Papal
timetable
Following his 10-day international trip to Australia,
Benedict XVI is spending the rest of the week at the
papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, some 19
miles south of Rome.
As
part of an effort to bolster Iraq's diplomatic relations
in Europe, Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki is making
stops in Germany and Italy this week and tomorrow,
Friday, will pay a visit to Pope Benedict XVI to brief
him on efforts to protect the Christian community
in Iraq and to promote values of equality, justice
and reconciliation.
Al-Maliki
began his stop-over in Germany on Monday by meeting
with Chancellor Angela Merkel and German business
leaders. At a press conference, the Iraqi leader addressed
the plight of Iraqi Christians saying, 'there is no
discrimination between Christians and Muslims' and
said that 'we will do our best so that Christians
also return to Iraq.' Today, Al-Maliki is travelling
to Italy to meet with Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi.
Friday
will see the Iraqi PM head south of Rome to speak
with Pope Benedict XVI. According to Iraqi government
spokesman Ali al-Dabagh, Al-Maliki will update the
Pope on 'the steps taken by the Iraqi government to
spread the values of tolerance, equality, justice,
and national reconciliation among all Iraqis and its
efforts to build a democratic Iraq.'
A
meeting with the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone, will also take place following the
audience with the Pope. Iraq is home to the Chaldean
Catholic Church, which is part of the Eastern Rite.
The Chaldean Church is one of the oldest Christian
Churches in the world. The Pope will receive Iraq's
prime minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, at the summer residence
on Friday. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pontiff's
secretary of state, will also receive the prime minister.
On
Sunday the Holy Father will pray the Angelus from
the courtyard at Castel Gandolfo.
From
July 28 to Aug. 11, Benedict XVI will have a time
of rest at the seminary of Bressanone, a city of 20,000
inhabitants located in the Italian province of Bolzano,
in the Alpine region of Trentino-Alto Adige.
Though
his stay there is for vacation, it is rumoured that
he will use the time to work on a third encyclical
and the second part of his book, 'Jesus of Nazareth.'
During
this period, the Holy Father is scheduled to hold
just two public meetings: the praying of the Angelus
on Aug. 3 and 10.
Upon
the Pope's return to Castel Gandolfo, the general
audiences will resume, with the first being held Wednesday,
Aug. 13.
On
Aug. 15 the Pontiff will preside at the Mass of the
Assumption of Mary at St. Thomas of Villanueva in
the town of Castel Gandolfo.
On
Sept. 7, Benedict XVI will travel to Sardinia, Italy,
to preside at the closing celebrations in Cagliari
marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation
of Our Lady of Bonaria as patroness of the island.
The
Pope will travel to France in September for his 10th
international trip.
During
a recent press conference, Cardinal André Vingt-Trois,
archbishop of Paris, emphasized the importance of
the Sept. 12-15 visit, as it will be an opportunity
for Catholics 'to further their participation in the
life of the Church,' and to discover her universal
dimension.
Benedict
XVI will visit French President Nicholas Sarkozy at
the Élysée Palace in Paris and will
deliver an address to cultural leaders at Bernardins
College in Paris.
In
Lourdes the Pope will preside at celebrations marking
the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions there.
From
Oct. 5-26, the Pontiff will attend the Synod of Bishops,
which will be held in the Vatican and focus on the
theme: 'The Word of God in the Life and Mission of
the Church.'
NB. Visitors to
the Vatican can now make reservations for papal audiences
by fax. A service provided by the Prefecture of the
Pontifical Household enables pilgrims to make reservations
weeks or days before their trip to Rome for activities
such as Wednesday audiences or Masses celebrated by
the Pontiff at St. Peter's. The tickets are free.
By downloading and faxing a document available on
the Web page, pilgrims can make the reservations.
The tickets can be retrieved at the ticket office
located just inside the Bronze Door (by the right
colonnade of St. Peter's Square). [Zenit] 1467.1
www.catholic-family.org
World
Youth Day 08
Overview
Benedict
XVI says World Youth Day showed that the Church can
rejoice in today's youth and be hope-filled for the
world of tomorrow. The Pope affirmed this Monday morning
at his last farewell before boarding the plane that
would take him back to Rome. The Pope left Australia
at about 10:30 a.m. local time.
'Before
I take my leave, I wish to say to my hosts how much
I have enjoyed my visit here and how grateful I am
for your hospitality,' the Holy Father said. He went
on to thank the government officials present, including
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Governor-General, Major-General
Michael Jeffery.
Rudd
told the Pope, 'Your Holiness, it feels very much
that you have already become one with us, indeed,
that you have become one of us.'
The
prime minister also introduced the Holy Father to
the first Australian resident ambassador to the Holy
See, Tim Fischer. Previously, Australia's ambassador
to Dublin also represented the nation at the Vatican.
Fischer is expected to take up his appointment in
early 2009.
Benedict
XVI had a special word of gratitude for the host families
who received pilgrims into their homes. 'You have
opened your doors and your hearts to the world's youth,
and on their behalf I thank you,' he said.
