we must always pray". "Faith is essential as the basis for prayerful behaviour", said the Holy Father, noting that "this was the approach of the six new saints who today are being proposed for veneration by the Universal Church". On the subject of the Polish Stanislao Kazimierczyk, recalled how "his entire life was tied to the Eucharist", particularly "through his ardent love for Christ present in the species of bread and wine" and "through love for others, of which Communion is the source and the sign". Andre Bessette from the Canadian city of Quebec was "doorman at the Notre Dame College in Montreal, where he showed boundless charity and did everything possible to soothe the despair of those who confided in him", said the Pope. "He was witness to many healings and conversions. ... For him, everything spoke of God and His presence. May we, following his example, search for God with simplicity to discover Him always present at the centre of our lives". On the subject of the Spanish Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola, Benedict XVI highlighted how "she lived for God and for what He most loves: to reach all people and bring them the hope that does not waver, especially those who need Him most. ... Though possessing few resources, she managed to inspire other sisters to follow Jesus and dedicate themselves to teaching and to the promotion of women. This is how the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus was founded, which today sees in its founder a model of sublime life to be imitated, and a mission to be continued in the many countries already reached by the spirit and apostolic zeal of Mother Candida". Mother Mary MackKillop, the first Australian saint, "dedicated herself as a young woman to the education of the poor in the difficult and demanding terrain of rural Australia. ... She attended to the needs of each young person entrusted to her, without regard for social position or wealth, providing both intellectual and spiritual formation. Despite many challenges, her prayers to St. Joseph and her unflagging devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom she dedicated her new congregation, gave this holy woman the graces she needed to remain faithful to God and the Church. Through her intercession, may her followers today continue to serve God and the Church with faith and humility". Giulia Salzano "well understood the importance of catechesis in the Church and, uniting educational skill to spiritual zeal, she dedicated herself to this with generosity and intelligence, contributing to the formation of people of every age and social class. She repeated to her fellow sisters that she wanted to teach catechism until the last hour of her life, showing with her whole being that if 'God created us to know, love and serve Him in this life', nothing should take precedence over that task. May the example and intercession of St. Giulia Salzano sustain the Church in her perennial task of proclaiming Christ and forming authentic Christian consciences". The Pope concluded his homily by referring to Battista Camilla da Varano, who "bore profound witness to the evangelical significance of life, especially by her perseverance in prayer. ... Completely immersed in the depths of the divine, hers was a constant ascent along the path of perfection, demonstrating heroic love for God and neighbour. Her journey was marked by great sufferings and mystical consolations, for she had in fact decided, as she herself wrote, 'to enter into the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and to drown in the ocean of His most bitter sufferings'. In an age in which the Church was experiencing a relaxation of customs, she decisively followed the way of penitence and prayer, animated by the ardent desire for renewal of the Mystical Body of Christ".HML/ VIS 20101018 (840)
ANGELUS: SAINTS ARE THE LIVING IMAGE OF GOD'S LOVE VATICAN CITY, 17 OCT 2010 (VIS) - Following Mass this morning, during which he canonised Stanislao Soltys, Andre Bessette, Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola, Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Giulia Salzano and Battista da Varano, the Holy Father prayed the Angelus with thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. Addressing French-speaking pilgrims, the Pope encouraged them to follow in the footsteps of St. Andre Bessette, "in order to accept freely and lovingly the will of God in your lives", and to show the same charity that the new saint showed "towards your brothers and sisters who are suffering hardship". Speaking English he then called for the example of St. Andre Bessette and St. Mary MacKillop to inspire people "by the example of their holy lives". Saints, he said to German faithful, "are the living image of God's love, ... models to follow and advocates for our lives as Christians". Speaking Spanish he entrusted the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus to the intercession of their founder, St. Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola, and expressed the hope that young people "may increasingly welcome the Lord's call and commit their lives entirely to proclaiming the greatness of His love". "From Stanislao Soltys (called Kazimierczyk)", said the Pope in Polish, "we learn the spirit of prayer, of contemplation and of sacrifice for others. May he always maintain the Church in Poland in the presence of the Lord". Finally, the Holy Father greeted Italian pilgrims celebrating the canonisation of Sts. Battista da Varano and Giulia Salzano. He reminded them that today marks the closure of the forty-sixth Social Week of Italian Catholics, and expressed the hope that "the search for the common good may always be the firm foundation for the commitment of Catholics in social and political activities".ANG/ VIS 20101018 (310)
