Pseudo-Dionysius
the Areopagite
In
yesterday's general audience, held in St. Peter's
Square, the Holy Father resumed his series of
catecheses on the Fathers of the Church, concentrating
his remarks on the figure of Pseudo-Dionysius
the Areopagite whose aim, said the Pope, was 'to
place Greek wisdom at the service of the Gospel'.
Benedict XVI explained how, during a period marked
by 'harsh disputes following the Council of Chalcedon',
this sixth-century author affirmed the fact that
'the light of truth ... eradicates error and brings
the good to shine forth. With this principle he
purified Greek thought, bringing it into relation
with the Gospel'.
The
Pseudo-Dionysius used Greek polytheism 'to show
the truth of Christ and transform the polytheistic
world into a cosmos created by God' in which 'all
creatures together reflect the truth of God. Because
the creature is a glorification of God, the Pseudo-Dionysius'
theology becomes a theological liturgy. God is
found, above all, by praising Him and not just
through reflection'. This Father of the Church
created the first 'great mystical theology. ...
With him the word 'mystical' took on a more personal
and intimate meaning: it expresses the soul's
journey towards God. ... The Pseudo-Dionysius
shows that at the end of the road to God is God
Himself, Who comes close to us in Jesus Christ.
Today
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite assumes fresh
relevance', said the Holy Father. 'He appears
as a greater mediator in the modern dialogue between
Christianity and the mystical theologies of Asia,
the well-known characteristic of which lies in
their conviction that it cannot be said who God
is, that He can be spoken of only in negative
terms, ... and that only by entering this experience
of 'no' can He be reached'. Dialogue, said Benedict
XVI 'does not accept superficiality. It is when
we enter deeply into the encounter with Christ
that a vast area for dialogue opens before us.
When one meets the light of truth, one realises
that it is a light for everyone: disputes disappear
and it becomes possible to understand one another,
or at least to speak to and approach one another'.
Following his catechesis, Benedict XVI launched
an appeal for 'the people of Sichuan and adjoining
provinces in China, so harshly affected by the
earthquake which has provoked serious loss of
human life, left large numbers missing and caused
incalculable damages. 'I invite you to join me
in fervent prayer for those who have lost their
lives. I remain spiritually close to the people
suffering from such a devastating calamity; and
we implore God to grant them relief in their suffering'.
The Pope concluded his appeal by asking the Lord
'to give support to all those involved in meeting
the immediate needs' of the victims. [Vatican
Information Service] 1448.1
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Pauline
plenary indulgence
According
to a decree made public on Saturday and signed
by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Bishop
Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv., respectively
penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic
Penitentiary, Benedict XVI will grant the faithful
Plenary Indulgence for the occasion of the two-thousandth
anniversary of the birth of the Apostle Paul.
The Plenary Indulgence will be valid throughout
the Pauline Year which is due to run from 28 June
2008 to 29 June 2009.
'With the imminence of the liturgical Solemnity
of the Prince of the Apostles', says the decree,
'the Supreme Pontiff ... wishes, in good time,
to provide for the faithful with spiritual treasures
for their own sanctification, that they may renew
and reinforce ... their purpose of supernatural
salvation from the moment of the First Vespers
of the aforementioned Solemnity, principally in
honour of the Apostle of the Gentiles the two-thousandth
anniversary of whose earthly birth is now approaching.
'In fact, the gift of indulgences which the Roman
Pontiff offers the Universal Church, facilitates
the way to interior purification which, while
rendering honour to the Blessed Apostle Paul,
exalts supernatural life in the hearts of the
faithful and spurs them on ... to produce fruits
of good works'.
The
means to obtain the Plenary Indulgence are as
follows: 'All Christian faithful - truly repentant,
duly purified by the Sacrament of Penance and
restored with Holy Communion - who undertake a
pious visit in the form of a pilgrimage to the
papal basilica of St. Paul on Rome's Via Ostiense
and pray in accordance with the intentions of
the Supreme Pontiff, are granted and imparted
Plenary Indulgence for the temporal punishment
of their sins, once they have obtained sacramental
remission and forgiveness for their shortcomings.
'Plenary Indulgence may be gained by the Christian
faithful, either for themselves or for the deceased,
as many times as the aforementioned acts are undertaken;
it remains the case, however, that Plenary Indulgence
may be obtained only once a day.
