2016-02-13T01:28:00+00:00

Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 12, 2016 / 06:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A well-known Mexican artist is collecting millions of keys for an unusual reason. He will use the keys to create a 16-foot-tall bronze statue of Pope Francis. The statue’s design sh... Read more

2016-02-12T23:10:00+00:00

Havana, Cuba, Feb 12, 2016 / 04:10 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Christian brotherhood and unity were the focus of Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill when they met on Friday afternoon in Havana. “We spoke as brothers,” Pope Francis said. “We have the same baptism. We are bishops. We spoke of our Churches.” “We agreed that unity is created by journeying together,” he told a gathering of Catholic and Orthodox clergy and reporters after his meeting with the patriarch. He characterized the Feb. 12 conversation as open and authentic. It focused on “a series of initiatives that I believe are viable and can be realized.” The Pope praised the patriarch’s humility, brotherhood, and deep desire for unity. The first-ever meeting between a Pope and a Patriarch of Moscow was held privately. Afterwards they signed a joint declaration that focused on several topics. The declaration focused at length on anti-Christian persecution, especially in in the Middle East and North Africa. It lamented the hostilities in Ukraine. The declaration also voiced concern about the threat of secularism to religious freedom and the Christian roots of Europe. Other topics of discussion included poverty, the crisis in the family, abortion and euthanasia. The Pope and the patriarch exhorted young Christians to live their faith in the world. Patriarch Kirill characterized the private meeting as an open discussion “with full awareness of the responsibility of our Churches, for the future of Christianity, and for the future of human civilization.” He said the conversation “gave us the opportunity to understand and hear the positions of the other.” “The results of this allow me to assure you that the two Churches will continue to work closely together with Christians in all the world, and with full responsibility to work together against war, so that human life can develop in the entire world.” Their conversation also aimed to strengthen “the bases of personal and family morality” through “the participation of the Church in the life of modern human society, that glorifies the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Pope told Patriarch Kirill before their private meeting “we’re brothers. It's clear that this is the will of God.” At the close of their remarks, Pope Francis thanked Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Cardinal Kurt Koch and their teams who had worked to organize the meeting. Metropolitan Hilarion heads the Russian Orthodox Church’s external church relations department, while Cardinal Koch heads the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. “I do not wish to go forth from here without expressing my sense of gratitude for Cuba and for the Cuban people and for their president Raul Castro,” the Pope added. “I thank him for his acts of openness and readiness to give space for this, these talks of unity.” He prayed: “Let all of this be done for the glory of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and for the good of the holy people of God, under the protection of the Holy Mother of God.”   Read more

