Mobile, Ala., Aug 29, 2015 / 05:28 am (CNA).- An Alabama Planned Parenthood clinic did not report the suspected abuse of a 14 year-old girl who had two abortions in four months at the clinic, according to findings by the state’s health department... Read more
Vatican City, Aug 28, 2015 / 04:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Earlier this year the Pontifical Council for the Family organized three seminars which gathered scholars to discuss marriage and family life in the run-up to the Synod on the Family being held in October. The lectures at these seminars were published June 2 by Libreria Editrice Vaticana in Italian as Famiglia e Chiesa, un legame indissolubile (Family and Church, an indissoluble bond), and feature a preface written by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. On the whole, the book suggests a “penitential path” that would allow the divorced-and-remarried to receive sacramental Communion while still engaging in sexual relations. In a June 15 statement, the pontifical council said that “In view of the forthcoming Synod, we wanted to focus on some theoretical issues, identified as paradigmatic nuclei, crucial for the anthropological and theological reflection on marriage and family.” The three seminars, held Jan. 17, Feb. 21, and March 14, gathered 29 scholars to discuss “Marriage: Faith, Sacrament, Discipline”; "Family, Conjugal Love and Generation”; and "The Wounded Family and Irregular Unions: What Pastoral Attitude." The seminars were attended by Archbishop Paglia; his deputy, Bishop Jean Laffitte; and Bishop Fabio Fabene, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, though none of them took part in the discussion. The Pontifical Council for the Family noted that the “new, interesting book” includes, at its end, three brief summaries “that, building upon the issues raised during the debate, provide guidelines and prospects for reflection” on the topics of the three seminars. Notable among the experts invited to the seminars is Fr. Eberhard Schockenhoff, who teaches moral theology at the University of Freiburg and who also participated in the May 25 “shadow council”, which pushed for acceptance of contraception, homosexual acts, and Communion for the divorced-and-remarried. In one of his interventions at the seminars sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Family, Fr. Schockenhoff stressed that “the possibility of an evolution of ecclesiastical doctrine on marriage is greater” than what can be suggested by “a statement that the Church cannot modify her praxis without betraying her traditions.” To this end, Fr. Schockenhoff asked for an updating of Familiaris consortio, the 1981 apostolic exhortation of St. John Paul II which was the fruit of the Synod on the Family held in 1980. The widest-ranging discussion was on the notion of sin and “unforgiveable sin.” Fr. Eduardo Scognamiglio, OFM Conv, a professor at the Southern Italy Theological Faculty, voiced hope that the Synod would “honestly discuss whether it is possible to deprive a member of the faithful of the Eucharist for all of his existence.” Given this, the seminars articulated a proposal for a “penitential path” that would eventually allow the divorced-and-remarried to receive Communion – even though the penitence would not necessarily include foregoing sexual relations with one's second “spouse.” In Familiaris consortio, St. John Paul II taught that “Reconciliation in the sacrament of Penance which would open the way to the Eucharist, can only be granted to those who, repenting of having broken the sign of the Covenant and of fidelity to Christ, are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. This means, in practice, that when, for serious reasons, such as for example the children's upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they 'take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples.'” But Fr. Giampaolo Dianin, a professor of moral theology at the Theological Faculty of Triveneto, underscored that the 2014 synod's final report does not explicitly refer to the commitment not to engage in sexual relations with one's second “spouse”. He outlined a “penitential path” under the responsibility of the bishop – or his delegates – which would result in either full or “partial” admission to the sacraments. For Fr. Dianin, “partial” admission to Confession and Communion would occur only during the Easter season (and on special occasions). He grounded this proposal for “partial” admission to the sacraments in the precepts of the Church that Confession be made at least once a year, and that one receive Communion at least once a year, during the Easter season. These precepts are rooted in the Fourth Lateran Council, held in 1215. Fr. Dianin used the “Easter precept” to conclude that annual admission to Communion “cannot be denied to the divorced-and-remarried.” The same logic was used by Archbishop Paglia, who told Famiglia Cristiana Aug. 12 that “one must not forget what the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) established with its so-called 'Easter precept', that Communion and Confession at leat once a year are necessary in the economy of salvation. There is room to reorder in a more logical way both the discipline and the doctrine for a pastoral path that can find broad consensus.” Fr. Eugenio Zanetti proposed what he called a “path of conversion to love,” rather than a “penitential path”. This proposal would include a year of group prayer and reflection, intensified during Lent. At a Confession made during Holy Week, the divorced-and-remarried would be granted absolution so long as they intend to abstain