Month: June 2018

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News Briefs

Pakistan’s cardinal-elect warns of growing extremism in his country

June 27, 2018 CNA Daily News 1

Karachi, Pakistan, Jun 27, 2018 / 01:07 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Ahead of tomorrow’s Vatican consistory, Pakistani Archbishop Joseph Coutts sees his upcoming elevation to the rank of cardinal as a sign of papal concern for a country coping with the heightened presence of extremist groups.

Archbishop Coutts of Karachi will become cardinal at a June 28 consistory at the Vatican, alongside 13 other prelates representing the global Church and a variety of Vatican offices.

In an interview with CNA ahead of the ceremony, Coutts warned that his country is facing the threat of growing extremism from those pushing for a strict Islamic state.

The general atmosphere of religious freedom encapsulated in the nation’s founding has been eroded and now faces new threats from more radical strains of Islamic thought seeping into the country, he said.

“Many of our imams are now going to Saudi Arabia to study theology, and are coming back preaching against music and dancing, which is forbidden in Wahhabi Islam.”

Wahhabism, a severe school of Islam founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and centered in Saudi Arabia, was identified by the European Parliament in 2013 as the primary source of global terrorism.

Even the increase in suicide attacks in Pakistan can be traced back to this influence, Coutts said, noting that suicide is forbidden in Islam generally.

“But they justify it in the name of religion,” he said. “If you say my religion is the best religion and all the other religions are not good, then I justify myself in using force or violence, whatever it is, to get rid of the other.”

The majority of Muslims in Pakistan are moderate, Coutts said, explaining that the extremists only make up about 5 percent or less of the total population.

“There are Muslims who say, ‘We have no problem with democracy, it does not clash with Islamic thinking, and that’s why we are a democracy’,” he said. But the extremists “don’t accept democracy, they don’t accept the international declaration of human rights, they say it’s not Islamic.”

“We’ve always had these kinds of people on the fringes, but they weren’t dominant,” he added. “Now they are becoming more assertive.”

Asked whether he believes Pakistan could become an Islamic state, Coutts said the possibility is real, but depends on several factors, including pressure from more radical Islamic nations such Saudi Arabia.

However, if the country, which is holding general elections July 26, begins to shift in that direction, “it means leading to a lot of clashes, because there are many who don’t want it to be that way,” Coutts said.

“If these guys keep pushing their agenda, you’ll reach a point of clash. Somebody will push back.”

The Catholic Church in Pakistan is a leading presence in works of charity and has long spoken out on behalf of minority rights, condemning persecution, specifically related to the country’s anti-blasphemy law, which Coutts said is very easily manipulated.

Ultimately, though, he said the Church’s role in the nation is limited by its size. “What role can you have when you’re two percent? There’s a saying that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers.”

Coutts, who has served as Archbishop of Karachi since 2012, will be Pakistan’s only cardinal after tomorrow’s consistory.

Being made a cardinal will not have much practical effect on the Church’s role in the country, he said. But what the red hat does signify is Pope Francis’ concern for Pakistan and the Christian presence in the nation.

“It’s an honor for the country,” he said, noting that Pakistani Muslims, who generally have a positive view of Francis, feel the same way, and have voiced their appreciation and asked when a papal visit might take place.

“It shows the respect for the Holy Father that people have. They consider him a very good, moral leader, a religious leader who is promoting peace and understanding. They have high respect for him.”

 

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News Briefs

Father Weinandy discusses Gnosticism Today

June 27, 2018 CNA Daily News 1

Denver, Colo., Jun 27, 2018 / 12:01 pm (CNA).- Father Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap., is a member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission, an accomplished professor of theology, and a prolific author. His most recent book is Jesus Becomi… […]

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US bishops disappointed by Supreme Court decision upholding travel ban

June 27, 2018 CNA Daily News 2

Washington D.C., Jun 27, 2018 / 11:51 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has expressed disappointment with a Supreme Court ruling upholding President Donald Trump’s travel ban, which prohibits nationals from several countries from entering the U.S.

“The travel ban targets Muslims for exclusion, which goes against our country’s core principle of neutrality when it comes to people of faith,” said the statement, issued by Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ migration committee, and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, who chairs the religious freedom committee.

“We are disappointed in the Court’s ruling because it failed to take into account the clear and unlawful targeting of a specific religious group by the government,” continued the statement.

“The Catholic Church takes a strong stand against religious discrimination, and we will continue to advocate for the rights of people of all faiths, as well as serve migrants and refugees through our various ministries.”

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion in Trump v. Hawaii, which fell along ideological lines.

The Court found that President Donald Trump was acting within the limits of his authority when he announced a travel ban on nationals from seven countries. The policy prohibits entry into the U.S. of most nationals from five majority-Muslim countries: Libya, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Somalia.

