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I    Letter from Pope Benedict to Bishops on the Motu Proprio

II   Explanatory note

III  Reaction to the Motu Proprio by the Bishops of England and Wales

 

This a non-official English-language translation of the Apostolic Letter 'Motu Proprio data' of Pope Benedict XVI, 'Summorum Pontificum,' concerning the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970. The original text is written in Latin.

'Up to our own times, it has been the constant concern of supreme pontiffs to ensure that the Church of Christ offers a worthy ritual to the Divine Majesty, 'to the praise and glory of His name,' and 'to the benefit of all His Holy Church.'

'Since time immemorial it has been necessary - as it is also for the future - to maintain the principle according to which 'each particular Church must concur with the universal Church, not only as regards the doctrine of the faith and the sacramental signs, but also as regards the usages universally accepted by uninterrupted apostolic tradition, which must be observed not only to avoid errors but also to transmit the integrity of the faith, because the Church's law of prayer corresponds to her law of faith.' (1)

'Among the pontiffs who showed that requisite concern, particularly outstanding is the name of St. Gregory the Great, who made every effort to ensure that the new peoples of Europe received both the Catholic faith and the treasures of worship and culture that had been accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries. He commanded that the form of the sacred liturgy as celebrated in Rome (concerning both the Sacrifice of Mass and the Divine Office) be conserved. He took great concern to ensure the dissemination of monks and nuns who, following the Rule of St. Benedict, together with the announcement of the Gospel illustrated with their lives the wise provision of their Rule that 'nothing should be placed before the work of God.' In this way the sacred liturgy, celebrated according to the Roman use, enriched not only the faith and piety but also the culture of many peoples. It is known, in fact, that the Latin liturgy of the Church in its various forms, in each century of the Christian era, has been a spur to the spiritual life of many saints, has reinforced many peoples in the virtue of religion and fecundated their piety.

'Many other Roman pontiffs, in the course of the centuries, showed particular solicitude in ensuring that the sacred liturgy accomplished this task more effectively. Outstanding among them is St. Pius V who, sustained by great pastoral zeal and following the exhortations of the Council of Trent, renewed the entire liturgy of the Church, oversaw the publication of liturgical books amended and 'renewed in accordance with the norms of the Fathers,' and provided them for the use of the Latin Church.

'One of the liturgical books of the Roman rite is the Roman Missal, which developed in the city of Rome and, with the passing of the centuries, little by little took forms very similar to that it has had in recent times.

''It was towards this same goal that succeeding Roman Pontiffs directed their energies during the subsequent centuries in order to ensure that the rites and liturgical books were brought up to date and when necessary clarified. From the beginning of this century they undertook a more general reform.' (2) Thus our predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII, St. Pius X (3), Benedict XV, Pius XII and Blessed John XXIII all played a part.

'In more recent times, Vatican Council II expressed a desire that the respectful reverence due to divine worship should be renewed and adapted to the needs of our time. Moved by this desire our predecessor, the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI, approved, in 1970, reformed and partly renewed liturgical books for the Latin Church. These, translated into the various languages of the world, were willingly accepted by bishops, priests and faithful. John Paul II amended the third typical edition of the Roman Missal. Thus Roman pontiffs have operated to ensure that 'this kind of liturgical edifice ... should again appear resplendent for its dignity and harmony.' (4)

'But in some regions, no small numbers of faithful adhered and continue to adhere with great love and affection to the earlier liturgical forms. These had so deeply marked their culture and their spirit that in 1984 the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, moved by a concern for the pastoral care of these faithful, with the special indult 'Quattuor abhinc anno,' issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship, granted permission to use the Roman Missal published by Blessed John XXIII in the year 1962. Later, in the year 1988, John Paul II with the Apostolic Letter given as Motu Proprio, 'Ecclesia Dei,' exhorted bishops to make generous use of this power in favor of all the faithful who so desired.

