Philadelphia, Pa., Jul 7, 2016 / 03:25 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis’ teaching on divorce-and-remarriage and the sacraments represents Catholic tradition and shows the way forward for engaging those who are estranged and hurting, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia has said. “As with all magisterial documents, Amoris Laetitia is best understood when read within the tradition of the Church’s teaching and life,” Archbishop Chaput said in July 1 pastoral guidelines for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.Amoris laetitia is Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation written as a culmination of the 2015 Synod on the Family. Some vague language in the exhortation had allowed a variety of interpretations, and Archbishop Chaput's guidelines were meant to help in the implementation of the document in the Philadelphia archdiocese. “The Holy Father himself states clearly that neither Church teaching nor the canonical discipline concerning marriage has changed,” the archbishop said. “The Holy Father’s exhortation should therefore be read in continuity with the great treasury of wisdom handed on by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the witness of the lives of the saints, the teachings of Church councils, and previous magisterial documents.” The archbishop said the exhortation, which includes “sections of exceptional beauty and usefulness”, calls for “a sensitive accompaniment” for those whose grasp of Christian teaching on marriage and family life is imperfect and for those who may not live according to Church teaching but desire to take part in Church life, including the Sacraments. “In all of this the Holy Father, in union with the whole Church, hopes to strengthen existing families, and to reach out to those whose marriages have failed, including those alienated from the life of the Church,” he added. Pope Francis' statements, he said, “build on the classic Catholic understanding, key to moral theology, of the relationship between objective truth about right and wrong … and how the individual person grasps and applies that truth to particular situations in his or her judgment of conscience.” He recalled that “the subjective conscience of the individual can never be set against objective moral truth,” and quoted several times from Veritatis splendor, St. John Paul II's 1993 encyclical on fundamental questions regarding the Church's moral teaching. Archbishop Chaput considered how this applies in cases of divorced-and-remarried persons, cohabiting couples, and persons with same-sex attractions or relationships. “With divorced and civilly-remarried persons, Church teaching requires them to refrain from sexual intimacy,” he explained. “This applies even if they must (for the care of their children) continue to live under one roof. Undertaking to live as brother and sister is necessary for the divorced and civilly-remarried to receive reconciliation in the Sacrament of Penance, which could then open the way to the Eucharist.” Pastors should avoid “both a subjectivism that ignores the truth or a rigorism that lacks mercy,” he said. They must always convey Catholic teaching “faithfully to all persons – including the divorced and remarried – both in the confessional as well as publicly.” “They should do this with great confidence in the power of God’s grace, knowing that, when spoken with love, the truth heals, builds up, and sets free,” he added. Archbishop Chaput said pastors who give Communion to divorced-and-remarried persons who try to live chastely must take care to avoid the appearance of endorsement of divorce-and-remarriage. “As Amoris Laetitia notes, bishops must arrange for the accompaniment of estranged and hurting persons with guidelines that faithfully reflect Catholic belief,” he said, citing paragraph 300 of the Pope’s document. That passage stressed careful discernment that does not avoid “the gospel demands of truth and charity, as proposed by the Church.” It stressed the need for “humility, discretion, and love for the Church and her teaching” for discernment for those in irregular marital situations. The divorced-and-remarried are invited to attend Mass, pray, and take part in parish activities. Their children should be brought up in the faith and are “integral to the life of the Catholic community.” Cohabiting couples without children should domestically separate to prepare themselves for marriage. Those with children may have to live together, for the children’s sake, “but in chastity.” For those with same-sex attractions, Church ministers should emphasize “that they are loved by God, that Jesus desires them to receive an inheritance as adopted sons and daughters of the Father, and that, as with every Christian, this is made possible through the gift of grace,” Archbishop Chaput said. Given Christian teaching on marriage and sexual intimacy, those with same-sex attractions are “called to struggle to live chastely for the kingdom of God.” For same-sex couples, the archbishop noted the importance of remembering that some couples “live together in chaste friendship.” “The Church welcomes all men and women who honestly seek to encounter the Lord, whatever their circumstances,” he said. “But two persons in an active, public same-sex relationship, no matter how sincere, offer a serious counter-witness to Catholic belief, which can only produce moral confusion in the community. Such a relationship cannot be accepted into the life of the parish without undermining the faith of the community, most notably the children.” Archbishop Chaput noted the “great suffering” of those who are separated or divorced. There is no obstacle to receiving Holy Communion for those who recognize that their first marriage is indissoluble and refrain from a new union. Indeed, they should receive the sacraments regularly, he noted. “God is faithful to them even when their spouses are not, a truth that fellow Catholics should reinforce,” he said. Archbishop Chaput repeated that marriage is permanent, monogamous, and open to life. “Jesus himself raised marriage to new dignity,” he said. “The valid marriage of two baptized persons is a sacrament that confers grace, with the potential to deepen the couple’s life in Christ, especially through the shared privilege of bringing new life into the world and raising children in the knowledge of God.” The archbishop stressed the great joy of marriage, acknowledging its stresses and suffering while also praising the grace of the sacrament, which can “strengthen [the couple's] relationship, not just as an idea but as a reality that impacts their daily married life.” One prominent Catholics objected to the archbishop’s presentation of Catholic teaching. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney on Twitter snapped that Archbishop Chaput’s actions “are not Christian.” Read more

Washington D.C., Jul 7, 2016 / 06:46 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After the Supreme Court struck down Texas’ abortion clinic regulations last week, a new report claims that these clinics are ignoring health standards and continuing to put women at risk. ... Read more

