CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: WED. MARCH 17, 2010

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: WED. MARCH 17, 2010: HEADLINES-

AMERICA: CANADA: TRADITIONAL ANGLICANS REQUEST TO UNITE-
EUROPE: MEDJUGORJE: COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE VISIONS-

AFRICA: KENYA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION-
ASIA: IRAQ: EXECUTION OF CHRISTIAN MAN-

AUSTRALIA: SPECIAL SCHOOLS TO CHALLENGE FUNDING CUTS-

AMERICA

CANADA: TRADITIONAL ANGLICANS REQUEST TO UNITE

CNA report: On March 12, leaders of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) in Canada sent a letter to the Holy Father formally requesting to become unified with the Catholic Church. This initiative, says a leading bishop, is what he believes to be part of a “worldwide movement.”
Bishop Peter Wilkinson of the TAC Diocese of British Columbia, who authored the March 12 letter, discussed Pope Benedict XVI's publication of the Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum coetibus” with CNA in a phone interview on Monday. The document was released last year and addressed measures planned by the Vatican to allow Anglican communities to enter into communion with the Catholic Church.
When the Pope's document first came out, said Bishop Wilkinson, “I had Lutherans calling me saying, 'how do we get in on this?' And Orthodox (Christians) saying, 'how do we get in on this?'”
“It is a worldwide movement largely brought about by the vision of John Paul II” and “the wonderful, gentle firm, intellectual vision of Pope Benedict, who is such an inspiration to us,” noted the Anglican bishop.
Referencing a previous letter written to the Holy See which spoke of unifying with Rome, Bishop Wilkinson wrote to the Vatican on March 12. “Please allow the College of Bishops of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada (Traditional Anglican Communion) to express our gratitude to you for your positive response of December 16th 2009 to our Letter to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of October 5th 2007 in which we expressed our desire to 'seek a communal and ecclesial way of being Anglican Catholics in communion with the Holy See, at once treasuring the full expression of catholic faith and treasuring our tradition within which we have come to this moment,'” the letter said.
“We have all read and studied with care the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus with the Complementary Norms and the accompanying Commentary,” the bishop added. “And now, in response to your invitation to contact your Dicastery to begin the process you lay out, we respectfully ask that the Apostolic Constitution be implemented in Canada; that we may establish an interim Governing Council of three priests (or bishops); and that this Council be given the task and authority to propose to His Holiness a terna for appointment of the initial Ordinary.”
“It is our hope and prayer that these proposals may be useful in setting in train the process set out in the most welcome, gracious, and generous response of the Holy Father to our Petition,” the letter concluded.
Other signatories of the letter were The Rt. Rev. Craig Botterill Suffragan Bishop for Atlantic Canada and The Rt. Rev. Carl Reid, Suffragan Bishop for Central Canada.
With approximately 60 bishops, the Traditional Anglican Communion has parishes in 13 ecclesial provinces across Canada. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/canadian_anglican_church_move_toward_rome_part_of_worldwide_movement_says_bishop/

EUROPE

MEDJUGORJE: COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE VISIONS

CNA report: A statement was released by the Holy See on Wednesday confirming the formation of a commission to investigate the “phenomenon” of Medjugorje.
The Vatican communique reads: “Under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the presidency of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, an international commission of investigation on Medjugorje has been constituted. Said Commission, composed of cardinals, bishops and experts will work in a reserved manner, subjecting the results of their studies to the authority of the Dicastery.”
Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, said that no other information was available at this point besides the role of Cardinal Ruini as president. However, he did say that the commission will be formed by “more or less” 20 members.
Responding to a question from a journalist about the possible inclusion of Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar, whose diocese includes Medjugorje, Fr. Lombardi said that he is not in possession of a list of members.
The Vatican spokesman reviewed the history of investigations into the possible Marian apparitions of Medjugorje, noting that they began on a diocesan level. When it was seen that the “phenomenon was broader than the diocese,” it was passed on to the episcopal conference of the former Yugoslavia, which, he noted, no longer exists.
The commissions at those levels never came to a conclusion on the question of whether or not the alleged apparitions are supernatural, so the bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina have asked the CDF to take over investigations, the Vatican spokesman explained.
As the commission carries out their activities, Fr. Lombardi continued, they will decide whether or not to communicate information regarding their findings. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that it will be a “very discreet” project “given the sensitivity of the subject,” he remarked.
Speaking in Italian, he said to expect that investigations will take “a good while” to reach their completion and emphasized that the results of the commission’s activities will be submitted to the CDF, under whose mandate they are operating. The commission will only offer their technical findings to the Congregation, which in turn will “make decisions on the case.”
For now, the composition of the commission is “reserved,” as is the method they will pursue in their investigations, Fr. Lombardi said in closing.http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/holy_see_confirms_formation_of_medjugorje_commission/

