Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin sends a video message to the third edition of “Cinema for Creation,” taking place in the Italian city of Padua on the theme: “Nourished by beauty and love: Forces that save the world.”
By Sr. Francine-Marie Cooper
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin released a video message on Friday sent to participants at the screening of a documentary film “Together Alone: The Surprise of Francis,” by director Gualtiero Peirce, at the “Cinema for Creation” Festival in San Giorgio, Padua, which started on February 9.
In his message, Cardinal Parolin expressed how “very significant and particularly relevant” the title of the event is: “Nourished by beauty and love: Forces that save the world.”
In our historical context, characterized by “conflicts, selfishness, indifference, and an inability to listen to others,” the act of collaborating together becomes even more important, he added.
The Vatican Secretary of State reminded the people gathered at the festival that Pope Francis has often emphasized the interconnectedness of everything, which “leads us to a gradual awareness that we are part of a single, interdependent human family.”
This awareness, said Cardinal Parolin, “demands a transformation in international policies as well as in our daily behaviors,” and these must be “oriented towards a careful stewardship of our common home,” he added.
Care for our common home does not only concern the environment, but also our responsibilities towards our neighbour and towards God, the Cardinal said.
He described how this “responsible transformation of our behaviors can only occur through a comprehensive ecological conversion.” Looking towards Holy Week, he added, “our journey of conversion must be nourished through the two themes that are at the center of your Initiative, beauty and love.”
It is love that creates bonds and leads the person out of themselves, the Cardinal said.
And he continued, “It is important then to continue to maintain a lively attention to the wonders of creation and their care and enhancement, recognizing the beauty that surrounds us, and strengthening that covenant between human beings and the environment.”
The recognition of beauty helps us to be grateful, and gratitude for Creation urges us to pass on this gift to those who come after us, Cardinal Parolin.
Gratitude helps us to move on from the “culture of waste currently predominant in our society to a culture of care as an expression of our comprehensive ecological conversion,” he added.
Cardinal Parolin highlighted that Pope Francis distinguished “this ecological conversion with the qualifying adjective ‘integral,’ which requires a different way of thinking and seeing.”
It is not enough for an individual to take action, he insisted, but “individual conversion must indeed be accompanied by communal conversion, implementing dialogue at both local and international levels that promotes real human, integral, and sustainable development, and fosters education for integral ecology capable of adopting a new perspective and valuing the driving force of beauty and love.”
Cardinal Parolin concluded by congratulating the initiators of the event and encouraging them to “proceed joyfully along this path of integral ecological conversion.”
As the Norwegian government seeks to extend the deadline for an elective abortion, the country’s bishops say the bill is inconsistent with its own principles and those of the Constitution.
By Charlotta Smeds
“If you change a law, it should be for the better,” according to Bishop Erik Varden, bishop of Trondheim in Norway.
He and Bishop Bernt Edvig, bishop of Oslo, signed an eight-page response to the Norwegian government’s proposal to change the abortion law that has been in force in the country since 1975.
In 145,000 words, the abortion committee appointed by the Norwegian government presented its proposal on how and why it will be easier to have an abortion in Norway.
In their response, the bishops note how the length of the text, along with an inconsistent mix of science, politics and even ideology, makes it difficult for the reader to pay attention to the points of view that make the bill untenable.
The main point of the proposal is to extend the deadline for an elective abortion by six weeks, up to and including week 18.
The current law is obviously not a good law, Bishop Varden said in an interview with Vatican News.
The bishops state that “in Catholic Christian anthropology it is axiomatic that human life begins with conception and from that moment on deserves respect.”
In their response, the bishops relate the current law to the new bill and notes a number of ethical, anthropological, and philosophical changes, and see in the proposal for a new law on abortion “a clear step away from the Christian and humanist heritage of Norway.”
The bishops note that the new bill avoids talking about children, but simply “guarantees pregnant women the right to abortion and access to safe abortions and treatment,” so they can “make independent decisions about their bodies.”
The vocabulary has changed, they note. Instead of talking, as in the current law, about society’s responsibility to help the woman give birth to her baby, consumerist words such as request, right and quality guarantee are used.
The woman’s decision-making process is completely privatized and she is left to order her abortion on a website by a digital form.
This, the bishops note, leaves her alone “in a choice of life or death. A choice that a true human society cannot let anyone make alone.”
The bill is also deceptively simplistic in designating the previous law as outdated and patriarchal.
“Naturally women, like men, must have autonomy and control over their own bodies,” say the bishops. “But the issue of abortion cannot be reduced, as the text does, to a conflict of gender roles.”
The abortion committee’s referral presents the fetus largely as “an excrescence of the woman’s body, an organic parasite.”
“We cannot ask that a woman make her body available to a fetus for nine months,” reads the bill.
However, the bishops recall, the “unborn child” is legally protected in the Norwegian Constitution.
“Even the unborn are named among those entitled to inheritance,” the bishops say about the Constitution.
They further note that rights and duties may be attributed to the unborn child, who also enjoys its own subjectivity which is not absorbed by that of the mother.
“This part of Norwegian law is forgotten in the bill, which is therefore based on false premises,” observe the bishops.
The amendment to the law states that the law must “guarantee respect for unborn children,” but at the same time it says that pregnancy must be considered part of the “private life” of the woman.
In other words, the new bill confirms that, ultimately, the criterion for recognizing the child depends on whether the fetus is wanted or not.
Another ambiguous paragraph of the bill to which the bishops draw attention is whether, with advanced fetal diagnostics, children can be aborted due to the wrong appearance and sex or chromosomal abnormalities.
“Once again the bill establishes a gray area with respect to the inviolability of life,” underline the bishops.
Bishop Varden notes that an understanding of pregnancy is essential to properly understand the bill and how to respond to it.
“I am probably the only bishop in the world to have the “Preglife” app downloaded on my phone,” says Bishop Varden smiling.
“But as bishops, it is our duty to speak openly about political and social issues,” he emphasizes. “Here the law says that people have the right to judge for themselves what constitutes a life that is worth protecting and has value, and this is fatal to society.”
The US Secretary of State is in Israel for talks on a ceasefire plan for Gaza.
Anthony Blinken is meeting Benjamin Netanyahu at a time of strained relations between Washington and Jerusalem.
Blinken is pressing the Israelis to allow aid to pour into Gaza where the United Nations says famine is looming.
He will also warn Israel not to carry out its plans for a ground invasion of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have sought shelter.
A UN spokesman has warned that a ceasefire deal is the last hope for people in the Gaza strip, where – after more than five months of conflict – there is a desperate shortage of water, food, and medicine.
Meanwhile, officials from 36 countries and organizations have met in Cyprus to discuss ways of maximizing aid to Gaza from the island by sea.
Representatives from the EU, United Nations, the G7 and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting in the port city of Larnaca.
Listen to Nathan Morley’s report
The Catholic Church in India is celebrating a special day of prayer and fasting on Friday, with the upcoming general elections serving as a focal point for prayer intentions, amid growing political and religious tensions in the country.
By Vatican News
As India gears up for its 2024 General Elections scheduled on 19 April Catholics across the country have been invited to join in a “National Day of Fasting and Prayer” on Friday, to intercede for the Church and nation, imploring in particular the divine intervention in the democratic process and invoking God’s wisdom upon all those involved.
The Day was decided by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) during its plenary assembly held in Bengaluru (Bangalore) in February, which focused on the current situation in the country.
A letter signed by Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi and general secretary of the CBCI, has called on the faithful “to unite in prayer for a continuous period of 12 hours to intercede for our nation, particularly for the upcoming general elections this year.” This extended time of devotion may include traditional practices such as Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, recitation of the Rosary and the Way of the Cross. With these prayers – Archbishop Couto wrote – “we align our hearts with the will of God and offer our supplications for the purification of the Church and the good of our nation”.
The call to prayer extends to all members of the Catholic faith, including priests, religious, and lay faithful, emphasizing the importance of collective supplication during this holy season of Lent and the Paschal Triduum.
