CF News

 

News service of the National Association of Catholic Families

 

Latin in the Eucharistic Prayer

Pope Benedict XVI is considering changes in the Mass, according to an Italian publication. The weekly Panorama reports that the Holy Father has asked the Congregation for Divine Worship to study the possibility of changes that would include using Latin in the Eucharistic Prayer and moving the Sign of Peace to the Offertory. (Note : CWN has not been able to confirm the accuracy of the Panorama report. The New Liturgical Movement web site, which brought the Italian report to the attention of English-speaking readers, cautioned that the Panorama report should be treated 'with great caution.)' The Panorama story itself suggests only that the Pope has asked for a study of the proposals-- not that he is prepared to implement the changes. According to the Italian weekly, the Pope is weighing the use of Latin for the formula of Consecration at Mass. He may also be leaning toward the use of Latin in other sacraments. Pope Benedict has often expressed a desire to enrich the post-conciliar liturgy by incorporating some aspects of older liturgical practices. The proposed changes could be seen as part of that process. [CWNews] 1462.1

 

A truth for daily life

The secretary for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Angelo Amato, explained this week that 'Christian truth is not only for experts but for everyone, it is not only a theoretical truth but also a practical one. It's not a truth only for academia but also for daily life.' In an article published by 'L'Osservatore Romano' entitled, 'The truth is shown by putting it into practice,' Bishop Amato said this truth has to do with 'Christian simplicity, far from Gnostic fables. Not only wise men but also simple people have contributed to the spread of Christianity.' Often times, the archbishop wrote, the Fathers of the Church 'call Christians 'true philosophers'(.) 'Who reads Aristotle? How many people are familiar with Plato or his books, or at least his name? On the other hand, the whole world knows about our simple people and our fishermen, the fame resounds throughout the world. Therefore we need to present their simple words with simple language as well,' he said. Archbishop Amato went on to stress that 'Christian simplicity is not simplistic or superficial. It points to a higher knowledge that surpasses the dialectic of philosophers and rectors and is successful by reaching all.'

With regards to the question of truth in other religions, the archbishop stressed that inter-religious dialogue must be carried out carefully and without improvisation, lest 'we run the risk of making banal or even betraying our convictions and those of others.' Christianity's claim upon the truth is found at the heart of its identity, he said, as evidenced by not only sound reasoning but also by the exemplary lives of its believers. 'Such truth was spread not by coercion but by persuasion,' he added, because 'at the foundation of the Christian's proclamation is the principle of freedom.' [CNA] 1462.2

 

September visit to France

Benedict XVI will make an apostolic trip to France from 12 to 15 September, for the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes. The Holy Father will depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 9 a.m. on Friday 12 September, landing at Orly airport in Paris two hours later. The welcome ceremony and courtesy visit to Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, will he held in the Elysee Palace at 12.25 p.m., followed by a meeting with the authorities of State to whom the Pope will pronounce a discourse. At 5 p.m. he is due to meet with delegates from the local Jewish community at the apostolic nunciature in Paris, after which he will travel to the city's College des Bernardins where he will encounter representatives from the world of culture. At 5 p.m. he will preside at Vespers in the cathedral of Notre-Dame with priests, religious, seminarians and deacons, and greet young people gathered in front of the building.

On Saturday 13 September, the Holy Father will make a brief visit to the Institut de France before going on to celebrate Mass at 10 a.m. on the Esplanade des Invalides. At 4.30 p.m. he is scheduled to travel by plane to Lourdes where, at 6.30 p.m., he will visit the church of the Sacred Heart and the Cachot (house of the Soubirous family), then proceed to the Grotto. At 9.30 p.m. he is due to close the torchlight Marian procession on the esplanade of the Shrine of Lourdes. On Sunday 14 September, on the Meadow in Lourdes, Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass for the 150th anniversary of the apparitions, then pray the Angelus. At 5.15 p.m. he is due to meet with French bishops in the Hemicycle Sainte-Bernadette and, an hour later, to address participants in a Eucharistic procession on the Meadow. At 8.45 a.m. on Monday 15 September the Pope will visit the Oratory of the Hospital in Lourdes, then celebrate Mass for the sick in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. The departure ceremony is due to take place at 12.30 p.m. in the airport of Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees and the Pope's plane is scheduled to arrive at Rome's Ciampino airport at 5.15. p.m. [Vatican Information Service] 1462.3