AFRICA

KENYA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION

CISA report: Amnesty International has called for the promised investigation into the alleged killing by Kenyan police of seven men to be impartial, independent and for the results to be made public.On Wednesday night eye witnesses reported that seven men were shot dead by a group of administration police, during a police operation in Kawangware, an informal settlement in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Police officers claimed the men were part of a criminal gang, but witnesses say they were taxi drivers.In a press conference on Monday, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe promised investigations into the shootings adding that any police officer found to have breached the law would be punished.“The promise of a police investigation is a step in the right direction,” said Godfrey Odongo, Amnesty International’s East Africa researcher. “But unlike many previous investigations, this one must be impartial and independent and its findings must be made public and acted upon.”In March 2009, two human rights activists were shot dead in their car while stopped in traffic in central Nairobi. The two had been campaigning against illegal killings by the police. An investigation into the murders has failed to bring anyone to trial.Similarly, a taskforce set up to investigate alleged rapes by police during the post-election violence in late 2007 has failed to yield any results. Under international law, Kenya is obliged to respect and protect the right to life of all its citizens. This includes taking effective measures to protect people against acts of violence and to bring perpetrators to justice.“Police should be the enforcers of law and must not be allowed to rise above it,” said Godfrey Odongo. “Anyone identified by the inquiry as having been responsible for extra-judicial killings should be brought to justice in a trial and the families of those killed should be compensated.”http://www.cisanewsafrica.org/story.asp?ID=4476

ASIA

IRAQ: EXECUTION OF CHRISTIAN MAN

Asia News report: Sabah Yacoub Adam, 55, married and father of a child, was killed in cold blood. He owned a glass factory and lived in the Arab area of the city. Head to head between Allawi and al-Maliki looming in parliamentary elections. 80% of the ballots Counted so far.
Baghdad (AsiaNews) – Another targeted execution of an Iraqi Christians in Mosu, northern Iraq. This morning, an armed commando killed a businessman aged 55, married and father of a child. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Electoral Commission has scrutinized the 80% of the votes. According to an AFP projection it will be a head-to-head between Allawi and al-Maliki, with a slight margin of advantage for the former premier, who came to power after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
The murder took place this morning in the neighbourhood of al Saa, near the monastery of the Dominican fathers. Sabah Yacoub Adam, 55, married and father of a child, was shot down in cold blood. Sources for AsiaNews in Mosul report that he was a Chaldean Catholic, owner of a glass factory and lived in the Arab area of the city, to the left of the river Tigris.
Today’s shooting is just the latest in a long trail of blood that has forced hundreds of Christian families to flee the city toward the plain of Nineveh or abroad. A spiral of violence that grew in the weeks preceding the parliamentary elections of 7 March, so much so that Msgr. Emil Shimoun Nona, Chaldean archbishop of Mosul, spoke of an "Endless Via Crucis".
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Electoral Commission continues to scrutinise votes with now 80% of the ballots counted. An Afp a projection released yesterday shows a head to head between the current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and former interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawy, head of the government between May 2004 and April 2005.
The projection assigns 87 seats to two lists of candidates, about 310 of which make up the Iraqi parliament. The Iraqi National Alliance, which brings together the Shia religious parties, follows in third place with 67 seats and the list that combines the two major Kurdish parties is at 38 seats. Of the 310, 15 will be reserved for religious minorities in the country, including Christians.
Based on the number of votes obtained, which supports Allawi's secular bloc - the list al-Iraqiya - has collected 2,102,981 votes, with a margin of 8984 votes ahead of the coalition led by al-Maliki, the State of Law (2039 .997). The Shiite religious parties have obtained 1,597,937 votes and the Kurdish bloc 1,132,154.
The current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has the greater consensus in Baghdad, the largest basin in the allocation of seats, and six Shiite-majority areas. Allawi, however, despite being a Shia Muslim has a wide margin of advantage in four Sunni-majority areas. The secular vision and the support of Sunnis and Shiites have rewarded the program proposed by the former Prime Minister. (DS) http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Mosul,-another-targeted-execution-of-Iraqi-Christian-17904.html

AUSTRALIA

SPECIAL SCHOOLS TO CHALLENGE FUNDING CUTS

Cath News report: Special Schools from around the country will do a walk from Old to New Parliament House in Canberra today to challenge funding cuts to disability education.
The walk is being coordinated by Principal of St Lucy's School (Wahroonga), Jo Karaolis, to raise awareness of recent funding cuts to educational institutions that provide for people with intellectual disabilities, according to a statement by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
"We are doing this because a recent cut in our funding made us realise how vulnerable we are. Non-government special schools need stability of funding that addresses their chronic operating deficits," Mrs Karaolis said.
"It is essential that we place as much emphasis and value on Catholic education for students with disabilities as those in the mainstream," she said.
Meetings have been organised with politicians, including Education Minister Julia Gillard and Labor MP Maxine McKew, Shadow ministers Christopher Pyne and Mitch Fifield.
The walk will begin at Old Parliament House and will conclude at New Parliament House, where the students will sing "We are Australian".
Members of the media are invited to gather at noon to meet the group. http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=20086

