CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: MON. JAN. 17, 2011: HEADLINES-
AFRICA: DEM. REP. OF CONGO: SISTER SHOT BY REBELS
ASIA: PAKISTAN: EXTREMIST MOB BEATS MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
AFRICA: DEM. REP. OF CONGO: SISTER SHOT BY REBELS
AMERICA: USA: FAITH-BASED PRISONS HELP WOMEN
AUSTRALIA: 37 SISTERS MARKS 50 YEARS WITH ORDER
EUROPE: PORTUGAL: EVANGELIZATION THEME OF COUNCIL
TODAY'S SAINT: JAN. 18: ST. VOLUSIAN
AUSTRALIA: 37 SISTERS MARKS 50 YEARS WITH ORDER
EUROPE: PORTUGAL: EVANGELIZATION THEME OF COUNCIL
TODAY'S GOSPEL: JAN. 17: MARK: 2: 18-22
HOLY FATHER RECEIVES ECUMENICAL DELEGATION FROM FINLAND
VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2011 (VIS REPORTS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received an ecumenical delegation from Finland for the occasion of the Feast of St. Henry, the country's patron saint.
"Every year", said the Pope, addressing the group in German, "this meeting bears witness to the friendship and co-operation that exist between Lutherans and Catholics and, in general, among all Christians in your country".
"Although the goal of the ecumenical movement - complete unity in the faith - has not yet been reached", dialogue has produced many points of agreement, Benedict XVI noted. Among these he highlighted the declaration "on the doctrine of justification in the life of the Church", and gave assurances that further study of this theme will contribute, among other things, "to a shared viewpoint on the nature of the episcopal office".
"At the same time", he went on, "we are all aware that the ecumenical journey has, in some ways, become more difficult and challenging. In this light, your annual pilgrimage to Rome for the Feast of St. Henry is an important event and a stimulus to our efforts. It helps us to look back with joy at the goals we have achieved and forward to the future with the desire for responsible compromise".
"In view of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity", the Pope concluded, "let us ask the Spirit of Truth to impel us to ever greater love and fraternity".
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CARDINALS TAKE POSSESSION OF DIACONATE, TITULAR CHURCHES
VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2011 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that:
- At 6.30 p.m. on Saturday 22 January Cardinal Paolo Romeo, archbishop of Palermo, Italy, will take possession of the title of St. Mary Hodegetria of the Sicilians, Via del Tritone 82, Rome.
- At 6 p.m. on Saturday 22 January Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, will take possession of the title of St. Mary "Regina Pacis" at Ostia Mare, Piazza Regina Pacis 13, Rome.
- At 11 a.m. on Sunday 23 January Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, will take possession of the diaconate of St. George in Velabro, Via del Velabro 19, Rome.
- At 11.30 a.m. on Sunday 23 January Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", will take possession of the diaconate of St. John Bosco in Via Tuscolana, Viale dei Salesiani 9, Rome.
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VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Cardinal Agustin Garcia-Gasco Vicente, archbishop emeritus of Valencia, Spain.
AP/
VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Erected the new diocese of Bo (area 16,208, population 1.092.657, Catholics 50,000, priests 34, religious 49) Sierra Leone, by dividing the current archdiocese of Freetown and Bo, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Freetown. He appointed Fr. Charles Allieu Matthew Campbell of the clergy of the archdiocese of Freetown and Bo, spiritual director of St. Paul's Major Seminary in Freetown, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Njala, Sierra Leone in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1986.
- Appointed Bishop Angelo Spinillo of Teggiano-Policastro, Italy, as bishop of Aversa (area 361, population 566,680, Catholics 549,070, priests 210, permanent deacons 24, religious 458), Italy. He succeeds Archbishop-Bishop Mario Milano, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
- Appointed Fr. Benjamin Phiri of the clergy of the diocese of Chipata, Zambia, currently rector of the national major theological seminary of St. Dominic in Lusaka, as auxiliary of Chipata (area 69,106, population 1,487,000, Catholics 379,834, priests 60, religious 175). The bishop-elect was born in Chongololo, Zambia in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1986.
- Appointed Werner Arber, professor emeritus of microbiology at the University of Basel, Switzerland, as president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
- Appointed Rev. Keith Newton as first ordinary of the new Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in the territory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. Rev. Newton was born in Liverpool, England in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1976 for the Anglican diocese of Chelmsford. In March 2002 he was ordained as suffragan bishop of Richborough.