“May this day represent a moment of profound spiritual reflection, penance and renewal for the entire Indian Church. We offer our sacrifices and our invocations with a heart open to the will of God, trusting in his mercy and providence,” Archbishop Couto wrote.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of growing political and religious polarization in India “that is damaging the cherished social harmony in our country and endangering democracy itself”, the Indian bishops remarked in the final statement of thhir meeting.
“There are fears that divisive attitudes, hate speech and fundamentalist movements are eroding the pluralist ethos that has always characterized our country and its Constitution”, the statement said, emphasizing that the “fundamental rights and minority rights guaranteed by the Constitution should never be endangered,”
The Indian general elections are set to take place in seven different rounds from 19 April to 1 June, with almost 1 billion voters called to vote. The results are expected 4 June. The incumbent Prime Minister, Narendra Modi of the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be running for a third consecutive term, competing with the rival Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), composed of 27 parties.
During a commemorative event in New York marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican’s Permanent Observer to the United Nation highlights the crucial role of education in eradicating racial prejudice, and decries ongoing racial discrimination against migrants or refugees of African descent in their countries of destination.
By Lisa Zengarini
On 21 March the United Nations marked the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The observance coincides with the anniversary of the killing of 69 people by the police at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in Sharpeville, South Africa, in 1960.
This year’s theme is linked to the International Decade for People of African Descent, which spans the timeframe from 2015 to 2024.
Speaking at a commemorative event in New York on Thursday, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations, reiterated the Holy See’s strong condemnation of racism and racial discrimination in all its forms and highlighted the crucial role of education to eradicate it.
He recalled that racism takes many forms which can be deliberate and overt acts of discrimitation, or unconscious prejudices. “Consciously or not,” he said “this attitude of superiority fuels a throwaway mentality that leads to contempt for and abandonment of the weakest and those who are seen as useless.”
“Racism can manifest itself in thoughts and actions that we may not even think of as racist, but which come from the same place of prejudice.”
Racism can also manifest itself in the form of omission, “when individuals and communities remain silent and fail to act against racism, racial discrimination and racial injustice.”
The Nuncio further noted that there is also another form of racism which is not less insidious, and which Pope Francis has labelled as “ideological colonization”, when “certain countries seek to impose their ideologies on other States, sometimes withholding financial support and humanitarian aid unless that State adopts and implements their positions.”
The seriousness of these phenomena “based on a distorted belief in the superiority of one person over another” cannot leave us indifferent, said Archbishop Caccia reiterating that it is everybody’s responsibility “to foster and promote respect for the inherent dignity of every human person”.
To fight racism, he stressed , we must eradicate its root cause which lie in ignorance and prejudice. Hence the crucial importance of education which, as emphasized By Pope Francis in his Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti, should begin in the family where “the values of love and fraternity, togetherness and sharing, concern and care for others are lived out and handed on.”
Concluding the Vatican Observer pointed to the racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and intolerance suffered by many migrants or refugees of African descent in their countries of destination. Again, he reaffirmed the need for inclusive integration strategies.
As members of the same human family, every individual deserves a place to call home”, he remarked. “Refugees and migrants can never be seen as mere objects in need of assistance, but as human beings with equal dignity, carrying rights and duties.”
“Every individual deserves a place to call home. This means having food, access to housing, healthcare and education, and dignified work. It also means having a place where you are understood and included, loved and cared for, where you can participate and contribute.”
The World Council of Churhes is also marking he UN International Day with a Week of Prayer for Overcoming Racism and Xenophobia running from 19 March to 25 March, on which the UN International Day for the Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is observed. The international ecumenical body is providing materials, prepared by a team from Latin America, as well as other from other regions, for each day. The resources, appropriate for groups or individuals, include songs, scriptures, reflections, and more.
The week opened with an ecumenical prayer in which the WCC President from Europe, Rev. Dr. Susan Durber challenged the Christian communities globally and the ecumenical movement to be convicted of the evil of racism, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination.
Listen to our report
In an interview with Vatican News, Maltese President George Vella speaks about Pope Francis’ commitment to fighting climate change, the Pope’s 2022 visit to Malta, and the president’s gift of six computers to the Mother of Mercy Clinic at St Peter’s.
By Christopher Wells
When Pope Francis speaks about important issues such as climate change, he’s not speaking just about one country, but is addressing the whole world, says Maltese President George Vella.
“Obviously, the issues the Pope is talking about are not national issues, but issues that cover the whole globe… because when he’s talking about climate change, when he’s talking about the environment, he’s talking not about Malta or Rome or any other country, he’s talking about the whole world,” Vella said in an interview with Vatican News following his audience with the Pope on Thursday.
In keeping with protocol, the President of Malta did not discuss details of his conversation with the Holy Father, but noted that the two discussed issues important to Pope Francis, including migration and the situation in Ukraine and in the Middle East.
President Vella highlighted the Pope’s commitment to climate change, saying the Pope is very “Franciscan” in his way of thinking, “in the sense that that Laudato sí is the hymn of St. Francis. And that is one of the encyclicals, which is a manual for the environment… Laudato sí is a hymn to the beauty of nature.
Recalling the Pope’s 2022 visit to Malta, President Vella noted that all the Popes who have come to the island nation have emphasized the connection to St Paul, who was preached the Gospel there when he was shipwrecked during his missionary travels.
The Maltese president highlighted the Pope’s visit to the John XXIII Migrants’ Centre in Ħal Far, saying, “In my opinion, the most touching part of [the visit] was when he went to the refuge of refugees, which is looked after by a Franciscan Father.”
The Pope, said President Vella, “seemed to be in seventh heaven… It was quite evident he was enjoying it, hugging these migrants, speaking from his heart. And we mentioned that today [ed.: Thursday, during the audience], and he remembers it really, really clearly.”
President Vella also spoke about his gift to the Pope at the Audience. “We decided,” he said, “to give him something, give something to the Ambulatorio [Clinic], something which is practical” – namely, six laptops “to help with prescriptions, stock controls, what have you.”
The Ambulatorio is the “Mother of Mercy Clinic” in the Colonnade of St Peter’s Basilica, which was established by Pope Francis to aid the homeless and others in financial difficulty. President Vella visited the Clinic on Thursday afternoon, after his visit with the Pope.
Although the Clinic does not offer major medical services, “for the people who are suffering from even minor ailments, if they go in there and they find at least somebody who welcomes them as human beings, this is the most important thing, giving them dignity.”
President Vella continued: “They might not heal their illnesses or do any particular miracles with them, but the fact that they find somebody who welcomes them, who treats them like human beings, who gives them the chance of having a shower, a haircut, have a look at the teeth and even have a checkup… This is charity in practice.”
Listen to the full interview with George Vella, President of Malta
Speaking to Italian television, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem says that “everyone must do everything possible to put an end this situation.”
“It is objectively intolerable.”
That’s how Cardinal Gianbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, described the situation in Gaza in a recent interview interview with the Italian television station TV2000.
“We have always had many problems of all kinds,” he continued, “and even the economic-financial situation has always been very fragile, but there has never been hunger before.”
“Everyone – religious, political, and social communities,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa, “must do everything possible to put an end this situation.”
“The weakness of the United States,” emphasised the Patriarch, “creates a great dilemma, because until now there has always been someone to put things in order. Now there is no longer anyone to play this role, and we have to do it ourselves. I don’t know if, how, and when this will be possible.”
Speaking days before the beginning of Holy Week, Cardinal Pizzaballa offered his reassurances that permits will be granted to Christians living in Palestinian territories to allow them to visit Jerusalem for liturgies.
“We’ll get the permits,” he said. “We insisted, saying that as they had given permits to Muslims for Ramadan, they should also give them to Christians for Easter. Even if the numbers are smaller, we will have several thousand permits both for Palm Sunday and for Easter.”
“It will be a difficult Easter,” Cardinal Pizzaballa concluded. “I think of the loneliness of Jesus in Gethsemane, which is now shared by all of us.”
Scouts in Bethlehem during a visit by Patriarch Pizzaballa
Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher of the Papal Household, delivers his fifth sermon for Lent 2024 to Roman Curia, reflecting on Jesus’ words, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life.’
