Romanus
the Melodist
During
yesterday morning's general audience, Benedict
XVI dedicated his catechesis to Romanus the Melodist,
a Syrian 'theologian, poet, composer and permanent
deacon who resided in a monastery on the outskirts
of Constantinople in the sixth century'. Before
delivering his catechesis in the Paul VI Hall,
the Holy Father visited the Vatican Basilica to
greet faithful gathered there. Romanus, the Pope
explained, belongs to 'that sizeable group of
theologians who transformed theology into poetry'
and whose numbers include 'St. Ephrem the Syrian,
... St. Ambrose, ... St. Thomas Aquinas, ... and
St. John of the Cross. Faith is love and so creates
poetry and music. Faith is joy and so creates
beauty'.
The
Melodist 'has gone down in history as one of the
most characteristic authors of liturgical hymns'
at a time in which 'homilies were practically
the only occasion for the faithful to receive
catechistic guidance'. His was 'a lively and original
way of presenting the catechesis. ... Through
his compositions we get an idea of the creativity
... the theology, the aesthetics and the sacred
hymns of that time'. In his musical homilies,
known as 'kontakia', Romanus 'did not use the
solemn Byzantine Greek of the court, but a simple
Greek closer to the language of the people. ...
The power of conviction of his preaching was founded
on the great coherence between his words and his
life'. Benedict XVI then went on to examine some
of the focal points of the poet-theologian's teaching:
'the unity of God's actions in history, ... the
unity between creation and the history of salvation,
the unity between the Old and New Testaments'.
Another
aspect the Pope highlighted was Romanus doctrine
on the Holy Spirit'. On the subject of the Pentecost,
he said, the poet 'underlined the continuity that
exists between the ascended Christ and His Apostles,
in other words the Church, and he exalted missionary
activity in the world'. In the Christological
field, 'he did not enter into the conceptual problem
... which so lacerated the unity not only of theologians
but also of the Church'. Instead, he preached
'the Christology of the great Councils, remaining
close to popular piety. ... The concepts of the
Councils arose from popular piety, from the knowledge
of the Christian heart. Hence he underlined the
fact that Christ is true God and true man, ...
a single person'. Romanus' moral teachings, the
Holy Father observed, 'were particularly concerned
with the Final Judgement.
He
led us to that moment of truth of our lives -
the meeting with the righteous Judge - and so
advised conversion through penance, fasting and
charity, which for him was the most important
of all the virtues'. 'Vibrant humanity, ardent
faith and profound humility impregnate the music
of Romanus the Melodist', said Pope Benedict.
'This great poet and composer reminds us of all
the wealth of Christian culture which was born
of faith, born of hearts that encountered Christ.
From this contact with the Truth that is love
... all great Christian culture came into being'.
'If faith remains alive, this cultural heritage
does not die, ... it remains. Icons also speak
today to hearts that believe.
They
are not just things of the past. Cathedrals are
not medieval monuments, but places where we can
meet God and one another. Great music, Gregorian
chants, Bach, Mozart, are not things of the past.
They exist with the vitality of our liturgy and
our faith. If faith is alive, Christian culture
does not become a thing of the past'. 'And if
faith remains alive', the Holy Father concluded,
'we too can respond to the constantly-repeated
imperative: ... 'Sing to the Lord a new song!'
Creativity, innovation, new song, new culture
and the presence of all cultural heritage', he
concluded, 'are not things that exclude one another
but a single reality. They are the presence of
God's beauty, the joy of being His children'.
[Vatican Information Service] 1450.1
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Homosexual
tendencies, seminary admissions
In
an effort to end continued confusion, Vatican
Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone released
a letter to the world's Catholic Bishops yesterday
clearly stating that the Church's norms prohibiting
individuals with homosexual tendencies from admission
to seminaries apply universally. In November 2005,
the Congregation for Catholic Education released
the 'Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the
Discernment of Vocation with regard to Persons
with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission
to the Seminary and to Holy Orders.' The Instruction
forbade admission to seminary to 'those who practise
homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual
tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'.'
'Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation
that gravely hinders them from relating correctly
to men and women. One must in no way overlook
the negative consequences that can derive from
the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual
tendencies.' The 2005 document also insisted that
transitory homosexual tendencies needed to be
overcome at least three years prior to ordination
to the diaconate. While some interpreted the Instruction
referred to only certain diocesan seminaries,
Cardinal Bertone's letter made clear that the
Instruction applies to all seminaries. Bertone
wrote that the norms apply 'for all houses of
formation for the priesthood, including those
under the Dicasteries for Eastern Churches, for
the Evangelization of Peoples, and for the Institutes
of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic
Life.'
