2015-06-07T14:29:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 7, 2015 at 2:29 pm   By

Vatican City, Jun 7, 2015 / 08:29 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis focused on the recent feast of Corpus Christi, saying the Eucharist is a “school of solidarity and charity,” which inspires us to care for the most vulnerable. This feast, the Roman Pontiff said June 7 at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, “evokes this message of solidarity, and pushes us to welcome the intimate invitation to conversion and to service, to love and to forgiveness.” In our daily lives, we encounter Christ, who nourishes us in the Eucharist, in the poor, the suffering, our brothers, and “in every human being, even the smallest and most defenseless.” The roman Pontiff reflected on the feast's Gospel, which recounts the institution of the Eucharist during Christ's Last Supper before his crucifixion. That night, Christ said that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood will “remain in me and I in him,” and will have eternal life. “With this gesture and with these words, he gives bread a function that is no longer simply physical nourishment, but that which makes present his Person amid the community of believers.” The Pope added that the Last Supper marks the end of Christ’s life, looking ahead to his death on the Cross, but also to the synthesis of “a life offered for the salvation of humanity.” For this reason, it is not enough to affirm Christ's presence in the Eucharist, the Pope said, but recognize it as “the presence of a life given, and take part.” By receiving Christ in the Eucharist, taking part in his life and entering into communion with him, we in turn are called to promote unity among ourselves, transforming “our life into a gift,” especially to the poor. The Eucharist   is a “school of charity and solidarity,” the Pope said.   “Whoever is nourished by the Bread of Christ cannot remain indifferent to those who do not have bread daily.” Despite efforts by the international community, this is an increasing problem, and requires proposals to resolve its causes, he said. The Pope concluded his address by invoking the intercession of Mary, that she may “awaken in everyone the joy in participating in the Mass, especially on Sunday, and the joyful courage to give witness to the charity of Christ.” After leading the crowds in the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis spoke of his apostolic visit to Sarajevo the previous day.   Once described as the “Jerusalem of the West” owing to the coexistence of various peoples and religious, the recent past has made it into a “symbol of destruction and war,” he said. Acknowledging the efforts toward reconciliation, Pope Francis encouraged “this journey toward of peaceful coexistence between diverse peoples; a hard, difficult, yet possible journey!” Pope Francis’ visit on Saturday marked the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Agreement which brought an end to the Bosnian War. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, some 100,000 combatants and civilians were killed and a million more displaced during the war, which lasted between 1992-1995. The fighting split largely along ethnic lines, among the predominantly Orthodox Serbs, the predominantly Catholic Croats, and the predominantly Muslim Bosniaks. “May the Lord bless Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina.” Read more

2015-06-07T12:03:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 7, 2015 at 12:03 pm   By

