2015-05-13T15:04:00+00:00

Vatican City, May 13, 2015 / 09:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his general audience Pope Francis focused on the concrete challenges families face in daily life, and said that simply remembering to be grateful and to apologize can go a long way in avoiding conflict. “Dear brothers and sisters, today's catechesis is the opening of the door to a series of reflections on family life, real life, daily life,” the Pope told pilgrims present in St. Peter’s Square May 13. “Above this door are written three words that we have already used other times: May I, thank you, and I'm sorry. They are words linked to good manners, (and) in their genuine sense of respect and desire for good, (they are) far away from any hypocrisy and duplicity,” he said. Francis’ address was a continuation of his ongoing catechesis on the family, which he began at the end of last year as part of the lead-up to the World Day of Families in September, as well as October’s Synod of Bishops on the Family. Although the words ’May I,’ ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ can be hard to say or put into practice, their absence “can cause cracks in the foundation of the family, which can lead to its collapse,” the Pope said. However, if families make a habit of including the phrases in their daily lives as a sign of love for one another rather than just a formal expression of good manners, they can strengthen a happy family life, he continued. The word ‘May I’ is a reminder that we should be “delicate, respectful and patient with others,” he said. Even if we feel like we have the right to something, “when we speak to our spouse or family member with kindness we create space for a true spirit of marital and familial common life.” Kindness helps to renew trust and respect, and reveals the love we have for others, the Pope noted, saying that we should always imitate Jesus, who stands at the door of our hearts and knocks, waiting for us to open it to him. He then turned to the second word, noting that to say ‘thank you’ can seem like a contradiction in a distrustful society, which tends to view this attitude as weakness. Despite this perception, it is through an “education in gratitude” that that social justice and the dignity of persons are upheld, he said. Gratitude Francis continued, “is a virtue that for believers is born from the same heart of their faith… (it) is also the language of God, to whom above all we must express our gratitude.” Pope Francis then turned to the words “I’m sorry,” or “Forgive me,” and said that without these words, hurt feelings can develop in relationships and weaken life as a family. “But when we ask forgiveness, we show our desire to restore what was lost – respect, honesty, love – and healing between family members is made possible,” he said, noting how the Our Father prayer teaches us that to accept our mistakes and to commit to correcting them is the first step of healing. The Pope then spoke directly to spouses, telling them that if they ever fight or have an argument, they should never end the day without reconciling and making peace with each other. Francis concluded his address by praying that families would be a sign of God’s love and mercy in the middle of the world. He asked that the words ’May I’, ‘Thank you,’ and ‘I’m Sorry’ would always remain “in our hearts, in our homes and in our communities.” After concluding his speech, the Pope greeted pilgrims present from various countries around the world, including Spain, Mexico, Honduras, Argentina, England, Sweden, Taiwan, Cameroon and the United States. He also noted how the day marked the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, who appeared to three shepherd children – Lucia Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto – May 13, 1917. Since the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the children was approved in 1930, a sanctuary has been built at the site of her appearance, where millions continue to flock every year to pray and ask for Mary’s intercession. St. John Paul II nearly died after being shot by Mehmet Ali Agca on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima in 1981. He credited her for saving his life, and maintained a strong devotion to her until his death in 2005. In his audience, Pope Francis told youth to learn how to cultivate their devotion to Mary by praying the rosary daily, and asked that all those who are ill would “feel the presence of Mary in the hour of the Cross.” He spoke to newly-weds present, and encouraged them as husbands and wives to pray to Mary so that “love and mutual respect will never be lacking in your homes.” Read more

2015-05-13T12:22:00+00:00

Rome, Italy, May 13, 2015 / 06:22 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Among all the difficult situations in the world, the Middle East situation – including the plight of the region’s Christians – is one of the most compelling, says a former top Vat... Read more

2015-05-13T06:03:00+00:00

Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 13, 2015 / 12:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Large numbers of the faithful are donating gold and silver belongings to forge a new monstrance after a theft in Tucuman, Argentina. Located in northwest Argentina, Tucuman is Argent... Read more