from sexual relations with their second “spouse” during the Easter Octave; they would then be admitted to Communion on the Octave day, which is Divine Mercy Sunday. In stark contrast to majority of the group invited by the Pontifical Council for the Family stood Fr. José Granados, DCJM, who is vice-president of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Lateran University. Fr. Granados emphasized that any penitential path must conclude in a separation from a new union, or, when that is impossible, in the choice not to engage in sexual relations. The group also discussed the issue of contraception, asking that the synod clarify the Church’s teaching on sexuality, overcoming what Fr. Gianluigi Brena, S.J. (a retired professor of the phenomenology of religion at the Aloisianum Philosophical Institute) called “an excessive severity and authoritarian regulations.” Fr. Scognamiglio said that natural methods for the regulation of birth “must not be absolutized” and that “at the upcoming synod a mature reflection on faith and moral issues should emerge. We cannot replace the choices of couples; we can only educate them to choose with wisdom and maturity in faith.” In general, the participants expressed a preference for natural means of the regulation of birth, but at the same time most showed an openness to discussing the issue of contraception. The assembled group agreed that the Church should commit to presenting more clearly her teaching on marriage, especially during marriage preparation; that she should counsel and assist troubled couples; and that she should show the divorced-and-remarried that they are still welcome. In the preface of the book, Archbishop Paglia wrote that “The Pontifical Council for the Family, in keeping with its statutory mandate, has responded to Pope Francis' call also through the promotion of an International Research Seminar on some issues mentioned in the Lineamenta for the next Synod of Bishops." This comes in contrast to Cardinal Ennio Antonelli (who preceded Archbishop Paglia as president of the Pontifical Council for the Family and is now retired) who published, in several languages, The Marriage Crisis and the Eucharist, a short book arguing that the divorced-and-remarried need the Church's support in conversion and spiritual growth – not a change in the practice on reception of Communion. Read more
Vatican City, Aug 28, 2015 / 11:52 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican has rejected claims in the media that Pope Francis is supporting a book on gay adoption, saying a letter responding to the author should not be interpreted as an endorsement. In res... Read more
Vatican City, Aug 28, 2015 / 09:10 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Jozef Wesolowski, the laicized, former apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic who faced criminal charges in Vatican City of possession of child pornography and pedophilic acts, has died at the age of 67. The Holy See press office announced Aug. 28 that Wesolowski was found dead in his room at the Vatican's Collegio dei Penitenzieri in front of a TV, which was turned on, at about 5 am by a Franciscan religious. The Vatican has said that preliminary investigations indicate he died of natural causes, but an autopsy will be performed nonetheless. In 2013, allegations arose that then-Archbishop Wesolowski had engaged in sexual misconduct. He resigned as apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic on Aug. 21 of that year. After the printing of the original accusations, a 13-year-old boy came forward with further allegations that Wesolowski had solicited him for sexual favors in exchange for money. In a June 2014 canonical trial, the tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith found him guilty of sexual abuse. As a result, Wesolowski was laicized, a serious canonical penalty that renders one unable to celebrate the sacraments. Following the canonical trial, Vatican City decided to also hold a criminal trial of Wesolowski. Due to his poor health, in September he was placed under house arrest rather than being jailed in Vatican City's prison. His criminal trial was to have started July 11, but it was postponed as Wesolowski had been hospitalized the day before, and could not attend his trial. According to reports, Wesolowski was dismissed from hospital July 17, and had since then been residing in the College of Penitentaries in the Vatican, where he was living under house arrest. A Holy See press office statement said July 20 that Wesolowski had been hospitalized because of a fall in blood pressure brought on by heat, stress, and age. CORRECTION: The story lede wrongly indicated that the former nuncio had died on Friday. Read more
Lincoln, Neb., Aug 28, 2015 / 06:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Nebraska’s three Catholic bishops have asked all people of goodwill to continue to fight the death penalty, after it won a last-minute reprieve in the state Wednesday. The group Nebraskans for the Death Penalty, largely financed by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and his supporters, said it had gathered 166,692 signatures from all 93 of the state's counties, enough to briefly halt the repeal of the death penalty approved by the state’s unicameral legislature in May. The advocacy group needed roughly 114,000 signatures to immediately halt the repeal of the death penalty, a move which will likely place the fate of capital punishment in the hands of Nebraska voters in 2016. "Nebraskans sent a strong message about crime and punishment in our state by signing this petition in extraordinary numbers," said