Cardinal says Vatican and Chinese government engaged in ‘real talks’ to normalize relations
Rome, Italy, Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - Cardinal
Joseph Zen of Hong Kong said Monday that Chinese government officials
and the Holy See “have entered into real talks” about normalizing
diplomatic relations.
In statements to
ATV World television in Hong Kong, the new cardinal said he was under
the impression that “real talks” between the two parties were under way
in Rome. His statements came a week after China’s Director of
Religious Affairs, Ye Xiaowen, confirmed that formal contact had been
made with the Holy See aimed at establishing bilateral diplomatic
relations. According to Ye, this “could take place soon.”
Cardinal Zen
also said that one of the most complicated issues in the talks was the
issue of appointing bishops, as Beijing considers episcopal
appointments by the Holy See to be intrusion into internal affairs.
According to
some sources, the Vatican would accept submitting a roster of names to
Chinese authorities and allowing Beijing to voice an opinion, as long
as the Vatican had the final word. Cardinal Ze said authority
over appointments could not be the exclusive domain of an “atheist
government.”
The Hong Kong
bishop also noted that one of the conditions the Vatican has set for
establishing relations is the existence of freedom of religion in
China. The Church, he said, calls for “absolute religious
freedom.”
Pope may grant wider use of Pope Pius V Missal during Holy Week
Vatican City, Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - A
source at the Vatican has told CNA that during Holy Week Pope Benedict
XVI may grant universal permission to use the Missal of St. Pius V, the
liturgical rite used in the Church before Vatican II.
According to the
source, the announcement could come “between Holy Thursday and Easter
Sunday,” but the exact day has not yet been set. Nevertheless,
the source said the decision has already been made by the Holy Father
and that it’s “only a matter of time” before it is publicly announced.
“A minor
official gesture by the Holy Father would be enough to allow the Mass
according to the 1962 Missal to celebrated by whoever desires to do so,
thus reiterating that this rite is still valid today simply because it
was not abolished,” the source told CNA.
The announcement
would be in the context of “the reform of the reform” that Pope
Benedict XVI is promoting, which includes norms and principles that
will be made public in the upcoming post-synod Apostolic Exhortation on
the Eucharist.
At the same
time, such a gesture by the Pope could contribute to ending the schism
with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, founded by Archbishop
Marcel Lefebvre in 1988.
On Saturday,
Pope Benedict XVI named three new members to the Ecclesia Dei
Commission, created by Pope John Paul II in order to reach out to the
Lefebvrists. They are Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Jean-Pierre
Richard, Archbishop of Bordeaux of president of the Bishops’ Conference
of France, and Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera of Toledo, Spain.
Compendium of the Catechism officially released, sells out first 50,000-copy printing
Washington D.C., Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - The
Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church was officially
launched at the opening ceremony at the Los Angeles Religious Education
Congress on April 7. It sold out by its second day on sale.
All parents,
students and teachers should use the Compendium as part of their faith
formation, Cardinal Roger Mahony told those gathered at the congress.
The resource comes in both English and Spanish.
The book went on
sale at the weekend conference Friday morning. By mid-Saturday morning,
all 1,500 copies of the book at the conference were sold out. About
50,000 copies were purchased in pre-sales.
The Los Angeles
Religious Education Congress is the largest event of it kind. This
year, an estimated 40,000 people attended from 47 states and the
District of Columbia, as well as Latin America, Asia, Africa and
Europe.
For information on the Compendium, go to www.usccbpublishing.org.
Vatican prepares to celebrate 500th birthday of St. Peter’s Basilica
Vatican City, Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) -
Officials at the Vatican are preparing to celebrate the
500th anniversary of the largest church in the Christian world--St.
Peter’s Basilica.
The
Holy See announced today that a press conference will be held on April
20th to present plans for official celebrations marking the fifth
centenary.
The
basilica, which covers an area of 5.7 acres, was completed in 1626. The
tomb of St. Peter himself rests underneath the main altar.
Scheduled
to be on hand for the press conference are Cardinals Francesco
Marchisano, archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, and Albert Vanhoye
S.J., rector emeritus of the Pontifical Biblical College.
Also
present will be Archbishop Angelo Comastri and Bishop Vittorio Lanzani,
respectively president and delegate of the Fabric of St. Peter's;
Antonio Paolucci, superintendent of the Florentine Museums and curator
of the exhibition, "Petros Eni;" as well as Maria Cristina
Carlo-Stella, bureau chief at the Fabric of St. Peter's.
Holy See’s Way of the Cross Meditations will be available in some countries starting today
Vatican City, Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - The
Vatican announced today that the meditations for this year’s Good
Friday Way of the Cross will be available to consumers in Italy,
Germany and the U.S.
The Vatican
Publishing House said in a communique this morning that the meditations
will be available starting Tuesday in a number of religious and chain
bookstores in the three participating countries.