Blessed Damien of Molokai

The Vatican has cleared the way for the canonization of Blessed Damien of Molokai, and the beatification of the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. At a July 3 private audience with Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Benedict XVI approved a series of decrees concerning candidates for beatification and canonization. Confirming a report that had circulated earlier in the week, the Congregation approved the authenticity of a miracle through the intercession of Blessed Damien of Molokai (1840- 1889). That miracle fulfills the requirements for his canonization, and a ceremony will be scheduled soon. The decrees issued on July 3 certified miracles attributed to the intercession of two other candidates who had already been beatified, and now will be scheduled for canonization. They are Blessed Bernardo Tolomei (1272- 1348), an Italian Benedictine; and Blessed Nuno di Santa Maria Alvares Pereira (1360- 1431), a Portuguese lay Carmelite. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints also certified a miracle through the influence of Ludovico Martin and Maria Zelia Guerin Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. That miracle fulfills the requirements for their beatification. The announcement of their impending beatification comes as Catholics in Lisieux prepare to celebrate the 150th anniversary of their marriage, with ceremonies scheduled for July 12 and 13.

Another decree proclaimed that Francesco Giovanni Bonifacio (1912- 1946), an Italian, was 'killed in hatred of the faith,' and can therefore be classified as a martyr. He too is now eligible for beatification.

The Congregation also certified that 7 other candidates for beatification had shown 'heroic virtue.' They will now be eligible for beatification if a miracle is accredited to their intercession. They are:

Stephen Douayhy (1630-1704), a Lebanese Maronite patriarch;

Bernardino Dal Vago da Portogruaro (1822-1895), an Italian Franciscan and archbishop;

Giuseppe Di Donna (1901-1952), an Italian bishop;

Maria Barbara of the Blessed Trinity Maix, (1818-1873), an Australian religious foundress;

Pius Keller (1825-1904), a German Augustinian priest;

Andres Hibernon Garmendia (1880-1969), a Spanish religious;

Chiara Badano (1971-1990), an Italian lay woman.

[CWNews] 1462.4

 

United Nations

 

 

The global food crisis

Debate at the United Nations about the causes of the global food crisis does no good if it does not lead to 'immediate and effective action,' the Holy See says.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, affirmed this Wednesday at the general debate of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Substantive Session for 2008.

The high-level segment of the session was focused on considering the progress made in achieving the U.N. development agenda and the need to address the developmental needs of rural communities.

'The ongoing food crisis, as well as the economic downturn in some developed countries, highlights the importance and relevance of our theme,' the archbishop said.

Archbishop Migliore affirmed that the food crisis has impacted all societies.

'In some places it manifests itself in scarcity of food with consequent malnourishment and starvation; in others it appears in the form of higher prices for families trying to provide for their basic needs,' he said.

And the prelate mentioned the main causes of the crisis: 'Despite its different manifestations, it stems from a series of concomitant causes: shortsighted economic, agricultural and energy policies, which cause a clash between the increasing demand for food and insufficient production of food, and the increase in financial speculations on commodities, the uncontrollable rise of oil prices and adverse climate conditions.'

Yet, he insisted, consideration of the causes is not enough.

'We must work to ensure that this discussion is accompanied by immediate and effective action,' Archbishop Migliore stated. 'Failure to do so will deem our meeting as a mere rhetorical exercise and avoidance of responsibilities.'

No money?

Archbishop Migliore noted that the food crisis is threatening 'the attainment of the primary right of every person to be free from starvation.'

'At the outset, action must be taken to assist those suffering from malnutrition and starvation,' he continued. 'It is difficult to think that, in a world which spends over $1.3 trillion each year in armaments, lifesaving funds to help people in need are unavailable. A sincere will to tackle the issue must be accompanied by the necessary action, not simply words and intentions.'

The prelate also encouraged a 'concerted effort on the part of all to invest in long-term and sustainable agriculture programs at the local and international levels.'

