Pope Benedict: New cardinals now share more intensely in the mystery of Christ, the sufferings of Christ
Vatican City, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) -
The
Church’s College of Cardinals now has 15 new members among its ranks.
This morning, Pope Benedict XVI created the first cardinals of his
pontificate and said that he is counting on them to support him, build
up the Church and share with the world the message of the Gospel.
The new
members--from 11 different countries--now bring the total number of
world cardinals to 193, 120 of whom are of legal age to participate in
a papal conclave.
Among them was
Cardinal William Joseph Levada, former Archbishop of San Francisco and
now, prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith--an
office formerly held by the Holy Father himself prior to becoming Pope.
Cardinal Levada, who was the first to be incorporated today, thanked the Pope on behalf of all the others.
During his
homily, delivered in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father explained that
the Ordinary Public Consistory eloquently expresses "the universal
nature of the Church, which has spread to every corner of the world in
order to proclaim to all people the Good News of Christ our Savior."
He recalled his
predecessor John Paul II, who celebrated nine consistories during his
two and a half decade pontificate. On this, Benedict stressed that
while "down the centuries the College of Cardinals has changed in many
ways, nevertheless the substance and essential nature of this important
ecclesial body remain unaltered."
"Total and
generous availability to serve others”, he said, “is the distinctive
mark of those in positions of authority in the Church."
Quoting St. Gregory the Great, the Pope called Jesus, “The first 'servant of the servants of God'."
“After him, and
united with him,” he said, “come the Apostles; and among these, in a
particular way, Peter. ... The Pope must be the first to make himself
the servant of all."
The Holy Father
then turned to address the new cardinals, telling them that now, "more
closely linked to the Successor of Peter, you will be called to work
together with him in accomplishing his particular ecclesial service,
and this will mean for you a more intense participation in the mystery
of the Cross as you share in the sufferings of Christ."
He said that the
word "caritas," which was the major theme of his recent Encyclical,
best summarized the significance of the call of a cardinal. "May the
scarlet that you now wear always express the 'caritas Christi,'
inspiring you to a passionate love for Christ, for His Church and for
all humanity,” the pope said.
“You now have an
additional motive to seek to rekindle in yourselves those same
sentiments that led the incarnate Son of God to pour out His blood in
atonement for the sins of the whole world.”
Benedict went
on, telling the group, "I am counting on you, venerable brothers, I am
counting on the entire College into which you are being incorporated,
to proclaim to the world that 'Deus caritas est,' and to do so above
all through the witness of sincere communion among Christians."
"I am counting
on you”, he added, “to ensure that the principle of love will spread
far and wide, and will give new life to the Church at every level of
her hierarchy, in every group of the faithful, in every religious
institute, in every spiritual, apostolic or humanitarian initiative."
He concluded by
telling the new cardinals the he is "counting on you to see to it that
our common endeavor to fix our gaze on Christ's open Heart will hasten
and secure our path towards the full unity of Christians. I am counting
on you to see to it that the Church's solicitude for the poor and needy
challenges the world with a powerful statement on the civilization of
love.”
“All this”, the
Pope said, he sees “symbolized in the scarlet with which you are now
invested. May it truly be a symbol of ardent Christian love shining
forth in your lives."
Titular authority
Following Pope
Benedict’s homily, each of the new cardinals voiced the profession of
faith, swearing obedience to the Pope and his successors.
One by one, they
then received the red “biretta” from the Pope as well as their assigned
titular or diaconate church in Rome. The titular church assignment is
largely symbolic, but expresses the cardinals’ participation in the
Pope’s pastoral concern for the city.
Cardinal Levada
will take possession of the Church of St. Mary in Domnica on Sunday. A
large number of faithful from his former archdioceses of San Francisco
and Portland are scheduled to attend.
Likewise,
Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the only other Cardinal from the U.S.,
will take possession of the Church of St. Mary della Vittoria.