'Following the insistent prayers of these faithful, long deliberated upon by our predecessor John Paul II, and after having listened to the views of the Cardinal Fathers of the Consistory of 22 March 2006, having reflected deeply upon all aspects of the question, invoked the Holy Spirit and trusting in the help of God, with these Apostolic Letters we establish the following:

'Art 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is the ordinary expression of the 'Lex orandi' (Law of prayer) of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite. Nonetheless, the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John XXIII is to be considered as an extraordinary expression of that same 'Lex orandi,' and must be given due honour for its venerable and ancient usage. These two expressions of the Church's Lex orandi will in no any way lead to a division in the Church's 'Lex credendi' (Law of belief). They are, in fact two usages of the one Roman rite.

'It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church. The conditions for the use of this Missal as laid down by earlier documents 'Quattuor abhinc annis' and 'Ecclesia Dei,' are substituted as follows:

'Art. 2. In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may use the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962, or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum. For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the other, the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary.

'Art. 3. Communities of Institutes of consecrated life and of Societies of apostolic life, of either pontifical or diocesan right, wishing to celebrate Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962, for conventual or 'community' celebration in their oratories, may do so. If an individual community or an entire Institute or Society wishes to undertake such celebrations often, habitually or permanently, the decision must be taken by the Superiors Major, in accordance with the law and following their own specific decrees and statues.

'Art. 4. Celebrations of Mass as mentioned above in art. 2 may - observing all the norms of law - also be attended by faithful who, of their own free will, ask to be admitted.

'Art. 5. § 1 In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church.

§ 2 Celebration in accordance with the Missal of Bl. John XXIII may take place on working days; while on Sundays and feast days one such celebration may also be held.

§ 3 For faithful and priests who request it, the pastor should also allow celebrations in this extraordinary form for special circumstances such as marriages, funerals or occasional celebrations, e.g. pilgrimages.

§ 4 Priests who use the Missal of Bl. John XXIII must be qualified to do so and not juridically impeded.

§ 5 In churches that are not parish or conventual churches, it is the duty of the Rector of the church to grant the above permission.

Art. 6. In Masses celebrated in the presence of the people in accordance with the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, the readings may be given in the vernacular, using editions recognised by the Apostolic See.

'Art. 7. If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 § 1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei'.

'Art. 8. A bishop who, desirous of satisfying such requests, but who for various reasons is unable to do so, may refer the problem to the Commission 'Ecclesia Dei' to obtain counsel and assistance.

'Art. 9. § 1 The pastor, having attentively examined all aspects, may also grant permission to use the earlier ritual for the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, Penance, and the Anointing of the Sick, if the good of souls would seem to require it.

§ 2 Ordinaries are given the right to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation using the earlier Roman Pontifical, if the good of souls would seem to require it.

§ 2 Clerics ordained 'in sacris constitutis' may use the Roman Breviary promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962.

'Art. 10. The ordinary of a particular place, if he feels it appropriate, may erect a personal parish in accordance with can. 518 for celebrations following the ancient form of the Roman rite, or appoint a chaplain, while observing all the norms of law.

'Art. 11. The Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei', erected by John Paul II in 1988 (5), continues to exercise its function. Said Commission will have the form, duties and norms that the Roman Pontiff wishes to assign it.

'Art. 12. This Commission, apart from the powers it enjoys, will exercise the authority of the Holy See, supervising the observance and application of these dispositions.

'We order that everything We have established with these Apostolic Letters issued as Motu Proprio be considered as 'established and decreed', and to be observed from 14 September of this year, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, whatever there may be to the contrary.

' From Rome, at St. Peter's, 7 July 2007, third year of Our Pontificate.'

(1) General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 3rd ed., 2002, no. 397.

(2) John Paul II, Apostolic Letter 'Vicesimus quintus annus,' 4 December 1988, 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899.

(3) Ibid.

(4) St. Pius X, Apostolic Letter Motu propio data, 'Abhinc duos annos,' 23 October 1913: AAS 5 (1913), 449-450; cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter 'Vicesimus quintus annus,' no. 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899.

(5) Cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Motu proprio data 'Ecclesia Dei,' 2 July 1988, 6: AAS 80 (1988), 1498. [Vatican Information Service]

 

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Given below is the text of the English-language version of Benedict XVI's Letter to all the bishops of the world concerning his Motu Proprio 'Summorum Pontificum'.

'With great trust and hope, I am consigning to you as pastors the text of a new Apostolic Letter 'Motu Proprio data' on the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970. The document is the fruit of much reflection, numerous consultations and prayer.

