Dublin, Ireland, Aug 25, 2018 / 01:21 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis met early Saturday evening with eight abuse victims in Ireland, during his visit to the country for the World Meeting of Families.
A statement from the Vatican press office… […]
Dublin, Ireland, Aug 25, 2018 / 09:24 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The first place children learn the faith is in the home, following the good example of their parents, Pope Francis said during a meeting with newly-wed and engaged couples in Ireland.
“T… […]
Washington D.C., Aug 25, 2018 / 09:10 am (CNA).- The U.S. bishops’ conference has confirmed that Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark has been appointed by Pope Francis to participate in October’s 25th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of B… […]
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Aug 25, 2018 / 06:01 am (ACI Prensa).- An archdiocese in the Dominican Republic is organizing a pro-life demonstration next month in front of the Palace of Congress in the capital.
Archbishop Francisco Ozoria Acosta of Santo Domingo said the aim of the Sept. 9 demonstration is “to express publicly our support of what is established in our Constitution regarding the right to life from conception to natural death, as the Church teaches us.”
In May 2017, the Senate rejected a series of recommendations by the government to decriminalize abortion in the country.
But this July, hundreds of activists turned out in Santo Domingo for a march to support the legalization of abortion in cases of rape, incest, or fatal fetal deformity, Hoy Digital reported.
And Rubén Maldonado, president of the Chamber of Deputies and a member of the Dominican Liberation Pary, has introduced a bill decriminalizing abortion.
Fr. Catalino Tejada Ramírez told El Caribe July 30 that decriminalization of abortion would lead the Dominican Republic toward a culture of dehumanization.
“We would be disrespecting the right to life of the most defenseless and vulnerable. We would be once again mocking our Constitution and we would become a nation invaded by the colonization of the culture of death and we could no longer speak of God, country and freedom as our founding fathers dreamed of.”
If abortion is approved, “we’re destroying the person, we’re taking destructive models they’ve taken in other countries and the sole result we will have is the destruction of the family, and with it, the destruction of society,” Fr. Ramirez stated.
This article was originally published by our sister agency, ACI Prensa. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Dublin, Ireland, Aug 25, 2018 / 05:19 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In Ireland on Saturday, Pope Francis said the anger of Catholics at bishops’ failure in response to the sexual abuse crisis is appropriate and that he shares those feelings.
“With regard to the most vulnerable, I cannot fail to acknowledge the grave scandal caused in Ireland by the abuse of young people by members of the Church charged with responsibility for their protection and education,” he said to Irish authorities Aug. 25.
“The failure of ecclesiastical authorities – bishops, religious superiors, priests and others – adequately to address these repugnant crimes has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community.” He added: “I myself share those sentiments.”
In his first official speech of the apostolic voyage to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families, the pope said he hopes the “failings of many” will underscore the importance of protecting children and vulnerable adults by all of society.
He referenced the words of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who in a letter to the Catholics of Ireland recognized the gravity of the situation of child sex abuse and demanded “truly evangelical, just and effective” measures in response to the betrayal of trust.
Speaking off-the-cuff, the pope added that Benedict’s involvement continues to push Church leaders to “remedy past mistakes and adopt stringent rules to ensure that they do not happen again.”
Francis said his recent letter to the Church affirmed a greater commitment “to eliminate this scourge in the Church; at any cost – moral and suffering.”
He said he is “very conscious” of the circumstances of the most vulnerable and emphasized the goodness of the child, which he said is “a precious gift of God, to be cherished, encouraged to develop his or her gifts, and guided to spiritual maturity and human flourishing.”
“All of us are aware of how urgent it is to provide our young people with wise guidance and sound values on their journey to maturity,” he stated.
In his speech, the pope also spoke out in defense of the “right to life” of the unborn, criticizing the materialistic “throwaway culture” which makes people indifferent to the poor and to the most defenseless.
He also pointed out that the “Christian message” has been a vital part of Ireland, shaping the thought and culture of the people. It is his prayer, he said, that as the country listens to the contemporary political and social discussion, it will not forget its Christian heritage.
Speaking about his reason for being in Dublin, the World Meeting of Families, he called it “a prophetic witness” to the rich heritage of ethical and spiritual values, which it is a duty to cherish and protect and that the Church wants to support people as they try to respond, “faithfully and joyfully to their God given vocation in society.”
There are many difficulties faced by families today – nevertheless, they are “are the glue of society,” he said, and should not be taken for granted.
