Pope commends Swiss Guard who, for 500 years, have given their lives for the Church
Vatican City, May 8, 2006 (CNA) - As
the Pontifical Swiss Guard--the longest standing army in the
world--continues to celebrate 500 years of service to the Pope and the
Church, Pope Benedict celebrated Mass on Saturday thanking both past
and present Guard members for the dedication of their lives.
Civil and
military authorities from Switzerland as well as other countries were
on hand at St. Peter’s Basilica for the ceremony, where they joined
relatives, friends of the Guard and military chaplains.
During his
homily, the Holy Father discussed the readings--taken from the Book of
Wisdom and St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. He said that "whoever,
fascinated by wisdom, seeks and finds it in Christ, leaves everything
for Him, receiving in exchange the priceless gift of the Kingdom of
God; and, clothed in temperance, prudence, justice and strength (the
'cardinal' virtues), he lives his witness of charity within the Church."
He likened this
vision to the Pontifical Swiss Guard who, "motivated by love for Christ
and the Church, put themselves at the service of Peter's Successor."
Benedict
expressed his gratitude both for those members of the Guard who had
signed on for a limited time, as well as others who decided to serve
for their whole lives. He expressed his joy for those whose service in
the Vatican had "brought them to mature a response to a priestly or
religious vocation."
"Nonetheless,”
he continued, “for everyone, being Swiss Guards means an unreserved
adherence to Christ and to the Church, and a readiness to give one's
life. Actual service may cease, but in your hearts you always remain
Swiss Guards.”
Here the Pope
commended the “nearly 80 former Guards who, from April 7 to May 4, made
the extraordinary march from Switzerland to Rome, mainly following the
old pilgrim route of the Via Francigena."
Inviting his
listeners to be nourished by the Eucharist, he encouraged them, above
all else, to be "men of prayer, that divine wisdom may make you true
friends of God and servants of His Kingdom of love and peace.”
“It is in the
sacrifice of Christ”, he said, “that the service of your long line of
predecessors over these 500 years acquires completeness of meaning and
value."
To live as a priest is to live for Christ, others, Pope tells newly ordained
Vatican City, May 8, 2006 (CNA) - The
Catholic Church celebrated the 43rd annual World Day of Vocations on
Sunday. At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI marked the occasion by
ordaining 15 new priests and stressing how they must be a witness of
the Gospel both to believers and to a world that has not yet heard of
it.
13 of those
ordained yesterday now become priests within the Diocese of Rome, while
the two others will serve in the Order of Discalced Carmelites.
During his
homily, the Holy Father recalled the day’s Gospel reading, which speaks
of the Christ the Good Shepherd, who gives his life for his flock.
This priestly
spirit, Benedict stressed, is opposed to "careerism, the attempt to
arrive 'high up,' to seek out a position through the Church, serve
oneself and not serve others. This is the image of a man who, through
the priesthood, seeks to become important and famous."
Yet, he was quick to add, "the only legitimate ascent towards the ministry of the shepherd is the cross. That is the door."
He went on to
say that to be a priest is not "to desire to be someone important, ...
but to live for others, for Christ, and through Him and with Him to
live for the men and women He seeks, whom He wants to lead along the
path of life.”
"We enter the
priesthood through a Sacrament," the Holy Father said, "and this means
through the total donation of self to Christ, so that He may use me as
He wishes, so that I serve Him and follow His call even when this
contrasts with my own desires for self-fulfillment and respect. To
enter by the door, which is Christ, means knowing Him and loving Him
ever more deeply, that our will may unite with His and our action
become one with His action."
He went on,
stressing the importance of celebrating the Eucharist daily--an act
which, he said, “must become a school of life for us, one in which we
learn to donate our lives."
Likewise, he
highlighted the importance of "a practical and concrete knowledge of
the people entrusted to us. ... The pastor cannot be content with
remembering names and dates, his knowledge must also be a knowledge of
the heart. This, however, is only fully possible if the Lord has opened
our own hearts."
The Pope
concluded his homily by emphasizing how priests "must concern
themselves with everyone," especially "those who believe and live with
the Church," but also with "bringing God's invitation to His banquet to
those men and women who have still not heard of it."
