Denver, Colo., Nov 4, 2016 / 04:17 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The reality of evil and the tender mercy of Jesus Christ were on the mind of Denver’s new auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez at his ordination Mass. “Let the words of Jesus penetrate yo... Read more
Tallahassee, Fla., Nov 4, 2016 / 03:40 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A group that has been tied to the idea of a “Catholic Spring” revolution in leaked emails may have tried to intimidate pastors at Catholic Churches in Florida during the last presidential election. Ahead of the 2012 elections, the group Catholics United sent a letter to Florida pastors saying it was monitoring for reputed illegal political activity in Catholic churches – which state Catholic leaders saw as an effort to silence the Church. An internal message to Catholic pastors from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops said the letter was inaccurate and appeared to be “an attempt to silence pastors on issues that are of concern to the Church this election season.” James Salt, then-executive director of the group Catholics United, had sent the Oct. 22, 2012 letter to priests in Florida, claiming to have recruited “a network of local volunteers to monitor parishes and document the nature of all partisan activity taking place there.” Catholics United is back in the news with the publication of a February 2012 email exchange involving John Podesta, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s present campaign manager. Podesta indicated that the groups Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good had been created for moments of controversy involving Catholic bishops, like the religious freedom controversy over federally mandated contraceptive coverage in health plans. He said the two groups lacked leadership for such a role. Using a phrase of his interlocutor, progressive leader Sandy Newman, Podesta suggested a “Catholic Spring” could be organized within the Church. The phrase invokes the imagery of the so-called Arab Spring uprisings. Salt’s letter later that year claimed there had been “numerous IRS violations” in Florida Catholic parishes such as partisan references during homilies, political endorsements printed in church bulletins, and the distribution of partisan literature in church parking lots. He told pastors that Catholics United had retained a law firm to help protect them and their parish community from losing tax exempt status. Catholics United had previously tussled with the group Priests for Life in the 2008 elections, claiming the group was partisan and had trained thousands of activists to place political literature on churchgoing Catholics’ cars. Salt invoked the U.S. bishops, telling pastors, “As you know, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a very clear prohibition against any sort of partisan activity taking place within Catholic parishes.” The Florida Catholic bishops’ conference, however, responded that activities to “raise awareness of issues and promote political responsibility” do not jeopardize tax exempt status. It referred to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Election and Political Activities Guide for guidance. Chris Hale, who became executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good in December 2013, told CNA he respected his predecessors’ work, but he suggested his group’s perspective has changed. “I think that the previous leadership of Catholics United was looking to the signs of the time and figuring out how to best protect parishioners in the pews and make sure they heard a message that was consistent with the social teaching of the Church,” he said Nov. 2. “That being said, I don’t think that message that was taken in 2012 should be crafted in 2016,” he added. “I’m of the opinion that pastors should speak freely, priests should speak freely from the pulpit about the issues pertaining to Catholics in this election.” Hale voiced hope priests would do so “in a way that would represent the totality of the Church’s social teaching,” adding “no pastor should feel threatened in any capacity that their First Amendment rights should be infringed.” According to Hale, Catholics in Alliance and Catholics United effectively merged in 2015. James Salt is currently a board member of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. He previously served in faith outreach for the Kansas Democratic Party, did messaging work under then-Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, and served on the 2012 Democratic Party Platform Committee. Salt’s 2012 letter asked Florida pastors to “protect your parish from losing its tax-exempt status” by taking a pledge, titled “Keep Politics Out of Our Pulpits.” He said this would demonstrate pastors’ commitment and help ensure their parish is free from “any illegal political activity.” The reputed pledge solicited the pastor’s name and house of worship. It asked that pledges be sent to the Catholics United Education Fund in Washington, D.C. The education fund, whose Pennsylvania