Catholic
columnist Barbara Kralis, who was recently pivotal
in the resignation of a Dallas priest formerly
involved in a gay porn website, has repeatedly
emphasized the dangers of admitting individuals
with homosexual inclinations since the 2005 Instruction's
release. 'Many, many, heterosexual men with vocations
to the Diaconate and the Priesthood are listening.
They will not enter the seminaries if they think
that the bishops are going to allow homosexual
men into the seminary,' she wrote in a November
2005 RenewAmerica.com column. 'How many authentic
vocations were will be lost by the bishops in
the United States because of their silence? They
will only find this out in eternity.'
Kralis
also warned against subjecting individuals with
homosexual tendencies to the near occasion to
sin. 'He should never be allowed to continue to
live in a seminary in close quarters with men.
This will only fan the flames of an unnatural
spark,' wrote Kralis of individuals with homosexual
inclinations. Kralis has also noted the connection
between the priestly sex abuse crisis and the
prevalence of homosexuality among the Catholic
clergy. 'The John Jay College has also released
their survey, requested by the USCCB's National
Review Board, on the sexual abuse of minors by
Catholic clergy, revealing that 4% of all Catholic
priests have, for the past 52 years, been accused
of abusing children,' wrote Kralis in a February
2004 RenewAmerica.com column.
'The
study further states that 80-90% of these priests
had sodomy or perverted sex with adolescent boys
(ephebophilia), not prepubescent boys (pedophilia).'
'Penn State Professor of History and Religion,
Phil Jenkins, a non-Catholic and non-lover of
Catholicism, states in his book 'Paedophiles and
Priests' that it is less than 2% of Catholic priests
who are paedophiles. The real problem is consensual
sex between priests with other priests or adult
males.'
The
actively homosexual Los Angels talk show host
Al Rantel admitted in a June 2002 CNN
interview among priests was a major contributor
to the Church's sex abuse crisis. 'This is not
a paedophile issue, although the media called
it a paedophile issue, because they don't want
to insult the gay community. They don't want to
be politically incorrect.' 'But what you have
here are not paedophiles. You have predatory gay
men -- and there are some of us, believe me, I
don't happen to be one of them, but there are
some and we should all admit they're there. And
these predatory gay men found their way into the
Catholic priesthood in inordinately large numbers…,'
said Rantel. [LifeSiteNews] 1450.2
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Same-sex
'marriage'
One day after California overturned a ban on same-sex
marriage, the Holy Father has firmly stated that
only marriage between a man and a woman is moral.
Yesterday, California's Supreme Court came to
a 4-3 decision overturning the state's law preventing
homosexuals from being recognized as married.
While the Pope did not directly mention the ruling
in California in his address to the Forum of Family
Associations and the European Federation of Catholic
Family Associations, Benedict XVI stressed the
importance of the traditional family for the good
of society. 'The union of love, based on matrimony
between a man and a woman, which makes up the
family, represents a good for all society that
can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared
to other types of unions,' he said. He continued
by speaking of the rights of the traditional family,
'founded on matrimony between a man and a woman,
the natural cradle of human life.'
Mention
of the need to defend the family is not uncharacteristic
for Pope Benedict, but his statement takes on
particular relevance following the California
ruling. In the same address, the Pope emphasized
the family's importance by citing John Paul II,
'the Pope of the family,' who said that 'the future
of humanity passes by way of the family.' [CNA]
1450.3
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The
charisms of movements
The
charisms of movements and new ecclesial communities
must be welcomed by the Church 'with much love'
and without 'superficial and reductive judgments,'
says Benedict XVI. The Pope said this Saturday
upon receiving some 150 bishops who participated
in a seminar of the Pontifical Council for the
Laity on ecclesial movements. The meeting was
held May 15-17 in Rocca di Papa, Italy. The seminar
is a follow-up to the 2006 meeting that the Pontiff
held in St. Peter's Square on the vigil of Pentecost
with a large representation of faithful belonging
to more than 100 new lay groups. In his speech
Saturday, the Holy Father underscored the various
gifts with which the ecclesial movements and the
new communities have enriched the Church, especially
since the Second Vatican Council: effective Christian
formation, the witness of fidelity and obedience
to the Church, missionary zeal, care for the poor,
and a wealth of vocations.
Benedict
XVI said Go out to meet with much love the movements
and new communities; let us make an effort to
know their reality adequately, without superficial
impressions or reductive judgments. 'It also helps
us to understand that the ecclesial movements
and new communities are not a problem or an extra
risk that further weighs on our grave duties.