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
The Preacher of the Papal Household, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., gave his fifth sermon for Lent 2024 on Friday morning, to the Holy Father and the Roman Curia. Focusing on Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life, he suggested the meditation was intended to inspire in us “a renewed decision to entrust ourselves completely to the interior guidance of the Holy Spirit.”
The Cardinal explained that in our journey, during the past meditations, through the Fourth Gospel, to discover who Jesus is for us, we have reached the last stage, entering into what are usually called “the farewell speeches” of Jesus to His Apostles. “This time I won’t even attempt to summarize the context and highlight its different units and subdivisions,” he said, noting, “It would be like trying to draw boxes and distinguish sectors in a lava flow descending from the crater.”
“Let us therefore,” he insisted, “go directly” to the Gospel passage according to St. John at the forefront today: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to Him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (Jn 14: 3-6).”
Christ, the Cardinal reminded, is the way and the destination of our journey.
“Jesus continues to say to those He meets – that is, to us, at this moment – what He said to the Apostles and to those He met during His earthly life: “Come after me,” or “Follow me!”
“Jesus continues to say to those He meets – that is, to us, at this moment – what He said to the Apostles and to those He met during His earthly life: ‘Come after me,’ or ‘Follow me!’”
Our walking and meaningfully following Christ, he suggested, demonstrates the dynamism that must characterize the life of the Christian, “and the repercussion that faith must have on the conduct of life.”
“’Following” – unlike ‘believing’ and ‘loving’ –not only indicates a particular attitude of the mind and heart,” he said, “but outlines a life program for the disciple. It implies a total sharing: of the way of life, of the destiny, and of the mission of the Lord.”
Cardinal Cantalamessa gives Lenten sermon to Holy Father and Roman Curia
The Cardinal went on to discuss how following Christ is distinguished from any other type of ‘following,’ and how Jesus gave us powerful tools to follow Him effectively. “The Gospel was given to us by the earthly Jesus,” he said, “but the ability to observe it and put it into practice comes to us only from the Risen Christ and his Spirit!”
The Cardinal discussed the “inspirations of the Spirit,” the so-called “good inspirations.”
“What God wants that is different and particular for each one,” he explained, can be discovered through the events of life, Scripture, and the guidance of a spiritual director, “but the main and ordinary means,” he highlighted, “are the inspirations of grace.”
“These are internal solicitations of the Spirit in the depths of the heart,” the papal preacher encouraged, “through which God not only makes known what He desires from us, but gives us the necessary strength, and, often, also the joy, to accomplish it, if the person consents.”
“God not only makes known what He desires from us, but gives us the necessary strength, and often also the joy, to accomplish it, if the person consents…”
“The concrete fruit of this meditation,” Cardinal Cantalamessa underscored, “must be a renewed decision to entrust ourselves completely to the interior guidance of the Holy Spirit, as if for a sort of invisible ‘spiritual direction.’”
“We must totally abandon ourselves to the inner Master who speaks to us without the clamor of words.”
“We must totally abandon ourselves to the inner Master…”
He said we ought to be like good actors, by keeping “our ears open, on large and small occasions, to the voice of this hidden ‘prompter’ so as to faithfully play our part in the scene of life.” This is, he said, “what is meant by the expression ‘docility to the Spirit.'”
“It’s easier than you think,” he acknowledged, because the Spirit speaks to us, teaches us and instructs us about everything.
“Sometimes a simple interior look, a movement of the heart, a moment of reflection and prayer is enough.”
If welcoming inspirations is important for every Christian, Cardinal Cantalamessa stressed how vital doing so is for those who have governance roles in the Church.
Only in this way, he said, is the Spirit of Christ allowed to guide His Church through His human representatives.
“It is not necessary for all the passengers on a ship to be glued with their ears to the on-board radio, to receive signals on the route, on any icebergs, and weather conditions,” he acknowledged, “but it is essential that the managers on board are.”
Fifth Lenten Meditation
The Cardinal expressed his hope that this coming Easter, “the Risen Lord let resound in our heart one of His divine ‘I Am’ sayings that we have meditated on in our Lenten meditations, especially the one that proclaims His paschal victory: “I am the Resurrection and the Life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me, will never die” (11:25-26).”
Cardinal Cantalamessa concluded by wishing the Holy Father and the members of the Roman Curia before him a happy and holy Easter.
Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa’s full Lenten sermons can be found on Cardinal Cantalamessa’s website.
Rome Newsroom, Mar 21, 2024 / 17:30 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis on Wednesday issued new regulations for the administration of the papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, placing new emphasis on spiritual work and pastoral care and appointing a coadjutor archpriest of the West’s oldest Marian shrine.
In the March 20 chirograph, or papal decree, the Holy Father explained that he sought to “free” the “canons,” (members of the group or “chapter” of clergy he designates to serve the basilica) “from all economic and administrative duties, so that they may dedicate themselves, fully and with renewed vigor, to the spiritual and pastoral accompaniment” of pilgrims.
In December 2021 Pope Francis appointed Lithuanian-born Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas as the extraordinary commissioner to undertake the commissioning process “for the reorganization of the life of the chapter and the basilica, for the greater good of the people of God.”
This process, led by an extraordinary commissioner and assisted by a special commission, looked at the administrative functioning of the basilica, including a study of the basilica’s financial situation.
The Basilica of St. Mary Major, also known as the Liberian Basilica, is one of the four papal basilicas of Rome and home to the relic of the Holy Cradle and the icon of Salus Populi Romani, a Byzantine icon attributed to St. Luke depicting the Madonna and Child Jesus holding a Gospel book.
The basilica has been an important place for Pope Francis, who prays there before the icon before and after all his apostolic journeys.
In December 2023, in an interview with Mexican television program “N+”, the pope expressed his desire to be buried in the basilica, not in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica.
In his chirograph, the pope appointed Makrickas as the coadjutor archpriest of St. Mary Major, with the right to succeed 78-year-old Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, who has served as archpriest since 2016.
The archpriest is traditionally a cardinal who serves a five-year renewable term, exercising “executive power of government for the activities of the basilica itself and for the administration of the chapter’s assets,” and is the legal representative of the basilica.
The statue also created two new positions: the delegate for pastoral care, who is the archpriest’s first collaborator for the activities of the canons and the basilica and works in close collaboration with the master of ceremonies and the delegate for administration, who oversees the administrative tasks of the basilica.
Makrickas will continue to cover the duties of these two roles until those positions are appointed.
The new statute also established a new administrative council, which will be tasked with administration of the chapter’s assets. According to Article 48 of the new statutes, the administrative council is composed of the archpriest, the two delegates, a representative of the governorate of the Vatican City State, and a representative of the Administration of the Heritage of the Apostolic See (APSA).
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Roger Vangheluwe, the 87-year-old former bishop of Bruges, has been dismissed from the clerical state after being found guilty of abuse of a minor. Pope Francis approved the sentence following a re-examination of the case in light of “serious new elements” reported to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
By Salvatore Cernuzio
The decades-long case of 87-year-old Belgian Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, who was found guilty of sexual abuse of minors, has ended with his dismissal from the clerical state.
According to a statement from the Apostolic Nunciature in Brussels, Pope Francis on Thursday, 21 March, imposed the sentence on the former bishop of Bruges, who had resigned as head of the diocese in April 2010 after being accused of historical abuse.
Vangheluwe admitted, in particular, to having abused one of his nephews. The crimes of which he was accused, however, were barred under the statute of limitations.
The statement from the Brussels Nunciature indicated that, over the past few months, “serious new elements” concerning the matter had emerged and were “reported to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, making it necessary to re-examine the case.”
Following a new investigation, the Dicastery decided to hear the former bishop’s defence; once it had examined it, on 8 March 2024, the Doctrine of the Faith “presented the documentation to the Holy Father, proposing dismissal from the clerical state, in accordance with Article 26 of the norms of Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela”—the motu proprio issued by John Paul II in 2001 and subsequently updated by Benedict XVI (in 2010) and Pope Francis (in 2021), which concerns the “most serious crimes” reserved to the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
During the audience granted to Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, on 11 March, the Nunciature’s statement continued, “Pope Francis accepted the request, ordering that the proposed punishment be imposed.”