'In
order that the prayers pronounced on these holy
visits may lead and draw the souls of the faithful
to a more intense veneration of the memory of
St. Paul, the following conditions are laid down:
the faithful, apart from pronouncing their own
prayers before the altar of the Blessed Sacrament,
... must go to the altar of the Confession and
pray the 'Our Father' and the 'Creed', adding
pious invocations in honour of the Blessed Virgin
Mary and St. Paul; and such acts of devotion must
remain closely linked to the memory of the Prince
of the Apostles St. Peter'. 'Christian faithful
from the various local Churches, under the usual
conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic
communion, prayer in keeping with the intentions
of the Supreme Pontiff) and completely unattached
to any form of sin, may still obtain the Plenary
Indulgence if they participate devotedly in a
religious function or in a pious exercise held
publicly in honour of the Apostle of the Gentiles:
on the days of the solemn opening and closing
of the Pauline Year in any place of worship; on
other days determined by the local ordinary, in
holy places named for St. Paul and, for the good
of the faithful, in other places designated by
the ordinary'.
The
document concludes by recalling how the faithful
who, 'through sickness or other legitimate or
important reason', are unable to leave their homes,
may still obtain the Plenary Indulgence if, with
the soul completely removed from attachment to
any form of sin and with the intention of observing,
as soon as they can, the usual three conditions,
'spiritually unite themselves to a Jubilee celebration
in honour of St. Paul, offering their prayers
and suffering to God for the unity of Christians'.
[Vatican Information Service] 1448.2
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Pentecost
At
Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave life to a community
that is at the same time both one and universal,
says Benedict XVI. The Pope affirmed this on Sunday
during the homily at a Mass he celebrated on the
feast of Pentecost in St. Peter's Square. 'I would
like to reflect on a particular aspect of the
Holy Spirit, on the intertwining of multiplicity
and unity,' he said. 'In the event of Pentecost
it is made clear that multiple languages and different
cultures belong to the Church; they can understand
and make each other fruitful. St. Luke clearly
wants to convey a fundamental idea, namely, in
the act itself of her birth the Church is already
'catholic,' universal. 'She speaks all languages
from the very beginning, because the Gospel that
is entrusted to her is destined for all peoples,
according to the will and the mandate of the risen
Christ. The Church that is born at Pentecost is
not above all a particular community -- the Church
of Jerusalem -- but the universal Church, that
speaks the language of all peoples,' the Holy
Father explained.
'From her, other communities in every corner of
the world will be born, particular Churches that
are all and always actualizations of the one and
only Church of Christ. The Catholic Church is
therefore not a federation of churches, but a
single reality: The universal Church has ontological
priority. A community that is not catholic in
this sense would not even be a Church.' Benedict
XVI also emphasized the gift of peace, which Christ
won with the price of his blood. 'John's Gospel
offers us a word, which accords very well with
the mystery of the Church created by the Spirit,'
the Pope said. 'The word spoken twice by the risen
Jesus when he appears in the midst of the disciples
in the Cenacle on Easter evening: 'Shalom -- Peace
to you!'
The
expression 'shalom' is not a simple greeting;
it is much more,' the Holy Father explained. 'It
is the gift of the promised peace and is won by
Jesus with the price of his blood, it is the fruit
of this victory and his struggle against the spirit
of evil. It is thus a peace 'not as given by the
world' but as God alone can give it.' The Pontiff
continued: 'On this feast of the Spirit of the
Church we would like to thank God for having given
to his people, chosen and formed from all nations,
the inestimable gift of peace, of his peace!
'At the same time we renew the awareness of the
responsibility connected with this gift: the Church's
responsibility to constitutionally be a sign and
an instrument of the peace of God for all peoples.
[...] The Church realizes her service to the peace
of Christ above all in her ordinary presence and
action among men, with the preaching of the Gospel
and with the signs of love and mercy that accompany
it.' Benedict XVI said that among these signs,
the sacrament of reconciliation should be emphasized.
'How important and, unfortunately, how insufficiently
understood is the gift of reconciliation that
brings peace to hearts,' the Bishop of Rome affirmed.
'Christ's peace spreads only through the renewed
hearts of men and women who have been reconciled
and made themselves servants of justice, ready
to spread peace in the world only with the force
of truth, without compromising with the mentality
of the world, because the world cannot give Christ's
peace.
'This
is how the Church can be a ferment of that reconciliation
that comes from God. She can do this only if she
remains docile to the Spirit and bears witness
to the Gospel, only if she carries the cross like
Jesus and with Jesus. This is precisely what the
saints of every age testify to! 'In light of this
word of life, dear brothers and sisters, may the
prayer that today we address to God in spiritual
union with the Virgin Mary become ever more fervent
and intense. May the Virgin who listens, the Mother
of the Church, obtain for our community and for
all Christians a renewed outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, the Paraclete.' [Zenit] 1448.3
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Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone
Benedict
XVI's secretary of state was given the dignity
of cardinal-bishop, a role held by only a few
cardinals. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was assigned
the historical dignity with the titular see of
Frascati. The see was left vacant with the death
of Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo on April
19. Cardinal-bishops are members of the highest
order within the College of Cardinals. The dean
of the college is elected from among their number.