International law firm offering financial assistance for Afghan Christian convert facing death
Washington D.C., Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - The
U.S.-based Becket Fund, an international law firm dedicated to the
protection of religious freedom is offering financial assistance for
Abdul Rahman, an Afghan man who converted to Christianity from Islam
and now faces a possible death sentence under that country’s Islamic
law.
Jared L. Leland,
spokesman and Legal Counsel for the group, said in a letter addressed
to Rahman, care of the Afghan embassy in Washington DC, that “The right
to maintain, manifest, and change one’s religious beliefs is a
fundamental freedom to be protected in all corners, and at all times,
throughout the world.”
He added that
“The inalienable right to adopt another faith or change religious
beliefs is no less fundamental than the freedom to congregate for
worship or recite bedtime prayers. It’s a basic, nonnegotiable right.”
Rahman was
recently turned in to authorities by his family after converting to
Christianity some 14 years ago as an aid worker in neighboring
Pakistan. Afghanistan’s laws make it a capital punishment to convert
away from Islam.
The Becket
Fund‘s letter says that “With proper advocacy on [Rahman’s] behalf,
Afghanistan can and will live up to its obligations as a member of the
international community at the United Nations, and protect [his]
freedom to change [his] religion as guaranteed by its constitution, the
[Universal Declaration of Human Rights], and the [International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights].”
Calling
religious freedom a human right “rooted in the inherent dignity of the
human person,” the letter points out that “Afghanistan’s Constitution
recognizes and guarantees [him] this freedom of religion” along with
international agreements to which Afghanistan is bound.
Becket Fund
President and General Counsel, Anthony Picarello, Jr. said that “The
international community has recognized the fundamental right to
conversion, and now Afghanistan must as well.”
He vowed that
his organization, which is a frequent consultant to the United Nations,
would “vigorously defend Mr. Rahman and all other Afghans who face
punishment for exercising their right to religious liberty.”
Catholic agencies say poverty ‘assaults millions’
Washington D.C., Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - The
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services
presented their priorities for 2007 foreign assistance to the House
Appropriations Committee in their testimony March 22.
“Investments in
human development are not only matters of moral responsibility, but
contribute to a safer and more just and peaceful world,” the told the
committee, adding that severe poverty assaults the human dignity of
millions in many nations.
“Our religious
faith and our nation’s values tell us that the moral measure of our
efforts is how we respond to the ‘least among us’…and whether we seek
justice for all,” they stated.
Their suggested
allocations included $5 billion for global development and humanitarian
assistance, $150 million in employment assistance and poverty relief
for the Palestinian people, and $3.7 billion for morally appropriate
programs to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
They tackled
debt relief, calling on the administration to put $950 million toward
its commitment to cancel 100 percent of the debt owed by heavily
indebted poor countries, and to increase the number of countries
eligible for debt cancellation.
As migration is
an ongoing phenomenon worldwide, the Catholic agencies estimated that
nearly $1.3 billion should be slated for different types of migration
and refugee assistance.
Finally, they
said $ 3 billion would be needed to fulfill the requirements of the
Millennium Challenge Account, the president’s initiative that promises
to unite poverty reduction with better governance in poor countries;.
Vatican outlines Thursday discussions between Pope, Cardinals
Vatican City, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) -
Today, the Vatican released the official account of
Thurday’s Day of Prayer and Reflection, in which Pope Benedict and
members of the College of Cardinals discussed four key issues facing
the Catholic Church today. The meeting came ahead of this morning’s
Public Ordinary Consistory in which 15 new cardinals were created.
The
four topics, according to a Vatican communiqué released this morning,
included first, the mission of bishops emeritus within the Church,
second, efforts which should be and are being made toward the
reconciliation of members of the Fraternity of St. Pius X, third,
liturgical reform and use of the St. Pius X Latin Missal, and lastly,
the Church’s position toward Islam.
150
of theChurch’s 193 cardinals were on hand for the meetings held, in
theVatican’s Synod Hall. 15 new cardinals who were incorporated into
the College Friday morning were also present.