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS LEFT INDELIBLE TRACES IN COLOMBIA VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2010 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Cesar Mauricio Velasquez Ossa, the new ambassador of Colombia to the Holy See. The Pope recalled that the new ambassador is beginning his mission to the Holy See "at a time of particular significance for Colombia: the commemoration of the bicentennial of the beginning of the process that led to independence and the constitution of the republic". He stated that, "not only during these last two centuries but from the dawn of the arrival of Spanish in America, the Catholic Church has been present in each of the stages of the historical destiny of your country, always playing a major and decisive role". This "selfless work ... has left indelible traces in various areas of your country, such as culture, art, healthcare, social cohesion, and peace-building". "The Church in Colombia does not demand any special privileges in this rewarding task," the Holy Father stressed. "She yearns only to serve the faithful and all those who open their hearts to her, ... ever ready to support anything that promotes education of new generations, care of the sick and elderly, respect for indigenous peoples and their legitimate traditions, eradication of poverty, drug trafficking, and corruption, care of prisoners, displaced persons, and migrant workers, as well as assistance to needy families. In effect, this means continuing to co-operate faithfully for the integral growth of the communities in which pastors, religious, and faithful carry out their service, motivated only by the demands that stem from their priestly ordination, their religious consecration, or their Christian vocation". "In this context of mutual co-operation and friendly relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Colombia, ... once again I wish to express the Church's interest in protecting and fostering the inviolable dignity of human beings, to which end it is essential that the legal system should respect natural law in such essential areas as safeguarding human life from conception to natural end, the right to be born and to live in a family founded on marriage between a man and a woman, or the right of parents to give their children an education consistent with their own moral criteria and beliefs. All of these are irreplaceable pillars in building a society that is truly worthy of humanity and our fundamental values". "In this solemn meeting", the Pope concluded, "I would also like to express my spiritual closeness and the assurance of my prayers for those in Colombia who have been unjustly and cruelly deprived of their freedom. I also pray for their families and, in general, for the victims of violence in all its forms, asking God that so much suffering be ended and that all Colombians may live in reconciliation and peace in that blessed land, so filled with natural resources, ... which must be preserved as a magnificent gift from the Creator".CD/ VIS 20101018 (500)
EL SALVADOR: EVANGELISATION, AN INCENTIVE AGAINST VIOLENCE VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2010 (VIS) - "The ties binding the faithful people of El Salvador to the Chair of the Prince of the Apostles are proof of a noble tradition and cannot be separated from the history and customs of that blessed land", the Holy Father said this morning to Manuel Roberto Lopez Becerra, El Salvador's new ambassador to the Holy See. "Within her own specific field of competence and with independence and freedom, the Church in El Salvador seeks to promote the public good in all dimensions, and to foster the conditions that enable men and women to develop fully. ... Evangelising and bearing witness to love for God and for all persons without exception becomes an effective element in eradicating poverty and is a vigorous incentive to fight against violence, impunity, and drug trafficking, which are wreaking such havoc, especially among youth. ... The ecclesial community also finds itself continuously called upon when so many people are in need of adequate housing and employment, ... and are being force to emigrate from the country. Similarly, it would be strange if the disciples of Christ remained neutral to the aggressive presence of sects, which seem to offer an easy and convenient religious response, but which are actually undermining the culture and customs that have shaped the Salvadoran identity for centuries, obscuring the beauty of the Gospel message and tearing apart the unity of the faithful". "It is consoling", the Pope noted, "to behold your country's efforts to construct an increasingly harmonious and supportive society as it advances along the path opened by the 1992 agreements, which put an end to the long and destructive internal conflict suffered by El Salvador - a land of great natural riches that speak eloquently of God and that must be earnestly preserved and protected in order to bequeath them in all their vitality to new generations. The Salvadoran people, with their spirit of sacrifice and hear work, will find great joy if the peace process is seen to be daily confirmed". "In this regard, I ask the Almighty ... that your compatriots be given whatever aid necessary to renounce the causes of conflict definitively, replacing enmity with mutual understanding and ensuring protection for people and their belongings. In order to achieve these goal, people must be convinced that nothing is to be gained by violence, indeed that everything is worsened because violence is a dead end. ... By contrast, peace is the yearning of every human being who takes pride in that name. As a gift of the Divine Saviour, it is also a task in which everyone should co-operate unhesitatingly, finding strong support in the State through legal, economic, and social provisions as well as proper police and security forces to ensure people's welfare in accordance with the law". "In this struggle", Benedict XVI concluded, "they will always find the outstretched hand of the children of the Church, whom I exhort that, with their witness as disciples and missionaries of Christ, they may increasingly identify with Him, asking Him to make every Salvadoran an architect of reconciliation".CD/ VIS 20101018 (530)