The dignity is a historical reference to the roles
formerly played by cardinals in certain major
ecclesiastical offices associated with the See
of Rome. Today, cardinal-bishops are associated
with one of the seven suburbicarian dioceses that
make up the ecclesiastical province of Rome. These
sees correspond to only six cardinal-bishops because
the dean of the College of Cardinals takes the
See of Ostia as well as the see he was assigned
before his election to the rank of dean. In addition
to these cardinal bishops, certain patriarchs
of Eastern Churches hold the rank. Cardinal Bertone
has been the Pope's secretary of state since September
2006. Last July, he was sworn in as the chamberlain
of the Holy Roman Church -- the cardinal who oversees
the affairs of the Church between the death of
a pope and the election of a successor. Tarcisio
Bertone was born in 1934. He is a member of the
Congregation of the Salesians of St. John Bosco.
He was secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith from 1995 to 2002 and archbishop
of Genoa from 2002 to 2006. [Zenit] 1448.4
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Early
Christian writers
In
an interview with the Catholic organization 'Early
Christians,' Giovanni Maria Vian, director of
L'Osservatore Romano, explained why Pope
Benedict XVI is dedicating his Wednesday catechesis
to the lives and witnesses of the early Christians.
During the interview, Vian called the early Christians
'a light that comes from afar,' as Paul VI called
them, and explained that they constitute 'the
Christian tradition, and this is the reason for
the Pope's decision to speak about them in the
weekly meetings he has with the faithful and with
visitors.' He has chosen to speak 'first about
the apostles and the very first generations of
Christians, and after about the Fathers of the
Church.' Vian also explained the significance
of the fact that Pope Benedict's reflections help
preserve the Church's tradition.
'Tradition
means 'to transmit,' and tradition is a fundamental
and essential concept of the Christian faith.
This choice by the Pope is important because it
is an invitation to Christians to renew their
relationship with the tradition of the faith,'
he said. 'It's evident that the Fathers of the
Church are above all intellectuals, masters of
the faith, and in speaking of the first Christians
one usually thinks of these authors. 'Fathers'
is a word that in the tradition of the Church
means 'authorized person,' someone who has authority.
On the other hand, the martyrs are witnesses of
Christ, because martyr means that, witness.'
Vian
said the Fathers of the Church 'are exceptional
figures, but at the same they are figures who
know how to convey their experience of Christ.
In his first encyclical the Pope wrote that Christianity
is not an ideology or an ethic. It is an encounter
with a person, Christ. What the Fathers convey
is an experience of Christ, but they do so in
a way that is very creative and very simple. That
is what the Pope himself is doing,' Vian continued.
He went on to point out that one of the main characteristics
of Benedict XVI is that he is 'so imbued with
Christian tradition that he does not need to include
many quotes; rather, he himself is so immersed
that he speaks as a Father of the Church, what
he says is understood, even though they are profound
discourses. It is a way of drawing close to the
Christian experience in a very lofty but understandable
way.' 'In an age such as ours in which secularism
is more and more rampant, it is essential that
Christians acquire greater maturity in order to
be more responsible and to be able to face these
challenges,' Vian said. 'The patristic period
is essential for Christian thinking and culture.'
[CNA] 1448.5
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Hungarian
bishops' ad limina
On Saturday morning Benedict XVI received prelates
from the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference,
at the end of their 'ad limina' visit.
'The people entrusted to your care', he told them,
'now stand before us spiritually, with their joys,
their plans, their suffering, their problems and
their hopes. ... The long period of communist
rule left a deep mark on the Hungarian people,
and even today its consequences are evident, particularly
in the difficulty many find in trusting others,
a typical trait of people who have long lived
in an atmosphere of suspicion. The sense of insecurity
is accentuated by the difficult economic situation,
which thoughtless consumerism does nothing to
improve', the Pope added.
'People, including Catholics, suffer from that
'weakness' of thought and will which is so common
in our times'. Hence, 'profound theological and
spiritual reflection becomes difficult because
... of the lack, on the one hand, of intellectual
preparation and, on the other, of an objective
reference to the truths of faith. In such a situation
the Church must certainly be a teacher, but always
and above all a mother, so as to favour the development
of reciprocal trust and the promotion of hope'.
The
Holy Father then went on to speak of the effects
of secularisation in the country, highlighting
the crisis of the family which includes among
its symptoms 'a notable drop in the number of
marriages and an astonishing increase in divorces',
as well as a growth 'in so-called 'de facto' couples.
You have rightly criticised public recognition
of homosexual unions, because it runs counter
not only to the teaching of the Church but also
to the Hungarian Constitution itself', the Holy
Father told the prelates, recalling how 'the lack
of subsidies for large families has led to a drastic
drop in the birth-rate, made even more dramatic
thanks to the widespread practice of abortion'.
