San Diego, Calif., Apr 20, 2015 / 10:30 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Bishop Robert McElroy, the new head of the San Diego diocese, has criticized a proposal to remove the statue of pioneering California missionary and soon-to-be saint Father Junipero Serra fro... Read more
Washington D.C., Apr 19, 2015 / 04:45 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A bill boosting promotion of religious freedom abroad could deter terror groups like ISIS, protect vulnerable minorities and foster global security, advocates say. The bill is “an impo... Read more
Vatican City, Apr 19, 2015 / 08:48 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis led a moment of prayerful silence on Sunday for the hundreds of migrants killed off the coast of Lampedusa, saying they were like us in their search for happiness. “They are m... Read more
Washington D.C., Apr 18, 2015 / 04:25 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The U.S. Supreme Court has continued its trend of decisions stopping enforcement of a federal contraception mandate against religious employers with moral objections. On April 15, Supreme Co... Read more
Erbil, Iraq, Apr 18, 2015 / 02:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A car bomb explosion in front of the American consulate in what is considered the safest city in Iraq has left many unnerved and anxious, praying that nothing else will penetrate the stronghold. “Certainly, everyone will be very concerned about this situation. We hope nothing more comes. We hope this refuge remains solid and strong, safe. This is what we hope because we have nowhere else to go,” Fr. Behnam Benoka told CNA from Erbil April 17. Fr. Benoka is a priest from Bartella, a small Christian city near Mosul. He is currently the vice rector of the Catholic seminary of Ankawa, and has founded several field hospitals that serve refugees in camps outside of Ankawa, Erbil. Ankawa is a Christian city in the governorate of Kurdish capital Erbil, where more than 70,000 Christians fled after their villages came under attack by the Islamic State (ISIS) last June. Until now Erbil has been considered the safest city in Iraq, and attacks there have been relatively rare. However, after yesterday’s car bombing in front of the U.S. consulate and near the hub of the Erbil diocese killed 3 and left 14 wounded, many are growing increasingly concerned about their safety. Reuters news agency reports that the blast, which the Islamic State claimed responsibility for, was followed by gunfire and a cloud of dark smoke. It is believed that that the consulate was the main target. The last major attack in Erbil took place in November when a suicide care bomber detonated himself outside the governor's office, killing five. That attack was also claimed by the Islamic State. “This attack in front of the American consulate and near the Catholic bishopric of Erbil may cause the people some serious unease as they think and rethink what to do, where to go, what will happen, if there's anything more to come,” Fr. Benoka said. It’s not just the local people who are worried, but many who come from other cities to work in Erbil and help refugees are also concerned, including both governmental and non-governmental organizations, the priest explained. “We hope the evil stops here. We hope there's nothing more,” he said. After beginning their bloody campaign last summer, ISIS forces have since established a caliphate and have persecuted non-Sunnis in its territory, which extends across swaths of Iraq and Syria. ISIS has forced more than 1.2 million Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims from their homes in Iraq, under threat of death or heavy fines if they do not convert. Last August Fr. Benoka was the recipient of a phone call from Pope Francis, who called the priest after receiving his letter detailing the plight of the Christians persecuted by ISIS. Fr. Benoka told CNA afterward that he was “shocked” to receive the call, which lasted 3 minutes, and thought it had been a joke. However, he soon realized it wasn’t a prank, because he recognized the Pope’s voice from being in an audience with him prior. The Pope, the priest recalled, “said he was very sorry for everything that was happening to us and he said, 'Know that I am with you in prayer always. I never forget you.’” He said that Francis told him, “I've personally sent Cardinal Filoni to check on the situation there for me. Tell everyone that Pope Francis called you. I never forget you and I’ll never leave you.” Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, visited Erbil as Pope Francis' personal envoy from Aug. 12-20, 2014. He returned during Holy Week this year as a sign of Francis’ love and solidarity. When asked whether or not he planned to stay in Iraq after this latest attack, Fr. Benoka said, “I'll be here as long as the people are. I'll move with the people. As long as they're here, I'll be here.” Read more
Vatican City, Apr 18, 2015 / 11:32 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a telegram to Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago, the Holy Father offered his blessing to all those who mourn Cardinal Francis E. George. “To all who mourn the late Cardinal in the sure... Read more