'News reports and judgments made without sufficient information have created no little confusion. There have been very divergent reactions ranging from joyful acceptance to harsh opposition, about a plan whose contents were in reality unknown.

'This document was most directly opposed on account of two fears, which I would like to address somewhat more closely in this letter.

'In the first place, there is the fear that the document detracts from the authority of the Second Vatican Council, one of whose essential decisions - the liturgical reform - is being called into question.

'This fear is unfounded. In this regard, it must first be said that the Missal published by Paul VI and then republished in two subsequent editions by John Paul II, obviously is and continues to be the normal form - the 'Forma ordinaria' - of the Eucharistic liturgy. The last version of the 'Missale Romanum' prior to the Council, which was published with the authority of Pope John XXIII in 1962 and used during the Council, will now be able to be used as a 'Forma extraordinaria' of the liturgical celebration. It is not appropriate to speak of these two versions of the Roman Missal as if they were 'two rites.' Rather, it is a matter of a twofold use of one and the same rite.

'As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a 'Forma extraordinaria' of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted. At the time of the introduction of the new Missal, it did not seem necessary to issue specific norms for the possible use of the earlier Missal. Probably it was thought that it would be a matter of a few individual cases which would be resolved, case by case, on the local level. Afterwards, however, it soon became apparent that a good number of people remained strongly attached to this usage of the Roman Rite, which had been familiar to them from childhood. This was especially the case in countries where the liturgical movement had provided many people with a notable liturgical formation and a deep, personal familiarity with the earlier Form of the liturgical celebration. We all know that, in the movement led by Archbishop Lefebvre, fidelity to the old Missal became an external mark of identity; the reasons for the break which arose over this, however, were at a deeper level. Many people who clearly accepted the binding character of the Second Vatican Council, and were faithful to the Pope and the bishops, nonetheless also desired to recover the form of the sacred liturgy that was dear to them. This occurred above all because in many places celebrations were not faithful to the prescriptions of the new Missal, but the latter actually was understood as authorizing or even requiring creativity, which frequently led to deformations of the liturgy which were hard to bear. I am speaking from experience, since I too lived through that period with all its hopes and its confusion. And I have seen how arbitrary deformations of the liturgy caused deep pain to individuals totally rooted in the faith of the Church.

'Pope John Paul II thus felt obliged to provide, in his Motu Proprio 'Ecclesia Dei' (July 2, 1988), guidelines for the use of the 1962 Missal; that document, however, did not contain detailed prescriptions but appealed in a general way to the generous response of bishops towards the 'legitimate aspirations' of those members of the faithful who requested this usage of the Roman Rite. At the time, the Pope primarily wanted to assist the Society of St. Pius X to recover full unity with the Successor of Peter, and sought to heal a wound experienced ever more painfully. Unfortunately this reconciliation has not yet come about. Nonetheless, a number of communities have gratefully made use of the possibilities provided by the Motu Proprio. On the other hand, difficulties remain concerning the use of the 1962 Missal outside of these groups, because of the lack of precise juridical norms, particularly because bishops, in such cases, frequently feared that the authority of the Council would be called into question. Immediately after the Second Vatican Council it was presumed that requests for the use of the 1962 Missal would be limited to the older generation which had grown up with it, but in the meantime it has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them. Thus the need has arisen for a clearer juridical regulation which had not been foreseen at the time of the 1988 Motu Proprio. The present norms are also meant to free bishops from constantly having to evaluate anew how they are to respond to various situations.

'In the second place, the fear was expressed in discussions about the awaited Motu Proprio, that the possibility of a wider use of the 1962 Missal would lead to disarray or even divisions within parish communities. This fear also strikes me as quite unfounded. The use of the old Missal presupposes a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language; neither of these is found very often. Already from these concrete presuppositions, it is clearly seen that the new Missal will certainly remain the ordinary form of the Roman Rite, not only on account of the juridical norms, but also because of the actual situation of the communities of the faithful.

