Vatican City, Jan 25, 2018 / 12:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Kevin Farrell is in charge of the World Meeting of Families being held in August, and he has said he hopes the event will revitalize family life, both in Ireland and around the world.
Th… […]
Vatican City, Jan 25, 2018 / 10:51 am (CNA/EWTN News).- At an ecumenical Vespers service Thursday, Pope Francis told members of several Christian communities that the grace of Baptism creates a unity in the family of God.
Even when differences separat… […]
Vatican City, Jan 24, 2018 / 10:12 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Speaking to members of the Yazidi community, a religious minority which has been persecuted by the Islamic State, Pope Francis said Wednesday that everyone has a fundamental right to freedom of religion, and no person or group has the power to deny it.
“It is unacceptable that human beings be persecuted and killed because of their religious affiliation! Every person has the right to freely profess his religious beliefs without constraints,” the Pope said Jan. 24 in a room adjoining the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall to representatives of the Yazidi community who have taken refuge in Germany.
“I raise my voice in favor of Yazidi rights, above all the right to exist as a religious community: no one can bestow on themselves the power to cancel a religious group because it is not part of those called ‘tolerated.’”
Yazidis are a religious minority largely from the Nineveh Plains in Iraq. Communities can also be found in Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria, though many have fled to Europe, and particularly Germany, in response to religious persecution.
In March 2016, they were part of a group, which included Christians and Shia Muslims, declared to be victims of Islamic State genocide by the United States government. It marked the first time the U.S. had declared a genocide is taking place since 2004 in Darfur.
During the meeting, Francis voiced his support and prayers for the innocent victims of such “senseless and inhuman barbarism.”
He also expressed his concern for members of the Yazidi community who may still be in the hands of terrorists, stating his hope “that everything possible will be done to save them; as well as to trace the missing and to give identity and worthy burial to those killed.”
Even those who have been lucky enough to escape have still had to leave behind everything they had, he noted, deploring the “unspeakable violations” which have been committed against their fundamental human rights, such as abductions, slavery, torture, forced conversions, and killings.
“The international community cannot remain a silent and inert spectator in the face of your drama,” he said, adding an appeal to institutions and people of other communities to help them rebuild their homes and places of worship.
Even today, persecution against minorities, which includes Christians, continues, he pointed out, and said that the Holy See never tires “of intervening to denounce these situations, demanding recognition, protection and respect.”
“May God help us to build together a world where we can live in peace and brotherhood,” he concluded.
Vatican City, Jan 24, 2018 / 04:26 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his message for the World Day of Social Communications, published Wednesday, Pope Francis said that in a world of lightning-fast communication, there is a responsibility to combat falsehood and… […]
Vatican City, Jan 24, 2018 / 03:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- At the end of the general audience Wednesday, Pope Francis spoke out against violence, particularly its escalation amid political protests taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Unfortunately, troubling news continues to come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Therefore, I renew my call for everyone to commit to avoiding all forms of violence,” he said Jan. 24.
“On her part, the Church wants nothing other than to contribute to the peace and to the common good of society.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently experiencing deadly political tensions as protesters, banned by the Congolese government, demand that President Joseph Kabila step down.
Dozens of people have died in political protests, and militia violence has increased, prompting fears of a return to civil war.
Under Kabila, who has held office since 2001, Congolese bishops have spoken out against the government’s human rights violations and the president’s plan to remove term limits that bar him from re-election.
The bishops also helped mediate an agreement between the country’s ruling political coalition and opposition leaders, culminating in a Dec. 31, 2016 agreement.
The agreement allowed Kabila to remain in office beyond his mandate but he must step down after an election to be held this year. However, the country’s electoral commission then said an election could not be organized until December 2018. The president’s opponents fear Kabila aims to remain in power, while the president has blamed delays on a slow voter registration process.
The eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo are also suffering from armed conflict, with millions of people forced from their homes.
Francis’ appeal for peace was made at the end of the general audience in St. Peter’s Square. Following just two days after his return from a Jan. 15-22 apostolic visit to Chile and Peru, the Pope recapped the events of the trip, highlighting some important moments.
He noted that in Chile, the trip was preceded by protests, for various reasons, which he said made the motto of the visit, “My peace I give you,” even more “current and alive.”
“These are the words of Jesus addressed to the disciples, which we repeat in every Mass: the gift of peace, which only Jesus, dead and risen, can give to those who entrust themselves to Him,” he said.
In his meeting with Chilean authorities the Pope encouraged them to continue developing their democracy and to listen to the voices of the poor, young, elderly and immigrants.
In his homily for the first Mass of the trip, he emphasized the importance of the Beatitudes, especially “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
The Pope said that an important moment of the trip for him was his visit to the women’s prison in Santiago. “The faces of those women, many of them young mothers, with their little ones in their arms, expressed hope” in spite of everything, he said.
His meetings with consecrated men and women and with bishops were also “very intense,” he stated. During his visit with the bishops, he urged them to reject any compromise when it comes to the sexual abuse of minors, and to trust in God, “who through this hard proof purifies and renews his ministers.”