Rome, Italy, Apr 18, 2015 / 09:19 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A top ranking UK anti-slavery commissioner says that human trafficking is not just an issue to be talked about, but one the global community needs to forcefully commit to eradicating. For the Un... Read more
Vatican City, Apr 18, 2015 / 04:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- With more opportunities opening for women to take leadership roles in Vatican councils and congregations, women are filling the ranks of the Roman Curia on a historically unprecedented level. “I think we are at a point of seeing (a different model)…a springtime for new forms of leadership…in the Church,” Cardinal Peter Turkson said April 14. Cardinal Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, was speaking to participants of an April 14 conference held at Rome's Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. He referenced numerous changes being made in the ongoing reform of the Church and the Roman Curia, noting that the process has led to the opening of new doors for both women and laypersons to take up roles of leadership that have never before been open to them in the Vatican's governing body. The cardinal pointed out several recent examples of women serving in positions that until now have only been filled by men. In 2012 Flaminia Giovanelli was appointed as the undersecretary for his council, the cardinal recalled, making her the highest ranking laywoman in the Roman Curia and the first laywoman to hold the position of undersecretary. Before Giovanelli's appointment under Benedict XVI, only one other woman, Sr. Enrica Rosanna, had ever held the position. A religious of Maria Auxiliatrix, Sr. Enrica served as undersecretary of the Congregation for Consecrated Life and Society of Apostolic Life from 2004-2011. Broken up into different dicasteries, the Roman Curia serves as the Vatican's governing body, and is composed of nine congregations, 11 councils, three tribunals, the Secretariat of State and three offices dedicated to organizing different areas of the Holy See – including the secretariat for the economy. Each Vatican congregation is headed by a cardinal prefect, while presidents of the pontifical councils can be chaired by either a cardinal or archbishop, but never anyone below that rank. Under the cardinals and archbishops of the dicasteries fall the ordinary of the dicastery, the secretary, a group of consulters, the undersecretary, the congress and finally the heads of specific offices and their officials. Cardinal Turkson revealed that his council is currently looking for a new secretary after the former was reassigned. He recalled that in a conversation with Pope Francis, the pontiff gave the green light for the position to be filled by a woman. The cardinal made a point to emphasize that while the role of women is increasing in the life of the Church, it's a process that “takes time.” Pope Francis has been outspoken on the topic of women, calling for a more “incisive” feminine presence in the Church. Cardinal Turkson noted that previous popes have done the same, and pointed to Saint John XXIII as one of the first popes to draw attention to the advancement of women in his revolutionary encyclical “Pacem in Terris.” John XXIII devoted an entire paragraph to “the growing participation of women in public and political life, consistent with 'awareness of their natural dignity,'” he said. “Far from being content with a purely passive role or allowing themselves to be regarded as a kind of instrument, they are demanding both in domestic and in public life the rights and duties which belong to them as human persons,” the cardinal said, quoting the encyclical. St. John Paul II was also vocal on the importance, and specifically the dignity of women. He placed a strong emphasis on the “feminine genius,” and in the late 1990s shocked participants in a conference on “Women's Health and Human Rights” by declaring to listeners that “I am the feminist Pope.” In 1988 John Paul II published the first papal letter dedicated entirely to the topic of women entitled “Mulieris Dignitatem.” The document became the basis for the Pope’s reflections on the role of women in society and in the Church. Pope Francis has continued the work of his predecessors in calling for an increased presence of women in the life and governance of the Church. Along with his council of nine cardinals selected and assist him in matters of Church governance and reform, Francis has begun to open new doors not just for women, but also laypersons in general, by allowing more spaces for their leadership on Vatican councils. Cardinal Turkson noted that another topic on the table for discussion for the Council of Cardinals is the possible merge of the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Council for the Laity. When looking at possible heads for such a council, for Pope Francis “the Council for Laity can be managed by a parent, a man and his wife, and the Council for the Family can be taken care of by a similar group,” the cardinal explained. Pope Francis has also made a point to include more women in his recent appointments to the Pontifical Theological