A change to the policy, enacted a few weeks before the Supreme Court was to hear the challenge to the ban, also prohibits entrance of nationals from North Korea, and to certain government officials from Venezuela and their immediate families.

The U.S. bishops’ conference, along with Catholic Charities USA and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in opposition to the travel ban. The groups argued that the ban was a violation of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.

Trump, however, has emphasized the decision as necessary to protect Americans against terrorism and other violence.

A statement from the White House June 26 called the ruling “a tremendous victory for the American People and the Constitution.”

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The Dispatch

Acts and us

June 27, 2018 George Weigel 3

The readings from Acts of the Apostles at daily Mass during the Easter season were particularly apt this year, for three reasons. […]

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In Rome, Nicaraguan bishops will inform pope of worsening crisis

June 27, 2018 CNA Daily News 0

Managua, Nicaragua, Jun 27, 2018 / 06:01 am (ACI Prensa).- As the situation in Nicaragua continues to deteriorate, two of the country’s bishops are travelling to Rome, where they will brief Pope Francis on the state of affairs in their nation.

Cardinal Leopoldo José Brenes Solorzano of Managua and Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos of Matagalpa will “inform the Holy Father of the pain and suffering  we Nicaraguans are going through and the impetus we have given to the dialogue we are participating in at the request of the government and with the trust and support of the people,” read a statement of the Nicaraguan bishops’ conference.

Cardinal Brenes is going to Rome to participate in the June 29 consistory of cardinals.

The Nicaraguan bishops expressed to the people their “closeness and accompaniment especially in this painful time” in their statement.

They asked the faithful to accompany Cardinal Brenes and Bishop Álvarez with their prayers and also requested the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Two months of protests against Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega have resulted in more than 200 deaths. The country’s bishops have mediated on-again, off-again peace talks between the government and opposition groups.

Protests began April 18 after Ortega announced social security and pension reforms. The changes were soon abandoned in the face of widespread, vocal opposition, but protests only intensified after more than 40 protestors were killed by security forces initially.

The Church in Nicaragua was quick to acknowledge the protestors’ complaints. Barricades and roadblocks are now found throughout the country, and clashes frequently turn lethal.

Peace talks resumed June 25 under the Church’s mediation.

But the day prior, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights charged that Diriamba, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nagarote, and Tipitapa were attacked June 24 by “combined forces” made up of regular  police, riot police, paramilitaries, and pro-government vigilantes.

It was reported that two people died in Managua and one in Tipitapa. In Nagarote four were reported injured.

Four people, including an 15-month-old infant, were killed in Managua June 23 when security forces fired on protesters at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua , according to activists.

Karina Navarrete, the mother of Teiler Lorio Navarrete, said she saw her son struck by a bullet fired by police while he was being taken to a babysitter. The government has denied her claim, and has blamed local criminals for the death.

On June 21 Cardinal Brenes, along with the  Auxiliary Bishop of  Managua, Silvio José Báez Ortega; and the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Stanislaw Waldemar Sommertag went to Masaya to prevent further attacks against the population.

Bishops and priests across Nicaragua have worked to separate protestors and security forces, and have been threatened and shot.

Church-mediated peace talks had begun May 16 and were suspended May 23, and began again June 15 and were called off June 19. The latest round began June 25.

The Nicaraguan government has suggested that protestors are killing their own supporters so as to destabilize Ortega’s administration.

The pension reforms which triggered the unrest were modest, but protests quickly turned to Ortega’s authoritarian bent.

Ortega has shown resistance to calls for elections, which are not scheduled until 2021, to be held early.

Ortega has been president of Nicaragua since 2007, and oversaw the abolition of presidential term limits in 2014.

He was a leader in the Sandinista National Liberation Front, which had ousted the Somoza dictatorship in 1979 and fought US-backed right-wing counterrevolutionaries during the 1980s. Ortega was also leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990.

 

This article was originally published by our sister agency, ACI Prensa. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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News Briefs

St. Mary Mackillop and the miraculous bookstore rescue

June 27, 2018 CNA Daily News 0

Auckland, New Zealand, Jun 27, 2018 / 05:45 am (CNA).- When your business runs out of money and you need a miracle, whom do you call? The Catholic Church, apparently.

Warwick Jordan is a New Zealander, the owner of the second-hand bookstore “Hard to Find Bookshop” – and not Catholic.  

Several weeks ago, Jordan found himself strapped for cash. The building in which he kept his bookshop had been sold and bought by new owners, who were now asking for commercial rent, which was out of his budget.

He tried everything to raise the funds, including an online crowdsourcing page on Give a Little. Even though he was able to raise $27,000, that still wasn’t enough.

That’s when he decided to ask for a miracle.

