Columbus, Ohio, Dec 7, 2016 / 04:15 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Citing the prospect of a more favorable Supreme Court, Ohio legislators have passed a ban on abortions once an unborn child’s heartbeat can be detected. The bill was previously defeated tw... Read more
Vatican City, Dec 7, 2016 / 02:36 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Beauty, under the care of artists, has the ability to transform even the everyday lives of men and women, Pope Francis said in a message for the annual meeting of the Pontifical Academies on Tuesday. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin delivered the Pope's message during the 21st public session Dec. 6, before presenting the winning artists of this year's Pontifical Academies Award, who are chosen by the Pope. “Architects and painters, sculptors and musicians, filmmakers and writers, photographers and poets, artists of every discipline, are called to shine beauty especially where darkness or gray dominates everyday life,” the Pope wrote. They “are the custodians of beauty, heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity.” “I invite you, therefore,” he emphasized, “to cherish beauty, and beauty will heal the many wounds that mark the hearts and souls of the men and women of our day.” Quoting Italian writer Italo Calvino, who said that “cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears,” the Pope pointed out the bleakness that often exists in both cities and suburbs, saying the lack of beauty leaves more room “for fear” than for the “beautiful dreams” of young people. The role of beauty, therefore, he said, is to help draw us out of this “utilitarian pragmatism” we so often fall into. He quoted Laudato Si, saying, when we “do not learn to stop and admire and appreciate the beautiful, it is not strange” that we begin to turn everything into an object for use. This is why beautiful buildings, especially beautiful churches, are so needed, he noted. Especially when beautiful churches are located in underprivileged, or perhaps degraded, areas they offer, “even in their simplicity and essentiality, an oasis of beauty, peace, acceptance.” By favoring “an encounter with God and communion with our brothers and sisters” they become a “reference point for the integral growth of all people, for harmonious development and supportive communities,” he said. But it isn’t just grand works of architecture or other art which can bring beauty into the world, Francis stressed. Even “simple actions, small sparks of beauty and love” shown to the environment in which people live can bring healing and provide an alternative to indifference and cynicism. This year’s winners of the Pontifical Academy Award were the young woman Chiara Bertoglio, for her research in musicology and literature, and for her many concert performances; and the young man Claudio Cianfaglioni, for his research on poetry, and for his study of significant contemporary literary figures, such as Fr. David Maria Turoldo, an Italian poet. The award’s prize of 20,000 euros is divided between the winners, who are chosen based on their work’s exceptional contribution “to the development of Christian humanism and its artistic expressions.” Reflecting on the theme of the session, which was about bringing a human aspect to cities through beauty, reminded Pope Francis of some of the words of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, he said. “The present moment” he quoted Benedict XVI, “is sadly marked, not only by negative elements in the social and economic level, but also by a weakening of hope, by a lack of confidence in human relationships, so they grow signs of resignation, aggression and despair.” Continuing to quote the recent pope’s Nov. 2009 speech to artists, he asked, “What is capable of restoring enthusiasm and confidence, what can encourage the human spirit to rediscover its path, to raise its eyes on the horizon, to dream of a life worthy of its vocation if not beauty?” The “experience of beauty” is an important and even primary factor “in our search for meaning and happiness” and the experience liberates and transfigures our lives. From this emerges the “important and necessary task of artists,” Francis explained, “particularly those who are believers and allow themselves be enlightened by the beauty of the gospel of Christ.” “To create works of art that bring us, in the language of beauty, a sign, a spark of hope and trust where people seem to give in to indifference and ugliness.” Read more
Vatican City, Dec 7, 2016 / 02:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A new association for women working in the Vatican announced Wednesday provides a personal and professional network for women to offer support to each other and to the community. Called simply &ld... Read more
Vatican City, Dec 7, 2016 / 12:37 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The updated version of the Vatican's document on priestly formation, released Wednesday, deals with issues of clericalism, homosexuality, and the protection of minors, among other things. “To be a good priest, in addition to having passed all the exams, a demonstrated human, spiritual and pastoral maturation is necessary,” Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, told L'Osservatore Romano Dec. 7. He was commenting on The Gift of the Priestly Vocation, his department's new edition of its “fundamentals of priestly formation.” “I think it is superfluous to add that other minor innovations could be gathered from the text, from the standpoint of approaches to the question, vocabulary used, the formative methodology proposed, and the impulse given by the current Pontifical Magisterium,” Cardinal Stella added. Media coverage of the document has emphasized that it reaffirms the existing Vatican instruction that homosexuals may not be admitted to seminaries.The Gift of the Priestly Vocation quotes from the Congregation for Catholic Education's 2005 instruction on the matter in saying that “the Church … cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'.” It distinguishes such cases from those in which homosexual tendencies “were only the expression of a transitory problem,” and itself states that “it must be remembered that, in a relationship of sincere dialogue and mutual trust, the seminarian is obliged to reveal to his formators … doubts or difficulties he should have in this regard.” The document then goes on to discuss protection of minors and the accompaniment of victims, saying this must be given “the greatest attention” and that the Church must be vigilant that seminarians “have not been involved in any way with