'No! They are a gift of the Lord, a precious resource
to enrich our whole Christian community with their
charisms. Thus, a confident welcome that gives
space to and values their contributions in the
life of the local Churches must not be lacking.'
The Pope explained, 'Difficulties and misunderstandings
about particular questions do not authorize closure.'
Recent decades, he added, have already contributed
to overcoming 'not a few prejudices, resistance,
tensions.'
Something
that has its own urgency, the Holy Father pointed
out, is 'the important task of promoting a more
mature communion of all the ecclesial components,
so that all charisms, in regard to their specificity,
can fully and freely contribute to the building
up of the one Body of Christ.' In this connection,
the Pontiff indicated that 'dialogue' and 'collaboration'
is the style to adopt, and that 'prudence, patience'
and 'much love' --especially where correction
is necessary -- are the ways to be taken. Benedict
XVI also said that the ecclesial movements and
new communities that are just beginning should,
for their part, thoroughly submit to the discernment
and 'delicate' and 'vigilant' accompaniment of
ecclesiastical authority, so that the 'authenticity'
of their charisms and the solidity of their communion
with the Church be verified.
'Those who are called to the service of discernment
and leadership,' the Pope said, 'should not lord
it over the charisms, but should rather beware
of the danger of suffocating them, resisting the
temptation to make uniform that which the Spirit
willed to be multiform to concur in the building
up and the enlargement of the one Body of Christ,
that the same Spirit makes firm in unity.' [Zenit]
1450.4
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'Live with hope'
The
secret to being young at heart is to live with
hope, which one only finds in a true encounter
with Jesus Christ, says Benedict XVI. The Pope
said this today in an encounter with youth at
Genoa's Piazza Matteotti, during his two-day pastoral
visit to Savona and Genoa, in the Italian region
of Liguria. The torrential rain that fell in the
morning did not discourage the crowds, or the
Pontiff. 'The rain has been following me a bit
these days,' he said, 'but I take it as a sign
of blessing, of fruitfulness of the earth and
as a symbol of the Holy Spirit that comes and
renews the dry earth of our souls.'
The
Holy Father told the young people present that
the years of youth are 'full of expectations and
dreams,' but added that even when they pass, 'we
should all remain young in our hearts.' 'It is
beautiful to be young; we all want to be so,'
he said, and it's because the 'youth sill have
their entire future before them,' and the future
signifies 'time of hope.' Benedict XVI told the
young people that they are in a position now to
make important choices, and that it is 'important
to choose well and not to destroy your future.'
The 'first fundamental election should be God,'
he added. 'To be young implies to be good and
generous,' continued the Pope, and 'the goodness
in a person is Jesus.' Jesus is 'the friend that
will never betray,' said the Holy Father. 'Only
he can dissolve your anxieties and fears and meet
your expectations.'
The Pontiff explained that to 'enter into a personal
relationship' with Christ 'demands a knowledge
of Scripture, above all the Gospel, where the
Lord speaks with us.' 'These words are not always
easy,' the Pope said, 'but entering into them,
entering into dialogue, knocking at the door of
the word saying to the Lord, 'Open,' we truly
find the words of life.' Benedict XVI added that
this 'conversation with the Lord in Scripture
should take place not only individually, but also
within in the community of the Church, where Christ
is always present, in the communion of the liturgy,
within the very personal encounter of the Eucharist
and in the sacrament of reconciliation.' 'Only
in this way can we personally know Jesus, and
we can also communicate this friendship to others,'
he added.
'The
more we are great friends of Jesus, the wider
we can open our hearts to others so that they
too can be truly young, in other words, so they
too can have before them a great future.' At the
end of the encounter Benedict XVI gave the Gospel,
a sign of being sent on mission, to youth representing
a mission program in the Archdiocese of Genoa.
'Announce Christ the Lord, hope of the world,'
the Pope told the young people. 'Be united among
yourselves,' he urged them, 'help each other to
live and to grow in the Christian faith so as
to be valiant witnesses of the Lord. Be united,
but not closed. Be humble, but not fearful. Be
simple, but not naive. Be thoughtful, but not
complicated. Enter into dialogue with others,
but be yourselves.' 'Each one of you,' the Pope
said, 'if you stay united to Christ and the Church,
can do great things.'
Benedict
XVI then turned to introduce the Angelus, where
he commented on the message that tradition says
Mary gave when appearing to Benedetto Pareto in
the 15th century. The Virgin asked Pareto to build
a Church on Mount Figogna, near Genoa, and when
he showed signs of worry, she said, 'Trust in
me! You will not lack the means. With my help
everything will be easy. Only be firm in your
will.' The site is now the Shrine of Nostra Signora
della Guardia, a popular Marian pilgrimage destination
in the region of Liguori. ''Trust in me!' Mary
repeats this again to us today,' said the Pope.