On Wednesday, 20 March, the measure was then “made known to the person concerned who, taking note of the decision, asked to be allowed to reside in a place of retreat, without any more contact with the outside world, in order to dedicate himself to prayer and penance.”
The same communiqué stated that Pope Francis “reiterates his closeness to the victims of abuse and his commitment to ensure that this scourge is eradicated from the Church.”
Ukrainian officials say Russia’s military has launched missile attacks on the capital, Kyiv, for the first time in 44 days, injuring 10 people, including a child, while in the north, at least five people died in a separate Russian air raid. The attacks came as Ukraine struck areas inside Russia to push back an ongoing Russian invasion of the country. Amid the clashes, thousands of children are being evacuated from border regions.
By Stefan J. Bos
Near a large crater in a Kyiv neighborhood, emergency teams struggled to douse flames in a damaged building.
Earlier smoke could be seen as missiles were fired at Ukraine’s capital, injuring several people.
However, Ukraine’s air force commander, Mykola Oleschuk, said all 31 Russian missiles targeting Kyiv were shot down. Among them were two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles.
Listen to the report:
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, however, that rocket fragments fell on a kindergarten in Sviatoshynskyi district while a block of flats in another area was on fire.
He said that at least ten people were injured, including an 11-year-old girl.
As the attacks unfolded, several residents were evacuated while many hid in Kyiv’s subways, including a man with his beloved cat as a baby cried nearby.
Outside Kyiv, a Russian missile reportedly hit an industrial area in Ukraine’s northern city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, killing at least five people.
Officials said at least eight others were injured while others were missing as the missile caused a significant fire in a printing house.
Yet Russia was also attacked. Officials said Ukrainian drones operated by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency hit the Engels airbase deep inside Russian territory early on Wednesday.
There have also been several attacks involving Ukraine-backed militias in border areas inside Russia.
As fighting escalates, Russian officials say they plan to evacuate about 9,000 children from a border region because it is being shelled continuously by Ukraine.
The local governor, Vyacheslev Gladkov, said the children would be moved from the Belgorod region farther east, away from the Ukraine border.
The announcement came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin wants to create a buffer zone to help protect border regions from long-range Ukrainian strikes and cross-border raids.
There were no indications that the war, now in its third year, would end soon. On Wednesday, the West pledged even more military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said in Kyiv that the Netherlands provides Ukraine with 350 million euros or 380 million dollars for F-16 fighter jet ammunition and advanced reconnaissance drones.
The European Union’s executive Commission said it had disbursed the first 4.5 billion euros, or about 5 billion dollars, of support under the EU’s new multi-billion euro Ukraine Facility.
EU leaders were also to discuss a plan on Thursday to use up to 3 billion euros a year of profits from frozen Russian financial assets to buy arms for Ukraine.
Ukraine says it could produce 2 million drones a year—double the existing production rate—with extra Western support.
However, with more fighting expected, the death toll keeps rising in a war that has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people, many of them soldiers.
Separately, the United Nations has accused Russia of torturing and arbitrarily detaining people in occupied Ukraine, creating a “climate of fear.”
The UN report also said Russia tried to suppress Ukrainian identity among children, replacing the curriculum in schools with a Russian one that sought to “justify” Moscow’s invasion.
MetaSaint, a new Catholic game, launches on the Roblox gaming platform on Holy Thursday and seeks to bring the Gospel to ‘Generation Alpha’ and the platform’s 70 million daily users, according to Fr. Rob Galea with ICON Ministry.
By Joseph Tulloch
Fr. Rob Galea has been working with young people for as long as he’s been a priest.
The Maltese-Australian artist sang in front of an estimated 500,000 people at World Youth Day in 2011, and went on to appear on Australia’s Got Talent. His non-profit ICON Ministry reaches between 1.7 and 2 million people every year through in-person speaking engagements, videos, and online liturgies.
As time has gone on, however, Fr. Galea has noticed that there’s one particular demographic he isn’t reaching: the so-called ‘Generation Alpha’, which ranges in age from zero to 13 years old.
Generation Alpha, Fr. Rob notes in an interview with Vatican News, is not on social media and is much less likely than older children to attend in-person events. This is “the COVID generation,” he points out.
Listen to our interview with Fr. Rob Galea
Generation Alpha is, however, on Roblox, an online gaming platform counting more than 70 million active daily users. This inspired Fr. Galea to launch MetaSaint, a new interactive experience based in the Roblox universe.
Designed together with Dubbit, a leading games studio, MetaSaint features a virtual cathedral with space for prayer, reflection, and reading Scripture. Users can also play games and collect treasure, as well as visit scenes from the Bible.
At the end of the experience, they can decide whether they want to become a MetaSaint by lighting a virtual candle and receiving a pair of angel wings.
The ‘Cathedral of the Metaverse’, coming soon to Roblox
The Maltese-born priest details the great efforts that have been made to ensure that the children are safe throughout their time using MetaSaint.
Although Roblox has its own child safety measures, he says, the platform is notorious for grooming. For this reason, MetaSaint has introduced further measures, including disabling almost all interaction between users.
The game is scheduled to launch on Holy Thursday 2024, just ahead of Easter.
“The reality is,” Fr. Galea says, “that these 70 million young people—a lot of them won’t be going to Church [at Easter]; they won’t be hearing the Gospel. So, we thought this was the most opportune time to bring the Church to them, to bring the Gospel to them.”
“I want to ask your readers,” he concludes, “to pray for us, because we sow the seeds and then God bears the fruit. Pray for us and for these young people that get to interact with this game.”
The first ordinary annual session of the Bishops’ Conference of the Ecclesiastical Province of Yaounde in Cameroon, was held recently. “The Church and the digital world: issues and challenges for evangelization,” was the theme of the plenary. The assembly took place at the Pastoral Centre of Saint Joseph in the town of Kribi, a beach resort and sea port in Southwestern Cameroon.
Vatican News with Paule-Valérie Mendogo -Edéa.
Throughout their discussions, the Bishops belonging to the of the Ecclesiastical Province of Yaounde agreed on the need for the local Church to integrate the digital culture into work of evangelization, because, “digital technologies offers pastoral opportunities that open up infinite gateways to Christian life,” they said.
With reference to digital technologies, Archbishop Jean Mbarga, the Metropolitan of Yaounde Archdiocese stressed that “the Church needs to be at the rendezvous of history, and above all at its helm.” To this end, he continued, “our commitment from now on will be to Christianise the digital and to digitalise Christianity … These are openings that give rise to pastoral avenues that open gateways of Christian lives to you, the people of God, and that pour graces into the heart of a world that wants only to materialise and institute atheism,” said the prelate of Yaounde.
The Archbishop of Yaounde, praised the City of Kribi as well as the Diocese of Kribi for leading the way in investing in innovation and creativity. He urged young people to seize the immense opportunities for economic development currently being offered by the City of Kribi, “a modern city located by the sea, bearing rich hopes, but also under the prism of problems linked to urbanization,” he said.
Pope Francis holds a private audience with Maltese President George Vella, who gifts the Pope six computers for the Mother of Mercy Ambulatory that serves the poor in St. Peter’s Square.
By Vatican News
The President of Malta, George Vella, met with Pope Francis on Thursday in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.
Their encounter lasted just over an hour, with the Pope and the President exchanging gifts.
Pope Francis gave President Vella a bronze sculpture entitled “Intergenerational Dialogue,” as well as a book of his papal magisterium.
The President reciprocated with six All-in-One PC destined for the Mother of Mercy Clinic, a medical centre set up in St. Peter’s Square that serves people facing financial difficulties.
The Pope made an Apostolic Journey to Malta on April 2-3, 2022, visiting the capital, Valletta, as well as Rabat, Floriana, and the island of Gozo.
The Pope and the President exchange gifts
According to the Holy See Press Office, President Vella met afterwards with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Msgr. Wachowski Mirosław Stanisław, UnderSecretary for Relations with States.
The talks in the Secretariat of State were “cordial” and touched on the good relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Malta.
