Catholic World News: Fri. Sept. 11, 2009: headlines:
VATICAN: PRESIDENT OF PANAMA INVITES THE POPE TO VISIT-
AMERICAS: PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST JIM POUILLON KILLED-
AFRICA: EGYPT: CHRISTIANS ARRESTED FOR "INTERRUPTING" RAMADAN-
EUROPE: ENGLAND: CARDINAL CALLS FOR ACTION AGAINST EUTHANASIA-
ASIA: PHILLIPINES: INVESTIGATIONS INTO DEATH OF FR. LUCERO -
AUSTRALIA: INVITATION FOR YOUNG MEN TO WORK AS BROTHERS FOR 2 WEEKS -
ASIA: PHILLIPINES: INVESTIGATIONS INTO DEATH OF FR. LUCERO -
AUSTRALIA: INVITATION FOR YOUNG MEN TO WORK AS BROTHERS FOR 2 WEEKS -
VATICAN
PRESIDENT OF PANAMA INVITES THE POPE TO VISIT
11 SEP 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office published the following communique at midday today: "Today in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal, president of the Republic of Panama, was received in audience by His Holiness Benedict XVI. The president subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States. "The cordial discussions provided an opportunity for a fruitful exchange of opinions on questions concerning the current international and regional situation. "Attention also focused on certain aspects of the situation in Panama itself, in particular on the social policies launched by the government, development projects for the country, and collaboration between Church and State with a view to promoting Christian values and the common good. Finally, the president invited the Holy Father to visit the country".OP/AUDIENCE/PANAMA:MARTINELLI VIS 090911 (160)
CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS: TOGETHER IN OVERCOMING POVERTY VATICAN CITY, 11 SEP 2009 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue today published its annual Message to Muslims for the end of the month of Ramadan. The Message is signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, respectively president and secretary of the council, and has as its theme this year (1430 AH / 2009 AD): "Christians and Muslims: Together in overcoming poverty". The Message has been published in twenty-four languages. Excerpts from the English version are given below. "This message of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue has become a tradition cherished by us all, which is looked forward to each year and this is certainly a cause for joy. It has become, over the years, an occasion of cordial encounter in many countries between many Christians and Muslims. It often addresses a matter of shared concern, making it therefore conducive to a confident and open exchange. Are not all these elements immediately perceived as signs of friendship among us for which we should thank God?" "We all know that poverty has the power to humiliate and to engender intolerable sufferings; it is often a source of isolation, anger, even hatred and the desire for revenge. It can provoke hostile actions using any available means, even seeking to justify them on religious grounds, or seizing another man's wealth, together with his peace and security, in the name of an alleged 'divine justice'. This is why confronting the phenomena of extremism and violence necessarily implies tackling poverty through the promotion of integral human development that Pope Paul VI defined as the 'new name for peace'". "In his talk on the occasion of the World Day for Peace, 1 January 2009, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI distinguished two types of poverty: a poverty to be combated and a poverty to be embraced. "The poverty to be combated is before the eyes of everyone: hunger, lack of clean water, limited medical care and inadequate shelter, insufficient educational and cultural systems, illiteracy, not to mention also the existence of new forms of poverty: 'in advanced wealthy societies, there is evidence of marginalization, as well as affective, moral and spiritual poverty'. The poverty to be embraced is that of a style of life which is simple and essential, avoiding waste and respecting the environment and the goodness of creation. This poverty can also be, at least at certain times during the year, that of frugality and fasting. It is the poverty which we choose which predisposes us to go beyond ourselves, expanding the heart. "As believers, the desire to work together for a just and durable solution to the scourge of poverty certainly also implies reflecting on the grave problems of our time and, when possible, sharing a common commitment to eradicate them". "A careful study of the complex phenomenon of poverty directs us precisely towards its origin in the lack of respect for the innate dignity of the human person and calls us to a global solidarity, for example through the adoption of a 'common ethical code' whose norms would not only have a conventional character, but also would necessarily be rooted in the natural law written by the Creator in the conscience of every human being. "It seems that in diverse places of the world we have passed from tolerance to a meeting together, beginning with common lived experience and real shared concerns. This is an important step forward".OP/RAMADAN MESSAGE/TAURAN:CELATA VIS 090911 (580)
EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS: 27 SEPTEMBER VATICAN CITY, 11 SEP 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See will once again participate in the celebration of European Heritage Days, an initiative of the Council of Europe in which more than 40 countries on the continent take part. The celebrations this year will take place on Sunday 27 September and have as their theme: "European Heritage for Inter-cultural Dialogue". A communique made public today explains that the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church, the Vatican Museums and the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology are all collaborating in the event. On 27 September visitors will be able enter to the Vatican Museums free of charge. Entrance to all catacombs in Rome that are normally open to the public will also be free. On 26 September a photographic exhibition will be inaugurated at the San Callisto Catacombs on the Old Appian Way. The exhibition is entitled "Customs and Grave Goods of Rome in Late Antiquity: Christian, Pagan and Jewish tombs compared", and will remain open until 27 October..../EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS/... VIS 090911 (180)
AUDIENCES VATICAN CITY, 11 SEP 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences: - Three prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, on their "ad limina" visit: - Bishop Genival Saraiva de Franca of Palmares. - Bishop Francesco Biasin of Pesqueira. - Bishop Paulo Cardoso da Silva O. Carm. of Petrolina. - Cardinal Karl Lehmann, bishop of Mainz, Germany.AL:AP/.../... VIS 090911 (70)
AMERICAS
PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST JIM POUILLON KILLED
Lifesitenews.com reports that Jim Pouillon, the pro-life activist shot and killed outside a
high school in Owosso Friday morning, is being remembered today by friends as a peaceful and dedicated defender of the unborn. Those who knew him say that, in the face of the frequent physical harassment and death threats aimed at him for his pro-life work, the veteran pro-lifer always responded with charity.