'Liguria,
and Genoa in particular,' continued the Holy Father,
'has always been a land open to the Mediterranean
and the whole world: How many missionaries have
set out from this port for the Americas and other
distant lands! How many people have immigrated
from here to other countries, poor perhaps in
material resources, but rich in faith and human
and spiritual values, which they transplanted
in the places where they settled! 'Mary, Star
of the Sea, continue to shine on Genoa! Mary,
Star of Hope, continue to guide the journey of
the Genovese, especially the new generations,
that they find the right way in the often tempestuous
sea of life!' [Zenit] 1450.5
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'Forward
looking' Humanae Vitae
While
'Humanae Vitae' may present 'hard' teachings,
more importantly it is a reminder of truths of
love and dignity that are often forgotten, according
to a Vatican spokesman. Jesuit Father Federico
Lombardi, director of the Holy See's press office,
affirmed this on the last episode of weekly Vatican
Television program 'Octava Dies.' The spokesman
based his comments on Benedict XVI's address May
10 to participants from an international congress
promoted by the Pontifical Lateran University
to mark the 40th anniversary of the encyclical
written by Pope Paul VI. Benedict XVI, noted Father
Lombardi, said that the encyclical was the fruit
of 'a painful decision,' and that 'it constitutes
a significant show of courage in reiterating the
continuity of the Church's doctrine and tradition.'
'Humanae
Vitae' presented a 'hard' teaching, added
Father Lombardi, but also an 'unchanging truth,'
and 40 years later the encyclical's foresight
with regard to the problem it confronted is quite
apparent. 'Not allowing itself to be dominated
by a fascination with technology, the Church continues
to look to the conjugal love between a man and
a woman as a participation in the divine creative
action of God himself,' the spokesman said. 'A
contemplation full of respect, attentive to that
mysterious and surprising something that occurs
in the transmission of life.
'Certainly the logic of reciprocal welcoming,
of self-mastery, of conjugal respect, of spirituality
and responsibility, that characterizes this vision
can seem light years away from the ostentatious
separation of sexuality and responsibility, from
that transformation of sexuality into a drug that
attacks us from every corner of our streets and
of our cities, from every TV and computer screen.'
'But precisely for this reason 'Humanae Vitae'
is forward looking,' said Father Lombardi.
'With the courage of hard words it reminds us
of a truth and of the dignity of the person, of
life and of love, that too often is forgotten.'
And the consequence of this forgetfulness is not
greater happiness, the spokesman added, 'but that
'asphyxiating circle of egoism' that, as the Pope
says, always remains a trap.' Father Lombardi
affirmed the message of Benedict XVI, 'Love and
reason can do something great together.' 'Indeed,'
concluded the Jesuit, 'they can save love -- today
and tomorrow. For everyone.' [Zenit] 1450.6
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United
Nations
Sustainable
development
On 16 May, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy
See permanent observer to the United Nations in
New York, pronounced a discourse during the 16th
session of the Commission on Sustainable Development
of the U.N. Economic and Social Council.
'Investing
in long-term and sustainable agriculture programmes
at the local and international levels remains
central to the development prospects of so many',
he said in his English-language remarks. 'This
investment must be done in a way that addresses
the prices of food commodities as well as the
distribution and production of food around the
world, in particular in Africa'.
Noting
the fact that 'seventy percent of the world's
poor live in the same rural areas where widespread
chronic malnourishment continues to persist' archbishop
Migliore explained that this 'illustrates that
in addressing sustainable development we must
continue to focus not merely upon those who consume
food commodities but also upon those who produce
it.
'Greater
investment in small-holder farmers which enables
them to increase production in a sustainable manner
would provide an important element to addressing
the continued presence of chronic hunger and malnourishment
in certain regions', he concluded.
[Vatican Information Service] 1450.7
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Europe
Decriminalization
of sodomy
The
French government plans to use its upcoming presidency
of the European Union to push for the universal
decriminalization of sodomy, according to news
reports.
It
has also announced its endorsement of the 'International
Day Against Homophobia' (IDAHO), a day that commemorates
the World Health Organization's decision to declassify
homosexual orientation as a mental disorder in
1990. Controversy about the decision continues
to exist among mental health professionals and
others.
According
to the homosexualist website UK Gay News, the
French government headed by conservative Nicolas
Sarkosky was not inclined to support IDAHO until
homosexual activist Louis-Georges Tin staged a
theatrical protest at the Presidential Palace
on May 16, which he called a 'die-in', while wearing
a T-shirt containing a list of countries that
prohibit sodomy.