'It is true that there have been exaggerations and at times social aspects unduly linked to the attitude of the faithful attached to the ancient Latin liturgical tradition. Your charity and pastoral prudence will be an incentive and guide for improving these. For that matter, the two Forms of the usage of the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching: new Saints and some of the new Prefaces can and should be inserted in the old Missal. The 'Ecclesia Dei' Commission, in contact with various bodies devoted to the 'usus antiquior,' will study the practical possibilities in this regard. The celebration of the Mass according to the Missal of Paul VI will be able to demonstrate, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the former usage. The most sure guarantee that the Missal of Paul VI can unite parish communities and be loved by them consists in its being celebrated with great reverence in harmony with the liturgical directives. This will bring out the spiritual richness and the theological depth of this Missal.

'I now come to the positive reason which motivated my decision to issue this Motu Proprio updating that of 1988. It is a matter of coming to an interior reconciliation in the heart of the Church. Looking back over the past, to the divisions which in the course of the centuries have rent the Body of Christ, one continually has the impression that, at critical moments when divisions were coming about, not enough was done by the Church's leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity. One has the impression that omissions on the part of the Church have had their share of blame for the fact that these divisions were able to harden. This glance at the past imposes an obligation on us today: to make every effort to unable for all those who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew. I think of a sentence in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, where Paul writes: 'Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return ... widen your hearts also!' (2 Cor 6:11-13). Paul was certainly speaking in another context, but his exhortation can and must touch us too, precisely on this subject. Let us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that the faith itself allows.

'There is no contradiction between the two editions of the Roman Missal. In the history of the liturgy there is growth and progress, but no rupture. What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church's faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place. Needless to say, in order to experience full communion, the priests of the communities adhering to the former usage cannot, as a matter of principle, exclude celebrating according to the new books. The total exclusion of the new rite would not in fact be consistent with the recognition of its value and holiness.

'In conclusion, dear brothers, I very much wish to stress that these new norms do not in any way lessen your own authority and responsibility, either for the liturgy or for the pastoral care of your faithful. Each bishop, in fact, is the moderator of the liturgy in his own diocese.

'Nothing is taken away, then, from the authority of the bishop, whose role remains that of being watchful that all is done in peace and serenity. Should some problem arise which the parish priest cannot resolve, the local ordinary will always be able to intervene, in full harmony, however, with all that has been laid down by the new norms of the Motu Proprio.

'Furthermore, I invite you, dear brothers, to send to the Holy See an account of your experiences, three years after this Motu Proprio has taken effect. If truly serious difficulties come to light, ways to remedy them can be sought.

'Dear brothers, with gratitude and trust, I entrust to your hearts as pastors these pages and the norms of the Motu Proprio. Let us always be mindful of the words of the Apostle Paul addressed to the presbyters of Ephesus: 'Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son.'

'I entrust these norms to the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and I cordially impart my apostolic blessing to you, dear Brothers, to the parish priests of your dioceses, and to all the priests, your co-workers, as well as to all your faithful.'

 

~ The Holy See Press Office has issued an explanatory note concerning the Motu Proprio 'Summorum Pontificum'. The most important paragraphs of the note are given below:

'The Motu Proprio 'Summorum Pontificum' lays down new rules for the use of the Roman liturgy that preceded the reform of 1970. The reasons for such provisions are clearly explained in the Holy Father's letter to bishops which accompanies the Motu Proprio (the two documents have been sent to all the presidents of episcopal conferences and to all nuncios, who have arranged to distribute them to all bishops).

'The fundamental provision is as follows: the Roman liturgy will have two forms ('usus'):

'a) The ordinary form is the one that follows the liturgical reform undertaken by Pope Paul VI in the year 1970, as it appears in the liturgical books promulgated at that time. There is an official edition in Latin which may be used always and everywhere, and translations in divers languages published by the various episcopal conferences.

'b) The extraordinary form: which is that celebrated in accordance with the liturgical books published by Blessed Pope John XXIII in 1962.'

In paragraph 8 the note reads: 'The bishop of a particular place may erect a personal parish, wherever there is to be found a very substantial number of faithful who wish to follow the earlier liturgy. It would be appropriate for the numbers of faithful to be substantial, even if not comparable to those of other parishes.'

The explanatory note also highlights some of the characteristics of the 1962 Missal:

'It is a 'complete' or 'integral' Missal in the Latin language, that is, it also contains the readings for the celebrations (it is not distinct from the 'Lectionary' as the later 1970 Missal is).