TODAY'S SAINT

St. Patrick
PATRON SAINT OF IRELAND
Feast: March 17
Information:
Feast Day:
March 17
Born:
between 387 and 390 at Scotland
Died:
between 461 and 464 at Saul, County Down, Ireland
Patron of:
Ireland, Nigeria, Montserrat, New York, Boston, Engineers, against snakes

The field of St. Patrick's labors was the most remote part of the then known world. The seed he planted in faraway Ireland, which before his time was largely pagan, bore a rich harvest: whole colonies of saints and missionaries were to rise up after him to serve the Irish Church and to carry Christianity to other lands. Whether his birthplace, a village called Bannavem Taberniae, was near Dunbarton-on-the-Clyde, or in Cumberland, or at the mouth of the Severn, or even in Gaul near Boulogne, has never been determined, and indeed the matter is of no great moment. We know of a certainty that Patrick was of Romano-British origin, and born about the year 389. His father, Calpurnius, was a deacon, his grandfather a priest, for at this time no strict law of celibacy had been imposed on the Christian clergy. Patrick's own full name was probably Patricius Magonus Sucatus.
His brief gives us a few details of his early years. At the age of fifteen he committed some fault—what it was we are not told—which caused him much suffering for the rest of his life. At sixteen, he tells us, he still "knew not the true God." Since he was born into a Christian family, we may take this to mean that he gave little heed to religion or to the priests. That same year Patrick and some others were seized and carried off by sea raiders to become slaves among the inhabitants of Ireland. Formerly it was believed that his six years of captivity were spent near Ballymena in County Antrim, on the slopes of the mountain now called Slemish, but later opinion names Fochlad, or Focluth, on the coast of Mayo. If the latter view is correct, then Croachan Aigli or Croag Patrick, the scene of his prolonged fast, was also the mountain on which in his youth he lived alone with God, tending his master's herds of swine or cattle. Wherever it was, he tells us him self that "constantly I used to pray in the daytime. Love of God and His fear increased more and more, and my faith grew and my spirit was stirred up, so that in a single day I said as many as a hundred prayers and at night nearly as many, and I used to stay out in the woods and on the mountain. Before the dawn I used to wake up to prayer, in snow and frost and rain, nor was there any such lukewarmness in me as now I feel, because then my spirit was fervent within."
At length he heard a voice in his sleep bidding him to get back to freedom and the land of his birth. Thus prompted, he ran away from his master and traveled to a harbor where a ship was about to depart. The captain at first refused his request for passage, but after Patrick had silently prayed to God, the pagan sailors called him back, and with them he made an adventurous journey. They were three days at sea, and when they reached land they traveled for a month through an uninhabited tract of country, where food was scarce. Patrick writes:
"And one day the shipmaster said to me: 'How is this, O Christian? Thou sayest that thy God is great and almighty; wherefore then canst thou not pray for us, for we are in danger of starvation? Likely we shall never see a human being again.' Then I said plainly to them: 'Turn in good faith and with all your heart to the Lord my God, to whom nothing is impossible, that this day He may send you food for your journey, until ye be satisfied, for He has abundance everywhere.' And, by the help of God, so it came to pass. Lo, a herd of swine appeared in the way before our eyes, and they killed many of them. And in that place they remained two nights; and they were well refreshed and their dogs were sated, for many of them had fainted and been left half- dead by the way. After this they rendered hearty thanks to God, and I became honorable in their eyes; and from that day they had food in abundance."
At length they arrived at human habitations, whether in Britain or Gaul we do not know. When Patrick was again restored to his kinfolk, they gave him a warm welcome and urged him to stay. But he felt he must leave them. Although there is no certainty as to the order of events which followed, it seems likely that Patrick now spent many years in Gaul. Professor Bury, author of the well-known , thinks that the saint stayed for three years at the monastery of Lerins, on a small islet off the coast of modern Cannes, France, and that about fifteen years were passed at the monastery of Auxerre, where he was ordained. Patrick's later prestige and authority indicate that he was prepared for his task with great thoroughness.
We now come to Patrick's apostolate. At this time Pelagianism[1] was spreading among the weak and scattered Christian communities of Britain and Ireland, and Pope Celestine I had sent Bishop Palladius there to combat it. This missionary was killed among the Scots in North Britain, and Bishop Germanus of Auxerre recommended the appointment of Patrick to replace him. Patrick was consecrated in 432, and departed forthwith for Ireland. When we try to trace the course of his labors in the land of his former captivity, we are confused by the contradictory accounts of his biographers; all are marked by a great deal of vagueness as to geography and chronology. According to tradition, he landed at Inverdea, at the mouth of the river Vautry, and immediately proceeded northwards. One chronicler relates that when he was again in the vicinity of the place where he had been a herdboy, the master who had held him captive, on hearing of Patrick's return, set fire to his house and perished in the flames. There is historical basis for the tradition of Patrick's preliminary stay in Ulster, and his founding of a monastic center there. It was at this time that he set out to gain the support and favor of the powerful pagan King Laeghaire, who was holding court at Tara. The stories of Patrick's encounter with the king's Druid priests are probably an accretion of later years; we are told of trials of skill and strength in which the saint gained a great victory over his pagan opponents. The outcome was royal toleration for his preaching. The text of the Senchus More, the old Irish code of laws, though in its existing form it is of later date, mentions an understanding reached at Tara. Patrick was allowed to preach to the gathering, "and when they saw Laeghaire with his Druids overcome by the great signs and miracles wrought in the presence of the men of Erin, they bowed down in obedience to God and Patrick."