affiliate Keystone Catholics is now an arm of Catholics in Alliance, was the 501c3 arm of Catholics United. For its part, the Florida Catholic bishops’ conference recommended that pastors not sign the pledge. The response to the Catholics United letter and pledge was written by Michele M. Taylor, who at the time was the state Catholic conference’s associate director for communications. The internal response was published on the website of the Diocese of Orlando without the knowledge of the Catholic conference. Taylor recounted the situation to CNA in October 2012. “Our pastors had received faxes from Catholics United telling them that their activities would jeopardize 501c3 status,” Taylor said. “We disagree with that. As long as their activities are within the guidelines that we put out from this office, they’re fine.” In an Oct. 30, 2012 press release, Catholics United misidentified the source of the Catholic response, wrongly claiming it came from the Diocese of Orlando. The group portrayed the diocese as refusing “to keep partisan politics out of its pulpits.” “In this election year, and especially in a swing state like Florida, lay Catholics have been inundated with nasty political attacks,” Salt said, claiming that the Orlando diocese was encouraging “political games.” “This request was apparently out of line for the diocese. It’s a shame Orlando Catholics have to endure this type of politicking in their churches,” he added. The issue of Catholic messaging was on the mind of politico John Podesta, according to other emails posted to WikiLeaks and attributed to his email account. In a Nov. 4, 2012 email, one Jon Schnur wrote Podesta that he was concerned about many Catholic churches that “may be giving highly problematic messages to parishioners/voters today.” In the email, written the Sunday before Election Day, Schnur said he was especially concerned about churches in the states of Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania. Schnur, whose wife is Catholic, said he thought the parish he attended in New Orleans that weekend was “over the top.” He worried this messaging could be well-organized in the Catholic Church, “even if they would argue somehow doesn't cross political lines.” He asked Podesta whether there was any sense of this in the Obama campaign. “Anything can be done about it? In terms of respected Catholic validators, microtargeting, etc. in key heavily Catholic areas in swing communities?” Podesta replied Nov. 5, 2012: “I think the campaign is dealing with it as best they can. Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good have also done a bunch of work in relevant places. For the people who I sit with in the pews, it kind of goes in one ear and out the other.” Schnur was not identified, though a man of the same name is a past education adviser to president Obama and now heads an education policy consultancy. CNA contacted him for comment but did not receive a response by deadline. Hale told CNA he thought letters like Salt’s were particular to Florida. He suggested that the Podesta email referred to work like the Catholics in Alliance 2012 voting guide. The group did some organizing in Ohio and worked to ensure Catholic voting access. After the 2012 elections, on Nov. 21, Salt again criticized the bishops. “It’s a shame that rather than being pastors to their flock, many bishops have decided to engage in divisive political games,” he said. “Hopefully, this election is a wake-up call for the bishops, and a strong reminder to cut their partisan ties and get back to serving the Gospel mandate of helping the poorest and most vulnerable.” According to Hale, skeptics of Catholics in Alliance’s past should look at its current work. “I would say that time and again we’ve shown ourselves to be solid practitioners of the gospel in public life and we do it in a way that challenges everyone without exception,” he said. “I can tell you since I’ve been in charge in December 2013 that we’ve promoted the social mission of the Church, without exception.” Hale’s group has drawn criticism for its avoidance of criticizing Hillary Clinton by name. However, he maintained, “We get criticism all the time from the left and the right for not falling in line.” He pointed to the group’s support of the Hyde Amendment when it was opposed by the Democratic Party platform. Last year, the group also criticized Planned Parenthood in the wake of undercover videos appearing to show its staff and leaders engaged in the illegal sale of aborted babies’ body parts and tissues. Its actions drew a critical response from Catholics for Choice, a pro-abortion rights front group. Though Catholics United no longer exists in name, its influence is still remembered in 2016. After the Podesta emails became public, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia recounted his 2008 encounter with two unnamed leaders in Catholics United. “Both men were obvious flacks for the Obama campaign and the Democratic Party – creatures of a political machine, not men of the Church; less concerned with Catholic teaching than with its influence,” he said Oct. 13. “They hoped my brother bishops and I would resist identifying the Church with single-issue and partisan (read: abortion) politics.” “Thanks to their work, and activists like them, American Catholics helped to elect an administration that has been the most stubbornly unfriendly to religious believers, institutions, concerns and liberty in generations,” the archbishop said. Read more
