CHURCH IN PHILIPPINES: CONTINUE TO BE A LEAVEN IN SOCIETY
November 30, 2010
VATICAN CITY, 29 NOV 2010 (VIS) - Monday morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received prelates from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, who have just completed their “ad limina” visit. Addressing them in English, the Pope referred to the close ties that for four centuries have united the Philippines and the See of Peter, highlighting the benefits the leaven of faith has brought to the Filipino people and their culture.
“To be such a leaven, the Church must always seek to find her proper voice, because it is by proclamation that the Gospel brings about its life-changing fruits”, he said. “Thanks to the Gospel’s clear presentation of the truth about God and man, generations of zealous Filipino clergymen, religious and laity have promoted an ever more just social order. At times, this task of proclamation touches upon issues relevant to the political sphere. This is not surprising, since the political community and the Church, while rightly distinct, are nevertheless both at the service of the integral development of every human being and of society as a whole”.
“At the same time, the Church’s prophetic office demands that she be free ‘to preach the faith, to teach her social doctrine … and also to pass moral judgments in those matters which regard public order whenever the fundamental human rights of a person or the salvation of souls requires it’. In the light of this prophetic task, I commend the Church in the Philippines for seeking to play its part in support of human life from conception until natural death, and in defence of the integrity of marriage and the family. In these areas you are promoting truths about the human person and about society which arise not only from divine revelation but also from natural law, an order which is accessible to human reason and thus provides a basis for dialogue and deeper discernment on the part of all people of good will. I also note with appreciation the Church’s work to abolish the death penalty in your country.
“A specific area in which the Church must always find her proper voice comes in the field of social communications and the media”, Pope Benedict added. “It is important that the Catholic laity proficient in social communications take their proper place in proposing the Christian message in a convincing and attractive way. If the Gospel of Christ is to be a leaven in Filipino society, then the entire Catholic community must be attentive to the force of the truth proclaimed with love”.
Finally the Holy Father turned his attention to “a third aspect of the Church’s mission of proclaiming the life-giving word of God: … her commitment to economic and social concerns, in particular with respect to the poorest and the weakest in society”. The Church in the Philippines, he said, takes “a special interest in devoting herself more fully to care for the poor. It is heartening to see that this undertaking has borne fruit, with Catholic charitable institutions actively engaged throughout the country. Many of your fellow citizens, however, remain without employment, adequate education or basic services, and so your prophetic statements and your charitable action on behalf of the poor continue to be greatly appreciated. In addition to this effort”, he concluded, “you are rightly concerned that there be an ongoing commitment to the struggle against corruption, since the growth of a just and sustainable economy will only come about when there is a clear and consistent application of the rule of law throughout the land”.
VATICAN FOUNDATION: JOSEPH RATZINGER - BENEDICT XVI
November 29, 2010
VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at midday Friday a press conference was held to present the “Vatican Foundation: Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI”. The conference was presented by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president of the foundation’s academic committee; Msgr. Giuseppe Antonio Scotti, president of the foundation, and Fr. Stephan Otto Horn S.D.S, president of the “Ratzinger Schulerkreis” and of the “Joseph Ratzinger Papst Benedict XVI - Siftung”.
Msgr. Scotti explained how on 1 March this year the Holy Father had ordered the creation of a new foundation, with the name of “Vatican Foundation: Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI”, in order “to respond to a desire expressed by many scholars over the course of the years”. As regards the financing of the new body, he explained, “a first ample contribution will come from the Pontiff himself, who has chosen to devolve a large part of the proceeds from his author rights”.
For his part Cardinal Ruini explained how, apart from himself, the academic committee will be composed of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.; Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B. prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints; Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues O.P., secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, and Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer S.J., prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The committee will have three tasks, he said, “firstly, drawing up criteria and objectives for the annual and long-term programme of the foundation’s activities; secondly, establishing criteria of excellence for the creation and conferral of prizes to scholars who have distinguished themselves in academic publications and/or research; and finally, organising cultural and academic initiatives”.