The World Meeting of Families, he explained, “is not only an opportunity for families to reaffirm their commitment to loving fidelity, mutual assistance and reverence for God’s gift of life in all its forms, but also to testify to the unique role played by the family in the education of its members and the development of a sound and flourishing social fabric.”
Calling the entire world a type of family, he said bonds of common humanity should drive us to take care of the weakest among us, even though we are often left feeling powerless in the face of “persistent evils,” such as racism, ethnic hatred, violence, and contempt for human dignity.
Among these is also the refugee crisis, he said, calling it “perhaps the most disturbing” challenge to consciences. “How much we need to recover, in every instance of political and social life, the sense of being a true family of peoples!” he urged.
Washington D.C., Aug 24, 2018 / 07:00 pm (CNA).- The Senate on Thursday rejected a measure that would have blocked federal government funding to Planned Parenthood. The amendment, proposed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), was defeated 45-48, needing 60 votes … […]
by JD Flynn […]
Dhaka, Bangladesh, Aug 24, 2018 / 03:47 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- One year after the Burmese government launched a brutal campaign of violence against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, human rights activists are calling for increased international efforts to alleviate the suffering of refugees.
“It has be[en] one year since the men, women and children were traumatized and essentially wiped out of their native lands,” said the Faith Coalition to Stop Genocide in Burma.
“Nearly a million indigenous Burmese are now living in refugee camps in Bangladesh today… the time for talking is over, and the time to act is now,” the coalition said in an Aug. 24 statement. It urged the U.S. government to issue an official genocide declaration and impose sanctions on the Burmese government.
The Rohingya are a Muslim minority in Burma (Myanmar). The Burmese government refuses to use the term Rohingya, and considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They have been denied citizenship and numerous other rights since a controversial law was enacted in 1982.
On Aug. 24 last year, a small group of Rohingya militants attacked several Burmese police posts, leaving a dozen security officers dead. The next day, the Burmese military launched renewed attacks against the Rohingya, burning villages and killing civilians in a military campaign later declared by the United Nations as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
More than half a million Rohingya fled across the border to Bangladesh, where they remain in overcrowded refugee camps.
Catholic Relief Services has warned that the refugee settlements “have grown rapidly and spontaneously, leading to extremely congested shelters vulnerable to flooding, landslides and other hazards. The risks are especially high with the arrival of cyclone season.”
According to the BBC, nearly 100,000 people in the refugee camps have been treated for malnutrition.
In the last year, it is estimated that more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Burma, taking shelter in Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, where they joined some 200,000 Rohingya refugees who had previously been displaced from their homeland.
While the Burmese government has recently claimed that the Rohingya are peacefully returning to their homes, U.S. journalists visiting the area argued that this was not the case.
Catholic Relief Services is working with Caritas Bangladesh to help provide refugees with supplies including blankets, hygiene products and clean water, as well as to train the community to help avoid trafficking and violence.
In the coming months, CRS and Caritas are focusing on the creation of more durable shelters and safe environments for women and children.
Andrej Mahecic, spokesman for the United Nation’s refugee agency, stressed that one year after the mass exodus of Rohingya from Burma, it is clear that international cooperation is necessary to achieve a solution.
“The collective international responsibility for protecting and finding solutions for these refugees must remain a priority for all countries in the region and beyond,” he said at a press briefing Aug. 24.
“Kutupalong settlement in Cox’s Bazar shelters today more than 600,000 refugees, making it the largest and most densely populated refugee settlement in the world,” he said. “This brings daily challenges of delivering shelter, water and sanitation and access to basic services, as well as protection considerations such as the safety of women and girls.”
In a 2017 trip to Bangladesh, Pope Francis met with a group of Rohingya and offered them his prayers and condolences for what they had endured.
“In the name of all who have persecuted you and persecute you, that have done you harm, above all, the world’s indifference, I ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness,” the Pope said in a Dec. 1, 2017 meeting with Rohingya.
Although there’s “little we can do because your tragedy is very hard and great,” he told them “we give you space in the heart.”
He explained that according to the Judeo-Christian tradition, God created man in his image and likeness.
“All of us are in this image, also these brothers and sisters, they too are in the image of God,” he said.
Philadelphia, Pa., Aug 24, 2018 / 03:10 pm (CNA).- As part of a fundraiser to support elderly religious, Philadelphia sisters are challenging area Catholics to a battle of wits.
CBS 3 Philly reported that a team of religious sisters will host a trivia… […]
It has become a synonym for “institution-harming controversy” or “bad public relations,” which are to be avoided at all costs. […]
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