The
Pope then turned his attention to the pilgrims.
'The
principal actors on the stage over these last few
days, of course, have been the young people themselves,'
he said. 'World Youth Day is their day. It is they
who have made this a global ecclesial event, a great
celebration of youth and a great celebration of what
it is to be the Church, the people of God throughout
the world, united in faith and love and empowered
by the Spirit to bear witness to the risen Christ
to the ends of the earth.
'I
thank them for coming, I thank them for their participation,
and I pray that they will have a safe journey home.
I know that the young people, their families and their
sponsors have in many cases made great sacrifices
to enable them to travel to Australia. For this the
entire Church is grateful.'
Benedict
XVI said the days of this last week were 'stirring'
and he said that many scenes stand out in his mind.
He
thanked the Sisters of St. Joseph for his visit to
the shrine of Blessed Mary MacKillop.
'The
Stations of the Cross in the streets of Sydney were
a powerful reminder that Christ loved us 'to the end'
and shared our sufferings so that we could share his
glory,' the Holy Father continued.
Referring
to his meeting with youth who have histories of drug
addiction and other problems, the Pontiff said: 'The
meeting with the young people at Darlinghurst was
a moment of joy and great hope, a sign that Christ
can lift us out of the most difficult situations,
restoring our dignity and enabling us to look forward
to a brighter future.'
But
'without a doubt,' the Pontiff went on, 'the gatherings
at Barangaroo and Southern Cross were high-points
of my visit.'
The
Pope was welcomed Thursday on a boat-a-cade at Barangaroo.
And the Southern Cross Precinct was the site of the
Saturday evening vigil and Sunday closing Mass with
some 400,000 people.
'Those
experiences of prayer, and our joyful celebration
of the Eucharist, were an eloquent testimony to the
life-giving work of the Holy Spirit, present and active
in the hearts of our young people,' he said. 'World
Youth Day has shown us that the Church can rejoice
in the young people of today and be filled with hope
for the world of tomorrow.'
The
Bishop of Rome concluded his farewell, saying, 'May
God bless the people of Australia!'
He
left Sydney on a Qantas flight bound for the Vatican.
[Zenit] 1467.2
www.catholic-family.org
Farewell
address
Here is the address Benedict XVI gave Monday morning
local time at the farewell ceremony for his departure
from Australia after concluding Sunday the 23rd World
Youth Day. The Pope left Australia for Rome at about
10:30 a.m., local time.
Dear
Friends,
Before
I take my leave, I wish to say to my hosts how much
I have enjoyed my visit here and how grateful I am
for your hospitality. I thank the Prime Minister,
the Honourable Kevin Rudd, for the kindness he has
shown to me and to all the participants at World Youth
Day. I also thank the Governor-General, Major-General
Michael Jeffery, for his presence here and for graciously
receiving me at Admiralty House at the start of my
public engagements. The Federal Government and the
State Government of New South Wales, as well as the
residents and the business community of Sydney, have
been most cooperative in their support of World Youth
Day. An event of this kind requires an immense amount
of preparation and organization, and I know that I
speak on behalf of many thousands of young people
when I express my appreciation and gratitude to you
all. In characteristic Australian style, you have
extended a warm welcome to me and to countless young
pilgrims who have flocked here from every corner of
the globe. To the host families in Australia and New
Zealand who have made room for the young people in
their homes, I am especially grateful. You have opened
your doors and your hearts to the world's youth, and
on their behalf I thank you.
The
principal actors on the stage over these last few
days, of course, have been the young people themselves.
World Youth Day is their day. It is they who have
made this a global ecclesial event, a great celebration
of youth and a great celebration of what it is to
be the Church, the people of God throughout the world,
united in faith and love and empowered by the Spirit
to bear witness to the risen Christ to the ends of
the earth. I thank them for coming, I thank them for
their participation, and I pray that they will have
a safe journey home. I know that the young people,
their families and their sponsors have in many cases
made great sacrifices to enable them to travel to
Australia. For this the entire Church is grateful.
As
I look back over these stirring days, there are many
scenes that stand out in my mind. I was deeply moved
by my visit to the Mary MacKillop Memorial, and I
thank the Sisters of Saint Joseph for the opportunity
to pray at the Shrine of their Co-Foundress. The Stations
of the Cross in the streets of Sydney were a powerful
reminder that Christ loved us 'to the end' and shared
our sufferings so that we could share his glory. The
meeting with the young people at Darlinghurst was
a moment of joy and great hope, a sign that Christ
can lift us out of the most difficult situations,
restoring our dignity and enabling us to look forward
to a brighter future. The meeting with ecumenical
and interreligious leaders was marked by a spirit
of genuine fraternity and a deep desire for greater
collaboration in building a more just and peaceful
world. And without doubt, the gatherings at Barangaroo
and Southern Cross were high-points of my visit. Those
experiences of prayer, and our joyful celebration
of the Eucharist, were an eloquent testimony to the
life-giving work of the Holy Spirit, present and active
in the hearts of our young people. World Youth Day
has shown us that the Church can rejoice in the young
people of today and be filled with hope for the world
of tomorrow.