2016-02-12T21:51:00+00:00

Havana, Cuba, Feb 12, 2016 / 02:51 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In a historic first, Pope Francis on Friday met with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. The Feb. 12 meeting took place in Havana, Cuba, a stop added at the start of the Holy Father's Feb. 12-18 trip to Mexico. In addition to meeting privately, Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill signed a joint declaration. The full text of the declaration is below:Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor 13:13). 1. By God the Father’s will, from which all gifts come, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the help of the Holy Spirit Consolator, we, Pope Francis and Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, have met today in Havana. We give thanks to God, glorified in the Trinity, for this meeting, the first in history. It is with joy that we have met like brothers in the Christian faith who encounter one another “to speak face to face” (2 Jn 12), from heart to heart, to discuss the mutual relations between the Churches, the crucial problems of our faithful, and the outlook for the progress of human civilization. 2. Our fraternal meeting has taken place in Cuba, at the crossroads of North and South, East and West. It is from this island, the symbol of the hopes of the “New World” and the dramatic events of the history of the twentieth century, that we address our words to all the peoples of Latin America and of the other continents. It is a source of joy that the Christian faith is growing here in a dynamic way. The powerful religious potential of Latin America, its centuries–old Christian tradition, grounded in the personal experience of millions of people, are the pledge of a great future for this region. 3. By meeting far from the longstanding disputes of the “Old World”, we experience with a particular sense of urgency the need for the shared labour of Catholics and Orthodox, who are called, with gentleness and respect, to give an explanation to the world of the hope in us (cf. 1 Pet 3:15). 4. We thank God for the gifts received from the coming into the world of His only Son. We share the same spiritual Tradition of the first millennium of Christianity. The witnesses of this Tradition are the Most Holy Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, and the saints we venerate. Among them are innumerable martyrs who have given witness to their faithfulness to Christ and have become the “seed of Christians”. 5. Notwithstanding this shared Tradition of the first ten centuries, for nearly one thousand years Catholics and Orthodox have been deprived of communion in the Eucharist. We have been divided by wounds caused by old and recent conflicts, by differences inherited from our ancestors, in the understanding and expression of our faith in God, one in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are pained by the loss of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin, which has occurred despite the priestly prayer of Christ the Saviour: “So that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you … so that they may be one, as we are one” (Jn 17:21). 6. Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re–establishment of this unity willed by God, for which Christ prayed. May our meeting inspire Christians throughout the world to pray to the Lord with renewed fervour for the full unity of all His disciples. In a world which yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill! 7. In our determination to undertake all that is necessary to overcome the historical divergences we have inherited, we wish to combine our efforts to give witness to the Gospel of Christ and to the shared heritage of the Church of the first millennium, responding together to the challenges of the contemporary world. Orthodox and Catholics must learn to give unanimously witness in those spheres in which this is possible and necessary. Human civilization has entered into a period of epochal change. Our Christian conscience and our pastoral responsibility compel us not to remain passive in the face of challenges requiring a shared response. 8. Our gaze must firstly turn to those regions of the world where Christians are victims of persecution. In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated. Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed. It is with pain that we call to mind the situation in Syria, Iraq and other countries of the Middle East, and the massive exodus of Christians from the land in which our faith was first disseminated and in which they have lived since the time of the Apostles, together with other religious communities. 9. We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East. In raising our voice in defence of persecuted Christians, we wish to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by the faithful of other religious traditions who have also become victims of civil war, chaos and terrorist violence. 10. Thousands of victims have already been claimed in the violence in Syria and Iraq, which has left many other millions without a home or means of sustenance. We urge the international community to seek an end to the violence and terrorism and, at the same time, to contribute through dialogue to a swift return to civil peace. Large–scale humanitarian aid must be assured to the afflicted populations and to the many refugees seeking safety in neighbouring lands. We call upon all those whose influence can be brought to bear upon the destiny of those kidnapped, including the Metropolitans of Aleppo, Paul and John Ibrahim, who were taken in April 2013, to make every effort to ensure their prompt liberation. 