Tin's
arrest and detention for several hours provoked
protests from French socialist political parties
and organizations. President Sarkosky's Human
Rights Minister, Rama Yade, capitulated to Tin
completely and announced that the government would
endorse IDAHO, a movement which Tin founded in
2005.
But
Yade went further and also announced that the
government would use its presidency of the European
Union to push for the universal decriminalization
of sodomy, both in the European Union and the
United Nations.
She
also promised to denounce any cases of 'homophobia'
she might encounter in other countries while she
is traveling.
France
will head the European Union beginning in July
and lasting for six months. [LifeSiteNews] 1450.8
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The radical onslaught
Role
model for Jesuit university students
Among
those receiving honorary degrees at University
of San Francisco commencement ceremonies this
past weekend was Ambassador Mark Dybul, an open
homosexual with a same-sex partner about whom
he makes no secret. Dybul has served as U.S. Global
AIDS coordinator under President George W. Bush.
At
his swearing-in ceremony in October 2006, Secretary
of State Condoleeza Rice welcomed Dybul's family
members, including his partner, Jason Claire,
and Claire's mother, whom Rice called Dybul's
'mother-in-law.'
Laura
Bush was present at the swearing in, looking on
while Dybul's partner held the Bible on which
Dybul placed his hand while taking the oath of
office.
According
to a USF press release, the university honored
Dybul 'for his work at the forefront of the international
fight against HIV/AIDS as the U.S. global AIDS
coordinator.' According to the release, 'Dybul
is a role model for USF students as someone with
the knowledge and skills needed to succeed, and
the values and sensitivity to be men and women
for others.'
'Dr.
Dybul's life and work reflect USF's core value
of advancing a 'culture of service that respects
and promotes the dignity of every person,'' says
the citation awarded to him, according to the
press release.
Jesuit-run
USF is not the first Catholic organization to
have recognized Dybul. In February, he was one
of two recipients of the first Mother Teresa International
Humanitarian Award. The event was organized by
the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
Health Commission. Cardinal Telesphore Toppo,
a past president of the Indian Conference of Catholic
bishops, presented the awards.
Dybul
has been a defender of President Bush's ABC HIV/AIDS
prevention program, which has been criticized
for its emphasis on abstinence. 'ABC (Abstain,
Be faithful, correct and consistent use of Condoms)
is good public health, based on respect for local
culture -- it is an African solution, developed
in Africa, not in the U.S.,' Dybul said in an
April 13, 2006 'Ask the State Department' Internet
forum. ABC, he said, 'provides comprehensive information
so people can decide how to protect themselves.'
[CalCatholic] 1450.9
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International news
Brazil
Pro-abortion youth Youth Conference'
Brazil's
first national 'Youth Conference', held in the
capital city of Brasilia in late April, concluded
with a declaration in favour of the legalization
of abortion and the creation of an educational
system free of 'homophobia'. The 2,280 attendees
were given preliminary materials published by
the government and bearing the name of President
Luiz Lula, which claimed that illegal abortions
were causing maternal deaths and that women never
die of legal abortions. One such publication claimed
that an unnamed 'study' revealed that '70 thousand
women die every year because of complications
caused by badly-done abortions. In countries where
the procedure is legal, there is no record of
deaths for this reason.' No citation was given.
In fact, official statistics in the United States
have reported approximately 0.8 deaths per 100,000
abortions (here)
and pro-life organizations have long claimed that
such deaths are underreported.
Participants
were also given government materials that defended
homosexuality as a 'right'. 'It is necessary...
to guarantee to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transvestites,
transsexuals, and transgender people the right
to freely express their sexual orientation,' said
one preliminary document. Another stated that,
'to be homosexual (gay or lesbian), bisexual,
transvestite or transsexual isn't an illness,
isn't illegal, isn't wrong, and isn't an option.
It's an orientation like heterosexuality, that
is to say, another way of living and expressing
one's love.'
The
publication reaffirmed the fact that the World
Health Organization no longer categorizes homosexuality
as an illness. The final resolutions approved
by participants included a declaration that the
government should 'implement public policies to
promote the sexual and reproductive rights of
young women...guaranteeing access to contraceptive
methods, and the legalization of abortion.' It
also urged the government to 'implement public
policies that promote the democratization of access
to a secular, non-sexist, non-racist, non-lesbian-phobic/homophobic/transphobic,
non-heteronormative, democratic and anticapitalist
education'.