Dear
friends, as I depart from Sydney, I ask God to look
down lovingly upon this city, this country and all
its inhabitants. I pray that many of their number
will be inspired by Blessed Mary MacKillop's example
of compassion and service. And as I bid you farewell
with deep gratitude in my heart, I say once again:
May God bless the people of Australia!
[©
Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana] 1467.3
www.catholic-family.org
The
Abbot of Worth reports
Abbot
Christopher Jamison, Abbot of Worth, reporting from
Sydney for the London Times, wrote:
'Sydney
has never seen anything like it since the Olympics.
Not even that event, however, could match the spectacle
of a papal 'boatacade' gliding past the bridge and
the opera house to deliver Pope Benedict into the
cheering embrace of 150,000 young people from around
the world. The Pope's arrival at World Youth Day had
a theatrical quality worthy of the media world in
which today's young people live. By contrast, his
message to them was delivered in a self-effacing,
direct manner, making clear that the Pope refuses
to cast himself as a rock star; he is a teacher and
he set about teaching. The young listened with great
respect, some closing their eyes, concentrating deeply
on his words. He commended to them the care of the
planet that he had flown over, inviting them to live
by the values of truth, beauty and goodness as the
way to heal the scars not only of our planet but also
of our souls. Cries of delight erupted as the Pope
concluded by greeting the different language groups.
The final singing of the World Youth Day anthem, Receive
the Power of the Holy Spirit, had the crowd in full
voice, hands lifted high and swaying gently in time
with the simple alleluia of the chorus, all nationalities
united in one word and one gesture.
You
would have to be hard hearted not to be moved by so
many young people singing their hearts out affirming
their acceptance of the Pope's demanding invitation
to follow Christ. Yet hard hearted is exactly the
quality that has characterised the Australian media
coverage leading up to the event. The city's leading
daily, the Sydney Morning Herald, has for weeks
been pursuing an agenda highlighting the civic disruption,
the cost to the taxpayer and a whole host of local
concerns summed up in the headline 'The Stations of
the Very Cross.' In parallel, the national TV channel,
ABC, led a concerted attack on Cardinal Pell, with
'Lateline' (think Newsnight) running negative stories
about his alleged mishandling of cases of clerical
abuse. All the perpetrators had gone to jail but the
Cardinal was still in the firing line from the victims
or their families. Insensitive remarks by church spokesmen
prolonged the agony. This coverage had become so negative
by the weekend before the Pope's arrival, that The
Australian ran a leading article saying that the
Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC were guilty
of 'squalid myopia', urging Australians to be proud
of hosting WYD in Sydney. Surprisingly, the BBC correspondent
in Australia appears to be following the ABC agenda,
so BBC reports are heavily weighted towards the clerical
abuse agenda. Stunning images of joyful young people
lining Sydney harbour were accompanied by a commentary
on clerical abuse.
The
Sydneysiders themselves have greeted the young with
warmth and delight, so eventually the Sydney Morning
Herald has run feel good headlines. But the experience
of those of us simultaneously watching the events
and the media is not just how different the reports
are to the event. Rather, I am left with a feeling
that while the young are full of energetic hope, bringing
soul to one of the world's great cities, the Australian
hierarchy is struggling to cope with its detractors.
The Pope will sail through this but how will the local
church be when the Pope and the pilgrims have left?
The youth will have been deeply affirmed in their
faith, for sure, and I pray that the same will be
true for the Australian Catholic Church. [The Times]
1467.4
www.catholic-family.org
The Family
State
control of families
The
US House of Representatives is scheduled to debate
two bills that could give the federal government unprecedented
control over the way parents raise their children
- even providing funds for state workers to come into
homes and screen babies for emotional and developmental
problems.
The
Pre-K Act (HR 3289) and the Education Begins at Home
Act (HR 2343) are two bills geared toward military
and families who fall below state poverty lines. The
measures are said to be a way to prevent child abuse,
close the achievement gap in education between poor
and minority infants versus middle-class children
and evaluate babies younger than 5 for medical conditions.
'Education
Begins at Home Act' - HR 2343
HR
2343 is sponsored by Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., and
cosponsored by 55 Democrats and 11 Republicans. The
Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing
the Education Begins at Home Act would cost taxpayers
$190 million for state home visiting, plus 'such sums
as may be necessary' for in-hospital parent education.
While
the bill may appear to be well-intentioned, Pediatrician
Karen Effrem told WND government provisions in HR
2343 to evaluate children for developmental problems
go too far.
'The
federal definition of developmental screening for
special education also includes what they call socioemotional
screening, which is Mental health screening,' Dr.
Effrem said. 'Mental health screening is very subjective
no matter what age you do it. Obviously it is incredibly
subjective when we are talking about very young children.'