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jun 7, 2015 / 06:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Elevated to the rank of cardinal in February, Ethiopian Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel of Addis Ababa has brought the richness of African values to bear in the College of Cardinals. “Africa may be poor in material things but is very rich in values, especially traditional values; family values; the treasure of the extended family; the value for life; respect of elders; the value of receiving the pilgrim, the stranger, the guest, as an angel of God,” Cardinal Souraphiel told Vatican Radio shortly before the Feb. 14 consistory at which he received the red biretta. Africans “should not be ashamed of our roots and our values and we should not copy or exchange them for cheap ones coming from elsewhere,” he continued. “What we need is to strengthen them. We also need to know our histories.” Cardinal Souraphiel was born in 1948 in Tchela Claka, near Harar. As a child he attended public schools and those of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, followed by schools run by the Capuchins and the De La Salle Brothers. In 1963 he entered the minor seminary of the Congregation of the Mission, also known as the Vincentians. He began major seminary in 1968, attending institutions in Ethiopia as well as the Missionary Institute and King's College in London. Cardinal Souraphiel was ordained a priest of the Congregation of the Mission in 1976. He ministered in southwestern Ethiopia until June 1979, when he was imprisoned for seven months by the Derg, the communist military junta that ruled the country from 1974 to 1987. “The experience of being in solitary confinement was a terribly lonely one, as there was no one to talk with or anything to read,” the cardinal told the Vincentian Family in February. He added, however, that “I found it transformative. It led to a spiritual rebirth for me. I had nothing, literally nothing, in solitary, so I cried out to the Lord from the depths of my being. I truly felt the presence of Jesus in those dark days.” The Derg released him from prison, but imposed exile on him; he then studied sociology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Cardinal Souraphiel returned to Ethiopia in 1983, serving as a parish priest, head of the Vincentian novitiate, chaplain for the De Las Salle brothers, and a teacher of philosophy and theology. He was also head of the local Vincentian house from 1991. When the Prefecture Apostolic of Jimma-Bonga was established in 1994, he was appointed its first prefect. In 1997, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Ethiopian Archeparchy of Addis Ababa, and was consecrated a bishop the following January. In 1999 he was appointed the archeparchy's archbishop, becoming head of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church of the Alexandrian rite. Cardinal Souraphiel told Vatican Radio that when he was nominated as a cardinal by Pope Francis in January, it “came as a total surprise to me,” as he was informed of it by his priest secretary, who had heard of it on the radio. Cardinal Souraphiel is chair of the Association of Members of the Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa, where his goals include adding the organization to the African Union and inviting Pope Francis to address the African Union. He has been a member of the Congregation for Oriental Churches since 2003, in 2005 helped to found the Ethiopian Catholic University of St. Thomas Aquinas. Cardinal Souraphiel told America Magazine in February that education “is the key to create love of one’s country, to appreciate one’s own country and culture, and to be creative in all kinds of aspects of life so that the youth will be able to be create employment within the country.” The cardinal is proud of the Catholic Church's role in Ethiopia, particularly regarding education: “Although Catholics are less than 1% of the population, we run over 400 schools and 43 health centers. We just started St. Thomas, the first Catholic University in Ethiopia. In fact, the one public university in the country until ours was started by Canadian Jesuits,” he told the Vincentian Family. He is known for his concern over human trafficking, having said at a 2009 synod on Africa that he hoped the meeting would “study the profound causes of human trafficking, of the displaced, of abused domestic workers, of fugitives and immigrants, especially those who flee in small boats. I also hope that this Synod will take concrete positions and make concrete proposals that show the world that African lives are also sacred and that they are not cheap merchandise as sometimes they are presented by the media.” Cardinal Souraphiel has discussed human trafficking in the context of violence against women and children, and as an effect of poverty. Calling poverty the most pressing issue in east Africa, he has urged investment in education, health, and development, as well as the pursuit of peace and stability. He is also concerned by arms trafficking, child soldiers, refugees, and emigration, all of which are challenges for Ethiopia. The cardinal is also known for his staunch opposition to homosexual acts, encouraging lawmakers in 2008 to outlaw them, and leading AMECEA in 2014 to condemn same-sex unions. AMECEA's August 2014 statement also stated, “We affirm institution of marriage as an indissoluble union of love between a man and a woman open to procreation and denounce any attempt to redefine this institution. Family life must be respected, promoted and protected so that it can provide men and women who can weave a social fabric of peace and harmony.” In his February interview with America Magazine, he said that regarding the Synod on the Family, “my hopes are that the Holy Spirit shall guide the next Synod on the Family so that the Church remains faithful to the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to the teaching of our Holy Mother Church as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Canon Law in the presence of our Merciful Father.” Cardinal Souraphiel, 66, was one of 20 men made a cardinal at the Feb. 14 consistory, and one of 15 eligible to vote in a future conclave. Read more

2015-06-06T22:44:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 6, 2015 at 10:44 pm   By