The
declarations of the government-sponsored conference
contradict a poll taken as late as 2006 by UNESCO,
in which 47% of Brazilian youth between the ages
of 16 and 19 stated that they would not like to
have a homosexual as a neighbour, and 49% of male
youth said that they thought that a man who has
sexual relations with another man is either ill,
or shameless. A recent poll of Brazilians nationwide
found that a majority of 68% oppose the further
decriminalisation of abortion, which is illegal
but not currently punished in Brazil in cases
of rape. [LifeSiteNews] 1450.10
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China
'Not yet time' for papal visit
The
Archbishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen,
said from Turin this week that 'the time has not
yet come for the Pope to visit China,' as 'his
trip would be used by the government, would be
misunderstood and would do nothing for the faithful
of the Roman Church.' 'In China there is no religious
freedom or freedom of the press, and although
the government wants you to think it is opening
up in view of the Olympic Games, it controls the
internet all the time,' Cardinal Zen said. The
cardinal recalled Pope Benedict XVI's letter to
Chinese Catholics in which he called on Communist
authorities to guarantee 'authentic religious
freedom' to Chinese Catholics. He noted that after
the release of the Pope's letter, 'nothing has
changed.' Therefore, he said he was skeptical
that Chinese officials would fulfill their promise
to 'halt the ordination of bishops' not approved
by Rome during the Olympic period. Although he
acknowledged that 'the Olympic Games can help
change the current situation of repression,' Cardinal
Zen warned that the 'Chinese government, even
in the pre-Olympic period, wants to control everything,
it is omnivorous.'[CNA] 1450.11
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Germany
Exorcism
Hundreds
of Germans, tortured by inner voices, are on the
search for priests who can free them from what
they believe to be the grip of the Devil, according
to an extraordinary radio documentary that has
stirred an awkward debate about exorcism in the
Catholic Church.
"Over
the past year alone I have received requests from
around 350 people who think they are possessed
by an evil spirit," says Father Joerg Mueller,
who heads a group of priests, doctors and therapists
to deal with the problem. "Therapy hasn't
worked for them; they want exorcism - a prayer
that can free them."
Father
Mueller, who is based in a Bavarian monastery,
was talking to a team from WDR, the state radio
network, which was allowed to record extracts
from eight exorcisms.
A
Polish exorcist, named only as Father Wiktor,
suggested that this was only a fraction of the
actual number seeking help. "I would say
that every day at least one person is undergoing
a full-scale exorcism," he told WDR.
Permission
for a full exorcism has to be granted by a bishop,
but few permits have been given. In a poll of
German dioceses, only Paderborn admitted to having
authorised three exorcisms.
Frustrated
by the lack of exorcists in their own country,
disturbed Germans are turning to esoteric spiritual
healers and priests in Switzerland and Poland.
Andrzej Trojanowski, a Polish priest, even has
plans to set up an exorcism centre in Poczernin,
on the Polish-German border.
Father
Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican exorcist-in-chief,
has performed the ritual more than 40,000 times.
The Vatican aim appears to be to place at least
one exorcist in each diocese to ensure that the
distressed do not drift away from the Church.
In Germany, however, that drift is already happening.
"I
would say that 90 per cent of those who think
they are possessed by the Devil are mentally ill,"
said Father Mueller. A large number of them have
suffered sexual abuse as children. Some think
that an exorcism is easier than long years of
psychotherapy.
He
added: "But about ten per cent of the people
who approach us have some sign of demonic possession
and then you have to turn to special, charismatic
men and women who have the gift of being able
to feel and recognise if demons have entered someone."
Only a handful qualify for exorcism. [Times] 1450.12
Top
www.catholic-family.org
Iraq
Bishops oppose execution of prelate's killer
Catholic
bishops in Iraq have announced their opposition
to the execution of a man convicted of killing
Archbishop Paulos Faraj Raho, the AsiaNews service
reports. After a court sentenced Ahmad Ali Ahmad
to death for his part in the kidnapping and death
of Archbishop Rahos, two other prelates of the
Chaldean Catholic Church said that the deceased
archbishop himself would have opposed the use
of the death sentence. 'We are in favor of justice,
but not of capital punishment,' said Archbishop
Louis Sako of Kirkuk. Bishop Shlemon Warduni,
an auxiliary in Baghdad, agreed, saying that Archbishop
Raho was totally dedicated to reconciliation and
peace rather than further bloodshed. Catholic
leaders in Iraq pointed out that authorities had
not yet answered any important questions about
the kidnapping of Archbishop Raho from his home
in Mosul. Among those questions, they pointed
out, were the motives of the kidnappers and the
Ahmad, the man convicted of the killing, and other
members of the terrorist group connected with
Al Qaida in Iraq. [CWNews] 1450.13
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Philippines
Homosexuals and the Marian procession
This
year's Manila May Marian procession, a celebration
in honour of The Blessed Virgin as well as the
finding of the Holy Cross, included a group of
homosexual men dressed in drag, apparently showing
their own devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In addressing the appearance of the men in drag,
Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales expressed his concern
regarding the message that the men's actions insinuate.