While
the program may not be mandatory for low-income and
military families, there is no wording in the Education
Begins at Home Act requiring parental permission for
treatment or ongoing care once the family is enrolled
- a point that leads some to ask where parental rights
end and the government takes over. Also, critics ask
how agents of the government plan to acquire private
medical and financial records to offer the home visiting
program.
'There's
no consent mentioned in the bill for any kind of screening
- medical, health or developmental,' Dr. Effrem said.
'There are privacy concerns because when home visitors
come into the home they assess everything about the
family: Their financial situation, social situation,
parenting practices, everything. All of that is put
into a database.'
Dr.
Effrem said it does not specify whether parents are
allowed to decline evaluations, drugs or treatment
for their children once they are diagnosed with developmental
or medical conditions.
'How
free is someone who has been tagged as needing this
program in the case of home visiting - like a military
family or a poor family?' she asked. 'How free are
they to refuse? Even their refusal will be documented
somewhere. There are plenty of instances where families
have felt they can't refuse because they would lose
benefits, be accused of not being good parents or
potentially have their children taken away.'
When
WND asked Dr. Effrem how long state-diagnosed conditions
would remain in a child's permanent medical history,
she responded:
'Forever.
As far as I know, there isn't any statute of limitations.
The child's record follows them through school and
potentially college, employment and military service.'
Effrem
said conflicts could also arise when parents do not
agree with parenting standards of government home
visitors.
'Who
decides how cultural tolerance is going to be manifested?'
she asked. 'There's some blather in the language of
the bill about having cultural awareness of the differences
in parenting practices, but it seems like that never
applies to Christian parents.'
The
Pre-K Act, or HR 3289, is sponsored by Rep. Mazie
Hirono, D-Hawaii, and cosponsored by 116 Democrats
and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla. Estimated to
cost $500 million for each of fiscal years 2008 through
2013, the bill provides funds for state-approved education.
Government workers would reach mothers and fathers
in the hospital after a baby has been delivered to
promote Pre-K programs.
'They
give them information about Child Care Resource and
Referral Network so they can get the child into a
preschool or daycare that follows the state standards
and get the mom working as quickly as possible,' she
said. 'It's always that sort of thing: It's a list
of resources, it's intruding on parental autonomy
and authority and it's not necessarily accurate or
welcome information.'
While
parents may choose to be involved in preschool programs,
Effrem said the Pre-K Act poses similar concerns about
government trumping parents' rights.
'Once
they are involved, they don't have any say over curriculum,'
she said. 'There's plenty of evidence of preschool
curriculum that deals with issues that have nothing
to do with a child's academic development - like gender,
gender identity, careers, environmentalism, multiculturalism,
feminism and all of that - things that don't amount
to a hill of beans as far as a child learning how
to read.'
Effrem
said the Pre-K Act extends a 'really messed-up K-12
system' to include even younger, more vulnerable children.
'This
is an expansion of the federal government into education
when there really is no constitutional provision for
it to do so.' [WorldNetDaily] 1467.5
www.catholic-family.org
NFP
Awareness Week
The
US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has launched
'Natural Family Planning Awareness Week' to promote
Catholic teaching about human sexuality, marital love,
and responsible parenthood as the 40th anniversary
of Humanae Vitae approaches.
The
Awareness Week lasts from July 20 to July 26, with
its final two days falling on the fortieth anniversary
of Pope Paul VI's 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, July
25, and the July 26 Feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim,
the parents of the Virgin Mary.
Natural
Family Planning (NFP) uses a variety of methods for
married couples to determine the signs of a woman's
fertility to help conceive a child, or for serious
reasons, to avoid a pregnancy, but still maintaining
an openness to life.
A
section dedicated to Natural Family Planning Awareness
Week is published on the USCCB web site, presenting
posters, articles, prayers and liturgies, couples'
stories, and relevant church teaching. This year's
NFP Awareness Week poster bears the motto 'Freely,
Totally, Faithfully.'
'The
Church teaches that the sacrament of marriage symbolizes
Christ's relationship with His Church,' the site says
in its prayers and liturgies section. 'What is this
relationship but one of generous, self-sacrificing
passion-filled and fruitful love! When couples live
their vocation according to Church teachings, especially
with regard to the transmission of life, many benefits
can be reaped.'
The
site claims that couples who use NFP report better
communication, deeper understanding of each other's
bodies, growth in respect for God's gift of fertility
and children, increased patience and maturity and
growth in holiness.
The
NFP Awareness Week website is located here
[CNA]
1467.6
www.catholic-family.org
United Nations
The
CatholicThing.org
Austin
Ruse, President of the Catholic Family Institute (C-Fam)
emails from New York, 'to alert you to an exciting
new website called TheCatholicThing.org. It is the
brainchild of noted Catholic intellectual Dr. Robert
Royal, who is also a long-time member of the C-FAM
board of directors. Along with such Catholic luminaries
as Dr. Michael Novak and Dr. Ralph McInerny, TheCatholicThing.org
was launched to fill a hole in the marketplace of
ideas. Besides Royal, Novak and McInerny, regular
columnists include the great Hadley Arkes, Michael
Uhlmann, Mary Eberstadt, George Marlin, Bill Saunders,
Brad Minor and me. My latest column is featured below,
is and also on the site here:
http://www.thecatholicthing.org. Other recent columns
include Michael Uhlman on euthanasia, Robert Royal
on Slovakia, Brad Minor on sports and much else. Go
to www.thecatholicthing.org and enjoy!