11. We lift our prayers to Christ, the Saviour of the world, asking for the return of peace in the Middle East, “the fruit of justice” (Is 32:17), so that fraternal co–existence among the various populations, Churches and religions may be strengthened, enabling refugees to return to their homes, wounds to be healed, and the souls of the slain innocent to rest in peace. We address, in a fervent appeal, all the parts that may be involved in the conflicts to demonstrate good will and to take part in the negotiating table. At the same time, the international community must undertake every possible effort to end terrorism through common, joint and coordinated action. We call on all the countries involved in the struggle against terrorism to responsible and prudent action. We exhort all Christians and all believers of God to pray fervently to the providential Creator of the world to protect His creation from destruction and not permit a new world war. In order to ensure a solid and enduring peace, specific efforts must be undertaken to rediscover the common values uniting us, based on the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 12. We bow before the martyrdom of those who, at the cost of their own lives, have given witness to the truth of the Gospel, preferring death to the denial of Christ. We believe that these martyrs of our times, who belong to various Churches but who are united by their shared suffering, are a pledge of the unity of Christians. It is to you who suffer for Christ’s sake that the word of the Apostle is directed: “Beloved … rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly” (1 Pet 4:12–13). 13. Interreligious dialogue is indispensable in our disturbing times. Differences in the understanding of religious truths must not impede people of different faiths to live in peace and harmony. In our current context, religious leaders have the particular responsibility to educate their faithful in a spirit which is respectful of the convictions of those belonging to other religious traditions. Attempts to justify criminal acts with religious slogans are altogether unacceptable. No crime may be committed in God’s name, “since God is not the God of disorder but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33). 14. In affirming the foremost value of religious freedom, we give thanks to God for the current unprecedented renewal of the Christian faith in Russia, as well as in many other countries of Eastern Europe, formerly dominated for decades by atheist regimes. Today, the chains of militant atheism have been broken and in many places Christians can now freely confess their faith. Thousands of new churches have been built over the last quarter of a century, as well as hundreds of monasteries and theological institutions. Christian communities undertake notable works in the fields of charitable aid and social development, providing diversified forms of assistance to the needy. Orthodox and Catholics often work side by side. Giving witness to the values of the Gospel they attest to the existence of the shared spiritual foundations of human co–existence. 15. At the same time, we are concerned about the situation in many countries in which Christians are increasingly confronted by restrictions to religious freedom, to the right to witness to one’s convictions and to live in conformity with them. In particular, we observe that the transformation of some countries into secularized societies, estranged from all reference to God and to His truth, constitutes a grave threat to religious freedom. It is a source of concern for us that there is a current curtailment of the rights of Christians, if not their outright discrimination, when certain political forces, guided by an often very aggressive secularist ideology, seek to relegate them to the margins of public life. 16. The process of European integration, which began after centuries of blood–soaked conflicts, was welcomed by many with hope, as a guarantee of peace and security. Nonetheless, we invite vigilance against an integration that is devoid of respect for religious identities. While remaining open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our conviction that Europe must remain faithful to its Christian roots. We call upon Christians of Eastern and Western Europe to unite in their shared witness to Christ and the Gospel, so that Europe may preserve its soul, shaped by two thousand years of Christian tradition. 17. Our gaze is also directed to those facing serious difficulties, who live in extreme need and poverty while the material wealth of humanity increases. We cannot remain indifferent to the destinies of millions of migrants and refugees knocking on the doors of wealthy nations. The unrelenting consumerism of some more developed countries is gradually depleting the resources of our planet. The growing inequality in the distribution of material goods increases the feeling of the injustice of the international order that has emerged. 18. The Christian churches are called to defend the demands of justice, the respect for peoples’ traditions, and an authentic solidarity towards all those who suffer. We Christians cannot forget that “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, that no human being might boast before God” (1 Cor 1:27–29). 19. The family is the natural centre of human life and society. We are concerned about the crisis in the family in many countries. Orthodox and Catholics share the same conception of the family, and are called to witness that it is a path of holiness, testifying to the faithfulness of the spouses in their mutual interaction, to their openness to the procreation and rearing of their children, to solidarity between the generations and to respect for the weakest. 20. The family is based on marriage, an act of freely given and faithful love between a man and a woman. It is love that seals their union and teaches them to accept one another as a gift. Marriage is a school of love and faithfulness. We regret that other forms of cohabitation have been placed on the same level as this union, while the concept, consecrated in the biblical tradition, of paternity and maternity as the distinct vocation of man and woman in marriage is being banished from the public conscience. 