CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: FRI. APRIL 30, 2010: HEADLINES-
VATICAN: CONCERT FOR FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIFICATE/OTHER VIS NEWS-
ASIA: INDIA: FUNERAL OF MURDERED PRIEST FR: BOMBACH-
AMERICA: CHILE: BOMB EXPLODES IN TEMUCO CHAPEL-
AFRICA: NIGERIA: 2 CHRISTIAN JOURNALISTS KILLED AT JOS-
AUSTRALIA: GANGLAND KILLER DENIED FULL MASS AT FUNERAL-
EUROPE: ENGLAND: GOLF TOURNAMENT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HAITI-
IMAGE SOURCE http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/index.asp
CONCERT FOR FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIFICATE
VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2010 (VIS REPORT) - Yesterday evening in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall Benedict XVI attended a concert marking the fifth anniversary of his pontificate offered by Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic. The concert, played by the Italian Youth Orchestra which is part of the Fiesole School of Music, included pieces by Giovanni Battista Sammartini, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.
"The study of music", said the Pope at the end of the concert, "has great value in the process of educating the person, in that it has positive effects on the development of individuals, favouring their harmonious human and spiritual growth".
Praising the many years of experience of the Fiesole School of Music, he then observed how, "in the current social context, all educational efforts seem more arduous and problematic. Parents and teachers often speak of the difficulties they encounter in imparting the basic values of life and correct behaviour to new generations. This problematic situation affects both the school and the family, as well as the various agencies that operate in the field of education".
"Young people, though they live in different environments, share a sensibility towards the great ideals of life but face many difficulties when they seek to put them into practice", said the Holy Father. "We cannot ignore their needs and expectations, or the obstacles and threats they encounter. They feel drawn to authentic values such as the centrality of the person, human dignity, peace and justice, tolerance and solidarity. They also seek, sometimes in confused and contradictory ways, spirituality and transcendence in order to find balance and harmony.
"In this context", he added, "I am happy to observe that it is music that can open minds and hearts to the spiritual dimension and lead people to raise their eyes to heaven, to open themselves to absolute Goodness and Beauty which have their ultimate source in God. Likewise, the festive nature of song and music are a constant invitation for believers, and for all men and women of good will, to work so that humankind has a future rich in hope. Furthermore, ... the undertaking not 'to play alone', but to ensure that the various 'colours' of the orchestra - each maintaining its own characteristics - fuse together; the shared search for the best expression; all this is an excellent exercise, not only artistically and professionally, but also in overall human terms".
The Pope concluded his remarks by reiterating his thanks to the president of the Italian Republic for the concert, and asking everyone to pray that, "beginning the sixth year of my pontificate, I may always carry out my ministry as the Lord would wish".
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ECONOMIC LIFE SHOULD BE ORIENTED TO THE COMMON GOOD
VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received participants in the sixteenth plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, which is meeting between 30 April and 4 May to discuss the world economic crisis in the light of the ethical principles enshrined in the Church's social doctrine.
"The worldwide financial breakdown has", said the Holy Father addressing the group in English, "demonstrated the fragility of the present economic system and the institutions linked to it".
He continued: "Rather than a spiral of production and consumption in view of narrowly-defined human needs, economic life should properly be seen as an exercise of human responsibility, intrinsically oriented towards the promotion of the dignity of the person, the pursuit of the common good and the integral development - political, cultural and spiritual - of individuals, families and societies".
"In my Encyclical 'Caritas in veritate', I observed that 'the current crisis obliges us to re-plan our journey, to set ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment'".
The Pope explained how "the Church, based on her faith in God the Creator, affirms the existence of a universal natural law. ... As part of the great heritage of human wisdom, the natural moral law, which the Church has appropriated, purified and developed in the light of Christian revelation, serves as a beacon guiding the efforts of individuals and communities to pursue good and to avoid evil, while directing their commitment to building an authentically just and humane society".
"Among the indispensable principles shaping such an integral ethical approach to economic life must be the promotion of the common good, grounded in respect for the dignity of the human person and acknowledged as the primary goal of production and trade systems, political institutions and social welfare. In our day, concern for the common good has taken on a more markedly global dimension. It has also become increasingly evident that the common good embraces responsibility towards future generations; intergenerational solidarity must henceforth be recognised as a basic ethical criterion for judging any social system.