Beware
the Catholic Hucksters
A real Italian smoothie named Raffaello Follieri swept
into to town a few years back and turned lots of heads.
Handsome, young, debonair Follieri told a remarkable
tale.
He said he was connected to the highest levels of
the Vatican. Indeed, the nephew of the Vatican Secretary
of State was on his board. He claimed that he had
bundles of cash, and he was here to make everyone
rich. His pitch was that his contacts at the Vatican
gave him unique access to unused and depressed Church
property in the United States, which he would snap
up for a song and then turn into handsome profits
for everyone.
Follieri is now under house arrest in his multi-million-dollar
apartment in New York, released from jail on a $21
million bail which, remarkably, he was able to raise.
It turns out that he was a con man.
I met Follieri in Washington when he made his first
overture to U.S. Catholic conservatives. He was visiting
the Catholic Information Center, a bookstore and chapel
that is the crossroads of all things orthodox in Washington,
D.C. Follieri eventually raised millions of dollars,
got himself a starlet girlfriend, and made deep contacts
not only with orthodox Catholics, but also with the
Clintons. He promised the Clintons that with his contacts
he could guarantee them the Catholic vote. He ended
up bilking one of Bill Clinton's closest friends,
grocery store magnate Ronald Burkle, out of millions
of dollars. So far as I know, no one on the Catholic
right knew that he was also playing footsie with the
pro-abortion left.
A few years before Follieri's grand entrance, another
Catholic blew into town promising big things. He said
that he had a database of every voter in America,
broken down by congressional district, and that he
was willing to turn that to the Catholic cause. He
let it be known that he was planning a Catholic rally
on the National Mall and that he could get a million
people to attend. In his telling, all this would lead
to the largest rally ever held in Washington D.C.
In addition, he had a good website and it was said
that it drew the most web traffic in the Catholic
world.
Maybe that was true. It was easy to be taken in. I
was. I served on his advisory board until I became
uneasy. When I tried to withdraw, it took a year for
my name to be removed. He is now under indictment
in California for allegedly bilking cash from Catholics,
including groups of nuns.
Con men always take advantage of human nature; the
desire for money, power, and fame runs broad and deep.
Toss in the desire to do something for the Church,
too, and now you've really got an explosive mixture,
ripe for exploitation.
Because of our particular history, Americans seem
more aware of the Elmer Gantry types, ministers who
sell salvation in tents or on TV. It's hard for freelance
Catholics to trade on the Catholic name because we
have the institutional Church and the hierarchy, which
hampers hucksters from salvation-selling, but leaves
them free to promise wealth, power, and Washington's
greatest obsession: access.
There was one Catholic who offered White House briefings
to those who made large donations to his private organization
and did a brisk trade. I have seen a gaggle of Catholic
millionaires gathered like school girls around another
very young man, a kid really, who offered them ---
legitimately --- access to the national policy debate.
But in fact, he was offering access to party politics.
Not that such an exchange is necessarily untoward
or unheard of. But inexplicably, these wealthy donors
thought they needed the kid when all they needed was
to max out their giving to the candidate and toss
another $25,000 to the party. Lots of doors would
open for them. It is into this milieu that the huckster
steps, offering dreams to the naïve and gullible.
This sort of practice has grown in recent years as
the bishops have been reluctant to handle dissident
Catholic politicians in any decisive way. Many good
people and groups have sprung up to fill this gap,
but so have others that are not so savory. It is hard
sometimes to tell the difference and the good ones
are sullied by the bad. But a good rule of thumb is
to look for a sense of mission as opposed to a sense
of self. Good organizations focus on goals and not
their own role and importance. When what you see is
self-promotion, self-aggrandizement, assertions of
self importance, it is a sure sign that something
is amiss.
It's sad to have to say this in an election year:
but beware the Catholic hucksters. [C-FAM] 1467.7
www.catholic-family.org
Europe
Vatican
declines invitation
The
Vatican has declined an invitation for Pope Benedict
XVI to address the European Parliament at Strasbourg,
according to a report by the London Times.
The
Times report suggests that the Pope's decision
not to speak to the European legislators at Strasbourg
could reflect 'Vatican alarm at what is seen as a
drift towards militant secularism.' But the newspaper
reports that in a message to leaders at Strasbourg,
the Vatican cited only the Pope's busy schedule and
his preference to curtail his international travel
because of his age.
The
Vatican's message applied only to the current year,
and the Pontiff might be open to an invitation to
address the European legislative body in some future
year, informed officials said.