Irondale, Ala., Nov 4, 2016 / 11:51 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Among the first acts of the next president of the United States will be the appointment of a new justice for the U.S. Supreme Court, comprised currently of eight members since the February death ... Read more
Vatican City, Nov 4, 2016 / 08:37 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his most recent prayer video, Pope Francis focuses on migrants, refugees and countries who assist them, stressing that it's possible for anyone to be placed in a situation forcing them to leave home. The video, released Nov. 4, shows men and women refugees, law enforcement, media and a doctor walking through a revolving door as the Pope asks the question, “can one country alone manage the problems of forced migration?” “We must move away from indifference and the fear of accepting others,” he says in the video. “Because that other could be you. Or me...” “Join me in this prayer request,” Pope Francis says, “that the countries which take in a great number of displaced persons and refugees may find support for their efforts which show solidarity.” An initiative of the Jesuit-run global prayer network Apostleship of Prayer, the Pope’s prayer videos are filmed in collaboration with the Vatican Television Center and mark the first time the Roman Pontiff’s monthly prayer intentions have been featured on video. This month’s intention reflects a topic the Pope has spoken about frequently. In April he brought several Syrian families to Rome with him after his day-trip to Lesbos, Greece, and has also supported the ecumenical project “Humanitarian Corridors” to help bring other refugees legally and safely into Italy. In a news conference aboard the papal plane returning from Sweden Nov. 1, the Pope said that “the prudence of those who administrate must be very open” to receiving refugees, as well as in “making calculations as to how to settle them, because not only must a refugee be received, but he must be integrated.” “And, if a country has a ‘living capacity’ – let’s call it that – of integration,” Pope Francis said, “do it up to that limit…and if there’s anything more? Do more! But always with an open heart, it’s not human to close doors! It’s not human to close the heart!” The Apostleship of Prayer, which produces the monthly videos on the Pope’s intentions, was founded by Jesuit seminarians in France in 1884 to encourage Christians to serve God and others through prayer, particularly for the needs of the Church. Since the late 1800s, the organization has received a monthly, “universal” intention from the Pope. In 1929, an additional missionary intention was added by the Holy Father, aimed at the faithful in particular. While there are two intentions, the prayer videos are centered on the first, universal intention. The Pope’s evangelization intention for November, according to the Apostleship of Prayer is for the “Collaboration of Priests and Laity.” “That within parishes, priests and lay people may collaborate in service to the community without giving in to the temptation of discouragement.” His intentions this year have so far focused on themes the Pontiff speaks out about frequently, such as interreligious dialogue, care for creation, families in hardship, the elderly and marginalized, and respect for women. Francis’ prayer intentions for the rest of the year are listed on the organization’s website and center on other themes close to Francis’ heart, such as prayers for an end to child-soldiers. Read more
Vatican City, Nov 4, 2016 / 06:36 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Reflecting on the faithful work of the bishops and cardinals who have died in the past 12 months, Pope Francis said Friday that death does not separate us, but in fact unites us more closely in the Body of Christ. “In the light of the Paschal Mystery of Christ, their death is, in fact, the entry into the fullness of life. In this light of faith, we feel even closer to our deceased brothers: death has apparently separated us, but the power of Christ and his Spirit unites us in an even deeper manner,” he said. Pope Francis offered Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Nov. 4 for the souls of the 126 cardinals and bishops who passed away in 2016. In his homily, he spoke about the passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans which asks, “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?” The bishops and cardinals “knew that our earthly pilgrimage ends at the house of the heavenly Father, and only there is the finish line, rest and peace,” he said. “At the house we are lead to the Lord Jesus, our way, truth and