Rome, Italy, May 3, 2015 / 05:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Experts in California history, archeology and the life of Bl. Junipero Serra have praised him as a passionate missionary with a vision that extended far beyond his own generation. “I think that's a characteristic of great people. They're not bound up by the restrictions of their generation, they see ahead,” Mons. Francis J. Weber told CNA April 30, in reference to the life of Bl. Junipero Serra. He compared Serra to former president of the United States Abraham Lincoln, who despite being heavily criticized during his life for working to abolish slavery, “was one of the greatest presidents we’ve ever had. But he was generations ahead of his time.” “I think you could say that most great people are ahead of their own generation. I would probably say that they see things the way they should be done, but not as they are,” the priest said. Mons. Weber is the author of more than 100 books, many of which focus on California’s Catholic history, and the former archivist of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. A pupil of the well-known Catholic Church historian John Tracy Ellis, Mons. Weber also taught history at Queen of Angels Seminary in Los Angeles and served as president of the Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists. He was one of four panelists present in Rome for an April 30 discussion on the life and legacy of Bl. Junipero Serra, who will be canonized by Pope Francis during his visit to the U.S. in September. Fr. Serra was born in 1713 on the Spanish island of Majorca in the Mediterranean. He left his position as a university professor to become a missionary to the New World, helping to convert many of the native community to Christianity and teaching them new technologies. The Franciscan priest founded several of the missions that would go on to become the centers of major California cities. The priest’s mission work often took place despite a painful ulcerated leg which is said to have been caused either by cancer or a spider bite soon after his arrival in Mexico. He died in 1784 at Mission San Carlos Borroméo del Carmelo in what is now the state of California. St. John Paul II beatified Fr. Serra in 1988. In January, Pope Francis praised the missionary as “the evangelizer of the West” when he announced his intention to canonize him. In the panel discussion, specific attention was given to Serra's zeal to be a missionary. Mons. Weber said this can be seen in the priest’s decision to leave his home in Spain despite the fact that he wasn’t young anymore, and knowing that he likely wouldn’t see his aged parents again. While praising Serra’s visionary perspective and the good that came out of the missions, panelists also addressed criticisms surrounding Serra and the missions in a conversation with journalists after the panel. Controversy over the canonization has stemmed from claims that Serra's missions enacted forced labor and conversions as well as corporal punishment. Scholarship on the issue is divided, and Serra supporters contend that many of the accusations against Serra are rife with misinterpretations and factual errors. Robert Senkewicz, a history professor at Santa Clara University in California and co-author of a newly released 500 page biography on Junipero Serra, was also present at Thursday's press conference. He said he's not surprised that there is contention over Serra's canonization, and noted that much of the dissatisfaction likely surrounds a history of poor policies the U.S. had toward native Americans in the past. Inevitably native populations will interpret their past to be a “prison” of previous U.S. policies toward Indians, because “it wasn't nice,” he said. “It was a policy of removal and extermination…so I'm not surprised that there's a lot of dissatisfaction against the canonization Fr. Serra, because Californian Indians are American Indians, and American Indians interpret their past through the most catastrophic parts of it, which were the U.S. policies.” Ruben Mendoza, an archeology professor at California State University, Monterey Bay, also spoke on the panel from a cultural perspective, being of both Mexican and Indian descent. With extensive experience in the field of archeology as well as working in the California missions of San Juan Bautista, San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, Nuestra Senora de la Soledad and the Royal Presidio of Monterey, Mendoza was initially hostile to Serra, but changed his view after studying about the blessed and working in the missions himself. Mendoza pointed out that despite Serra's critics, “many of us carry currencies in our pockets that contain the images of individuals who we see as heroes, they were the founders of our country, and yet if we judge them from the perspective of our histories then they were human traffickers.” These people, he said, “were a whole host of things that today we would not even begin to dream of if we consider ourselves as patriots.” Mendoza also referred to how some have argued that Serra had sought to be a martyr at one point in his life, saying that if we look at this life, the reality is that “if he had sought martyrdom he would have been mortified.” Serra, he said, “would have realized that the very people that he loved, that he devoted his life to, would now see him as the culprit in their disintegration.” “I believe that in the end, by virtue of the very attacks that those descendants bring to the table, they have martyred Junipero Serra and turned him into a saint.” Read more