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ANGELUS: EVEN THE MESSIAH WAS A REFUGEE
VATICAN CITY, 16 JAN 2011 (VIS) - At midday today, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees which "invites us to reflect on the experience of many men, women and families who leave their own country in search of better living conditions", Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
The Pope recalled how, although migration is "at times voluntary, at others it is, unfortunately, imposed by war or persecution and, as we know, it often comes about in dramatic circumstances. It was for this reason that, sixty years ago, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was founded. On the Feast of the Holy Family, immediately after Christmas, we recalled how even Jesus' parents had to flee their land and take refuge in Egypt to save the life of their child. The Messiah, the Son of God, was also a refugee", he said.
The Holy Father noted how "the experience of migration has always existed within the Church. Sometimes, unfortunately, Christians feel obliged to take the anguished decision to leave their land, thus impoverishing the countries in which their ancestors lived. However, the voluntary movement of Christians for various reasons, from one city to another, from one country to another, from one continent to another, is an opportunity to increase the missionary dynamism of the Word of God, and to ensure that the witness of faith circulates more freely in the mystical Body of Christ, traversing peoples and cultures, and reaching new frontiers, new environments".
Benedict XVI then went on to refer to the theme of this year's World Day - "one human family" - which, he said, "indicates the aim, the goal of the great journey of humankind down the centuries: that of forming a single family. A family marked, of course, by the differences that enrich it, but without barriers and in which we recognise one another as brothers. ... For this reason it is vital that Christians, though scattered throughout the world and, consequently, possessing different cultures and traditions, should form a single entity, as the Lord wishes.
"This", he added, "is the aim of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which will take place from 18 to 25 January. This year it draws inspiration from a passage in the Acts of the Apostles: 'They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers'. The Octave for Christian Unity is preceded, tomorrow, by the Day of Jewish-Christian Dialogue, a highly significant pairing which recalls the importance of the shared roots which unite Jews and Christians".
After praying the Angelus the Pope said: "On 1 May I will have the joy of proclaiming the Venerable Pope John Paul II, my predecessor, as a blessed. The date chosen is very significant because it will, in fact, be the second Sunday of Easter which he himself dedicated to Divine Mercy and on the eve of which his earthly life came to an end. Those who knew him, those who respected and loved him cannot but share in the Church's joy at this event".
Finally Benedict XVI gave assurances of his prayers for people in "Australia, Brazil, Philippines and Sri Lanka, who have all recently suffered from devastating floods. May the Lord welcome the souls of the deceased, give strength to the displaced and support the efforts of everyone striving to alleviate the suffering and difficulties".
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CENTENARY OF PONTIFICAL POLISH ECCLESIASTICAL INSTITUTE
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Benedict XVI received members of the Pontifical Polish Ecclesiastical Institute in a meeting marking its first centenary. The group was accompanied by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education,.
The Polish Institute was the result of an initiative by St. Joseph Sebastian Pelczar, then bishop of Przemysl, and its history began during the pontificate of St. Pius X. It was inaugurated on 13 November 1910 by Msgr. Sapieha, who later became cardinal archbishop of Krakow. Throughout its existence the institute has enjoyed the benevolence and support of various Pontiffs, including Servant of God Paul VI and the Venerable John Paul II.
"The celebration of the first centenary of this important institution", the Pope said, "invites us to a dutiful and respectful recollection of the people who founded it with faith, courage and vigour. At the same time, it is a call to show responsibility to continue its original aims, even today, adapting them as appropriate to new circumstances. Above all, it is necessary to remain committed to keeping the soul of the institute alive: its religious and ecclesial soul, which responds to the providential divine plan of offering Polish priests an appropriate atmosphere for study and fraternity during their period of formation in Rome".
The Holy Father then went on to encourage the students "to consider yourselves as 'living stones', an important part of a history which today requires a personal and incisive response from you, making your own generous contribution just as the unforgettable primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, did during the course of Vatican Council II. It was here in the Polish Institute that he was able to prepare the celebration of the Millennium of the Baptism of Poland with that historic message of reconciliation which Polish bishops addressed to the German prelates, and which contained the famous words: 'We forgive and we ask forgiveness'".
Pope Benedict went on: "The Church needs well-trained priests, rich in the wisdom acquired through friendship with the Lord Jesus, priests who constantly draw from the Eucharistic table and from the endless font of His Gospel. From these two irreplaceable sources, draw continual support and the inspiration necessary for your life and ministry, for a sincere love of Truth; a Truth into which today you are called to delve through study and academic research, and which tomorrow you will share with many.