According to friends, Pouillon, 63, was a born-again Christian and longtime resident of Owosso. They say he was divorced, with a son and a daughter as well as grandchildren.
LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) spoke with Cal Zastrow, a longtime friend of Pouillon's, who described the pro-life activist as "one of the most loving, compassionate people, peaceful people I've ever met in my life."
Zastrow says Pouillon began his pro-life work with the rescue movement spearheaded by Operation Rescue in Atlanta, Georgia in 1988, and has been active ever since.
"He was 100% non-violent. He never threatened anyone. He never condoned violence ever," said Zastrow.
While known to travel to pro-life events throughout the country, Pouillon's most frequent method of witnessing was by holding signs on the street corners in his hometown. And that was what he was doing when he was gunned down this morning - holding a sign depicting the beaming face of a newborn baby, with the word "LIFE" superimposed.
In his hometown, residents grew to expect the large bearded man, sitting in a lawn chair and holding pro-life signs with images of babies or aborted children. Suffering from weak lungs compromised by smoking earlier in life, he depended on a portable oxygen tank.
Occasionally, as he was doing this morning, Pouillon was known to stand near Owosso high school to discuss abortion with the students there.
He became known, after at least fifteen years of steady witnessing in Owosso, as "Jim the sign guy" or "the abortion sign guy," a ubiquitous presence that always drew reactions, whether of praise, anger, or hatred.
Various sources have described Pouillon as the frequent target of screaming, spitting, and even throwing fruit. Zastrow said that he and Pouillon often received verbal abuse and death threats from passersby.
But, he would just "smile and laugh, and say 'Thank you, Jesus,'" Zastrow said of his friend. He noted that he and Pouillon had been physically assaulted on separate occasions "for peacefully praying and witnessing."
"He would say, 'God forgive you, I bless you,'" he added.
Court records published by local news reports show that Pouillon has been cited on charges connected to his pro-life activities, mostly minor infringements related to property laws, many of which were dismissed. In 2000, Pouillon was found guilty for stalking - a charge Zastrow says was unjustly brought against the veteran pro-lifer.
"Once they lied about him and put him in jail for stalking, and they said he threatened somebody, but it wasn't true," said Zastrow. "He never threatened anybody."
Zastrow expressed concern that media reports would portray Pouillon as violent. "He never was," said Zastrow. "He's America's first peaceful pro-life rescuer martyr."
Pastor Matt Trewhella of the Missionaries of the Preborn described his friend of 7 years as "so soft-spoken, but persevering, faithful." Trewhella said Pouillon began his ministry after he saw images of unborn children killed by abortion.
"He was moved with compassion and decided he had to speak up for them," said the pastor. "He was a good man."
Operation Rescue president Troy Newman told LSN that Pouillon, who participated in Operation Rescue, was a "dear friend" and "always an encourager."
"He's the sort of guy who always gives you a big bear hug, tells you he loves you," said Newman. "I know he was always out on the street carrying a sign whether it was the dead of winter, or the middle of summer.
Newman said Pouillon's faithfulness was evidenced by the way he died. "He was faithfully out on the street holding a sign in the middle of the week with a beautiful picture of a baby and it said 'life' on it. 'Life,' and a picture of a baby. And he was shot down for it," said Newman.