any crime or problematic behaviour in this area” and that “formators must ensure that those who have had painful experience in this area receive special and suitable accompaniment.” It adds that lessons on the protection of minors are to be included in formation, including how to deal with exploitation and violence such as trafficking of minors, child labor, and sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable adults. The document also recommends that bishops responsible for seminaries be in dialogue with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, established by Pope Francis in 2013. Clericalism is discussed within the context of priestly identity as the basis and purpose of formation. The Gift of the Priestly Vocation says that seminarians “should be educated so that they do not become prey to 'clericalism', nor yield to the temptation of modelling their lives on the search for popular consensus. This would inevitably lead them to fall short in exercising their ministry as leaders of the community, leading them to think about the Church as a merely human institution.” It reiterates that priestly ordination, while making its recipient “a leader of the people”, “should not lead him to 'lord it over' the flock.” Cardinal Stella noted to L'Osservatore Romano that the new version of “the fundamentals” was necessary because “the historical, socio-cultural and ecclesiastical contexts have changed” since the document was last updated in 1985. Significant changes have happened regarding “the image or vision of the priest, the spiritual needs of the People of God, the challenges of the new evangelization, the language of communication, and many more,” he said. “It seemed that the formation of Priests needed to be revamped, renewed, and restored to the centre.” He added that the congregation had “been encouraged and illuminated by the Teaching of Pope Francis.” The cardinal recalled the four pillars of priestly formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. Regarding the human pillar, he said there is a particular stress on the fact that “one cannot be a priest without balance of mind and heart and without affective maturity, and every unresolved lacuna or problem in this area risks becoming gravely harmful, both for the person as well as for the People of God.” To this end, The Gift of the Priestly Vocation emphasizes the necessity of a “propaedeutic period” in seminaries, known in some places as a “spirituality year” prior to full-time academic work. Cardinal Stella also said that vocational discernment is insisted upon, in an effort “to overcome a conveyor belt mentality which developed in the past.” He said bishops and formators “are called to exercise a shrewd vigilance regarding the suitability of each candidate, without haste or superficiality.” An effort at “integral formation” is central to the document, and so, the cardinal said, beside the traditional division of formation into the stages of philosophical and theological studies, there has been added a threefold division of discipleship, configuration, and pastoral stages. To each of these new stages there “corresponds an itinerary and a formative content, orientated toward an assimilation with the image of the Good Shepherd,” he said. Cardinal Stella sees humanity, spirituality, and discernment as the “keywords” which form the foundation of the document's vision. “I cannot sufficiently insist upon the need that seminarians be accompanied through a growth process which will … help them become persons who are humanly balanced, serene and stable,” he said. “Only in this way will it be possible to have Priests with friendly traits, who are authentic, loyal, interiorly free, affectively stable, capable of weaving together peaceful interpersonal relationships and living the evangelical counsels without rigidity, hypocrisy or loopholes.” Regarding spirituality, Cardinal Stella said that priestly identity is founded on the priest as “a disciple passionately in love with the Lord.” “Only in this way – cultivating his spiritual life with discipline and expressly dedicated time – can old sacral and bureaucratic views of ministry be surpassed, so that we may have Priests passionately motivated by the Gospel, capable of 'feeling with the Church' and being, like Jesus, compassionate and merciful 'Samaritans.'” On discernment, the prefect said that “who follows the Gospel way and who immerses himself in life in the Spirit, overcomes both an ideological as well as a rigorist approach, discovering that the processes and situations of life cannot be classified through inflexible schemata or abstract norms, but instead need listening, dialogue, and interpretations of the heart’s movements.” He emphasized the importance of spiritual direction in enabling seminarians to grow in discernment. Concluding, Cardinal Stella encouraged priests, saying: “The Lord never offers less than his promises, and if you have called upon him, he will make his light shine upon you, whether you live in darkness, aridity, fatigue or a moment of pastoral failure.” “I would like to recommend to priests that they not let the healthy disquiet, which maintains their progress on the right path, be extinguished! Do not neglect prayer, take great care with your spiritual life, remain disposed daily to form yourselves and let yourselves be sustained and taught by pastoral life and by the People of God. We must remain vigilant, as this time of Advent suggests, not to let habit or mediocrity deaden the gift which the Lord has given to us.” Read more
Vatican City, Dec 7, 2016 / 09:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis gave an interview to a Belgian magazine in which he cautioned media to avoid several major temptations, including the desire to always focus on scandal – which he compared to &ld... Read more
Mumbai, India, Jun 7, 2017 / 12:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A cloistered nun in India came out of her convent for an extraordinary reason: to attend a graduation ceremony for her doctorate in Aerospace Engineering. “I had joined the religious order ... Read more
Vatican City, Dec 7, 2016 / 04:13 am (CNA/EWTN News).- For Pope Francis, one of most needed virtues of modern time is hope, which is something he said must never be abandoned no matter how hard life gets, and which is often expressed in the simple act ... Read more