“The theology of Joseph Ratzinger moves forward, looking to the present and the future on the basis of an extraordinary knowledge of the origins and history of the Christian faith. His capacity, what I would call his tastefulness, in keeping these two aspects united … likens Joseph Ratzinger to great teachers of other periods of Christian history. It is no coincidence that the foundation which bears his name will focus particular attention, on the one hand on biblical and patristic studies, and on the other on fundamental theology. The aim is to bring out the truth, significance and beauty of Christianity in its relationship with contemporary culture and society”.
Fr. Horn then spoke to explain that, even before Cardinal Ratzinger’s election to the papacy, his students had thought of creating a Joseph Ratzinger Foundation. “Not only did they feel profound gratitude towards their teacher”, he said, “but they were also deeply convinced of the importance of his theology for the Church. … In the meeting of the ‘Schulerkreis’ with the Holy Father at Castelgandolfo in 2007 we received his approval to create an autonomous foundation”.
This foundation, Fr. Horn went on, “has a clear direction and broad ranging projects. Its goal is to promote the study of Joseph Ratzinger’s theology and spirituality, propagating his ideas in the Church and society, and ensuring they are absorbed. Thus will his memory be conserved for the future”.
One of the foundation’s projects concerns the University of Regensburg “with the creation of chair for a visiting professor in the faculty of theology during the summer term”. In September this year a “Benediktakdemie” (Benedict Academy) for young students was held at Salzburg in Austria, while in Rome (in collaboration with the “Casa Balthasar”, an institution for discerning vocations in young Catholic men) there is a plan to crate a study centre for theology and spirituality. “And we have also”, Fr. Horn concluded, “collected the recollections of more than forty of Joseph Ratzinger’s former students in order to establish an archive”.
South Korean bishops call for peace after deadly artillery attack from North
November 26, 2010
Seoul, South Korea, (CNA/EWTN News).- Following a deadly North Korean artillery attack on a South Korean island, the South’s Catholic bishops called for peace. They urged “strong intervention” from the international community, especially China, to avoid the “catastrophe” of war.
North Korean artillery attacked Yeonpyeong-do Island in the Yellow Sea on Nov. 23. The surprise attack killed two marines and two civilians, and injured 13 marines and three civilians, UCA News reports.
The attack also damaged the only Catholic church on the island, which has 450 Catholic residents in a total population of about 1,700.
Two shells fell on the church grounds and the windows of the main church building were damaged. The old rectory was partly demolished and a van was destroyed, according to Fr. Johannes Kim Yong-hwan, chancellor of the Diocese of Incheon.
South Korean officials said North Korea fired 200 artillery shells onto the island and set more than 60 buildings on fire. The South returned fire with about 80 artillery rounds, UCA News reports.
The North and South are technically still at war since the countries’ armistice in 1953.
Bishop Peter Kang U-il of Cheju, president of the South Korean bishops’ conference, responded to the attack.
“Let us pray that the situation does not get any worse and does not become an open conflict. We pray that the Lord gives to all leaders and all of us the strength and light to overcome this crisis. Today we live in a time of great confusion and also of fear,” he told Fides news agency.
Saying that the reasons for the attack are not yet known, the bishop said it appears to be based on “political tactics” and perhaps is a distraction from North Korea’s “dramatic” internal problems. He explained that the economic situation there is difficult and North Koreans face hunger and misery.
“I am sure that the leaders of the North know that war does not amount to anything, that it is just a catastrophe that hurts civilians. It is a situation that we should try to avoid at all costs,” Bishop Kang commented. “Conflict can only bring destruction.”
“I urge a strong intervention by the international community which cannot close its eyes to this situation. It also requires involving China, which has a power of influence over North Korea, to understand the roots and causes of this crisis,” he continued.
The bishops expect prayers for peace from the Universal Church. Bishop Kang explained that peace is not simply the fruit of human will or diplomatic action. Rather, it is help from God.
“We ask the Holy Father to pray for us, for peace and for the good of the Korean people,” he concluded, saying there is hope because “we continue to trust in God’s providence.”
Chinese Authorities Detain Prominent Law Expert in Run-Up to Major Offensive Linked to Nobel Peace Prize
November 25, 2010
BEIJING, (MetroCatholic) — One of China’s foremost legal scholars and advocates of constitutional democracy was detained and interrogated by police in Beijing late Wednesday night in what may be a warning shot preceding a crackdown planned to coincide with the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, according to ChinaAid Association sources.