“Attention then turned to various issues of an international nature, with particular attention to the Mediterranean region, the conflicts in Israel and Palestine and in Ukraine, and migration,” said the press release.
Talks in the Secretariat of State
Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family Catholic parish in Gaza, speaks of the “extremely grave” situation in the Gaza Strip, likening the situation of Christians in the Strip to Christ on Calvary.
By Sr. Francine-Marie Cooper
“The situation continues to be extremely grave and worsens by the hour. Our Christians have faith and hope in the Essential, in Jesus Christ,” according to Fr. Gabriel Romanelli.
“They have been enduring relentless Calvary for months,” he adds.
The parish priest of the only Catholic parish in Gaza explains how the rest of the population feels greatly disheartened, as there are no visible signs of peace or an end to violence and death.
In an interview with SIR, an Italian Catholic news agency, Fr. Romanelli laments the terrible toll of the war, saying, “This conflict has already resulted in more than 32,000 deaths, 12,000 of which are children.”
He himself has been stuck in Jerusalem since the war broke out on October 7, yet he constantly stays in touch with his parishioners in every possible way.
The members of the parish have been taking refuge for months in the parish compound along with other displaced Christians, totalling about 600, who have lost everything in the bombings.
Fr. Romanelli spoke of reports from inside Gaza which he has received from his parochial vicar, Fr. Youssef Asaad, who remains in the parish.
“You cannot imagine the pain we are experiencing and the desperation of the people,” Fr. Asaad said.
He described the scene in the area surrounding the parish in Gaza City, with mountains of rubble, garbage, and burst sewers. The rain that continues to fall is a blessing on the one hand, but worsens the hygienic conditions as it causes high humidity, intensifying the smell of decomposed bodies that are still under the rubble.
“Despite everything,” adds Fr. Romanelli, “they pray for peace every day and offer their suffering and hardships for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.”
Referring to his parish in Gaza, the parish priest reported that the kitchen had reopened, yet it is still very dangerous for people to venture out.
“Humanitarian aid,” he explains, “airdropped by the USA and other international countries, as well as those arriving by sea, haven’t reached everyone. They haven’t reached the parish. However, some parishioners managed to obtain flour, and the oven has resumed producing bread. This is a great blessing for our displaced people. The Latin Patriarchate also provides assistance. Our hope is that we can return to cooking twice a week.”
Once again, UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, has intervened on the dire humanitarian situation.
The regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Adele Khodr, says the lack of action by the world is shocking, while children succumb to a slow death.
Oxfam, a British aid agency, has also sounded the alarm, speaking of “catastrophic levels of hunger in Gaza.”
According to Paolo Pezzati, spokesperson for Oxfam Italy’s humanitarian crises: “Never before have we witnessed such a grave situation unfolding in such a short time. In a few days, the population in the north of Gaza will be facing a real famine, a situation that will also arise in the south very soon without a ceasefire and an adequate humanitarian response.”
Listen to our report
Pope Francis sends letter of encouragement to the participants in the 6th Edition of Brazil’s Social Week, which began Wednesday in Brasília, organized by the Brazilian Episcopal Conference, with the intention of building ‘a more just society where universal brotherhood and social friendship are lived.’
By Vatican News
“Let us try to see in those who are forced to live in poverty due to social injustice the face of Jesus, who exhorts us not to remain indifferent, because, as He Himself said: ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'”
This was the invitation that Pope Francis addressed to the participants of the Sixth Brazilian Social Week, 20-22 March, in Brazil, in a letter he wrote for the occasion.
The event was organized by the Episcopal Commission of Pastoral for Socio-transformative Action of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) with the theme “The Brazil we want, the good living of the peoples.”
In his message, Pope Francis praised the initiative and assured his prayers “for the good development of the meeting and for its fruits.”
Since its first edition in 1991, continued the Pontiff, “the Brazilian Social Week aims to be a path towards a ‘Church in action,’ committed to breaking down the walls of discard and indifference, accompanying the poorest and those deprived of fundamental rights in their struggle for land, housing, and work.”
In addition, the initiative, the Holy Father said, “proposes a new, more solidarity-based economy and the revitalization of democratic values that help to build a society in which there is true popular participation in the decision-making processes of the nation.”
In this sense, the Pope said he is grateful for having promoted, together with young Brazilians, the “Economy of Clara and Francis,” as well as the call, addressed to the participants of the World Meeting of Popular Movements in 2014, to respond to “a very concrete desire.”
The concrete desire, the Pope suggested, was that “something that every father, every mother, desires for their children; a desire that should be within reach of everyone, but which today,” he lamented, “we see, sadly, increasingly distant from being a reality in the lives of the majority of people: land, house, and work.”
Pope Francis expressed his hope that the “Mutirão pela vida,” a collective of representatives of the Church and the people on life issues, an initiative linked to the Brazilian Social Week, “may yield abundant fruits in favor of a more just society” in which “universal brotherhood and social friendship are experienced.”
In an interview with Vatican News, Daniel Solymári, the Director of Foreign Affairs of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, discusses the ongoing unrest in Syria, and insists that with 6 to 7 million internally displaced people still living within the country, “one of the most important tasks is to help them create the possibility for a realistic chance to return home.”
By Thaddeus Jones
“One of the most important tasks is to help Syrians create the possibility for a realistic chance to return home.”
In this interview with Vatican News, Daniel Solymári has been very active in international development, and has also worked extensively in the Middle East and in the Sub-Saharan Africa providing emergency aid and resettlement services for refugees and migrants fleeing war, poverty, and natural disasters, discussed the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
As the Director of Foreign Affairs of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta since 2010, Solymári works locally and throughout the world through the Order’s extensive humanitarian service network.
The Order of Malta is a lay religious Catholic order with medical and humanitarian projects in 120 countries. Since the war broke out in Ukraine, they have been at the forefront of assisting those arriving in Hungary.
During this conversation, the expert explains the dire situation and what is most needed, but also speaks of positive trends and projects, including their having resettled 200 IDP families in the city of Homs, having renovated their homes, and another program between Aleppo and Damascus to support families and micro-enterprises.
Daniel Solymári, the Director of Foreign Affairs of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta
Daniel Solymári is an expert of international development, an academic and a humanitarian diplomat, has published several books, with his latest being on the Pope’s migration policy in favour of refugees and migrants. A month before Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Hungary in April 2023, the Holy Father bestowed the order of Saint Sylvester upon him, the oldest decoration the Holy See bestows on secular individuals and after that he received the Knight’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit.
Q: Pope Francis asked us to remember Syria now in its 13th year of conflict, even if somewhat subsided. You and the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta has been particularly active in Syria. What is the situation there today and what have you seen in your visits?
I am always moved by Pope Francis’ sensitivity towards Syria – and in general towards the scarred areas of the world. For our attention is very easily and quickly diverted from human suffering and understandably so. It is, of course, an understandable human trait and one does not have to look far to see that: here in Europe, in the Global North, we have our own problems. Syria, however, is indeed a particularly serious, gaping wound in the world, with which we must be willing and able to make contact as the Pope said in Fratelli tutti. This is, of course, a very difficult and complex process, because Syria is still a challenging terrain. Syria does not ‘ring’ well in Brussels nor in Washington: the Western sanctions are still in effect; the humanitarian exemptions are incomplete and those do not have unlimited exemptions. This political barrier towards the central government makes it very difficult to alleviate the pains of the suffering population. We have seen this most recently during the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, with little or no Western aid reaching the country. Bank transfers to Syria are still difficult, virtually impossible, and the country’s economy is in a catastrophic state. Inflation in 2023 was 120-130%, resulting in a massive price increase for everyday necessities, including food in particular, which not only affects people’s quality of life and social stability, but also their mental health. Everyday life is very challenging: it is difficult to access fuel in the country, gas stations are empty; there are frequent power outages, there is a significant risk of infection in some areas, and in many areas of the Northern, Eastern and Southern parts of the country there are serious security risks. Winter is slowly coming to an end. However, the cold weather has taken its toll on the people, especially children and the elderly suffered greatly in their unheated homes. Unfortunately, though understandably so, the war in Ukraine – practically from its first days – has channeled the attention away, moreover in the Middle Eastern macro region the Ukrainian-Russian war has had serious and immediate consequences.