life.” The beginning of our journey to the Father’s house begins at our baptism, Francis said. For priests and bishops, another important step in this journey takes place during their priestly ordination, when they pronounce the words, “Here I am!” “From that time we are united to Christ in a special way, associated with his ministerial priesthood,” the Pope said, adding that “in the hour of death, we pronounce the final ‘here I am,’ united with that of Jesus, who died entrusting his spirit into the Father's hands.” There were five cardinals who died this year: Cardinal Georges-Marie-Martin Cotter, Emeritus of the Prefecture of the Papal Household; Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, Nuncio Emeritus to the Czech Republic; Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla, Archbishop-Prelate Emeritus of Loreto and longtime secretary to St. John XXIII; Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, Archbishop Emeritus of Florence; and Cardinal Granciszek Macharski, Archbishop Emeritus of Krakow. Among those who died were also Archbishop Francis Thomas Hurley, Archbishop Emeritus of Anchorage; Archbishop Henry Sebastian D'Souza, Archbishop Emeritus of Kolkata; and Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, Archbishop Emeritus of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. “The cardinals and bishops who today we remember in prayer for their entire life, especially after having been consecrated to God, were dedicated to testify and give to others the love of Jesus,” the Pope said. “By word and example, they urged the faithful to do the same.” In imitation of Christ and as shepherds of his flock, they sacrificed for the salvation of those entrusted to them, he said. “They sanctified through the sacraments and guided people on the way of salvation; full of the Holy Spirit’s power they proclaimed the Gospel; with fatherly love they have striven to love everyone, especially the poor, the vulnerable and those in need of help.” Pope Francis recalled how some of those being remembered were called to undergo heavy trials, thus bearing witness to the Gospel in a heroic manner. Therefore, in this Mass, he said, we praise God for all the good that he has done through these men both “for us and for his Church.” “In the name of the God of mercy and forgiveness, their hands have blessed and absolved, their words have comforted and dried tears, their presence testified eloquently that the goodness of God is inexhaustible and his mercy is infinite,” he said. “We will continue to feel them next to us in the communion of saints. Fed the Bread of Life, we too, together with those who have gone before us, await with firm hope the day we will meet, face-to-face, with the bright and merciful face of the Father.” Read more
Boston, Mass., Nov 4, 2016 / 06:12 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Church in Boston is asking voters in Massachusetts to reject the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state next week. Question 4 is a ballot initiative that would allow individuals ... Read more
Vatican City, Nov 2, 2017 / 03:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Nestled in Rome just outside the Vatican, a small unassuming museum dedicated to the souls in Purgatory displays simple items such as prayer books and clothing. Nothing too unusual, until you real... Read more
Washington D.C., Nov 4, 2016 / 12:33 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Serious problems loom for the future of health care in the U.S. – and Catholics must help resolve them, experts say. “We believe that the Catholic Church has the opportunity to prov... Read more
Los Angeles, Calif., Nov 3, 2016 / 03:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- With recent polls showing an increasingly tight presidential race, it's still unpredictable as to who will come out next week as the next president of the United States. But for Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, that’s okay. For him, knowing that “Jesus Christ is still King” is what really matters. “Politicians come and go; nations rise and fall; empires fade away – what remains and what continues is the Church that Jesus established on the rock of St. Peter,” Archbishop Gomez stated during the Red Mass Dinner in Houston, TX on Nov. 2. “No matter who wins next Tuesday and no matter who loses, we are called to follow Jesus Christ as children of God and missionary disciples. To be faithful to Christ and to build God’s Kingdom here on earth,” he continued. Archbishop Gomez spoke to a group of public officials after the celebration of a Red Mass at the co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas, which is a tradition dating back to the 11th century in which attendees specifically include members of the judiciary and legal professions. Throughout his speech, Archbishop Gomez outlined two “signs of the times,” which he believes are helpful in reflecting on the reality in the United States. He first pointed to the signs of a post-Christian America, noting the increasing secularism in American society