'It contains just one Eucharistic prayer, the 'Roman Canon' (corresponding to the first Eucharist Prayer of the later Missal, which includes a choice of various Eucharistic Prayers).

'Various prayers (including a large part of the Canon) are recited by the priest in a low voice inaudible to the people.

'Other differences include the reading of the beginning of the Gospel of John at the end of Mass.

'The 1962 Missal does not provide for concelebration. It says nothing concerning the direction of the altar or of the celebrant (whether facing the people or not).

'The Pope's Letter envisages the possibility of future enrichment of the 1962 Missal (inclusion of new saints, new prefaces, etc.).' [Vatican Information Service]

The Bishops of England and Wales have welcomed the Apostolic letter Motu Proprio from Pope Benedict XVI in which he focused on the importance of unity within the Church in celebrating the Eucharist . . . .

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor said: ''On behalf of the Bishops of England and Wales I welcome the Holy Father's call for unity within the Church and especially towards those who are very attached to celebrating the Mass according to the Missal of 1962.

'We are confident that the provisions already made throughout England and Wales under the indult granted back in 1971 go a significant way towards meeting the requirements of the new Norms. We foresee little difficulty in receiving and carrying out the Pope's teaching about the two forms of the celebration of the Eucharist. There will of course be some priests who may not know immediately how best to respond to genuine requests for the extraordinary rite. The Norms are perfectly clear that the responsibility lies with the Bishop and where appropriate for him to refer to the Holy See for assistance and advice.

'In Westminster, I have readily given permission for the celebration of Mass according to the John XXIII Missal in some churches in our Diocese. So I was glad to be among those consulted by the Holy Father before he issued this document and to share with fellow Bishops from around the world our experiences in England and Wales in this matter. The situation is very different in almost every country, and we were united with the Holy Father in his desire for reconciliation and for unity in prayer and belief.

'I am confident that the Bishops of England and Wales are well placed to implement this timely Letter and the Norms which clarify the universal discipline of the Church.' [CCN] 1368.1

 

New document on the unique role of the Catholic Church

The Vatican is to release an important new doctrinal document, addressing the unique role of the Catholic Church in God's plan for salvation, according to informed sources in Rome. The new document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will address questions about the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, in Lumen Gentium, that the Church founded by Christ 'subsists in the Catholic Church.' Questions about how the true Church 'subsists' in the Catholic Church have drawn a series of answers from the Vatican-- most recently the declaration Dominus Iesus, which was released in 2000 with the approval of Pope John Paul II and signed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. The document to be released on July 10 will repeat and reinforce the fundamental message of <i>Dominus Iesus</i> that the Church founded by Jesus Christ exists fully in the Catholic Church alone. The document will critique the notion that other religious bodies may also represent the Church founded by Christ, and caution against the 'ecclesial relativism' that Pope Benedict has criticized in the past. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will release the document on July 10, reports indicate. The plan for release of the document has not yet been confirmed by the Vatican. [CWNews] 1368.2

The blight of corruption

Every Christian should work to fight political and economic corruption, above all the laity involved in public life, said Benedict XVI. The Holy Father made these remarks condemning the 'subtle and widespread blight' of corruption on Thursday, when receiving the bishops of the Dominican Republic in audience in Rome for their five-yearly visit. The Pope explained that the mission of the laity is 'the establishment of the temporal order, and to act in a direct and concrete way, guided by the light of the Gospel and by the Church's teaching, and inspired by Christian love. For this reason,' he said, 'it is necessary to ensure that lay people receive adequate religious formation, so as to enable them to face the numerous challenges of modern society. It is their task to promote human and Christian values that illuminate the political, economic and cultural life of the country, with the aim of instituting a more just and more equitable social order, in accordance with the social doctrine of the Church,' said Benedict XVI.

