Vatican City, May 9, 2015 / 02:23 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Vatican's Secretariat for the Economy, spoke this weekend on issues surrounding the family and the upcoming Synod of Bishops, saying the synod is unable to change Church teaching. Church teaching, he said, referencing papal documents such as those of St. John Paul II on marriage and family, can’t be “abdicated, (because) it’s based on the teachings of Christ.” “Christ is very clear about divorce, very clear about adultery; and not quite as important, but still very important, St. Paul is explicit about the conditions that are required for proper reception of communion.” When it comes to October’s Synod of Bishops on the Family, the cardinal said he expects “the synod will massively endorse the tradition” of the Church’s teachings on these issues. There is a great desire to help people and to be compassionate, and these are things everyone wants, he noted, saying he believes synod delegates “will recognize that the Christian tradition of St. John Paul the Great, Benedict, the Council of Trent, is well established … and I don’t anticipate any deviation of that.” Cardinal Pell was answering questions after addressing participants of the May 9 Voice of the Family’s Rome Life Forum. The event was sponsored by Lifesite News, Human Life International, Associazione Famiglia Domani, Family Life International New Zealand and the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children. When asked if a merciful response to divorced and remarried Catholics would mean a return to strict practices of the early Christian community – which included keeping an adulterer away from the rest of the community even after making an act of repentance – Cardinal Pell said going back to “these very stiff disciplines” isn’t the answer. However, he also stressed the importance of defending the values we hold dear. If there are no consequences for doing something wrong, then “we send the wrong message, and that’s not merciful in the long run.” Using the example of a ship stranded at sea, the cardinal noted how “some people have been saying the role of the Church is to help those people who are in the life boats.” Although reaching them is important, a bigger concern for the Church now “is to guide the big ships, the liners, so that they’re not shipwrecked, so that they don’t need to get into the lifeboats.” “We defend through the law that which we value; and to deny that will increase the decline and the slide in the wrong direction.” In his speech for the event, the cardinal focused on the role of parents as the primary educators of their children. He highlighted various current sociological and moral challenges which frequently prevent parents from effectively educating their children in the faith. Among the sociological changes Cardinal Pell mentioned were increased use of technology, television, radio and the internet, which provides easy access to immoral content such as pornography. He noted how fewer people are getting married, and that many marriages have been “destroyed” by the use of pornography. He also pointed to the phenomenon of “sexting” – the sending of sexually explicit images or messages via cell phones – as particularly damaging to adolescents. Changes in moral thinking have been the cause of many of the sociological changes the world has seen, the cardinal said, pointing to what Benedict VXI described as the “dictatorship of relativism” lies at the root of these moral changes. Tolerance of others’ views and opinions is good, he said, but when tolerance is based on the belief that there is no objective truth and that each “unprovable moral conviction” is just as valid as all the rest, “we deprive ourselves not only of the legitimation of human rights, we deprive ourselves also of the foundations of much of our sexual legislation.” When parents themselves become moral relativists, they lose the authority and foundation needed in order to instill moral and religious convictions into their children, the cardinal explained. “No parent should forget to show and teach their children that the way to growth, both personal and community, is through fidelity to the core teachings of Christ and the Church,” he said. Those who downplay the demands of the faith and family that Christ himself enjoyed as a child are only “increasing and hastening the exodus.”   Read more

Vatican City, May 8, 2015 / 06:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In tune with his knack for making history, Pope Francis' Year for Mercy will include things no other jubilee has: worldwide “missionaries of mercy,” and “holy doors” in every diocese for pilgrims to walk through.      “For the first time in the history of the Jubilee tradition, there will be an opportunity for individual dioceses to open a Holy Door – the Door of Mercy,” Archbishop Rino Fisichella said May 5. Each of the four major basilicas in Rome has a holy door, which are normally sealed shut from the inside so that they cannot be opened. The doors are only opened during jubilee years so that pilgrims can enter through them in order to gain the plenary indulgence that is connected with the jubilee. The rite of the opening of the Holy Door is intended to symbolically illustrate the idea that the Church’s faithful are offered an “extraordinary path” toward salvation during the time of jubilee. As part of the Holy Year for Mercy, holy doors will for the first time be designated in dioceses. Their location, the archbishop said, will be “either in the cathedral or in a church of special significance or a shrine of particular importance for pilgrimages.” Head of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, which is in charge of organizing the Jubilee for Mercy, Archbishop Fisichella spoke with journalists at the presentation of the logo and calendar of the Holy Year. The jubilee was announced by Pope Francis during a March 13 penitential service, the second anniversary of his papal election. It will open Dec. 8 – the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – and will close Nov. 20, 2016, the Solemnity of Christ the King. At the official proclamation of the jubilee during Vespers on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, the papal bull of indiction, Misericordiae Vultus, or The Face of Mercy, was presented. The term “papal bull” refers to an official papal document of special importance. The