'Moreover, agricultural and environmental policies must walk the path of reason and reality in order to balance the need for food production with the need to be good stewards of the earth,' he said.

The archbishop concluded by noting the opportunity the food crisis implies.

'The 20th century suffered in a tragic way from the effects of people and governments looking only within their national borders and from lack of consultation and multilateral cooperation,' he said. 'The present crisis is an opportunity for the global community to come together and take responsibility for our neighbour.' [Zenit] 1462.5

 

Amnesty International and abortion

The Catholic Family Institute (C-Fam) reports from New York on a story that no one yet has. ' We report that Amnesty International has filed a brief with the Mexican Supreme Court asking them to uphold the newly liberalized abortion laws in Mexico City. In its brief, Amnesty erroneously cites UN documents to support its claim. It also cites the non-binding recommendations of one UN committee. The other story we have today is how the US government has not only de-funded the pro-abortion United Nations Population Fund for its support of China's coercive one-child policy, but is also looking at other organizations who may face de-funding for similar reasons. Stay tuned.

Pro-abortion memorandum

Piero A. Tozzi and Juan Carlos Perez write : Global human rights group Amnesty International (AI), which officially abandoned its neutrality on abortion in 2007, has authored a pro-abortion legal memorandum addressed to the Supreme Court of Mexico asking the high court to uphold liberal abortion in Mexico City. The memorandum directly contradicts AI's previous position that 'there is no generally accepted right to abortion in international human rights law.'

AI's memo supports a liberalized first-trimester abortion law passed last year by Mexico City's Legislative Assembly that has been challenged by Mexico's Attorney General. AI cites several treaties signed by Mexico, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention Against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, claiming that they require the Court to uphold the legislation.

As AI had previously acknowledged, however, no such right can be found in any of the treaties mentioned in AI's legal brief. Human rights treaties are consensus documents negotiated by governments, many of which outlawed abortion at the time of ratification, and thus are silent on the subject of abortion. To underscore that such treaties would leave their domestic laws unchanged, some countries made explicit formal interpretative statements and reservations at the time of signing protecting the rights of the unborn child.

AI's submission cites no treaty language in support of its argument that a failure to uphold the challenged law would 'result in violations of Mexico's international human rights obligations.' The Amnesty brief does, however, reference a report by a UN treaty monitoring body, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which pressured the Mexican government on abortion in 2006. Such committees are composed of unelected members many of whom are drawn from pro-abortion non-governmental organizations. Such committees take it upon themselves to reinterpret treaties and then try to get governments to agree even though committee pronouncements are non-binding.

AI's new approach apparently mirrors strategy adopted by the pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), which along with the International Commission of Jurists filed a third-party intervention in the Mexico City case. In 2006, CRR had persuaded Colombia's constitutional court to overturn that country's pro-life laws based on the argument that by acceding to various treaties, a sovereign nation must conform its domestic laws to subsequent treaty body interpretations of what constitutes its evolving obligations.

AI was founded in 1961 by Peter Benenson, a Catholic convert, to combat human rights abuses by totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. Compared with more secular-oriented human rights counterparts, Amnesty International has historically drawn support from members of various religious denominations. After decades of defending human dignity without compromising the rights of the unborn, its 2007 abortion policy switch alienated a number of its long-time supporters, including Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Bishop Michael Evans - a member of thirty years standing - and activist priest Daniel Berrigan, S.J., all of whom have withdrawn support from AI as a result.

US Government withholds UNFPA funding

Samantha Singson writes : 'For the seventh straight year, the United States government has decided to withhold $40 million earmarked for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) due to the organization's support for China's draconian one-child policy.

As stipulated by a law known as the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, no US funds 'may be made available to any organization or program which, as determined by the President of the United States, supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.'

Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte submitted a letter along with a report explaining the US decision not to fund UNFPA. The letter says 'the United States opposes coercive abortion and involuntary sterilization. I have determined that by providing financial and technical resources…to [China's] National Population and Family Planning Commission and related entities, UNFPA provides support for and participates in the management of the Chinese government's program of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilization.'