'In accordance with ethical and moral norms,' the Holy Father said the laity 'must provide an example of honesty and transparency in the management of public affairs, in the face of the unseen and widespread blight of corruption, which at times touches areas of political and economic power, as well as other spheres of public and social life. The laity,' he continued, 'must be the leaven of society, working in public life to illuminate the different arenas in which the identity of a people is forged with Gospel values.' In their daily lives, he said, 'they must witness how the Christian faith is the only fully valid response to the problems and expectations facing every person in every society.' Benedict XVI warned of the dangers of Catholics who live 'two parallel lives: on one hand the so-called spiritual life, with its values and its needs; on the other hand, the so-called worldly life, which is family life, work, social relationships, political and cultural commitment. On the contrary,' the Holy Father said, 'they must work so that their lives and their faith become an eloquent witness of the truth of the Christian message.' [Zenit] 1368.3

 

 

The Family

 

 

'Natural vineyard for vocations'

The family is the natural vineyard for vocations, concluded a meeting of 34 vocation offices representing Europe's episcopal conferences. The annual meeting of the European Vocations Service (EVS), held from June 28 to July 1 in Zadar, illuminated the role and responsibility of the family, where every Christian vocation begins and matures. The final document titled 'The Family: Place of Vocations' explained: 'Europe suffers from a lack of religious and priestly vocations. There is no immediate remedy for this lack, rather, what is needed is a long and patient maturation. The family is the first ground to cultivate, [as] a place of interiority and sending forth. Despite various difficulties, families remain a place of great hope.' The document continued: 'In a Europe that suffers from widespread atheism, an intolerance of the truth, an allergy to the faith and, at times, a kind of Christophobia, parents are invited to give life, educate their children and transmit the faith so that the youth can make mature and responsible decisions in full freedom, and holiness becomes a fascinating project to hand on with joy to new generations.' [Zenit] 1368.4

 

United Nations

 

 

Nicaragua and abortion

The Catholic Family Institute (C-Fam) reports how Bert Koenders, Dutch Minister of Development, has told the government of Nicaragua that his country may withdraw much needed development assistance unless Nicaragua liberalizes its abortion laws.

Last October, the national Parliament of Nicaragua unanimously modified its penal code to ban all abortions. Prior to the vote, a coalition of UN officials and country representatives, including UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) tried to stop the Parliament from changing the law.

Since the legislation passed, the Nicaraguan government has been the subject of increasing pressure from the pro-abortion radicals from around the world. Last January the UN Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women told Nicaragua to review 'laws relating to abortion with a view to removing punitive provisions.' Human Rights Watch mounted a legal challenge to the Nicaragua's abortion law claiming that Nicaragua's ban on abortion is contrary to international documents. The nation's high court is expected to deliver a decision in the case in the coming months.

Nicaragua has repeatedly spoken out at the UN in defense of its pro-life constitution and laws. At both the Cairo and Beijing conference, as well as at other UN meetings such as the Disabilities Convention negotiations, the Nicaraguan delegation defended the right to life from the moment of conception and stated that abortion or the termination of pregnancy cannot in any way be considered a method of regulating fertility or birth control. Nicaragua has also stated that 'The domestic laws governing [abortion] are within the sovereign purview of the Nicaraguan nation.'

This is not the first time that Nicaraguan aid has been threatened because of the government's conservative position regarding life and family. In 2000, Scandinavian representatives threatened to withdraw much needed financial assistance from hurricane-ravaged Nicaragua. Several Scandinavian ambassadors chastised Nicaraguan representative Max Padilla for representing the conservative views of his government which included resisting any attempts to: expand access to abortion, redefine the family to include homosexual couples and redefine gender to mean a 'social construct' instead of a biological distinction. Padilla's refusal to change the definition of gender resulted in his dismissal.

'Even if an abortion is medically necessary, it still remains illegal in Nicaragua, which results in the death of women. We should emphasize that this is completely unacceptable,' Koenders told the Dutch Platform of Millennium Goals. He continued, 'I do not want to immediately cancel our aid to Nicaragua, but we will certainly weigh the matter.'

