Photo illustration of Nigerian military uniform. / Shutterstock
CNA Newsroom, Aug 21, 2022 / 13:50 pm (CNA).
The Sisters of Jesus the Saviour announced that four of their Sisters were kidnapped in Nigeria’s Imo state on Sunday.
“It is with great pain that we bring to your notice the kidnaping of our Sisters: Johannes Nwodo, Christabel Echemazu, Liberata Mbamalu and Benita Agu,” said an Aug. 21 announcement from the community’s secretary general, Sister Zita Ihedoro.
The abduction took place near the Okigwe-Umulolo axis of the Okigwe-Enugu Expressway while the religious were on their way to a Mass.
“We implore for an intense prayer for their quick and safe release. May Jesus the Saviour listen to our prayers and may Our Mother Mary intercede for the unconditional release of our dear Sisters,” Sister Zita wrote.
Kidnappings of Christians in Nigeria have multiplied in recent years, a situation that has prompted Church leaders to express serious concern about the security of their members and to call on the government to prioritize the security of its citizens.
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ACI Prensa Staff, May 10, 2023 / 16:35 pm An investigation by the Spanish newspaper El Pais has revealed that the Spanish Jesuit priest Alfonso Pedrajas Moreno, who died in 2009, sexually abused as many […]
Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the longtime personal secretary of Benedict XVI, greets Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, on Jan. 2, 2023, at St. Peter’s Basilica, where Benedict is lying in state. / Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Jan 2, 2023 / 06:30 am (CNA).
Just two official state delegations — from Italy and Germany — will attend the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the Vatican’s press office has confirmed, answering one of the many novel protocol questions posed by the death of a pope emeritus.
The German-born Benedict, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, lived in Italy for more than 40 years, beginning in 1981. The Holy See Press Office confirmed on Dec. 31 that the two countries were sending official representatives to the funeral, which will be on Thursday.
Both Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Geogia Meloni paid their respects to the late pontiff Monday morning at St. Peter’s Basilica, where his body will lie in state through Jan. 4. While there, Meloni offered her condolences to Benedict’s longtime personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella (first row, second from right) and his daughter Laura Mattarella, Italy’s First Lady, pay their respects to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, whose body lies in state in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, on Jan. 2, 2023. Vatican Media
According to the news magazine Der Spiegel, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will attend Benedict’s funeral on Thursday in an official capacity.
The protocols after the death of a reigning pope have in the past provided a well-known set of rituals, but the death of a pope emeritus presents a unique situation. Speculation about whether he would be buried in papal dress or that of a cardinal has been accompanied by other questions surrounding who will attend the funeral in an official capacity since Benedict XVI is no longer a head of state.
The answer appears to be a mixture of papal rites. Buried in the papal red, his body was adorned with many features reserved for a pope, but not all: the characteristic red shoes worn by Benedict as pope were replaced by black ones. In the case of official delegations, just two were invited, though any public figure can attend the event in a personal capacity.
According to official numbers reported by CNA in 2005, 159 delegations attended the funeral of John Paul II, the last reigning pontiff to die. Additionally, 157 cardinals, 700 archbishops, and more than 6,000 journalists, photographers, and other media personnel were in attendance.
The funeral of a reigning pope is attended by a large number of cardinals, who have to come to Rome to attend the conclave, the election of a new pope. The number of cardinals who will attend Benedict’s funeral has not yet been confirmed, given that no conclave will occur.
The funeral of Benedict XVI will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5. You can view it live on EWTN here.
A scene from “Digital Disciple: Carlo Acutis and the Eucharist” written by Philip Kosloski, the founder of Voyage Comics & Publishing. / Courtesy of Voyage Comics & Publishing
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 27, 2022 / 09:00 am (CNA).
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