21. We call on all to respect the inalienable right to life. Millions are denied the very right to be born into the world. The blood of the unborn cries out to God (cf. Gen 4:10). The emergence of so-called euthanasia leads elderly people and the disabled begin to feel that they are a burden on their families and on society in general. We are also concerned about the development of biomedical reproduction technology, as the manipulation of human life represents an attack on the foundations of human existence, created in the image of God. We believe that it is our duty to recall the immutability of Christian moral principles, based on respect for the dignity of the individual called into being according to the Creator’s plan. 22. Today, in a particular way, we address young Christians. You, young people, have the task of not hiding your talent in the ground (cf. Mt 25:25), but of using all the abilities God has given you to confirm Christ’s truth in the world, incarnating in your own lives the evangelical commandments of the love of God and of one’s neighbour. Do not be afraid of going against the current, defending God’s truth, to which contemporary secular norms are often far from conforming. 23. God loves each of you and expects you to be His disciples and apostles. Be the light of the world so that those around you may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:14, 16). Raise your children in the Christian faith, transmitting to them the pearl of great price that is the faith (cf. Mt 13:46) you have received from your parents and forbears. Remember that “you have been purchased at a great price” (1 Cor 6:20), at the cost of the death on the cross of the Man–God Jesus Christ. 24. Orthodox and Catholics are united not only by the shared Tradition of the Church of the first millennium, but also by the mission to preach the Gospel of Christ in the world today. This mission entails mutual respect for members of the Christian communities and excludes any form of proselytism. We are not competitors but brothers, and this concept must guide all our mutual actions as well as those directed to the outside world. We urge Catholics and Orthodox in all countries to learn to live together in peace and love, and to be “in harmony with one another” (Rm 15:5). Consequently, it cannot be accepted that disloyal means be used to incite believers to pass from one Church to another, denying them their religious freedom and their traditions. We are called upon to put into practice the precept of the apostle Paul: “Thus I aspire to proclaim the gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another's foundation” (Rm 15:20). 25. It is our hope that our meeting may also contribute to reconciliation wherever tensions exist between Greek Catholics and Orthodox. It is today clear that the past method of “uniatism”, understood as the union of one community to the other, separating it from its Church, is not the way to re–establish unity. Nonetheless, the ecclesial communities which emerged in these historical circumstances have the right to exist and to undertake all that is necessary to meet the spiritual needs of their faithful, while seeking to live in peace with their neighbours. Orthodox and Greek Catholics are in need of reconciliation and of mutually acceptable forms of co–existence. 26. We deplore the hostility in Ukraine that has already caused many victims, inflicted innumerable wounds on peaceful inhabitants and thrown society into a deep economic and humanitarian crisis. We invite all the parts involved in the conflict to prudence, to social solidarity and to action aimed at constructing peace. We invite our Churches in Ukraine to work towards social harmony, to refrain from taking part in the confrontation, and to not support any further development of the conflict. 27. It is our hope that the schism between the Orthodox faithful in Ukraine may be overcome through existing canonical norms, that all the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine may live in peace and harmony, and that the Catholic communities in the country may contribute to this, in such a way that our Christian brotherhood may become increasingly evident. 28. In the contemporary world, which is both multiform yet united by a shared destiny, Catholics and Orthodox are called to work together fraternally in proclaiming the Good News of salvation, to testify together to the moral dignity and authentic freedom of the person, “so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). This world, in which the spiritual pillars of human existence are progressively disappearing, awaits from us a compelling Christian witness in all spheres of personal and social life. Much of the future of humanity will depend on our capacity to give shared witness to the Spirit of truth in these difficult times. 29. May our bold witness to God’s truth and to the Good News of salvation be sustained by the Man–God Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who strengthens us with the unfailing promise: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32)! Christ is the well–spring of joy and hope. Faith in Him transfigures human life, fills it with meaning. This is the conviction borne of the experience of all those to whom Peter refers in his words: “Once you were ‘no people’ but now you are God’s people; you ‘had not received mercy’ but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet 2:10). 30. With grace–filled gratitude for the gift of mutual understanding manifested during our meeting, let us with hope turn to the Most Holy Mother of God, invoking her with the words of this ancient prayer: “We seek refuge under the protection of your mercy, Holy Mother of God”. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, through her intercession, inspire fraternity in all those who venerate her, so that they may be reunited, in God’s own time, in the peace and harmony of the one people of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and indivisible Trinity!      ___________________ Bishop of Rome Pope of the Catholic Church   Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia 12 February 2016, Havana (Cuba) Read more