papal bull of indiction refers to a document presented when something major is announced, such as a jubilee, and is a fundamental document detailing the intentions and outcomes hoped for by the Pope. In the papal bull for the Jubilee on Mercy, it was noted that the diocesan opening of the Door for Mercy is a sign that the jubilee is not limited to Rome, but extends to local Churches around the world “as a visible sign of the Church’s universal communion.” Archbishop Fisichella said that the idea of the doors on a local level is intended to be “a sign of the pilgrimage that is done, and the sign of receiving the indulgence.” “The indulgence is the characteristic of the jubilee,” he said, so the doors will allow “all those who cannot come to Rome and who are living the jubilee in their dioceses to be able to have, also on the level of the expressive sign in their pilgrimage, the receiving of the indulgence … in passing through the Holy Door.” The Holy Doors in Rome major basilicas will be open throughout the Year for Mercy, beginning with St. Peter’s on Dec. 8, when the jubilee will officially begin. St. John Lateran’s door will open Dec. 13, St. Mary Major’s Jan. 1, 2016, while that of St. Paul Outside the Walls will open Jan. 26, 2016. A special path leading toward the Holy Door in St. Peter’s will be marked out for pilgrims traveling to Rome during the jubilee year, so that they may pass through it and obtain the indulgence. Another novelty Pope Francis has included in his jubilee are the “Missionaries of Mercy,” who will receive a special mandate from the Pope during the Ash Wednesday Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in 2016 before going out to dioceses around the world as ambassadors of mercy. The idea of the missionaries, Archbishop Fisichella noted, is to “build upon the central content of the faith and to call the Church once again to its missionary priority of being a sign and witness in every aspect of its pastoral life.” The priests selected as missionaries will be chosen jointly by diocesan bishops and members of the pontifical council for evangelization, he said. The priests must be also patient and have a keen understanding of human frailty, but also a readiness to express God’s mercy in the sacrament of Confession. He said bishops emeritus are being considered due to their years of experience and ability to anticipate the needs of others. Although the reference to the Missionaries of Mercy in the papal bull of indiction gave special emphasis to their role during Lent, the archbishop said they would be available for the entire jubilee. Pope Francis himself is set to make five “jubilee signs” as a witness of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy on designated days throughout the Holy Year. Although the dates of the Pope’s works are given in the official calendar, it has not been announced what the works will be. One possible idea, the archbishop said, is to have a Mass with prisoners inside St. Peter’s Basilica so that they can participate in the jubilee “not just from their cells,” but together with the Church. The idea, however, has not been confirmed. As a sign of the Pope’s charitable love, Archbishop Fisichella said that “effective measures” will also be taken “to meet real needs in the world that will express mercy through tangible assistance.”The official website for the jubilee has already launched in seven languages: Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Polish. Heavy emphasis will also be given to social media in promoting the events of the jubilee and informing followers of the different activities surrounding it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, and Flickr can all be found on the official website. Archbishop Fisichella also noted that his council is currently exploring the idea of an app that will better integrate information surrounding the jubilee. Read more

Vatican City, May 8, 2015 / 01:41 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Attention to the poor was the point of departure for liberation theology claimed Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez Merino, widely acknowledged as the founder of the movement, in a May 8 article in the Vatican's newspaper. Fr. Gutierrez underscored that this attention to the poor came from what liberation theologians experienced in their own lives and lands. “We referred to the poor as non-persons, but not in philosophical sense, because it is obvious that each human being is a person,  rather in a sociological sense; the poor, that is, are not accepted as persons in our society. They are invisible and have not rights, their dignity is not recognized,” the Peruvian theologian wrote. The publication of the article may be considered a sort of response to the assertions of Ion Mihai Pacepa, a former general in communist Romania’s secret police during the Cold War who defected to the West in the 1970s. In an interview with Catholic News Agency, Pacepa said the KGB created liberation theology and helped to foster it in Latin America, a claim which garnered attention within the Vatican's walls. The article published in L'Osservatore Romano is in fact an excerpt from one of Fr. Gutierrez' books. It begins by saying there are two schools of thought about poverty, and both come from the Gospel: the first is focused on Christ's sensitivity toward the poor and their suffering, and the second, that Christ himself “had lived a life of poverty, and so Christians, from their origin, understood that in order to be his disciples they also had to live a life of poverty.” “Both of these schools are true,” he said, but “we have to interpret these two points of view on the bases of our historical context and of our lives.” Fr. Gutierrez said the first perspective may be found in Luke's version of the beatitude of the poor (Blessed are you poor, for the kingdom of God is yours), while the second is reflected in Matthew's (Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven). “I think both lines of thought – poverty as scandal and poverty of spirit – can be useful, although their meaning must be actualized in our historical period,” reflected Fr. Gutierrez. He explained that “a new notion of poverty” has emerged in the past century. “Poverty, in Bible and in our times, is not a merely economic issue. Poverty is very much more than this. The economic dimension is important, perhaps primary, but it is is