"These realities point to the urgency of strengthening the governance procedures of the global economy, albeit with due respect for the principle of subsidiarity", added the Holy Father. "In the end, however, all economic decisions and policies must be directed towards 'charity in truth'".
This, Benedict XVI concluded, is because "without truth, without trust and love for what is true, there is no social conscience and responsibility, and social action ends up serving private interests and the logic of power, resulting in social fragmentation".
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POPE MEETS WITH VISITATORS OF LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST
VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today met with the five visitators of the Legion of Christ: Archbishop Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. of Denver, U.S.A.; Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello S.D.B. of Concepcion, Chile; Archbishop Ricardo Blazquez Perez of Valladolid, Spain; Bishop Ricardo Watty Urquidi M.Sp.S. of Tepic, Mexico, and Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi of Alessandria, Italy.
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TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL MAYER
VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a telegram of condolence to Fr. Notker Wolf, abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation, for the death today at the age of 98 of Cardinal Paul Augustin Mayer O.S.B., president emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The late cardinal, writes the Pope, "leaves the indelible memory of an industrious life spent with mildness and rectitude in coherent adherence to his vocation as a monk and pastor, full of zeal for the Gospel and always faithful to the Church. While recalling his knowledgeable commitment in the field of the liturgy and in that of universities and seminaries, and especially his much appreciated service to the Holy See, first in the preparatory commission for Vatican Council II then in various dicasteries of the Roman Curia, I raise fervent prayers that the Lord may welcome this worthy brother into eternal joy and peace".TGR/ VIS 20100430 (170)
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY
VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2010 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for May is: "That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended".His mission intention is: "That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care".
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AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, Australia.
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Archbishop Peter Smith of Cardiff, Wales, as metropolitan archbishop of Southwark (area 3,000, population 440,000, Catholics 395,182, priests 439, permanent deacons 79, religious 792), England.
- Appointed Fr. Odilon Martinez Garcia of the clergy of the diocese of Toluca, Mexico, rector of the major diocesan seminary, as bishop of Atlacomulco (area 5,364, population 934,328, Catholics 917,794, priests 103, permanent deacons 1, religious 113), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Santa Ana, Mexico in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1974.
- Appointed Fr. Rogatus Kimaryo C.S.Sp., apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the diocese of Same, Tanzania, as bishop of the same diocese (area 10,000, population 609,000, Catholics 71,722, priests 52, religious 53). The bishop-elect was born in Mkuu, Tanzania in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1987.
- Accepted the resignation from the apostolic vicariate of Kontagora, Nigeria, presented by Bishop Timothy Joseph Carroll S.M.A., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
ASIA
INDIA: FUNERAL OF MURDERED PRIEST FR: BOMBACH
Asia News report. Fr Peter Bombach was killed with a pair of scissors, with a rope around his neck. The motive for the cold-blooded crime is still unknown. The priest lived in poverty near the sick, whom he urged to pray to Our Lady.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - A priest who was "simple and very religious, who always did his best. Fraternally united to the priests of the diocese, he recited Vespers with the community. " This is how Fr. Solomon Rodrigues - pastor of St. Peter Koliwada and dean of the College Gonsalo Garcia – remembers the late Fr Peter Bombach. The priest, who was about to turn 74, was killed late last night in Baboola, one kilometre from the house of the bishop of Vasai, an ancient city near Mumbai (Maharashtra).
The brutal murder was committed with a pair of scissors inside the ashram of Nirashritashramata, the monastery he founded. The faithful remember him as a simple priest, who loved living in poverty, characterized by his simple lifestyle and eating habits. His mission took place among the poorest, without distinction of caste, creed or religion.
According to locals, Fr. Peter spent his time in penance, fasting and prayer. He prayed for the sick, and many local disabled people came to him asking for a prayer to help in the cure of their disease. He celebrated every day in the morning, reciting evening prayers at Vespers, which included many of the faithful. On Sundays he distributed medicines for minor illnesses, while the people gathered on Saturday to invoke the Holy Spirit. The name of his ashram can be translated as "Mother of the abandoned, who gives refuge."