Pope
Benedict has been invited to address the Strasbourg
parliament twice: in April 2006, when parliamentary
speaker Rene van der Linden met the Pontiff in a private
audience; and in March 2007, when a new parliamentary
leader, Hans-Gert Pottering, issued the invitation
at another private audience.
Pope
John Paul II addressed the European Parliament in
1988.
Some
Vatican-watchers had speculated that the Holy Father
could combine a visit to Strasbourg with his planned
visit to Lourdes, France, in September, for the 150th
anniversary of the Marian apparitions at the Lourdes
shrine. But Lourdes is located in southwest France,
while Strasbourg is in the northeast, about 750 miles
away. [CWNews]
World
Youth Day 2011 will bring Europe a message of hope,
not controversy, says a Vatican spokesman.
Jesuit
Father Federico Lombardi commented on the next World
Youth Day, to be hosted by Madrid in three years.
Benedict XVI announced the venue for the event when
he closed World Youth Day '08 in Sydney last Sunday.
Father
Lombardi acknowledged on Vatican Radio that '[Europe]
is a continent where the confrontation between faith
and the problems of modern society, of secularization
is always alive.'
He
added: 'The Pope often speaks of the risk that Europe
might lose its fundamental values, linked to Christian
tradition and to the faith's contribution to the continent's
development.
'This
will certainly be one of the topics and objectives
of the next Youth Day, but without controversies and
without the will to oppose the world that surrounds
us.'
Father
Lombardi recalled the Pope's most recent trip to Spain:
for the 2006 World Meeting of Families in Valencia.
He
said that the Holy Father's message at that event
was 'entirely positive, centered on the beauty of
being Christian, a positive message also for today's
family.'
'At
a time when the family is going through great difficulties,
to be Christian is a positive message,' Father Lombardi
affirmed. 'I believe this should also be the spirit
of the next Youth Day in Spain: a message of hope,
a message that shows how faith offers a beautiful
and great contribution for the future of our societies
and of the world, as truly happened in Australia.'
Father
Lombardi mentioned the disappointment expressed by
some people that, because of organizational and security
problems, it has not been possible to organize a World
Youth Day in Africa.
'So
we return to Europe,' he said, 'though the intention
is to involve the African continent in every possible
way.' [Zenit] 1467.8
www.catholic-family.org
Immigrants
are not delinquents
The
Caritas network of Latin America and the Caribbean
is reminding Europe that immigrants are not delinquents.
A
joint statement from representatives of the network
responded to the 'Return Directive,' approved by the
European Union last month. The measure, which could
go into effect in 2010, has been criticized by human
rights groups and Latin American government officials
as overly harsh. It allows for up to 18 months' detention
prior to deportation and banishment from the E.U.
for several years.
The
Caritas statement appeals to the European Parliament
and its representatives in European Union governments,
to 'desist from the tendency to criminalize migrations
and the expulsion of people in irregular situations.'
The
statement is signed by Bishop Fernando Bargalló,
president of the Latin American and Caribbean Caritas,
and by José Antonio Sandoval, executive secretary
of the secretariat.
The
E.U. directive, the statement adds, 'is contrary to
a global, safe, humane migratory system consistent
with the fundamental rights of the human person.'
The
communiqué's signatories reject 'categorically
that migrants, being in an irregular situation, should
be regarded as criminals, promoting their expulsion,
measures that deprive them of liberty and ban them
from entry.'
The
signatories expressed their special opposition to
the 'application of these measures to minors, as we
believe this violates their fundamental rights.'
They
expressed their disagreement 'with the shielding of
economies and systems of social protection that for
years have benefited from the effort of a working
population seeking to improve the living conditions
of their families.'
Brothers
and sisters
The
Caritas statement recalled that religious traditions
teach the faithful to welcome one another with love.
'Every
day we witness the suffering of immigrant families
who have lost loved ones, who died at sea, or of immigrants
themselves who have experienced exploitation in their
work or abuse at the hands of human traffickers and
other unscrupulous individuals,' it continued. 'We
also witness the pain of those who remain; we see
children and elderly people taking on responsibilities
that do not correspond to them to take care of homes,
and we also see the daily sacrifice, full of love
and tenderness, to take care of families from a distance.'
It
is alarming, say the signatories, that educated Europe,
a traditional land of asylum and a rich land, has
approved this directive to expel immigrants in irregular
situations.
It
is painful 'to witness that representatives of countries
such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, England,
etc., whose migrations in colonial times to America,
Asia and Africa, represented for them not only an
immense opening of horizons but also the concrete
possibility of economic growth, have forgotten that
recent history and now vote and approve, in an ill-timed
manner, this inhuman directive,' they added.
The
Caritas statement appeals instead for measures from
Europe to help fledgling economies in Latin America.