Q: Yet, despite all this, are there positive trends?
Despite all this, today we are already talking about recovery, normalization and consolidation in connection with Syria, both in terms of academic and political context and also in connection with international development. And not just in words – the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, and the Arab League are also re-engaging with Syria. More and more of the international community is also following this path. Syria has survived the war but at a terrible cost. However, apart from the civilian population, the main victims of the war have been the Christian religious communities: they suffered very significant damage to their infrastructure, material and human resources due to their fragility and limited capacities for self-defense. Yet, working with them, I see that they are doing their best to survive and perhaps emerge from this crisis strengthened. A unique example of this is the Melkite Greek Catholic Church led by Patriarch Youssef Absi: despite all its losses, their community has not only survived, but is now able to thrive. It is building, developing and strengthening its parish network. It is trying to retain and attract back the youth, refugees and its members who fled abroad. Let us not forget: there is a realistic chance for a new start only if conditions within the country allow it. The Syrian Melkites are particularly active in this respect. Of course, they have paid a heavy price. I will never forget when we were evacuating people during the earthquake of 2023, and also in response to Pope Francis’ call the Melkites opened their church institutions to refugees, we interrupted the evacuation to attend the burial ceremony of Father Imad Daher of Aleppo, who remained under the rubble…
Q: From the much talked about West, from Europe, how can you help people there in this complex situation?
The international situation is very complex, requiring both wisdom and courage simultaneously. For in connection with Syria it is very easy for a person to be misunderstood within the international community. However, the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, and Hungary in general, has a particular sensitivity towards Syria. I think – perhaps because of historical experience – we have sensed something from the depth of their sufferings. The Hungary Helps Program provides very significant funding year after year for humanitarian programs in Syria and also for the survival of local churches and religious communities. I myself have led a large number of projects, some of significant scale: we built hospitals, pharmacies, coordinated humanitarian corridors, strengthened churches and provided basic health services across the country. But all of these have served one purpose: to help locally, for assistance ought to be delivered where the trouble arises, and the chances for return or survival of the external and internal refugees must be increased. It was a very early experience of mine where despite the large number of refugees fleeing from the Middle East to the West, a significant number of these people wished to live in their own countries. I believe this is particularly true of Syrians. It is no coincidence that there are still 6-7 million internally displaced people living within the country! Now one of the most important task is to help them create the possibility for a realistic chance to return home.
Q: What is needed right now to help the people most, also to stem the need for fleeing to other countries?
Unfortunately, one of the basic truths inherent in the question runs counter to a very strong ‘Western’ mindset, which imagines migration as an exclusively positive process or at least displays it as such. The fleeing may be justified on humanitarian grounds or for other reasons – in these situations it is a human duty to help. Nevertheless, many people tend to consider fleeing solely on political or economic grounds. But this is a painful and precarious process during which the refugee is exposed to danger from all directions. And it often takes generations for the wounds of a family’s flight to heal. And we haven’t even mentioned the legitimate needs of the host country into which the refugee seeks to integrate. Unfortunately, I see few examples where integration is taken seriously; such programs typically end in a few months. In Syria, I am currently coordinating several programs which aims to support internally displaced people and local populations in need in order to help them remain in their country. We have just completed a large agricultural project in the Southern Hauran region, which resulted in the local diocese becoming self-sustainable from 15-20% to 60-70%. We have resettled 200 IDP families in the city of Homs and renovated their homes, and we have just launched a program between Aleppo and Damascus to support families and micro-enterprises. So, there are very positive and successful examples.
Q: You assist refugees arriving in Europe, but you also help those wishing to return home, something Pope Francis has also recognized as important as we read in this year’s World Migrants Day message.
Pope Francis indeed gives strength and strengthens the efforts of faith-based organisations. At the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta our work today is typically two-fold: we support the integration of the refugees who arrived in Hungary and we strengthen those refugees who wish to live and prosper in their own countries. This new integration scheme that we have developed can sometimes take one and a half to two years and in all cases it involves personal accompaniment and mentoring. In this respect, it is a successful model as we can see from the low number of people leaving Hungary following the completion of the program. The provision of local assistance is also ongoing in a number of locations: among others, we have launched a program for people living in the slums of Kenya, through which they have been able to realistically break the poverty spiral of the urban slums. We worked with 50 families over the course of two years – today they are living independent lives. Poor lives, but quality lives. This is another issue that many people do not want to acknowledge: there is value in poverty and there is a difference between poverty and misery. While there is cohesive power in the former, the latter only segregates. But this is a technical issue that goes against certain economic approaches according to which poverty is the absence of something and as such it cannot be positive.
Q: In a climate of sanctions and political challenges, how can you help well in this complex environment?
By now humanitarian assistance, international development or the work with refugees are well-established professionally, activities that are both learned and taught at high level. For me, the key lies in the duality of field presence and academic reflection. Today, all the programs that I coordinate are accompanied by research and all our projects are chronicled and published with scientific rigor. And one additional thing: one ought to be able to make the methods accessible. In addition, humanitarian work and humanitarian or religious diplomacy are among the most sensitive professional fields. Particularly they differ for example from classical or conventional diplomacy in that they require courage to act from all those who work in the field. For one ought to go where the trouble is, one has to be present, as Pope Francis said, one ought to touch those particular wounds. As he reminded us in one of his speeches during his latest visit to Hungary: it is not enough to send help, we ought to touch the person in need. I have experienced this on many occasions. No matter how significant a program was that I was involved in, the people there were most grateful for the simple fact that we came to visit them. This made them feel that they have not been forgotten. Meeting them is one of the most important part of the commitment for solidarity. However, a Christian actor also has an additional responsibility. I would say that the Christian responsibility is greater. For we ought to be able to comfort people even when we ourselves are in need of comfort and help. But often this requires courage, the courage to act.
As our correspondent continues visiting the Church in Tanzania, she explores how local Catholics share their hearts with their communities, especially at Sunday Mass, and make up a Church founded on the family.
By Francesca Merlo – Sukamahela, Tanzania
Tanzania’s Church is young and colourful. Not only does it sing, it harmonises, and everybody knows the words.
Sukamahela is a perfect example of this. It has a particular architecture to it; if you were asked to draw a Church, it wouldn’t look like the one in Sukamahelo, designed and built with the help of the people from the village by Fr. Peter.
The Slovacchian-born diocesan priest has dedicated his life to the people in and around Sukamahela, and whilst the people gathering for Sunday mass look at us with curiosity, it is clear that Fr Peter is no stranger to them.
Fr. Peter celebrates Mass in Sukamahela
In Sukamahela, Mass does not start on time. Even when they’re busy, people in Tanzania are relaxed. Even when two strangers and a camera come and take part in their Sunday Mass.
What at first seems to be quite a small congregation, waiting patiently outside the church, suddenly becomes over one hundred people.
The pews in the back of the church quickly fill up with women and their babies, and the children who are old enough take their seats at the front of the congregation. They’re all friends, or become so very quickly. To the left the choir starts to sing and very soon the notes are resounding off the circular walls of the structure.
Children sit together at Mass
There are more women than men, all sitting on the left-hand side. When the first verse is over their presence becomes clear and unequivocable as they take their positions as tenors and baritones singing “Roho wa bwana imanjaza”: The Spirit of the Lord has filled me.
And it was obvious that the Spirit of the Lord is omnipresent across the dusty roads. Even “under the trees” where Fr. Peter gave his third Sunday Mass because that particular village has not yet built what is described here as a “sub-station”: a small church with an aluminium roof.
In another village, the substation, or mission, is as full as the big round church in Sukamahelo. They sing, too, just as at every other church we enter in Tanzania.
It’s true that the church in Tanzania needs more priests and that the villages around the country deserve one each. It’s plain to see that each church is a community and that each community is a family.
Catholic Church in Sukamahela
Outside the church in Sukamahelo, Maria and Ethel take my hand. They ask Franco, our videographer, to take our photo and then point at me and laugh, affectionately, when he shows it to them on the screen.