Benedict
XVI emphasised the fact that the crisis of values
is also affecting young people, and he expressed
his appreciation for 'the many initiatives the
Church promotes, though with the limited means
at her disposal, to animate the world of youth
with formational activities ... that stimulate
their sense of responsibility'. He praised the
bishops' initiatives to 'take advantage of and
modernise such traditional activities as pilgrimages
and expressions of veneration to Hungarian saints,
especially St. Elisabeth, St. Emeric, and of course
St. Stephen'.
Pope
Benedict then told the prelates that he shared
their concern 'for the lack of priests and the
consequent overburden of pastoral work on the
current ministers of the Church'. In this context,
he invited them to ensure the clergy 'do not lose
the focus of their lives and their ministry and,
as a consequence, remain able to discern the essential
from the secondary, identifying the right priorities
for everyday life. Despite secularisation the
Catholic Church remains, for many Hungarians,
the religious community of choice or, at least,
an important point of reference. It is therefore
to be hoped that relations with State authorities
remain characterised by respectful collaboration,
thanks also to bilateral agreements', the Holy
Father said. Finally, in closing, he noted how
the unity characterising the Hungarian prelates
'in following the teachings of the Church is for
me a cause of serenity and comfort'. [Vatican
Information Service] 1448.6
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Movement
for Life
On
Saturday morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father
received members of the Italian organisation Movement
for Life, led by their president Carlo Casini.
Opening his address to them, Benedict XVI recalled
how the year 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of
the legalisation of abortion in Italy. 'It is
your intention', he told his audience, 'to suggest
profound reflections on the human and social effects
the law has produced in the civil and Christian
community during that period'. 'We cannot but
recognise', he went on, 'that, in practical terms,
defending human life has become more difficult
today, because a mentality has been created that
progressively devalues human life and entrusts
it to the judgement of individuals. A consequence
deriving therefrom is lessened respect for the
human person, a value that lies at the foundation
of any form of civil coexistence, over and above
the faith a person may profess'.
Abortion
'not only has not resolved the problems afflicting
many women and no small number of families, but
it has opened another wound in our societies'
said the Holy Father. He also called for combined
efforts to ensure that 'institutions once again
focus their activities on defence of human life
and priority concern for families. ... Families
must be helped, using all legislative means to
facilitate their formation and their educational
work in the difficult social context of today'.
'It is necessary to bear concrete witness to the
fact that respect for life is the first form of
justice that must be applied. For those who have
the gift of faith this becomes an imperative that
cannot be deferred. ... Only God is the Lord of
life. Each human being is known, loved, wanted
and guided by Him, ... and each has his origins
in God's creative plan'. The Pope pointed out
that this year also marks the 60th anniversary
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
and he praised the Movement for Life's commitment
'in the political sphere, assisting and encouraging
the institutions to ensure that correct recognition
is given to the words 'human dignity'.
'Your initiative in the European Parliament's
Commission for Petitions, in which you affirm
the fundamental values of the right to life from
the moment of conception, of the family founded
on the marriage of a man and a woman, of the right
of all conceived human beings to be born and educated
in a family of parents, is further confirmation
of the solidity of your commitment and your full
communion with the Church's Magisterium which
has always proclaimed and defended such values
as 'non negotiable''. Benedict XVI concluded by
thanking his audience for their service 'to the
Church and to society. How many human lives have
you saved from death! Continue along this path
and do not be afraid, so that the smile of life
may triumph on the lips of all children and their
mothers'. [Vatican Information Service] 1448.7
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Pontifical
Council for the Laity seminar
With
the encouragement of Benedict XVI, the Pontifical
Council for the Laity is gathering bishops to
reflect on 'the ecclesial movements and new communities
as a gift of the Holy Spirit.' The Thursday-Saturday
seminar will bring about 100 bishops to Rocca
di Papa, near Rome, to study the movements and
consider the Pope's Nov. 18, 2006, exhortation
addressed to bishops of Germany: 'I ask you to
go out and meet the movements with much love'.
The pontifical council announced in a communiqué
that it 'wishes to continue the reflection on
the ecclesial movements and new communities as
a gift of the Holy Spirit for the Church of our
times with the pastors coming from every part
of the world.' The council recalled a similar
meeting in 1999, saying the time that has passed
since then has proven 'fruitful for a deeper reciprocal
knowledge and a greater awareness of the role
that these various realities have in the work
of the new evangelization.' The dicastery also
noted the 'perfect continuation of the magisterium
of the Servant of God John Paul II in the thought
of Benedict XVI.' The prelates will be accompanied
by representatives from 20 movements and ecclesial
realities. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope's
secretary of state, will inaugurate the seminar
Thursday. [Zenit] 1448.8
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Europe
'Demographic
Winter'
A new report presented to the European Parliament
shows more evidence of a 'demographic winter'
in Europe, where a decline in both birth and marriage
rates have helped create an 'elderly continent.'