2015-05-13T02:18:00+00:00

Munich, Germany, May 12, 2015 / 08:18 pm (CNA).- Last week, the German bishops’ conference announced it is changing its labor laws such that contracting a civil marriage after divorce or entering a same-sex civil union cannot result in termination of employment except in “exceptional cases.” “Only in special circumstances and therefore only in exceptional cases can these forms of conduct lead to a termination of contract,” read a May 5 statement released by the German bishops’ conference. The statement was translated into English at Rorate Caeli. The move, which the German bishops say is an adaptation to changes in “legislation and society,” follows on the heels of their synthesis of responses to a questionnaire sent in preparation for the Synod on the Family being held in October, which noted the “considerable expectations among many faithful” of a “further development of the Church's teaching and pastoral care in questions related to marriage and family.” Questions of marriage and family have taken the spotlight amid the Synod on the Family that took place last year in the Rome, and the one that will take place there this fall. Several dioceses in the U.S. – including those of Columbus, Cincinnati, and San Francisco – have in recent years upheld or adopted employment policies which strengthen expectations that Church employees will not contradict Church teaching in their professional and public lives. The German bishops' statement noted that the Plenary Assembly of the Association of German Dioceses revised the labor law on April 27. Two changes regarded the collective labor law, bolstering the right to organize unions and the right of unions to operate in ecclesial institutions. “In the area of the individual Labor Law, certain demands,” the bishops continued, “have been adapted according to changes in jurisdiction, legislation, and society.” The adaptations regard “demands of loyalty.” The statement begins by emphasizing that “termination of contract is only the last and final resort” with regard to violations of loyalty; it must have been preceded by rebuke, warnings, transfer, etc. Violations against loyalty, according to the German bishops, include “public engagement against fundamental principles of the Catholic Church (e.g., the propagation of abortion or of xenophobia), the leaving of the Catholic Church, or conduct that is hostile toward the Church.” However, entering a second, civil marriage following divorce, or entering a homosexual civil union, is not in itself a violation against the demand of loyalty, according to the German bishops. Contracting a second civil marriage without an annulment or contracting a gay civil union “is generally to be regarded as a grave violation against loyalty,” the bishops said, “if such conduct according to the concrete circumstances is objectively prone to cause an enormous disturbance within the service community or within the professional sphere of influence and to affect the credibility of the Church in a negative way.” As an example of under which circumstances a second marriage could disturb a service community, the bishops offer that the remarried partner would have to shirk the legal duties of his first marriage. “The Church's Labor Law does not know any form of automatic termination of contract,” the bishops emphasized. “Whether it is possible to continue an employment, after a violation against the duties stemming from the employment contract, always depends upon the conditions of the individual case.” The German bishops said that “certain professional groups” have a higher expectation of loyalty than others, and that the newly adopted norms do not apply. These groups include those in the fields of pastoral care, catechesis, or those who have a canonical mandate from their bishop to teach in a Catholic school. The statement concludes saying that each German diocese will establish “a central office that shall be consulted before sentencing a termination of contract because of a violation of loyalty.” Moreover, another committee “will examine the question as to whether the Church's Labor Law can be further strengthened institutionally.” The German bishops' statement began by noting that the adaptations were the fruit of considerable time and consultation: “During the recent years, this current decision was prepared for by an episcopal working group and already discussed several times by the bishops themselves.” According to Reuters, a spokesman for the Church in Germany said more than two-thirds of Germany's dioceses voted in favor of the adaptation, “indicating some opposition.” The synod questionnaire synthesis in Germany similarly maintained that admitting the divorced and remarried to the sacraments “remains a pivotal issue for the credibility of the Church.” Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, who is president emeritus of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, has called similar statements from Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising – president of the German bishops conference – “the result of an 'obedience that goes ahead', a deeply political strategy which creates 'facts' in order to dominate the process of decision-making and to put pressure on their colleagues” at October's Synod on the Family. Some commentators have also voiced fear that the large income the Church in Germany receives from the state may serve to neuter its voice of Christian witness in the public sphere. “Because of the decades-long connection of Church and State taxation system, financial offices etc. there is dependence,” Martin Lohmann, a Catholic author and spokesman of the advocacy group Christian Action in Germany, told CNA in February. “The last years and decades there is a fear from the side of the bishops to proclaim the truth in social-political topics since they want to avoid a hostile reaction from the parties.” Lohmann added that the Church loses financially if it upholds less popular teachings on divorce and contraception. Preaching about that means losing “paying customers,” he said; and “softening” these teachings means more money for the Church. As long as this is the case, the Church, in Lohmann's view, “will remain limited and not-free, darkened, and in a state without courage to proclaim the truth.”   Read more