We spend the next few hours together along with other children from the village. Their mothers have all gone home. They have nothing to worry about; they know that their church is a community and that each community is a family.
Not even two strangers and their camera could tarnish their faith or mar their harmony.
Francesca (R) talks to children in Sukamahela
Pope Francis sends a message to a group of migrants gathered in Lajas Blancas, Panama, referring to migrants as “the face of Christ”, whom the Church lovingly offers “relief and hope.”
By Sr. Francine-Marie Cooper
In a letter dated March 21, Pope Francis addressed a group of migrants gathered in Lajas Blancas, Panama.
The Pope spoke of wanting to accompany them personally, and expressed his understanding for their situation.
“I too am a child of migrants,” he said, “who set out in search of a better future.”
He thanked the bishops and pastoral workers who take his place in serving them.
The Pope said they represent “the face of a mother Church who walks with her sons and daughters, in whom she discovers the face of Christ and, like Veronica, lovingly offers relief and hope on the Way of the Cross of migration.”
The Holy Father added that migrants “represent the suffering body of Christ when they are forced to leave their country, to face the risks and tribulations of a difficult journey, when they find no other way out.”
He appealed to the migrants to never forget their human dignity, and not to “be afraid to look others in the eye,” as they are “not disposable.”
He reassured them that they “are also part of the human family and the family of God’s children.”
The Pope thanked the migrants for their presence and asked them to pray for him.
CNA Staff, Mar 20, 2024 / 16:45 pm (CNA).
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced Wednesday the names of five parish priests who have been selected to attend a global gathering of 300 priests at the Vatican this spring as part of the ongoing Synod on Synodality.
In a March 20 announcement, the USCCB said the five priests consist of four Latin-rite priests and one Eastern Catholic priest, at the request of the Vatican.
The five priests include Father Artur Bubnevych, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Father Joseph Friend, parochial administrator of three parishes in the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas; Father Luis Navarro, a canon lawyer and pastor of St. George Church in Stockton, California; Father William Swichtenberg, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Appleton, Wisconsin; and Father Donald Planty, a canon lawyer and pastor of St. Charles Catholic Church in Arlington, Virginia. (Planty’s work with young adults at his Arlington parish was recently highlighted on “EWTN News in Depth.”)
The gathering, “Parish Priests for the Synod: An International Meeting,” will be held April 28 to May 2. Announcing the event last month, the Vatican said bishops were asked to give preference to parish priests with “significant experience in the perspective of a synodal Church” while also selecting priests from “a variety of pastoral contexts.”
During the five-day meeting, the priests will participate in roundtable discussions, liturgical celebrations, workshops on pastoral proposals, and “dialogue with experts,” according to the press release by the synod organizers, at the Fraterna Domus retreat center in Sacrofano, near Rome.
The goal of the meeting, the Vatican says, is “listening to and valuing the experience of parish priests” and providing them with “an opportunity to experience the dynamism of synodal work at a universal level.”
The meeting is part of the ongoing Synod on Synodality initiated by Pope Francis in October 2021. A multiyear process, the synod aims to enhance the communion, participation, and mission of the Church. The first monthlong session of the Synod on Synodality concluded on Oct. 28, 2023, with the finalization of a 42-page synthesis report. The October 2024 session is expected to produce a final report, which will be presented to Pope Francis for his consideration in issuing any related teaching.
The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, which governs the synod, said that the meeting was organized in response to the first synod assembly’s Synthesis Report, which identified a need to “develop ways for a more active involvement of deacons, priests, and bishops in the synodal process during the coming year.”
The priests will also have the chance to speak with Pope Francis in an audience on May 2, the Vatican said in February. The Vatican also said the results of the priests’ meeting will contribute to the drafting of the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document for the second session of the Synodal Assembly, in October 2024.
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As they begin their plenary assembly in Lourdes, the Bishops of France express their opposition to the “end-of-life” bill presented by the government of President Emmanuel Macron.
By Jean-Benoît Harel
“Do not distort fraternity.” This is the response of the French bishops to President Emmanuel Macron, who mentioned “a revolution of fraternity” regarding the bill dedicated to end-of-life issues.
On the first day of their plenary assembly in Lourdes on Monday, March 18, around 100 bishops of France adopted a strong opposition to the bill, which plans to legalize active assistance in dying under certain strict conditions.
This opposition was expressed in a statement published on Tuesday, March 19, as the bill has just been submitted to the Council of State for review.
In a statement, the bishops reaffirm their “commitment to the French approach of refusing induced death and giving priority to palliative care,” following the recommendations of the National Consultative Ethics Committee.
The Bishops’ Conference also calls on French Catholics to engage with people with disabilities, the elderly, or those at the end of life.
“The request for assisted suicide or euthanasia is often an expression of a feeling of loneliness and abandonment to which we cannot, and must not, resign ourselves,” explain the bishops.
On this feast day of Saint Joseph, who is also called the patron of a “good death” because he died in the arms of Mary and Jesus according to tradition, the French bishops hope to influence the parliamentary discussions that will open in committee next month.
Some 81% of French people support the bill, according to a survey conducted by the Ifop-Fiducial institute for Sud Radio following the announcement made by the French president.
Many other topics await the bishops at this spring Plenary Assembly.
Several sessions will be devoted to monitoring the measures announced for the support of victims of abuse within the Church. A meeting with members of the National Canonical Penal Tribunal will be organized.
The president of the SELAM fund responsible for financial contributions to victims and the president of the INIRR (National Independent Instance of Recognition and Reparation) will also be heard.
A decision from the bishops is expected regarding the extension of the mandate of the INIRR, as well as on a future mechanism aimed at supporting adult victims of abuse within the Church.
“Our Church in France must be capable, in the medium and long term, of hearing any complaint seriously implicating the behaviour or actions of an ordained minister or a responsible layperson, and of accompanying the victims until the end,” assured Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the French Bishop’s Conference, in his opening speech.
Regarding the various ministries in the Church of France, two hours of work per week will be dedicated to the permanent diaconate, “of which the Church celebrates the 60th anniversary this year,” emphasized Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort. This theological study will be a way to honour the mission of permanent deacons in the service of the Church.
“We thank their wives, who have supported and continue to support them in this adventure, their children, and grandchildren,” he continued.
Additionally, regarding instituted ministers, the bishops will formalize the translation of the ritual of the institution of catechists.
The president of the French Bishops’ Conference sees this as a way to give thanks because these “ordained or instituted ministers are truly gifts from God, gifts of the resurrected Christ.”
Finally, the President of the French Bishops’ Conference announced the vote on several changes in the organization of the Church of France.
One of these decisions could concern the future of Christian radios, following the extensive work of Archbishop François Touvet and the Council for Communication.
A report has been submitted to the bishops who will have to make a decision.
“It is necessary that we evaluate this tool together and express what we collectively expect from it,” explained the Archbishop of Reims.
The Conference also welcomed the head of its new Institutional Affairs department, Céline Reynaud-Fourton.
The department’s task is to monitor governmental initiatives and strengthen ties with civil society. “A few meetings with top executives of companies, for example, have made me realize how many decision-makers are unaware of our Conference and its modes of action,” the president of the French Bishops’ Conference lamented.
This new position finally illustrates the reorganization of the conference into sectors, three of which will be led by episcopal commissions.
The Spring plenary assembly 2024 will conclude on Friday, March 22.
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The Bishops of Haiti say they have not appointed anyone to represent the Catholic Church in the presidential council charged with selecting an interim prime minister to restore order in the country.
By Lisa Zengarini
As gangs continue to wreak havoc in Haiti despite Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreeing to step aside to allow the formation of an interim government, the Haitian Bishops’ Conference (CEH) has issued a new appeal pleading once again for “an end to the violence, peace and reconciliation.”
In a statement released on Monday, the bishops reiterated their “deep pain” over what they term the “delirious atrocities” grappling the country, heeding Pope Francis concerns who, they said, “is very close to Haitian people.”
“The dream of a country free of violence impels us to raise our voices to demand an end to the acts that aim to reduce Haiti to rubble and ashes.”