LETTER TO SEMINARIANS OF BENEDICT XVI VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2010 (VIS) - Given below are ample extracts from the English-language version of a Letter to Seminarians, written by the Pope to mark the end of the Year for Priests and dated 18 October. "When in December 1944 I was drafted for military service, the company commander asked each of us what we planned to do in the future. I answered that I wanted to become a Catholic priest. The lieutenant replied: 'Then you ought to look for something else. In the new Germany priests are no longer needed'. I knew that this 'new Germany' was already coming to an end, and that, after the enormous devastation which that madness had brought upon the country, priests would be needed more than ever. Today the situation is completely changed. In different ways, though, many people nowadays also think that the Catholic priesthood is not a 'job' for the future, but one that belongs more to the past. You, dear friends, have decided to enter the seminary and to prepare for priestly ministry in the Catholic Church in spite of such opinions and objections. You have done a good thing. Because people will always have need of God, even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalisation: they will always need the God Who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, the God Who gathers us together in the universal Church in order to learn with Him and through Him life's true meaning and in order to uphold and apply the standards of true humanity. Where people no longer perceive God, life grows empty; nothing is ever enough". "In this letter I would like to point out - thinking back to my own time in the seminary - several elements which I consider important for these years of your journeying. "(1) Anyone who wishes to become a priest must be first and foremost a 'man of God', to use the expression of St. Paul. For us God is not some abstract hypothesis. ... God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. ... It follows that the most important thing in our path towards priesthood and during the whole of our priestly lives is our personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. The priest is not the leader of a sort of association whose membership he tries to maintain and expand. He is God's messenger to His people. He wants to lead them to God and in this way to foster authentic communion between all men and women. That is why it is so important, dear friends, that you learn to live in constant intimacy with God. When the Lord tells us to 'pray constantly', He is obviously not asking us to recite endless prayers, but urging us never to lose our inner closeness to God". "(2) For us God is not simply Word. In the Sacraments He gives Himself to us in person, through physical realities. At the heart of our relationship with God and our way of life is the Eucharist. Celebrating it devoutly, and thus encountering Christ personally, should be the centre of all our days. ... In the liturgy we pray with the faithful of every age - the past, the present and the future are joined in one great chorus of prayer. As I can state from personal experience, it is inspiring to learn how it all developed, what a great experience of faith is reflected in the structure of the Mass, and how it has been shaped by the prayer of many generations. (3) "The Sacrament of Penance is also important. It teaches me to see myself as God sees me, and it forces me to be honest with myself. ... Even when we have to struggle continually with the same failings, it is important to resist the coarsening of our souls and the indifference which would simply accept that this is the way we are. ... Moreover, by letting myself be forgiven, I learn to forgive others. In recognising my own weakness, I grow more tolerant and understanding of the failings of my neighbour. "(4) I urge you to retain an appreciation for popular piety, which is different in every culture yet always remains very similar, for the human heart is ultimately one and the same. Certainly, popular piety tends towards the irrational, and can at times be somewhat superficial. Yet it would be quite wrong to dismiss it. Through that piety, the faith has entered human hearts and become part of the common patrimony of sentiments and customs, shaping the life and emotions of the community". "(5) Above all, your time in the seminary is also a time of study. The Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension. Were it to lack that dimension, it would not be itself. ... I can only plead with you: Be committed to your studies! ... The point is not simply to learn evidently useful things, but to understand and appreciate the internal structure of the faith as a whole, so that it can become a response to people's questions, which on the surface change from one generation to another yet ultimately remain the same. For this reason it is important to move beyond the changing questions of the moment in order to grasp the real questions, and so to understand how the answers are real answers. It is important to have a thorough knowledge of Sacred Scripture as a whole, in its unity as the Old and the New Testaments. ... It is important to be familiar with the Fathers and the great Councils in which the Church appropriated, through faith-filled reflection, the essential statements of Scripture. ... I do not need to point out the importance of knowing the essential issues of moral theology and Catholic social teaching. The importance nowadays of ecumenical theology, and of a knowledge of the different Christian communities, is obvious. ... But you should also learn to understand and - dare I say it - to love canon law, appreciating how necessary it is and valuing its practical applications. ... I will not go on with this list, but I simply say once more: love the study of theology and carry it out in the clear realisation that theology is anchored in the living community of the Church, which, with her authority, is not the antithesis of theological science but its presupposition. Cut off from the believing Church, theology would cease to be itself and instead it would become a medley of different disciplines lacking inner unity. "(6) Your years in the seminary should also be a time of growth