King Laeghaire seems not to have become a Christian, but his chief bard and his two daughters were converted, as was a brother, who, we are told, gave his estate to Patrick for the founding of a church. From this time on, Patrick's apostolate, though carried on amid hardships and often at great risk, was favored by many powerful chieftains. The Druids, by and large, opposed him, for they felt their own power and position threatened. They combined many functions; they were prophets, philosophers, and priests; they served as councilors of kings, as judges, and teachers; they knew the courses of the stars and the properties of plants. Now they began to realize that the religion they represented was doomed. Even before the Christian missionaries came in strength, a curious prophecy was current among them. It was written in one of their ancient texts: "Adze-head (a name that the shape of the monk's tonsure might suggest) will come, with his crook-headed staff and his house (the word chasuble means also a little house) holed for his head. He will chant impiety from the table in the east of his house. All his household shall answer: Amen, Amen. When, therefore, all these things come to pass, our kingdom, which is a heathen one, will not stand." As a matter of fact, the Druids continued to exist in Christian Ireland, though with a change of name and a limited scope of activity. They subjected Patrick to imprisonment many times, but he always managed to escape.
In 439 three bishops, Secundinus, Auxilius, and Iserninus, were sent from Gaul to assist Patrick. Benignus, an Irish chieftain who was converted by Patrick, became his favorite disciple, his coadjutor in the see of Armagh, and, finally, his successor. One of Patrick's legendary victories was his overthrow of the idol of Crom Cruach in Leitrim, where he forthwith built a church. He traveled again in Ulster, to preach and found monasteries, then in Leinster and Munster. These missionary caravans must have impressed the people, for they gave the appearance of an entire village in motion. The long line of chariots and carts drawn by oxen conveyed the appurtenances of Christian worship, as well as foodstuffs, equipment, tools, and weapons required by the band of helpers who accompanied the leader. There would be the priestly assistants, singers and musicians, the drivers, hunters, wood-cutters, carpenters, masons, cooks, horsemen, weavers and embroiderers, and many more. When the caravan stopped at a chosen site, the people gathered, converts were won, and before many months a chapel or church and its outlying structures would be built and furnished. Thus were created new outposts in the struggle against paganism. The journeys were often dangerous. Once, Odrhan, Patrick's charioteer, as if forewarned, asked leave to take the chief seat in the chariot himself, while Patrick held the reins; they had proceeded but a short way in this fashion when the loyal Odrhan was killed by a spear thrust meant for his master.
About the year 442, tradition tells us, Patrick went to Rome and met Pope Leo the Great, who, it seemed, took special interest in the Irish Church. The time had now come for a definite organization According to the annals of Ulster, the cathedral church of Armagh was founded as the primatial see of Ireland on Patrick's return. He brought back with him valuable relics. Latin was established as the language of the Irish Church. There is mention of a synod held by Patrick, probably at Armagh. The rules then adopted are still preserved, with, possibly, some later interpolations. It is believed that this synod was called near the close of Patrick's labors on earth. He was now undoubtedly in more or less broken health; such austerities and constant journeyings as his must have weakened the hardiest constitution. The story of his forty-day fast on Croagh Patrick and the privileges he won from God by his prayers is also associated with the end of his life. Tirechan tells it thus: "Patrick went forth to the summit of Mount Agli, and remained there for forty days and forty nights, and the birds were a trouble to him, and he could not see the face of the heavens, the earth, or the sea, on account of them; for God told all the saints of Erin, past, present, and future, to come to the mountain summit-that mountain which overlooks all others, and is higher than all the mountains of the West-to bless the tribes of Erin, so that Patrick might see the fruit of his labors, for all the choir of the saints came to visit him there, who was the father of them all."
In all the ancient biographies of this saint the marvelous is continuously present. Fortunately, we have three of Patrick's own writings, which help us to see the man himself. His is a brief autobiographical sketch; the , also known as , is a strange chant which we have reproduced in the following pages. is a denunciation of the British king of that name who had raided the Irish coast and killed a number of Christian converts as they were being baptized; Patrick urged the Christian subjects of this king to have no more dealings with him until he had made reparation for the outrage. In his writings Patrick shows his ardent human feelings and his intense love of God. What was most human in the saint, and at the same time most divine, comes out in this passage from his :
"It was not any grace in me, but God who conquereth in me, and He resisted them all, so that I came to the heathen of Ireland to preach the Gospel and to bear insults from unbelievers, to hear the reproach of my going abroad and to endure many persecutions even unto bonds, the while that I was surrendering my liberty as a man of free condition for the profit of others. And if I should be found worthy, I am ready to give even my life for His name's sake unfalteringly and gladly, and there (in Ireland) I desire to spend it until I die, if our Lord should grant it to me."
Patrick's marvelous harvest filled him with gratitude. During an apostolate of thirty years he is reported to have consecrated some 350 bishops, and was instrumental in bringing the faith to many thousands. He writes, "Wherefore those in Ireland who never had the knowledge of God, but until now only worshiped idols and abominations, from them has been lately prepared a people of the Lord, and they are called children of God. Sons and daughters of Scottish chieftains are seen becoming monks and virgins of Christ." Yet hostility and violence still existed, for he writes later, "Daily I expect either a violent death, or robbery and a return to slavery, or some other calamity." He adds, like the good Christian he was, "I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God, for He rules everything."