'We should keep sacred what is sacred.' Rosales
said in an interview with CBCP news (Catholic
Bishop's conference of the Philippines). Following
up on Cardinal Rosales comments, Malolos Bishop,
Jose Oliveros, chair of the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Office on
Bio-ethics, confirms the Cardinals concern and
further addresses the issue of the participation
of those who are outwardly gay in the life of
the Church.
Bishop Oliveros asserted that while homosexual
orientation in and of itself is not sinful, acting
on homosexual inclinations is sinful- in the same
way that any temptation in itself is not sinful,
but submitting and acquiescing to temptation,
it is therein that one commits sin. Bishop Oliveros
comments are in line with the Vatican's November
2005 document from the Congregation for Catholic
Education, approved and enforced by Pope Benedict
XVI in August 2005, regarding the admission of
men with homosexual tendencies. 'Regarding [homosexual]
acts, it teaches that Sacred Scripture presents
them as grave sins. The Tradition has constantly
considered them as intrinsically immoral and contrary
to the natural law. Consequently, under no circumstance
can they be approved'. The document also states
that any man who is to be ordained into the diaconate
must have overcome any homosexual tendencies three
years prior. '[…] It necessary to state clearly
that the Church, while profoundly respecting the
persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary
or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality,
present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support
the so-called 'gay culture'. [lifeSiteNews] 1450.14
Top
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Poland
The Epiphany as a national holiday?
At
least 200,000 Polish people have now joined a
campaign to make the feast of the Epiphany a national
holiday, Vatican Radio reports. The Epiphany was
a national holiday in Poland until 1960, when
the official celebration was abolished by the
Communist government. All other holy days of obligation
have now been recognized as national holidays
in Poland. The campaign to restore official recognition
for Ephiphany has the endorsement of the Polish
bishops' conference and more than 55 mayors. [CWNews]
1450.15
Top
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Russia
Orthodox reject Ravenna document
The
Russian Orthodox Church has officially rejected
a doctrinal statement approved by a joint Catholic-Orthodox
theological commission at a meeting in Ravenna,
Italy last October. The Ravenna meeting reached
agreement that the Bishop of Rome traditionally
enjoyed primacy among all the world's bishops,
of both the Eastern and Western churches. While
Vatican officials hailed the agreement as an important
ecumenical landmark, they cautioned that the Catholic
and Orthodox churches have a different understanding
of primacy. Indeed the Ravenna document noted
'differences of understanding with regard to the
manner in which it is to be exercised, and also
with regard to its scriptural and theological
foundations.'
The Russian Orthodox rejection of the Ravenna
statement is not a surprise, since representatives
of the Moscow patriarchate were critical of the
document when it first appeared. Russian prelates
said that the Ravenna agreement implied that the
Patriarch of Constantinople was the leader of
the Orthodox world, just as the Pope is the leader
of the Catholic Church. The Moscow patriarchate,
which has often contested Constantinople's leadership,
rejected that idea. In January, Patriarch Alexei
of Moscow charged that the Ravenna meeting had
been 'deliberately orchestrated to exclude the
Moscow patriarchate.' In fact, Russian Orthodox
representatives walked out of the meeting before
discussions began, protesting the seating of a
delegation from the Estonian Orthodox Church,
which Moscow does not recognize. [CWNews] 1450.16
Top
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Spain
Museum on abortion
The
Fundación Vida pro-life group in Spain
plans to open a museum on abortion, claiming there
is widespread ignorance of what the procedure
entails. Spokesman, Mr Manuel Cruz said, 'Showing
the reality of abortion is not enough to end this
inhumane practice'. He added that abortion was
'just as evil as or worse than the Nazi holocaust'.
He pointed out, 'The thing is that very few pictures
of the thousands of dead foetuses are shown, and
abortion itself leaves women who have experienced
it completely unable to speak about it.' [CNA
on Spero] 1450.17
Top
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UK
A shameful day in Parliament
'An
offence against the dignity of man'
The
British Parliament has now approved one of the
horrors that has always been rejected by ethics,
says the president of the Pontifical Academy for
Life.
Members
of Parliament approved 336-176 on Monday evening
the creation of hybrid embryos, made by introducing
human DNA into animal ova. The measure aims to
compensate for a 'shortage' of human embryos used
for embryonic stem cell research.