and the resistance towards religious freedom. “I think all of us can agree that the elites who govern and shape the direction of our societies are deeply secularized and hostile to religion, to religious values and to traditional culture,” Archbishop Gomez stated. Secondly, he underscored the “crisis of the human person,” saying that “society has lost the sense of the human person.” The California archbishop mentioned gender ideology and same-sex marriage as part of the false humanism promoted in American culture, leading down the dangerous road of “false humanism.” He also highlighted the poor treatment of the marginalized in society, including migrants, the homeless, and refugees, saying that society has become indifferent and unable to empathize with the people around them. “We are becoming a society with no mercy – and again, it is because we know longer see the sanctity and the great dignity of the human person.” However, the next president isn’t going to change the way society treats religion or the human person, Archbishop Gomez stated. Instead, he believes that individuals will impact the future more than a political party. “No matter who is President, no matter what party is in power – we are not going to restore religious values ‘from above,’” he said, noting that every person’s identity is founded in Christ – not their political affiliation. “If we want America to be greater, then we need men and women like you and me who are committed to serving God and living their faith in every aspect of their lives,” also noting that “if we want to live in a society that promotes virtue and justice and human dignity – if we want leaders who reflect these values – then we need to become leaders and role models in our society.” On this point, Archbishop Gomez said that only one thing can change the world: the call to be a saint. “This the reason we are here – to follow Jesus Christ and to become more and more like him, through the grace of sacraments and through our desire for holiness. This is the beautiful truth about who we are as children of God,” he said, emphasizing the need for saints in every aspect of human life. His comments came only a day after All Saint’s Day, in which the Catholic Church recognizes and celebrates the lives of the saints. Archbishop Gomez noted the timely feast, encouraging the faithful to emulate the example of these saints who were in “the middle of the world” and yet remained untouched by its lures. “That’s another way to answer the questions we have about this election and the issues we face in our culture and our society. God wants saints everywhere!” Instead of despairing at the voting booth, Archbishop Gomez encouraged the building of morality and spirituality among individuals, saying that personal renewal will impact a cultural renewal, no matter who wins the presidential nomination. He laid out concrete examples of ways to pursue renewal: strengthen personal prayer and relationship with God, build up communal relationships in marriages and families, and be witnesses to the Church through compassion and mercy. “Our country and our world will be renewed – not by politics, but by saints. And that means you and that means me. If we want a greater America, we need to become, by the grace of God, greater saints,” Archbishop Gomez said. “No matter who is President, Jesus Christ is still the King. And we are still called to be saints and to renew this world in the image of his Kingdom.” Read more
Vatican City, Nov 3, 2016 / 07:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Nov. 6 a special Jubilee for Prisoners will be celebrated at the Vatican, drawing detainees and their families from around Italy and beyond to St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass with Pope Francis and a special reception after. “For the first time it will be possible for a large number of detainees from different parts of Italy and other countries to be present in St. Peter's Basilica to live the Jubilee with Pope Francis,” Archbishop Rino Fisichella said Nov. 3. “We know that the Pope takes great care of detained persons,” he said, noting how in each of his trips abroad Francis “has repeatedly wanted to visit prisoners and leave the detained a message of closeness and hope.” Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, spoke to journalists at the presentation of the Jubilee for Prisoners, as well as that of the Nov. 13 Jubilee for the Socially Marginalized, set to coincide with the close of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the end of the Jubilee of Mercy. The Jubilee of Prisoners, intended above all for prisoners and their families, penitentiary employees, prison chaplains and various associations that assist both inside and outside of the prison system, will take place Nov. 5-6 in Rome and is part of Pope Francis’ wider Jubilee of Mercy. Currently 4,000 people have signed up for the Jubilee, of which 1,000 are prisoners from 12 countries around the world including England, Italy, Latvia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain the United States, South