His tortured body was found by the faithful who were waiting for the celebration of morning mass. When the priest did not appear, a local doctor decided to look for him, discovering the crime. In addition to the pair of scissors, he had a rope around his neck. The police have opened an investigation, starting with taking traces and fingerprints from the crime area. At the moment, the corpse of Father Peter is at NavGate hospital, where an autopsy has been performed.
The funeral was celebrated by Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado of Vasai, the auxiliary bishop of Mumbai Mgr. Percival Fernandes and Msgr. Francisco Correa, Chancellor of the Diocese of Vasai. Present the faithful and the local clergy, who wanted to bid Fr Peter farewell for one last time.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-funeral-of-murdered-priest,-Fr-Peter,-friend-of-the-sick-18287.html
AMERICA
CHILE: BOMB EXPLODES IN TEMUCO CHAPEL
CNA report. Assailants detonated a bomb in the Chapel of Lourdes at the convent of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in the city of Temuco, Chile. The bomb exploded early on Tuesday morning causing damage to the chapel as well as a neighboring house.
Bishop Manuel Camilo Vial of Temuco went to the site to assess the damage and express his solidarity with the sisters. They reported that the bomb destroyed windows, doors and pews in the chapel and caused a fire that had to be extinguished by firefighters.
Bishop Vial lamented the incident and expressed his support to the sisters who operate a home for poor children and work with Mapuche women.
An economic assessment of the damage has not yet been completed, and local police are investigating the incident. Fox News reports that a group, “Native Orchestral Chaos Three,” left pamphlets claiming responsibility for the bomb.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/assailants_detonate_bomb_in_chilean_catholic_church/
AFRICA
NIGERIA: 2 CHRISTIAN JOURNALISTS KILLED AT JOS
Christian Today report: The killing of Christians in Jos, Plateau state in Nigeria continued over the weekend with two journalists and five other persons falling victim to Muslim youth gangs.
Nathan S. Dabak, an assistant editor at a newspaper of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) called The Light Bearer, and Sunday Gyang Bwede, a reporter at the publication, were stabbed to death on Saturday (April 24) at Gado-Bako in Jos North Local Government Area along with an unidentified motorcyclist.
“The staff of the church were murdered in cold blood by some Hausa Muslim youths,” the Rev. Pandang Yamsat, president of COCIN, told Compass today. “This is clear because they have been using the hand phones of the deceased journalists and boasting that they are the ones that killed them.”
The young Muslim men have been boldly answering calls to the cell phones of the deceased journalists, he said; when a friend of Dabak called his cell phone number, an unknown voice responded, “We have killed all of them – you can do your worst!”
Dabak, 36, and the 39-year-old Bwede had left their office on Saturday morning and were on their way to interview local politician Bulus Kaze when they fell into the hands of young Muslim men, Yamsat said.
The church started a search for the two Christians that day but did not discover their bodies until about noon on Sunday at the mortuary of Jos University Teaching Hospital, he said. He added that the church was eagerly waiting for results of a police investigation.
“The security team of the church has been communicating with the police, but they are yet to make any headway on this unfortunate incident,” he said.
Burial of the slain journalists is scheduled for Friday (April 30).
In his statement on Monday (April 26), Yamsat lamented that “while efforts have been tailored towards the return of peace to the state by the military Special Task Force, it is regrettable that the state is confronted with a spate of killings.”
“The church is still mourning the death of its pastor and his wife killed in Boto, Bauchi state,” Yamsat said, in reference to the April 13 kidnapping and murder of the Rev. Ishaku Kadah, 48, and his 45-year-old wife Selina. “It is sad that it should again be left to face another brutal murder of two of their staff.”
The state branch of the Nigerian Union of Journalists also condemned the circumstances that led to the death of the two journalists, expressing deep concern over what it described as “a series of attacks on its members in recent times in the course of carrying out their legitimate duties.”
Four other Christians also were killed on Saturday (April 24) in the Dutse Uku district of Jos’ Nasarawa Gwom area in a revenge attack following the discovery of the corpse of a teenage Muslim who had been missing. Their names were not released at press time.
The four Christians reportedly died, three of them stabbed to death, when hundreds of Muslim youths rampaged throughout the area in protest.
