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‘No opposition between sinicization and inculturation’ Parolin tells China media

May 13, 2019 CNA Daily News 5

Vatican City, May 13, 2019 / 09:30 am (CNA).- In an interview with a Chinese state-run publication, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin welcomed the opportunity for China and the Holy See to work together to “build a more secure and prosperous world.”

“The prospect opens up that two ancient, great and sophisticated international entities – like China and the Apostolic See – may become ever more aware of a common responsibility for the grave problems of our time,” Parolin said in an interview with the Global Times published May 12.

The Global Times is an English-language newspaper owned by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The cardinal told the state-owned paper that “inculturation,” a Catholic missionary practice, and “sinicization,” a Chinese government campaign, can be “complementary” and “can open avenues for dialogue.”

“Inculturation is an essential condition for a sound proclamation of the Gospel which, in order to bear fruit, requires, on the one hand, safeguarding its authentic purity and integrity and, on the other, presenting it according to the particular experience of each people and culture,” he said.

“These two terms, ‘inculturation’ and ‘sinicization,’ refer to each other without confusion and without opposition.”

Parolin pointed to the example of 16th century Jesuit missionary, Matteo Ricci, as an outstanding witness of fruitful inculturation in China.

“For the future, it will certainly be important to deepen this theme, especially the relationship between ‘inculturation’ and ‘sinicization,’ keeping in mind how the Chinese leadership has been able to reiterate their willingness not to undermine the nature and the doctrine of each religion,” Parolin said.

Since coming to power in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has mandated the “sinicization” of all religions in China, a move which the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom called  “a far-reaching strategy to control, govern, and manipulate all aspects of faith into a socialist mold infused with ‘Chinese characteristics.’’

The Chinese government is in the midst of implementing a five-year “sinicization plan” for Islam, a religion that has faced increased persecution in the country with at least 800,000 Uyghur Muslims held in internment camps.

In April 2019, the commission recommended that China continue to be designated as a Country of Particular Concern. This designation is reserved for nations in which the government “engages in or tolerates particularly severe religious freedom violations, meaning those that are systematic, ongoing, and egregious.”

Parolin said that there is “an increased trust between the two sides” since China and the Holy See signed a provisional agreement in September 2018 on the nomination of bishops, saying the accord provides “hope that we can gradually arrive at concrete results.”

“There is confidence that a new phase of greater cooperation can now be opened for the good of the Chinese Catholic community and the harmony of the whole society,” he said.

Parolin also said that it should not come as a surprise that there is criticism of the deal between the Holy See and the Chinese government, as this is what “generally happens in complex issues and when one faces problems of great importance.”

The agreement has been roundly criticized by human rights groups and some Church leaders, including Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong.

Since the agreement was reached, there have been numerous instances of Catholic churches and shrines being demolished by government agents.

More recently, in the capital of Guangdong province, the Guangzhou Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs offered a reward of 10,000 Chinese yuan (almost $1,500) for information on the activities of religious groups which could lead to the arrest of key leaders.

In March, U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said that “since this provisional deal [between the Vatican and China] was announced last year, the Chinese government’s abuse of members of Catholic communities has continued. We see no signs that will change in the near future.”

Parolin reiterated that dialogue is close to the heart of Pope Francis, who is particularly interested in dialogue on the pastoral level.

“The Holy Father asks Catholics in particular to undertake with courage the path of unity, reconciliation and a renewed proclamation of the Gospel. He sees China not only as a great country but also as a great culture, rich in history and wisdom,” he said.

The Vatican Secretary of State pointed to the fight against poverty, environmental and climatic emergencies, migration, and ethical scientific development as global issues in which China and the Vatican can work together in a spirit of positive cooperation with “the dignity of the human person be placed at the center.”

“The Holy See hopes that China will not be afraid to enter into dialogue with the wider world and that the world’s nations will give credit to the profound aspirations of the Chinese people. In this way, with everyone working together, I am sure that we will be able to overcome mistrust and build a more secure and prosperous world,” Parolin said.

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Gunmen kill six during Mass in Burkina Faso

May 12, 2019 CNA Daily News 0

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, May 12, 2019 / 10:36 am (CNA).- A group of gunmen burned down a Catholic Church during Sunday Mass and killed at least six people, including a priest, in the west African nation of Burkina Faso this morning. 

The attack… […]

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Pope permits pilgrimages to Medjugorje as apparitions continue to be studied

May 12, 2019 CNA Daily News 6

Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 12, 2019 / 07:46 am (CNA).- Pope Francis has given the green light for Catholics to organize pilgrimages to Medjugorje, a site of alleged Marian apparitions, though the Church has not yet given a verdict on the apparitions’ authenticity.