"The search for Truth", he added, "for you priests who are enjoying this unique Roman experience, is stimulated and enriched by your proximity to the Apostolic See which has the task of offering specific and universal service to Catholic communion in truth and charity. Remaining close to Peter, in the heart of the Church, means gratefully recognising that we are part of a centuries-old and fruitful history of salvation which, by multiform grace, has touched you and in which you are called to play an active role so that, like a flourishing tree, it may always brings forth its precious fruit".
The Holy Father concluded his remarks: "May your love and devotion for the figure of Peter encourage you generously to serve the communion of the entire Catholic Church, and of your particular Churches, so that, like one great family, everyone may learn to recognise in Jesus, Way, Truth and Life, the face of the merciful Father, Who does not want any of His children to be lost".
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POPE SENDS 200 NEO-CATECHUMENAL FAMILIES OUT ON MISSION
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2011 (VIS) - At midday today in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall the Pope received Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez, initiators of the Neo-Catechumenal Way, and Fr. Mario Pezzi. They were accompanied by the itinerant teams responsible for the Way in more than 120 countries, and by a large group of priests, seminarians and families.
"For more than forty years the Neo-Catechumenal Way has been contributing to the revitalisation and consolidation of Christian initiation in dioceses and parishes, favouring a gradual but radical rediscovery of the riches of Baptism, helping people to savour divine life, the heavenly life which the Lord inaugurated with His incarnation, when He came among us and was born like one of us".
"Over the last few years the process of drawing up the Statues of the Neo-Catechumenal Way has reached a fruitful conclusion and, following an appropriate experimental period, they received definitive approval in June 2008. Another important step was made in recent days with the approval, by the competent dicasteries of the Holy See, of the 'Catechetical Directory of the Neo-Catechumenal Way'.
"With these seals of ecclesial approval", the Pope added, "the Lord today confirms this precious tool which is the Way and again entrusts it to you so that, in filial obedience to the Holy See and the pastors of the Church, you may contribute with renewed energy and ardour to the radical and joyful rediscovery of the gift of Baptism, and offer your own original contribution to the cause of new evangelisation. The Church has recognised in the Neo-Catechumenal Way a particular gift created by the Holy Spirit. As such it naturally tends to insert itself into the harmony of the ecclesial Body. In this light I exhort you always to seek profound communion with pastors, and with all members of the particular Churches, and of the very different ecclesial contexts in which you are called to work. Fraternal communion between the disciples of Jesus is, in fact, the first and greatest witness to the name of Jesus Christ".
The Pope expressed his joy at the fact that today he is sending more than 200 Neo-Catechumenal families out to various parts of the world. These families "have with great generosity made themselves available and are leaving on mission, thus joining their efforts to the nearly 600 already operating on the five continents. Dear families", he said, "may the faith you have received as a gift be as a light on the candlestick, capable of showing mankind the way to heaven. With the same sentiments I am sending out thirteen new 'missiones ad gentes'. They will be called to create a new ecclesial presence in highly secularised areas of various countries, or in places where Christ's message has not yet reached".
Turning then to address priests from various "Redemptoris Mater" diocesan seminaries in Europe, and the more than 2,000 seminarians present, the Holy Father told them "to remain enamoured of Christ and His Church, transmitting to the world the joy of having met the Lord and of being able to serve Him".
"In any suffering or emptiness you may experience", Benedict told the itinerant catechists, the Neo-Catechumenal communities of Rome and Lazio, and the "communitates in missionem", "feel yourselves united to the suffering of Christ on the cross, and to His desire to reach our many brothers and sisters still distant from faith and truth, to bring them back to the house of the Father".
The Holy Father concluded his remarks by inviting his audience to reflect on part three of his Apostolic Constitution "Verbum Domini" which concerns "the Church's mission to proclaim the Word of God to the world", and to "feel themselves as participants in the Lord Jesus' concern for salvation, in the mission He entrusts to the whole Church".
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DIRECTOR GENERAL OF UNESCO RECEIVED BY THE HOLY FATHER
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2011 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:
"This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Irina Bokova, director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The director general subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
"The cordial discussions provided an opportunity for a fruitful exchange of opinions on UNESCO's efforts in the field of education, sciences and culture, which are also of particular interest to the Holy See as it participates actively in the work of the organisation. On this topic, emphasis was given to the need to ensure integral human development, and to the importance of guaranteeing quality education for everyone.