not the only one.” Noting that we have become more aware of the multiple dimensions of poverty, Fr. Gutierrez said, “poverty was clearly the starting point of liberation theology, though we had not fully understood its complexity or variety.” The Dominican priest, who will speak at next week's general assembly of Caritas Internationalis, stressed that liberation theologians referred to the poor in a sociological sense, as persons “who are invisible and and have no rights.” “We also defined them as the “insignificant.” It is possible to be insignificant for several reasons: if you do not have money, in our society you are insignificant; the colour of your skin may be another reason to be deemed insignificant … what is common among the poor is insignificance, invisibility, and a lack of respect,” Fr. Gutierrez said. He then added that “these mutual complexities are different from one another” and that “the sense of non-person can be caused by several prejudices,” whether based on race, sex, culture, or economic status. Fr. Gutierrez provided the example of a black Protestant pastor, who began a 1969 speech with the words: “We must feel that we exist!” “That strong declaration is the shout of the poor,” Fr. Gutierrez said. The Dominican also provided the example of Peru's indigenous people, who “are invisible, irrelevant … this is the sad story of an Indian's daily life: even when he goes to the hospital to be cured, he is ignored,” wrote Fr. Gutierrez. He then added that “poverty today is a phenomenon of our globalized civilization. For centuries, the poor have been close to us, they lived more or less near us, in the city or in the countryside. However, today we have realized that poverty goes very much beyond our gaze, it is a global phenomenon, if not universal. The majority of human beings in the world live in the condition we call poverty.” This is a turning point, according to Fr. Gutierrez. He emphasized that in spiritual, moral or liturgical books of the past, writers “merely spoke of how to directly help the poor, who were close to us.” But “today we should be aware that our neighbors are both near and far. We must understand that a relation of 'neighborhood' is the result of our commitment.” “This not a question of geography, it is now a global question.” Read more

Vatican City, May 8, 2015 / 11:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After arriving to Ecuador for his 10 day trip to South America, Pope Francis' first stop will be Guayaquil's Sanctuary of Divine Mercy – breaking with his usual custom of meeting the president first. The second largest church in Guayaquil after the city's cathedral, the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy will be the Pope’s first destination after landing in Quito July 5. He will likely meet Ecuador's authorities during the welcoming ceremony at the airport, however an official visit with the president, Rafael Correa, will not take place until after Francis spends the morning of July 6 visiting the sanctuary in Guayaquil and having lunch with the Jesuit Community at the Colegio Javier. Although the move is not unprecedented, it's unusual for Francis, who has met with the president and local authorities before anyone else in each of the countries he’s landed in during trips abroad since his election. The move demonstrates the continued emphasis the Pope places on the topic of mercy, which he has spoken of frequently since his election. The upcoming Jubilee for Mercy – which he declared in March – is set to begin Dec. 8. Pope Francis first announced his plans to make two separate trips to South America during an in-flight news conference on his way back to Rome from the Philippines. His plans to visit Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay this year were confirmed by the Vatican in April, and the trip will last from July 5-13. He will first stop in Ecuador before moving on to Bolivia, and finally Paraguay. Another possible visit in 2016 or 2017 could include stops in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Peru. While in Ecuador July 5-8, the Pope is also set to meet with the country's bishops, as well as representatives of schools and universities at the Pontifical University of Ecuador. He will also visit the Missionaries of Charity nursing home and will meet with priests, religious and seminarians at Quito's national Marian Shrine before heading to Bolivia the afternoon of July 8. Once he lands at the El Alto airport in La Paz, the Pope will give an address during the welcoming ceremony, and afterward will head to the government palace to visit the president, Evo Morales. Shortly after the Pope will leave for Santa Cruz de la Sierra, where he is scheduled to spend the remainder of his time in Bolivia. On the 9th he will celebrate Mass and meet with Bolivia's men and women religious, after which he will participate in the World Meeting of Popular Movements. The next day Francis will visit the rehabilitation center of Palmasola, and meet with the country’s bishops before heading to Paraguay in the afternoon. After arriving to the Silvio Pettirossi airport of Asuncion July 10, Pope Francis will pay a courtesy visit to the president, Horacio Cartes, and will then meet with authorities and the diplomatic corps. The next morning the Pope is scheduled to visit a pediatric hospital, celebrate Mass and meet with members of civil society before bringing the day to a close with Vespers in the metropolitan cathedral of Our Lady of Asuncion. Bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, seminarians and Catholic movements in Paraguay will join the Pope in the traditional evening prayer. July 12 Francis will visit the people of Banado Norte before celebrating Mass and meeting with the country’s bishops in the Cultural Centre of the apostolic nunciature, where they will have lunch. Pope Francis’ last meeting of the trip will be with youth at the Costanera riverside, after which he will leave for Rome. He is expected to arrive July 13 shortly before 2 p.m., and will likely make a stop by Rome’s basilica of Saint Mary Major on his way back to the Vatican. Read more

Vatican City, May 8, 2015 / 06:37 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After meeting for the first time as a complete entity in February, the Vatican Commission for the Protection of Minors has published their formal statutes, effective for three years. “The ... Read more