The
Holy See said that the meetings--done in the same format as those
preceding last year’s papal conclave--focused on four main subjects
laid out by the Pope himself.
The
first two topics of discussion were raised, respectively, by Cardinal
Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and
Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation for the
Clergy and president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei."
The
third and fourth were raised by Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments,and Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano.
The
all-day meetings included open discussion and debate. According to the
Vatican, various cardinals contributed, including some of the 15 who
were made cardinals today.
Muslims oppose new film about Jesus by Orthodox Christian
Cairo, Egypt, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - Muslims
are expressing their opposition to plans by an Egyptian Orthodox
Christian to make the first movie in Arabic about Jesus, who Islam
considers to be a prophet. They argue that it would be a violation of
their faith, which prohibits depictions of Allah and the prophets.
“In order for
this movie to be made, our position is that the image of the prophet
(Jesus) not appear, for it would be impossible to find an actor who
could play him, no matter how perfect his work is,” prominent Muslim
leader Mohammed Habib told the EFE news agency.
Some have
suggested that filmmakers request authorization from Al Azhar, the most
prestigious institution of Sunni Islam, which issues judgments about
works of art that have to do with religion.
Abdel Moti
Bayumi, a member of the Academy of Islamic Studies of Al Azhar, said
the prophets cannot be portrayed “because that reduces their value in
the human imagination,” and he pointed to recent Al Azhar fatwas on the
issue. “Muslims hate seeing Jesus represented in human form and
especially if they show him in moments of weakness."
"Al Azhar has already given its opinion, and whoever does not respect it will have to answer to God,” Bayumi said.
The screenwriter
of the film, Fayez Ghali, said Al Azhar “has nothing to do with my
film. That the depiction of the prophets is forbidden is an issue
for our Muslim brothers, not for me.” “I am following my Orthodox
Christian teaching. No human being ought to prohibit the movie,
whether it’s Al Azhar, the church or even the state,” he added.
He also said
that preventing the film “would be a historic catastrophe, as it would
be understood as an imposition of their power on the Church.”
Ghali argued that those seeking the approval of Al Azhar for his film
“are radicals who are playing with fire.”
While Ghali said
he was not opposed to having a Muslim play the role of Christ, the
film’s producer, Mohammed Uchub, who is Muslim, said he would impose
the sole condition that the role be given to an unknown Christian
actor.
Conference considers worldwide ‘war on Christians’
Washington D.C., Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - A
conference next week promises to address Christian singling out around
the world and in the media. The conference, called The War On
Christians and the Values Voter in 2006, will be held March 27-28 at
the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.
The organizers
pointed to Abdul Rahman’s trial in Afghanistan and the recent release
of the anti-Christian film V for Vendetta to demonstrate the urgent
need at this time for the conference.
Rahman could
face a possible death penalty for converting to Christianity from Islam
16 years ago. Human rights watchers indicate that there are other
similar cases of Christian persecution in the Muslim world.
V for Vendetta
depicts a future Christian dictatorship in Britain that crushes dissent
and persecutes other faiths. This is only one of a number of
productions coming out of Hollywood that misrepresent Christianity or
are outright anti-Christian.
For this reason,
the conference will include a panel discussion March 28 called
Hollywood: Christians Through A Distorted Lens. Panelists include Ted
Baehr of MovieGuide.org, Bob Knight of Concerned Women for America and
Rebecca Hagelin of the Heritage Foundation.
Other keynote
speakers at the conference include Rick Scarborough, Phyllis Schlafly,
Senator John Cornyn, Gary Bauer, Congressman Tom DeLay, Janet Parshall,
Senator Sam Brownback, Janet Folger and Alan Keyes.
For a complete conference schedule, go to http://www.visionamerica.us/conferenceagenda.