'As
organizations and networks of a religious nature,
of solidarity and charity, we call attention to the
ethical dimension of the European Directive,' the
statement concluded, 'and to the need to put into
practice policies that safeguard the human dignity
of all people.' [Zenit] 1467.9
www.catholic-family.org
The
radical onslaught
Dissidents'
open letter
A
group of Catholic dissenters plans to publish an open
letter to Pope Benedict XVI in a major U.S. and a
major Italian newspaper criticizing Pope Paul VI's
1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae on the fortieth
anniversary of its promulgation, July 25. The group
Catholics for Choice (CFC) claims that the encyclical's
teaching against contraception has been an 'utter
failure' that endangers women's lives and leaves millions
at risk of HIV. However, a major pro-life leader said
the group's accusations were hard to take seriously.
According
to the version of the open letter obtained by CNA,
CFC argues that there is a 'paradox' in Humanae
Vitae because 'most Catholics use modern contraceptives,
believe it is a moral choice to do so, and consider
themselves Catholics in good standing.' The letter
asserts that the encyclical has been an 'utter failure'
in convincing Catholics to abandon contraceptive use.
Catholic
condemnation of contraceptive use, the CFC letter
claims, has also hindered what it calls 'good public
health policies' on family planning and HIV prevention.
It further claims that most Catholics support the
use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV.
Focusing
on Pope Paul VI's Birth Control Commission, which
he consulted in preparing Humanae Vitae, the
CFC letter says the commission had 'voted overwhelmingly'
to recommend rescinding the Catholic ban on artificial
contraceptives. The majority reportedly argued that
contraceptive use was not intrinsically evil and that
previous Catholic teaching was not infallible, but
according to CFC, Pope Paul listened to the commission's
minority report, which supported the historical Catholic
prohibition of contraceptives.
The
CFC letter in its conclusion asks Pope Benedict to
be true to 'the positive aspects of Catholic teachings
on sexuality' and also to 'lift the ban' on contraception.
Father
Tom Euteneuer, President of Human Life International,
addressed some of the reported contents of CFC's open
letter in an e-mail to CNA, saying 'I find it hard
to take seriously the accusation that Humanae Vitae
is an 'utter failure'.'
Father
Euteneuer attacked the credibility of CFC, explaining,
'An organization founded by a lady who ran illegal
abortion clinics in the Third World before she graduated
to higher levels of malfeasance is hardly an authority
we should take seriously.' He reported that the organization
has been condemned twice in open session by the U.S.
Catholic Bishops as a deceptive and false 'Catholic'
organization.
Judging
the success of Humanae Vitae, Father Euteneuer
asserted, should not be colored by what he called
CFC's 'pro-abortion glasses.'
'Millions
of Catholic men and women are faithful to this teaching
and will not send out press releases to tell about
it,' he declared. This was evidenced, he said, by
the success of organizations like Couple to Couple
League, One More Soul, the 'phenomenal popularity'
of Janet Smith's Humanae Vitae presentations
and the new 'Theology of the Body' of Pope John Paul
II.
Father
Euteneuer also countered the claim that Catholic teaching
hindered HIV prevention efforts in the Third World.
'The only country that has effectively controlled
its HIV problem has done it through non-condom prevention
programs. That is the Catholic Philippines,' he said.
He
also noted that Uganda had reversed its 'skyrocketing
HIV-AIDS rate' through abstinence and behavioral change
programs that shunned what he called 'the condom savior.'
'They
went from a 30% infection rate down to 5%; no other
country in the world has done that, and the success
can be laid at the feet of Catholic teaching,' he
wrote, also crediting the work of the Franciscan nun
Sister Miriam Duggan.
Father
Euteneuer suggested that abstinence programs might
not be as popular as condom-based programs because
'abstinence costs nothing' and 'cannot garner millions
of dollars of economic aid like condoms can.'
Regarding
the CFC letter's claims about the 1967 Birth Control
Commission, the HLI president wrote:
'The
majority were in favor of changing the teaching and
the minority were real Catholics. Whatever the outcome,
the sole determinant in the truth of the Church teaching
is only one vote, that of the Holy Spirit, and Pope
Paul VI followed His inspiration in issuing Humanae
Vitae at a time when it was overwhelmingly unpopular.
He was the Pope, not a politician, and he did exactly
what he should have done in reaffirming centuries-old
infallible teaching.'
The
fulfillment of what he deemed the 'so-called Humanae
Vitae prophecies' in paragraph 17 of the encyclical
vindicated Pope Paul VI's judgment, in Father Euteneuer's
view.
The
HLI president explained Human Life International's
own plans for the fortieth anniversary of Humanae
Vitae, saying they had a priest and seminarian
newsletter centered on the encyclical here
He
reported that the organization also has prepared parish
bulletin inserts, homily notes, and a petition campaign
to declare assent to the encyclical.
'We
will also call for a day of fasting and prayer on
the anniversary of the encyclical so that good Catholics
can make reparation for the sins of the likes of CFC,'
Father Euteneuer stated.
CNA's
attempts to obtain comment from CFC on their letter
went unanswered before press time. [CNA] 1467.10
www.catholic-family.org
International
news
Canada
Change In Air In Quebec
Summing
up the significance of the International Eucharistic
Congress in Quebec for Canada's National Post following
the unexpectedly large turnout of 50,000 for the closing
Mass on June 22, Fr. Raymond de Souza observed 'there
is a new religious spirit here...The fact that Quebec's
national holiday was that of her patron saint, St.