Patrick died about 461, and was buried near the fortress of Saul, in the vicinity of the future cathedral town of Down. He was intensely spiritual, a magnetic personality with great gifts for action and organization. He brought Ireland into much closer contact with Europe, especially with the Holy See. The building up of the weak Christian communities which he found on arrival and planting the faith in new regions give him his place as the patron of Ireland. His feast day is one of festivity, and widely observed. Patrick's emblems are a serpent, demons, cross, shamrock, harp, and baptismal font. The story of his driving snakes from Ireland has no factual foundation, and the tale of the shamrock, as a symbol used to explain the Trinity, is an accretion of much later date.
SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stpatrick.asp

TODAY'S GOSPEL

John 5: 17 - 30
17
But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working."
18
This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.
19
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise.
20
For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel.
21
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
22
The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
23
that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
24
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
25
"Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
26
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself,
27
and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man.
28
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
29
and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
30
"I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: TUES. MARCH 16, 2010

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: TUES. MARCH 16, 2010: HEADLINES-

VATICAN: MESSAGE FOR TWENTY-FIFTH WORLD YOUTH DAY-

ASIA: PHILIPPINES: BISHOPS CALL FOR RELEASE OF VOLUNTEERS-
EUROPE: GERMANY: PRIEST ACCUSED OF ABUSE SUSPENDED FROM MINISTRY-AMERICA: USA: CARDINAL MAHONY TO CELEBRATE MASS FOR IMMIGRANTS-AFRICA: NIGERIA: MUSLIM ATTACKS ON MARCH 7 KILL 500 CHRISTIANS-
AUSTRALIA: ST. FRANCIS CATHEDRAL DEDICATED AS SACRED PLACE OF PRAYER-

Papal photo source: http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/index.asp