Bishop
Elio Sgreccia told Vatican Radio that the law
is particularly grave from the ethical point of
view since 'it constitutes an offence against
the dignity of man. It is an attempt of fertilization
between species that until how has been prohibited
by all the laws on artificial fertilization.'
'Human-animal
union, even if it is not sexual, represents one
of the horrors that has always brought rejection
in ethics,' he said.
The
prelate emphasized that 'every time the wall between
man and animal has been broken, very grave consequences,
even involuntary ones, have arisen.'
According
to the new law, hybrid embryos should be destroyed
within 14 days of their creation. Implantation
in uteri of either women or animals is also prohibited.
This
means, Bishop Sgreccia explained, that for the
law, embryos younger then 15 days 'are not worth
anything -- something that is scientifically false.'
And
if these embryos were left to live, 'monstrosities
could arise, or infections could be promoted,
since the passage of human DNA to animal DNA could
create unknowns.'
In
this situation, Bishop Sgreccia contended, 'We
must pray for a type of conversion of the press:
Instead of obeying the indications of interested
groups, they should obey the truth, so as not
to create illusions, with the objective of human
compassion, about paths that have not yet offered
any results.'
False
scenario
Many
press reports of the debate have painted the vote
as a case of science versus religion, and particularly
science versus the Catholic Church.
Prime
Minister Gordon Brown proposed in an article in
Monday's Observer that morality was on the side
of the creation of human-animal hybrids. He said
scientists and researchers 'believe they can combine
this work with a deep commitment to the highest
ethical standards and a sincere respect for religious
beliefs.'
The
same day, a spokesman for the Church in Scotland,
Peter Kearney, clarified, 'There is nothing moral
about the treatment of human life as a commodity,
which is what this bill does.'
The
London Times also published Saturday two letters
to the editors, in which non-Catholic Christian
leaders and a representative of Islam affirmed
that the debate over the creation of hybrids is
not about faith.
A
letter signed by 15 Christian leaders noted: 'We
have been somewhat concerned that anyone reading
the newspapers of late may have got the impression
that opposition to the Human Fertilization and
Embryology Bill comes narrowly from Roman Catholics.
It doesn't. Indeed, opposition is in no way restricted
to people of faith.
'However,
as the bill commences its consideration in the
House of Commons we would like to make it plain
that as people from other Christian traditions
we are completely opposed to the creation of animal-human
hybrids, saviour siblings and the removal of the
obligation on IVF clinics to consider the child's
need for a father.
'This
is not a narrowly Roman Catholic issue, nor is
it a narrowly Christian issue nor indeed is it
a narrowly religious issue. It is a human issue.
We need to fight to uphold and protect our humanity.'
Doctor
A. Majid Katme added that Muslims are also against
the idea of hybrids: 'Islam prohibits the making
of a new creation through a cross-species -- human-animal
-- hybrid. […] Every human embryo is a human
being and is fully respected and protected in
Islam -- yet the bill will destroy countless of
thousands of embryos.
'We
fully support scientific and medical progress
aimed at finding the causes and treatment of diseases.
Seeking to use stem cells from this new unnatural,
man-animal production is knocking on the wrong
door, especially when there have been many successful
medical results using adult stem cells, an ethical
alternative.
'Muslim
doctors, Muslim parents and the British Muslims
generally will oppose strongly this bill, a minefield
of dangers and immorality.' [Zenit]
Memo to doctors
~
'I will give no deadly medicine to any one if
asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like
manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to
produce abortion'. [Hippocratic Oath, attributed
to the school of Hippocrates, the 'Father of Medicine,'
circa 400 B.C].
Victory
Day for lesbians
UK ~ A child will legally be able to have two
mothers and no father after MPs voted to take
away the need for fathers when parents undergo
fertility treatment. In a controversial move both
women in a lesbian relationship will be able to
have the status of legal parents when one of them
gives birth. It came as MPs prepared to vote on
lowering the time limit on abortion. Family campaigners
have attacked the move which will change how families
have been historically defined. Article continues
advertisement Click to learn more... The Human
Fertilisation and Embryology Bill will update
previous legislation to remove the reference to
a father. Where two women are in a relationship
and one has fertility treatment in order to conceive
then the partner should be treated as the other
'parent' even if they are not in a civil partnership.
In those circumstances no man - such as the sperm
donor - can be treated as a father, the Bill says,
to avoid a child having three legal parents. Iain
Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader,
led the opposition to the plans. He denied he
was attempting to return to a former age where
two-parent families were the norm.