2016-02-12T16:28:00+00:00

Vatican City, Feb 12, 2016 / 09:28 am (CNA/EWTN News).- While on board the plane taking him to Cuba and then Mexico, Pope Francis took a moment to send a special blessing to EWTN’s foundress Mother Angelica, and to ask her for her prayers. “To Mother Angelica with my blessing. And I ask you to pray for me, I need it. God bless you Mother Angelica!” Pope Francis, speaking in English, paused to record the brief video message while greeting journalists on his Feb. 12 flight to Havana, Cuba. His stop on the island was a last minute addition to his Feb. 12-17 visit to Mexico, so that he could meet with Russia Patriarch Kirill. Set to take place at Havana’s Josè Martì International Airport, the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between a Pope and a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is customary for the Pope to greet the journalists traveling with him after the first meal of the flight. After speaking to the whole group of them together, he typically makes his way around the plane to greet each one individually. This time was no different. As he made his way down the line of the 76 international journalists on board – 10 of whom are from Mexico – Pope Francis paused to record the brief, 20 second video for Mother Angelica when asked by CNA/EWTN News Rome Bureau Chief, Alan Holdren. “On behalf of Mother Angelica, I thank the Holy Father for his greeting and want him to know that Mother, her Nuns and the EWTN family will be praying for him and for the success of this historic journey,” EWTN Chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw said in a statement responding to the blessing. While Pope Francis has gained a reputation for his numerous interviews as pontiff, he was known during his time as a cardinal and archbishop for his aversion to speaking to the media. He did, however, make a few exceptions. One of them was for EWTN’s Spanish channel, EWTN Español, leading into the 2012-2013 Year of Faith, called for by Benedict XVI before he resigned from the papacy and closed by Francis after his election. In the interview, the then-Cardinal Bergoglio spoke about the significance of the Year of Faith, the gift of the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, and the importance of Latin America in the life of the Church. A nun with the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, Mother Angelica founded EWTN in Irondale, Alabama in 1981. She was a leading presence at the network and hosted a call-in show called Mother Angelica Live until she suffered a disabling stroke in 2001. Now bedridden, she currently lives in Hanceville, Alabama. In October 2009, Benedict XVI awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal to Mother Angelica. The medal is the highest honor the Pope can bestow on religious and is given for service to the Church. In June 2014, Catholic News Agency and the Eternal Word Television Network merged, bringing the entire ACI Group – Catholic News Agency, as well as the Spanish language ACI Prensa, Portuguese ACI Digital, Italian ACI Stampa and German CNA Deutsche – into the EWTN family. In his greeting to the journalists on the plane, Pope Francis thanked them for the work they will do during the “busy and tight trip” – one that was very much desired “by my brother Kirill, by me and also by the Mexican (people).” He said his “most intimate wish” is to pause in silence before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, “which has been studied and studied and studied and there aren't human explanations…this is a thing of God.” The image, miraculously imprinted on the tilma of St. Juan Diego 470 years ago, has made such a strong impact in Mexican culture that even those who are atheists still profess their devotion to her, Francis said. Pope Francis also announced that Vatican Chief of Protocol Dr. Alberto Gasbarri, who organizes international papal trips, will retire, and that Colombian Msgr. Maurico Rueda will take his place. In his one-on-one greetings with journalists, Pope Francis, told journalist Nestor Ponguta of Radio Caraco that he would visit Colombia in 2017 if the government and leaders of FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, could reach a peace agreement. Another journalist asked whether or not the Pope was planning to visit Moscow, to which Francis responded: “Russia and China, I have them here,” and pointed to his heart. He then asked that the visit to these countries be prayed for.   Read more

2016-02-12T11:38:00+00:00

Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 12, 2016 / 04:38 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera López of Monterrey has asked the entire community to unite in prayer in response to the riot that took place at a local prison that left a tragic toll of 5... Read more

2016-02-12T07:15:00+00:00

Washington D.C., Feb 12, 2016 / 12:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A new undercover video from the Center for Medical Progress highlights a major North American abortion group and its role in the transfer of baby parts, possibly for money. National Abortion F... Read more

2016-02-11T22:42:00+00:00

Emmitsburg, Md., Feb 11, 2016 / 03:42 pm (CNA).- Amid uproar over comparing struggling students to bunnies that should be drowned or shot, Mount St. Mary’s University president is now under fire for criticizing expressions of the Catholic faith a... Read more