state treasurer and former attorney general Don Stenberg, a co-chair of the petition drive, according to the AP. The three Nebraskan bishops, who said in May that capital punishment “cannot be justified” in the state at present, asked in a statement Thursday that all people of goodwill join them in continued opposition to the death penalty. “Justice requires punishment, but it does not require that those who have committed serious crimes be put to death,” the bishops said in their Aug. 27 statement. “For the Catholic community, this issue – like all life issues – involves more than public policy,” they said. “It involves our faith and the central principle that human life is sacred. Reflection on the God-given dignity of every human person should guide all our decisions about life, including refraining from the use of the death penalty.” The bishops join the three most recent Popes – St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis – in opposing capital punishment in most cases. As explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, because life is sacred, the death penalty should only be used if there are no other means with which to protect the public. In paragraph 2267, the catechism notes that in the modern world, scenarios in which the death penalty is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically nonexistent," language borrowed from St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical Evangelium vitae. The collected signatures from Nebraskans for the Death Penalty were delivered Wednesday to the Nebraska secretary of state's office, which will verify them with each country as belonging to registered voters. If the necessary number was obtained, the death penalty repeal will be blocked until voters decide on the issue in the November 2016 general election. Even if the repeal is blocked, Nebraska still has no way to execute people on death row, as it lacks two of the three legally required lethal injection drugs.In recent years, many domestic pharmaceutical companies have decided they do not want to be associated with the taking of life and have therefore stopped providing lethal drugs. This causes states to look for companies abroad, but since the European Union holds the death penalty as a violation of human rights, it is illegal for European pharmaceutical companies to sell the drugs to the United States. When the Nebraska legislature repealed capital punishment in May, overriding Ricketts' veto, it became the first conservative state to do so in 42 years. In their statement, the Nebraska bishops vowed to keep fighting capital punishment, which they say does not clearly deter crime and disproportionately affects minorities and the poor. “Other means are available to punish criminals and to protect society that are more respectful of human life,” they said. “This is the message Nebraska’s three bishops will take to the state’s 375,000 Catholics in the coming year to encourage support for upholding the prohibition of the death penalty.” Nebraska’s three bishops are Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha; Bishop James Conley of Lincoln; and Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt of Grand Island. Read more
Lima, Peru, Aug 28, 2015 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The face of the first saint of the New World may be better known than ever, thanks to a team of scientists that has analyzed the skull of Saint Rose of Lima. Scientists from the University of Saint Martin de Porres in Peru and the Brazilian Anthropological and Dental Legal Forensics Team reconstructed her face and the faces of two other saints who lived more than 300 years ago. The Dominicans have preserved the skulls of Saint Rose, Saint Martin de Porres and Saint John Macias in Saint Dominic Church, located in the historic center of the Peruvian capital of Lima. Under the care of Dominican friars and with strict security measures, the skulls were temporarily transferred to a clinic in Lima. There, the researchers took computerized tomography images. This is a process used in diagnostic medicine using CT or ultrasound scans. Saint Rose of Lima's face was the first to be revealed. According to the news site Peru Catolico, the researchers said the reconstruction shows she was “a pretty woman with soft features and a well-distributed face.” Unlike her classical portrayals, the reconstruction indicates her eyes were large. Saint Rose was born in Lima to Spanish parents in 1586. At a very young age, she chose to consecrate her life to God. She practiced very intense prayer and penance each day. Sometimes she deprived herself of food and sleep. She joined the Third Order of St. Dominic. After three years of illness, she died at the age of 31 in 1617. Her feast day is celebrated on Aug. 23 in many parts of the world, while in Peru and several places it is observed Aug. 30. Her reconstructed image was unveiled at Saint Rose Parish on the Brazilian island of Guaruja on Aug. 23. This coming November the research team will present the conclusion of their work in Peru. They will unveil the bust of Saint Rose and those of the two other saints. St. Martin de Porres was the first black saint of the Americas. He was known for his generosity, his care of the poor, his love of animals, and his seemingly miraculous power to heal. He became a Dominican brother and died in 1639 at the age of 60. St. Juan Macias, another Dominican saint, was a regular companion of St. Martin de Porres. He served as the porter at the Dominican convent in Lima. He was known for his evangelism, his service to the poor, and his miracles. He died in 1645. Read more