VATICAN

MESSAGE FOR TWENTY-FIFTH WORLD YOUTH DAY

(VIS) - The Message of the Holy Father for twenty-fifth World Youth Day has just been published. The Day, which is due to be celebrated in all the dioceses of the world on Palm Sunday 28 March, has as its theme this year: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Extracts from the Message are given below: "The present 25th Youth Day represents a stage on the journey towards the next World Youth Day, which will take place in August 2011 in Madrid, Spain, where I hope many of you will come to experience that event of grace. "To prepare ourselves for this celebration, I would like to suggest some reflections on this year's theme: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?", taken from the Gospel account of Jesus' meeting with the rich young man, a topic already considered in 1985 by Pope John Paul II in a most beautiful Letter, addressed to young people for the first time". 1. Jesus Meets a Young Man "The Gospel narrative effectively expresses Jesus' great concern for young people. ... His desire is to meet with you personally and establish a dialogue with each one of you". 2. Jesus Looked at Him and Loved Him "In the evangelical narrative, St. Mark stresses how 'Jesus looking at him, loved him'. The Lord's gaze was at the core of that very special encounter, and of all Christian experience. In fact, Christianity is not primarily an ethic, but an experience of Jesus Christ Who loves us personally, young and old, poor and rich; He loves us even when we turn our backs on Him". "The awareness that ... Christ loves everyone and always ... enables us to overcome any trial: ... sins, suffering or discouragement. In this love lies the source of all Christian life and the fundamental reason for evangelisation; for if we have truly found Jesus, we cannot but bear witness to Him to those people who have not yet encountered His gaze". 3. Discovering a Plan for Life "The rich young man asks Jesus: 'What must I do?' The stage of life you are currently experiencing is a time of discovery: discovery of the gifts that God has lavished on you, and of your responsibilities. It is, moreover, a time of fundamental choices to create a plan for your lives. It is a moment, therefore, to question yourselves about the authentic meaning of existence and to ask: 'Am I satisfied with my life? Is there something lacking?'" "Do not be afraid to address these questions! ... They await answers, answers that are not superficial but able to satisfy your authentic expectations of life and happiness. To discover the life plan that can make you fully happy, listen to God, Who has a plan of love for each one of you. 4. Come and follow me! "The Christian vocation springs from a proposal of love from the Lord, and can only be fulfilled through a response of love. ... Dear friends, following the example of so many disciples of Christ, joyfully accept His invitation to follow, in order to live intensely and fruitfully in this world. "The sadness of the rich young man of the Gospel is that which arises in the heart when a person does not have the courage to follow Christ, to make the right choice. However, it is never too late to respond to Him! "In this Year for Priests, I would like to exhort boys and young men to be attentive as to whether the Lord is inviting them to a greater gift ... in ordained ministry, and generously and enthusiastically to make themselves ready to accept this sign of special predilection, undertaking with a priest or spiritual director the necessary path of discernment. Do not be afraid, dear young people, if the Lord calls you to the religious, monastic or missionary life, or to a life of special consecration: He is able to give profound joy to those who respond with courage. "Moreover, I invite all those who feel the vocation to marriage to accept it with faith, committing themselves to laying solid foundations for a love that is great, faithful and open to the gift of life, which is a source of richness and grace for society and the Church". 5. Oriented to Eternal Life "To ask ourselves about the definitive future awaiting each of us gives full meaning to existence, because it orients our life plan toward horizons that are not limited or fleeting, but broad and profound; horizons which lead us to love the world so loved by God himself, to dedicate ourselves to its development, but always with the freedom and joy born of faith and hope. These horizons help us not to make absolute values of earthly realities, aware that God is opening greater prospects for us. ... Dear young people, I exhort you not to forget this perspective in your own lives: We are called to eternity". 6. The Commandments, the Way of Authentic Love "Jesus also asks you if you know the commandments, if you are concerned to form your conscience according to divine law and if you will put it into practice. These are certainly questions that go against the tide of the present-day mentality, which presents freedom as disconnected from values, rules and objective norms, and invites us to reject any limitation to momentary desires". "God gave us the commandments because He wants to educate us to true freedom, because He wants to build with us a Kingdom of love, justice and peace. To listen to them and to put them into practice does not mean to be alienated, but to find the path of authentic freedom and love, because the commandments do not limit happiness, but show how to find it". 7. We Have Need of You "Young people today find themselves facing many problems arising from unemployment, and from the lack of solid ideals, and of concrete prospects for the future. ... Despite the difficulties, do not let yourselves be discouraged and do not give up your dreams! Rather, cultivate great desires of fraternity, justice and peace in your hearts. The future is in the hands of people who know how to seek and discover powerful reasons for life and hope" "In my recent Encyclical 'Caritas in Veritate' on integral human development, I listed some of the great modern challenges, which are urgent and essential for the life of this world: the use of the resources of the earth, respect for ecology, the just division of wealth, the control of financial mechanisms, solidarity with poor countries, ... the struggle against hunger in the world, the promotion of the dignity of human work, service to the culture of life, the building of peace between peoples, inter-religious dialogue, and the correct use of the social communications media. "These are challenges to which you are called to respond in order to build a more just and fraternal world; challenges that call for an exacting and passionate life plan, into which to pour all your richness according to the design that God has for each one of you". "In this Year for Priests, I invite you to study the lives of the saints, especially those of saintly priests. You will see that God guided them and that they found their path day after day, in faith, hope and love. Christ calls each of you to commit yourselves, with Him, and to assume your responsibilities to build a civilisation of love".MESS/WORLD YOUTH DAY/... VIS 100316 (1270)