towards human maturity. It is important for the priest, who is called to accompany others through the journey of life up to the threshold of death, to have the right balance of heart and mind, reason and feeling, body and soul, and to be humanly integrated. ... This also involves the integration of sexuality into the whole personality. Sexuality is a gift of the Creator yet it is also a task which relates to a person's growth towards human maturity. When it is not integrated within the person, sexuality becomes banal and destructive. Today we can see many examples of this in our society. Recently we have seen with great dismay that some priests disfigured their ministry by sexually abusing children and young people. Instead of guiding people to greater human maturity and setting them an example, their abusive behaviour caused great damage for which we feel profound shame and regret. As a result of all this, many people, perhaps even some of you, might ask whether it is good to become a priest; whether the choice of celibacy makes any sense as a truly human way of life. Yet even the most reprehensible abuse cannot discredit the priestly mission, which remains great and pure. Thank God, all of us know exemplary priests, men shaped by their faith, who bear witness that one can attain to an authentic, pure and mature humanity in this state and specifically in the life of celibacy. Admittedly, what has happened should make us all the more watchful and attentive, precisely in order to examine ourselves earnestly, before God, as we make our way towards priesthood, so as to understand whether this is his will for me. It is the responsibility of your confessor and your superiors to accompany you and help you along this path of discernment". "(7) The origins of a priestly vocation are nowadays more varied and disparate than in the past. Today the decision to become a priest often takes shape after one has already entered upon a secular profession. Often it grows within the communities, particularly within the movements, which favour a communal encounter with Christ and His Church, spiritual experiences and joy in the service of the faith. It also matures in very personal encounters with the nobility and the wretchedness of human existence. ... The movements are a magnificent thing. You know how much I esteem them and love them as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Yet they must be evaluated by their openness to what is truly Catholic, to the life of the whole Church of Christ, which for all her variety still remains one. The seminary is a time when you learn with one another and from one another. In community life, which can at times be difficult, you should learn generosity and tolerance, not only bearing with, but also enriching one another. .. This school of tolerance, indeed, of mutual acceptance and mutual understanding in the unity of Christ's Body, is an important part of your years in the seminary. "Dear seminarians, with these few lines I have wanted to let you know how often I think of you, especially in these difficult times, and how close I am to you in prayer. Please pray for me, that I may exercise my ministry well, as long as the Lord may wish".MESS/ VIS 20101018 (1680)
AUDIENCES VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa, Italy and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference. On Saturday 16 October he received in separate audiences: - Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow, Poland, accompanied by Jozef Michalik of Przemysl of the Latins, president of the Polish Episcopal Conference; Bishop Stanislaw Budzik, auxiliary of Tarnow and secretary general of the Polish Episcopal Conference, and Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw. - Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.AP/ VIS 20101018 (100)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS VATICAN CITY, 18 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father: - Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Milwaukee, U.S.A., presented by Bishop Richard J. Sklba, upon having reached the age limit. - Appointed Dom Diego Gualtiero Rosa O.S.B., abbot of the monastery of S. Maria del Pilastrello in Lendinara, Italy, as abbot of the territorial abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore (area 49, population 495, Catholics 495, priests 15, religious 30), Italy. He succeeds Dom Michelangelo Riccardo Tiribilli, O.S.B., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same territorial abbey the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with the statues of the Benedictine Olivetan Congregation. On Saturday 16 October it was made public that he appointed: - Fr. Jaime Rafael Fuentes, teacher at the "Mons. Mariano Soler" Faculty of Theology of Uruguay, as bishop of Minas (area 17,776, population 76,100, Catholics 69,900, priests 17, permanent deacons 1, religious 12), Uruguay. The bishop-elect was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1973. - As members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; Cardinal IMAGE SOURCE ASIA NEWS
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ASIA: VIETNAM DEATH OF BISHOP THUAN
AsiaNews REPORT-The prelate, 80, had been ill for some time. Had fought for over 20 years against the restrictions of the communist authorities that prevented him carrying out his pastoral functions.Bishop Emmanuel Le Phong Thuan of Can Tho died yesterday aged 80. The prelate of the largest city on the Mekong Delta had long been ill and rarely attended the meetings of the Vietnamese bishops' conference.Bishop Le Phong had fought for years to carry out his mandate under the control of the communist regime and according to some the continuous pressure from authorities led to his physical collapse.Born in 1930 in the province of An Giang, Mgr. The Phong entered the seminary of the diocese of Cu Lao Gieng at the age of 8 years and in 1945 was transferred to Cambodia in the minor seminary in Phnom Penh. There he completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Seminary of Saint Joseph Mayor of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), he was ordained a priest in 1960. Between 1964 and 1970 he moved to Germany where he received his doctorate in canon law. On returning to Vietnam, he taught in the major seminary of the diocese of Cannot Tho, until his appointment as coadjutor bishop in 1975.Due to the restrictions imposed by the communist government, the diocese remained vacant until 1990. In recent years the bishop witnessed the confiscation of most of the goods of local Church and remained under close surveillance. Authorities denied the prelate access to a telephone and communications with the outside world. On 20 June 1990 he was appointed Ordinary Bishop, after several years of dialogue between the Vatican and the Vietnamese government.http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Death-of-Mgr.-Emmanuel-Le-Phong-Thuan,-bishop-of-Can-Tho-19754.html
