New York City, N.Y., Sep 17, 2014 / 01:51 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York has urged U.S. Catholics to listen to the “chilling” pleas of Greek-Catholic bishops who say Ukraine is “flowing with blood” due to the Russ... Read more

Providence, R.I., Sep 17, 2014 / 09:43 am (CNA).- The dilemma of divorced and remarried Catholics should prompt consideration of changes in the Church’s approach to annulments and the Eucharist, but without compromising Church teaching, said Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence, R.I. “The challenge for the Church, of course, is how to maintain and proclaim the irrefutable teaching of our Lord Jesus that marriage entails a sacred and permanent bond between husband and wife, while also providing spiritual care for those Catholics who have fallen short of the ideal,” he said in a column written for the local diocesan paper, the Rhode Island Catholic. “Although the teaching of Christ and His Church about the permanence of marriage is clear and undeniable, the lived reality is that many individuals, for a variety of reasons perhaps – personal, catechetical or cultural – are ill-equipped to fulfill the lofty demands of the law,” he said. Next month, bishops the world over will meet with Pope Francis in Rome for a synod to discuss the Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization. Among the topics to be discussed is the issue of whether divorced and remarried Catholics should be allowed to receive the Eucharist, as well as the efficiency of the annulment process. Church teaching holds that a second marriage cannot be recognized as valid if the preceding marriage was valid. Therefore, divorced Catholics who remarry without obtaining an annulment are “in a situation that objectively contravenes God's law” and should not receive the Eucharist. Pope Francis has called for the synod to examine a “somewhat deeper pastoral care of marriage,” including the divorced and remarried, leading many to speculate on how the situation could be addressed. In his column, Bishop Tobin pointed to the Gospel of Mark 2:23-28, in which the disciples were walking through a wheat field on the Sabbath and began eating grain because they were hungry, in violation of Jewish law. While the Pharisees condemned them, Jesus responds: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for Sabbath.” “In other words, while not denying the validity of the law, our Lord clearly placed it in a ‘pastoral context,’ exempting its enforcement due to the human needs of the moment,” the Bishop wrote. “Could we not take a similar approach to marriage law today? Could we not say, by way of analogy, that “matrimony is made for man, not man for matrimony?” he questioned. In his column, Bishop Tobin said that “understand(s) completely the arguments against taking a more ‘pastoral approach’ to this topic, primarily that to do so would betray the sacred teaching of Christ we are obliged to uphold.” “I know that even within the current discipline, divorced and remarried Catholics, though barred from Holy Communion, are still valued members of the Church and that there are many ways for them to participate in ecclesial life,” he continued. “And I believe in the value of ‘spiritual communion’ as a truly worthwhile devotional practice for those unable to receive the sacrament.” However, the bishop wondered whether these Catholics are being unnecessarily denied the “consolation and joy” of the Eucharist, a central part of the Catholic faith.   “…the Church has taught the pre-eminent value of receiving the Holy Eucharist, and I keep hearing the words of Jesus about the Eucharist, words that are just as valid and important as His words about marriage: ‘Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you’ (Jn 6:53).” The bishop said that he has agonized over the many divorced Catholics who have left the Church, and questioned the “pseudo-Catholic politicians” who receive Holy Communion despite defying Church teaching on “gay marriage” and abortion in their legislative work.   Part of the solution to the growing number of divorced and remarried Catholics sans annulment could be a simplifying of the “formal court-like” annulment process itself, Bishop Tobin suggested. “Can we eliminate the necessity of having detailed personal interviews, hefty fees, testimony from witnesses, psychological exams, and automatic appeals to other tribunals?” he asked. “In lieu of this formal court-like process, which some participants have found intimidating, can we rely more on the conscientious personal judgment of spouses about the history of their marriage (after all, they are the ministers and recipients of the sacrament!) and their worthiness to receive Holy Communion?” In his conclusion, Bishop Tobin admitted that he does not have all the answers to the questions that have been raised, but expressed hope that the Holy Spirit guides the discernment of the Pope, bishops and theologians “who are a whole lot smarter and holier than I am” and who are wrestling with these issues before the synod. Whatever changes are made, Bishop Tobin said he hopes they are at a universal rather than a diocesan level, for the sake of consistency within the Church. But changes must be made, he emphasized. “For the spiritual well-being of the divorced and remarried members of our Catholic Family, for the salvation of their souls, we’ve got to do something!” Bishop Tobin's full column can be read here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column.php?n=2995   Read more