Vatican City, Jun 6, 2015 / 04:44 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- When asked by a Bosnian journalist about the status of his decision on the Marian apparitions in Medjugorje on his flight from Sarajevo to Rome, Pope Francis said that after a lengthy study, a decision could be coming soon. “We’re at this point of making decisions … and then they will be announced,” the Pope told journalists on board his June 6 flight from Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina to Rome. Bosnian Croat journalist Silva Tomasevic brought the topic up to the Pope during his brief in-flight news conference in route to Rome following his June 6 apostolic visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina. When Tomasevic noted that there is a great interest in Bosnia regarding his judgement on the authenticity of the apparitions, the Pope responded by recalling how Benedict XVI created a commission to study the reports surrounding the alleged apparitions. Presided over by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, emeritus vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, the commission was created by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2010 under Benedict XVI, and was composed of an international panel of bishops, cardinals, theologians and various experts. It was established to further investigate “certain doctrinal and disciplinary aspects of the phenomenon of Medjugorje.” Pope Francis said that commission “made a study and Cardinal Ruini came to me and consigned the study to me after many years. I don’t know, three or four years, more or less.” He said the commission “did good work,” and revealed that Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, the current prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told him that “he would do a ‘feria quarta,’ in these times.” A “feria quarta” is a once-a-month meeting in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during which current cases are examined. “I believe that (the feria quarta) has been done the last Wednesday of last month, but I’m not sure,” Francis said, explaining that a decision could be made soon and that “some guidelines will be given to bishops on the lines they will take.” The alleged apparitions originally began June 24, 1981, when six children in the town of Medjugorje, located in what is now Bosnia, began to experience phenomena which they have claimed to be apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to these six “seers,” the apparitions contained a message of peace for the world, a call to conversion, prayer and fasting, as well as certain secrets surrounding events to be fulfilled in the future. These apparitions are said to have continued almost daily since their first occurrence, with three of the original six children – who are now young adults – continuing to receive apparitions every afternoon because not all of the “secrets” intended for them have been revealed. Originally said to have occurred on a hilltop in the town where a cross commemorating the Redemption rests, the apparitions are also said to have taken place in various other locations, including the local parish church and wherever the visionaries happen to be located during the time of Mary’s appearance. Since their beginning, the alleged apparitions have been a source of both controversy and conversion, with many flocking to the city for pilgrimage and prayer, and some claiming to have experienced miracles at the site, while many others claim the visions are non-credible. In April 1991, the bishops of the former Yugoslavia determined that “on the basis of the research that has been done, it is not possible to state that there were apparitions or supernatural revelations.” On the basis of those findings, and because the commission was still in the process of its investigation, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith directed last October that clerics and the faithful “are not permitted to participate in meetings, conferences or public celebrations during which the credibility of such 'apparitions' would be taken for granted.” Read more

2015-06-06T21:42:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 6, 2015 at 9:42 pm   By

Vatican City, Jun 6, 2015 / 03:42 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On his return flight from Sarajevo to Rome Pope Francis told journalists a final decision on the highly debated Mejugorje apparitions could be close, and disclosed the “cancer” of consu... Read more

2015-06-06T21:24:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 6, 2015 at 9:24 pm   By