New Zealand Catholics outraged by South Park episode
Aukland, New Zealand, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - The
Catholic Church in New Zealand is lodging an official complaint with
the country’s Broadcasting Standards Authority after a television
channel aired an episode of South Park, which depicted a statue of the
Virgin Mary menstruating.
Chief Operating
Officer of C4, Rick Friesen, apologized for any offence caused by the
controversial “Bloody Mary” episode, which aired Feb. 22. During the
broadcast, a group of about 400 Catholics prayed the rosary and sang
Marian hymns outside C4’s studio.
The station
received dozens of complaints over the episode, but did not uphold any
based on the country’s Television Code. However, Friesan admitted, the
channel misjudged the number of people who would be offended.
The COO said the
channel has "detected a shift in the public's perspective on matters of
a religious nature” and has since “reviewed [its] internal processes
for dealing with religious programs, particularly in relation to
religious satire," reported the New Zealand Catholic. The station has
decided not to rebroadcast the episode.
A similar
situation developed in the United States a few months ago, when the
program was aired Dec. 7. Comedy Central, which broadcast the show,
also decided to cancel scheduled repeats of the episode.
Catholic
Communications national director Lyndsay Freer questioned Friesen’s
claim that his channel has "detected a shift in the public's
perspective."
"What they
really mean is that they have learned the hard way that the public will
not put up with arrogant denigration of groups of their fellow citizens
simply because the media perceives that it can get away with it."
In February, the
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference asked CanWest Media, C4’s
parent company, not to screen the episode. They said the decision to
air it was “arrogant” and “cynical” and urged Catholics to consider
boycotting the station and their advertisers.
“Press freedom
is not a license to incite intolerance or to promote hatred or derision
based on religion, race or gender,” they said in a Feb. 14 letter. “We
believe that while most of us have a sense of humor, there are some
things that go beyond the bounds.”
Friesen said he
is confident the Broadcasting Standards Authority will not uphold any
complaint from the Catholic Church because he does not believe the
program breached any broadcasting codes.
Bedside priest prepares for one year anniversary of Terri Schiavo death
, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - Fr. Frank Pavone was by Terri Schiavo’s bedside just before she died one year ago next Friday.
This year, the
well-known priest, who is head of the group, Priests for Life, plans to
spend the one year anniversary with Terri’s family, and by her
gravesite, offering comfort and prayers.
Fr. Pavone
became a well-recognized media presence last year outside the Pinellas
Park, Florida hospice where Mrs. Schiavo died.
At one point, he
bluntly declared to the assembled media that her death was “murder”,
adding that it was not “peaceful” or “gentle,” as Schiavo’s husband
Michael had suggested, but that she suffered “an agony unlike anything
I have ever seen.”
Schaivo’s
husband ordered his wife’s feeding tube removed last year following
years of incapacitation and brain damage. Her family fought him
vigilantly in a battle that waged all the way up to President Bush, the
Supreme Court and the Vatican.
Archbishop says families are ‘the poor of today’, deserve greater charity
Madrid, Spain, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - In
his weekly pastoral letter, Archbishop Agustin Garcia-Gasco of
Valencia, Spain, said greater charity must be shown to those families
that are most in need, for while “the working class was considered the
poor in the past, today’s poor are the families.”
In his letter,
the archbishop warns that in today’s world, “Choosing to have a family
and raise kids is seen by many as way of ending up poor.”
“Families are
the poor of our time,” he said, noting that “all of us can contribute
to establishing social changes so that the right to have a family is a
reality.” “There are many countries that have policies harmful to
families,” he warned.
Therefore,
Archbishop Garcia-Gasco said the practice of charity towards needy
families “must not be left out” of the V World Meeting of Families,
which will take place in Valencia in July.
He praised the
attitude of many families in Valencia who “have opened their hearts and
their homes to welcome pilgrims from all over the world with whom they
will share their homes and their meals.” He also noted that the
“wave of generosity is spreading so that Christians of third-world
countries can be present at the meeting and share the testimony of
their own experiences.”