The
Institute for Family Policy's report, 'The
Evolution of the Family in Europe 2008,' is
a study that was undertaken by experts from several
disciplines including demography, psychology,
sociology, and family studies.
Lola
Velarde, president of the Institute for Family
Policy European Network, said that concern about
the European family and its problems has grown,
as evidenced by several recently adopted European
Union documents. However, she said this action
is 'clearly inadequate' and family problems continue
to worsen.
According
to the report, which was released to CNA, indicators
of population, birth, marriage, and family breakdowns
have all worsened in the past 27 years. People
over age 65 outnumber those under age 14 by 6
million. Additionally, there are now one million
fewer births per year than there were in 1980.
At
present, there are almost 1.2 million abortions
per year in the E.U., making abortion the leading
cause of mortality in Europe. The figures are
equivalent to the population of Luxembourg and
Malta combined. Nearly 18.5 percent of all pregnancies
in the E.U. end in abortion.
The
fall in the European Union marriage rate has also
been drastic. In 2006 there were 732,752 fewer
marriages than in 1980, a decrease of 23.9 percent.
When they do marry, people are starting families
later, with women marrying at an average age of
29 and men at an average age of 31. This represents
an increase in the average age of marriage by
more than five years.
In
2006, the report said, divorces numbered over
one million-- 365,000 more than in 1980. Between
1996 and 2006 there were over 10.1 million marital
breakdowns, affecting more than 15 million children.
European
Union households themselves are shrinking in size,
with an average 2.4 members per household. One
in four households is occupied only by a single
resident.
Even
the population growth of the European Union, which
added 14.2 million people between 2000 and 2007,
portends demographic problems. Twelve million
of the added population, 84 percent, resulted
from immigration. The immigrant population now
stands at 27 million people, representing 5.5
percent of Europe's population.
The
report points out that there is no European Union
organization in charge of family policy and calls
for greater defense family. According to the report,
there is a clear correlation between direct assistance
to families and the number of children. Countries
offering higher family benefit levels have higher
birth rates.
The
Institute for Family Policy recommended several
proposals to develop 'family-friendly' government
policies. These include making a 'family-oriented'
policy approach integral to all European Union
laws; recognizing and promoting family rights
in all areas, particularly in child care and education;
promoting uniformity between national family policies
to avoid differences between countries; and establishing
equality of opportunity for all families to avoid
discrimination based on number of children, levels
of income, or distribution of income.
[CNA] 1448.9
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The radical onslaught
The
HFE Bill debate
Father Tim Finigan has posted an excellent summary
of Monday's debate on the HFE Bill on his Hermeneutic-of-continuity
blog
- 'Massive majority for monster creation bill'
The
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill passed
its second reading in the House of Commons last
night, he wrote (on Tuesday). MPs voted by 340
votes to 78 to support in principle the creation
of hybrids, cybrids, and the creation of embryos
for the purposes of experimetation.
The
debate was opened at 3.36pm by Alan Johnson and
finished with the division at 9.59pm. This link
takes you to the beginning of the report in Hansard.
If you have five and a hours to spare you can
watch the Parliament TV recording. I have read
the debate and simply offer here a few notes and
observations.
Alan
Johnson referred to the bill as a 'flagship Government
bill' and it was clear throughout that although
much rhetoric was used about the importance of
scientific progress, this is fundamentally a debate
about the validity of secular humanist philosophy.
So,
for example, John Bercow said (Col 1100):
I take an empiricist, pragmatic, instrumental
view, rather than the view that some abstract
principle should inveigh against the possibility
that such research should be allowed or extended.
There
was plenty of criticism of the speeches of Catholic
bishops opposing the bill, accusing them of misrepresentation.
(Would it have helped if they had made it clear
that we are talking about very small monsters?)
Dr Brian Iddon (col 1104) valiantly managed to
introduce the Galileo case. At the same time,
Johnson and others made it quite clear that the
removal of the 'need for a father' clause was
motivated by the concern for lesbian couples.
The bill envisages the non-birth-giving woman
in a lesbian partnership being identified on the
artificially conceived baby's birth certificate
as 'parent'.
Sadly,
Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Secretary of State
for Health did not provide much hope for the future.
He did use the slightly pro-life-sounding soundbite
about there being 'too many abortions' (how many
abortions is just about right?) but then showed
that there is scarcely room for a rizla paper
between Labour and Conservative policy:
We have the highest rate of teenage pregnancy
in western Europe […] We must look at the
effectiveness of sex education and of contraceptive
services. Personally, I also believe that many
more young women-women of any age, for that matter-should
be made aware of, and offered, long-acting reversible
contraception through the national health service.