Washington D.C., Aug 28, 2015 / 12:25 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A proposed federal bill to combat human trafficking and forced labor in the corporate supply chain is an opportunity for Catholics to speak up in defense of oppressed people around the world, i... Read more
New Orleans, La., Aug 27, 2015 / 04:13 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- For Sister Greta Jupiter, SSF, it was an odd sensation driving through New Orleans East in the months after Hurricane Katrina. Her neighborhood was quiet. The power, out. Gone was the familiar white noise of birds chirping. There was no traffic, save for military and first responders. “I felt like I was in the middle of a war zone,” she told CNA. “It was just that devastating.” The month was October 2005 and Sr. Greta was making her first, unofficial visit to New Orleans, her hometown and the seedbed of her religious vocation, since Hurricane Katrina. Sr. Greta and her fellow Sisters of the Holy Family had been staying at a convent and a private home in Lafayette. Before driving into the water-logged city, Sr. Greta was required to get a tetanus shot and several other vaccinations. She wore a mask and rubber boots. Her goal was to visit Saint Mary's Academy, a private all-girl's high school her community had established more than 160 years prior. She was principal of the academy at the time. She'd heard rumors the school had been spared from massive flooding after the city's levees failed. More than 80 percent of New Orleans was underwater, but she still hoped against hope that St. Mary's was in the lucky 20 percent. It wasn't. St. Mary's had been submerged in more than eight feet of water. The water had since drained, but the first level of the school was still sitting in six inches of black mud. Mold climbed up the walls and several classrooms had been completely emptied of desks, computers and chairs. “That was the end of everything,” Sr. Greta said. On the drive back to Lafayette that October day, Sr. Greta turned several thoughts over in her mind. “Lord, give me some direction,” she prayed. “Where do you want me to go from here? Can the school be rebuilt? Will the people come back? Is New Orleans East something of the past?” This month marks 10 years since Hurricane Katrina paved its destructive path across the southern coast of the United States, causing some $108 billion in damages. The Category 3 hurricane was one of the strongest storms to strike the U.S. coast in a century, according to FEMA. The hurricane and its aftermath killed more than 1,800 people – the vast majority of whom were in Louisiana. Those who didn't lose their lives to Katrina lost their homes, their jobs and their community. Sr. Greta and the Sisters of the Holy Family were no exception: the community's school, nursing home, and motherhouse were rendered unusable by the floodwaters. “I just didn't know what to think or believe because I had never, ever experienced anything like this,” Sr. Greta said. “It was not anything that anyone could have been prepared for or could have even imagined. It was like an atomic bomb exploded or something.” The sisters were weighing their options when then-Archbishop Clifton Hughes announced that the diocese would return to the city to rebuild. The sisters decided to follow suit. “There's no way that the Archdiocese of New Orleans can be in existence if the Sisters of the Holy Family cannot be there,” Sr. Greta said. “The Sisters of the Holy Family was founded in New Orleans and for the people in New Orleans first.” The Sisters of the Holy Family were founded in New Orleans in the 1800s to minister to slaves and the poor. St. Mary's Academy was the first Catholic secondary school for African American girls in New Orleans. Sr. Greta's first order of business was to reach out to all of St. Mary's senior students, whose final year at the all-girls high school had been disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. Many of the students and their families had temporarily settled in Houston or Atlanta. Sr. Greta invited the seniors to return to New Orleans for St. Mary's traditional ring ceremony, during which seniors receive their class rings marking their last year at the school. More than half of the school's seniors were able to return for the celebration at New Orleans' St. Louis Cathedral. Sr. Greta said the ring ceremony was the first sign of hope for the future of St. Mary's Academy. “Those students who were able to come back to the city...when they came back and they saw their other classmates, they just screamed and cried,” she said. “Parents and students were happy to have some feeling of belonging again to the school.” “St. Mary's was still alive.” The academy was able to offer classes again as early as January, through a collaboration with two other Catholic schools in the area. The “MAX school” represented St. Mary's Academy, St. Augustine High School and Xavier University Preparatory School. Former students of the three schools were able to register for classes on a first-come, first-serve basis – and the MAX school had a full enrollment, despite the fact that many former students were unable to return to New Orleans. That spring, students at the “MAX school” marched in a parade for Mardi Gras. Sr. Greta said the “MAX school” was an anchor of hope for students and their families who were still picking up the pieces of their lives after Katrina. “The important thing for us at the time was to try to bring some normalcy to the lives of the students,” she explained. “Just like I was homeless at one time, they were homeless. And not only homeless but