Jean Baptiste, reflected that the durability of French
culture in Quebec and Canada was related in large
part to its fervent Catholic faith.
It
has been oft-remarked - and oft-celebrated, to be
sure - that Quebec's faith seems to be a thing of
the past, an obstacle to development and progress
best left behind without nostalgia. The result has
been the spectacular dismantling - sociologically
speaking, overnight - of what was once perhaps the
most Catholic corner of the world. For many observant
Catholics in Quebec, the rapid and aggressive secularization
of the culture has been a cause of discouragement
and even despair. For the Church. the pain of souls
turning away from Christ was compounded by an internal
crisis of confusion about the faith itself Was there
room in Quebec for a confident Catholic voice?
'That
confusion and fear was left behind last week. There
is nothing store fundamental to the Catholic faith
than the Eucharistic - the belief that Jesus Christ
is truly present in the sacrament under the appearance
of bread and wine. During the congress, Catholics
from around the world joined the Church in Quebec
to proclaim that faith. And on Thursday evening, when
20.000 pilgrims filled the streets of the Old City
in a Eucharistic procession, the Church in Quebec
proclaimed her faith with serenity and confidence,
unapologetic about taking her place in the culture
that she did so much to shape.
'The
exuberance of the congress, especially with young
people from across Quebec and Canada as key participants,
hinted that something new was on the horizon in Quebec.
On Friday evening, when twelve men were ordained priests
at the hockey coliseum, the 12,000-strong congregation
broke the constraints of normal liturgical practice,
applauding and cheering as if, well, they were at
a hockey game.
'Twelve
new priests - like the twelve apostles - for a new
foundation for the Church in Quebec!' said Fr. Stephan
Pouliot, who had incited me to the ordination. He
is himself a young, vibrant priest from south of Quebec
City.
''I
feel as if I was raised from the dead,' said Marc
Cardinal Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec, demonstrating
that it was not only the young who were deeply affected
by the week-long congress. 'I believe that we have
reached a turning point in the history of the Catholic
Church in Quebec.'
'Cardinal
Ouellet is not customarily a man of extravagant rhetoric,
so his words indicate that something important is
afoot' [www.thewandererpress.com] 1467.11
www.catholic-family.org
China
Foreign priests invited to the Games
Catholic churches in Beijing will hire foreign priests
to conduct masses to meet the demands of Games visitors
from overseas, state media reported on Tuesday, citing
church officials.
Masses
held in French, Italian and German would be increased
at the city's major Catholic churches, Xinhua said,
citing the foreign affairs office of the Beijing Catholic
Diocese.
'Although
Chinese priests (can) speak some different languages,
foreign priests (are) likely to preside over the masses
in foreign languages during the Games,' the agency
quoted Beijing Catholic Diocese official Yu Shuqin
as saying.
The
China Christian Council would also print 100,000 copies
of the Bible and New Testament with the Olympic logo
on the cover. Some had already been shipped to the
Olympic Village and churches in Beijing and other
co-host cities, Xinhua said.
Beijing
organisers said last year that an Olympic Village
ban on 'pamphlets and materials used for any religious
or political activity or display' did not include
personal copies of the Bible.
China,
whose ruling Communist Party regards religious and
other groups as potential threats to its power, demands
its faithful attend state-sanctioned churches, and
regularly detains pastors and priests.
Hong
Kong media last week said prominent Beijing-based
pastor Zhang Mingxuan, president of the China House
Church Alliance, and his wife had been removed from
the capital after a week of harassment to prevent
him from meeting with foreigners.
China
has about 40 million active Christians, with their
numbers evenly divided between state-run and underground
churches, according to expert estimates. [Times of
Malta] 1467.12
www.catholic-family.org
France
Homosexual 'marriage'
An
opinion poll commissioned by the French publication
Le Journal du Dimanche last month indicates
that a large majority of the country's population
apparently now favours homosexual 'marriage,' and
a small majority now seems to support adoption for
homosexual couples. If they are indeed an accurate
reflection of the general public mood, the poll results
represent a huge shift of opinion in only two years.
According
to the survey, 62% of respondents were in favor of
allowing homosexual 'marriage,' up from 45% in a similar
survey conducted in 2006, and 51% were in favor of
allowing homosexual couples to adopt, up from 36%
in 2006.
Public
opinion in 2006 was seen to favour a move towards
'family values' in France, when current President
Nicolas Sarkozy won an election after affirming support
for the traditional family and opposing pro-sodomy
legislation.
However,
under pressure from aggressive homosexual organizations,
Sarkozy has flip-flopped on the issue. He has now
announced a policy of promoting the decriminalization
of sodomy worldwide, as well as support for the 'International
Day Against Homophobia' (IDAHO) [LifeSiteNews] 1467.13