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AMERICA: USA: CLOSE TO 6000 ROSARY RALLIES
Catholic Online REPORT - Over 400 participants gathered at the Courthouse Square on October 16 to PrayThe Public Square Rosary Rally began with a special 11am Mass at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church several blocks north of the center of town. Afterward the attendees, who numbered near 200, marched silently down the center of Leesburg's main street to the courthouse square. There they were met by a crowd. Some held paintings of the Lord Jesus Christ or the Blessed Virgin. Others were holding signs saying, "Pray to end abortion," "Pray for peace," or "Pray the Rosary for America." A large number of young adults were among the participants.The Public Square Rosary Rally held in Leesburg on Saturday was among many held in Northern Virginia and one of almost 6,000 nationwide. Over 400 gathered at the Courthouse just after 12:00 noon to pray.From reports across the country, some rallies had as few as three people, others had around 100. Leesburg's rally, with approximately 400, was among the largest that day. The rally began with a special 11am Mass at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church several blocks north of the center of town. Afterward the attendees, who numbered near 200, marched silently down the center of Leesburg's main street to the courthouse square, led by the Knights of Columbus from Holy Family Council at St. John's. They were met at the courthouse by a crowd of about equal size along with a Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Color Corps in formation with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.The crowd gathered for the event was made up of young and old alike. Some held paintings of the Lord Jesus Christ or the Blessed Virgin. Others were holding signs saying, "Pray to end abortion," "Pray for peace," or "Pray the Rosary for America." A large number of young adults were among the participants.After 200 roses were place at the feet of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, the group joined today in praying the rosary along with other prayers and songs. Some knelt during this prayer time, while others wheeled their children in strollers along the back of the crowd while joining in the public prayer.At the earlier Mass, Fr. Bryan Belli, Parochial Vicar at St. John's, had strongly set the tone for the day in his homily. "We are living in world of confusion," Fr. Belli stated, "but God is in charge and has given us the gift of the Blessed Virgin."Recounting the story of Fatima, Belli mentioned that when Our Lady appeared to the children, her message was focused on getting mankind back on course and part of that involved praying the Rosary, for if you do, there will be peace.He later highlighted the difference between a political rally and a prayer rally. "We hold a political rally to change others; we hold a prayer rally to change ourselves. The hope of our nation is that we will become committed more fully to Him."When we go to the public square, we will first pray about us, praying for our continuing conversion and the illumination of our conscience. Then we will pray for the nation, for the conversion of our president, our congress and our judiciary. Remember the power of the rosary."The vision for the rosary rallies in the public square came from the organization America Needs Fatima (ANF). ANF Executive Director Robert Ritchie said about the event, "The intention for our Rosary Crusade is to beg God and Our Lady to save America from today's immorality and secularism." In covering the 2009 Rallies, Joseph Gallagher wrote on the ANF website, "At Fatima in 1917, Our Lady gave the three shepherd children Blessed Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia a solution, an answer, a master plan, to free us from this seemingly endless corruption in our world: much prayer and penance, especially the Holy Rosary."And so, it is fitting that on the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, we should honor Our Lady and do public reparation for America's sins and pray for her conversion."The growth and momentum for these public rallies has come, however, directly from local groups of faithful Catholics who saw the importance of gathering in the public place as a Christian people and pray. Patrick Gallagher, a member of Our Lady of Hope Parish in nearby Potomac Falls, brought his family to the event. "This was absolutely fantastic!" he said. "When you come to something like this, you realize you are not alone.""What a day!" shouted rally co-captain Stan Theriault, after the event was over. "We are grateful for everyone who came and participated. Someday we hope to see 2000 people gathered here to pray together."Theriault's wife, Mary, was the other co-captain. The couple, who gave their time, talent and treasure to the rally, was assisted by others in the Catholic community in putting the event together, most notably, members of the Knights of Columbus. The Knights not only participated in various aspects organizing and leading the rally but also supported the event financially. The rosary rallies began in 2007 and are always held on the Saturday closest to the day of the "Miracle of the Sun" at Fatima, Portugal.