Works of charity
“are an essential task of the Church that cannot be overlooked by any
Christian.” The archbishop said the meeting of families in
Valencia would be an important opportunity to develop new “attitudes,
policies and legislative efforts that truly address the material needs
of families.”
Human Rights Watch demands Mexico legalize abortion
, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - In
a report posted on the group’s website, the pro-abortion organization
Human Rights Watch is demanding that Mexican leaders provide “safe and
legal” abortion for victims of rape or incest.
In the section
entitled, “Detailed Recommendations” of the report “The Second Assault
Obstructing Access to Legal Abortion after Rape in Mexico,” the group
demands Mexican officials “support the right to immediate unhindered
access to safe, humane, respectful, and free abortion services in those
cases where abortion currently is not criminalized and in accordance
with human rights standards.”
Likewise the
group recommends amending the law which created “the National Institute
for Women to explicitly include a mandate to further women’s and girl’s
access to abortion where currently permitted by law.” It also
calls on the Mexican Congress to pass “laws that ensure women access to
voluntary, safe, and free abortions after all forms of rape or incest,”
“to guarantee the provision of safe and free abortions at public health
institutions,” and to “repeal penal code provisions that criminalize
abortion, especially those that punish women and girls who have had an
abortion.”
In their report,
Human Rights Watch calls for the implementation of a “zero-tolerance
policy for public officials’ failure to support victims of violence in
their pursuit of justice and redress, bearing in mind that such redress
includes access to legal and free abortion,” as well as the
implementation of “meaningful sanctions against public officials who
obstruct women’s and girls’ right to abortion after rape.”
The report
leaves no room for conscientious objection on the part of heath care
workers or for parental consent for underage girls who wish to obtain
abortions.
The group also demands the “pardon and release” of “all prisoners serving sentences for having procured or induced abortions.”
Ironically, the
report also speaks of the need for “physical and psychological
accompaniment and guidance for pregnant rape victims who have asked for
a voluntary legal abortion,” although there is no mention of
post-abortion syndrome, which often arises when the mother realizes she
has taken the life of her unborn child.
In a final note,
the group indicates that “the obligation of the public health system to
provide free abortion services to victims of rape is already
established in the legislation of some Mexican jurisdictions. The
national legislation should not distance itself from the standard set
by this level of protection.”
The entire report can be found at: http://hrw.org/reports/2006/mexico0306/
Multi-lingual rosary to be offered in memory of John Paul II
, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - Hundreds
of Catholics are expected to gather at the Shrine of Schönstatt in
Germany on April 2nd--the one-year anniversary of the death of Pope
John Paul II--to pray a multi-lingual rosary in memory of the beloved
pontiff.
Members of the
Schönstatt movement will be joined by hundreds of other Catholics at
the shrine where the movement was born to pray in different languages
for the Servant of God Pope John Paul II.
On the same
night of April 2nd, thousands are expected to gather with Pope Benedict
XVI in St. Peter’s Square for a prayer vigil followed by a Mass in St.
Peter’s Basilica on April 3rd.
Italian police investigate weeping Madonna
Forli, Italy, Mar 24, 2006 (CNA) - Police
are investigating the case of a statue of the Virgin Mary, which
reportedly wept tears of blood last week. They are running tests on the
statue to determine the nature of the teardrops.
A group of
elderly, female worshippers first noticed that red tear-like drops had
appeared on the face of the 1.2-metre-high statue of the Madonna in the
town's Santa Lucia Church, says a March 22 ANSA report.
The news of a
possible miracle was reported to the local bishop who immediately
removed the figure, replacing it with a similar one, and called the
police. It has not wept since it was moved to the bishop's offices.
The number of
reported cases of Madonna appearances and of statues moving or weeping
has grown in recent years and the Vatican has become extremely cautious
about giving its seal of approval.
In September,
the Vatican said tears of blood found on a statue of St. Padre Pio in a
southern Italian town were not miraculous, reported ANSA.