Two other Masses were also celebrated in Chile: one in the north in Iquique, and the other in the south, in the Araucania region, where the Mapuche Indians live.
He also met with young people and with students and faculty of the Catholic University of Chile, encouraging them to ask themselves, in the words of the Chilean saint, Alberto Hurtado: “What would Christ do in my place?”
In Peru, the motto of Francis’ visit was “United by hope.” There, he said that his meeting with indigenous communities of the Amazon in Peru was “emblematic” of the unity that can be found not in uniformity, but in all the richness of the differences inherited from history and culture.
Speaking to political and civil authorities, he strongly denounced ecological-social degradation and corruption, which he said on Wednesday, “ruins hearts.”
“And I remarked that no one is exempt from responsibility in the face of these two wounds and that the commitment to counter them concerns everyone,” he continued.
In Trujillo, Peru, the Pope held Mass, met with priests and consecrated, and participated in a Marian celebration, in which he crowned the Immaculate Virgin of the Gate of Otuzco, a popular Marian devotion in Peru, the “Mother of Mercy and Hope.”
The final day of the trip took place in Lima, “with a strong spiritual and ecclesial accent,” he said. In Lima he met with around 500 contemplative women religious, who he said are “a true ‘lung’ of faith and prayer for the Church and for the whole society.”
He also prayed before the relics of five Peruvian saints in the Cathedral of Lima and again met with bishops of the country.
“As always, the word of Jesus gives full meaning to everything,” he said. “And so too the Gospel of the last Eucharistic celebration summarized God’s message to his people in Chile and Peru: ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel’ (Mk 1:15).”
“Thus – the Lord seemed to say – you will receive the peace that I give you and you will be united in my hope,” he concluded.
Rome, Italy, Jan 23, 2018 / 03:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A documentary on the ministry of Father Gabriele Amorth, popularly known as the “Vatican exorcist,” will be released this spring. The film was directed by William Friedkin, director of … […]
Vatican City, Jan 23, 2018 / 05:06 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Tuesday the Vatican announced that Bishop Myron Joseph Cotta, who grew up on a dairy farm and has until now served as Auxiliary bishop of Sacramento, has been tapped to take the reins in the Diocese of Stockton.
In a Jan. 23 communique, the Vatican announced that Cotta will be taking over for Bishop Stephen Blaire, who has passed the age of 75, the when bishops are traditionally required to retire.
Born March 21, 1953, in Dos Palos, Cali., Cotto grew up on a dairy farm in Merced County and attended public school, graduating from Dos Palos High, according to a biography on the Sacramento diocese’s website.
After graduation, Cotta obtained an associate’s degree from West Hills Junior College in 1973. He entered St. John’s College Seminary in Camarillo in 1980 to finish his undergraduate studies. From there, he entered major seminary where he finished his theological education and received a Master’s degree in Divinity.
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fresno in 1987. After his ordination, Cotta carried out several pastoral assignments, including St. Anthony parish in Atwater; the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Laton; and the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine.
In July 1999 he was named Vicar General for the diocese of Fresno, and since that time has also served in various capacities, such as Moderator of the Curia, Vicar for Clergy, Director of Continuing Education of the Clergy, supervisor of the Safe Environment Program and director of the office for the Propagation of the Faith.
Cotta was named “Chaplain to His Holiness” in 2002, and “Prelate of Honor” in 2009, receiving the title “Monsignor.”
He then served as diocesan administrator for Fresno from 2010-2012 after the passing of the late Bishop John Steinbock. In 2014 Cotta was named Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento. He was ordained March 25, 2014.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cotta also serves as part of the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs. In addition to English, he also knows Spanish and Portuguese.
Denver, Colo., Jan 22, 2018 / 04:37 pm (CNA).- It is no secret that the pontificate of Pope Francis has been a challenge for Church leaders to navigate, and the bishops of the United States are no exception. A man often called the Pope of surpris… […]
Aboard the papal plane, Jan 22, 2018 / 10:16 am (CNA).- Addressing concerns Monday about the pastoral implications of his witnessing a marriage aboard a plane while in flight, the Pope said that he judged the couple to be prepared for the sacrament, and didn’t wish them to delay the regularization of their situation any longer.
“All of the conditions were clear, and why not do it today and not delay it for tomorrow? Tomorrow would possibly have been eight or 10 years from now,” Pope Francis said Jan. 22 while en route from Lima to Rome.
Aura Miguel of Radio Renascenca had asked him about his Jan. 18 witnessing of the marriage of two flight attendents, Paula Podest and Carlos Ciuffardi, while en route from Santiago to Iquique, Chile.
The Pope’s decision had raised questions among commentators and various priests concerning the liceity and even the validity of the marriage. Miguel asked, “From now on, what would you say to the parish priests, to the bishops, whom fiances are going to ask to marry them I don’t know where – on the beach, on boats, on airplanes?”