http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=38792
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AUSTRALIA: RUDD DEFENDS CATHOLIC CHURCH
Cath News report: Kevin Rudd has launched a vigorous defence of the Catholic Church's response to child abuse, saying the canonisation of Mary MacKillop should prompt Australians to a fairer appreciation of the church's contribution to their nation's history, The Australian reports.Addressing a press conference after an audience with the Pope, the Foreign Minister said while many people criticised the church it was time to more openly acknowledge its positive contributions.Asked about the church's response to clergy abusing children he said it had taken action and "I would like to acknowledge the enormous work which the church has done and other Christian churches in dealing with this blight on all of human kind".Mr Rudd said the church did not get the credit it deserved for its role in Australian society. "(For) Australians whatever their views of religion and whatever their denominational affiliation it is important to acknowledge the central role which the church has played positively in the history of our nation," he said."Were there no churches in the early 19th century, just following European settlement, there would have been no schools, no hospitals, no care for the poor.In a separate interview, Mr Rudd said he believed in miracles. But the former prime minister insists questions about his own religious beliefs are irrelevant and has called on all Australians to celebrate the fact the Catholic Church is to recognise Mother Mary as a saint."On the questions of the miracles associated with Mary MacKillop's life, I will not comment directly," Mr Rudd told Network Ten when asked if he believed in miracles, according to an AAP report in the Sydney Morning Herald."(But) if you're asking me as a Christian believer, do I accept the proposition of the supernatural and of supernatural intervention, well of course one follows from the other."
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EUROPE: ENGLAND: ANGLICAN BISHOP & PARISH ENTER COMMUNION WITH CHURCH
Ind. Cath. News report: An Anglican bishop and a small Anglican parish in Kent have announced their intention to become Roman Catholic under the new Ordinariate offered by Pope Benedict. Both have decided to convert because they object to moves in the Church of England to allow women bishops. Bishop John Broadhurst, the Bishop of Fulham, and leader of the traditionalist group Forward in Faith, announced his decision at its national assembly on Friday. St Peter's Church, in Folkestone, Kent, which is affiliated with Forward in Faith, announced its decision on Saturday. Bishop Broadhurst told the Forward in Faith meeting: "I intend to resign as bishop of Fulham before the end of the year. I am not retiring, I am resigning. Secondly, I expect that I will enter the ordinariate when it is established."The parish church council of St Peter's said it had resolved to join the ordinariate and "is anxious that this should be made as easy as possible."The parish has about 40 worshippers. In interviews with the media on Sunday, several parishioners said they were not sure they would be joining the exodus. One woman said: "although I am not happy with the idea of women bishops, I am not sure I am ready to become a Roman Catholic and accept beliefs such as the infallibility of the Pope."
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=16924
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AFRICA: ANGOLA: CARDINAL SPEAKS ON MORAL VALUES
All Africa report: The Cardinal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento said Friday in Luanda, to feel happy by noting some progress around the rescue of the moral and civic values within the youth, appealing to legal entities in order to continue on the path of awareness.The prelate expressed this sentiment when reacting to the speech delivered Friday by the head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, in the solemn opening session of the third year of the second legislature of the National Assembly, who called for the urgent need to restore moral and ethical values.Although some young people still insist on indecent acts that tarnish the society, said the cardinal, noting that lately, there has been some progress in terms of behaviour change within the youth who have had difficult times. ""It is part of tradition Angolan young people to respect their elders and sacrifice themselves for the most needy," stressed Alexandre, who reaffirmed the need for society to fight for the rescue of lost values
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TODAY'S SAINT: ST. LUKE: OCT. 18
St. LukeAPOSTLEFeast: October 18Information:Feast Day:October 18Born:Antioch, TurkeyDied:GreeceMajor Shrine:Padua, ItalyPatron of:Artists, Physicians, SurgeonsThe great apostle of the Gentiles, or rather the Holy Ghost by his pen, is the panegyrist of this glorious evangelist, and his own inspired writings are the highest standing and most authentic commendation of his sanctity, and of those eminent graces which are a just subject of our admiration, but which human praises can only extenuate. St. Luke was a native of Antioch, the metropolis of Syria, a city famous for the agreeableness of its situation, the riches of its traffic, its extent, the number of its inhabitants, the politeness of their manners, and their learning and wisdom. Its schools were the most renowned in all Asia, and produced the ablest masters in all arts and sciences. St. Luke acquired a stock of learning in his younger years, which we are told he improved by his travels in some parts of Greece and Egypt. St. Jerome assures us he was very eminent in his profession, and St. Paul, by calling him his most