CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: WED. DEC. 22, 2010: HEADLINES-
AMERICA: USA: ANGEL TREE- PRESENTS FOR CHILDREN OF PRISONERS
ASIA: KOREA: CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING NEAR BORDER
EUROPE: ENGLAND: BISHOPS TO CELEBRATE MASS FOR PRISONERS
AFRICA: IVORY COAST: 9 UNARMED PROTESTERS KILLED
AUSTRALIA: CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN MAJOR DEBT
TODAY'S SAINT: DEC. 22: ST. CHAEREMON
TODAY'S GOSPEL: DEC. 22: LUKE: 1: 46-56
2010
NOTE FROM THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
VATICAN CITY, 22 DEC 2010 (VIS REPORT) - Given below is the English-language text of a Note published yesterday afternoon by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, entitled: "On the trivialisation of sexuality. Regarding certain interpretations of 'Light of the World'".
"Following the publication of the interview-book 'Light of the World' by Benedict XVI, a number of erroneous interpretations have emerged which have caused confusion concerning the position of the Catholic Church regarding certain questions of sexual morality. The thought of the Pope has been repeatedly manipulated for ends and interests which are entirely foreign to the meaning of his words - a meaning which is evident to anyone who reads the entire chapters in which human sexuality is treated. The intention of the Holy Father is clear: to rediscover the beauty of the divine gift of human sexuality and, in this way, to avoid the cheapening of sexuality which is common today.
"Some interpretations have presented the words of the Pope as a contradiction of the traditional moral teaching of the Church. This hypothesis has been welcomed by some as a positive change and lamented by others as a cause of concern - as if his statements represented a break with the doctrine concerning contraception and with the Church's stance in the fight against AIDS. In reality, the words of the Pope - which specifically concern a gravely disordered type of human behaviour, namely prostitution (cf. Light of the World, pp. 117-119) - do not signify a change in Catholic moral teaching or in the pastoral practice of the Church.
"As is clear from an attentive reading of the pages in question, the Holy Father was talking neither about conjugal morality nor about the moral norm concerning contraception. This norm belongs to the tradition of the Church and was summarised succinctly by Pope Paul VI in paragraph 14 of his Encyclical Letter 'Humanae vitae', when he wrote that 'also to be excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation - whether as an end or as a means'. The idea that anyone could deduce from the words of Benedict XVI that it is somehow legitimate, in certain situations, to use condoms to avoid an unwanted pregnancy is completely arbitrary and is in no way justified either by his words or in his thought. On this issue the Pope proposes instead - and also calls the pastors of the Church to propose more often and more effectively (cf. Light of the World, p. 147) - humanly and ethically acceptable ways of behaving which respect the inseparable connection between the unitive and procreative meaning of every conjugal act, through the possible use of natural family planning in view of responsible procreation.
"On the pages in question, the Holy Father refers to the completely different case of prostitution, a type of behaviour which Christian morality has always considered gravely immoral (cf. Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution 'Gaudium et spes', n. 27; Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2355). The response of the entire Christian tradition - and indeed not only of the Christian tradition - to the practice of prostitution can be summed up in the words of St. Paul: 'Flee from fornication' (1 Cor 6:18). The practice of prostitution should be shunned, and it is the duty of the agencies of the Church, of civil society and of the State to do all they can to liberate those involved from this practice.
"In this regard, it must be noted that the situation created by the spread of AIDS in many areas of the world has made the problem of prostitution even more serious. Those who know themselves to be infected with HIV and who therefore run the risk of infecting others, apart from committing a sin against the sixth commandment are also committing a sin against the fifth commandment - because they are consciously putting the lives of others at risk through behaviour which has repercussions on public health. In this situation, the Holy Father clearly affirms that the provision of condoms does not constitute 'the real or moral solution' to the problem of AIDS and also that 'the sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalisation of sexuality' in that it refuses to address the mistaken human behaviour which is the root cause of the spread of the virus. In this context, however, it cannot be denied that anyone who uses a condom in order to diminish the risk posed to another person is intending to reduce the evil connected with his or her immoral activity. In this sense the Holy Father points out that the use of a condom 'with the intention of reducing the risk of infection, can be a first step in a movement towards a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality'. This affirmation is clearly compatible with the Holy Father's previous statement that this is 'not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection'.
"Some commentators have interpreted the words of Benedict XVI according to the so-called theory of the 'lesser evil'. This theory is, however, susceptible to proportionalistic misinterpretation (cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter 'Veritatis splendor', n. 75-77). An action which is objectively evil, even if a lesser evil, can never be licitly willed. The Holy Father did not say - as some people have claimed - that prostitution with the use of a condom can be chosen as a lesser evil. The Church teaches that prostitution is immoral and should be shunned. However, those involved in prostitution who are HIV positive and who seek to diminish the risk of contagion by the use of a condom may be taking the first step in respecting the life of another - even if the evil of prostitution remains in all its gravity. This understanding is in full conformity with the moral theological tradition of the Church.