“We’d bought books off Catholic priests and had bought a massive stash from St. Benedict’s at one stage. I wrote to the Bishop and said ‘I need a miracle. I understand the Catholic Church specializes in miracles – can you pull one out of the bag for me?’” Jordan told New Zealand news site Newsroom.

“Bishop Pat (Dunn (of Auckland)) wrote back and said he’d put it before the property board, but a couple of weeks went by without hearing and I thought we were screwed. We were looking at how we would wind up,” he added.

But his plea hadn’t fallen on deaf ears.

Bishop Dunn called him back and offered him a former home of Australia’s only saint, St. Mary Mackillop, who was a teacher dedicated to education.

Also known as St. Mary of the Cross, MacKillop founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart. She focused particularly on the education of poor children and established some of the first Catholic schools in Australia.

She began the order’s work with a school in a stable the small town of Penola, Australia in 1866. Before her death many more educational institutions were established in isolated “bush” areas where hardship was common.

Today, the “Josephite” sisters are present across Australia and New Zealand, and have extended their ministry to Ireland, Peru, East Timor, Scotland and Brazil.

“With its high ceilings, plaster domes, huge windows allowing light to flood in, and polished floor boards, it had all the character he was looking for. It was in poor condition but had the rent to match,” Alexia Russell said of the home in her article for Newsroom.

After getting a loan to cover the rest of the costs, Jordan re-opened his shop June 15. He makes appropriate use of the space, too. The theology section is housed in what once was the chapel, along with extra information about St. Mary Mackillop.

“We wanted to honour her – we’re her guests, I think it’s appropriate. Her thing was about education and supporting knowledge to all people. She was a strong person who sorted people out … I love people with strong characters. Up to a point,” Jordan told Newsroom.

In the age of Amazon and charity bookshops, Jordan realizes that even the miraculous relocation isn’t enough to guarantee he won’t have financial troubles in the future.

“I’m the captain of the Titanic,” he said. “But I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

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News Briefs

St John Southworth an ‘inspiration and intercessor’ for Westminster’s priests

June 26, 2018 CNA Daily News 2

London, England, Jun 27, 2018 / 12:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster reflected on St John Southworth, a martyr of 17th century England, in a pastoral letter on the priesthood Sunday, and challenged the laity readily to support priests.

“Today I ask you to pray for all our priests,” he said in his June 24 pastoral letter. “Our lives may not be as dramatic nor as full of public conflict as the life of St John Southworth. Yet we priests strive to express in our daily ministry exactly the same dedication to the mission of Jesus Our Lord as he did.”

“Like him, we depend on the support and love of faithful people. For St John Southworth that was literally a matter of life and death.”

The letter was read at Mass June 24, about a week before the archdiocese will ordain six new priests. The cardinal focused on the courageous priestly ministry of St. John Southworth, a Lancashire priest whose feast day is June 27.

Saint John Southworth was ordained a priest in 1619 at Douai, an English college based in what is now France during a time when Catholicism was illegal in England. After he graduated, he started his ministry in Lancashire.

Here, the priest was first arrested and jailed in London. In 1630, he was deported to France but returned to attend to those sickened by the plaque. The priests was then arrested in 1637 and continued his ministry in and out of jail until his execution in 1654.

During his trial, St. John Southworth refused to hide that he was a priest and was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered in Tyburn.

Cardinal Nichols said that while England no longer experiences this level of persecution, priests still need support from parishioners.

“Over the centuries a marvellous tradition has remained of genuine love for priests and a readiness to support them, through thick and thin. I ask you, today, to continue that tradition and share it with your families.”

Cardinal Nichols also apologized for the weakness of priests and his own sins. He asked for patience and forgiveness, stating the whole Church is compelled to support each other in Christ.

“Of course, we priests and bishops are sinners. There is no hiding our mistakes and faults,” he said. “Today I express my sorrow at our failings and I ask for your patience, forbearance and, indeed, forgiveness.”

“In the Church, we are bound together in Christ Jesus. He is full of mercy. We can only strive to show that mercy to each other, always and everywhere.”

Saint John Southworth’s body is interred at Westminster Cathedral, and his relics will be moved to the center of the church for his feast day.
“We bring his body into the central aisle of the cathedral not only for his feast day but so that he is there among the candidates for the priesthood on the day of their ordination,” the cardinal wrote.

“During the singing of the Litany of the Saints, they will prostrate themselves, face down on the floor. In their midst will be the prostrate body of the Martyr. But he lies face up, reflecting the glory of God shining in him as he now enjoys the fullness of God’s grace in heaven. He is indeed our special patron.”

This year also marks the 450th anniversary of the establishment of Douai College, which he called “a crucial part of Catholic survival and heritage,” noting that Pope Francis has set aside June 28, 2019, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as a day for priestly renewal. Cardinal Nichols also invited all diocesan priest in England and Wales to say a Mass commemorating the anniversary at Westminster Cathedral.

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