"If the purveyors of death think this is going to stop us, they're absolutely dead wrong," said Newman. "History is replete with martyrs who have stood sacrificially and even given their own lives so that others may live. And that has always been the premise of the pro-life movement, and we will continue steadfast marching forward in that direction.
"Was he a perfect man? No, none of us are. But he stood faithful to the end." (SOURCE:
high school in Owosso Friday morning, is being remembered today by friends as a peaceful and dedicated defender of the unborn. Those who knew him say that, in the face of the frequent physical harassment and death threats aimed at him for his pro-life work, the veteran pro-lifer always responded with charity.
According to friends, Pouillon, 63, was a born-again Christian and longtime resident of Owosso. They say he was divorced, with a son and a daughter as well as grandchildren.
LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) spoke with Cal Zastrow, a longtime friend of Pouillon's, who described the pro-life activist as "one of the most loving, compassionate people, peaceful people I've ever met in my life."
Zastrow says Pouillon began his pro-life work with the rescue movement spearheaded by Operation Rescue in Atlanta, Georgia in 1988, and has been active ever since.
"He was 100% non-violent. He never threatened anyone. He never condoned violence ever," said Zastrow.
While known to travel to pro-life events throughout the country, Pouillon's most frequent method of witnessing was by holding signs on the street corners in his hometown. And that was what he was doing when he was gunned down this morning - holding a sign depicting the beaming face of a newborn baby, with the word "LIFE" superimposed.
In his hometown, residents grew to expect the large bearded man, sitting in a lawn chair and holding pro-life signs with images of babies or aborted children. Suffering from weak lungs compromised by smoking earlier in life, he depended on a portable oxygen tank.
Occasionally, as he was doing this morning, Pouillon was known to stand near Owosso high school to discuss abortion with the students there.
He became known, after at least fifteen years of steady witnessing in Owosso, as "Jim the sign guy" or "the abortion sign guy," a ubiquitous presence that always drew reactions, whether of praise, anger, or hatred.
Various sources have described Pouillon as the frequent target of screaming, spitting, and even throwing fruit. Zastrow said that he and Pouillon often received verbal abuse and death threats from passersby.
But, he would just "smile and laugh, and say 'Thank you, Jesus,'" Zastrow said of his friend. He noted that he and Pouillon had been physically assaulted on separate occasions "for peacefully praying and witnessing."
"He would say, 'God forgive you, I bless you,'" he added.
Court records published by local news reports show that Pouillon has been cited on charges connected to his pro-life activities, mostly minor infringements related to property laws, many of which were dismissed. In 2000, Pouillon was found guilty for stalking - a charge Zastrow says was unjustly brought against the veteran pro-lifer.
"Once they lied about him and put him in jail for stalking, and they said he threatened somebody, but it wasn't true," said Zastrow. "He never threatened anybody."
Zastrow expressed concern that media reports would portray Pouillon as violent. "He never was," said Zastrow. "He's America's first peaceful pro-life rescuer martyr."
Pastor Matt Trewhella of the Missionaries of the Preborn described his friend of 7 years as "so soft-spoken, but persevering, faithful." Trewhella said Pouillon began his ministry after he saw images of unborn children killed by abortion.
"He was moved with compassion and decided he had to speak up for them," said the pastor. "He was a good man."
Operation Rescue president Troy Newman told LSN that Pouillon, who participated in Operation Rescue, was a "dear friend" and "always an encourager."
"He's the sort of guy who always gives you a big bear hug, tells you he loves you," said Newman. "I know he was always out on the street carrying a sign whether it was the dead of winter, or the middle of summer.
Newman said Pouillon's faithfulness was evidenced by the way he died. "He was faithfully out on the street holding a sign in the middle of the week with a beautiful picture of a baby and it said 'life' on it. 'Life,' and a picture of a baby. And he was shot down for it," said Newman.
"If the purveyors of death think this is going to stop us, they're absolutely dead wrong," said Newman. "History is replete with martyrs who have stood sacrificially and even given their own lives so that others may live. And that has always been the premise of the pro-life movement, and we will continue steadfast marching forward in that direction.
"Was he a perfect man? No, none of us are. But he stood faithful to the end." (SOURCE:
AFRICA
EGYPT: CHRISTIANS ARRESTED FOR "INTERRUPTING" RAMADAN
Rome, Italy, Sep 11, 2009 / 02:12 pm (CNA).- Police in the mostly Muslim country of Egypt have arrested at least 150 Christians over the past several days for publicly “interrupting” the Ramadan fast. The leader of the Liberal Christian Movement in Egypt, Samwel Alashay, who is a Coptic Christian, said the arrests are “unconstitutional because Egyptian laws guarantee the complete freedom” of individuals. Police arrested the Christians for eating on the street during the day. Some have been released after posting $100 in bail. According to L’Osservatore Romano, the movement has sent a letter to the Ministry of the Interior asking for an investigation of the officers involved. “The fact high-level police officers carry out these arrests is a grave sign for Muslims in general and for Christians in particularly, because the country is being transformed into a kind of Taliban state.” Several organizations have posted statements on Facebook, urging supporters to stay at home and to dress in black as a form of peaceful protest.