"In conclusion, in the battle against AIDS, the Catholic faithful and the agencies of the Catholic Church should be close to those affected, should care for the sick and should encourage all people to live abstinence before and fidelity within marriage. In this regard it is also important to condemn any behaviour which cheapens sexuality because, as the Pope says, such behaviour is the reason why so many people no longer see in sexuality an expression of their love: 'This is why the fight against the banalisation of sexuality is also part of the struggle to ensure that sexuality is treated as a positive value and to enable it to have a positive effect on the whole of man's being' (Light of the World, p. 119).
CDF/
JOYFUL EXPECTATION OF CHRISTMAS AMONG CHRISTIANS
VATICAN CITY, 22 DEC 2010 (VIS) - At this final general audience before Christmas, "with trepidation and wonder we approach the 'place' where everything began for us and for our salvation, where everything was fulfilled, where the expectations of the world and of the human heart came together", said the Pope in his catechesis during today's general audience, held in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.
"Joyful expectation, so characteristic of the days leading up to Christmas, is certainly the prevalent attitude among Christians who wish to draw fruit from the renewed encounter with the One Who came to live among us: Christ Jesus, the Son of God made man", said the Holy Father. "We find this attitude - and make it our own - in those who first welcomed the coming of the Messiah: Zachariah and Elisabeth, the shepherds, the simple folk, and especially Mary and Joseph".
"The entire Old Testament constitutes a single great promise which was to be fulfilled with the coming of a saviour", the Pope explained. "And thus, along with the hope of the characters of Sacred Scripture, over the centuries our own hope also finds its place and meaning, the hope we are experiencing over these days, the hope that keeps us alert for the entire duration of our lives. All human existence, in fact, is animated by this profound sentiment, by the longing that the truest, the most beautiful, the greatest things we have seen and felt in our minds and hearts, may come towards us, taking concrete form before our eyes".
"The Saviour", Pope Benedict went on, "comes to incapacitate the work of evil, the things that still keep us distant from God, restoring us to our ancient splendour and our original paternity. ... His coming, then, can have no other aim than that of teaching us to see and love events, the world and everything that surrounds us, with the eyes of God Himself. The Word, by becoming a Child, helps us to understand the way God acts, that we too may be capable of allowing ourselves to be transformed by His goodness and infinite mercy.
"In the night of the world, let us still allow ourselves to be surprised and illuminated by this coming, by the Star which, rising in the East, has inundated the universe with joy", the Pope added. "Let us purify our minds and our lives from everything that contrasts with this coming - thoughts, words, attitudes and actions - spurring ourselves on to do good and to help bring peace and justice to our world for all men and women, and thus to walk towards the Lord".
Benedict XVI concluded his catechesis by speaking about nativity scenes, which he described as "a characteristic sign of this Christmas period. ... The nativity scene is an expression of our hope, but also a way of giving thanks to the One Who, in poverty and simplicity, chose to share our human condition", he said. "I joy at the fact that the tradition of preparing nativity scenes remains alive in homes and in the places where people work and meet, indeed that it is being rediscovered. May this genuine testimony of Christian faith still provide all men and women of good will with a moving symbol of the Father's infinite love for us all. May the hearts of children and adults still feel wonder and surprise as they behold it".
AG/
CARDINAL KOCH TO TAKE POSSESSION OF DIACONATE CHURCH
VATICAN CITY, 22 DEC 2010 (VIS) - According to a note published today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, at 6 p.m. on Saturday 1 January 2011 Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will take possession of the diaconate of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Corso Rinascimento 27, Rome.
OCL/
VATICAN CITY, 22 DEC 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Mario Marquez O.F.M. Cap., auxiliary of Vitoria, Brazil, as bishop of Joacaba (area 10,283, population 326,000, Catholics 244,000, priests 38, permanent deacons 1, religious 54), Brazil.
- Fr. Agenor Girardi M.S.C., pastor of the parish of "Sao Jose" in the diocese of Palmas - Francisco Beltrao, Brazil, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Porto Alegre (area 13,753, population 3,227,700, Catholics 2,401,782, priests 353, permanent deacons 46, religious 1,750), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Orleans, Brazil in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1982.
- Fr. Jose Carlos Chacorowski C.M., director of the Daughters of Charity in the province of Amazonia, Brazil, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sao Luis do Maranhao (area 13,112, population 1,309,000, Catholics 943,000, priests 76, permanent deacons 1, religious 249), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Curitiba, Brazil in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1980.
AMERICA: USA: ANGEL TREE- PRESENTS FOR CHILDREN OF PRISONERS
CBN REPORT- Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree program is working to the last minute to make sure children of U.S. incarcerated prisoners have a chance at a Merry Christmas.
It is estimated that one in 43 children have a parent in prison.
When prisoners ask for help, Prison Fellowship then works with local churches and volunteers to help buy presents for their children.