school-less and friend-less because they were disassociated with the friends they went to school with…(they were) people among strangers.” “We wanted to bring them back to their comfort zone to a place that they felt that they were part of a family.” In fall of 2006 – exactly one year after Hurricane Katrina – St. Mary's Academy opened a full academic program for grades 1-12 in St. James Major Catholic Church, which was not in use at the time. The program included a boarding house for children whose families were unable to return to New Orleans because their homes had been destroyed. The following year, the program moved into portable classrooms on St. Mary's Academy's original grounds. And in 2010, St. Mary's Academy moved into a brand new building on their original grounds. The school now offers classes for pre-K through 12th grade. For Sr. Greta, Hurricane Katrina “showed us that people do care and that there is good in everything.” “God allows things to happen for a reason,” Sr. Greta said. “We don't really know what those reasons are and we may not get the answer right away but...in the end, you'll find out that there was a good reason for it.” Even with the brand new building, Hurricane Katrina has still left a mark on the students of St. Mary's Academy. Many girls experience anxiety and stress when it rains or when there are reports of hurricanes nearby. But Sr. Greta believes the community at St. Mary's Academy can help students heal. “We're home, we're anchored, and we are your family,” Sr. Greta said. Read more
Havana, Cuba, Aug 27, 2015 / 02:24 pm (CNA).- The leader of a human rights group is concerned that the Cuban government will repeat its 2012 crackdown on opposition activists when Pope Francis visits the nation next month. During Pope Benedict XVI&r... Read more
Cucuta, Colombia, Aug 27, 2015 / 11:36 am (CNA/EWTN News).- With thousands of Colombian residents of Venezuela being driven from their homes amid a border crisis and martial law, the bishop of a Colombian border city is encouraging his people to assist the displaced. Since last week, more than 6,000 Colombian residents of Venezuela have been expelled or have left voluntarily, after president Nicolas Maduro declared martial law and closed the border following the Sept. 19 injury of four Venezuelans by Colombian smugglers. Bishop Victor Ochoa Cadavid of Cúcuta warned that Venezuela's actions have unleashed a humanitarian crisis, and therefore asked that “the competent authorities address, in a timely and effective manner, the situation confronting the people expelled from our neighboring country.” The bishop noted that the diocese is providing assistance to some 200 deportees through its Migration Center, “providing shelter, personal hygiene items, and food, with contributions coming from the Diocesan Food Bank and Jesuit Refugee Services.” Bishop Ochoa added that the diocese is also providing food for the 207 persons housed in Cúcuta's public schools and that they are “awaiting a contribution from the city administration to increase the aid.” He also said that in La Parada, another border town located six miles south of Cúcuta, “Saint Peter the Apostle Parish is providing accommodation and food for 30 people, and they are moving forward with taking inventory of the needs in available lodging in the area. With the help of religious communities we are taking care of 196 deportees or people who are in need.” The bishop was thankful that the fruits of this year's Campaign for Christian Communication of Goods will be able to provide for “this complex situation, especially for children and youth.” Ya son mas de tres mil los colombianos deportados desde el Tàchira. pic.twitter.com/pV3N00aUOs — RCTV.net (@RCTVenlinea) August 25, 2015 Maduro declared a state of emergency in Tachira state, which borders Colombia, on Aug. 20, after the clash between smugglers and Venezuelan soldiers. A market for smuggling goods such as gasoline and foodstuffs from Venezuela to Colombia has developed because these goods are subject to price controls imposed by Venezuela's socialist government. They are bought at a subsidized price, smuggled, and resold at market rates. Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos criticized Maduro's decision, saying that “If we co-operate, the only ones to lose are the criminals, but if the border is closed, there is no co-ordination and the only ones to gain are the criminals.” He added that those deported have not been smugglers or paramilitaries, “but poor and humble families who only want to live and work.” The state of emergency allows Venezuelan military authorities to search homes and businesses without a warrant. Venezuelan armed forces have inspected some 2,400 homes in six border towns, spray painting 600 with the letter “D”, indicating they are to be demolished, and the rest with the letter “R”, indicating they had been reviewed. Santos commented that “marking houses to later demolish them is totally unacceptable and reminds one of bitter episodes in history which cannot be allowed to recur.” Talks between the Colombian and Venezuelan foreign ministers began Aug. 26 in an effort to return to a normal situation along their border. More than 1,000 Colombian residents of Venezuela have been expelled, and an estimated 5,000 have left voluntarily. Bishop Ochoa reflected, saying: “We invite everyone to pray for these families who are suffering because of the measures taken by the rulers of Venezuela.” “We ask God to grant to all a space for understanding, solidarity, and fraternity, as befits two brotherly countries.” Read more
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