China's stringent population programs direct the state to adopt coercive measures to 'control the size of the population and improve its quality.' These measures include setting strict birth limitation regulations, obligatory contraception services, mandatory abortion, involuntary sterilization and financial penalties, such as job loss and destruction of homes or property, to induce compliance.

The US State Department has reviewed UNFPA's China country program annually since it first pulled UNFPA funding in 2002. The US has repeatedly appealed to UNFPA and its major donors to restructure UNFPA's China country program so that it 'no longer supports or participates in the management of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.' According to the US report, UNFPA remains ineligible for US funding since it continues to operate in areas of China 'where coercive birth polices are in place and are enforced.'

Despite voluminous evidence to the contrary, UNFPA continues to deny that it supports abortion. A State Department press release about the decision to withhold funds states that the US 'recognizes that UNFPA intends to promote a transition to voluntary family planning in China' and stipulates that UNFPA could to receive US funding if UNFPA 'ended or reconstructed' its Chinese program 'in a way consistent with U.S. law.' UNFPA funding might also be reinstated if China 'changes its laws and practices such that UNFPA's activities do not support a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.'

To the alarm of abortion advocates, the US report indicates that the application of the Kemp-Kasten amendment would extend beyond the UNFPA to other organizations working in China to ensure that no US funds go to supporting the Chinese government's coercive population program. Of these other organizations, the report states that 'relevant funding agencies are conducting a comprehensive analysis to determine what appropriate lawful actions can be taken.' It appears that more organizations may lose their US funding.

The US remains the world's biggest donor to women and children's health programs. The earmarked funds will be redirected to other programs such as the USAID Global Health and Child Survival account. [C-FAM] 1462.6

 

The radical onslaught

 

 

FPA urges more petrol be put on the flames

1462.7 Explicit sex education ought to be compulsory for children as young as four, says a pair of abortion-promoting organisations in the UK. The Family Planning Association, the UK's answer to Planned Parenthood, and Brook, both registered charities, are calling for children of pre-primary age to be indoctrinated into the new sexual mores.

Speaking to BBC Radio's Newsbeat this week, Brook's Chief Executive, Simon Blake said, 'If we get high quality sex and relationships education in every primary and secondary school across the UK all the evidence shows teenage pregnancy rates will continue to fall and will improve young people's sexual health.'

'Sex and relationship education' ought to be on the curriculum across the UK, alongside other compulsory subjects such as math and English, the groups said. The groups claimed that the government is not giving young people enough information about sex and relationships.

More sex education has long been the Labour government's guiding principle whenever the issue of teenage pregnancy or rising abortion rates is brought up in Parliament. It has been the normal response, even while all statistics have shown that the rates of unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and abortion have risen steadily in lock-step with the increased emphasis on sexual education in schools since the early 1970s.

Recent statistics showing that Britain is breaking its own records in unplanned teenage pregnancies and is on its way to becoming, in the words of one MP, 'the abortion capital of Europe,' prompted the response from government that more sex education and free contraceptives are needed. The Department for Children, Schools and Family said it was reviewing the delivery of sex education in schools.

Under the guise of promoting 'sexual health' such organisations as Brook and the FPA operate as registered charities in the UK and promote the values of the 'sexual revolution' that helped to sweep away the formerly universal Judeo-Christian worldview of the west. A product of the early 20th century's eugenics movement, the FPA was founded in 1930; its stated raison d'être is 'so that married people may space or limit their families and thus mitigate the evils of ill health and poverty.'

The FPA's foundress, Margaret Amy Pyke, with Marie Stopes in Britain and Margaret Sanger in the US, was a major figure in the early push to introduce artificial contraceptive practices to Britain and the subsequent promotion of legalised abortion. Pyke was a regular contributor to the Eugenics Review and a member of the British Eugenics Society.

In her work pushing the government to legalise abortion, Pyke made the now-standard claim that legalisation would make the procedure 'safe' and, with adequate contraception and 'education,' would actually reduce the number of abortions. In 1963, she claimed that 109,500 abortions were already committed in the UK. Recent Department of Health official statistics showed that the number of abortions in the UK in 2003 was 181,600. [LifeSiteNews] 1462.7

 

NHS 'end-of-life' care protocol

A British 'end of life' care protocol approved for use by the National Health Service (NHS), has created a systematic, and legal, method of euthanising elderly and disabled patients, even while 'mercy killing' remains officially illegal, says a prominent expert in elder care. The 'Liverpool Care Pathway' will be used to eliminate patients deemed to be 'blocking beds' in the increasingly financially strapped public health system.