dear physician, seems to indicate that he had not laid it aside. Besides his abilities in physic, he is said to have been very skillful in painting. The Menology of the Emperor Basil, compiled in 980, Nicephorus, Metaphrastes, and other modern Greeks quoted by Gretzer in his dissertation on this subject, speak much of his excelling in this art, and of his leaving many pictures of Christ and the Blessed Virgin. Though neither the antiquity nor the credit of these authors is of great weight, it must be acknowledged, with a very judicious critic, that some curious anecdotes are found in their writings. In this particular, what they tell us is supported by the authority of Theodorus Lector, who lived in 518, and relates that a picture of the Blessed Virgin painted by St. Luke was sent from Jerusalem to the Empress Pulcheria, who placed it in the church of Hodegorum which she built in her honour at Constantinople. Moreover, a very ancient inscription was found in a vault near the Church of St. Mary in via lata in Rome, in which it is said of a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary discovered there, "One of the seven painted by St. Luke." Three or four such pictures are still in being; the principal is that placed by Paul V in the Barghesian chapel in St. Mary Major.St. Luke was a proselyte to the Christian religion, but whether from Paganism or rather from Judaism is uncertain; for many Jews were settled in Antioch, but chiefly such as were called Hellenists, who read the Bible in the Greek translation of the Septuagint. St. Jerome observes from his writings that he was more skilled in Greek than in Hebrew, and that therefore he not only always makes use of the Septuagint translation, as the other authors of the New Testament who wrote in Greek do, but he refrains sometimes from translating words when the propriety of the Greek tongue would not bear it. Some think he was converted to the faith by St. Paul at Antioch; others judge this improbable, because that apostle nowhere calls him his son, as he frequently does his converts. St. Epiphanius makes him to have been a disciple of our Lord; which might be for some short time before the death of Christ, though this evangelist says he wrote his gospel from the relations of those "who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word." Nevertheless, from these words many conclude that he became a Christian at Antioch only after Christ's ascension. Tertullian positively affirms that he never was a disciple of Christ whilst he lived on earth. No sooner was he enlightened by the Holy Ghost and initiated in the school of Christ but he set himself heartily to learn the spirit of his faith and to practice its lessons. For this purpose he studied perfectly to die to himself, and, as the church says of him, "He always carried about in his body the mortification of the cross for the honour of the divine name." He was already a great proficient in the habits of a perfect mastery of himself, and of all virtues, when he became St. Paul's companion in his travels and fellow-labourer in the ministry of the gospel. The first time that in his history of the missions of St. Paul he speaks in his own name in the first person is when that apostle sailed from Troas into Macedon in the year 51, soon after St. Barnabas had left him, and St. Irenaeus begins from that time the voyages which St. Luke made with St. Paul. Before this he had doubtless been for some time an assiduous disciple of that great apostle; but from the time he seems never to have left him unless by his order upon commissions for the service of the churches he had planted. It was the height of his ambition to share with that great apostle all his toils, fatigues, dangers, and sufferings. In his company he made some stay at Philippi in Macedon; then he travelled with him through all the cities of Greece, where the harvest every day grew upon their hands. St. Paul mentions him more than once as the companion of his travels, he calls him "Luke the beloved physician," his "fellow labourer." Interpreters usually take Lucius, whom St. Paul calls his kinsman, to be St. Luke, as the same apostle sometimes gives a Latin termination to Silas, calling him Sylvanus. Many with Origen, Eusebius, and St. Jerome say that when St. Paul speaks of his own gospel he means that of St. Luke, though the passage may be understood simply of the gospel which St. Paul preached. He wrote this epistle in the year 57, four years before his first arrival at Rome.St. Luke mainly insists in his gospel upon what relates to Christ's priestly office; for which reason the ancients, in accommodating the four symbolical representations, mentioned in Ezekiel, to the four evangelists, assigned the ox or calf as an emblem of sacrifices to St. Luke. It is only in the Gospel of St. Luke that we have a full account of several particulate relating to the Annunciation of the mystery of the Incarnation to the Blessed Virgin, her visit to St. Elizabeth, the parable of the prodigal son, and many other most remarkable points. The whole is written with great variety, elegance, and perspicuity. An incomparable sublimity of thought and diction is accompanied with that genuine simplicity which is the characteristic of the sacred penman; and by which the divine actions and doctrine of our Blessed Redeemer are set off in a manner which in every word conveys his holy spirit, and unfolds in every tittle the hidden mysteries and inexhausted riches of the divine love and of all virtues to those who, with a humble and teachable disposition of mind, make these sacred oracles the subject of their assiduous devout meditation. The dignity with which the most sublime mysteries, which transcend all the power of words and even the conception and comprehension of all created