2016-02-11T21:29:00+00:00

Vatican City, Feb 11, 2016 / 02:29 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In his new book on Benedict XVI, Vatican journalist Marco Mancini argues that while the retired pontiff became known for his shocking resignation three years ago, his real legacy began far earlier. “Unfortunately, we remember Benedict for the great gesture of the renunciation, but if we go on remembering Benedict only for that act, it would not be doing a service to truth of the facts,” Mancini told CNA. Neither would it be a service to history, to his pontificate or his person, “because he really in eight years confronted the totality of the themes and the emergencies that the Catholic Church lived.” Benedict XVI's Feb. 11, 2013, announcement of his resignation from the papacy – exactly three years ago today – hit the Church “light a lightning bolt in a clear blue sky,” said one cardinal who was present in the room when the pontiff stunned the Vatican and the rest of the world with his decision. But in his book “Benedict XVI: Un Papa Totale,” translating roughly as “Benedict XVI: a Complete Pope,” Mancini, 33, said Benedict's most memorable act was not his resignation, but everything he did to carry the Church through the many difficult and varied crises it endured during his eight-year reign. The book, which as of now is only available in Italian, was presented at the Vatican's Teutonic College Feb. 5. Speakers at the event included Mancini, Angela Ambrogetti – editor of CNA's Italian edition ACI Stampa – as well as Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, prefect of the Pontifical Household. Archbishop Gaenswein told CNA that in his opinion, Benedict XVI's greatest legacy “is yet to be discovered,” but that an important one we can see now “the personal and theological witness of a man who is a great theologian, but who did theology in a very, very humble way.” The “silent reform” Benedict carried out is centered on the way he guided and governed the Church, “above all with clarity, but above all with his fine theology,” the archbishop said. Mancini, who writes for ACI Stampa, is a former sports broadcaster, but began his work as a journalist in 2003 when he started writing for the Italian agency “Area,” reporting primarily on internal politics, particularly in the Vatican. He has covered both the 2005 conclave that elected St. John Paul II, as well as the 2013 conclave that named Pope Francis as Benedict XVI's successor. In 2013 he co-authored a book with his colleague Andrea Gagliarducci titled “La quaresima della Chiesa,” meaning “The Lent of the Church.” In his interview with CNA, Mancini said that the original plan for his book on Benedict was that it be released for the 10 year anniversary of his election to the papacy, but that the drafting took longer than expected. Despite the fact it came out just before the three-year anniversary of Benedict XVI's announcement of his decision to resign, the book “doesn’t seek to remember the renunciation, it seeks remember his pontificate in its totality.” “I tried to synthesize in 100 pages the pontificate of Benedict XVI, which is impossible. But I tried to underline the aspects that are perhaps less known to the greater public about the pontificate, from relativism, to his ecumenical commitment.” A total of 96 pages, the book offers a nutshell overview of how Benedict XVI fought against scourges in the Church and in society such as the growing presence of relativism, the economic crisis, pedophilia, increasing global hostility toward Christians and the first “Vatileaks” scandal. It also highlights Benedict XVI's many efforts in favor of ecumenical dialogue, particularly with the Orthodox and Anglican Churches, as well as his emphasis on caring for the environment and promoting sustainable development and business practices. Mancini also notes that Benedict was the one to start the current process of reform and “cleaning” within the Roman Curia, which Pope Francis has continued, particularly on financial matters, the streamlining of the marriage annulment process and dialogue with the Muslim community.   “Financial transparency and pedophilia are the two pillars of the process of reform that Benedict set up in the Church. He started,” Mancini said. “(And) fortunately his successor has carried this process of reform forward,” he added, noting that while on his way back from Africa in November, Pope Francis himself said that Benedict is the one who started the reform.On the papal plane from Bangui to Rome Nov. 30, 2015, Francis took a question from a journalist on corruption in the Vatican. In his response, the Pope noted how on Good Friday in 2005, 13 days before St. John Paul II died, the then-Cardinal Ratzinger had spoken about “the filth in the Church.” “He denounced it first,” Francis said, noting that Ratzinger spoke about the same thing again shortly before the conclave, “and we elected him for that freedom in saying things.” In his comments to CNA, Mancini noted that while Benedict did a lot in terms of beginning the current process of reform, it wasn't all smooth sailing – he also faced resistance, as Francis does today. “When there is an idea of reform, whatever it is, there is always resistance. Pope Benedict faced a lot of resistance and a lot of problems,” Mancini said. One of the toughest things Benedict had to face immediately after his election was a Curia that Mancini described as “too independent” due to John Paul II's declining health in the last years of his papacy. “The problem, according to me, is that toward the end of the pontificate of John Paul II – he was an extraordinary Pope, absolutely extraordinary – the problem is that his physical limitations allowed him to govern very little.” What resulted is that when Benedict XVI arrived, he had to put things back into order, so “the work of reform and order began right away.” In addition to Benedict's efforts in creating financial transparency and accountability in abuse cases, he was also the one who first instituted a commission to study the streamlining of the marriage annulment process. The commission finished its work and handed it in, but since Benedict resigned, he never made a move on it. Francis himself picked the project back up, forming a new commission to get an updated study of the issue, which resulted in the new process that went into place Dec. 10. In terms of the resistance Benedict faced, Mancini said he believes it is the same “lobby” that is resisting Francis' process of reform. “I think there is a lot of continuity between the two, whether it's among whoever tries to hinder the process of reform, or the way of reforming the Church,” he said, because Pope Francis “is continuing the same work that Pope Benedict started.” “So I realize in speaking with many people, there's a need to thank Benedict more for what he did for the Catholic Church.” Read more