Barcelona, Spain, May 3, 2015 / 04:17 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia Basilica hosted a funeral for the 150 passengers of the Germanwings flight that crashed into the French Alps in March. Cardinal Lluis Martinez Sistac... Read more

Vatican City, May 2, 2015 / 05:44 pm (CNA).- The Synod of Bishops began receiving in April responses to a questionnaire that had been sent to dioceses the world over in preparation for October's Synod on the Family. The results from Germany indicate that most Catholics there hope for an openness to divorce and remarriage, as well as homosexual acts. The synthesis of responses from Catholics in Germany was released by the nation's bishops conference on April 16. The 17-page document, provided in an English translation, summarizes the responses, which filled some 1,000 pages. According to the German bishops conference, the largest part of comments dealt with the issues of the divorced and civilly remarried, cohabiting couples, and same-sex unions. The consultation “has led to considerable expectations among many faithful with regard to the Synod of Bishops, which they expect to provide a further development of the Church’s teaching and pastoral care in questions related to marriage and the family.” The document's introduction notes that “after having consulted the People of God, the German Bishops' Conference is pleased to present its answers … which are implicitly intended to set the thematic emphasis.” (emphasis added) The statements thus reflects the German bishops themselves, in consultation with their laity, as well as with official representatives of religious superiors, theologians, marriage and family pastoral offices, and priests councils. Summarizing the totality of the responses, the German bishops wrote that “a large number of faithful would like to see clearer steps being taken towards overcoming the 'divide between the reality practiced in families in our parishes and associations and the Church’s teachings'” and that there is “criticism … of the lack of a really appreciative language for forms of relationship which neither conform to the Church’s ideal nor take marriage and the family as an exclusive orientation.” Catholics in Germany also criticized the lack of “discussion of contraception methods.” The bishops wrote that there is “a longing for successful relationships,” but that there is at the same time fewer marriages, more divorces, and that “several aspects of the Church’s teachings on sexuality, partnership and marriage are hardly understood, even among church-going Catholics, and are also not practised.” While noting that many aspects of Church teaching are neither understood nor accepted, the German bishops do add that Catholics in their nation do at least agree with some of the Church's teachings: the values of monogamy, faithfulness, fertility, and marriage itself, as well as a rejection of abortion. The document does have positive notes for pastoral care of marriage and families regarding the importance of marriage for people and the Church, marriage preparation and the accompaniment of young couples, the transmission of life, and the family's role in evangelization. It adds that pastoral care should not be too harsh on those who are violating the teachings of the Church.   “Pastoral care should also adopt an appreciative attitude towards those who do not, or do not yet, live up to the demands of the Gospel,” the German bishops wrote. This pastoral care “submits offers from the Gospel,” yet also “must ensure that open, unprejudiced and non-moralising communication is also engaged in towards those who regard themselves as Christians and Catholics but who do not or cannot live in full congruency with the teaching of the Church in questions that are related to marriage and the family.” Among these are those civilly married, many of whom are so because one partner is divorced. “Pastoral care that regards such unions as sinful pure and simple and accordingly calls for conversion is not helpful as it contradicts the positive experience that couples have in such living arrangements. Values such as love, faithfulness, responsibility for one another and for the children, reliability and willingness to reconcile are also practiced when people live together and in civil marriages, and these deserve recognition in a Christian context. Pastoral care should be provided to young people in particular, and this must appreciatively support and accompany their various attempts to enter into and practice relationships.” While discussing civil marriage and cohabitation, the German bishops emphasize that “a further development of the Church's sexual morals” is needed. “This entails an enhanced appreciation of individuals’ ability to shape their lives in following Christ on their own responsibility and to form a personal conscience-based judgment.” Turning to the cause celebre of the German bishops since the 1970s – the divorced and civilly remarried, and their admission to the sacraments – they said that this question “was answered by everyone, and in most cases also in a very detailed manner. It is a concern for many faithful, far beyond the group of those whose marriages have failed.” “There can be no doubt that this remains a pivotal issue for the credibility of the Church. There is a very high expectation among the faithful that the Synod of Bishops will open up new paths for pastoral care in this respect.” The document refers to