2017-01-15T23:02:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 15, 2017 at 11:02 pm   By

Rome, Italy, Jan 15, 2017 / 04:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- As colder weather settled over Rome last week, two area charities have found ways to reach out to those without food or shelter during the cold winter nights: one by turning a church into a temporary shelter, another by partnering with a newly-opened McDonald’s near the Vatican. Medicina Solidale has plans to hand out around 50 meals to area homeless on Mondays starting Jan. 13 and continuing through June. The first 1,000 meals were donated by the lately controversial, Vatican-area McDonald’s, which has been the subject of mixed reviews.   An association of doctors who volunteer with homeless throughout Rome, Medicina Solidale said they asked if “beyond the controversy,” McDonald’s would donate “some food to give to the homeless of St. Peter’s.” “And the McDonald’s told us yes immediately,” Gianluca Scarnicci, a press officer of the organization, told CNA. Since Jan. 7, when temperatures dropped drastically in Rome, the Community of Sant’Egidio has opened up San Callisto Church, in the Trastevere neighborhood, as an overnight shelter for those who would otherwise be on the streets, also offering a hot meal at a nearby cafeteria. Dinner is available to guests from 7pm onwards, and from 8pm to 10pm they can enter the church, staying until around 8am the next morning. The church and adjoining rooms, equipped with heat, toilets, pillows, blankets, and beds, currently house around 30 people each night. The church is located in an area of Trastevere belonging to the Vatican. Volunteers welcome guests during opening hours and are also available throughout the night. They also try to help find solutions to the material needs and health of guests and to locate for them, if possible, another, longer-term solution for shelter. These initiatives reflect the request Pope Francis made Jan. 8 when he announced that his urgent prayer intention for January is for all those who live on the streets with no shelter. The Pope asked for an increase in aid to the homeless, especially during the cold winter weather, saying that “unfortunately some didn’t make it. Let us pray for them, and let us ask the Lord to warm our hearts so as to be able to help them.” “During these very cold days, I think of and I invite you to think of all the people who live on the streets, affected by the cold and many times by indifference,” he said. The Pope made his appeal looking out over a frozen St. Peter’s Square and the thousands of pilgrims bundled up below the window to the Apostolic Palace, though as of Friday, the cold has lessened slightly, bringing rainy weather with it. His attention to the homeless isn’t surprising, as it has been a consistent concern for Francis since the beginning of his pontificate. Not only did he have showers and a barber service installed in the bathrooms in St. Peter's Square to help the homeless stay clean and tidy, he has invited them to several events in the Vatican, including concerts and tours of the museums, and they have consistently been his special guests for breakfast on his birthday. Read more

2017-01-15T18:19:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 15, 2017 at 6:19 pm   By

Vatican City, Jan 15, 2017 / 11:19 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis Sunday traveled to a parish on the outskirts of Rome where he visited a priest suffering from a severe form of ALS and celebrated Mass, warning parishioners, as he often does, of the ... Read more

2017-01-15T13:02:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 15, 2017 at 1:02 pm   By