Pope Francis noted to those on the plane that “One of you told me that I’m crazy for doing these things,” but responded that “the thing was simple:The man was on the first flight. She wasn’t there. I spoke with him; then, I realized that he had become awkward. I spoke of life: of how I thought of life, then the life of the family. It was a nice chat.”
“Then the day afterwards both of them were there, and when we took a photograph, they told me this: ‘we were going to get married in a church, we were married civilly, but the day before’ – you could tell it was a small city – ‘the church was toppled by an earthquake and there was no wedding’. This was 10 years ago; maybe eight – the earthquake was in 2010, so it was eight years ago. And then ‘tomorrow we’ll do it’, and ‘the day after tomorrow’ – and that’s the way life goes. And then the daughter, and another daughter.”
“I interrogated them a bit,” Pope Francis explained. “And the answers were clear.” They had taken marriage preparatory classes. “They were prepared and I judged that they were prepared,” he said.
“They asked me. And sacraments are for people. All of the conditions were clear, and why not do it today and not delay it for tomorrow?”
“This is the answer,” he said. “I judged that they were prepared, that they knew what they were doing, that each of them was prepared before the Lord with the sacrament of penance … that’s how the situation went.”
“But tell the parish priests that the Pope interrogated them well,” he said. “And that they had done the pre-marriage course.”
Vatican City, Jan 22, 2018 / 08:31 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Aboard the papal plane from Lima to Rome Sunday, Pope Francis said that comments made to Chilean journalists Jan. 18 were not intended to cause pain for victims of clerical sexual abuse.
Francis said that he had meant to explain to Chileans that because he has not seen evidence that Chilean Bishop Juan Barros helped to cover up acts of sexual abuse, it would be unjust to condemn him.
The pontiff said that his use of “the word ‘proof’ was not the best in order to draw near to a suffering heart.”
He also explained that he is aware that victims may not have brought forward evidence because it is unavailable, or because they are otherwise ashamed or afraid.
“Barros’ case was studied, it was re-studied, and there is no evidence,” Francis told journalists Jan. 21. “That is what I wanted to say. I have no evidence to condemn him. And if I condemn him without evidence or without moral certainty, I would commit the crime of a bad judge.”
“If a person comes and gives me evidence,” he continued, “I am the first to listen to him. We should be just.”
Barros is accused by four victims of clerical sexual abuse of colluding to cover up the crimes of his longtime friend, Fr. Fernando Karadima. Francis has long defended Barros, who claims to be innocent. Barros has been a subject of controversy since his 2015 appointment to lead the Diocese of Osorno.
Karadima, who once led a lay movement from his parish in El Bosque, was convicted of sexually abusing minors in a 2011 Vatican trial, and at the age of 84, he was sentenced to a life of prayer and solitude.
During his Jan. 15-18 visit to Chile, Pope Francis met with abuse survivors, but when questioned about Barros by journalists on his last day in the country, he said, “the day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, I’ll speak. There is not one shred of proof against him. It’s all calumny. Is that clear?”
The Pope’s comment was met with fierce opposition, as critics said he was insensitive to abuse victims.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston and one of nine members of the Pope’s Council of Cardinals, issued a statement Jan. 20 voicing criticism of the Pope’s remarks.
“It is understandable that Pope Francis’ statements yesterday in Santiago, Chile were a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy or any other perpetrator,” O’Malley said.
“Words that convey the message ‘if you cannot prove your claims then you will not be believed’ abandon those who have suffered reprehensible criminal violations of their human dignity and relegate survivors to discredited exile,” he said.
Since he was not personally involved in the Chilean cases, O’Malley said he couldn’t speak as to why the Pope chose to use the specific words he did when responding to reporters.
“What I do know, however, is that Pope Francis fully recognizes the egregious failures of the Church and its clergy who abused children and the devastating impact those crimes have had on survivors and their loved ones.”
“Accompanying the Holy Father at numerous meetings with survivors I have witnessed his pain of knowing the depth and breadth of the wounds inflicted on those who were abused and that the process of recovery can take a lifetime,” O’Malley said, adding that Francis’ many statements insisting on a “zero-tolerance” policy for abuse in the Church “are genuine and they are his commitment.”
During the press conference, the Pope said that he had seen O’Malley’s statement and that he has appreciation for the cardinal: “I thank him for his statement because it was very just.”
“[O’Malley] said all that I did and that I do, that the Church does, and then he spoke of the sorrow of victims” in general, Francis said. “Because many victims feel that they are not able to bring [forward] a document or a testimonial.”
O’Malley is also the head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which just concluded a 3-year mandate in December. The Vatican has not issued any statements on the the commission since its expiration, causing some to speculate on the future of its existence.
However, in the most recent meetings of the Council of Cardinals, O’Malley spoke on the commission’s continued work, explaining that it is in the Pope’s hands to decide whether to reconfirm current members and whom to appoint as new members.
In the presser, Francis said that before the start of his trip, he had received a list of recommendations for new members, which he is now studying. The Pope did not say whether O’Malley would be reappointed.
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