"Attention also turned to certain aspects of protecting world cultural heritage, and of defending the environment, as well as to the importance of dialogue between cultures".
AFRICA: DEM. REP. OF CONGO: SISTER SHOT BY REBELS
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Bishop Richard Domba, Bishop of the north-eastern Dungu-Doruma said: "After finishing her mandate as superior, Sister Yemgane decided to remain on as a nurse. On Saturday she was travelling in a car with other people, including an eye doctor, when they were attacked by gunmen. She didn’t survive her injuries”.
Witnesses appear to attribute the attack to Ugandan rebels of the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army), active for three years in the north-east of DR-Congo.
“Once again innocent people, even religious, have been targeted by gunmen. Despite the presence of the National armed forces (FARDC), the United Nations peacekeeping mission and Ugandan army, the security problem remains serious”, said Bishop Richard.
Source: MISNA
ASIA: PAKISTAN: EXTREMIST MOB BEATS MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
Lahore (AsiaNews) – Two Christian women, mother and daughter, who recently suffered violence and humiliation, are now in a safe place. An angry mob turned against them in Lahore, beating them, after they were accused of blasphemy. The incident began with a dispute between the two and a Muslim woman, who is married to their son and brother, over the religious education of the mixed couple’s daughter. Mgr Rufin Anthony reacted to the fact, slamming Pakistani society’s increasing intolerance, a sociological problem it must deal with the utmost urgency.
Speaking from their hideout, John Chand, son and brother of the victims, toldAsiaNews that the two women “are afraid of being attacked by extremists” and are hiding to avoid being killed.
The mob beat Saira Chand and her mother so badly that both lost consciousness. At some point during the attack, some of the abusers put necklaces made of old shoes around their necks, smeared their faces and put them on the back of donkeys to parade around their east Lahore neighbourhood. After regaining consciousness, the two women vehemently rejected the accusations of blasphemy, touching their feet repeatedly, to demand pity from their tormentors.
A local Muslim leader, Mian Muhammad Sameer, said he did everything to get the two women to “confess” their crime of blasphemy.
A member of Sameer, the same organisation to which Malik Mumtaz Qadri, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer’s murderer, belonged, he said he was proud of his wife, who “beat Saira more than anyone else.”
“Her hand is so swollen she hasn’t been able to cook since the day of the incident. I’ve been getting my meals from a restaurant,” he added.
According to John Chand, the violence was sparked by a dispute between his wife Amina Zaheer, who is Muslim, and his sister Saira, who is Christian, which got worse after the mixed couple had a baby girl.
Matters were already difficult from even before. Amina’s father Zaheer Malik had already objected to her marriage unless John converted to Islam. However, the two got married in court and each kept their religion.
The issue became more complicated when their daughter was born. John wanted to name her Sonia and raise her in the Christian faith. His wife and father-in-law wanted her to grow up a Muslim.
The blasphemy charge was levelled when Saira and Amina had a row that involved Saira’s mother.
When Amina left her mother-in-law’s home, she began accusing the two Christian women of insulting the Prophet Muhammad, and this sparked action by local Muslim extremists.
Eventually, the two women escaped to safe place thanks to the help of Zameer Khan, an NGO worker, who saved their life.
For him, the issue had nothing to do with blasphemy but was just a dispute between two women. Senior Superintendent of Police Zulfiqar Hameed agrees. According to the police officer, it is “a domestic issue” in which Saira was unfairly accused.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Mgr Rufin Anthony, bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, said, “Our society is becoming more and more violent, intolerant and wild.”
The problem is not religious or ethnic but “sociological”, one “that needs to be addressed quickly”.
“Events have come to this stage in the country’s history where religion is being abused to settle personal scores,” said Fr Xavier Joseph.
“State and religion must be separate,” he added; otherwise, “there will be a civil war and that will be the end of the Pakistan as we know it”.
AMERICA: USA: FAITH-BASED PRISONS HELP WOMEN
CBN REPORT: The sound of praise and worship can be heard behind the gates of the Dr. Layne Murray unit at the Gatesville Maximum Security prison.
For the women behind bars at the prison, worshipping God is a whole new way of life. Most of those serving time here have never known real love; only a life of drugs, violence, and sexual abuse.
Twenty-seven-year-old LaQuita Davis was sent to prison when she was only 15 years old. She was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.
"It's bad yeah, we're in prison, but you know that it's going to be okay because God has you," she told CBN News.