2015-05-12T22:49:00+00:00

Irondale, Ala., May 12, 2015 / 04:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- For the third consecutive year, EWTN Global Catholic Network has been awarded the 2015 Gabriel Award for Religious Television Station of the Year – a prestigious honor which acknowledges the Network's programming, community service, and production values. "EWTN is the beacon of Catholic broadcast television. It is a consistent and true voice of the Faith," noted one of the Gabriel Award judges who participated in the annual competition sponsored by the Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals. Another judge highlighted EWTN's technical achievements, noting the high-quality imagery and on-screen graphics. "As a viewer, you know the piece was promoting a Catholic worldview, but never felt like you were being hit over the head with it. Very well done," the judge said. The Gabriel Awards recognize both religious and secular multi-media productions in the United States and Canada, and honors participants within various categories such as documentaries, short features, news, radio, television, internet videos, and film. EWTN, who celebrated their 34th anniversary this year, provides broadcast satellite television and radio services, along with other multi-media networks, available to over 240 million households within 140 countries across the world. "A Gabriel Award is especially meaningful to EWTN because the awards are presented for programs that uplift and nourish the human spirit and affirm the dignity of human persons – something EWTN strives to do every day," said Michael Warsaw, EWTN Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer "We thank the Catholic Academy for this special recognition," Warsaw said, voicing gratitude for the award. In addition to the Gabriel Award, EWTN's own television program "Blessed2Play" also received a Certificate of Merit for the production of the episode "Life of Christ." "Blessed2Play," which airs on Fridays and Sundays, explores the faith lives of sports professionals and athletes. The host of the show, Ron Meyer, noted his gratitude for the recognition, saying he was thankful for all of the participants who made the show possible. "I am grateful to the estimated 200 athletes, coaches, authors and broadcasters who have sacrificed their time to be guests on the show and make Blessed2Play what it is," Meyer stated. Doug Keck, the EWTN President and Chief Operating Officer, also recognized the performance of the Vice President of Programming and Production, Peter Gagnon, Vice President of Spanish Programming, Enrique Duprat, and the Director of Program Acquisitions & Co-productions, John Elson. "The Network's programming is a result of a lot of hard work and prayers on behalf of many individuals," Keck noted, saying that he was "proud that the work of the EWTN team is being recognized for excellence." EWTN will receive the Gabriel Award on Thursday, June 25 at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel in Buffalo, New York. Read more