Denver, Colo., Jul 7, 2016 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On July 1, Kara Jackson crossed the 40th state off her list. The 18-year-old helped serve Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Northglenn, Colorado. Dressed in her own vestments and a big smile on her face, Jackson served with the same passion she began her journey with in 2013. This all started because “God told me to,” Kara told CNA. She said God came to her in a dream one night telling her to begin the quest of helping serve Mass in all 50 states.   And it's a mission her mother questioned at first. “I didn't think it was a good idea,” Christina Jackson said, “It was a crazy idea.” The thought of traveling to unknown areas, without financial support, and Kara's heath complications made her mother hesitant. But Kara was persistent. Christina and her husband, Rick, took the idea to their local priests in Middletown, Ohio for their opinion. The late Msgr. Paul Metzger encouraged Kara because he too had traveled to every state celebrating Mass. Father John Civille, their pastor, told Kara he would be her personal chaplain in Alaska and Hawaii. With their support, Kara's mother looked to the closest state, Indiana, to “test the waters.” Kara, having a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother, suggested stopping at St. Mary Catholic Church in Richmond. “I didn't think there was a St. Mary's,” her mother said, but sure enough, “they have a St. Mary's.” The family said a prayer and sent a letter to the parish. That Friday at 3 p.m., the pastor of the parish called back welcoming Kara. The evening before Divine Mercy Sunday, she stood with Father Kevin Morris and served Mass in her second state. Since then, Kara and her parents have traveled across the nation during school breaks and family vacations. “God leads us where we're supposed to go,” Christina said. The family never has a specific parish in mind to stop at. Sometimes they end up at a small Church in a strong protestant area or a parish that has more than 12,000 parishioners like Immaculate Heart of Mary in Colorado. “We've seen it all,” the family chuckled. The family told stories of Churches with expansion plans and others where the pastor's dog also attended Mass. They recalled the time Kara served with Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, at her sixth state in Kentucky. They even said their journey impacted the life of a hotel clerk, bringing him back to God.   “I don't think of ourselves has evangelists,” Christina said, “but we really are evangelizing our faith.” The family considers each trip a pilgrimage. Kara prays for the priests and their parish before Mass begins. Regardless of where they travel, they said God is always with them. Seeing the universal Church and all the godly encounters “gives me great hope and it has strengthened my faith,” Christina said. “We are a vibrant Church,” she said, “We’ve survived over 2,000 years and we will still be here.” A notebook filled with messages from every priest documents the entire journey. One priest wrote a message inviting Kara to serve Mass at his home parish in Ireland. She hopes to make the trip for her twenty-first birthday. “It’s emotional to see this,” Christina said with tears in her eyes. After struggling with infertility for many years, Christina became pregnant. When doctors told Christina and Rick their daughter had Down syndrome, they said she would never lift her head up or talk. They said the doctors even suggested, “adopting her out.” “We brought her home,” Christina said. It was Kara who wanted to take altar serving lessons when she was 9-years-old. Her parents said she was focused and attentive the entire time. “She tells me, 'momma, all I want to be is a saint.'” Dedicated to serving in different parishes across the U.S., Kara would watch daily Mass on EWTN to learn how to ring the bells. While traveling, she never got sick eating hosts with gluten though she has Celiac disease. The family will stop in six more states on this leg of their trip leaving only Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska. Though they would love to complete their journey in the Year of Mercy, they said they would finish “when the money comes in.” Starting in August, Kara will be attending the Project 101 Program for special needs students at Butler Tech University. The family said people have suggested their story be turned into a book or movie. Either way, Kara said she will become an actress and writer one day.  Read more

Fargo, N.D., Jul 6, 2016 / 03:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Homeless Jesus statue is at it again. Since its installation in front of First Lutheran Church in downtown Fargo, N.D. last month, emergency crews have responded at least twice to calls from concerned residents who thought the statue was a real person. The Fargo Fire Department told a local news station that it treats every call as an emergency, even if they think they are being sent to the statue. “It’s not a common call. It just shows we have concerned citizens who are willing to make the call,” Fargo police Sgt. Kevin Pallas told local news station WDAY Channel 6. “That’s encouraging.” The bronze statue, created by sculptor Tim Schmalz, depicts Jesus as a homeless man lying on a park bench, covered in a blanket, with the crucifixion wounds on his feet. “Homeless Jesus” is based on the “Judgment of the Nations” scene from Matthew 25 and signifies Christ in “the most marginalized in our society,” according to Schmalz’s website. The statue has been installed in cities all over the world, including at the Vatican. Almost every time the statue is installed in a new city, it inspires unique responses. In April 2014, when a Homeless Jesus statue was installed in a wealthy North Carolina neighborhood, at least one woman called emergency crews, thinking it was a real person. Another resident wrote a letter to the editor of a local paper, complaining that the statue “gave him the creeps.” When the statue was unveiled outside St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Buffalo, N.Y., people started leaving donations for the homeless by the statue. Every day, the church collects the offerings of money, food, books, and even Buffalo Bills sports gear, and donates them to a local organization that helps the homeless. Last winter, a Homeless Jesus statue in Canada sparked several calls to emergency services during particularly cold and snowy nights. Thanks to those who reported someone laying out in the cold, thankfully it's the "Homeless Jesus" statue. #HamOnt pic.twitter.com/8c7QsAep3X — Hamilton Paramedics (@hemsparamedics) January 20, 2016 Schmalz, a full-time sculptor and Ontario resident, took eight months to create the life-size statue. The first cast of Homeless Jesus was installed in 2013 in front of the University of Toronto’s Regis College. Earlier this year, the Homeless Jesus statue was installed in the Vatican outside of the papal charities office. Pope Francis blessed a small model of the statue in 2013. During his papacy, Pope Francis and the papal charities office have reached out to the homeless in new ways, including the addition of free showers, haircuts and shaves for the homeless at the Vatican. Additional shelters have also been built in the Vatican during Pope Francis’ papacy, bringing the Vatican’s total capacity for housing the homeless up to 84. Read more