From Criminal to Faithful
Volunteer missionaries who run the "Faith Dorm" at the prison have seen the program change even the most hardened criminals into God-fearing, faithful followers of Jesus Christ.
Cindy Mendoza is serving a life sentence for the murder of her fiance's father.
"I took a man's life," she explained. "I was drunk and I was high and we had an argument that turned into a fight and I killed him. Yes, I'm very remorseful for what I did and what's happened, but I can't bring him back."
"But I didn't want his death to go in vain, and I wanted to do any and everything I could to be a different person," she continued.
Inmate Margaret Espree said the difference between being in the "Faith Dorm" and secular units at the prison is like night and day. Espree was sentenced to eight years for aggravated assault. She is also serving 20 years for a previous murder charge.
"When I was in the other dorms, it was kind of hard," she recalled. "We had so much negativity there."
Mendoza agreed.
"Coming in here is like that cherry on that icing on that Sundae 'cause you're learning and you're growing," she said.
Faithful Partnering
Faith Dorm is the partnership between prison officials, the government, and ministry volunteers. The dorm's director, Linda Strom, has ministered to thousands of female inmates during the past 34 years.
"About three-and-a-half years ago, I got a call from a friend that's a good warden and a chaplain," she said, explaining how the "Faith Based" Dorm got its start. "And they said that they wanted to start a faith-based dorm and would I be interested in directing it."
Strom said she jumped at the chance to help women change their lives through a course of spiritual and life lessons.
"We take 18 months and we cover curriculum that tells them how to walk out their faith, how to go deeper with Jesus," she said.
A Saving Grace
Participation in the Faith Dorm is not mandatory. Inmates who participate want to change their lives from the inside out. It was a change Espree longed for all her life.
"God has brought me from being bitter, beaten, ugly, aggravated, assaults, murders," she said.
Davis said being in the Faith Dorm has helped her to overcome the rage that once controlled her life.
"I've been kicked off of every unit," she explained. "It got to the point where this was my very last unit, my very last chance. I didn't have anywhere else to go."
Fifty-six women live in the Faith Dorm. They share everything from bathrooms to bibles. They love each other like sisters.
Pam Purillo was serving time on death row for murder. She entered a plea bargain in order to get a life sentence - two days away from being executed by the state of Texas. She never dreamed she would walk off of death row. Today she lives in the Faith Dorm.
Karla Faye Tucker's Dream
What's happening at the faith-based dorm at the Murray unit of the Gatesville prison is actually a dream come true for one former death row inmate.
That inmate was Karla Faye Tucker, who had a dream and a vision to see other women fall in love with Jesus Christ and become disciples and follow His word.
Tucker was convicted of murdering two people in 1984. She was housed in a unit not far from the Layne Murray Unit at Gatesville. Her 1998 execution and widely publicized conversion to Christianity drew international attention.
She was the first woman to be executed in Texas since the Civil War. Her story was featured several times on The 700 Club.
Strom was Tucker's spiritual advisor and mentor.
"When Karla was waiting for her execution, she wrote a program and the program was geared to teaching women in white how to go deep with God, relationships, all that kind of thing," Strom explained.
Purillo was Tucker's best friend and prayer partner on death row.
"Karla had a dream that we would have areas of the prison that was dedicated just to the girls that were trying to live a Christ centered life," Purillo said.
"No way would I have ever dreamed I would come to Layne Murray and live in the faith-based dorm when the dream started with Karla," she explained.
'Re-Entering' Prison Missionaries
Assistant Warden Judy Scott praised the dorm for the good work she has witnessed.
"It's a very positive on them, as well as their family," she told CBN News. "I also see it during visitation that they're trying to bond better with their family members and be better people."
After 18 months, the women in the faith-based dorm graduate. They then re-enter the general prison population as missionaries to other female inmates at the prison.
"I plan to go out and minister the word of God, tell my testimony to those that are lost out there," Espree said.
The women in the Faith Dorm say being there has made them free. The program is so successful that other prisons in Texas are also using the program.
There are 22 faith dorms in the Texas prison system, and a growing number of them are springing up across the country.
Pulled Out of the Pit
Meanwhile, some question the motivation of the inmates in the program. Skeptics say it only offers "jailhouse religion."
Because the program has only operated for the past three years at the Gatesville prison, there is no clear evidence yet that it reduces the chances an offender will return to prison.
But the women in the program say living in the dorm has saved their lives in more ways than one.