Earlier, police reportedly exhumed eight bodies from shallow graves in a predominantly Christian village near Jos. The discovery of the bodies brought to 15 the number of corpses found in three days in an area fraught with Muslim aggression that has left hundreds of Christians dead.
Jos has become a flash-point for ethnic and religious tensions in Plateau state, which is located between Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north and Christian south. Previously hundreds of Christian villagers were struck with machetes and burned to death on March 7 in Dogo Nahawa, Zot and Rastat, three villages in Jos South and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas.
On March 17, Muslim Fulani herdsmen assaulted two Christian villages in Plateau state, killing 13 persons, including a pregnant woman and children. In attacks presumably over disputed property but with a level of violence characteristic of jihadist method and motive, men in military camouflage and others in customary clothing also burned 20 houses in Byei and Baten villages, in the Riyom Local Government Area of the state, about 45 kilometers (29 miles) from Jos.
On Jan. 17, two pastors and 46 other Christians were killed in an outbreak of violence in Jos triggered when Muslim youths attacked a Catholic church. Police estimated over 300 lives were lost in subsequent clashes, in which 10 church buildings were burned.
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=21006
AUSTRALIA
GANGLAND KILLER DENIED FULL MASS AT FUNERAL
Cath News report: Gangland killer Carl Williams has been denied a full mass at his funeral to be held this morning at St Therese's Catholic Church in Essendon.
Victorian Police have planned a strong presence in case the funeral for the former drug kingpin, which is expected to draw a large crowd, gets out of hand. Williams was beaten to death with the stem of an exercise bike in the day room of his maximum-security unit at Barwon Prison, near Geelong, last week.
He will be buried at Keilor Cemetery, not far from the graves of his mother and his former henchman, Andrew "Benji" Veniamin.
Williams' estranged wife Roberta is expected to lead the eulogies. Her son, Tye Stephens, has been refused leave from jail - where he is serving a sentence for robbery - to attend the funeral.
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=21001
EUROPE
ENGLAND: GOLF TOURNAMENT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HAITI
Catholic Herald report. The parish of St John Fisher in Shepperton, Middlesex, hosted the first Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor Golf Tournament on a sunny Saturday, April 17.
The event at Silvermere golf course in Surrey was used to raise over £2,500 for Cafod.
Fr Peter-Michael Scott, parish priest at St John Fisher, said Haiti was the primary reason for setting up the tournament and, as Shepperton is surrounded by golf courses, a golf contest seemed an obvious idea for a fund-raising event.
“We approached His Eminence and asked how he would feel having a golf tournament named after him in aid of Cafod and he said it was a fantastic idea.”
He said St John Fisher was only a small parish and so £2,500 was a tidy sum. Most of the money was raised through local businesses sponsoring the golf day. Businesses also generously provided free services, advertising, posters and equipment. The Cardinal is known for his love of games, and rugby especially. These days he enjoys a game of golf.
“The Cardinal’s such an easy character to deal with,” Fr Scott said. “He was a joy to work with.”
Golfing enthusiasts were split into two teams competing for the Cardinal Cormac Cup. Although the Cardinal’s team made a good score, it was the host team of St John Fisher parish who won the tournament.
Fr Scott has announced that next year’s Cardinal Cormac Golf Tournament in aid of Cafod will take place on Saturday May 7 2011 at Silvermere golf club, Surrey.
To play or sponsor a hole, email Sadie at sjfgolf@googlemail.com.
As a young man the Cardinal, who is 6ft 3in, played for Prior Park in Bath and had six years with the Vatican Lions before giving rugby up at the age of 28.
In retirement he is a keen amateur golfer. Speaking about the hobbies he pursues in his spare time, the Cardinal said in 2007: “I like reading very much, particularly biography and history. I listen to music.
“I used to play the piano a lot though not as much nowadays. I also like a bit of exercise and an occasional game of golf and a good walk. For the rest, it is always good to meet family and friends.”
Fr Peter-Michael Scott works for the archdiocese of Westminster and advises Archbishop Nichols on healthcare chaplaincy.