The pope’s authorization of pilgrimages to the site is not to be understood as an “authentication” of the alleged apparitions, “which still require an examination by the Church,” papal spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said in a statement May 12.

He added that anyone leading pilgrimages to the site should avoid creating “confusion or ambiguity under the doctrinal aspect,” including priests who intend to celebrate Mass there.

The provision was made as an acknowledgment of the “abundant fruits of grace” that have come from Medjugorje and to promote those “good fruits.” It is also part of the “particular pastoral attention” of Pope Francis to the place, Gisotti said.

The announcement of the papal authorization was made May 12 by the Vatican’s apostolic visitor to the site, Archbishop Henryk Hoser, and Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, apostolic nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hoser, retired archbishop of Warsaw-Prague, was appointed apostolic visitor to Medjugorje by Pope Francis in May 2018. His directive, which is of an undetermined length, is to oversee the pastoral needs at the site of the alleged Marian apparitions.

Hoser’s appointment as apostolic visitor followed his service as papal envoy to the site in 2017.

In January 2014, a Vatican commission concluded a nearly four-year-long investigation on the doctrinal and disciplinary aspects of the Medjugorje apparitions, and submitted a document to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

When the congregation has analyzed the commission’s findings, it will finalize a document on the site, which will be submitted to the pope, who will make a final decision.

The alleged apparitions began June 24, 1981, when six children in Medjugorje, a town in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina, began to experience phenomena which they have claimed to be apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

According to these six “seers,” the apparitions contained a message of peace for the world, a call to conversion, prayer and fasting, as well as certain secrets surrounding events to be fulfilled in the future.

These apparitions are said to have continued almost daily since their first occurrence, with three of the original six children – who are now young adults – continuing to receive apparitions every afternoon because not all the “secrets” intended for them have been revealed.

Since their beginning, the alleged apparitions have been a source of both controversy and conversion, with many flocking to the city for pilgrimage and prayer, and some claiming to have experienced miracles at the site, while many others claim the visions are non-credible.

Pope Francis visited Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2015 but declined to stop in Medjugorje during his trip. During his return flight to Rome, he indicated that the process of investigation in the apparitions was nearly complete.

On the return flight from a visit to the Marian shrine of Fatima in May 2017, the pope spoke about the final document of the Medjugorje commission, sometimes referred to as the “Ruini report,” after the head of the commission, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, calling it “very, very good,” and noting a distinction between the first Marian apparitions at Medjugorje and the later ones.

“The first apparitions, which were to children, the report more or less says that these need to continue being studied,” he said, but as for “presumed current apparitions, the report has its doubts,” the pope said.

On multiple occasions, the pope has said he is suspicious of the ongoing apparitions, “I prefer the Madonna as Mother, our Mother, and not a woman who’s the head of an office, who every day sends a message at a certain hour. This is not the Mother of Jesus.”

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Confused about life? Listen to the Good Shepherd, Pope Francis advises

May 12, 2019 CNA Daily News 2

Vatican City, May 12, 2019 / 07:05 am (CNA).- On Sunday, Pope Francis advised listening to and speaking with Christ the Good Shepherd in prayer, so that one can be guided on the right paths of life.

“Listening to and recognizing [Jesus’] voice implies intimacy with him, which is consolidated in prayer, in the meeting heart to heart with the divine Master and Shepherd of our souls,” he said May 12.

“This intimacy with Jesus, this being open, talking with Jesus, strengthens in us the desire to follow him,” the pope continued, “to come out of the labyrinth of wrong paths, to abandon selfish behaviors, to set out on the new paths of fraternity and the gift of ourselves, in imitation of Him.”

Speaking before the Regina Coeli on “Good Shepherd Sunday,” Pope Francis reminded people that Jesus is the only Shepherd who speaks to us, knows us, gives us eternal life and keeps us.”

“We are his flock and we must only strive to listen to his voice, while with love he scrutinizes the sincerity of our hearts,” he said. “And from this continuous intimacy with our Shepherd comes the joy of following him, allowing us to lead to the fullness of eternal life.”

Jesus the Good Shepherd welcomes and loves, not only one’s strengths, but one’s faults, he said.

“The Good Shepherd — Jesus — is attentive to each of us, seeks us and loves us, addressing his word to us, knowing our heart, our desires and our hopes, as well as our failures and disappointments.”

He asked for the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession, especially for priests and consecrated, who, he said, are called “to welcome Christ’s invitation to be his most direct collaborators in the proclamation of the Gospel.”

After the Regina Coeli, Francis noted the celebration, in many countries, of Mother’s Day. He sent his warm greetings to all mothers and thanked them for “their precious work in raising their children and protecting the value of the family.”

The pope also recalled all the mothers who “look at us from heaven and continue to watch over us with prayer.”