Commission, including Sr. Prudence Allen, R.S.M., who has authored the multi-volume work “The Concept of Woman,” Moira McQueen of Canada, Sr. Alenka Arko, Loyola Community, from Russia and Marianne Schlosser of Austria. The International Theological Commission is an advisory body which assists the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in examining questions of doctrine, and members are nominated for five-year terms. Women now make up 16 percent of the commission’s members. Cardinal Turkson also responded to a question posed on how to embolden women in the conference’s theme, “Women’s Leadership in Conflict Resolution: Faith Perspectives.” In his response, the cardinal noted how one woman on his council is currently serving as a representative of the Holy See in Qatar, and that she had formerly been a representative in Strasberg, as well as a consultant at U.N. in Geneva on human rights issues. Held at Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, the event was organized by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, the Russell Berrie Foundation and the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue. In addition to Cardinal Turkson, other speakers and panelists included U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Kenneth Hackett, Jewish Philosophy professor Irene Kajon, Secretary General of the Italian Islamic Religious Community Dr. Ilham Allan Chiara Ferrero and Donna Orsuto, director of Rome’s Lay Center. Cardinal Turkson ended his speech by calling to mind the words of Pope Francis during his Angelus address on the 2015 International Day of Women, saying that “a world where women are marginalized is a barren world because women not only give life but they also transmit the ability to see beyond, to see beyond themselves.” Women, he said, “transmit the ability to see the world with different eyes, to feel things with a more creative, patient and tender heart.” The cardinal closed by thanking attendees for their participation, and expressed his hope “that we may be enlightened by what women can do that we have not discovered yet.” Read more
Chicago, Ill., Apr 17, 2015 / 04:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The death of Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago on April 17 was met with an outpouring of prayer, as well as gratitude for the life and service of the prominent Church leader. Archbishop Blase Cupich, who currently heads the Chicago archdiocese, remembered his “beloved” predecessor in a press conference shortly after the news was announced. Around the United States, other bishops and Catholic organizations also offered their reflections and prayers, remembering the cardinal for his courage, intellectual contributions and selfless service to the Church.Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, president of U.S. bishops’ conference The death of an exemplary churchman such as Cardinal Francis George brings much sadness at a time of joy and resurrection. We find peace in knowing that, after so much suffering, he has been raised up with our Lord. As archbishop of Chicago and president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, Cardinal George led as a kindly servant and unmatched intellectual, a man who encouraged everyone to see how God makes us all brother and sister to one another. I join with my brother bishops in thanking God for the gift of his witness and invite all to pray for the faithful repose of his soul.Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, D.C. It was with great sorrow that I learned today of the death of Cardinal Francis George, whom I have known and had the privilege of working with for over 25 years. As brother bishops, we had many opportunities to work together on a number of committees in service to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Over our many years of association, I appreciated Cardinal George’s many intellectual contributions to the conference, his pastoral concern for the faithful in his diocese, and his example of faith and courage. Particularly over the last couple of years as he fought his illness with great grace, he was an example of faith in the Lord. I offer my prayers and sympathy to Cardinal George’s family and friends and the many people whose lives he touched by his ministry over the years and ask the Lord to grant him eternal rest.Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York While we have all realized for a while that it was near, the passing of Cardinal Francis George still comes as a jolt, and leaves us with a sense of emptiness and loss. I assure Archbishop Cupich and the Catholic family of Chicago of our love, condolences, and prayers here in New York. I will miss him as a pastor, friend, and guide, and can only thank God for the gift that he was and will ever be.Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia I was deeply saddened today to learn of the death of Cardinal Francis E. George, Archbishop Emeritus of Chicago. Cardinal George was a close friend over many years, from the time I was a young bishop in Rapid City. We talked often. He was a constant source of good counsel and encouragement. As a fellow religious, he was a model for me of living the Beatitudes well, despite the daily crush of leading a large local Church. As a bishop and a scholar, he was the finest intellect the Church in America has seen in many decades. The only consolation in losing him is knowing that he served the Lord well, and the Lord has welcomed him home. On behalf of the Church in Philadelphia, I extend prayerful condolences to Cardinal George's family and many friends as well as Archbishop Blase J. Cupich and the priests, religious, and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Chicago. I ask the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to offer prayers for Cardinal George, and our priests to offer Masses for the repose of his soul. All of us are very grateful for the gifts of his life and service to the Universal Church. May God grant him the gift of eternal life, and give peace and consolation to all those who loved, admired, and respected him.Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles Cardinal George was a friend and a strong Church leader. I will miss him. He was a good priest and a good bishop, a man of prayer and a scholar. I admired him as an apostle of the new evangelization, and especially his commitment to bringing American culture to a new encounter with the beauty and truth of Catholic teaching. On behalf of the family of God here in Los Angeles, I extend my condolonces to Cardinal George’s family and friends and to all the faithful in the Archdiocese of Chicago. We thank God for the gift of his ministry and we offer our prayers for the repose of his soul. May God grant him peace.Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver This morning Cardinal Francis E. George, a true shepherd and faithful son of the Church, passed on to his eternal reward. His life was a testament to his love for Jesus Christ and devotion to the Blessed Mother. This same love moved him to place his strong leadership skills and towering intellect at the service of the Church. He will also be remembered for his great sense of humor and ability to relate well to people from all walks of life. The Archdiocese of Denver is blessed to have been the place where Cardinal George delivered his last public talk, which was fittingly dedicated to the work of forming priests in the 21st Century. Those present heard a man of great courage and fidelity speak from the heart about his personal journey to the priesthood. I ask that the faithful of the Archdiocese of Denver and all those of good will join me in praying for the repose of this gentle, loving and wise shepherd’s soul and entry into the eternal joy of Heaven.Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois I was very sorry to learn of Cardinal George’s death. I had the great privilege of working with Cardinal George for over 15 years. He was one of the most holy and intelligent men I have ever met. He was my boss, but also an important mentor, and I dare say, my friend. I will miss him greatly.Cardinal George served as chairman of the Catholic Conference from his installation as Archbishop of Chicago in May 1997 until his retirement In November 2014.Monsignor Michael M. Boland, president of Catholic Charities of Chicago Today we mourn the loss of an incredible leader, guiding spirit and loyal friend. Cardinal George had compassion for all. You saw this compassion in his eyes as he visited with the poor and most vulnerable in our communities. He was a wonderful mentor to many, including me. He always supported the work of Catholic Charities and it was an incredible blessing to have his leadership help guide us for 17 years. He helped us tackle some of the most difficult issues facing our communities, always with faith and concern for the poorest of the poor. He exemplified our call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, showing mercy and kindness to all and leading by example. Personally, Cardinal George served as an inspiration to me, as I know he did to many in the Archdiocese and around the world. He was unwavering in his support of the mission of Catholic Charities and his deep-rooted faith and love of the Lord shown through in all he did.John Garvey, president of The Catholic University of America We at The Catholic University of America were fortunate to have Cardinal George as a member of our Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, including during the entire time that he was cardinal archbishop of Chicago. I was honored to have the opportunity to publicly thank him for his wise counsel to me and for his long and devoted service to his alma mater at our December board meeting last year. He was a man who put his great intellectual gifts at the disposal of Jesus Christ and his Church and who candidly spoke the truth in season and out. Cardinal George received a Master of Arts degree from Catholic University in 1965. He was on the board of trustees for more than two decades. Read more
Chicago, Ill., Apr 17, 2015 / 12:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Francis George, the Emeritus Archbishop of Chicago, passed away Friday morning after a long batter with cancer. Archbishop Blase Cupich, who currently heads the archdiocese, remembere... Read more
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