John Fisher Catholic parish is a lively church which is 73 years old and seeks to witness the Gospel to the people of Shepperton. “Prayer, Partnership, Pilgrimage, and Panto” sums up what the parish is all about. Holy Mass is at the centre of parish life. But there is also a unique pantomime every year put on by the youth group.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/life/cl0000768.shtml
TODAY´S SAINT
St. Pius V
POPE AND REFORMER
Feast: April 30
Information: Feast Day: April 30
Born: 17 January 1504 at Bosco, diocese of Alessandria, Lombardy, Italy
Died: 1 May 1572 in Rome, Italy
Canonized: 22 May 1712 by Pope Clement XI
Patron of: Bosco Marengo, Italy
He began his pontificate by giving large alms to the poor, instead of distributing his bounty at haphazard like his predecessors. As pontiff he practiced the virtues he had displayed as a monk and a bishop. His piety was not diminished, and, in spite of the heavy labours and anxieties of his office, he made at least two meditations a day on bended knees in presence of the Blessed Sacrament. In his charity he visited the hospitals, and sat by the bedside of the sick, consoling them and preparing them to die. He washed the feet of the poor, and embraced the lepers. It is related that an English nobleman was converted on seeing him kiss the feet of a beggar covered with ulcers. He was very austere and banished luxury from his court, raised the standard of morality, laboured with his intimate friend, St. Charles Borromeo, to reform the clergy, obliged his bishops to reside in their dioceses, and the cardinals to lead lives of simplicity and piety. He diminished public scandals by relegating prostitutes to distant quarters, and he forbade bull fights. He enforced the observance of the discipline of the Council of Trent, reformed the Cistercians, and supported the missions of the New World. In the Bull "In Coena Domini" he proclaimed the traditional principles of the Roman Church and the supremacy of the Holy See over the civil power.
But the great thought and the constant preoccupation of his pontificate seems to have been the struggle against the Protestants and the Turks. In Germany he supported the Catholics oppressed by the heretical princes. In France he encouraged the League by his counsels and with pecuniary aid. In the Low Countries he supported Spain. In England, finally, he excommunicated Elizabeth, embraced the cause of Mary Stuart, and wrote to console her in prison. In the ardour of his faith he did not hesitate to display severity against the dissidents when necessary, and to give a new impulse to the activity of the Inquisition, for which he has been blamed by certain historians who have exaggerated his conduct. Despite all representations on his behalf he condemned the writings of Baius, who ended by submitting.
He worked incessantly to unite the Christian princes against the hereditary enemy, the Turks. In the first year of his pontificate he had ordered a solemn jubilee, exhorting the faithful to penance and almsgiving to obtain the victory from God. He supported the Knights of Malta, sent money for the fortification of the free towns of Italy, furnished monthly contributions to the Christians of Hungary, and endeavoured especially to bring Maximilian, Philip II, and Charles I together for the defence of Christendom. In 1567 for the same purpose he collected from all convents one-tenth of their revenues. In 1570 when Solyman II attacked Cyprus, threatening all Christianity in the West, he never rested till he united the forces of Venice, Spain, and the Holy See. He sent his blessing to Don John of Austria, the commander-in-chief of the expedition, recommending him to leave behind all soldiers of evil life, and promising him the victory if he did so. He ordered public prayers, and increased his own supplications to heaven. On the day of the Battle of Lepanto, 7 Oct., 1571, he was working with the cardinals, when, suddenly, interrupting his work opening the window and looking at the sky, he cried out, "A truce to business; our great task at present is to thank God for the victory which He has just given the Christian army". He burst into tears when he heard of the victory, which dealt the Turkish power a blow from which it never recovered. In memory of this triumph he instituted for the first Sunday of October the feast of the Rosary, and added to the Litany of Loreto the supplication "Help of Christians". He was hoping to put an end to the power of Islam by forming a general alliance of the Italian cities Poland, France, and all Christian Europe, and had begun negotiations for this purpose when he died of gravel, repeating "O Lord, increase my sufferings and my patience!" He left the memory of a rare virtue and an unfailing and inflexible integrity. He was beatified by Clement X in 1672, and canonized by Clement XI in 1712.
http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stpiusv.asp
TODAY´S GOSPEL
John 14: 1 - 6
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1 "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
4 And you know the way where I am going."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