ASIA

PHILIPPINES: BISHOPS CALL FOR RELEASE OF VOLUNTEERS HELD BY ARMY

Asia News report: The widespread appeal in recent days was signed by over a thousand people including religious leaders and politicians. They accuse the army of human rights violations. Health professionals were working for a local NGO. The army arrested them on 6 March with the false accusation of making weapons and bombs used by insurgents of the communist New Peoples Army.
Manila (AsiaNews) - Bishops, religious leaders and politicians are asking the army and government for the immediate release of 43 medical volunteers held from 6 February in Morong (Rizal Province) who have been falsely accused of supporting the rebels of the Communist New Peoples Army (NPA). The appeal was circulated in recent days by national media and signed by over a thousand people including politicians and religious leaders, Catholics and Protestants.
"Injustice has no space in society – says Mgr. Edward Malecdan head of the Filipino bishops' conference - especially when it affects those people who try to help our brothers in need". The 43 volunteers were participating in a refresher course held by the NGO Council for Health and Development at the Philippine General Hospital consultant Dr. Melecio Velmonte in the village of Morong about 100 kilometers from the capital. During the lesson more than 300 soldiers raided the hospital and arrested them. According to the army, the volunteer group was in possession of explosives and firearms used to support the guerrillas of the communist NPA rebels active in the area. After the arrest, the volunteers were transported to a military camp where for a month they have suffered physical and psychological torture.
"The arrest was based on false accusations and was in violation of normal standards of the law - said Fr Joe Dizon, a priest and activist for human rights - we deplore the torture of volunteers, subjected to continued questioning, forced to stand blindfolded for 36 hours and deprived of legal assistance and medical assistance. " On 10 March the Court of Appeal rejected a petition signed by relatives of the arrested and confirmed the jurisdiction of the case to court in the province of Rizal. The relatives have announced that they will appeal to the Supreme Court. http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Filipino-bishops-call-for-the-release-of-the-43-volunteers-held-by-army-for-over-a-month-17911.html

EUROPE

GERMANY: PRIEST ACCUSED OF ABUSE SUSPENDED FROM MINISTRY

CNA report: The Tourism chaplain for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising has been immediately suspended from ministry after more allegations that he sexual abused minors. While some news reports have tried to link Pope Benedict XVI to the charges, a subordinate in the archdiocese has claimed responsibility for failures in responding to the case.
A statement from the archdiocese said that it had been presented with evidence the clergyman committed sexual abuse since an episode in 1986.
The accused, known as Priest H., had held youth services and took young people camping despite a ban on his contact with children, Bild.de says.
Archbishop of Munich and Freising Bernhard Kellner on Monday announced that he would be suspended from service with “immediate effect.”
Priest H. reportedly abused at least two children in Essen in 1979 and in Bavaria in 1985. He was sentenced to 18 months probation in the latter case.
One victim, 41-year-old Wilfried Fesselmann, is from Gelsenkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia. He said that he was 11 at the time of the alleged abuse.
According to Fesselmann, the priest invited “nice children” to sleep in the rectory. Priest H. gave Fesselman an alcoholic drink and forced him to perform an oral sex act.
Priest H.’s superior, Prelate Josef Obermaier, resigned on Monday. A spokesman for the archdiocese said he accepts responsibility for “serious errors in the course of his supervision.”
Some media reports have tried to link Pope Benedict XVI to the scandal because he was Archbishop of Munich and Freising between 1977 and 1982.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See's Press Office, released a statement on Saturday morning on the issue. He said that a recent communiqué from the Archdiocese of Munich answers questions about Priest H. He stressed that the document shows that as archbishop the future Pope Benedict was completely "extraneous" to the decisions made after the abuses were verified.
The archdiocese said during Pope Benedict’s tenure as archbishop Priest H. was in the pastoral care of the vicar general at the time, Fr. Gerhard Gruber.
"Gruber assumes full responsibility for these mistaken decisions," the archdiocese reported.
Fr. Lombardi’s statement also criticized media coverage of the charges.
"It's rather evident that in recent days there are those who have sought - with a certain tenacity, in Regensburg and in Munich - elements for personally involving the Holy Father in the questions of the abuses. For every objective observer, it's clear that these efforts have failed."
The Vatican spokesman concluded by reaffirming that "despite the tempest," the Church sees the course to follow "under the sure and rigorous guide of the Holy Father."http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/accused_munich_priest_resigns_in_sexual_abuse_case_wrongly_linked_to_pope/

AMERICA

USA: CARDINAL MAHONY TO CELEBRATE MASS FOR IMMIGRANTS

USCCB report: Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, will celebrate a Mass for Immigrants, March 21, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Washington. The event coincides with the “March for America: Change Takes Courage and Faith” organized by diverse communities of faith demanding comprehensive immigration reform.
WHAT: Mass for Immigrants
WHEN: March 21 at 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church (Upper Church)—19 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC (corner of N. Capitol and I Streets; Union Station Metro)
WHO: Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, Virginia Bishop Francisco González, SF Auxiliary Bishop of Washington Father Allan Deck, SJ, executive director, USCCB Cultural Diversity Office
The Mass is organized by the Justice for Immigrants Campaign (www.justiceforimmigrants.org) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Following Mass, organizers encourage Catholics to participate in the “March for America: Change Takes Courage and Faith,” 1-5 p.m. on the National Mall.http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2010/10-044.shtml