2015-05-12T21:38:00+00:00

Vatican City, May 12, 2015 / 03:38 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Tuesday Pope Francis told global representatives of Caritas International that true service is about welcoming God and others, and called them to continue their mission by going out to the peripheries. “The Gospel, proclaimed and believed, urges us to wash the feet and the wounds of the suffering and to prepare the table for them,” the Pope said May 12. The simplicity of these gestures can be summed up in a single action, he said: “to welcome God and to welcome others; to welcome others with the grace of God; to welcome God and express this act in the service to our brothers and sisters.” Pope Francis offered his reflections during a May 12 opening Mass for Caritas International's 20th general assembly, being held May 12-17 in Rome to discuss the theme “One Human Family, Caring for Creation.” The assembly will also provide a strategic framework to anchor Caritas' work over the next four years. In his homily for the Mass, Francis noted how the source of the organizations' global work “lies in the simple and docile welcome of God and neighbor…This is the root. If you cut this root, Caritas dies.” He encouraged them to bring Christ to each person they meet, and cautioned against the temptation to compare the size and reach of their various offices throughout the world. “The Caritas of each particular church, even the smallest, is the same. There is no big Caritas or small Caritas, all are the same,” he said. “Let's ask the Lord for the grace to understand the true dimension of Caritas, for the grace not fall into the deception of believing that well-organized centralization is the way, for the grace to understand that Caritas is always on the periphery, in every particular church.” Francis also prayed for the grace to recognize that the mission of Caritas is simply to help, to serve and to provide the experience of communion, but that “it's not the boss of everyone.” Whoever lives this mission is not just a mere aid worker but is a true witness of Christ who is able to receive and spread his love, the Pope said. He then drew attention to the fact that in many areas of the world people still suffer due to hunger, and lauded the organization for their campaign “One human family, food for all,” which was launched in December 2013, with the aim of eradicating global hunger. “There are still so many people today who do not have enough to eat. The planet has enough food for all, but it seems that there is a lack of willingness to share it with everyone,” he said. “We ought to set the table for all, and ask that there be a table for all. We must do what we can so that everyone has something to eat.” Francis also reminded those in power that “God will call them to judgment one day.” On that day they will be asked whether or not they really tried to provide food for everyone, and if they preserved the environment so that it could produce enough food, he said. Caritas “sets many tables for the hungry,” Francis noted, and urged attendees not to forget the Christians who have been “violently deprived” of food for both the body and soul. These Christians, he said, “have been driven from their homes and their churches – at times destroyed. I renew the appeal not to forget these people and these intolerable injustices.” Guest speakers at this year's assembly include Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, considered to be the father of liberation theology, and Jeffrey Sachs, an economist at Columbia University who is an adviser to Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general. The current president of Caritas is Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, and its secretary-general is Michel Roy, who was formerly head of Secours Catholique, Caritas' French branch. Roy is the sole candidate for the post of secretary-general on this year's ballot for new leadership. He has held the position since 2011, and is certain to be confirmed. Cardinal Rodriguez will step down as president, having served two mandates, from 2007-2011, and 2011-2015. It is expected that Cardinal Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila, will selected as the new president. Read more

2015-05-12T12:03:00+00:00

Vatican City, May 12, 2015 / 06:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Speaking from retirement, Benedict XVI has underscored the need for the Church to extend its pastoral care to non-believers and to share “the questions of the times” in its continuing ... Read more

2015-05-12T09:26:00+00:00

Vatican City, May 12, 2015 / 03:26 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his meeting on Saturday with the bishops from Mozambique, a southeast African nation, Pope Francis urged support for public policies that promote the family and protect human life. “Spare no efforts in supporting the family and in the defense of life from conception to natural death,” he said May 9 in the Vatican. “In this sense, remember the options appropriate to one of Christ's disciples and the beauty of being a mother, accompanied by the support of the family and the local community.” “The family must always be defended as the main source of fraternity, respect for others and the primary path of peace.” The Mozambican bishops – whose country borders Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa, and the Indian Ocean – were in Rome for their five-yearly ad limina visit, a meeting with the Pope. The Bishop of Rome cautioned his brother bishops against a worldly sense of success, saying, “the fecundity of our mission … is not measured by the number of collaborators, nor by the prestige of the institution, nor even by the quantity of available resources.” “What counts is being permeated with Christ's love, allowing oneself to be led by the Holy Spirit, and grafting one's own existence onto the tree of life, which is the Cross of the Lord,” he said, adding that “from St. Paul, the insuperable model of the Christian missionary, we know that this means trying to conform to Jesus in his death so as to participate in his resurrection … the paschal mystery is the beating heart of the mission of the Church.” “If you abide in this mystery, you will be protected both from a worldly and triumphalist vision of the mission, and the disappointment that may arise when faced with trials and failures.” Pope Francis encouraged the bishops to be particularly solicitous for their priests as well as for the religious communities in their dioceses, and to live among their faithful in the “'existential peripheries' where there is suffering, loneliness, and human degradation.” Reflecting on the nature and role of a bishop, he said: “you are spouses of your diocesan community, profoundly tied to it.” The Pope stated that “the pastors and the faithful of Mozambique need to further develop a culture of encounter,” saying Christ's only request is “that you go out in search of the neediest.” He mentioned those who suffer from natural disasters, as well as displaced persons and refugees. “These people need us to share in their suffering, their worries, their problems,” he told the bishops. “They need us to look upon them with love and you must reach out to them, as did Jesus.” Turning to the challenges facing Mozambique, Pope Francis encouraged investment in education, so as to oppose inequality and social division. He said education “teaches the young to think critically, and offers a path towards maturity in values. In this sense, it is appropriate to raise awareness among leaders in society and to revive pastoral ministry in universities and schools, combining the task of education with the proclamation of the Gospel.” “The needs are so great that they cannot be satisfied simply through individual initiatives or by a union of individuals educated in individualism. Community networks are needed to respond to social problems.” He concluded by encouraging the bishops in going to the peripheries, saying, “When we go out to take the Gospel with true apostolic spirit, [Jesus] walks with us. He precedes us, and for us this is fundamental: God always goes before us.”   Read more