EUROPE
ENGLAND: CARDINAL CALLS FOR ACTION AGAINST EUTHANASIA
The Catholic Herald reports that Cardinal Keith O'Brien has called for opponents of assisted suicide to fight under the slogan "Don't kill your granny" ahead of renewe
d attempts to legalise euthanasia in Britain. His comments followed a warning from medical professionals that a new system of end-of-life care which was being introduced across the country amounted to "backdoor euthanasia".At a homily for an anniversary Mass for Blessed Teresa of Calcutta at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Britain's only active cardinal warned about the "threats to life" near its beginning and end. He said the public "must be increasingly alert and alive to the threats to life, particularly of the elderly and the critically ill, some near the point of death".He said: "Across the Parliaments of the United Kingdom determined attempts are being made to legalise euthanasia." Citing the 2005 bill in the Scottish Parliament and the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill in the House of Lords the following year, he said: "We can be sure that further attempts to legalise euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide will be made in our Parliaments. The threat of legally assisted suicide in Scotland is doubly concerning: not only would it endanger Scottish patients, but it would also lead to euthanasia tourism, as it is called, as already happens in Switzerland."He said that a draft form of a bill legalising euthanasia in Scotland would be ready by Christmas. "We will then have a real struggle to ensure that our society and our politicians continue to support life and dismiss [MSP] Margo Macdonald's misguided efforts. The opinion polls show a worrying level of public support for euthanasia and we must take this as our cue to convince our fellow citizens that every life is precious right to its natural end."A new battle lies open before us... Every move to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia in the United Kingdom must be opposed. I know that my own Catholic community is not alone in this forthcoming battle."And in that new battle, perhaps we need a simple battle cry or rallying call. It might be 'Care not killing' or 'Life not death'. Am I being simplistic when I suggest another: 'Don't kill your granny!' This latter cry sums up so much of what is happening at this present time with regard to the ongoing destruction of family life: Don't have babies! Kill off those who are old, useless and less able!"Just where would we be in society today if in our family life we did not have husbands and wives, children and elderly, infants in the womb needing care and protection, the elders in our family circles being lovingly looked after in their old age, either at home, in hospital or in hospice."Cardinal O'Brien's words came two days after a letter to the Daily Telegraph in which medical experts warned that Britain was facing a "national crisis in care" and that large numbers were being killed by having fluids and drugs removed. P H Millar, emeritus professor of geriatrics at London University and Dr Anthony Cole, chairman of the Medical Ethics Alliance, were among those who put their name to the letter, which said medical professionals were encouraging a "tick box" culture in which healthcare staff stopped questioning whether a patient was really dying or not. They called it "disturbing" that 16.5 per cent of the deaths of Britons came about after terminal sedation.The letter criticised the Liverpool Care Pathway, the name of the system now used across the country to advise staff on how to deal with the dying.It said: "We would like to draw attention to the new 'gold standard' treatment of those categorised as 'dying'. Forecasting death is an inexact science."Just as, in the financial world, so-called algorithmic banking has caused problems by blindly following a computer model, so a similar tick-box approach to the management of death is causing a national crisis in care. The Government is rolling out a new treatment pattern of palliative care into hospitals, nursing and residential homes. "It is based on experience in a Liverpool hospice. If you tick all the right boxes in the Liverpool Care Pathway, the inevitable outcome of the consequent treatment is death."As a result, a nationwide wave of discontent is building up as family and friends witness the denial of fluids and food to patients. Syringe drivers are being used to give continuous terminal sedation, without regard to the fact that the diagnosis could be wrong."The Care Pathway was originally developed for use in a Liverpool hospice, but since it was backed by the drugs rationing watchdog NICE in 2004 it has spread to 300 hospitals and 560 care homes. Doctors using the Pathway system are accused of withdrawing fluids and drugs from patients if they are deemed close to death, who are then put on continuous sedation so they die free of pain. Critics say sedation can often mask signs of improvement and that a tenth of the terminally ill patients left to die could have lived longer. More than 80,000 people are annually put in "deep sedation", where they slip into a drug-induced coma before dying.The National Council for Palliative Care and Help the Hospices replied in a joint statement: "The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) does not 'sentence people to death', it is instead a nationally recognised evidence-based tool intended to help clinicians give appropriate and high-quality care to people who have reached the last few hours or days of life. Its purpose is to promote the comfort of dying people and to address the needs of their informal carers. "It should not be substituted for a clinician's professional