Dr. Fan Yafeng, also a leader of Shengshan Church, an unregistered house church, was forcibly removed from his home at 9:10 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 24 by more than 10 Domestic Security Department police officers and taken to Shuangyushu Police Station, where he was interrogated until 2 a.m. about allegedly illegally “engaging in activities under the guise of a social organization.”
This is the fifth time since mid-October that Fan has been taken into police custody. He was put under house arrest on Nov. 1, two days after a daylong detention and interrogation. Fan is also director of the group Christian Human Rights Lawyers of China and a founding member of the Association of Human Rights Attorneys for Chinese Christians, and has been one of the most active lawyers in the rights defense movement in China.
What was particularly despicable about the latest detention is that officers went back to Fan’s home and took his wife and their three-year-old son to the same police station for interrogation. Mother and child were held until 1:30 a.m. The four officers who conducted the interrogation ignored the distress of the sleepy toddler as he lay and rolled around on the ground, crying loudly.
ChinaAid has learned from a reliable source that the Chinese authorities are preparing to launch a crackdown called “Operation Deterrence” to coincide with the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. During the campaign, of unspecified duration, authorities are to arrest and sentence a total of 20 rights defenders.
ChinaAid president Bob Fu said these latest developments only further highlight the deteriorating human rights situation in China. Fu, who founded ChinaAid in 2002 to draw international attention to China’s gross human rights violations against house church Christians, said “the unprecedented weakness exhibited by the nations of the Western world has only encouraged China to continue in its obstinacy, unrepentance and blind confidence in itself.”
LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO VARIOUS VOICES WITHIN THE CHURCH
November 24, 2010
VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - In the Paul VI Hall Monday morning, the Holy Father received the twenty-four new cardinals created in the consistory of Saturday 20 November. With the prelates were members of their families and other faithful who have accompanied them to Rome.
The Pope greeted the cardinals in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish, and expressed the hope that their followers may “support you with their prayers, that you many continue to persevere faithfully in your various tasks, for the good of the Gospel and of all Christian people”.
“Your ministry”, he told the cardinals, “is now enriched by the further duty of supporting Peter’s Successor in his universal service to the Church. I place a lot of trust in you, in your prayer and in your vital assistance. With fraternal esteem I encourage you to continue your spiritual and apostolic mission which has just gone through a very important stage. Maintain your gaze fixed on Christ, drawing all grace and spiritual comfort from Him and following the shining example of cardinal saints, intrepid servants of the Church who, over the course of the centuries, have rendered glory to God with their heroic exercise of the virtues and their tenacious faithfulness to the Gospel”.
Invoking on the cardinals “the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary Mother of the Church, and of the martyr St. Cecilia whose liturgical memory falls today”, the Pope said “may she, the patroness of music and ‘bel canto’, accompany and support your efforts to listen attentively to various voices within the Church, in order to make the unity of hearts more profound”.
MESSAGE FROM THE POPE FOR SYMPOSIUM ON CARDINAL NEWMAN
November 23, 2010
VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - Benedict XVI has written a Message to Fr. Hermann Geissler F.S.O., director of the International Centre of Newman Friends, for a symposium the group has organised in Rome on the theme: “The Primacy of God in the Life and Writings of Blessed John Henry Newman”.
In the text the Pope recalls how Newman, having experienced a youthful period of difficulty and doubt (which eventually concluded with the grace of conversion) and while still an Anglican, allowed himself to be guided by two fundamental criteria which “fully express the primacy of God in his life”. The first of these was that of “holiness before peace”, evidence, the Pope said, “of his unshakeable will to adhere to the inner Master with his conscience, to abandon himself trustingly to the Father, and to live in accordance with recognised truth”. The second criterion, that “growth is the only evidence of life”, expresses “his predisposition to continuous conversion, transformation and interior growth, while always resting trustingly on God”.
“Thus”, the Holy Father adds, “did he discover his vocation at the service of the Word of God and, drawing greater clarification from the Fathers of the Church, proposed an authentic reform of Anglicanism, ultimately joining the Catholic Church”.