Same-sex marriage has serious implications for religious liberty, legal experts say
Boston, Mass., May 8, 2006 (CNA) - The legalization of same-sex marriage has launched the most significant cultural battle of our time and will have severe and far-reaching consequences for churches and religious organizations, many legal experts say.
In the cover story of the May 15 issue of the Weekly Standard, Maggie Gallagher predicts that the decision to legalize gay marriage will trickle down through the legal system and negatively impact churches on all fronts.
Her comprehensive report offers the insights and observations of several legal experts, who attended a December conference on the issue organized by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
Gallagher is president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy and coauthor of The Case for Marriage.
The recent conflict over gay adoptions in Boston and the decision of Catholic Charities in that city to withdraw from the adoption business is only one sign of the huge cultural battle to come between religious liberty and sexual liberty, Gallagher suggests. Gay marriage has already been legalized in Massachusetts.
“People who favor gay rights face no penalty for speaking their views, but can inflict a risk of litigation, investigation, and formal and informal career penalties on others whose views they dislike,” Gallagher writes.
“Meanwhile, people who think gay marriage is wrong cannot know for sure where the line is now or where it will be redrawn in the near future. ‘Soft’coercion produces no martyrs to disturb anyone's conscience, yet it is highly effective in chilling the speech of ordinary people,” she continues.
“Precisely because support for marriage is public policy,” she writes, “once marriage includes gay couples, groups who oppose gay marriage arel ikely to be judged in violation of public policy, triggering a host of negative consequences, including the loss of tax-exempt status.”
“Because marriage is not a private act, but a protected public status, the legalization of gay marriage sends a strong signal that orientation is now on a par with race in the non discrimination game,” she states.
Among a number of legal experts, Gallagher interviews Marc Stern, general counsel for the American Jewish Congress, who sees the coming conflicts as pervasive. The problem is not that clergy will be forced to perform gay marriages or prevented from preaching their beliefs, he says, the problem is the sweeping and unpredictable impact it would have on American law.
He says same-sex marriage will affect religious educational institutions in at least four ways: admissions, employment, housing, and regulation of clubs.
In addition, he foresees future conflict with the law in regard to licensing, as well as psychological clinics, social workers, marital counselors, etc.
He also warns that the expression of opposition to gay marriage in the corporate world will not be suppressed by gay advocates but by corporate lawyers,“who will draw the lines least likely to entangle the company inlitigation,” Gallagher writes.
According to Stern, churches might be able to defend their tax-exempt status basedon the First Amendment, but "the parachurch institutions are very much at risk and may be put out of business because of the licensing issues."
Gallagher also interviewed Robin Wilson, an expert in family and health care law, who unlike Stern, believes that public-support arguments may be advanced to compel churches to participate in same-sex marriage or risk losing their tax-exempt status.
Wilson also points out that the First Amendment did not prevent religious hospitals from being punished for refusing to perform abortions, once abortion became a constitutional right. It was Congress and state legislatures that stepped in to provide statutory religious exemptions. The same will likely need to happen regarding same-sex marriage.
Gallagher also interviewed Georgetown law professor Chai Feldblum, known for her work on civil rights issues, especially gay civil rights. She has drafted many federal bills to prohibit “orientation discrimination,” reports Gallagher.
Feldblum also sees how anti-discrimination laws pose a burden on religious groups. "When we pass a law that says you may not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, we are burdening those who have an alternative moral assessment of gay men and lesbians," she told Gallagher.
Most of the time, the need to protect the dignity of gay people will justify burdening religious belief, Feldblum argues. But that does not make it right to pretend these burdens do not exist or do not matter.
While the burdens must be considered each time a law is passed, she said she believes sexual liberty should win out in most cases “because that's the only way that the dignity of gay people can be affirmed in any realistic manner.”
For more on the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, go to
China ordains Vatican-approved bishop over weekend
Shenyang, China, May 8, 2006 (CNA) - Another
Catholic bishop was ordained in China Sunday — the third in eight days—
in a ceremony that was approved by the Vatican, unlike the
controversial first two, which, the Vatican said could result in a
series of excommunications.