Recalling the May 13 feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, “our heavenly mother,” he said “we entrust ourselves to her to continue our journey with joy and generosity.”

He also prayed for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Earlier in the day, Pope Francis ordained 19 new priests in St. Peter’s Basilica. The men had been studying for the priesthood in Rome and are mostly Italian, with others coming from Croatia, Haiti, Japan, and Peru.

Eight are from the Priestly Society of the Sons of the Cross, one from the Family of Disciples. Eight were ordained for the Neocatechumenal Way.

Pope Francis gave the homily prescribed in the Ritual for the Ordination of Priests, to which he added a few of his own thoughts.

He recommended the new priests regularly read and meditate on the Scriptures, and advised they always prepare to give a homily with time in prayer and with “the Bible in hand.”

“Let your teaching be therefore nourishment to the People of God: when it comes from the heart and is born of prayer, it will be so fruitful,” he said.

He also told the new priests to be careful in their celebration of the Mass, asking them not to “mess it up with petty interests.”

“Aware of having been chosen among men and constituted in their favor to await the things of God, exercise in joy and charity, with sincerity, the priestly work of Christ, solely intent on pleasing God and not yourselves,” the pope said. “Priestly joy is found only on this path, seeking to please God who has elected us.”

The priest, he added, should be “close to God in prayer, close to the bishop who is your father, close to the presbytery, to other priests, as brothers… and close to the People of God.”

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Who are the new priests of 2019?

May 12, 2019 CNA Daily News 3

Denver, Colo., May 12, 2019 / 04:00 am (CNA).- This year, 481 men in the United States will kneel in cathedral churches and be ordained as Catholic priests for Jesus Christ.

The average man entering the priesthood this year looks something like this: … […]

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Cupich denounces pastor’s decision to host Nation of Islam leader

May 11, 2019 CNA Daily News 9

Chicago, Ill., May 11, 2019 / 02:20 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago is distancing himself from the decision of a pastor who invited controversial preacher Louis Farrakhan to speak at his parish, saying that he was not consulted before Farrakhan’s talk.

“Antisemitic rhetoric — discriminatory invective of any kind — has no place in American public life, let alone in a Catholic church,” Cupich said in a May 10 statement.

Farrakhan, 86, is the founder of the Chicago-based group Nation of Islam and has a history of anti-Semitic preaching.

“I’m here to separate the good Jews from the satanic Jews,” Farrakhan said at one point during the talk.

“I have not said one word of hate. I do not hate Jewish people. Not one that is with me has ever committed a crime against the Jewish people, black people, white people. As long as you don’t attack us, we won’t bother you.”

Fr. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Church, invited Farrakhan in response to Facebook’s decision May 2 to ban him from its platforms, due to Farrakhan’s violations of the site’s policies regarding “hate speech.” St. Sabina is a predominantly African American parish in Chicago’s South Side.

The Archdiocese had released a statement May 9 reiterating that the event was not sponsored by the archdiocese.

“Minister Farrakhan could have taken the opportunity to deliver a unifying message of God’s love for all his children. Instead, he repeatedly smeared the Jewish people, using a combination of thinly veiled discriminatory rhetoric and outright slander,” Cupich said.

“He referred to Jewish people as ‘satanic,’ asserting that he was sent by God to separate the ‘good Jews’ from the ‘satanic Jews,’” Cupich noted.

”Such statements shock the conscience. People of faith are called to live as signs of God’s love for the whole human family, not to demonize any of its members…I apologize to my Jewish brothers and sisters, whose friendship I treasure, from whom I learn so much, and whose covenant with God remains eternal.”

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center has reportedly extended an invitation to Pfleger to meet with their leadership and dialogue with survivors. Cupich encouraged the priest to accept the invitation.

This is reportedly not the first time Plfeger has hosted Farrakhan to speak at his parish, and also not the first time the archdiocese has had to walk back controversial comments by the priest. In 2008, the late Cardinal Francis George had to publicly respond to comments Pfleger made deriding Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton and advocating the candidacy of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

In addition, George suspended Pfleger from his ministry at St. Sabina in 2011 and barred him from celebrating the sacraments because of public statements Pfleger had made, the Chicago Sun Times reports. Pfleger reportedly threatened to leave the priesthood unless George relented.

“He said there were good Jews and there are bad Jews, true. There are good Catholics and bad Catholics,” Pfleger told ABC7 news regarding Farrakhan’s talk.

“I’m doing what I believe the Gospel calls me to do and continue to try and bring people together and try to speak truth.”

Pfleger said he has known Farrakhan for 30 years and embraced him after the talk. Pfleger has said that Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam are respected locally for their anti-violence and anti-drug campaigns, CNN reports.

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