Des Moines, Iowa, Sep 17, 2014 / 04:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Holy Spirit's inspiration can strike at the most unexpected times - like while running on a treadmill. That's when Ellen Miller felt called to create the first regional Catholic conference for Iowa in 2010, the “Christ Our Life” conference. She ran the idea by her friend Marilyn Lane, who had felt similar promptings, and the two now co-chair the bi-annual weekend that serves as a “shot of holy adrenaline.” “It is a grassroots effort - Holy Spirit inspired, definitely,” Miller told CNA. “It really came to my heart that Iowa needed a Catholic conference, one that would bring us all together to help us grow in our faith, to help us understand what we believe, live and celebrate.” Perhaps most impressive about the conference is the well-known Catholic speakers it attracts. This year's lineup includes keynote speaker Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Catholic youth speaker Mark Hart and Rwandan genocide survivor and author Immaculée Ilibagiza among several others. Miller, who serves as a youth minister for her parish, said that while putting together a large arena event for thousands of people with big-name speakers seemed intimidating, she has always been one to encourage people to give their “yes” to the Lord. “I always encourage my kids to give their 'yes', to remind them that so many things in life pull us to give our 'yes', but how many 'yeses' do we give to God?” she said. A steering committee of 26 people help put the conference together. One of the most important parts of getting people to come to the conference, she said, has been a personal invitation. “I have about 235 people who I call go-to people,” she said, “...they create that personal invite in the back of their church. And it really does take that.” Around 5,000 people attended the last conference, and the Wells Fargo Arena allows for room for the event to grow to 10,000. The hope is to especially draw in families that will experience the conference together and grow in their faith. “Our goal is to see families, whether you're 10 years old to 110 years old, come to this beautiful celebration of God's infinite love,” she said, “and then go home and share that mountaintop experience, something that you were all apart of so that you can go home and grow from there.” Miller experienced this in her own family, when her son, who helped chauffeur some of the speakers around for the first event, decided to serve as an accountant for a non-profit charity in Africa after talking with one of the speakers and experiencing the conference. “He really felt bold enough in the Holy Spirit to listen to those promptings, and now this is his fourth year in Africa,” she said. “If I wouldn't have gone to that conference with him I would have thought, 'What are you doing?'” Because the event takes place over just two days, the schedule is pretty packed with speakers, adoration and Mass with the only “break-out” session times occurring during meal times. The speakers also try to strike a balance of being both educational and testimonial, Miller said. “We try and keep the conference to a balance of both of those: that educational, learning aspect with the teachings of the Church and about the sacraments, and then the stories that make it real in our own personal life,” she said. This year's Christ Our Life conference will take place Sept. 20-21 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The cost is $25 for adults and $15 for students. Registration and more information can be found on their website: http://www.christourlifeiowa.com/   Read more

Washington D.C., Sep 17, 2014 / 02:34 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was “a monumental step forward” for human dignity, but continued work is necessary to fight the “destructive influence of racism,” said the ... Read more

Washington D.C., Sep 17, 2014 / 02:34 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was “a monumental step forward” for human dignity, but continued work is necessary to fight the “destructive influence of racism,” said the ... Read more

Washington D.C., Sep 16, 2014 / 06:45 pm (CNA).- Support of religious freedom for all those being persecuted was reiterated at a conference in the nation’s capital following outcry over comments made by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). Joseph Cella, sp... Read more