Washington D.C., Jan 15, 2017 / 06:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Friday, the U.S. bishops’ migration chair criticized the Obama administration’s denial of decades-old special protections for Cuban migrants to the U.S. “I am disappointed over the Administration's sudden policy change to end the 'Wet Foot/ Dry Foot' policy for Cuban arrivals,” Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin, Texas, who heads the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Migration, stated on Friday. “While we have welcomed normalizing relations with Cuba, the violation of basic human rights remains a reality for some Cubans and the Wet Foot/Dry Foot policy helped to afford them a way to seek refuge in the United States,” he continued. Previously, as part of the policy in place since the 1990s, Cubans who successfully entered the U.S. without a visa could be paroled for a year and then would be eligible for residency. Those migrants who were intercepted at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard on their way to the U.S. were returned to Cuba. Now that policy has been repealed and Cuban migrants found to have entered the U.S. without a visa will be deported back if they do not qualify for asylum. Jeh Johnson, the Secretary of Homeland Security, announced the policy shift late Thursday afternoon in a phone conference with reporters. He said it was “part of the normalization of relations with the government of Cuba” and was meant to make the policy “consistent with our laws and our immigration enforcement priorities.” Now, as administration officials explained on Thursday, they “will be treated like everybody else.” They will be able to claim asylum and have a hearing. If fewer than four years have passed between a migrant’s departure from Cuba and the start of their deportation proceedings in the U.S., “the Cuban government has agreed to take that person back,” Johnson said. White House deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes explained that a recent increase in migration from Cuba to the U.S., due more to a thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations than political repression, precipitated the policy change. “What we've seen, therefore, is a steady increase to some 40,000 Cubans granted parole in fiscal year 2015; 54,000 roughly in fiscal year 2016,” he said. Also, he said more Cubans were trying to access the U.S. through Central America and the U.S.-Mexico border and “that was creating both humanitarian challenges and strains within those countries as large numbers of Cubans were essentially stuck there and then facing a very difficult – and dangerous – journey to our southern border in some cases.” President Obama said the old policy “was designed for a different era” in his Thursday statement. “During my Administration, we worked to improve the lives of the Cuban people – inside of Cuba – by providing them with greater access to resources, information and connectivity to the wider world,” he stated of his administration’s move to re-open diplomatic relations with Cuba and the loosening of travel restrictions and economic sanctions. “Sustaining that approach is the best way to ensure that Cubans can enjoy prosperity, pursue reforms, and determine their own destiny. As I said in Havana, the future of Cuba should be in the hands of the Cuban people,” Obama said. Bishop Vasquez, however, lamented Thursday’s policy change as detrimental to Cubans seeking a better life in the U.S., particularly those fleeing religious or political repression. “Cuban Americans have been one of the most successful immigrant groups in U.S. history. The protections afforded them were a model of humane treatment,” he said. Now it “will make it more difficult for vulnerable populations in Cuba, such as asylum seekers, children, and trafficking victims, to seek protection.” Even in recent years, human rights abuses have continued under the Castro regime, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom warned in December. “While USCIRF has noted that some improvements have been made in recent years in the area of religious freedom, our Annual Reports document the Cuban government’s continued violations,” they stated. “Areas of concern include: harassment of religious leaders and laity, interference in religious groups’ internal affairs, and preventing democracy and human rights activists from participating in religious activities. The government also has threatened to close and confiscate church properties and reportedly has demolished some churches.”   Read more

2017-01-15T12:10:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 15, 2017 at 12:10 pm   By

Vatican City, Jan 15, 2017 / 05:10 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis pointed to St. Frances Cabrini as an example of how to treat foreigners, calling her a “courageous” woman who knew how to bring ... Read more

2017-01-14T23:02:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 14, 2017 at 11:02 pm   By