judgment in the individual circumstances of each case. It is only one of a range of tools available to support good end-of-life care, and does not encourage 'tick box medicine' which can never be justified. Like all tools, it should be used by people who are skilled and competent." A spokeswoman for Marie Curie, the cancer charity which developed the Pathway in 1997, said they were "dismayed" by the letter, which "encourages fear among patients on the Pathway".She added: "It's about letting people live before they die. Next week we're publishing the second national audit into the LCP, and we're quite sure we'll be able to demonstrate people are much safer on the LCP. What the initial letter has done is provide a lot of fear with inaccurate claims." A poll of 4,000 doctors by Clive Seale from the Centre for Health Sciences at London's Queen Mary University, and published in the journal Palliative Medicine, found that only 34 per cent would support a change in the law proposed by former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt last week.Peter Saunders of the Christian Medical Fellowship said: "This should send a very strong signal to Parliament that there should be no change in the law. Surveys of doctors always show that those closest to the care of the elderly are the most likely to oppose euthanasia."We need to increase the skills base of doctors in dealing with dying patients so we can give the best care to those with terminal illnesses." (SOURCE: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000634.shtml
ASIA
d attempts to legalise euthanasia in Britain. His comments followed a warning from medical professionals that a new system of end-of-life care which was being introduced across the country amounted to "backdoor euthanasia".At a homily for an anniversary Mass for Blessed Teresa of Calcutta at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Britain's only active cardinal warned about the "threats to life" near its beginning and end. He said the public "must be increasingly alert and alive to the threats to life, particularly of the elderly and the critically ill, some near the point of death".He said: "Across the Parliaments of the United Kingdom determined attempts are being made to legalise euthanasia." Citing the 2005 bill in the Scottish Parliament and the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill in the House of Lords the following year, he said: "We can be sure that further attempts to legalise euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide will be made in our Parliaments. The threat of legally assisted suicide in Scotland is doubly concerning: not only would it endanger Scottish patients, but it would also lead to euthanasia tourism, as it is called, as already happens in Switzerland."He said that a draft form of a bill legalising euthanasia in Scotland would be ready by Christmas. "We will then have a real struggle to ensure that our society and our politicians continue to support life and dismiss [MSP] Margo Macdonald's misguided efforts. The opinion polls show a worrying level of public support for euthanasia and we must take this as our cue to convince our fellow citizens that every life is precious right to its natural end."A new battle lies open before us... Every move to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia in the United Kingdom must be opposed. I know that my own Catholic community is not alone in this forthcoming battle."And in that new battle, perhaps we need a simple battle cry or rallying call. It might be 'Care not killing' or 'Life not death'. Am I being simplistic when I suggest another: 'Don't kill your granny!' This latter cry sums up so much of what is happening at this present time with regard to the ongoing destruction of family life: Don't have babies! Kill off those who are old, useless and less able!"Just where would we be in society today if in our family life we did not have husbands and wives, children and elderly, infants in the womb needing care and protection, the elders in our family circles being lovingly looked after in their old age, either at home, in hospital or in hospice."Cardinal O'Brien's words came two days after a letter to the Daily Telegraph in which medical experts warned that Britain was facing a "national crisis in care" and that large numbers were being killed by having fluids and drugs removed. P H Millar, emeritus professor of geriatrics at London University and Dr Anthony Cole, chairman of the Medical Ethics Alliance, were among those who put their name to the letter, which said medical professionals were encouraging a "tick box" culture in which healthcare staff stopped questioning whether a patient was really dying or not. They called it "disturbing" that 16.5 per cent of the deaths of Britons came about after terminal sedation.The letter criticised the Liverpool Care Pathway, the name of the system now used across the country to advise staff on how to deal with the dying.It said: "We would like to draw attention to the new 'gold standard' treatment of those categorised as 'dying'. Forecasting death is an inexact science."Just as, in the financial world, so-called algorithmic banking has caused problems by blindly following a computer model, so a similar tick-box approach to the management of death is causing a national crisis in care. The Government is rolling out a new treatment pattern of palliative care into hospitals, nursing and residential homes. "It is based on experience in a Liverpool hospice. If you tick all the right boxes in the Liverpool Care Pathway, the inevitable outcome of the consequent treatment is death."As a result, a nationwide wave of discontent is building up as family and friends witness the denial of fluids