CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: WED. OCT. 20, 2010

CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: WED. OCT. 20, 2010: HEADLINES-

VATICAN: POPE: 24 NEW CARDINALS AND SPEAKS ON ST. ELIZABETH -

EUROPE: IRELAND BISHOPS' CONFERENCE RELEASE ON EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS -

ASIA: IRAN: CHRISTIAN PASTOR IN DANGER OF DEATH PENALTY -

AMERICA: USA: COUPLE SAVES LIVES BY KINDNESS -

AFRICA: TANZANIA: RADIO STATIONS FOR PEACE -

AUSTRALIA: GOV. NEW PLAN FOR REFUGEES IS WELCOME -

TODAY'S SAINT: ST. IRENE: OCT. 20 -

TODAY'S GOSPEL: OCT. 20: Luke 12: 39 - 48 -

VATICAN: POPE: 24 NEW CARDINALS AND SPEAKS ON ST. ELIZABETH

BENEDICT XVI NAMES TWENTY-FOUR NEW CARDINALS VATICAN CITY, 20 OCT 2010 (VIS REPORTS) - Following today's general audience, the Holy Father announced the names of twenty-four prelates who will be created cardinals in a consistory due to be held on 20 November, eve of the Solemnity of Christ the King. The consistory will be the third of his pontificate. "Cardinals", said the Pope, "have the task of helping Peter's Successor carry out his mission as permanent and visible source and foundation of the Church's unity of faith and communion". Twenty of the new cardinals, being under the age of eighty, will be electors. Their names are: - Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. - His Beatitude Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt. - Archbishop Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum". - Archbishop Francesco Monterisi, archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. - Archbishop Fortunato Baldelli, penitentiary major of the Apostolic Penitentiary. - Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. - Archbishop Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. - Archbishop Paolo Sardi, vice chamberlain of Holy Roman Church. - Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. - Archbishop Velasio De Paolis C.S., president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See. - Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture. - Archbishop Medardo Joseph Mazombwe, emeritus of Lusaka, Zambia. - Archbishop Raul Eduardo Vela Chiriboga, emeritus Quito, Ecuador. - Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. - Archbishop Paolo Romeo of Palermo, Italy. - Archbishop Donald William Wuerl of Washington, U.S.A. - Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis of Aparecida, Brazil. - Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw, Poland. - Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don of Colombo, Sri Lanka. - Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany. Having pronounced the names of the new cardinal electors, the Pope then indicated that he had also decided to elevate to the dignity of cardinal "two prelates and two priests", all over the age of eighty and hence non-electors, for their "generosity and dedication in the service of the Church." Their names are: - Archbishop Jose Manuel Estepa Llaurens, military ordinary emeritus of Spain. - Bishop Elio Sgreccia, former president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. - Msgr. Walter Brandmuller, former president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences. - Msgr. Domenico Bartolucci, former director of the Pontifical Choir.AG/ VIS 20101020 (420)
PAPAL IMAGES: VATICAN RADIO

UNIFICATION OF THE PROPOSITIONS VATICAN CITY, 20 OCT 2010 (VIS) - Today Wednesday 20 October no General Congregation of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East will be held, but the relator general, the secretary general and the relators of the language groups will continue work on the unification of the propositions. Once complete, these propositions will be presented to the Pope to use as he sees fit in preparing the Apostolic Exhortation, the document which officially closes the Synod.SE/ VIS 20101020 (90)

ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY: INTENSE LOVE FOR GOD AND NEIGHBOUR VATICAN CITY, 20 OCT 2010 (VIS) - In the general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square, the Pope dedicated his attention to St. Elizabeth of Hungary who, he remarked, "is also known as Elizabeth of Thuringia". The Holy Father explained how St. Elizabeth was born in the year 1207. She lived the first four years of her life in the Hungarian royal court before being promised in marriage to Ludwig of Thuringia. "Although their match was decided for political reasons", said the Holy Father, "a sincere love arose between the two young people, animated by faith and by their desire to do the will of God". Elizabeth, who "behaved before God as she behaved towards her subjects", is "a true example for everyone who holds positions of leadership", said Pope Benedict. "The exercise of authority at all levels must be practiced as a service to justice and charity, in the constant search for the common good". Having highlighted the fact that the saint "assiduously practiced works of mercy", Benedict XVI spoke of the "profound happiness" of her marriage. "Elizabeth helped her spouse to elevate his human qualities to a supernatural level while he, for his part, protected his wife in her generosity towards the poor and in her religious observances. ... This is clear testimony of how faith and love for God and for others strengthen family life and make the marriage bond even more profound". Elizabeth found support in the Friars Minor, something which helped her "become even more resolute in following the poor and crucified Christ, Who is present in the poor". Following her husband's death in 1227, Elizabeth "had to face another trial: her brother-in-law usurped the government of Thuringia, declaring himself Ludwig's heir and accusing Elizabeth of being a pious woman, incompetent to rule. The young widow with her three children was driven from the castle of Wartburg and had to look for refuge elsewhere. ... During this ordeal, which she bore with great faith, patience and dedication to God, some relatives who had remained faithful and considered her brother-in-law's government illegitimate, re-established her good name. Thus, at the beginning of 1228, Elizabeth was given a pension and retired to the family castle at Marburg". The Holy Father indicated that "Elizabeth spent her last three years in the hospital she founded, serving the sick and attending the dying. She always sought the most humble and repugnant tasks. She became what we could call a consecrated woman living in the world ('soror in saeculo') and formed a religious community with a number of grey-clad companions. It is no coincidence that she is patron of the Third Regular Order of St. Francis and of the Secular Franciscan Order". In November 1231 she fell into a high fever and died a few days later. "The testimonies of her sanctity were so many that just four years later Pope Gregory IX proclaimed her a saint. In the same year a beautiful church was built in her honour at Marburg". "In the figure of St. Elizabeth", Pope Benedict concluded his catechesis, "we see how faith and friendship with Christ, create a sense of justice, of universal equality, of the rights of others, and foment love and charity. From this charity comes hope, the certainty that we are loved by Christ, that the love of Christ awaits us, thus making us capable of imitating Christ and of seeing Him in others".AG/ VIS 20101020 (580)