2015-05-12T06:02:00+00:00

Vatican City, May 12, 2015 / 12:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a message sent Sunday to the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Francis said advances toward reconciliation are strengthened by the martyrs and that Christians must unite to confront shared global challenges. “Today more than ever we are united by the ecumenism of blood, which further encourages us on the path towards peace and reconciliation,” Pope Francis wrote May 10 to Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria. Like the Bishop of Rome, the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria is known as “Pope” to his followers. Pope Francis' message marked the second anniversary of his meeting with Tawadros in Rome; the day has become an annual celebration of fraternal love between the Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Churches. The Coptic Orthdox Church is an Oriental Orthodox Church, meaning it rejected the 451 Council of Chalcedon, and its followers were historically considered monophysites – those who believe Christ has only one nature – by Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox. “With thanksgiving to the Lord, I recall our advances along the path of friendship, united as we are by one baptism,” Pope Francis wrote. “Though our communion is yet imperfect, what we have in common is greater than what divides us. May we persevere on our journey to full communion, and grow in love and understanding.” More than 90 percent of the Christians in Egypt are Coptic Orthodox, and 21 Coptic men working in Libya were beheaded by the Islamic State in February. Soon afterwards, the 21 were recognized as martyrs by Tawadros. “I assure you and the Christian community in Egypt and throughout the Middle East of my unceasing prayer,” Pope Francis wrote to Tawadros, “and I remember in particular the Coptic faithful recently martyred for their Christian faith. May the Lord welcome them into his Kingdom.” Pope Francis also made mention of the document recently produced by members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Entitled “The Exercise of Communion in the Life of the Early Church and its Implications for our Search for Communion Today”, the document was finalized during the commission's twelfth annual plenary meeting, held in Rome this past January. “I am certain that Your Holiness shares my hope that this vital dialogue will carry on and bear abundant fruit,” Pope Francis said. The commission's next plenary meeting is set to take place in Cairo, hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. Pope Francis' letter took note of the common challenges facing Christians of separated Churches, particularly in terms of family life, “which require us to work together in confronting these issues.” The Bishop of Rome told Tawadros, “I appreciate your appointment last year of a delegate to participate in the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops dedicated to the family. It is my hope that our cooperation in this area may continue, especially in addressing matters related to mixed marriages.” The May 2013 meeting between Pope Francis and Tawadros marked the first visit of a Coptic Orthodox patriarch to Rome in 40 years. Shenouda III, Tawadros' predecessor, visited Bl. Paul VI in 1973, and St. John Paul II returned the visit to Egypt in 2000. Pope Francis concluded his message saying that “with these sentiments, and recalling what has rightly become known as the day of friendship between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, I exchange with Your Holiness a fraternal embrace in Christ the Lord.” Read more

2015-05-11T23:17:00+00:00

Washington D.C., May 11, 2015 / 05:17 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Human rights advocates told a congressional commission of the “terrifying” practices of China’s coercive one-child policy and lamented forced abortion as a crime against human... Read more




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