Africa, Sweden and Portugal. Although the majority of prisoners attending come from Italy, there will be a Lutheran delegation present from Sweden. Around 50 prisoners and ex-prisoners will be coming from the U.S., including a group of 22 from Cincinnati. Inmates of all types will be included among the crowds, including minors, people on house arrest, and with varying sentences for an event that offers “a future and hope other than condemnation and the length of the sentence,” Fisichella said. Though Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end to the death penalty, including during his 2015 visit to the U.S., and has in the past taken a special interest in individual cases of death row inmates, there will be none present during the Jubilee event. Celebrations for the Jubilee of Prisoners will begin Saturday, Nov. 5, with Eucharistic Adoration and Confessions in the Roman churches of S. Salvatore in Lauro, S. Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova), S. Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini. The day will conclude with pilgrimages to the Holy Door. On Sunday, Nov. 6, St. Peter’s Basilica will open at 7:30a.m., and beginning at 9a.m., testimonies will be given by various participants in the event. The testimonies will include a prisoner who will share their experience of conversion and will speak alongside their victim, with whom they have reconciled; the brother of someone who was murdered who will talk about mercy and forgiveness; a young man currently serving a sentence and an agent of the Penitentiary Police, who is in daily contact with the prisoners. All tickets for the Mass are, as usual, completely free of cost, and there will be no ticket required for the “Reception Celebrating Mercy” in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall after. An exhibit of various products and items made inside prisons is also being planned, and will be located at Castel Sant'Angelo, which sits at the end of the large street leading up to the Vatican, called Via della Conciliazione. During Mass, it will be the prisoners themselves who conduct the liturgy. The hosts used during Communion were also made by prisoners of the Opera maximum security prison in Milan as part of “The Meaning of Bread” project organized for the Jubilee of Mercy. In his comments to journalists, Archbishop Fisichella said the prisoners coming were chosen by the bishops conferences and prison chaplains. Participating in the Jubilee for Prisoners was proposed to them by the Vatican, he said, explaining that by attending, they have “responded to the invitation of the Pope.” He said no special security measures are being taken given the special nature of the Jubilee, but that the event will move forward “like normal.” When it comes to transporting prisoners from around Italy and other countries, the archbishop said that each country has their own laws and regulations for how it will be done. The Jubilee for the Socially Marginalized, on the other hand, will take place Nov. 13 and is intended for people who, “for different reasons, from economic precariousness to various diseases, from loneliness to a lack of family ties, have difficulties inserting themselves into the fabric of society and often end up on the margins of society, without a home or a place to live.” Nearly 6,000 people have signed up from countries around the world including France, Germany, Portugal, England, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Switzerland. Celebrations will begin Friday, Nov. 11, with an audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, during which the Pope will listen to testimonies and speak with them. Testimonies will also be given in various parishes around Rome throughout the day. On Saturday, Nov. 12, a vigil will be held at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Wall, during which attendees can pass through the basilica’s Holy Door. A concert will also be held that night in the Paul VI Hall. The event will close Sunday, Nov. 13, with a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis. On the same day, the Holy Doors in the papal three major basilicas of Rome – St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Wall and St. John Lateran – and those in dioceses throughout the world will be closed, marking the coming end of the Jubilee of Mercy. The Holy Door in St. Peter’s will be closed at the Nov. 20 conclusion of the Holy Year. In his comments to journalists, Archbishop Fisichella said that to close the Holy Doors “does not exhaust the commitment of the Church, but in the light of the Jubilee experience, strengthens her witness.” Referring to the Jubilee for Prisoners and Marginalized persons, he said “we are certain that these two Jubilee events will be lived with the same intensity and experience of prayer with which we have seen the entire Jubilee (of Mercy) be celebrated.” The two events, he said, are “a meaningful horizon of the jubilee program which looks forward to Nov. 20 with serenity and trust.” Read more
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