Pro-abortionist
Labour MP Chris McCafferty repeated the mantra:
As I have said many times in the House, the best
way of reducing the number of unintended pregnancies
and abortions is to improve women's access to
contraception as well as educating women and men
about sexual health. It is not rocket science.
Well
it is the sort of rocket science where you put
the rocket on the launch pad upside down and when
it drives into the ground and blows up, you put
more rocket fuel in and try again, and again without
ever asking yourself what is going wrong.
Mrs
Iris Robinson of the Northern Irish Democratic
Unionist Party (led by Ian Paisley) gave a cracking
speech which began:
I make no apology for speaking as a born-again
Christian. I represent the voice of those who
look to a higher authority-one to whom we will
all one day answer for the decisions that we make
in the House. Each one of us is an individual
of amazing worth. I approach the Bill through
the central fact that we are all created in the
image of God. Much science will be discussed and
debated, but I want to remind us all that we need
to consider the case fully-both biologically,
through the logical argument of our God-given
minds, and with respect to the mind of God.
she
eloquently appealed to the duties of those in
public life:
Too often the House and this country have suffered
from woolly liberal thinking. Unless we stand
firm on certain matters, the United Kingdom will
become utterly morally bankrupt. As Members of
the House, we should not be engaged in bringing
society to its lowest common denominator. Instead,
we should seek to raise standards across society.
Strangely,
nobody interrupted during her speech or made any
reference to it subsequently.
Labour
MP Desmond Turner made a point that will be of
interest to those of you in the USA:
We have experienced a reverse brain drain in stem
cell research. Top American scientists have come
to work in the UK because they can work with surety,
knowing that they will not be subject to legal
challenge for their activities, whereas in many
states in America they are actively discouraged
and prevented from carrying out that research.
A President who shall be nameless stops any federal
funding going into embryonic stem cell research.
He
also threw in a point about the Catholic Church
and a reference to some mysterious discussions
at the Vatican only to be interrupted by Mrs Robinson:
I remind the hon. Gentleman that not only the
Catholic Church but evangelicals across the whole
spectrum of Christianity oppose the Bill.
There
was considerable opposition voiced to any change
in the current 24 week time limit for abortion.
Of course, we should remember that as a result
of the last change in the law on abortion, there
is no time limit for disabled children - who are
referred to less politely when it comes to abortion.
A chill went down my spine when I read the words
of Dr Desmond Turner:
Cutting the time limit would mean more births
of deformed children. Do we want that? I think
not.
Evan
Harris of the National Secular Society was, of
course, on hand with many interventions in support
of the bill. There was one amusing exchange when
Alistair Burt was defending the right of Christians
to speak as such in the public square. He quoted
the remark of Evan Harris warning politicians
against making 'references to deity' in public
life. Harris interrupted to say that the quotation
(on the BBC website) was only partial and offered
clarification, concluding 'otherwise, I agree
entirely with the hon. Gentleman that people should
have a right to give their view, from whatever
perspective, in the public sphere.' Burt rejoindered:
I am grateful for the clarification. The hon.
Gentleman will not be the first colleague not
to have been entirely accurately represented by
the BBC. I am also delighted that the honorary
president of the National Secular Society now
welcomes the opportunity for politicians in the
public square to put forward a defence of their
views based on faith.
There
will be further debates next Monday and Tuesday
when key clauses will be debated by the whole
house at the committee stage.
[http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com]
1448.10
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'To
better serve transgender-students'
Following
national US trend, Stanford University is to provide
some 'gender-neutral' student housing beginning
this fall
Stanford
University has joined a growing number of colleges
nationwide that are offering not just coed dorms
or coed floors in dorms, but coed rooms. This
coming fall, Stanford will initiate a one-year
pilot program of 'gender-neutral' housing options
to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
The
options will be offered for five residence halls
'in an effort to better serve transgender students
and to offer more choices to students who want
to live with friends of the opposite sex,' said
the Stanford Report. The pilot program was designed
by the Gender Neutral Task Force, whose chairman
was Rodger Whitney, executive director of student
housing. Members of the task force included senior
university staff and ten students, including Hershey
Avula, Associated Students president.
Whitney
told the Report that the pilot program is not
for couples who are romantically involved with
each other. No student would be assigned to a
mixed-sex room or apartment unless he requested
it, said Whitney.
'Stanford
takes great pride in the variety of housing alternatives
available to students and in the rich residential
experience that results when communities are centered
on principles of diversity and respect for individual
differences,' Stanford's provost for student affairs,
Greg Boardman, told the Report.