“For Newman, then, primacy of God translates into primacy of truth, a truth that must be sought above all by conforming one’s own inner life to acceptance, in an open and sincere dialogue with everyone that reaches its culmination in the meeting with Christ, ‘way, truth and life’”.
“In presenting and defending Truth, Cardinal Newman was always careful to use suitable language, correct form and an appropriate tone. He never sought to offend, and attempted to bear witness to the kindly inner light, striving to convince people using humility, joy and patience”.
“To Blessed John Henry Newman, the master who teaches us that primacy of God is also primacy of truth and love, I entrust the reflections and work of this symposium”, the Holy Father concludes.
NOTE BY FR. LOMBARDI CONCERNING A NEW BOOK ON THE POPE
November 22, 2010
VATICAN CITY (VIS) — Given below is the text of a note issued by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. concerning certain remarks by the Pope on the use of condoms, which appear the new book “Light of the World”.
“At the end of chapter eleven of the book ‘Light of the World’ the Pope responds to two questions about the battle against AIDS and the use of condoms, questions that reconnect with the discussions that arose in the wake of certain statements the Pope made on this subject during the course of his 2009 trip to Africa.
“The Pope again makes it clear that his intention was not to take up a position on the problem of condoms in general; his aim, rather was to reaffirm with force that the problem of AIDS cannot be solved simply by distributing condoms, because much more needs to be done: prevention, education, help, advice, accompaniment, both to prevent people from falling ill and to help them if they do.
“The Pope observes that even in the non-ecclesial context an analogous awareness has developed, as is apparent in the so-called ABC theory (Abstinence - Be Faithful - Condom), in which the first two elements (abstinence and fidelity) are more decisive and fundamental in the battle against AIDS, while condoms take last place, as a way out when the other two are absent. It should thus be clear that condoms are not the solution to the problem.
“The Pope then broadens his perspective and insists that focusing only on condoms is equivalent to trivialising sexuality, which thus loses its meaning as an expression of love between persons and becomes a ‘drug’. This struggle against the trivialisation of sexuality is ‘part of the great effort to ensure that sexuality is positively valued and is able to exercise a positive effect on man in his entirety’.
“In the light of this broad and profound vision of human sexuality and the problems it currently faces, the Pope reaffirms that ‘the Church does not of course consider condoms to be the authentic and moral solution’ to the problem of AIDS.
“In this the Pope does not reform or change Church teaching, but reaffirms it, placing it in the perspective of the value and dignity of human sexuality as an expression of love and responsibility.
“At the same time the Pope considers an exceptional circumstance in which the exercise of sexuality represents a real threat to another person’s life. In such a case, the Pope does not morally justify the disordered practice of sexuality but maintains that the use of a condom to reduce the danger of infection can be ‘a first act of responsibility’, ‘a first step on the road toward a more human sexuality’, rather than not using it and exposing the other person to a mortal risk.
“In this, the reasoning of the Pope certainly cannot be defined as a revolutionary change.
“Many moral theologians and authoritative ecclesiastical figures have supported and support similar positions; it is nevertheless true that we have not heard this with such clarity from the mouth of the Pope, even in an informal and non-magisterial form.
“Thus Benedict XVI courageously makes an important contribution to help us clarify and more deeply understand a long-debated question. His is an original contribution, because, on the one hand, it remains faithful to moral principles and transparently refutes illusory paths such as that of ‘faith in condoms’; on the other hand, however, it manifests a comprehensive and farsighted vision, attentive to recognising the small steps (though only initial and still confused) of an often spiritually- and culturally-impoverished humanity, toward a more human and responsible exercise of sexuality”.
POPE RECALLS ITALIAN EARTHQUAKE OF 1980
November 19, 2010
VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - During his greetings to faithful at the end of his general audience today, the Pope addressed a group of Italian pilgrims from the region of Basilicata, who have come to Rome in the company of their local bishops priests and civil authorities to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the earthquake that devastated southern Italy in 1980.