For years, NACF member Dr. Adrian Treloar, a psycho-geriatrician and senior lecturer at the Greenwich Hospital and Guys', King's and St. Thomas's Hospitals in London, has been sounding the warning that the NHS has an unofficial system in place to authorise the killing of vulnerable disabled patients with an unwritten policy of 'involuntary euthanasia' by deep sedation and dehydration.

On April 26, 2008, Dr. Treloar wrote a letter to the British Medical Journal, saying that the protocol known as the 'Liverpool Care Pathway' for dying patients, is a blueprint for systematic euthanasia of disabled patients. The Liverpool Care Pathway, which allows for 'continuous deep sedation' for patients judged to be incurable, was developed between the Royal Liverpool hospital and Marie Curie cancer hospices in order to standardise the medical approach to dying that could then be used as a template nationally. Combined with withdrawal of fluids, deep sedation leads quickly to death.

In 1999, the NHS dismissed Dr. Treloar's warnings as 'ludicrous.' But media coverage of families resorting to lawyers to stop the killing of their relatives has made it increasingly difficult for health officials to deny that there is an accepted euthanasia procedure in place. Dr. Treloar maintains that the motivation for killing patients judged to be incurable is not the relief of extreme suffering but the enormous pressure on the socialised health care system to make hospital beds available and the 'triaging' of costly tax-sponsored medical care.

Since that time, the government passed legislation in 2005 - the Mental Capacity Act - that, following existing guidelines from the British Medical Association, allows doctors to withhold all 'treatment,' including food and water, from patients who are judged to be incapable of making decisions for themselves. Under this law, doctors, and not the family and not the patient, have the last say in whether a patient is judged mentally capable. Once this judgement has been made, withdrawal of fluids can be ordered on the grounds that it is in the patient's 'best interests' to die. If families try to intervene to save their loved ones lives, social services and police can be, and have been, called to intervene.

Since 2000, the instances of helpless patients being denied the basic necessities needed to sustain life are becoming more prominent in the news. Only this week, the BBC reported on the case of Mrs. Ellen Westwood, an 88 year-old woman whom doctors had decreed was 'due to die' in February, and whose life was saved only after the determined efforts of her family and clergy resulted in her being removed from the hospital.

Dr. Treloar wrote that the Liverpool Care Pathway threatens patients because its 'eligibility criteria do not ensure that only people who are about to die are allowed on the pathway.'

'They allow people who are thought to be dying, are bed-bound, and are unable to take tablets onto the pathway. In chronic diseases such as dementia, dying may take years, but
such patients may be eligible.'

Elspeth Chowdharay Best, from the anti-euthanasia group ALERT, wrote recently, 'Death by dehydration has been occurring for some years in Britain without the new official blessing [of the Liverpool Care Pathway protocol] and sometimes challenged by relatives.'

The Sunday Times reported on May 18 this year that many families are 'dismayed' that their cases are not being included in a long-term investigation into ten suspicious deaths of elderly patients in a convalescent home in Hampshire between 1996 and 1999. Mike Wilson told the Times that his 91 year-old mother, Edna Purnell, had been out of bed and using a walking frame when she was transferred to the Hampshire unit for what was supposed to have been a brief period of rehabilitation.

Records show that Mrs. Purnell was put to bed and given morphine. The hospital threatened Mr. Wilson with arrest when he was caught feeding his mother. She was judged to be 'demented' and thus falling under the auspices of the Mental Capacity Act. Mr. Wilson told the times that his mother was not 'demented' before she was given morphine: 'We are in no doubt that this is what killed her.' [LifeSiteNews] 1462.8

'Gang culture'

Family breakdown is driving teenagers into a 'gang culture based on violence and drugs', a leading police officer has warned.

Barbara Wilding, the Chief Constable of South Wales Police, described an 'angry' generation of young people seeking to replace their broken family ties with the tribal loyalty of gangs.