AUDIENCES VATICAN CITY, 20 OCT 2010 (VIS) - Yesterday 19 October the Holy Father received in audience Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke O.S.B. of Eichstatt, Germany.AP/ VIS 20101020 (30)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS VATICAN CITY, 20 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father: - Appointed Bishop Pedro Brito Guimaraes of Sao Raimundo Nonato, Brazil, as archbishop of Palmas (area 29,938, population 196,000, Catholics 150,000, priests 75, permanent deacons 16, religious 84), Brazil. The archbishop-elect was born in Eliseu Martins, Brazil in 1954, he was ordained a priest in 1986 and consecrated a bishop in 2002. - Appointed Bishop Dirceu Vegini, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Curitiba, Brazil, as bishop of Foz do Iguacu (area 7.062, population 494,000, Catholics 393,000, priests 44, religious 82), Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Laurindo Guizzardi C.S., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. - Appointed Bishop Sabino Ocan Odoki, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Gulu, Uganda, as bishop of Arua (area 10,561, population 1,810,000, Catholics 735,000, priests 96, permanent deacons 1, religious 220), Uganda.
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EUROPE: IRELAND BISHOPS' CONFERENCE RELEASE ON EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
Press release of the October General Meeting of the Irish Bishops' Conference
International Eucharistic Congress in Ireland in 2012
The Catholic Church throughout Ireland has embarked on a journey of spiritual and practical preparation for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress which takes place from 10 to 17 June 2012. The theme of the Congress is ‘The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with one another’. One of the central mysteries of our faith is the Incarnation. The Son of God took on our human nature and lived our human reality, including our experience of suffering and death. This means that the Eucharist has something to say about every truly human experience.Bishops agreed that, as a key moment in the pastoral preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress, a national gathering would take place to coincide with the Solemnity of Corpus Christi on the last weekend of June 2011. Further details will be announced at the December General Meeting of the Episcopal Conference.Archbishop Martin, President of the Congress, approved a new Eucharistic Congress Prayer, which is available in English, Irish, Polish, French, German, Italian and Spanish. The Eucharistic Congress Prayer draws its inspiration from the Gospel story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24) and from the words of the prophet Micah “This and only this is what the Lord God asks of you: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Bishops invite the faithful to pray this new prayer on a daily basis. A short video reflection based on the prayer, along with other Eucharistic Congress resources, is on http://www.blogger.com/features/2074-feature-preparation-for-the-eucharistic-congress. The Congress hymn Though We Are Many, We Are One Body in Christ has been prepared for the Eucharistic Congress by the well known Irish composer Bernard Sexton.A pastoral programme has been devised by the Eucharistic Congress Planning Committee. A range of catechetical material is now available to assist on our journey towards an encounter with Christ, to enable a rediscovery and a renewal with Him and one another. More details are available on http://www.iec2012.ie/.
http://www.catholicbishops.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1663:22-august-2010&catid=17:news
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ASIA: IRAN: CHRISTIAN PASTOR IN DANGER OF DEATH PENALTY
Asia News report: Youcef Nadarkhani's wife was released a few days ago after four months of detention. The arrest comes as evangelical Christians complain of increased pressure against them, an unprecedented persecution since the advent of the ayatollahs' regime.The pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was charged with "apostasy" last month from the 11th Chamber of the Assizes Court of the province of Gilan, northern Iran. His lawyer is going to appeal after finding "serious procedural errors." Nadarkhani was arrested for having questioned Islamic education in schools. "We are a Christian family – he is reported to have said - I want my children to receive a Christian religious education, not Islamic. "Fatemeh Passandideh, the wife of a famous Iranian Protestant clergyman, was released a few days ago after four months in prison, but her husband is still in jail, and could face a death sentence for apostasy, reports the "Church of Iran”.The Christian community of the imprisoned pastor has expressed concern about the outcome of the couple’s trial, parents of two young children. The case exploded amid reports of increasing pressure by the authorities towards the "Church of Iran," an umbrella movement of several "underground" Protestant churches in a strict Islamic nation. The "Church of Iran” says it is being subjected to an unprecedented campaign of persecution since the advent of the revolution of 1979. Several members of the movement were arrested in October last year, including the pastor Behrouz Khandjani, who is still in isolation in the "wing 100" in Shiraz. ""Elam Ministries" a Protestant group specializing in mission to Muslims says it is aware of the case of a young Iranian convert killed a few weeks ago by a relative because of his conversion, leaving a wife and two children. "Middle East Concern, a group of human rights activists said that at least three of the fifteen Christians arrested in July in Mashhad are still in prison, and "under pressure to renounce their faith, but refuse to do so". "Middle East Concern" also refers to the Iranian TV news that nine converts were arrested in Hamedan on charges of proselytism, which potentially carries the risk of a death sentence. "Elam Ministries” claims that in 1979 there were fewer than 500 Christians coming from Islam. "Today the most conservative estimates speak of at least one hundred thousand believers in the country."
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Iranian-Protestant-pastor,-held-in-prison-for-months,-risks-death-penalty-for-apostasy-19768.html
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AMERICA: USA: COUPLE SAVES LIVES BY KINDNESS