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jun 6, 2015 / 03:24 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis met with leaders of the prominent religions represented in Bosnia and Herzegovina during his day-trip its capital, telling them that if fraternal dialogue is fostered, the country – once torn by war and ethnic divisions – could become sign of peace for the world. “In a world unfortunately rent by conflicts, this land can become a message: attesting that it is possible to live together side by side, in diversity but rooted in a common humanity, building together a future of peace and brotherhood,” the Pope said June 6. He made his comments during an encounter in Sarajevo with local leaders of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Judaism, and Islam. Historically divided into three key ethnic groups, Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed of a majority of Muslim Bosniaks, followed by a large percentage of mostly Orthodox Serbs and a population of Croats, a majority of whom are Catholic. There is a small Jewish community, which has a long history in Sarajevo. As city whose recent past “sadly became a symbol of war and destruction,” Sarajevo can become can become “a sign of unity, a place in which diversity does not represent a threat but rather a resource, an opportunity to grow together” thanks to its variety of peoples, cultures, and religions, he said. Earlier in the day Pope Francis met with the country’s presidency and authorities before saying Mass in Sarajevo’s Kosevo Stadium. He then lunched with the nation's bishops before meeting with priests, religious, and seminarians in the cathedral. Ethnic tensions broiled during the country’s 1992-1995 war, during which the Serb population began a policy of ethnic cleansing of Bosniaks and Croats. The war ended in with the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords. In his speech to the religious leaders, Pope Francis stressed that their work in the region is immensely important, particularly because Sarajevo “stands as the crossroads of peoples and cultures.” He stressed the importance of interreligious dialogue as “an indispensable condition for peace, and for this reason is a duty for all believers.” “Interreligious dialogue, before being a discussion of the main themes of faith, is a conversation about human existence,” he said, explaining that through dialogue a spirit of fraternity is developed, which unites peoples and promotes moral values, as well as justice, peace, and freedom. “Dialogue is a school of humanity and a builder of unity, which helps to build a society founded on tolerance and mutual respect,” the Pope continued. Because of this, interreligious dialogue can't be limited to just a few or even to the leaders of religions, but must extend “as far as possible” to all believers and levels of civil society, Francis said. “For dialogue to be authentic and effective, it presupposes a solid identity: without an established identity, dialogue is of no use or even harmful. I say this with the young in mind, but it applies to everyone.” The Pope said religious leaders are the “first guardians” of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and assured them of the Church’s continued support and willingness to help. Though a lot of progress has been made in the 20 years since the conclusion of the country’s war, “we are all aware that there is a long way yet to go,” he observed. However, Pope Francis told them not to be discouraged by difficulties, but to continue moving forward “with perseverance along the way of forgiveness and reconciliation.” “While we seek to recall the past with honesty, thereby learning the lessons of history, we must also avoid lamentation and recrimination, letting ourselves instead be purified by God who gives us the present and the future: he is our future, he is the ultimate source of peace.” Later, Pope Francis met with Bosnia’s youth in an outdoor encounter, during which the young people performed songs and dances for the Pope. Two testimonies were also given by youth on their experience living in a multiethnic, multi-religion society. Francis tossed aside his prepared remarks and decided to have a question and answer with the youth instead.  In addition to talking about the importance of exercising prudence over how often they watch TV as well as what they watch, the Pope spoke about the love and joy of young people, and his expectations for them when it comes to peace. “Everyone talks about peace, some powers speak saying beautiful things, but from underneath they sell weapons,” he said. What he expects from them as the first generation after their country’s war is honesty, Francis said, explaining that it should be an honesty “between what you think, feel, and what you do. The opposite is called hypocrisy.” He spoke of the importance of building bridges between peoples rather than walls, explaining that “a bridge always unites when it is used to go to each other, but when it’s a forbidden bridge it becomes the ruin of a city and of an existence.” “You, the spring flowers after war, make peace, work for peace, all together, so that this will be a country of peace. This is the homework I leave with you: make peace all together.”   Read more

2015-06-06T17:57:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 6, 2015 at 5:57 pm   By

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jun 6, 2015 / 11:57 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Moved by the testimony of two priests and a religious sister who endured atrocities during the Bosnian War, Pope Francis on Saturday told a gathering of Bosnian priests, religious and seminarians that forgiveness is an essential part of their vocation. “Some of their words have remained in my heart,” Pope Francis said after their remarks, “and one is forgiveness.” “A consecrated who doesn't know how to forgive isn't needed. To forgive a friend who said something bad isn't hard, but to forgive those who torture, those who threaten to kill you, this is hard – and then to have done it and to preach doing so.” The Pope met with some 200 consecrated persons June 6 in the cathedral of Sarajevo. The Bosnian religious were represented by three testimonials: Fr. Zvonimir Matijevic, a priest who was tortured several times in the course of the Bosnian War, and fell ill with muscular dystrophy as a result. Next was Fr. Jozo Puškaric, a friar who, despite having been tortured in prison and hoped to die, forgave his tormentors. Finally there was Sr. Ljubica Šekerija, FDC, who was ready to die rather than to see her rosary trampled, and who refused to convert to Islam despite having the barrel of a gun pointed at her head. Pope Francis exchanged a long and moving embrace with all three, kissing the hands of the priest and receiving a blessing from Fr. Zvonimir. “I prepared a speech for you all,” Pope Francis said after they spoke, “but after hearing these testimonies, I feel the need to speak to you off the cuff. They talked about life, they talked about experiences. They have spoken about life, experiences, many beautiful and ugly things. The testimonies spoke for themselves and this is the memory of your people.” He reflected that “a people who forgets their memory, has no future. This is the memory of your fathers and mothers in the faith: behind them are many others who have suffered the same. You don't have the right to forget your history! Not to avenge yourselves but to make peace, to love as they have loved.” “In your blood, in your vocation, there is the blood and the vocation of these three martyrs. There is the blood of and the vocation of many priests, seminarians, and religious … hold on to the memory, in order to make peace.” The Pope also reflected on the hardships of living a common life in comparison to the Fr. Puškaric's four months in a prison camp: “how many times the spirit of the world makes us forget the suffering of our ancestors … to live together, dirty, without food or water in the heat and in the cold and during a long time … and we complain when we have a tooth that hurts or when we want a TV in our room with many comforts … and we gossip about the superiors when the food isn't so good. [But] don't forget these testimonies! Think about how much they have suffered, think about those six liters of blood that Fr. Zvonimir received in order to survive and to carry out a life worthy of the cross of Christ.” He called worldly sisters, priests, bishops and seminarians “a caricature” proclaiming, “they aren't needed, they don't have the memory of the martyrs, they have lost the memory of Christ crucified, our only glory.” Pope Francis reflected on two Muslims who aided Sr. Šekerija, a Bosniak soldier and a woman. “Even the cruel man has felt the Holy Spirit,” he said, and called the woman someone “beyond religious differences; she believed in God.” “Search for the good – all of us are children of God! Blessed are you who have these testimonies so close to you. Please, don't forget them. Your life grows with this memory. Fr. Zvonimir lost his loved ones but he has the fruit of matrimonial love. Think about that nun martyr or the Franciscan friar and what Cardinal Puljic said comes to my mind: it's a bad thing when the garden that is the family doesn't flourish.” He exhorted those gathered in the cathedral to “pray for families so that they flourish with children and flourish with vocations.” “You are witnesses of fraternity, tenderness, and love,” he said. “Carry forward the cross of Christ: Holy Mother Church wants you to be little martyrs, small witnesses of the cross of Christ."   Read more