beings, ate set off without any pomp of expression has in it something divine; and the energy with which the patience, meekness, charity, and beneficence of a God made man for us are described, his divine lessons laid down, and the narrative of his life given, but especially the dispassionate manner in which his adorable sufferings and death are related, without the least exclamation or bestowing the least harsh epithet on his enemies, is a grander and more noble eloquence on such a theme, and a more affecting and tender manner of writing' than the highest strains or the finest ornaments of speech could be. This simplicity makes the great actions speak themselves, which all borrowed eloquence must extenuate. The sacred penmen in these writings were only the instruments or organs of the Holy Ghost; but their style alone suffices to evince how perfectly free their souls were from the reign or influence of human passions, and in how perfect a degree they were replenished with all those divine virtues and that heavenly spirit which their words breathe.About the year 56 St. Paul sent St. Luke with St. Titus to Corinth with this high commendation, that his praise in the gospel resounded throughout all the churches. St. Luke attended him to Rome, whither he was sent prisoner from Jerusalem in 61. The apostle remained there two years in chains; but was permitted to live in a house which he hired, though under the custody of a constant guard; and there he preached to those who daily resorted to hear him. St. Luke was the apostle's faithful assistant and attendant during his confinement, and had the comfort to see him set at liberty in 63, the year in which this evangelist finished his Acts of the Apostles. This sacred history he compiled at Rome, by divine inspiration, as an appendix to his gospel, to prevent the false relations of those transactions which some published, and to leave an authentic account of the wonderful works of God in planting his church, and some of the miracles by which he confirmed it, and which were an invincible proof of the truth of Christ's resurrection and of his holy religion. Having in the first twelve chapters related the chief general transactions of the principal apostles in the first establishment of the church, beginning at our Lord's ascension, he from the thirteenth chapter almost confines himself to the actions and miracles of St. Paul, to most of which he had been privy and an eye-witness, and concerning which false reports were spread.St. Luke did not forsake his master after he was released from his confinement. That apostle in his last imprisonment at Rome writes that the rest had all left him, and that St. Luke alone was with him. St. Epiphanius says that after the martyrdom of St. Paul, St. Luke preached in Italy, Gaul, Dalmatia, and Macedon. By Gaul some understand Cisalpine Gaul, others Galatia. Fortunatus and Metaphrastus say he passed into Egypt and preached in Thebais. Nicephorus says he died at Thebes in Boeotia, and that his tomb was shown near that place in his time; but seems to confound the evangelist with St. Luke Stiriote, a hermit of that country. St. Hippolytus says St. Luke was crucified at Elaea in Peloponnesus near Achaia. The modern Greeks tell us he was crucified on an olive tree. The ancient African Martyrology of the fifth age gives him the titles of Evangelist and Martyr. St. Gregory Nazianzen,St. Paulinus, and St. Gaudentius of Brescia assure us that he went to God by martyrdom. Bede, Ado, Usuard, and Baronius in the Martyrologies only say he suffered much for the faith, and died very old in Bithynia. That he crossed the straits to preach in Bithynia is most probable, but then he returned and finished his course in Achaia; under which name Peloponnesus was then comprised. The modern Greeks say he lived fourscore and four years; which assertion has crept into St. Jerome's account of St. Luke, but is expunged by Martianay, who found those words wanting in all old manuscripts. The bones of St. Luke were translated from Patras in Achaia in 357 by order of the Emperor Constantius, and deposited in the Church of the Apostles at Constantinople, together with those of St. Andrew and St. Timothy. On the occasion of this translation some distribution was made of the relics of St. Luke; St. Gaudentius procured a part for his church at Brescia.St. Paulinus possessed a portion in St. Felix's Church at Nola, and with a part enriched a church which he built at Fondi. The magnificent Church of the Apostles at Constantinople was built by Constantine the Great, whose body was deposited in the porch in a chest of gold, the twelve apostles standing round his tomb. When this church was repaired by an order of Justinian, the masons found three wooden chests or coffins in which, as the inscriptions proved, the bodies of St. Luke, St. Andrew, and St. Timothy were interred. Baronius mentions that the head of St. Luke was brought by St. Gregory from Constantinople to Rome, and laid in the church of his monastery of St. Andrew. Some of his relics are kept in the great Grecian monastery on Mount Athos in Greece.
SOURCE http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/L/stluke.asp
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TODAY'S GOSPEL- OCT. 18
Luke 10: 1 - 91After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come.2And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.3Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.5Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!'6And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.7And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.8Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you;9heal the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
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