2016-02-11T19:42:00+00:00

Vatican City, Feb 11, 2016 / 12:42 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Media reports are wrong to claim that the Vatican is telling new bishops that they don’t have to report sexual abuse, Holy See spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said. A reported comment from a Vatican consultant is “not in any way – as someone has mistakenly interpreted – a new Vatican document or a new instruction or new 'guidelines' for bishops,” Fr. Lombardi said Feb. 11. The news reports concerned a statement from French Monsignor Tony Anatrella, who contributed to a 2015 formation course for new bishops organized by the Congregation for Bishops. Msgr. Anatrella, a consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, wrote a document with a section reflecting on countries’ civil laws that mandate abuse reporting. The document said “it is not necessarily the duty of the bishop to report suspects to authorities, the police or state prosecutors in the moment when they are made aware of crimes or sinful deeds.” Msgr. Anatrella said that decision is up to victims and their families. Some media reports depicted the monsignor’s statements as an encouragement to cover up sexual abuse or as a claim that it is “not necessarily” a bishop’s duty to report sexual abuse in cases where laws require it. However, Fr. Lombardi rejected this idea, saying that “Anatrella does not say anything new or different than what has been said by the competent ecclesiastical institutions.” He directed reporters to a May 3, 2011 letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. There, the congregation told episcopal conferences that it is important to cooperate with civil authorities in responding to sexual abuse crimes. Without compromising the sacraments, it said, “the prescriptions of civil law regarding the reporting of such crimes to the designated authority should always be followed.” Fr. Lombardi also noted that the comment is part of a single report of a collected volume from an expert conference on the formation of new bishops. That report was “published together with several others on different topics.”   Read more

2016-02-11T18:17:00+00:00

Houghton, Mich., Feb 11, 2016 / 11:17 am (CNA/EWTN News).- When snow falls on the campus of Michigan Tech University, Catholic students don't stay boarded up in their dorm rooms with cups of hot chocolate. Instead, they build snow churches and celebrate Mass outdoors. “Building a snow chapel seemed like a really good way to get people thinking about God and the Eucharist and the Church in the midst of winter,” stated Fr. Ben Hasse, pastor at St. Albert the Great University Parish in Houghton. “It was hard work, it was a lot of fun, and I hope it contributes to outreach and evangelization here in Houghton,” Fr. Hasse told CNA. Student Benjamin Metzger said that Fr. Hasse suggested making a snow chapel during Michigan Tech's annual Winter Carnival. The carnival is a friendly competition which showcases various ice sculptures and snow statues to make use of the 200 inches of snow that fall on campus each year. Fr. Hasse received permission from the local bishop to construct the snow chapel, with the goal of celebrating Mass after it was finished. In late January, he organized Michigan Tech students and parishioners to build the snow church, which they called the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows. “There were a lot of people and several hundred man hours that went into the chapel,” Metzger told CNA, saying “we worked on it right up until the start of Mass.” “Working on the church was really deeply satisfying – to be building a church, even if only a temporary one,” Fr. Hasse said.   On Feb. 5, the 33x18-foot snow chapel was finished, complete with a snow altar, candle coves, and a holy water font. Later that evening, Fr. Hasse celebrated the inaugural candle-lit Mass with more than 140 people in attendance. “There were students, families, alumni, and people from the local community. It was really prayerful, people were very reverent. It was beautiful,” Fr. Hasse recalled. Metzger echoed Fr. Hasse, saying “the Mass was one of the most beautiful services that I've experienced.” Another student, Rachelle Wiegand said that the chapel was even a “little crowded because we were not expecting such a big crowd.” “I really liked how the candles lit up the church, it gave it a subtle glow in the twilight,” Wiegand continued. Even though warmer spring weather will melt away the ice chapel, Fr. Hasse and the students have big plans for future winters at Michigan Tech. “There are already plans on how to make the chapel bigger to hold more people,” Metzger said, saying he is looking forward to “next year so we can do it all over again.” Fr. Hasse spoke about the students wanting to add more intricate details to the chapel, such as arches, flying buttresses, and even stained-ice windows. “For an engineering school, where everyone is thinking about design and technology, I think the sky is the limit,” Fr. Hasse noted. “We don't want this to be primarily a novelty thing, but hopefully something that gets people to remember God in the midst of Winter Carnival.  All photos courtesy of St. Albert the Great University Parish. Read more




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