2015-06-06T17:11:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 6, 2015 at 5:11 pm   By

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jun 6, 2015 / 11:11 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A Croat, a Bosniak and a Serb who each survived detention camps during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war said they feel no hate over the matter, and they do not blame any ethnic communi... Read more

2015-06-06T15:35:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 6, 2015 at 3:35 pm   By

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jun 6, 2015 / 09:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As Pope Francis processed into Mass in Sarajevo’s Kosevo Stadium this morning, a massive bell named for St. Francis Xavier was placed at the top of the entrance and two Jesuit priests rang the bell, which will later be given to a new Jesuit parish in the city. Following Pope Francis' June 6 trip to Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the St. Francis Xavier bell will be given to St. Ignatius of Loyola parish in the Grbavica quarter of Sarajevo. The St. Francis Xavier bell weighs just over 700 pounds, and has a diameter of 33 inches. It was cast in the Metal Products foundry of Josip Trzec in Zagreb, capital of neighboring Croatia. It is made of silver and a very small amount of tin. It is adorned with Pope Francis' coat of arms, a Croatian-style braide, oak leaves, and the monogram of the Society of Jesus. The bell is inscribed: “In honor of St. Francis Xavier, patron of the missions, this bell is donated by Metal Mroducts and by the family of Stjepan Safran from Zagreb to the parish church of   St. Ignatius of Loyola in Grbavica in Sarajevo. This bell was cast on the occasion of the visit of the Holy Father Pope Francis to Sarajevo and to Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 6 June. The bell was cast by Josip Trzec in Zagreb in 2015.” Many provided for Pope Francis' Mass in Sarajevo with various gifts. The altar, pulpit, chandelier, and processional cross were given by Sikara parish in Tuzla. Two Muslim artisans, Salen Hajdarovac and his son Edin, made the the chair where Pope Francis sat for Mass. It was noticed during the Mass that Pope Francis' processional cross had been taped, just below the corpus. Fr. Lombardi, Holy See press officer, told CNA that “the cross got broken before the Mass, and it was impossible to find a new one, so it was fixed in the best way possible.” Read more

2015-06-06T13:01:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 6, 2015 at 1:01 pm   By

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jun 6, 2015 / 07:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During his daytrip to a country still marred by the effects of a recent war, Pope Francis said peace is not something that happens passively, but instead requires passionate act... Read more

2015-06-05T23:35:00+00:00

Last updated on: June 5, 2015 at 11:35 pm   By

Minneapolis, Minn., Jun 5, 2015 / 05:35 pm (CNA).- The Minneapolis-St. Paul archdiocese has pledged cooperation amid charges of mishandling allegations against a former priest of sexual misconduct involving children. “We deeply regret the abus... Read more

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