Rome, Italy, Dec 7, 2016 / 03:02 am (CNA).- For American composer J.J. Wright, the Second Vatican Council's call to inculturate the Church's ancient musical traditions into “mission territory” – while preserving its unity – is something he has adopted personally with one of his greatest passions: jazz. Referring to Vatican II's documents, Wright told CNA that when people go to a new culture for the sake of evangelization, “one of the ways you can (evangelize) is by incorporating into the Western-European traditions of the faith, the native traditions.” He said that for him, the United States could arguably be called “mission territory,” since the culture is “definitely not like a Catholic culture.” Because of this, “I see one of the ways of evangelization through sacred music.” When the Second Vatican Council's constitution on the Sacred Liturgy “Sacrosanctum Concilium” was published, it asked that provisions revising liturgical texts allow “for legitimate variations and adaptations to different groups, regions and peoples, especially in mission lands, provided that the substantial unity of the Roman rite is preserved; and this should be borne in mind when drawing up the rites and devising rubrics.” In paragraph 119, the document noted that “in certain parts of the world, especially mission lands, there are peoples who have their own musical traditions, and these play a great part in their religious and social life.” Because of this, “due importance is to be attached to their music, and a suitable place is to be given to it, not only in forming their attitude toward religion, but also in adapting worship to their native genius.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' document “Sing to the Lord” expresses a similar request, saying that “every bishop, pastor and liturgical musician...should be sensitive to the cultural and spiritual milieu of their communities, in order to build up the Church in unity and peace.” Wright said that for him, making sacred music sound familiar to peoples' own individual and cultural realities opens “a lens into the deeper tradition.” While he finds the merge between jazz and sacred music to be an expression of his own faith, it's “not meant to define sacred music.” “It's more like I'm speaking their language so that they can find a way in.” Wright is an American pianist, conductor and composer who holds Masters of Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame and was previously a member of the United States Naval Academy Band. During his time in the Navy, Wright collaborated with well-known jazz vibraphonist Dave Samuels on a Latin-jazz CD that ended up winning a Grammy. He is currently working on his doctorate, and for the 2016-2017 academic year is living and studying in Rome while he writes his dissertation and interns with the Sistine Chapel Choir. In addition to his studies, Wright has just released a new CD called “O Emmanuel,” which is the first of his projects that features both jazz and sacred music as part of the same project. While not all of the songs have the jazz element, Wright said the CD is meant to follow a spiritual journey that “encompasses the whole tradition of sacred music from chant to polyphony, up through modern music and jazz.” Though the new CD is his first larger attempt at joining jazz and the tradition of sacred music, Wright said he would be willing to write a jazz Mass should he ever have the opportunity. Prominent names in the world of jazz such as Mary Lou William and Dave Brubeck have already written Masses in the style. William herself, a convert to Catholicism, performed her third Mass for Pope Paul VI in Rome in the early 1970s. “One of the things I've been really cognizant of is that there are very strong opinions on both sides as to what types of music are appropriate for the liturgy,” Wright said, explaining that while a jazz Mass might be in his future, his new CD “is not liturgical.” He said that his CD is “an experiment to test the waters and to see if this works,” adding that while it works for him as an artist in terms of being “an authentic expression of my faith” and to be “a really invigorating way to create art,” he is also open to how other people will respond. Another unique element of the new CD is that it features the Notre Dame Children's Choir, which consists of Christian sacred music vocalists up to the age of 17. As a project that's free and completely supported by the university, the choir is mean “to engage with people who don’t have as many privileges” in the area, such as immigrants and those who live in poverty. The idea, Wright said, is to “create an environment where you can bring people from different backgrounds together in sacred music,” teaching them values such as inclusiveness. In terms of how this vision relates to the CD, Wright said the choir’s director wanted the CD to be “a catalyst” for the greater mission of the choir, which focuses on how new music can “excite young people to want to build a great tradition of sacred music for now within the spirit of diversity and social justice.” Wright said he can see his entire life's work as a sacred music artist involving this sort of partnership, “because it's a way to unite people in an extremely non-confrontational way.” Another “really cool” aspect of jazz is that it opens the door for people, particularly children from different demographics, to come together. “Our sacred music tradition is a white tradition, it's Western-European. That’s not a slight, that's just what it is,” he said, noting that jazz “is a predominantly black tradition and it’s the music of the African-American people that flourished through the 20th century and flourished through their oppression.” What they were able to do is create “this incredible body of art that represented their struggles in our society,” Wright said, explaining that he sees jazz as a way to unite people from different backgrounds. “Not only are the two different types of people coming together, the two music are coming together and they each have a home,” he said, adding that when people come together and build this type of “organic union of community, you can maybe break down” some of the barriers that might be separating them. Read more
Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, Dec 7, 2016 / 12:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A distant part of Ethiopia last week celebrated the baptisms of 300 adult catechumens, youth, and infants. “Today when you receive this great Sacrament of Baptism you become sons and ... Read more
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec 6, 2016 / 04:47 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In late September, Pope Francis met with the controversial president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila. But instead of greeting him in the same room ... Read more
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