and food to patients. Syringe drivers are being used to give continuous terminal sedation, without regard to the fact that the diagnosis could be wrong."The Care Pathway was originally developed for use in a Liverpool hospice, but since it was backed by the drugs rationing watchdog NICE in 2004 it has spread to 300 hospitals and 560 care homes. Doctors using the Pathway system are accused of withdrawing fluids and drugs from patients if they are deemed close to death, who are then put on continuous sedation so they die free of pain. Critics say sedation can often mask signs of improvement and that a tenth of the terminally ill patients left to die could have lived longer. More than 80,000 people are annually put in "deep sedation", where they slip into a drug-induced coma before dying.The National Council for Palliative Care and Help the Hospices replied in a joint statement: "The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) does not 'sentence people to death', it is instead a nationally recognised evidence-based tool intended to help clinicians give appropriate and high-quality care to people who have reached the last few hours or days of life. Its purpose is to promote the comfort of dying people and to address the needs of their informal carers. "It should not be substituted for a clinician's professional judgment in the individual circumstances of each case. It is only one of a range of tools available to support good end-of-life care, and does not encourage 'tick box medicine' which can never be justified. Like all tools, it should be used by people who are skilled and competent." A spokeswoman for Marie Curie, the cancer charity which developed the Pathway in 1997, said they were "dismayed" by the letter, which "encourages fear among patients on the Pathway".She added: "It's about letting people live before they die. Next week we're publishing the second national audit into the LCP, and we're quite sure we'll be able to demonstrate people are much safer on the LCP. What the initial letter has done is provide a lot of fear with inaccurate claims." A poll of 4,000 doctors by Clive Seale from the Centre for Health Sciences at London's Queen Mary University, and published in the journal Palliative Medicine, found that only 34 per cent would support a change in the law proposed by former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt last week.Peter Saunders of the Christian Medical Fellowship said: "This should send a very strong signal to Parliament that there should be no change in the law. Surveys of doctors always show that those closest to the care of the elderly are the most likely to oppose euthanasia."We need to increase the skills base of doctors in dealing with dying patients so we can give the best care to those with terminal illnesses." (SOURCE: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000634.shtmlASIA
PHILLIPINES: INVESTIGATIONS INTO DEATH OF FR. LUCERO
AsiaNews reports that the investigation into the clergyman’s de_0911_-_P__Lucero.jpg)
ath continues. The human rights activist was killed on 7 September in Samar del Norte province by a 30-men armed commando. Just before his death the priest had received threats from people in the military responsible in his opinion of abuses against the population. Manila “The Church condemns such an evil act which killed a man of God who had dedicated his life to serving people. The Church expects a quick outcome to the investigations undertaken by the authorities,” said Mgr Emmanuel Trance, bishop of Catarman, as he spoke about the murder of Fr Cecilio Lucero, a human rights activist killed last Monday in Samar del Nord (a province on an island south-east of Manila) by a group of some 30 armed men.
For decades Samar Island has been the scene of an armed conflict between the Filipino military and fighters with the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Under the pretext of fighting the rebels the Filipino military for years has been responsible for abuses against the civilian population, in particular farmers. Many of those who dare to speak out against such abuses have been forced into silence.
Fr Lucero ran a human rights organisation, the Social Action Center (SAC). His death comes in the wake of a series of unsolved murders, 18 in the last six months..
For Bishop Trance political reasons could be behind the assassination. “For his work in defence of human rights and his inquiries into suspicious deaths that occurred in recent months, he had antagonised both the military and the Communists,” the prelate said.
The priest’s two brothers are in fact both politically active in the area. Wilmar Lucero, a former congressman, is slated to run for the presidency next year. Antonio Lucero is assistant governor in Samar del Norte province.
According to Flor Chantal Eco, general secretary of the human rights organisation Katungod Sinirangang Bisaya, Fr Lucero’s death is related to his work as a human rights advocate.
“Many farmers turned to him for assistance every time the military or the rebels violated their rights,” she said.
“Because of his activity in favour of the population he had received so many threats from the military that he had to travel with an escort,” she added.
Meanwhile the situation in the region remains tense. On Tuesday the ecumenical human rights organisation Promotion of the People’s Response (PCPR), which Father Lucero chaired from 2001 to 2003, organised a big demonstration to protest against his death and demand justice from the government.
For the demonstrators the clergyman was a “defender of the poor and the oppressed,” another victim of the spate of murders that has swept over the island in the recent past and which Father Lucero himself was investigating.