British MEP Nirj Deva told the Friday Fax, 'This latest threat by the Netherlands to withdraw financial assistance to Nicaragua because of the abortion ban is not an EU initiative but an instance of one EU member state speaking unilaterally on this subject.' Mr. Deva added, 'This certainly is not reflective of a unified EU position on the matter.' [C-Fam] 1368.5

 

Europe

Euthanasia

Members of the European Parliament have called on member states to legalise euthanasia in response to what they call public demand to be given individual choice. At a hearing in Brussels, UK Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies said euthanasia should not be a question of health policy but of human rights across Europe. Speaking to journalists after the event, he said: 'It is heartless that British law should not only force people to travel abroad if they are determined to end their suffering, but also to threaten with criminal prosecution any loved ones who assist them.' Italian Radical Party MEP Marco Cappato said evidence from Belgium and the Netherlands showed there was no 'slippery slope' to increased suicide. [Channel 4, SPUC] 1368.6

 

 

 

Religion under attack

 

'Big gay money'

According to the US pro-family activist Peter LaBarbera, what he calls 'big gay money' is becoming a huge force in state and local politics in America. The pro-family activist is urging grassroots conservatives to offset the influence of these contributions that are being used to finance the campaigns of candidates who favor same-sex 'marriage' by contributing themselves. LaBarbera asserts that many Americans are unaware that pro-family lawmakers who support state marriage amendments are being targeted by wealthy homosexual donors. National Public Radio (NPR) reports that last year, wealthy homosexual activists 'funneled millions of dollars into dozens of carefully selected campaigns.' One of those donors was Denver software magnate Tim Gill, who according to NPR, targeted 70 state-level races in more than a dozen states. That report says Gill's staff confirmed his launching of an 'under-the-radar political giving campaign.' It also names another major contributor -- philanthropist and Michigan billionaire Jon Stryker -- who was 'inspired' by Gill's efforts. Their goal, according to NPR, was 'to elect gay-friendly governors and state lawmakers.' LaBarbera, who is now director of the group Americans for the Truth About Homosexuality, points out that the media appears to have a double standard for covering this admitted outside influence in local and state elections differently than they have in the past.

'When the Christian evangelicals did it -- Ralph Reed and the Christian Coalition years ago -- the media was up in arms about 'Christian right stealth tactics,'' says LaBarbera; 'but when the homosexual activists do it, somehow it's okay or they become good citizens when they use stealth tactics to unseat good pro-family, Christian lawmakers.' LaBarbera contends that if Christian activists were employing the same strategy today, members of the mainstream media would be wringing their hands in frustration. According to LaBarbera, Americans do not like outside forces, especially homosexual activists, influencing local elections. 'I don't think a farmer in Iowa is going to be too pleased to know that his pro-family representative was unseated by a homosexual stealth money strategy,' he states. LaBarbera also noted that homosexuals tend have a great deal of disposable time and money for political activity because they do not have children and their partners often provide them with a second income. [CNA] 1368.7

 

'They hate our schools'

'A week ago', Father Tim Finigan noted on his weblog, 'our new Prime Minister set up three new Government Departments to replace two previous ones (DfES and DTI). In addition to the 'Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills' (DIUS) and the 'Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform' (DBERR), there is the new 'Department for Children, Schools and Families' (DCSF). The new minister in charge of the DCSF is Kevin Brennan. He has certainly wasted no time in showing us what the priorities will be for this new department entrusted with policy for schools and families - he has been to visit Stonewall's Education for All conference. There is an article and the full text of his speech in the Pink News article Government committed to stamping out gay bullying. (Brennan moved the Sexual Orientation Regulations in the House of Commons on 19 March this year.) He speaks a great deal about homophobic bullying without defining what that means. And he makes it clear that the new guidance to be issued will 'apply to all schools - including faith schools.' To help you out, here is a definition of homophobia from the Department of Health's 2004 document on Challenging Homophobia in Schools.: 'Homophobia is a dislike or fear of someone who is lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB).

At its most benign it involves passive resentment of LGB men and women. In its most destructive form it involves active victimisation. Such attitudes can also affect anyone who is perceived to be homosexual or who does not conform to stereotypical standards of masculine or feminine behaviour'. This is a poorly worded statement by any standards. Presumably they ought to have written 'a dislike or fear of someone because they are lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB)' but we all know where this is going. This is not about stopping children calling each other nasty names or picking on a weak individual - as the Catholic Education Service have pointed out, existing anti-bullying policies already deal with those issues. The drive here is to try to force faith schools (he means Catholic schools in particular) to avoid expressing the teaching of the Catholic Church that that homosexuality is a disordered condition, that homosexual acts are gravely sinful, that the family is the fundamental unit of society and that sex is only morally licit between a man and a woman who are married to each other. This teaching will itself be regarded as homophobic, and a form of bullying.