The gifts are a practical way to share the true meaning of Christmas with hurting families, and open doors for the gospel.
Pat Molan serves as the vice president of the Prison Fellowship. But he was once an inmate whose family was blessed by the ministry's Angel Tree program.
"When I was in prison, I was struggling. How could I show my kids that I love them? Christmas is about a lot more than presents, it is a way we show our love," he explained.
"A loving couple from a nearby Baptist church came out, gave the gifts to my children, read the gospel of Luke, his account of Christ's birth, prayed with them and said, 'These presents are from your father and your Father in heaven,'" Nolan recalled.
If you would like to help the Angel Tree give gifts to children who might not otherwise receive one this Christmas, go to http://www.angeltree.org.
You can also register your church or yourself as a Prison Fellowship volunteer.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/December/Angel-Tree-Gives-Prisoners-Children-Gifts-Hope-/
ASIA: KOREA: CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING NEAR BORDER
UCAN REPORT- Catholic priest says lighting a Christmas tree near the North Korean border “hampers peace.”
“Following mutual agreement, we have not lit the tower for six years in order not to provoke each other. Relighting it implies the resumption of slanderous verbal attacks and confrontation,” Father Baptist John Kim Hun-il warned.
Father Kim, executive secretary of theKorean Catholic Bishops Conference sub-committee for Aid to North Korea, acknowledged recent provocations by Pyongyang. “However, we should consider past efforts for detente on the Korean Peninsula,” he added.
On Dec. 21, Yoido Full Gospel Church held a lighting ceremony for the Christmas tower on Aegibong Hill in Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do province, just south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
The two Koreas agreed in 2004 to stop propaganda warfare near the border line. The agreement included the tower at Aegibong.
First established in 1954, the 30-meter-high tower is set on a 150-meter high hill and can be seen as far away as Kaesong (Gaeseong) across the border.
North Korean authorities criticized the tower as a tool of “psychological warfare through (its) wide electronic display”. They warned that the tower could be the flash point for an armed clash and even an all-out war.
South Korean military forces have dispatched 80 marines, ambulances, fire trucks and a surveillance radar to the zone. The troops remain on full alert.
“There is growing tension between North and South Korea after the recent military conflicts. Relighting the tower provokes the North and could lead to abandoning peace,” Father Kim noted.
“The two Koreas should try to adhere to previous mutual agreements to prevent war in the peninsula,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the tower will continue to shine until midnight on Dec. 25.
http://www.ucanews.com/2010/12/22/korean-border-christmas-tree-sparks-row/
EUROPE: ENGLAND: BISHOPS TO CELEBRATE MASS FOR PRISONERS
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AFRICA: IVORY COAST: 9 UNARMED PROTESTERS KILLED
CISA REPORT -Eyewitnesses have told Human Rights Amnesty International that at least nine unarmed protesters were killed on December 16 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast during mass protests over a political deadlock following presidential elections. | ||
AUSTRALIA: CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN MAJOR DEBT
CATH NEWS REPORT; Four Catholic schools face months of disruption after the collapse of a builder with debts of up to $4 million, leaving 80 sub-contractors in financial difficulties, reports The Australian.
The company, Project Kendall Pty Ltd, was expected to be placed into liquidation amid suggestions by the administrator that the company may have been insolvent at the time that lead contractor Bovis Lend Lease awarded it contracts for BER projects at the schools in upmarket Sydney suburbs.
A spokesman for the NSW Catholic Education Commission said the Rose Bay, Bondi and Leichhardt projects had been completed but those at Woollahra, Paddington, Marrickville and Rockdale were still in progress and could face delays of up to six months.
The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union is negotiating directly with Bovis to obtain payments for the sub-contractors, who fear a liquidation of Project Kendall may not produce any return to creditors.
The collapse has raised questions about the due diligence of companies working on the BER. One creditor, Jean-Paul Aghabi, who runs ECM Engineering and is owed more than $1m by Project Kendall, said he had taken comfort in Bovis's pre-qualification process for BER projects, which included a financial assessment.
The furore is the latest to mar the BER, which has been plagued by cost over-runs, delays and complaints over lack of consultation with school communities.
Bovis Lend Lease and the NSW Catholic Education Commission both defended the due diligence processes in relation to work on BER projects.
Project Kendall was managing BER projects at the Galilee Catholic Primary School at Bondi; McAuley Primary School, Rose Bay; St Fiacre's Primary School, Leichhardt; Holy Cross Primary School, Woollahra; St Joseph's Primary School, Rockdale; St Brigid's Primary School, Marrickville; and St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Paddington.
TODAY'S SAINT: DEC. 22: ST. CHAEREMON
St. Chaeremon | |||||||
BISHOP | |||||||
Feast: December 22 | |||||||
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TODAY'S GOSPEL: DEC. 22: LUKE: 1: 46-56
46And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,48for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;49for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.50And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.51He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,52he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;53he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,55as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever."56And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.
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