While encouraging Haitian leaders to find a solution to the crisis and restore peace and security for all, the statement clarified that the Church will not join the transitional council that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has charged with selecting an interim prime minister to replace Henry.
However, they said, “We hope that the ongoing talks will lead to a truly inclusive and lasting patriotic agreement in the interest of all the Haitian people who aspire to peace.”
The nomination of the transitional council has been delayed by infighting as group leaders have bickered over potential candidates. The body is to comprise – among others – seven voting members, two observers and a religious leader. CARICOM said Tuesday that all groups except one have submitted nominees.
As Haiti awaits the installation of the council, the bishops insisted on urging all Haitians “not to fuel violence” because, they said, “any destruction causes Haiti to regress or delay the progress we all desire.”
“Let us put an end to these violent acts which cause so much suffering.”
Gang violence, however, is still ongoing, despite Henry stepping down. Gang leaders, had called for his resignation claiming he was not elected and blaming him for deepening poverty in the country, but attacks on state institutions have continued unabated after Henry promised to resign last week once the transitional council is created.
On Monday gunmen targeted the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH), one of a few key institutions still running in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, leaving up to four dead and a guard injured. In another part of the city, armed men looted homes in two upscale neighbourhoods, forcing residents to flee.
As the violence continues, the Episcopal Council (CELAM), the Confederation of Religious of Latin America and the Caribbean (CLAR) and Caritas of Latin America have joined to call for a “Continental Day of Prayer”, to be held on March 22 under the slogan “We Are All with Haiti”.
“We can never remain indifferent to the suffering of an entire people that is part of our Latin American and Caribbean people. It’s part of our history. It’s part of our Church.”
“We know that the solution is not directly in our hands and that it needs the courage and determination of men and women with national and international decision-making power”, they said in a statement. “However, we are convinced of the strength and power of prayer, which also brings us closer and expresses our solidarity with the Haitian people.”
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Pope Francis approves new Statutes and Regulations for the Chapter of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, appointing Lithuanian-born Archbishop Makrickas as the new Coadjutor Archpriest and focusing its Canons on pastoral and spiritual duties.
By Salvatore Cernuzio
With a chirograph, Pope Francis has approved the new Statutes and Regulations for the Chapter of the Liberian Basilica and entrusted Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas with all the faculties to apply the new norms until a new Administrative Council is established.
In his chirograph released on Wednesday, the Pope “frees” the canons from all economic and administrative responsibilities, appointing Archbishop Makrickas as the new coadjutor Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Following the commissioning process assigned to Archbishop Makrickas, who was appointed as the Extraordinary Commissioner in December 2021, Pope Francis completed the restructuring of the Basilica he has visited over a hundred times and where he hopes to be buried someday.
A Rescript published by Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute of the Secretariat of State, outlines the new duties of the canons (priests belonging to the Basilica’s Chapter), the documents of the new Statute and Regulations, and the appointment of Archbishop Makrickas, “with the right of succession.”
In his chirograph, Pope Francis recalled having entrusted Archbishop Makrickas, assisted by a special Commission, with the task of reordering the Chapter and the Basilica, “for the greater good of the people of God.”
For centuries, the Chapter has safeguarded the treasures of St. Mary Major—such as the icon of the Salus Populi Romani (to which the Pope entrusts every Apostolic Journey abroad) and the relic of the Holy Crib—overseen the decorum of liturgical celebrations, and welcomed the faithful making pilgrimages to the basilica.
“Today, at the end of the commissioning process,” wrote the Pope, “I deem it appropriate to relieve the Canons from any economic and administrative responsibilities, so they can fully and with renewed vigor dedicate themselves to the spiritual and pastoral accompaniment that pilgrims from all over the world seek and hope to find, crossing the threshold of the first Marian Shrine of the West.”
The Pope also approved the Statute and Regulations, which he said were drafted “inspired by the principles and criteria of the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium,” and conferred on Archbishop Makrickas “all the necessary faculties for the moderation and application of the new norms and for the governance of the Chapter.”
The Holy Father further decreed that the new Coadjutor Archpriest “continue to exercise legal representation” and retain “the power to carry out acts of ordinary and extraordinary administration.”
This will continue until the establishment of an Administrative Council—a new entity set up by the Statute—which, as stated in article 48, will be entrusted with the management of the Chapter’s assets.
The Pope also assigned Archbishop Makrickas “the duties pertaining to the Vicar of the Archpriest, the Delegate for Pastoral Care, and the Delegate for Administration, until their respective appointments.”
These two roles are new additions to the Basilica’s organizational chart. In particular, the Delegate for Pastoral Care will be the first collaborator of the Archpriest for the activities of the Canons and St. Mary Major, working closely with the Master of Ceremonies, coordinating services related to pastoral care and ceremonies.
The two delegates, along with the Archpriest who presides over them, will compose the Administrative Council, with a representative from the Governorate of Vatican City State and a representative from the APSA (Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See).
All members, it is noted, will serve for five years and may be reappointed; their mandate will end with the approval of the financial statement for the last fiscal year.
The sessions of the Administrative Council can be held in person or remotely as needed. It meets, upon the Archpriest’s summons, at least twice a year and whenever there is a motivated request from at least three of its members. In the Archpriest’s absence, meetings of the Administrative Council are chaired by the Delegate for Administration.
The Council also “plans, deliberates, and verifies the strategic administration lines of the Chapter,” giving directives and mandates: to the APSA for the management of the Chapter’s income-producing real estate entrusted to it according to the specific Agreement; to the Delegate for Administration for the management of the remaining assets and for the activities of the Basilica.
The Council will annually determine the amount of remuneration to be paid to clerics, religious, and laypeople who work for the Chapter or the Basilica. And, after receiving the budget and account, it prepares the annual Budgets (projected and final) in the ways and terms established by the Secretariat for the Economy.
Among the other main innovations of the Statute is one concerning the canons and coadjutors of the Chapter who have reached or will reach the age of 80.
At that age, they will assume the status of Honorary Canons and Honorary Coadjutors and, as long as health and self-sufficiency conditions allow, “will retain the use of the apartment they already enjoy, the title of Protonotary Apostolic Supernumerary, and their own vestments.”
Honorary Coadjutors will enjoy a reduced rent and, together with Honorary Canons, may “continue in the voluntary liturgical-pastoral activity in the Basilica” and “continue to receive the chapter allowance.” They may also “take advantage of the possibility of burial in the Canon’s Cemetery.”
Honorary Canons are “exempted from all obligations” towards the Chapter and, consequently, “do not participate in the Chapter Sessions.”
The same provisions also apply to those Canons and Coadjutors who, although not yet 80-years-old, “have for a long time not attended liturgical celebrations and do not participate in Chapter Sessions.”
Additionally, the Pope’s chirograph eliminates the Chapter Coadjutors but introduces the possibility to invite priests to assist the Chapter in extraordinary cases.
Finally, according to the new provisions, the Master of the Liberian Musical Chapel must be chosen from among directors of renowned fame. The renewable contract will have a duration of five years.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, is set to make a four-day visit to the Balkan nation of Montenegro, where he will meet with government officials and the local Catholic community.
By Vatican News
Starting on Thursday, March 21, and lasting until Sunday, March 24, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, will visit Montenegro.
During his stay in the Balkan country, he will meet with the President, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The visit was announced on X via @TerzaLoggia, the official account of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.
The Archbishop’s visit comes at the invitation of Filip Ivanović, Montenegro’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, whom he will meet on Thursday.
Scheduled for Friday are meetings with Jakov Milatović, President of the Republic, followed by encounters with Andrija Mandić, President of the Parliament, and Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister.
On the same day, Archbishop Gallagher will attend the opening of the Session of the Joint Commission for implementing the Basic Agreement between the Holy See and Montenegro.
A highlight of his visit will be an encounter with the Catholic community of the Diocese of Kotor on Saturday, March 23, when he will celebrate Mass at St. Tryphon Cathedral.
On Sunday, the final day of his journey, Archbishop Gallagher is set to meet with the Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Bar and celebrate the Eucharist in the Co-cathedral of St. Peter.
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