paragraph 84 of St. John Paul II's 1981 apostolic exhortation Familiaris consortio to support the thesis that the divorce and remarried “should be encouraged to play an active role in the parish.” It then immediately adds that “there is also an ongoing discussion on the question of possibly admitting Catholics who are civilly divorced and who have remarried to confession and sacramental communion … Exclusion from the sacraments, above all when it is permanent as with remarried divorcees, contradicts the conviction of faith held by the vast majority of Catholics that God forgives all sin, opens up the chance for conversion and makes it possible to have a new beginning in life.” This addendum does not mention the remainder of Familiaris consortio 84, which teaches, “the Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried. They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and the Church which is signified and effected by the Eucharist … 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.” Instead, the German bishops referred to their June 2014 resolution to admit the divorced and remarried to Confession and Communion even if they do not resolve to live in continence. They added that several dioceses and associations want a consideration of the Orthodox practice of second marriages after divorce: “it is also proposed to consider blessing a second (civil) marriage, which should however be quite distinct from a church marriage in liturgical terms.” Furthermore, a streamlining of the nullity procedure, which has been much discussed and is being undertaken by a Vatican committee – was received as “certainly welcome,” though ineffectual, since most people who divorce and seek a second marriage don't bother with annulment anyway. Continuing an expansion of the admission to Communion, the German bishops then turned to the issue of marriages between a Catholic and a Protestant: “Considerable scope is attached in the responses to the question of the possible admission of the non-Catholic partner, particularly of a Protestant partner, to sacramental communion.” “The exclusion from communion of the partner who belongs to a different denomination is regarded as an obstacle particularly for the Christian upbringing of the children and of the faith life of the family … in the interest of strengthening sacramental marriage, and when it comes to the Christian upbringing of the children, the question thus needs to be asked as to how the non-Catholic spouse is to take part in the life of the parish and under what circumstances he/she can in fact be admitted to communion. Do inter-denominational marriages which are bound by the dual sacramental tie of baptism and marriage not constitute a grave spiritual need permitting the admission of the non-Catholic partner in an individual case?” Turning to pastoral care of persons with homosexual tendencies, the bishops noted that Germany has a broad consensus welcoming civil unions, which is “shared by a majority of Catholics.” “Only a small number of respondents fundamentally reject homosexual relationships as constituting a grave sin. The vast majority expects the Church to carry out a differentiated moral theological evaluation which takes account of pastoral experience and of the findings of the humanities. Most Catholics accept homosexual relationships if the partners practice values such as love, faithfulness, responsibility for one another and reliability, but they do not thereby place homosexual partnerships on the same footing as marriage … Some of the statements also favour a blessing for such partnerships which is distinct from marriage.” The document concluded that “pastoral care that accepts homosexuals requires a further development of the Church’s sexual morals which incorporates recent findings from the humanities, as well as from anthropological, exegetic and moral theology.” The German bishops' document, highlighting the expectation of Catholics there that the Synod on the Family will result in “development” of Church teaching, echoes a comment made Feb. 25 by Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, president of the conference, who said there are “certain expectations” of Germany in helping the Church to open doors and “go down new paths,” and that “in doctrine, we also learn from life.” Cardinal Marx had added that “we are not a branch of Rome. Each conference of bishops is responsible for pastoral care in its cultural context and must preach the Gospel in its own, original way. We cannot wait for a synod to tell us how we have to shape pastoral care for marriage and family here,” explaining that the German bishops would pursue its own program of pastoral care for marriages and family regardless of the outcome of October's Synod on the Family. The Archbishop of Munich and Freising's comments were promptly responded to by two fellow German prelates who now find themselves in Rome: Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, and Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Mueller called Cardinal Marx' understanding “an absolutely anti-Catholic idea that does not respect the Catholicity of the Church,” adding that bishops conferences “are not a magisterium beside the Magisterium, without the Pope and without communion with all the bishops.” Yet the response of the German bishops to the synod questionnaire ostensibly affirmed that “there is no doubt that the local churches agree 'cum Petro et sub Petro' in dogmatic questions regarding marriage and the family,” while continuing