"Call it whatever you want, but it's Jesus and it's Jesus or nothing and he saved me," Mendoza said. "He saved me, and it's like that Psalm 40 says when he pulls you out of that pit."
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/October/Faith-Based-Prison-Dorm-Setting-Women-Free/
AUSTRALIA: 37 SISTERS MARKS 50 YEARS WITH ORDER
CATH NEWS REPORT: In a reunion to mark 50 years with the order, 37 Sisters of St Joseph wore corsages of frangipani and yellow roses in honour of the crown of frangipani they wore on the day of profession, said a report in the Catholic Weekly.
"The frangipani has been significant in terms of our early formation. We've all grown so much, and the sharing with each other has been beautiful.""I was thinking this morning how different we all look now, compared with 50 years ago when we walked into the chapel with our white veils and our frangipani wreaths," said Sr Marie White, referring to the reunion held on January 6.
Sr Mary Markham, who was considered old when she entered the Sisters of St Joseph at 25, turned 78 just two days after the golden jubilee. "They used to call me 'Ma Markham'!"
Sr Maria Casey, postulator for the cause of the canonisation of St Mary MacKillop, was among those celebrating the milestone.
"The brown habit that the Sisters wore is no longer part of our image, but the strong message of St Mary MacKillop, to never see a need without doing something about it, is as strong as it always was."
EUROPE: PORTUGAL: EVANGELIZATION THEME OF COUNCIL
“Europe is a continent in which nations, peoples and diverse cultures coexist,” the Archbishop said. No European Country, however, may consider itself today free from the problems of the macro-phenomenon of contemporary migration”. Among the “signs of bewilderment and confusion, even under the pressure of the phenomenon of migration” that occurs today, Archbishop Vegliò pointed to “the excessive search for the autonomy of man against God,” who has been placed “next to the world, but without interfering with human activities”, ethical changes, and the severe economic crisis.
Archbishop Vegliò then denounced that “in the context of migratory movements, adequate attention is not given to the defence of the dignity of the human person. Instead, precisely in this area, in many parts of Europe, despicable attacks against migrants have occurred in recent years, people who have often been victims of intolerance, discrimination and xenophobia, with isolated episodes of racism.”
Looking at the face of the Europe of today, the Archbishop explained that it is characterised by multi-ethnicity and multi-culturalism, “which carry with them different forms of religious affiliation.” Those who arrive today in European Union countries are mostly Christians, and among them, many are Orthodox. Those belonging to Judaism are about three million. The European Buddhist Union estimates that it currently has from one to three million members in Europe. Muslims are about 32 million. “Dialogue is not easy,” said Archbishop Vegliò. “The meeting of diversity is not new in our time, but the fact is that today the new phenomenon involves the entire planet. Historians have noted that the day in which a civilization is open to other cultures, itself benefits from it in terms of growth and strengthening. On the contrary, weakness and decline begin precisely when it does not accept dialogue, discussion and mutual exchange, in the dynamism of mutual giving and receiving.”
Indicating the challenge for evangelisation, Archbishop Vegliò confirmed that “pastoral care for human mobility, past the emergency humanitarian relief, which is always involved in migratory movements and responding to the urgency of charity, is now before the challenge of proclaiming anew the Good News to migrants. The effort of pastoral care workers in this field, tends to find and use everything that is beautiful, true and good that exists in different cultures.” Therefore cooperation is fundamental between the Churches of origin and destination of migratory flows, as “it is very important that the Churches of departure for migrants follow their missionary vocation not to neglect those who leave their home community to go elsewhere.” To be part of some missionary action also, defending the rights of migrant workers if they are injured, stressed Archbishop Vegliò, emphasising that “denunciation is an important tool for the proclamation of the Gospel.”
In conclusion, the Archbishop stated: “migrants expect orientation from the Church and a response to the great questions about Christian faith, human comfort and support capable of restoring hope and meaning to their lives. The missionary journey which we intend to undertake in this third millennium should be based on evangelization and the testimony of charity. Do not forget that Christian charity has a great evangelizing force in the measure in which it leaves the sign of God's love among men.”
TODAY'S SAINT: JAN. 18: ST. VOLUSIAN
St. Volusian | |||||||
BISHOP | |||||||
Feast: January 18 | |||||||
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TODAY'S GOSPEL: JAN. 17: MARK: 2: 18-22
| Mark 2: 18 - 22 | |
| 18 | Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" |
| 19 | And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. |
| 20 | The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. |
| 21 | No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. |
| 22 | And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins." |
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