This year’s Way
of the Cross, which will be held in Rome’s Coliseum on April 14th--
Good Friday, will be the first ever to be led by Pope Benedict XVI. The
meditations were written by Archbishop Angelo Comastri, who is prelate
emeritus of Loreto and the Pope’s vicar general for Vatican City State.
The communique
says that the meditations "invite us to reflect upon the devastating
power of sin and, at the same time, encourage us to contemplate the
healing power of God's love clearly expressed in the cross of Christ."
The text is
slated to be released today in Italy, Germany and the United States.
Herder and Ignatius Press are the official publishers for the German
and U.S. editions while the Italian is being produced by the Vatican
Publishing House.
Cardinal O’Malley returns to Boston for first public Mass
Boston, Mass., Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - The
archbishop of Boston received a standing ovation at St. Theresa of
Avila Parish April 1 at the beginning of his first public Mass since
being elevated to the College of Cardinals last month.
“It’s a great joy to be here,” Cardinal Sean O’Malley told the packed church.
According to a
report in Boston’s diocesan newspaper, The Pilot, the new cardinal
began his homily by speaking about the universality of the Church and
the role of the Pope, who unites Catholics throughout the world.
He explained
that the red robes of a cardinal, which he wore under his purple
vestments, is a reminder that the Catholic Church is a Church of
martyrs. “We must be ready to suffer to bear witness to our faith,” he
said.
His purple
Lenten vestments, with gold, red and green embroidery down the center,
were Pope John Paul II’s. They were a gift from Pope Benedict XVI after
he was elevated to cardinal. Cardinal O’Malley felt it appropriate to
don the vestments of the late pope as the one-year anniversary of his
death would be commemorated the following day.
Cardinal
O’Malley said Lent should be less about sticking to our promises to
give up sweets or cigarettes and more about obeying and getting to know
Christ.
“Lent should
mean turning our backs on everything that separates us from Christ and
each other,” he said. “Lent is about dying to the selfishness of sin
and individualism and being able to experience the joy of Christ.”
He reminded the
congregants not to be afraid to follow Christ. “During Lent, look to
Jesus lifted up on the cross,” he said. “If we really see the cross, we
see love, obedience, hope — and if we really see Jesus, we see that He
is always watching us with love — love that gives us the courage to
stop following Him at a safe distance and follow Him up close.”
Cardinal
O’Malley also celebrated Mass at St. Catherine of Siena in Norwood
April 9 and is scheduled to celebrate at St. Mary of the Assumption in
Lawrence April 16 in Spanish.
Jews are paralyzed by not studying New Testament, says Rabbi
Washington D.C., Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - Prominent
reform Rabbi Michael Cook says many Jews are paralyzed by their
ignorance of New Testament writings, and is urging their study in order
to improve interfaith relations and answer Christians who ask why Jews
don't accept Jesus as the Messiah.
Cook says this
lack of knowledge about the New Testament is the Jewish "Achilles'
heel," reported the Associated Press. Jews they must learn how the
Gospels molded Christian attitudes toward Judaism, he says. This
"self-imposed ignorance" is dangerous, he adds.
"The New
Testament is the greatest single external determinant of Jewish
history, and deleteriously so in it’s causing Jews grievous problems,"
Cook, a New Testament professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion, told the AP.
"Once Jews catch
on to this, most will recognize how valuable this venture can be," Cook
was quoted as saying. He is working on a book he plans to publish next
year, "Modern Jews Engage the New Testament.”
Many scholars
agree that Jews would benefit from studying the Christian texts. But
most Jews shun Christian Scripture due to both religious law and
historical experience.
Fellow scholars
say there are too many other pressing issues in Jewish education,
including the increasing secularization of Jews, to make New Testament
learning a priority.
Currently, the
text is almost completely absent from coursework for rabbinical
candidates, students at American Jewish colleges and the many young
people enrolled in Jewish high schools. There are a few Jewish colleges
that include a course on New Testament studies.
University students urged to use mass media to ‘be bold for Christ’
Steubenville, Ohio, Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - Christian
media professionals must produce more than explicitly Christian
material in order to expand their impact and influence, said seasoned
journalist Carlos Briceno in his keynote address at Franciscan
University of Steubenville's first ever Faith and Media Conference.
The two-day
conference gathered students, faculty and media professionals March
31-April 1. It sought to explore the role Christians play in the most
powerful cultural force of our times—the mass media.
Briceno
encouraged attendees to stay on fire with love for Christ by
"evangelizing [themselves] everyday" and by not allowing fear or busy
schedules to keep them from "laboring in the vineyard."
Briceno is the
founder of Disciples With Microphones, an organization of professional
journalists who use their skills to spread the Gospel.
He shared
specific ways he has brought Christ into the secular media, including
selecting faithful Catholics for interviews and allowing his faith to
shape the focus of his reporting.