Her comments were made during a speech delivered in May, but were made public after The Times newspaper obtained a transcript.

She said: 'In many of our larger cities, in areas of extreme deprivation, there are almost feral groups of very angry young people.

'Many have experienced family breakdown, and in place of parental and family role models, the gang culture is now established.

'Tribal loyalty has replaced family loyalty and gang culture based on violence and drugs is a way of life.'

Her comments follow a spate of warnings from legal professionals, teachers and other experts that family breakdown is harming children.

In April the Good Childhood Inquiry found that children are increasingly suffering from mental ill health, with family breakdown a major cause.

In the same month a report from teachers' union, NASUWT, said that children often joined gangs to seek the security they lacked at home. Meanwhile the Social Justice Commission reported that children whose families break down often face a bleak future as a result.

Earlier this year Mr Justice Coleridge, a High Court judge, said that family breakdown was among the most serious social problems facing British society, and tackling it should be placed at the top of the Government's agenda.

He said: 'What is certain is that almost all of society's social ills can be traced directly to the collapse of the family life.' [Christian Institute] 1462.9

 

International news

 

 

Canada  United stance against honour for abortionist

United opposition. Canada's Catholic bishops have followed the lead of Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto by taking a unified stance against the Canada Day decision to promote the nation's most prolific killer of the unborn, Henry Morgentaler, to the Order of Canada. Many of Canada's bishops have not only released statements on the 'travesty,' but have requested Prime Minister Harper and the Governor General to revoke the award.

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa criticized the divisive nature of the decision and affirmed the duty of all Catholics to defend life at all stages. 'As a Canadian, I am saddened to learn that Henry Morgentaler has been awarded the Order of Canada,' said the Archbishop. 'As Catholic Christians, we must affirm and defend the gift of life from the moment of conception to natural death. No one, in any circumstance, can claim the right to destroy an innocent human being. Anyone who devotes their energies to promoting abortion is a source of division on the most fundamental questions of life in society.

Awarding the Order of Canada to Henry Morgentaler can only be a matter of disunity, offending many Canadians of conscience.' Bishop James Wingle of St. Catharines wrote letters of protest to the Governor General and the Prime Minister and is preparing a pastoral letter on the matter for this Sunday. 'For you, as Governor General of Canada, to bestow on a man who has violated systematically and egregiously the deepest foundation upon which all human rights and freedoms stand, the sacred right of human life and the freedom to enjoy it, would be a complete travesty,' wrote Bishop Wingle.

'In addition to Dr. Morgentaler's vicious and public attack on the lives of thousands of innocent children in their mothers' wombs, he has flaunted the rule of law in Canada and incited others to do likewise. You, Madame Governor General, are sworn to uphold the law of this nation, not to applaud those who flaunt it.' 'Your urgent attention to this matter is respectfully demanded,' he concluded. In the letter addressed to PM Harper, the bishop said he recognizes that the PM is not involved in the choice of who is appointed to the Order of Canada, but nevertheless invoked Harper to 'intervene personally and immediately' because the 'values at stake are of such magnitude.'

The Calgary Sun reported that Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary has also questioned the divisive choice made by those who appointed Morgentaler to the Order of Canada. 'It's a shame...how can you cause such division when we're supposed to be bringing Canadians together and celebrating Canadian identity - so many recipients who have done so many great things are getting lost in all this,' he said. 'This debases the award - you're not going to have the same prestige given it,' affirmed Bishop Henry.

The bishop then invoked politicians who have continually dodged the abortion issue to start pushing for the implementation of abortion law in Canada. 'So many politicians are disassociating themselves from this...stop fobbing it off to the Supreme Court justices,' said Bishop Henry.

Canada's national Catholic magazine, Catholic Insight, joined the chorus of those condemning the naming of Morgentaler to the Order of Canada. Editor Father Alphonse de Valk characterized the appointment as a national disgrace. Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, who has also written the Governor General asking for the reversal of the decision, released a statement condemning Morgentaler's being named to the Order: 'The decision to award the Order of Canada to Dr. Henry Morgentaler devalues the significance of this honour and offends all Canadians who recognize and treasure the precious gift of human life in the womb. The Order of Canada is one of our country's highest awards. It should not be awarded to one whose work results in the destruction of innocent human life through abortion. The decision should be reversed.'

Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London joined his voice with the millions of Canadians who desire that the decision be reversed. 'I join Catholics across Canada, as well as many other Canadians who respect the value of every human life, in urging the Governor General to revoke this decision,'' he said. 'We believe in the dignity of every human person and affirm that human life must be respected and protected from the moment of conception until natural death,'' explained Fabbro. The bishop wondered what Morgentaler was being honoured for: 'Through his efforts, hundreds of thousands of unborn children have been killed,'' he said. 'How can we celebrate this carnage by honouring its author?''

Reports confirm that Bishop Nicola De Angelis has sent out notices on the Morgentaler decision to all parishes in his Peterborough diocese. 'Far from improving our country, Dr. Morgentaler's actions continue to create controversy and division in our nation. In the name of freedom of choice, he has encouraged the development of a culture of death and has thus attacked the most vulnerable, the unborn,' stated the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in a press release. The CCCB said that it feels the Order itself has been debased by Morgentaler's inclusion in it, stating, 'Awarding such a decoration in this context discredits the Order of Canada. It amounts to an inadmissible affront to the numerous Canadians who dedicate their lives to the protection of the most vulnerable, especially the unborn.' 'We ask the appropriate authorities to reconsider this nomination and not to award this distinction to Dr. Morgentaler,' concluded the statement.[LifeSiteNews] 1462.10

 

France  Shrine rector under investigation

The rector of the renowned Marian shrine in Lourdes, France, is under investigation on charges of fraud, just weeks before he is due to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to the shrine. Father Raymond Zambelli has been accused of diverting nearly $700,000 in donations, collected at the shrine, to his personal accounts. The rector has denied all charges. The accusations against Father Zambelli come at an extremely sensitive time for the Lourdes shrine, which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions there. Pope Benedict will visit the sanctuary in September. A local prosecutor reportedly began collecting evidence of unusual activity in Father Zambelli's bank account early in June, but recommended postponing prosecution until after the papal visit. [CWNews] 1462.11

 

Russia  Apathy stalls Orthodox talks

Relations with the Russian Orthodox Church are progressing, but its main obstacle is a lack of desire for unity, says the leader of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow. Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, in Rome last week to receive the pallium from Benedict XVI, spoke to L'Osservatore Romano about the relations between the two Churches. He said that 'on too many occasions, one perceives the concern to defend one's plot or wanting to maintain a distance.' 'Certainly there are some knots that have not managed to be undone, and so are transformed into obstacles,' the prelate said.

'If there is no real desire to move toward full unity, dialogue becomes difficult. Where there is a real desire, on the contrary, dialogue can be engaged in with honesty, sincerity and always in truth.' Nevertheless, Catholics and Orthodox in Moscow are making efforts to collaborate, he affirmed. 'We try to carry out concrete forms of collaboration between the Churches, but also to engage in sincere friendship. Above all, we try to walk in the same direction,' the prelate said. Archbishop Pezzi affirmed that his relationship with Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow is warm and cordial. 'He has invited me to the Orthodox liturgy, both at Christmas and Easter,' the archbishop said.

'I must say that on all occasions I was warmly received. Patriarch Alexy has always been cordial and warm in his expressions to me. 'I remember, for example, that after the Christmas liturgy -- it isn't a secret -- the patriarch greeted me publicly and stressed our common concern to care for God's flock. These were significant words. 'However, he did not have words for me alone. [He] greeted and raised a prayer for Benedict XVI. In a word, he manifested respect for the Catholic Church. Essentially, I would say that I immediately noted a positive reception.' Archbishop Pezzi was assigned to Moscow in September of last year. The archbishop suggested that in any case, a papal visit to Moscow is still not possible. 'Not all the conditions exist yet,' the prelate contended. But he said that recent events 'show unquestionable steps forward on the path to closer proximity.' He proposed two steps that need to be made first.