Bhubaneswar, India, Jan 14, 2017 / 04:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- India is a country of more than 1.2 billion people, with Christians accounting for only some three percent of the population, including close to 19 million Catholics. Despite its relatively small size, the Indian Church has a disproportionate impact on Indian society through education and social services. With the ascension to power of the Hindu nationalist BJP party, there has been a rising tide of violent attacks on Christians as well as Muslims. Growing intolerance of religions considered to be foreign imports adds to the wounds of both Christian and Muslims of low caste background – known as dalits – who are denied government benefits awarded to low-caste Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhist to compensate for centuries of discrimination by the dominant Hindu culture. To address the needs of dalits within the Church – where low-caste faithful have also suffered various forms of discrimination, despite the fact that 12 million of India’s Catholics are dalits – the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India has released a document which proclaims that “if there are any dual practices based on caste discrimination, such practices should be stopped forthwith.” It also says that dalit Christians keep alive the vision of God’s reign for justice and love. Recently, representatives of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the international Catholic charity, returned from a fact-finding mission to India, where it met with four of the six bishops of Odisha state. In 2008, Hindu mob violence in the community of Kandhamal in Odisha State killed some 100 Christians. The case is slowly making its way through the court system, as Christian defendants are gradually being exonerated from the charge of having provoked the rampage. On Dec. 13, 2016, Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala, asked for a new investigation of the massacre. Please find below the full text of ACN's conversation with the bishops in Odisha:ACN: What are the prospects for Christian and Muslim dalits being granted the same benefits as low-caste members of the Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh communities?Bishop Aplinar Senapati of Rayagada: Since 1950 we are fighting for the rights and benefits of the dalit Christians but right now I do not see the brighter perspectives. However, our fight continues on the national, CBCI and state level. I hope and pray our government will grand these benefits to the dalit Christians.Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak  of Berhampur: This a clear-cut violation of the constitutional provisions of equality before the law. Christian and Muslim dalits are denied affirmative action benefits purely on the basis of religion – the Constitution forbids this. We have been fighting for these rights for the past 60 years; the case is presently before the Supreme Court. The current government does not want to amend the 1950 Presidential Order which excluded dalit Christians and Muslims from the provision. Our hope is that the Supreme Court will respond to this injustice, which has been suffered by millions of dalits for decades.The Church will continue to raise its voice in demanding justice be done.Bishop Niranjan Sual Singh of Sambalpur: The primary, hidden reason the government opposes benefits for Christian dalits is a concern that once low-caste Christian can take advantage of affirmative action with regard to education and access to civil service jobs, many Hindu dalits will convert to Christianity.ACN: How is the Indian Church dealing with the challenge of itself fully welcoming dalits?Bishop Singh: The Church must welcome these new believers; it is dalits in particular who accept Christianity; they find there a sense of brotherhood, equality and love; in Hinduism they stil face discrimination, being barred from entering the temple by the high castes. Dalit Christians like the Church’s universal nature and its egalitarian ethos. The Church must invite these people, the poorest, most neglected, whom the Gospel invites us to work for most. Unfortunately, in many places, dalit Christians are not given equal opportunities. For instance, dalit children are barred from being altar servers or dalits cannot be lectors; Mass is segregated and there are separate cemeteries for dalits and cemeteries for high castes. Dalits are often not considered for leadership positions in the Church; and some communities oppose marriage of dalits with high-caste Catholics. This is a big concern. Dalits account for more than half of all Indian Catholics. The future of the Church will be with the dalit community – it is high time the Church abolish all segregation and discrimination. The Church needs to develop its own program of affirmative action to help both the dalits and tribals among the faithful.Bishop Senapati: We make no distinction between high and low-caste Christians in Odisha. We fully welcome dalits. We are all baptized in one faith – we have one God. We welcome all the people.ACN: Does the Church see genuine opportunities for dialogue with moderate Hindus as a tool to combat Hindu extremism?Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar: We are all children of God and one day we will all understand that. Hate campaigns do not build up society. There is an openness among the Hindu population at large; they are drawn by the example of Christian love, as witnessed in a particular way by St. Mother Teresa. All kinds of “dialogues of life” are taken place – being together, getting to know each other. This is leading to unity and solidarity. Of course, we need dialogue more than the Hindu majority. We have to take the initiative and demonstrate our willingness to dialogue. The Church presents itself as being at the service of everybody. We are making progress. A great majority of the Indian people are good-hearted; not all are extremists. India is a land of Hindus where we are a tiny minority. But we should be proud that we are able to do so much through our dedication and commitment – let us make this more visible and vibrant. The Church can become like a lamp on top of a mountain, a light for all to see.Bishop Singh: We are seen as a Church that creates harmony among faiths. For example, in the wake of the 2008 killings, Christians did not take revenge. That was very significant. The Church belongs to the powerless of society, people who naturally do not choose violence; they respond to violence with acts of reconciliation and a message of peace. Non-violence is also a witness to Jesus; it shows Hindus the power of our faith, the power and freedom not to meet violence with violence; the Church is an agent of love, forgiveness. That is our identity and it makes the Church a powerful witness.Bishop Senapati: We push for peace, reconciliation and the emancipation of the poor, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. All deserve the opportunity to develop themselves and become self-sufficient. We must be a genuine religion of love and brotherhood. Nothing is more important. There are Hindu leaders who are very good and appreciate the real message Jesus has for India – such as forgiveness, peace, love for the poor, etc. With them we can have the dialogue.ACN: What areas of the Church’s life and ministry need the most strengthening in India?Bishop Singh: We need to stress the notion of catholicity – the Church’s oneness. Our Church is too much divided according to language, ethnicity and geography. Our dialogue with other faiths has to go deeper – we need to reach out, to better understand others, and thus move toward brotherhood. We need to intensify our activity among the poor; our concern for the poor has to be more visible. We risk being too much of an institutional Church that does not hear the cry of the poor – we need to elevate the poor! Mother Teresa’s canonization was a spur to action.Bishop Nayak: The formation of the laity is crucial; we must help raise a generation of great Catholic leaders who will assume the responsibility proper to them in all aspects of society – social, political, economic, and environmental. We want to build up an enlightened laity.ACN: Does the Church have confidence that, in the end, justice will be done in Odisha?Archbishop Barwa: There is nothing impossible for God. Justice is slowly being done. There will be success and there will a growth of the Christian community in Odisha. The scars will take a long time to heal and evaporate. Prior to the massacre in Kandhamal, there was peace in this region; now trust has been broken; our people cannot trust those who burned down our houses and churches. Building up trust and confidence will take much longer than the reconstruction of homes and churches. Read more