that “some of the responses favour regional agreements on pastoral guidelines at local church level. The basis could also be formed by diocesan discussion processes on the topic of marriage and the family the outcome of which would be discussed with other local churches.” The much-talked about expectations of Catholics in Germany regarding “developments” in doctrine and pastoral care for the divorced and remarried, cohabiting, homosexuals, and those in mixed marriages, reflect the beliefs of those Catholics in Germany. Recent surveys have found that only 54 percent of priests there go to confession even once a year; only 58 percent of priests pray daily; 60 percent of parishioners don't believe in live after death; 66 percent don't believe in Christ's Resurrection. Cardinal Cordes observed in March that only 16 percent of Catholics in western Germany believe God to be a personal being, adding that there is thus “no reason to pride ourselves on our faith if we stand in comparison to other countries.” “If [Cardinal Marx] wanted to express that Germany is an example in leading the faithful to a giving oneself up to Christ, then I think the bishop is fooled by wishful thinking,” Cardinal Cordes wrote. “The existing German ecclesial apparatus is completely unfit to work against growing secularism.”   Read more

Rome, Italy, May 2, 2015 / 09:41 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis marked a “day of reflection” for the soon-to-be canonized Junípero Serra by celebrating Mass at the Pontifical North American College, lauding the 18th century missionary who worked to defend the native people against the abuses of colonialism. “He was one of the founding fathers of the United States, a saintly example of the Church’s universality and special patron of the Hispanic people of the country,” the Pope said in his May 2 homily. Through Father Junipero's witness of holiness, “may all Americans rediscover their own dignity, and unite themselves ever more closely to Christ and his Church,” he said. Saturday's Mass at the PNAC marks Pope Francis' first visit to a seminary following his 2013 election. It is also the first time a pontiff has gone to the Rome-based seminary for the United States since Saint John Paul II's visit in 1980. The celebration was part a “Day of Reflection” hosted by the PNAC for Blessed Junipero Serra, who the Pope will canonize on Sep. 23 during his Apostolic Journey to the United States. Born Nov. 24, 1714 in Spain, Father Junípero Serra played a key role in the evangelization of 18th century California. The missions he founded took in thousands of Native American converts to Christianity and taught them technological development skills. Father Serra helped establish the California missions in the 1700s, many of which became the centers of major cities like San Diego. He was beatified Sep. 25, 1988 by Saint John Paul II. Presiding over Mass in the PNAC's Immaculate Conception chapel, Pope Francis based his homily on the day’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles which demonstrates the “missionary nature of the Church.” “This was true also for the many missionaries who brought the Gospel to the New World and, at the same time, defended the indigenous peoples against abuses by the colonizers,” he said. Father Junipero Serra was among the Franciscan missionaries who brought the faith to the Americas, he said, ushering “in a new springtime of evangelization in those immense territories, extending from Florida to California, which, in the previous two hundred years, had been reached by missionaries from Spain.” Reflecting on the life of Junipero Serra, Pope Francis described him as a “tireless missionary.” He was driven to leave his homeland, he said, by “the desire to proclaim the Gospel ad gentes, that heartfelt impulse which seeks to share with those farthest away the gift of encountering Christ:” a gift that he had first received and experienced in all its truth and beauty.” Missionary disciples, like Father Junipero, challenge us, the Pope said. Having encountered Jesus, they were “moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit, (they) went out to all the geographical, social and existential peripheries, to bear witness to charity.” Pope Francis asked whether we possess the same “generosity and courage” to respond to the same call to worship and follow God, “to rediscover him in the face of the poor, to proclaim him to those who have not known Christ and, therefore, have not experienced the embrace of his mercy.” Pope Francis also spoke of Blessed Junipero's devotion to Mary, having entrusted his missionary activity to her – in particular Our Lady of Guadalupe, the image of which accompanied him on twenty-one of his California missions. Our Lady of Guadalupe cannot be separated from “the hearts of the American people,” he said, as “she represents our shared roots in this land.” “She always hears and protects her American children.” Looking ahead to the Extraordinary Jubilee year of Mercy, set to begin Dec. 8, the Pope appealed for his intercession, and that of the many other North and South American saints. “May a powerful gust of holiness sweep through all the Americas,” he said. Pope Francis concluded by appealing to Our Lady and these saints as he prepares for his visit to North and South America later this year. “I ask Our Lady of Guadalupe, Friar Junipero and all the American saints to lead me and guide me during my approaching apostolic journeys to South America and North America.” Read more