The local
cathedral was packed for the ordination of the new auxiliary bishop,
Pei Junmin, 36, who was trained in Philadelphia. Several U.S. and other
foreign guests also attended. During the ceremony, part of the decree
from the Pope approving the consecration was read in Latin, reported
the New York Times.
The ordination
of a new auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Shenyang came three days
after Pope Benedict XVI sharply rebuked China for consecrating two
bishops in the past eight days without Vatican approval.
China responded
over the weekend by describing the Pope's criticism as "unfounded" and
defending the ordinations as within the bounds of the government,
reported the Times.
While Foreign
Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a statement that the Chinese
government “is always sincere and has made unremitting efforts in
improving its ties with the Vatican,” others in the Church believe the
actions are a huge step backward in reconciliation between China and
the Vatican. Diplomatic ties were broken 55 years ago.
While Pope
Benedict has made normalization of relations a priority, the issue of
appointing bishops has become a major stumbling block.
For several
years, an understanding has existed between the Vatican and Beijing
under which candidates for bishops have been vetted by both sides.
Since 2004, at least five bishops have been approved with such consent.
Fr. Benoit
Vermander, an expert on China-Vatican relations at the Ricci Institute,
a Jesuit-led organization in Taipei, Taiwan, told the Times that the
recent happenings were indicative of some internal disunity within
Chinese policymaking.
Despite shortage in some areas, priestly mission is irreplaceable, says Pope Benedict
Vatican City, May 8, 2006 (CNA) - During Pope Benedict XVI’s Regina Coeli prayer on Sunday, he stressed thecontinued need for priestly vocations throughout the world, explaining how priesthood, married life, and consecrated religious life all must work together for the good of the entire Church.
Prior to leadingthe Marian prayer, the Pope greeted a throng of pilgrims gathered belowhis study window in St. Peter’s Square and expressed joy at his own ordination of fifteen priests earlier that day at the Vatican Basilica.
He recalled that Sunday’s particular emphasis on Jesus as the Good Shepherd relates well to the celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations--also held Sunday--the theme of which was: "Vocation in the mystery of the Church."
"Christianvocation," Benedict said, "is the renewal of the personal friendship with Jesus Christ, which gives full meaning to one's existence andmakes it receptive to the Kingdom of God. The Church lives off this friendship, nourished by the Word and by the Sacraments, holy truthsespecially entrusted to the ministry of bishops, priests and deaconsconsecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Orders."
He explained that "for this reason, the priest's mission is irreplaceable; and although in some areas there is a lack of clergy, it must not bedoubted that God continues to call boys, young men and adults to leaveeverything and dedicate themselves to preaching the Gospel and to pastoral ministry."
“Another special way to follow Christ”, the Pope said, “is the vocation to consecrated life, expressed though an existence of poverty, chastity and obedience,entirely dedicated to God in contemplation and prayer, while serving our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest and poorest."
"Christian marriage”, he added”, is also and to all effects a vocation to sanctity. He stressed that “the example of saintly parents is the primary condition favoring the growth of priestly and religious vocations."
New resources help youth respond to Da Vinci Code
Philadelphia, Pa., May 8, 2006 (CNA) - Westminster
Theological Seminary has announced that it has partnered with
interl’inc to create resource materials specifically for teens and
young adults on “The Da Vinci Code” book and movie.
The school hosts
www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com. Interl’inc ( www.interlinc-online.com) is
known for its use of cutting-edge music to integrate biblical teaching
and Scripture.
Peter Lillback, president of Westminster Seminary, noted that youth resources on “Da Vinci Code” had not been created yet.
The creators say their resources teach young people about biblical and historical truths as well as how to defend their faith.
The study guide
is designed to be used over four sessions and covers the following
themes: Doubts About the Church, Doubts About the Bible; Doubts About
Jesus; and Confidence About Jesus.
Westminster
faculty has joined with noted authors, theologians and scholars to
provide content for pastors, small group leaders, as well as the
average person just wanting to research the facts and come to their own
conclusions.