2017-01-14T20:50:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 14, 2017 at 8:50 pm   By

Vatican City, Jan 14, 2017 / 01:50 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Saturday, Pope Francis baptized 13 babies who survived the devastating earthquakes that struck Italy last year.  The baptism took place in the chapel of the Santa Marta house, where the Pope resides.  Italy was struck with a series of fatally destructive earthquakes last summer and fall.  The first struck the town and nearby areas of Amatrice, Italy in August. It measured in at a magnitude of 6.2 and killed as many as 290 people throughout the region, and left several hundred others injured. The next earthquakes hit in October, in a region just 50 miles north of where the first quake had occurred. A magnitude 5.5 quake, and another, measuring at a magnitude of 6.1, struck the region of Visso, Italy within just hours of each other on October 26. One man died of a heart attack as a result of the earthquakes.  Just days later, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake leveled the 13th century Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy. Two women died of sudden heart attacks during this earthquake.  Earlier this month, Pope Francis held an audience with survivors from the earthquake zones.  “The pain is great...the wounds of the heart are there,” the Pope told the thousands of people gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall for the Jan. 5 audience. The Pope told the victims that they needed true hope in Christ, not mere shallow optimism, to begin the rebuilding process. “Yes for hope, but no for optimism...Today hope is needed to rebuild, which is done with your hands.” He also told the people not to lose the ability to dream in the process of rebuilding, urging them to have “the courage to dream one more time” as they move forward. Read more

2017-01-14T17:39:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 14, 2017 at 5:39 pm   By

Vatican City, Jan 14, 2017 / 10:39 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Saturday it was announced that Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston has yet another reason to come to Rome, with his appointment as the newest member of the Vatican’s Congregation for t... Read more

2017-01-14T16:33:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 14, 2017 at 4:33 pm   By

Vatican City, Jan 14, 2017 / 09:33 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the 10 month anniversary of the kidnapping of Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil in Yemen, the Salesians are inviting people around the world to join them in praying a novena for the priest’s safety and release.  The Salesian order, to which Fr. Tom belongs, is inviting the faithful to trust the "intercession of the Mother of the Savior” and asking them to include the “special intention” of Fr. Tom in a novena to Mary, Help of Christians, according to Salesian newsletter “Agenzia Info Salesiana” (ANS).  The novena, proposed to the Salesians by the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) of Turin, will last from Jan. 15-23. “As an association, we feel particularly committed to praying for priests, so we would like to request the intervention of Mary Immaculate Help of Christians for the prompt release of Fr Tom,” Mr. Tullio Lucca and Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, President and Spiritual Animator of ADMA, said in a Jan. 10 article published on ANS. Rector Major of the Salesians Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime has given the initiative his full support, and is encouraging all members of the Salesian family to participate in the novena. Prayers for the novena, to be offered three times daily for the duration of the nine consecutive days, include: an Our Father, Hail Mary and a Glory Be offered to the Holy Eucharist, followed by the short prayer: “Blessed and praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.” Then participants must pray, again three times, the Hail Holy Queen followed by “Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.” Personal conditions required for the novena include participating in the sacraments of Confession and the Holy Eucharist, making an offering to or participating in the work of an apostolate, particularly one aimed at youth, and renewing one’s faith in the Eucharistic Jesus and their devotion to Mary, Help of Christians.  The proposition of the novena comes just 10 days after the Salesian province of Bangalore in India requested that the 11 Salesian communities of South Asia to mark Jan. 4 as day of prayer and adoration for Fr. Tom’s release.  Both prayer initiatives come after a video was posted to YouTube Dec. 26 allegedly showing Fr. Tom appealing to Pope Francis, and bishops all over the world, for help. “Dear Pope Francis…as a father, please take care of my life,” Fr. Tom said. “My health is deteriorating; I am in need of hospitalization soon. Please come to my help quickly.” Fr. Tom was kidnapped in Yemen in March of last year during an attack on a Missionaries of Charity house that left 4 sisters dead.  No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, making it difficult for the Indian government to broker the priest’s release, which has been exacerbated by the political instability in Yemen. Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since March 2015, when Shia rebels attempted to oust Yemen’s Sunni-led government. Saudi Arabia has led a pro-government coalition. Both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have set up strongholds in the country amid the power vacuum. More than 6,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to the United Nations. Fr. Tom garnered international attention last spring when rumors spread that he was to be crucified on Good Friday after his kidnapping. The rumors were later discredited. Pope Francis appealed for the priest’s release April 10 after his Sunday Regina Caeli address in St. Peter’s Square. “I renew my appeal for the freeing of all kidnapped persons in armed conflict zones,” the Pope said. “In particular, I wish to remember Salesian priest Tom Uzhunnalil, who was abducted in Aden, Yemen last March 4.” Read more