AFRICA

NIGERIA: MUSLIM ATTACKS ON MARCH 7 KILL UP TO 500 CHRISTIANS

CISA report: Muslim gangs attacked three villages in central Nigeria and killed up to 500 Christians in pre-dawn attacks on March 7. “The shooting was just meant to bring people from their houses and then when people came out they started cutting them with machetes,” said one witness. Another added, “We saw mainly those who are helpless, like small children and then the older men, who cannot run, these were the ones that were slaughtered.” Some 300 Christian churches have been destroyed in the area around Jos during the past four years.In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos described his efforts to have friendly relations with Muslims, the effects of the local imposition of Sharia and the caution with which he catechizes potential Muslim converts, some of whom “come just because they want to infiltrate.” Meanwhile, central Nigeria, Bishop James Daman of the Catholic Diocese of Shendam said that ``Shendam is under tension now’’. Daman who disclosed this to this CISA correspondent on Monday during a telephone discussion blamed the crisis on politicians from other parts of Northern Nigeria who he said wanted to have the political control of Jos Metropolis and Plateau State in general. Catholic diocese of Shendam a sufragan of Jos was created out of Jos Metropolitan Archdiocese on February 6, 2007 with Daman as its pioneer bishop. Daman explained that the present crisis in which over 500 dead had been given mass burial has more political undertone rather than the indigene –settler differences with politicians from the northern parts of Nigeria being the arrow head. ``Indeed, what these politicians from other states are doing in Plateau State at present is barbaric and it could not be replicated in their states by indigenes of Plateau state without those politicians rebuffing such. ``So, they should allow the indigenes and nationals of Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue states to dictate what they think would be best for them politically rather than for some outsiders to impose their decisions on them,’’ he suggested. The nation of 142.5 million is 15 percent Catholic.http://www.cisanewsafrica.org/story.asp?ID=4465

AUSTRALIA

ST. FRANCIS CATHEDRAL DEDICATED AS SACRED PLACE OF PRAYER

Wollongong's 162-year-old St Francis Xavier Cathedral, originally a chapel which was meant to be temporary, was finally dedicated as a sacred place of prayer this week.
"It began as a very simple building and then it was enlarged on a couple of occasions in its history," Wollongong Bishop Peter Ingham was quoted by the Illawarra Mercury.
"It didn't become a cathedral until the diocese was formed in 1952. Up until then it was part of the Archdiocese of Sydney.
"It was probably seen as a temporary church, people thinking that at one stage a new cathedral might be built."
Bishop Ingham said the dedication was more a formality because the church had already been sanctified by the religious functions it had performed over so many years.
"Think of all the generations of people who have prayed there, worshipped there, the baptisms, confirmations, reconciliations, marriages, the Masses offered there and the people who have been buried from there and the community that has been built because of it," he said.
"It's been a centre of community in Wollongong and contributes to the good of the community.
"In a secular city these churches, including St Michael's, remind us that God is part of our lives, part of our city, part of our existence." http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=20062

TODAY'S SAINT

St. Heribert of Cologne
ARCHBISHOP OF COLOGNE, CHANCELLOR OF EMPEROR OTTO III
Feast: March 16
Information:
Feast Day:
March 16
Born:
970 at Worms, Germany
Died:
16 March 1021 at Cologne, Germany
Canonized:
1075 by Pope Saint Gregory VII
Major Shrine:
Deutz
Patron of:
rain

Archbishop of Cologne; born at Worms, c. 970; died at Cologne, 16 March, 1021. His father was Duke Hugo of Worms. After receiving his education at the cathedral school of Worms, he spent some time as guest at the monastery of Gorze, after which he became provost at the cathedral of Worms. In 994 he was ordained priest; in the same year King Otto III appointed him chancellor for Italy and four years later also for Germany, a position which he held until the death of Otto III on 23 January, 1002. As chancellor he was the most influential adviser of Otto III, whom he accompanied to Rome in 906 and again in 997. He was still in Italy when, in 999, he was elected Archbishop of Cologne. At Benevento he received ecclesiastical investiture and the pallium from Pope Sylvester II on 9 July, 999, and on the following Christmas Day he was consecrated at Cologne. In 1002 he was present at the death-bed of the youthful emperor at Paterno. While returning to Germany with the emperor's remains and the imperial insignia, he was held captive for some time by the future King Henry II, whose candidacy he first opposed. As soon as Henry II was elected king, on 7 June, 1002, Heribert acknowledged him as such, accompanied him to Rome in 1004, mediated between him and the House of Luxemburg, and served him faithfully in many other ways; but he never won his entire confidence until the year 1021, when the king saw his mistake and humbly begged pardon on the archbishop. Heribert founded and richly endowed the Benedictine monastery and church of Deutz, where he lies buried. He was already honoured as a saint during his lifetime. Between 1073 and 1075 he was canonized by Pope Gregory VII. His feast is celebrated on 16 March. SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/H/stheribertofcologne.asp

TODAY'S GOSPEL

John 5: 1 - 16
1
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Beth-za'tha, which has five porticoes.
3
In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed.
5
One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
6
When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"
7
The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me."
8
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk."
9
And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the sabbath.
10
So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet."
11
But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, `Take up your pallet, and walk.'"
12
They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, `Take up your pallet, and walk'?"
13
Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.
14
Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you."
15
The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
16
And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the sabbath.