A lot of what Brennan says hinges on the issue of culture change. He compares the 'homophobic language' of today with the racist language of the 1970s which few people now find acceptable. The culture change that Brennan is trying for force through in schools (and perhaps also by inspecting homeschooling families) is to make it wrong to deny that homosexuality as much a part of a person's natural make-up as the colour of their skin. This policy is being driven by Stonewall and the National Secular Society. They hate our schools and want them either handed over to the state or forced to deny Catholic moral teaching. Quoted in the NSS article, 'Catholic Church not fit to run schools, says GALHA',George Broadhead of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association makes it quite clear: 'It's terrible to think that there are gay children in these establishments being bullied not only physically but also psychologically by the message they are getting from the Church authorities. Somebody has to speak up for them, and I am pleased that the Government recognises that gay kids are at particular risk in Catholic schools.' Note that well - 'bullying' is not just about physical or verbal abuse -- but the teaching of the Catholic Church. [http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/] 1368.8

 

 

International news

 

 

BELARUS  Christians arrested

Police in Belarus have arrested 20 Christian human-rights workers in two separate incidents this week, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide. On July 2, 14 activists were arrested as they collected signature on petitions calling for restoration of a Catholic church to active use. St. Joseph's church in Budslaw has been closed by authorities, and parishioners fear that it may be converted into a hotel. They were circulating a petition opposing that change, as well as a separate petition calling for changes in the country's laws governing religion. The 14 activists were released after several hours, but their petitions were confiscated. The next day, July 3, police raided an apartment in Minsk and arrested 6 activists who were preparing literature calling for changes in the 2002 religion law. They too were released after spending most of a day in prison, but their campaign material-- including computers and printers as well as religious literature-- was seized. Alaksiej Shein, the co-chairman of the Belarus Christian Democrat Party, told Christian Solidarity Worldwide that the raid in Minsk was illegal, since police had no warrant. He said that the raid and the arrests were clearly intended to intimidate religious activists. [CWNews] 1368.9

 

 

CHINA  Appeal by activist's wife

The wife of a jailed activist against forced abortions showed up in the Chinese capital city on Wednesday to beg national officials to let her husband Chen Guangcheng out of prison. Chen was jailed after being convicted of bogus property destruction charges after exposing forced abortions. Chen, a blind attorney, had been preparing a lawsuit on behalf of thousands of women in the eastern city of Linyi who were victims of forced abortion and sterilizations when he was arrested. After two trials, which saw his attorneys and key witnesses prevented from attending, Chen was sent to prison for four years for destroying property in a protest he never attended. Since his imprisonment, Chen has been beaten by fellow prisoners at the urging of guards and had his head completely shaved to humiliate him. For his 30-year old wife to get to Beijing, Yuan Weijing faced an arduous task. She continues to be under house arrest by local Linyi officials who were embarrassed by the international outcry about their campaign to enforce China's one-child family planning policy. The brutal forced abortion campaign began when the city barely missed its family planning quotas. She talked with the Washington Post about her endeavour to get to Beijing. 'I left secretly. A friend found a taxi for me and another friend brought our nearly 2-year-old daughter out to meet us. From Linyi we took a long-distance bus for 10 hours, arriving at Beijing at 5 a.m.,' she said. [LifeNews] 1368.10

 

LEBANON  Promoting 'Islamization'

Lebanon's government is promoting a policy of 'Islamization,' a Maronite Catholic leader has complained. Archbishop Beshara Rai of Byblos told the Lebanese newspaper As Safir that the country's Christians are being treated increasingly like 'outsiders in their own country.' He charged that Prime Minister Fouad Seniora has failed to protect the tradition of inter-religious cooperation and coexistence in Lebanon. In a struggle for power between Sunni and Shiite Muslims factions, the archbishop said, Christians are inevitably the losers. He told As Safir: 'If the the Sunnis and Shiites agree, their agreement would come at the expense of the Christians. And if they disagree, the Christians become their victims.' [CWNews] 1368.11

 

POLAND  Eviction of nuns

A Polish court has issued orders for the eviction of a group of women religious who are occupying a convent in Kazimierz, Poland. In May, another court had ordered the women to vacat