2017-01-14T13:01:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 14, 2017 at 1:01 pm   By

Washington D.C., Jan 14, 2017 / 06:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump has raised questions about the future of immigration reform, but the nation’s Catholic bishops remain hopeful. “We also fi... Read more

2017-01-14T12:47:00+00:00

Last updated on: January 14, 2017 at 12:47 pm   By

Vatican City, Jan 14, 2017 / 05:47 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited the Vatican Saturday before inaugurating his country’s new embassy to the Holy See, where he met with Pope Francis for a discussion focused largely on peace efforts in the Middle East. Described as “cordial” in Jan. 14 communique from the Vatican, the discussion between the two began by making note of the good relations they enjoy, which were “sealed” by a Global Agreement made by them in 2015 recognizing the “essential aspects” of the life and activity of the Church in Palestine. “In this context, mention was made of the important contribution of Catholics to favoring the promotion of human dignity and assistance for those most in need, especially in the fields of education, health and aid,” the communique read. Conversation then shifted to the peace process in the Middle East, and hope was voiced that direct negotiations between the different parties “may be resumed to bring an end to the violence that causes unacceptable suffering to civilian populations, and to find a just and lasting solution.” “To this end, it is hoped that, with the support of the international community, measures can be taken that favor mutual trust and contribute to creating a climate that permits courageous decisions to be made in favor of peace.” An emphasis was also placed on the importance of “safeguarding the sanctity” of Holy Sites, which are frequently a source of division and conflict between the different faiths in the area, as well as other conflicts affecting the region. After his 23 minute meeting with the Pope, Abbas then met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States. He arrived at the Vatican at 10:10a.m. with his 10-15 person delegation and was met by the Pope, who told him in Spanish “It is a pleasure to receive you.” The president responded, saying “I am happy to be here.” Pope Francis gifted the president the official medal for the Jubilee of Mercy as well as a copy of Amoris Laetitia and Laudato Si, telling Abbas they had been translated. For his part, Abbas gave the Pope five gifts: an icon of the face of Jesus, a stone from the site of Golgotha in the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, a golden icon of the Holy Family, the book “Palestine and the Holy See” and a documentation of the work being done in restoring the Basilica of the Nativity. When they sat down at the desk before the start of the meeting, the Pope told Abbas “things are arriving to me (from your area), and at a certain point in the discussion the president spoke to the Pope about the new embassy, telling Francis it’s a “sign that the Pope loves the Palestinian people and loves peace.” The president was in Rome to inaugurate the new Palestinian embassy to the Holy See, just one year after the Holy See-Palestine agreement, signed May 13, 2015, took effect and made official the Holy See's recognition of the State of Palestine. The fact that the Holy See referred to its agreement with “the State of Palestine” rather than the Palestinian Liberation Authority or another title, immediately gained international attention. It was hoped that the agreement will encourage the international community to acknowledge an independent State of Palestine, alongside Israel. In addition to referring to Palestine as a State, the Vatican-Palestinian agreement also recognized freedom of religion in Palestine, and outlined the rights and obligations of the Church, its agencies, and its personnel in the territory. The comprehensive agreement followed upon a “basic agreement” that was signed in February 2000. The bilateral commission was established after the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organization strengthened official relations. After the 2000 agreement, negotiations between the parties picked up again in 2010, with the aim of completing the basic agreement. In his Jan. 9 speech to the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See Pope Francis renewed his appeal for Israel and Palestine to resume dialogue aimed at “a stable and enduring solution that guarantees the peaceful coexistence of two States within internationally recognized borders.” “No conflict can become a habit impossible to break. Israelis and Palestinians need peace. The whole Middle East urgently needs peace!” Read more

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