“We fully support every effort to bring those responsible for this cowardly crime to justice,” said Mgr Broderick S. Pabillo, chairman of the National Secretariat of Social Action (NASSA) of the Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
For his part regional police chief Mario R. San Diego announced that a special forces unit will be set up to coordinate the overall police investigation. (SOURCE :http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=16303&size=A
_0911_-_P__Lucero.jpg)
ath continues. The human rights activist was killed on 7 September in Samar del Norte province by a 30-men armed commando. Just before his death the priest had received threats from people in the military responsible in his opinion of abuses against the population. Manila “The Church condemns such an evil act which killed a man of God who had dedicated his life to serving people. The Church expects a quick outcome to the investigations undertaken by the authorities,” said Mgr Emmanuel Trance, bishop of Catarman, as he spoke about the murder of Fr Cecilio Lucero, a human rights activist killed last Monday in Samar del Nord (a province on an island south-east of Manila) by a group of some 30 armed men.For decades Samar Island has been the scene of an armed conflict between the Filipino military and fighters with the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Under the pretext of fighting the rebels the Filipino military for years has been responsible for abuses against the civilian population, in particular farmers. Many of those who dare to speak out against such abuses have been forced into silence.
Fr Lucero ran a human rights organisation, the Social Action Center (SAC). His death comes in the wake of a series of unsolved murders, 18 in the last six months..
For Bishop Trance political reasons could be behind the assassination. “For his work in defence of human rights and his inquiries into suspicious deaths that occurred in recent months, he had antagonised both the military and the Communists,” the prelate said.
The priest’s two brothers are in fact both politically active in the area. Wilmar Lucero, a former congressman, is slated to run for the presidency next year. Antonio Lucero is assistant governor in Samar del Norte province.
According to Flor Chantal Eco, general secretary of the human rights organisation Katungod Sinirangang Bisaya, Fr Lucero’s death is related to his work as a human rights advocate.
“Many farmers turned to him for assistance every time the military or the rebels violated their rights,” she said.
“Because of his activity in favour of the population he had received so many threats from the military that he had to travel with an escort,” she added.
Meanwhile the situation in the region remains tense. On Tuesday the ecumenical human rights organisation Promotion of the People’s Response (PCPR), which Father Lucero chaired from 2001 to 2003, organised a big demonstration to protest against his death and demand justice from the government.
For the demonstrators the clergyman was a “defender of the poor and the oppressed,” another victim of the spate of murders that has swept over the island in the recent past and which Father Lucero himself was investigating.
“We fully support every effort to bring those responsible for this cowardly crime to justice,” said Mgr Broderick S. Pabillo, chairman of the National Secretariat of Social Action (NASSA) of the Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
For his part regional police chief Mario R. San Diego announced that a special forces unit will be set up to coordinate the overall police investigation. (SOURCE :http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=16303&size=A
AUSTRALIA
INVITATION FOR YOUNG MEN TO WORK AS BROTHERS FOR 2 WEEKS
CathNews reports that the De La Salle Brothers are inviting giving young Australian men aged between 20 and 35 years to take up a "challenge program", experiencing the Brothers' life and work for two weeks in Papua New Guinea.
The program from November 8 to 20 will take volunteers on a journey to Hohola in Port Moresby and to Mainohana in rural PNG, the Brothers said in a media release.
"Quality of life in PNG
is limited by access to education, health, employment and recreation services," said Br Mark McKeon, Director of Vocations for the De LaSalle Brothers.
"The Challenge Program not only provides young men with an opportunity to learn about the life of a Brother but also an incredible experience of working within communities to make a profound difference in peoples lives."
During the program, volunteers will be based at the Hohola Youth Development Centre and Mainohana Catholic School and engage in classroom activities, after school sport and "provide general assistance to help care for and support young people in need."
Applications for the PNG Challenge Program close on the September 25.
(SOURCE http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=16363
The program from November 8 to 20 will take volunteers on a journey to Hohola in Port Moresby and to Mainohana in rural PNG, the Brothers said in a media release.
"Quality of life in PNG
is limited by access to education, health, employment and recreation services," said Br Mark McKeon, Director of Vocations for the De LaSalle Brothers."The Challenge Program not only provides young men with an opportunity to learn about the life of a Brother but also an incredible experience of working within communities to make a profound difference in peoples lives."
During the program, volunteers will be based at the Hohola Youth Development Centre and Mainohana Catholic School and engage in classroom activities, after school sport and "provide general assistance to help care for and support young people in need."
Applications for the PNG Challenge Program close on the September 25.
(SOURCE http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=16363
TODAY'S SAINT
Sts. Protus and Hyacinth
MARTYRS
Feast: September 11
Information:
Feast Day:
September 11
Born:
3rd century AD
Died:
mid 3rd century AD, Rome
Major Shrine:
San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, as well as the chapel of the Propaganda College. Both in Rome.