The resource is
featured in the upcoming issue of interl’inc’s resource magazine, Youth
Leaders Only (YLO), and on the Westminster website,
www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com.
Diocese wants new judge for upcoming sexual abuse case, doubts it can get fair trial
Burlington, Vt., May 8, 2006 (CNA) - The
Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, wants Judge Ben Joseph removed as the
presiding judge in an upcoming sex-abuse case. Diocesan officials say
Joseph’s rulings in a recent case jeopardize the diocese’s chances of
getting a fair trial, reported the Burlington Free Press on May 5.
In a sealed
motion filed Thursday in Chittenden Superior Court, diocesan attorney
David Cleary said Joseph's decision to lift a gag order regarding
church documents after the April 19 settlement had resulted in
extensive media coverage.
"It is now
absolutely impossible for the diocese to receive a fair trial in these
matters because of the pre-trial publicity surrounding these events,"
reads the court motion, which was approved by Bishop Salvatore Matano.
Joseph wrote in
a brief ruling later that day that the diocese's request to keep the
motion secret was groundless. He declined comment on the request.
Joseph issued a
series of pre-trial rulings that expanded the scope of testimony by
allowing evidence of abuses by other priests to be considered, Cleary
added.
The recent case
involved claims that the diocese knew Fr. Ed Paquette had molested boys
when it assigned him to Christ the King Church in Burlington in 1976.
The lawsuit was brought by Michael Gay, a former altar boy. The case
was settled for $965,000.
The next trial,
tentatively scheduled to begin July 1, involves claims that Fr. George
Paulin molested an altar boy in the mid-1970s during his term at St.
Mary of the Sea Church in Newport.
Cardinal Lopez Trujillo responds to Cardinal Martini: no change in Church’s teaching on AIDS prevention
Madrid, Spain, May 8, 2006 (CNA) - In
an interview published by the Spanish daily “El Pais,” Cardinal Alfonso
Lopez Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family,
again responded to controversial statements made by Italian Cardinal
Carlo Maria Martini regarding the beginning of life and the use of
condoms in combating AIDS.
The Colombian
cardinal directly confronted statements made by Cardinal Martini with
the official position of the dicastery he heads.
Regarding
Cardinal Martini’s opinion that the condom could be considered a
“lesser evil” in the case of a married couple where one spouse has
AIDS, Cardinal Lopez Trujillo countered, “He’s trying to become
involved in pastoral areas. That is currently not his task.”
“Martini”, he
said, “is a specialist in the Bible, and of course he has expressed his
own opinions. And moralists and people who deal with these
pastoral questions will know how to weigh these things in the correct
way. But what I can say is that at the dicastery where I have
served for 16 years, there has been no request to present new teaching
on the subject.”
Speaking about
the reported existence of a “study” by the Holy See on the use of
condoms, the Colombian cardinal was emphatic: “No Pontiff up to now has
opened this possibility. Paul VI did not do it, John Paul II did
not do it during 27 years, nor has it been done by this Pope, who is
working hard for the family and for life. Everything Benedict XVI
has done in recent months has been to recommend faithfulness,
continence and chastity.”
“That is the
only thing I have read up to now and this is what makes us feel
completely sure,” he said. “Cardinal Lozano Barragan, who is president
of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, has already told ‘Avvenire’
that he has never been given such an assignment.”
Asked about his
own opinion about Cardinal Martini’s statements on condom use, Cardinal
Lopez Trujillo insisted, “This is his personal opinion that is not
found in the Magisterium. Up to this point many, many people do
not see a way to accept it. But let me say, in some cases it could be
studied by competent individuals and by competent dicasteries.
But for now there is nothing.”
With regard to
Cardinal Martini’s opinion that abortion could be considered in cases
of life of the mother, Cardinal Lopez Trujillo replied: "That notion
can only be explained by an error in the transcript. An innocent life
can never be eliminated for any reason, and the fetus is an innocent
life.”
“The Church”, he
stressed, “has never approved of abortion by a mother whose life is
threatened by the child. It has never been, and never will be,
allowed because it is the only teaching of the Church” on this
matter. “I think that in this sense the cardinal was
misinterpreted, because someone so important with such vast knowledge
knows well that Catholic morality has never said such a thing.”