'A trip of this sort would mean, or should mean, that the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Moscow patriarchate has progressed significantly, allowing for an exchange of visits,' Archbishop Pezzi said. 'I don't think the Pope wants to visit Moscow without an explicit invitation from the Orthodox Church.' Second, the prelate said he believes such a visit would have to be preceded by an earlier visit between the Pope and the patriarch, in different circumstances and in a third country. Emphasizing that this suggestion is a 'very personal opinion of his,' Archbishop Pezzi proposed that such a meeting 'should be held in a particular circumstance, perhaps in the course of an ecumenical event, in any country of the world to which both have been invited.'

Archbishop Pezzi noted, however, that steps are already being taken in this direction. In this connection, he stressed the importance of the visit of Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople to Rome for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and Benedict XVI's earlier visit to Constantinople. 'In my opinion it is necessary to continue on this path, and to try to foster continuous meetings in order to grow and to further reciprocal knowledge, essential to building the path toward the final meeting,' Archbishop Pezzi stated. The prelate also pointed out that the Russian Orthodox have a 'very positive' perception of Benedict XVI. He said they appreciate 'the passion this Pope has for the development of tradition in the good sense and his constant 'fresh return' -- to use John Paul II's expression -- to the sources of Christianity.'

They also appreciate 'his clarity and sincerity when affirming the content of the Christian event and the Catholic faith,' he added. What is 'most important is to reinforce the desire to walk together and to ask for the Lord's help,' Archbishop Pezzi affirmed. 'We must not forget that full communion is a gift that we must pray for to the Spirit of Christ.' {Zenit] 1462.12

 

UK  Anglican bishops in secret Vatican summit

1462.13 ~ Senior Church of England bishops have held secret talks with Vatican officials to discuss the crisis in the Anglican communion over gays and women bishops. They met senior advisers of the Pope in an attempt to build closer ties with the Roman Catholic Church, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt.

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was not told of the talks and the disclosure will be a fresh blow to his efforts to prevent a major split in the Church of England.

In highly confidential discussions, a group of conservative bishops expressed their dismay at the liberal direction of the Church of England and their fear for its future. They met members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the most powerful of the Vatican's departments, the successor to the medieval Inquisition, which enforces doctrine and was headed by Pope Benedict XVI before his election.

The names of the bishops are known to The Sunday Telegraph, says the newspaper in an exclusive report, but they have asked for anonymity because the talks are of such a sensitive and potentially explosive nature.

The disclosure comes on the eve of a critical vote as members of the General Synod - the Church's parliament - prepare to decide whether to allow women to be bishops without giving concessions to staunch opponents.

Up to 600 clergy gave warning in a letter to Dr Williams that they may leave the Church unless they receive a legal right to havens within the Church free of women bishops.

In separate developments, three diocesan bishops wrote to the archbishop supporting the threat and two other bishops have said they are preparing to leave the Church. The letter from the Bishops of Chichester, Blackburn and Europe - seen by The Sunday Telegraph - argues that traditionalist clergy will not be able to 'maintain an honoured place' in the Church without sufficient legislation.

'Clearly the ordination of women as bishops would divide the Church of England even more fundamentally than the ordination of women as priests,' it says.

'This issue is one which touches all members of the Church of England and not just those with synodical voting rights. In the light of this we are convinced that some form of separate identities will be required to enable the holders of mutually incompatible convictions about the faith and order of the Church to remain in as high a degree of continuing fellowship as possible.'

However, while the letter shows that there is deep disquiet in the most senior ranks of the Church, the meetings with Rome will be of far greater concern to Dr Williams.

One bishop involved in the talks, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was left with no option. 'The Church of England is becoming more and more like the American Church. Those of us who hold to traditional orthodoxy are very concerned about the direction it seems to be moving in.'

The Anglican communion has been arguing over homosexuality since the American Church made Gene Robinson the first openly gay bishop and issued rites for same-sex unions. Conservatives are concerned that gay blessing services are being conducted in Britain and last month this newspaper revealed that a 'wedding' ceremony was held for two gay priests. The issue of homosexual priests is likely to feature strongly at this month's Lambeth Conference of worldwide Anglican bishops.

Now the Church of England is poised to endorse women bishops - a move that will seriously damage its relations with the Roman Catholic Church and could force hundreds of clergy to defect to Rome.