LifeSiteNews.com REPORT - They call retired salesman Don Ritchie "the watchman." Each day, as he sits in his favorite chair at his cliffside home, he looks up and scans the precipice that takes the lives of approximately 50 suicide jumpers each year, trying to discern the intentions of visitors.When somebody seems to be lingering too long at the cliff, he walks out to talk to him."You can't just sit there and watch them," Ritchie told the AP in a recent interview. "You gotta try and save them. It's pretty simple."Now 84 years of age and struggling with cancer, Ritchie doesn't have the energy to grab people and pull them back from the brink of death, as he once did. But he says that he will always be there to talk to those who might be thinking of ending their lives.According to official estimates, Ritchie and his wife Moya have saved 160 lives during the 45 years they have lived near the Gap Park, a famous cliff frequented by sightseers that affords a beautiful view of the Sydney Harbor. However, the unofficial tally is closer to 400, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.Although he has occasionally had recourse to force over the years, his usual approach is friendliness and persuasion, which often ends in an invitation to join himself and his wife at their home for a cup of tea. A former salesman, he sees himself in a different line of sales at the Gap."I used to sell kitchen scales and bacon cutters, then I was state manager of a life insurance company," he told the AP. "At the Gap I'm trying to sell people life." Ritchie says he doesn't pry or preach, but rather smiles and offers to listen. It's a technique that often works, though not always. He has lost many to the cliff, but says that he has saved more than he has lost, and doesn't suffer feelings of guilt for his failures. "You can't do much about it," he says.Although it is difficult for him to remember all of the faces he has seen at the cliff during his decades of residency there, he often recalls a woman who had taken off her shoes and had scaled the small fence bordering the ledge, where she sat with look of confusion on her face. After talking to her and inviting her in for tea, the woman explained that she suffered from depression, and that the medication she had been given was not working. Ritchie and his wife suggested that she ask for a second opinion. Months later, she sent them a bottle of French champagne, and then a Christmas card thanking them for their help.For his decades of effort to prevent suicides, Ritchie was awarded the Order of Australia, which is the country's second highest honor, in 2006, and he and his wife were recently named citizens of the year by the local Woollahra city council.Dianne Gaddin, an anti-suicide activist whose daughter killed herself at the cliff in 2005, thinks Ritchie may have talked her daughter out of previous attempts, and says she admires him."It takes an enormous amount of courage just to go up to a person who is going to jump," she told the AP. "Don has a charisma about him. He makes people feel safe, secure, and calm. I really think he is one special man."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/oct/10101814.html
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AFRICA: TANZANIA: RADIO STATIONS FOR PEACE
Agenzia Fides REPORT - "Reading the signs of the times, the peace and tranquillity of our society has been threatened by the many wars and political instability," said Fr. Simon Tengesi, the Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Arusha, at the opening of a workshop for Catholic radio workers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, taking place in the Tanzanian city. The workshop will conclude on October 22.Fr. Tengesi, who spoke on behalf of Archbishop Josephat Lebulu of Arusha, said that the many conflicts in the region had become a challenge to the Catholic Church which is forced to integrate conflict mitigation mechanisms in its pastoral duties. The Vicar General of Arusha urged media practitioners to commit themselves to be instruments for peace.According to the CISA News Agency of Nairobi, the workshop was organized by the AMECEA (Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa) Communications Department with the support of the Raskob Fooundation for Catholic Activities, a US based funding agency.In his welcome address, Fr. Chrisantus Ndaga, the AMECEA Communications Secretary, said that the workshop is one of the AMECEA Secretariat’s strategies for the Church in Eastern Africa to start a close collaboration in addressing various issues of common concern in the region.Fr. Ndaga asked the Catholic media practitioners from these countries to help the people in the region to make the right decisions in promoting peace and to identify the negative effects of conflicts and violence in the region. The AMECEA Communications Secretary also asked them to assist Church leaders in the fight against corruption, greed, ethnocentricism, poverty, and hunger. http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=27639&lan=eng
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AUSTRALIA: GOV. NEW PLAN FOR REFUGEES IS WELCOM
Cath News report: Moving children and vulnerable families out of immigration detention centres into community-based accommodation is a major step forward in giving asylum seekers a 'fair go', says Catholic Religious Australia.Father Tim Norton SVD, Acting President of CRA, the peak body for leaders of religious orders and institutes, said the announcement by the Gillard Government was a positive move in the way Australia understands its obligations to people fleeing war, poverty and violence."Giving people a 'fair go' is in the Australian psyche; we must put this into practice especially with the most vulnerable - the children," he said in a media statement."The location of most detention facilities, along with their overcrowded nature, means that children suffer unnecessary emotional and educational deprivation.Australia can and should do much better than this. It is important for ALL children to be living in suitable accommodation with appropriate supervision and with access to good educational and healthcare facilities."Father Norton added that many of CRA's members - including the Jesuits, Sisters of Mercy, Loreto Sisters and Christian Brothers through the Edmund Rice Centre - have been supporting asylum seekers and refugees for many years."Being an asylum seeker is not a crime. These people are among the most vulnerable," said Sister Caroline Ryan, RSM, Vice President of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy Australia. "As women committed to the Gospel, it is our privilege and duty to advocate for them."Sister Caroline added that a number of Mercy congregations have made housing available to refugee families, as have other Church agencies."It is important to say that no housing stock that will be used for these families would be taken from housing for those who are great need such as homeless men and women." http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=23849
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TODAY'S SAINT: ST. IRENE: OCT. 20
St. IreneRELIGIOUSFeast: October 20Information:Feast Day:October 20A nun of Portugal who is especially revered in Santarem. She is considered by scholars to be identical to Irene (f.d. April 5), despite the considerable differences in years between the accounts of their lives.SOURCE http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/I/stirene.asp
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TODAY'S GOSPEL: OCT. 20: Luke 12: 39 - 48
Luke 12: 39 - 4839But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.40You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour."41Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?"42And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?43Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.44Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.45But if that servant says to himself, `My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,46the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful.47And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating.48But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.
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