As for what the
Colombian cardinal had to say to Cardinal Martini himself; “I have
great esteem for Cardinal Martini. When I have the chance to see
him we will talk. And I am sure he will give me the good news that some
of his statements were misunderstood.”
Czech Bishops’ Conference slams Da Vinci Code for dishonoring Christian symbols
Prague, Czech Republic, May 8, 2006 (CNA) - The
Czech Bishops’ Conference has joined the chorus of protests against the
Da Vinci Code book and movie, saying that the work’s author, Dan Brown,
has smeared basic Christian symbols in order to gain publicity.
Conference
spokesman Martin Horalek said, “Offending or trampling upon the
religious sentiments of somebody in order to make money is simply
despicable.” He pointed out that the Dan Brown book is an intentional
attack on Christian sentiments and he compared it to the cartoons
depicting Mohammed.
“The only
difference is that Christians do not take to the streets, they do not
use violence and they do no call for the death of Dan Brown,” he added.
Francisco Mata
Marcano, director of the Opus Dei-affiliated University Center in
Prague, also spoke out against the “Da Vinci Code.” “In terms of
its style, the book does keep you in suspense. The problem is
that it attacks the fundamental values of the Christian faith, of the
Catholic faith.”
“The impact of
this book could also be very positive,” he added, “as people may become
interested in the person of Christ and seek out more information and
thus arrive at the truth, which we find in Sacred Scripture.”
In terms of the
confusion the book could cause in the Czech Republic, Marcano noted
that since the book’s release there several months ago, there has not
been any “unusual reaction.”
“While it was
the most read book last year, I have not seen a significant reaction
from people. I think that the image of the Church that is
conveyed in the schools of this country is already quite
negative. Therefore the book isn’t really saying anything new, in
my opinion,” Marcano said.
Colombian bishops reaffirm need to defend life from conception to natural death
Bogotá, Colombia, May 8, 2006 (CNA) - As
the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for May 28 draw near, the
bishops of Colombia issued a statement this weekend reaffirming the
need to defend human life from conception to natural death.
In their
statement, the bishops recalled the words of Pope Benedict XVI to a
group of European lawmakers in which he laid out several
“non-negotiable principles” such as the defense of life from conception
to natural death, the recognition and promotion of the family, and the
protection of the rights of parents to educate their children.
With regard to
the family, the Pope noted in his address that this consists of “a
union between a man and a woman founded upon marriage” and that it must
be defended against efforts to make other radically different types of
unions legally equivalent.
The bishops
called on the presidential candidates to “respond to the multiple
offenses that are committed against the truth of the human person and
against justice.” They exhorted the candidates to “use the final
days of campaigning to spread truth, justice and peace among all
Colombians. Your campaigns should be a model of tolerance and
reconciliation for all Colombians,” the bishops said.
The bishops also
emphasized the importance of voting in the elections, saying “the time
has come to express our love of country. Let us all try to
discern what the best option is for responding to the urgent needs of
Colombia,” they said.
Costa Rican chancellor says state has duty to defend the family
San José, Costa Rica, May 8, 2006 (CNA) - The
chancellor of Costa Rica, Roberto Tovar Faja, has said that “the State
is obliged to defend the family,” especially from the moral and social
relativism that is seriously threatening it.
During the
closing of the International Day on Family Policy and Human Rights,
Tovar explained that this duty of the State is “more than a legal
imposition” and that as individuals, the defense of the family must
start from “a moral conviction, especially by those of us who happen to
hold public office.”
He warned that
the greatest threat to the family comes not from totalitarian regimes
but from “social and moral relativism which attacks the family and
assaults our culture.”
In this sense,
he called on those attending the event to defend the family from
relativism, “because our children should continue to grow up in an
atmosphere of solidarity and understanding, which is what springs forth
from a strong and vigorous family, where father and mother and children
foster a reciprocal sense of love.”
Tovar also
thanked God for giving him “the opportunity to hold an office that
allows me to defend values that are precious to our culture--life and
the family--and to defend my Christian values.”