About
30 schools across the U.S. offer coed rooms for
students, including Wesleyan University, Oberlin
College, and Brown and Brandeis universities,
the April 2 Boston Globe reported.
Some
institutions, however, are resisting the trend.
'We're not ready to provide coed bedrooms,' Bruce
Reitman, dean of student affairs at Tufts University,
told the Globe. 'That's a position we don't
see changing in the near future.' Reitman said
allowing coed rooms would create unnecessary distractions
for students and might lead to romantic entanglements.
In
California, the California Institute of Technology
and UC Riverside offer 'gender-neutral' housing
options, and UCLA is open to the option. Suzanne
Seplow, director of UCLA's Office of Residential
Life told the May 8 Daily Bruin that because
of a lack of student demand, the university hasn't
moved toward coed housing. But, she said, if enough
students express an interest, the university would
allow a debate on it. If UCLA does add coed housing,
it will be linked to 'themed housing,' said Seplow.
'ORL is doing a whole new revamping of our themed
housing, looking at gender neutral housing and
looking at housing themes relating to gender,'
she said.
Student
demand has been the catalyst for gender-neutral
housing on university campuses. Recently, students
have formed the National Student Genderblind Campaign
to promote gender-neutral housing in universities
and colleges across the country. The Campaign's
web page calls 'university mandated gender-based
segregation… a gross and arbitrary infringement
to our right as students -- and our license as
adults -- to self-determination.' Indeed, 'traditional
rooming policies -- those without gender-neutral
options -- are heterosexist, oppressive, and anti-affirmative.'
Not
only that, but, says the Campaign, 'gender-restrictive
policy' manifests 'institutional heterosexism.'
And what is 'heterosexism'? It is the assumption,
says the Campaign, 'that heterosexual relationships
represent the norm and are, therefore, implicitly
superior to 'non-normative' relationships.' [CalCatholic]
1448.11
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International news
Australia
Undesirable elements in the liturgy
An
Australian archbishop has called for a greater
sense of reverence in the liturgy, urging a frank
appraisal of problems that have arisen since the
Second Vatican Council. Archbishop Mark Coleridge
of Canberra issued a letter on the liturgy for
Pentecost Sunday, as the Australian bishops began
full implementation of the new General Instruction
for the Roman Missal (GIRM). As he laid out the
changes required by the GIRM, Archbishop Coleridge
commented that 'the Church is moving into a new
phase of the ongoing journey of liturgical renewal.'
That process is necessary, he said, in order to
prune out undesirable elements that have become
commonplace. He explained that since the reforms
after Vatican II, 'liturgical habits have taken
hold, some of which have been beneficial, others
detrimental to the celebration of the liturgy.'
'Our worship generally has become very chatty,
to the point where one of the challenges now is
to allow silence to play its part in the liturgy,'
the archbishop said. He reported, too, that many
of the faithful find 'a loss of the sense of the
sacred in the Mass-- a weakened sense of the presence
of God and the deeper resonances of the liturgical
words and actions that comes with silence.'
Archbishop
Coleridge said that special attention should be
paid to translations of liturgical texts, noting
that 'the language of the liturgy was never everyday
language.' He added that the sense of reverence
is undermined when celebrants use informal language
and when they offer mundane greetings, such as
beginning a liturgical ceremony by wishing the
congregation a 'Good morning.' [CWNews] 1448.12
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Australia
Bishops warn of 'doctrinal difficulties'
The Australian Catholic bishops' conference has
issued a public statement warning of 'doctrinal
difficulties' in a book by the retired bishop.
Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, who was an auxiliary
bishop of the Sydney archdiocese for 20 years
prior to his retirement in 2001, is the author
of Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic
Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus. Bishop
Robinson is currently on a promotional tour, speaking
about the book to audiences in the United States.
At
their May meeting, the Australian bishops warn
that Confronting Power calls into question
'the authority of the Catholic Church to teach
the truth definitively.' The book reflects 'Bishop
Robinson's uncertainty about the knowledge and
authority of Christ himself,' the bishops report.
The bishops' statement goes on to note problems
with the bishop's book on 'among other things,
the nature of Tradition, the inspiration of the
Holy Scripture, the infallibility of the Councils
and the Pope, the authority of the Creeds, the
nature of the ministerial priesthood and central
elements of the Church's moral teaching.'
The
Australian bishops express their gratitude for
the work Bishop Robinson did before his retirement,
particularly his work with victims of sexual abuse.
'However,' their statement continues, 'people
have a right to know clearly what the Catholic
Church believes and teaches.' The statement indicates
that the bishops' conference had corresponded
with Bishop Robinson in an effort to resolve problems
with the book. The fundamental problem, the statement
notes, is the author's failure to acknowledge
that 'the Church's magisterium teaches the truth
authoritatively in the name of Christ.'