Martyrs during the persecution of Valerian (257-9). The day of their annual commemoration is mentioned in the "Depositio Martyrum" in the chronographia for 354 (Ruinart, "Acta martyrum", ed. Tatisbon, 632) under 11 September. The chronographia also mentions their graves, in the Coemeterium of Basilla on the Via Salaria, later the Catacomb of St. Hermes. The Itineraries and other early authorities likewise give this place of burial (De Rossi, "Roma sotterranea", I, 176-7). In 1845 Father Marchi discovered the still undisturbed grave of St. Hyacinth in a crypt of the above- mentioned catacomb. It was a small square niche in which lay the ashes and pieces of burned bone wrapped in the remains of costly stuffs (Marchi, "Monumenti primitivi: I, Architettura della Roma sotterranea cristina", Rome, 1844, 238 sqq., 264 sqq.). Evidently the saint had been burnt; most probably both martyrs had suffered death by fire. The niche was closed by a marble slab similar to that used to close a loculus, and bearing the original inscription that confirmed the date in the old Martyrology:
D P III IDUS SEPTEBRYACINTHUSMARTYR
(Buried on 11 September Hyacinthus Martyr).
In the same chamber were found fragments of an architrave belonging to some later decoration, with the words:
. . . S E P U L C R U M P R O T I M(artyris) . . .
(Grave of the Martyr Protus)
Thus both martyrs were buried in the same crypt. Pope Damasus wrote an epitaph in honour of the two martyrs, part of which still exists (Ihm, "Damasi epigrammata", 52, 49). In the epitaph Damasus calls Protus and Hyacinth brothers. When Leo IV (847-55) translated the bones of a large number of Roman martyrs to the churches of Rome, the relics of these two saints were to be translated also; but, probably on account of the devastation of the burial chamber, only the grave of St. Protus was found. His bones were transferred to San Salvatore on the Palatine. The remains of St. Hyacinth were placed (1849) in the chapel of the Propaganda. Later the tombs of the two saints and a stairway built at the end of the fourth century were discovered and restored.
(SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stprotus_hyacinth.asp)
MARTYRS
Feast: September 11
Information:
Feast Day:
September 11
Born:
3rd century AD
Died:
mid 3rd century AD, Rome
Major Shrine:
San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, as well as the chapel of the Propaganda College. Both in Rome.
Martyrs during the persecution of Valerian (257-9). The day of their annual commemoration is mentioned in the "Depositio Martyrum" in the chronographia for 354 (Ruinart, "Acta martyrum", ed. Tatisbon, 632) under 11 September. The chronographia also mentions their graves, in the Coemeterium of Basilla on the Via Salaria, later the Catacomb of St. Hermes. The Itineraries and other early authorities likewise give this place of burial (De Rossi, "Roma sotterranea", I, 176-7). In 1845 Father Marchi discovered the still undisturbed grave of St. Hyacinth in a crypt of the above- mentioned catacomb. It was a small square niche in which lay the ashes and pieces of burned bone wrapped in the remains of costly stuffs (Marchi, "Monumenti primitivi: I, Architettura della Roma sotterranea cristina", Rome, 1844, 238 sqq., 264 sqq.). Evidently the saint had been burnt; most probably both martyrs had suffered death by fire. The niche was closed by a marble slab similar to that used to close a loculus, and bearing the original inscription that confirmed the date in the old Martyrology:
D P III IDUS SEPTEBRYACINTHUSMARTYR
(Buried on 11 September Hyacinthus Martyr).
In the same chamber were found fragments of an architrave belonging to some later decoration, with the words:
. . . S E P U L C R U M P R O T I M(artyris) . . .
(Grave of the Martyr Protus)
Thus both martyrs were buried in the same crypt. Pope Damasus wrote an epitaph in honour of the two martyrs, part of which still exists (Ihm, "Damasi epigrammata", 52, 49). In the epitaph Damasus calls Protus and Hyacinth brothers. When Leo IV (847-55) translated the bones of a large number of Roman martyrs to the churches of Rome, the relics of these two saints were to be translated also; but, probably on account of the devastation of the burial chamber, only the grave of St. Protus was found. His bones were transferred to San Salvatore on the Palatine. The remains of St. Hyacinth were placed (1849) in the chapel of the Propaganda. Later the tombs of the two saints and a stairway built at the end of the fourth century were discovered and restored.
(SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stprotus_hyacinth.asp)
TODAY'S GOSPEL
Luke 6: 39 - 42
39
He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40
A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher.
41
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42
Or how can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
39
He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40
A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher.
41
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42
Or how can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
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