“During that dramatic event”, said the Holy Father, “the wounds of which are still deep and open in the minds and hearts of those dear peoples, much generous aid came from many parts of Italy. At the local level, everyone undertook to implement the necessary measures. In particular, I would like to highlight the efforts made by the Church, which was able to offer, as well as material aid, the light of hope of the risen Christ, at a time of distress and darkness. My hope is that today’s meeting, as well as the memory of the paternal visit made at that time by Servant of God John Paul II, may revive in Christian people the gift of faith, and the joy of sharing it in the great family of the Church”.
MASS FOR VICTIMS OF ATTACK AGAINST CATHEDRAL IN BAGHDAD
November 19, 2010
VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 5 p.m. on 25 November, at the initiative of the Syrian-Catholic Church in Rome, a Mass will be held in memory of the priests and faithful who died in an attack against their cathedral in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on 31 October, according to a communique published today.
The Eucharist - which members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See have also been invited to attend - will be celebrated by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
UN Approval of Resolution Could be Devastating for Many Christians
November 17, 2010
SANTA ANA, Calif. (MetroCatholic) — Ten days ago Asia Noreen, a Pakistani Christian mother of five previously referred to as Asia Bibi by most media, was sentenced to death by hanging on “blasphemy” charges. She became the first woman to receive the death sentence in Pakistan.
Noreen was originally arrested in June 2009 after local Muslims accused her of denying that Muhammad was a prophet and insulting him and the Quran, according to Compass Direct News. She reportedly was under pressure from her fellow workers to convert to Islam.
Compass reported Monday that attorneys for Noreen have filed an appeal of the verdict. Ataul Saman of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) said that lower court verdicts in blasphemy cases are usually overturned by higher courts, according to Compass. He said lower court proceedings take place under intense pressure, with local Muslims gathering outside and chanting slogans to pressure judges. Saman added that NCJP research showed that up to 80 percent of blasphemy charges are filed against people to settle personal scores.
Compass says rights groups have long criticized Pakistan’s blasphemy laws as too easily used to settle grudges or oppress religious minorities, such as the more than 4 million Christians that Operation World, an international prayer guide for countries, estimates out of Pakistan’s total population of 184.7 million. Compass reports that to date no one has been executed for blasphemy in Pakistan, as most are freed on appeal after suffering for years under appalling prison conditions. Vigilantes have killed at least 10 people accused of blasphemy, rights groups estimate.
In 1999 Pakistan was the first country to introduce a bill at the United Nations called the “Defamation of Islam.” It later was renamed the “Defamation of Religions Resolution.” Many countries now supporting the resolution are the Islamic-majority countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). The group says the bill focuses on promoting tolerance and protecting religious freedom.
However, it does the exact opposite for Christians, other religious minorities and even Muslims who do not adhere to government-approved versions of Islam. In effect, the Defamation of Religions Resolution is an international blasphemy law. If the resolution passes again, it would give international legitimacy to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and restrictive legislation in other mostly Muslim countries.
“It is incredibly sad and ironic that Pakistan has sentenced a Christian woman to death by hanging just days before a vote on the resolution at the United Nations that many countries are backing to purportedly protect religious freedom,” says Open Doors USA President/CEO Carl Moeller. “This sentencing should alert countries and individuals to the serious consequences of passing this resolution.”
Lindsay Vessey, Director of Advocacy for Open Doors USA, says: “I was recently in New York City lobbying various countries at the United Nations to change their vote on the Defamation of Religions Resolution. Open Doors was privileged to work with a group of other organizations and church groups during these lobbying efforts. We met with officials of over 20 countries. We had some very productive meetings and look forward to see if some of these countries vote against the non-binding resolution which comes up for reaffirmation each year. If defeated this year, the OIC will be forced to compromise on its efforts to create an international blasphemy law.”
Vessey says the resolution will be voted on in the United Nation’s Third Committee later this week, while the General Assembly vote will likely be held in early December.
Open Doors launched an advocacy campaign called “Free to Believe” two months ago. The campaign focuses on helping persecuted Christians who currently do not have religious freedom like Christians do in the United States and other free countries. Over 200,000 Open Doors supporters worldwide have spoken out against the resolution. To add your voice, go to www.freetobelieve.info.
An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world’s most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to our website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.