The
bishops acknowledge, 'The authority entrusted
by Christ to his Church may at times be poorly
exercised.' Nevertheless, the statement says,
the failures of human leaders does not 'invalidate
the Church's authority to teach particular truths
of faith and morals.' [CWNews] 1448.13
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Belarus
KGB applies pressure
The
government of Belarus is discourage the commemoration
of Orthodox Christians who died for their faith
under persecution by the Soviet Union, the Forum
18 news service has found. KGB secret police have
sought to have icons of the New Martyrs, as they
are known by the Orthodox Church, removed from
Grodno cathedral. Russian Orthodox Deacon Andrei
Kurayev told Forum 18 that 'Some comrades from
the local KGB asked local clergy why they were
inciting the people in such a way.'
While
there was no official order to remove the icons--
'it was on the level of a chat' - Kurayev reported
that Bishop Artemi (Kishchenko) of Grodno and
Volkovysk refused to take them down. 'He told
the KGB that he couldn't rewrite history.' KGB
officers also often monitor visitors to Kuropaty,
where New Martyrs are probably among mass graves
of Stalinist repression victims, a local Orthodox
source told Forum 18. The act of going there,
even to light candles, is 'fraught with tension'
with the current Belarusian regime, according
to the source. An Orthodox chapel planned for
the site has never been built. [CWNews] 1448.14
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Burma
(Myanmar)
Cyclone Nargis
The apostolic delegate to Myanmar, Archbishop
Salvatore Pennacchio, visited Yangon and nearby
areas affected by Cyclone Nargis on May 8, according
to the Apostolic Nunciature in Bangkok. The papal
representative visited the former Myanmar capital
and neighboring areas seriously affected by the
May 3 cyclone, a spokesperson told UCA News on
May 12. Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon informed
the visiting Bangkok-based Church diplomat that
the losses claimed by the cyclone are enormous,
with the death toll anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000,
and at least 200,000 people are missing including
a priest and a nun. More than 15 villages like
Laputta, which the nuncio visited in the Irrawaddy
Delta region, simply disappeared, and many Catholic
villages suffered serious damage.
About
70 percent of the trees in Yangon were uprooted.
All churches, priests' houses and convents have
been damaged, Archbishop Bo told the visiting
prelate. The Church in Myanmar has appealed for
international aid. Through the newly formed Myanmar
Disaster Relief Committee (MDRC), under the leadership
of Yangon archdiocese, it has begun offering food,
clothing, shelter materials and medicine to the
affected people. The greatest destruction occurred
in the area of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city,
and the Irrawaddy delta region to the southwest,
covered by Pathein diocese.
Prior to his exposure visit to areas in and outside
Yangon, Archbishop Pennacchio offered Mass at
St. Mary's Cathedral in the former capital for
the victims of the disaster, together with Archbishop
Bo and Auxiliary Bishop Justin Saw Min Thide of
Yangon. Bishop Raymond Pa Ray of Mawlamyine, whose
diocese covers coastal areas southeast of Yangon,
Bishop Philip Za Hawng of Lashio, whose northeastern
diocese the cyclone did not hit, and retired Bishop
Mahn Erie of Pathein joined them. Another 56 priests
also concelebrated the Mass, for a congregation
of about 1,000 laypeople and 100 priests and Religious.
The
apostolic delegate read a message from Pope Benedict
XVI expressing sympathy, solidarity and prayers
for the cyclone victims and survivors, and for
all the people of Myanmar. Archbishop Bo, speaking
on behalf of the congregation and the people of
the country, expressed gratitude to the pope and
the visiting apostolic delegate for the messages
of consolation. Archbishop Pennacchio is apostolic
nuncio to Thailand, Cambodia and Singapore, and
apostolic delegate to Myanmar, Malaysia, Laos
and Brunei. Meanwhile, in a general message sent
on Archbishop Bo's behalf by his secretary, Father
Ignatius Nyan Htoo, the Yangon archbishop expressed
his thanks for all the concern and efforts to
assist the affected people.
'All
your prayers, concerns and desire to be of help
for our people are deeply appreciated,' he wrote.
The archbishop explained that the MDRC, formed
'to carry out effectively and quickly the emergency
response,' comprises the Archdiocese of Yangon,
local and international Church partners and New
Humanity, a Catholic NGO based in Italy and affiliated
with the Focolare Movement. 'We do believe and
hope that the good Lord is close to us through
all of you especially at this moment of suffering
and darkness,' Archbishop Bo concluded his message.
[UCAN] 1448.15
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Canada
'I've been waiting 35 years to hear that . .'
The
Archbishop of Ottawa addressed the convocation
of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy in Barrys Bay
Ontario last week, leaving attendees awestruck.