"Catechetical and religious materials are good, but we need to make more than explicitly Catholic materials," he said.
The conference also explored the topic, "Working in Christian Media" and "Maintaining Faith in a Secular Environment."
Franciscan
University professor David Schaefer took a critical look at how faith
and religion are portrayed in film. Before teaching at Franciscan,
Schaefer worked as a producer and anchor in television and radio. He
said the biggest challenge for Christian filmmakers is convincing
Hollywood that movies can be both religious and successful.
The conference
was the first of its kind in the Ohio Valley. It was the brainchild of
senior communications major Valerie Striker, who suggested to
professors that Franciscan host such a conference for Christian
students.
Fargo Bishop urges faithful to pray Divine Mercy Novena for vocations, reparation for sexual abuse scandal
, Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - Bishop
Samuel J. Aquila of the Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota is urging
faithful in his diocese to pray the Novena of Divine Mercy in order to
build faithful priestly vocations and bring healing to victims of the
Church’s massive sexual abuse scandal.
Bishop Aquila
asked that the Novena--a nine day prayer said for specific
intentions--begin on Good Friday so that it could end on Divine Mercy
Sunday, traditionally celebrated each year on the Sunday following
Easter.
The Divine Mercy
feast, which has heavily Polish origins, was instituted by Pope John
Paul II to increase devotion to the Mercy of Christ.
In his
announcement, issued on Palm Sunday, the bishop said that “God desires
for each of us to live with him eternally. Thus, he offered us Jesus
and, through Jesus, his Divine Mercy is made present.”
“Mercy is the
goodness, compassion, faithfulness and love of God revealed in Sacred
Scripture”, he went on, “Despite man’s constant sin and unfaithfulness,
God remains faithful and loving toward his creatures.”
Likewise, he
pointed out that “We see this mercy most especially revealed in the
parable of the prodigal son. The love of the Father waits for each one
of us to return to his complete cleansing and healing forgiveness.”
Bishop Aquila
specifically asked that members of the diocese pray “For holy vocations
to the priesthood for the Diocese of Fargo – that men will hear God’s
call and make themselves a total self gift to the Father, imitating
Jesus Christ in serving his people.”
He also asked
that they pray “For reparation for the sins of the clergy – that clergy
realize the depth of the pain sin causes and seek forgiveness from
those they offend, from the Church, and from God,” and “For victims of
sexual abuse – that they may turn with confidence to the mercy of God
to be comforted, healed and strengthened.”
Church will oppose family planning law, says Guatemalan cardinal
Guatemala City, Guatemala, Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - The
archbishop of Guatemala City, Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruño, said
this past Sunday that the Church would oppose a new law on family
planning which is currently before the country’s Constitutional Court.
He said that the law is “manifestly unconstitutional.”
Speaking to
reporters after the celebration of Palm Sunday Mass, the cardinal
warned that the Guatemalan bishops would file briefs before the high
court against the law. At the same time, however, he said the
official position of the Church in Guatemala regarding the legislation
would be made known after the bishops meet in April.
“This law is
manifestly unconstitutional because it does not respect the human
embryo, it does not respect the right of parents to teach their kids
about sexuality and it even forces private Catholic schools to teach
things that go against their consciences,” the cardinal said.
The Guatemalan
high court denied a motion by the country’s executive branch last
December to prevent the new law from being published in the official
daily after it was approved by Congress.
Cardinal Rivera urges Mexicans to focus on Holy Week, not on elections
Mexico City, Mexico, Apr 11, 2006 (CNA) - The
archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, has called
on Mexicans to set aside the issue of the upcoming presidential
elections and focus instead on Holy Week in order to mediate on the
mysteries of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
“This is not the
time to think about the elections, as there will be other times to
think about the vote. This time is for meditating on the message
of Jesus,” he said during the celebration of Palm Sunday Mass.
In recalling
that the priority of the Church is to evangelize, Cardinal Rivera noted
that history has not yet finished, as Jesus’ trial continues today as
he suffers when we give in to sin or when the we make the shouts of the
multitudes our own: “We don’t want this one, give us Barrabas.
Crucify him!”
While “the
physical passion of Jesus continues in the physical ailments that human
beings sufferer such as hunger and illness, his spiritual passion is
caused by the moral sufferings he had to endure,” the cardinal added.
In this sense,
he continued, “our passion comes from religious indifference, scorn for
the moral laws under the name of progressivism, manipulation of
religion for perverse ends and from theoretical and practical atheism
which rejects God from public life.”
“Affective
compassion towards suffering members is not enough,” the cardinal
warned. “We need to effectively alleviate their sufferings
instead of increasing them. Thus the reading of the passion will
not be a mere recollection but a source of personal and communal
Christian renewal,” he said in conclusion.
