Culture

Year of St. Joseph: good worker

For St. Joseph, work was fundamental in his life. He sanctified it, sanctified others through it, and it was a magnificent means of union with God.

Alejandro Vázquez-Dodero-February 18, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsYear of St. Joseph: good husbandRelated NewsYear of St. Joseph: good father

If, as we said in previous fascicles on the life of St. Joseph, he was a good husband and a good father, we can say that he was also a good worker. We continue to dedicate this space to him in this year called for by Pope Francis with the apostolic letter Patris Corde until December 8. 

He was a good worker, especially because, as a citizen among his own, whom God had chosen to entrust Mary and the Child to him, he would try to support himself financially and, since the Holy Family had been entrusted to him, he would also try to support her. 

We can think, why not, that both Our Lady and Our Lord would help Joseph in his professional work, as a "family business". But our purpose on this occasion is to focus on the holy Patriarch as a worker, and not so much on the contribution of his wife and son.

Sanctified the work

The holy patriarch, from his workshop, would work honestly and without forgetting the need to provide for his family. He would emphasize the dignity of what he did, and he would do it with the utmost perfection, because he wanted to give glory to God. 

As soon as he received an order from his customers - a new piece of furniture, a repair, a repair... - he would take great care to treat them exquisitely. He would take good note of what he would have to do, asking what he needed to do in order to complete the order perfectly. He would commit himself to deliver the work on a certain date, the one agreed upon. Once finished, he would deliver it with the joy of someone who has worked well, with a desire to serve and to please his clients.

That job well done, and therefore fairly remunerated, would represent for him -and for his family and environment- a real satisfaction. Well done because he would know how to start it well and finish it with equal excellence: the first and last stones were his thing.

On the other hand, St. Joseph reconciled his condition as a worker with that of husband and father. We cannot imagine that, because of his professional dedication, he would neglect the Virgin and the Child, since caring for them was the main mission of his life.

All these components would make St. Joseph's work, in itself, an object of sanctification. The work itself would be something holy. It would not be, thus, a penalty, curse or punishment, as perhaps many understand it, but something honorable and worthy of sanctification.

Sanctified through work

On the other hand, the attitude described above would bring him closer to God - to God's love - through his professional work. That is to say, that this work, in short, would be prayer, and a certain way of encountering God, of dealing with Him.

It is not that during his working day he dedicated himself to reciting prayers, but rather that his work itself, as we said, was his prayer. In other words, he prayed, without further complexity, working "in the presence" of God. Therefore, sharing with Him what he was doing; and not only sharing it, but offering it to Him.

In short, his life, through his condition as a worker, took on a meaning: the meaning of behaving as a child of God also during the development of his profession. 

Ultimately, he would consider the work he had in hand as something willed by God for him, an integral part, therefore, of his vocation or mission on earth.

In this regard, St. Josemaría Escrivá, in his homily, said In the workshop of Joséreminds us that the human vocation, and therefore professional work, is part, and an important part, of the divine vocation: "This is the reason why you have to sanctify yourselves, contributing at the same time to the sanctification of others, of your equals, precisely by sanctifying your work and your environment: this is the profession or trade that carries your days (...)".

Sanctified the neighbor on the occasion of work

Work, in the eyes of Faith, represents participating in God's redemptive work, collaborating in the coming of the Kingdom, placing the qualities of the worker at the service of others for God.

St. Joseph would be fully aware of this, and the dignity of having a remunerated occupation for himself and his family would be the driving force of his professional development. But it would not stop there, but would transcend to his surroundings, with that clear conscience, as we said, of collaborating through his profession to the redemptive work initiated by his son and of which he already felt in some way "co-responsible". 

He would give thanks to God for having this means to bring him closer to those he dealt with in the course of his profession. Because he would see in his work an opportunity to give himself to others, to lead them to divine love, teaching them that work not only provides a livelihood, but also represents a unique opportunity to meet God, who pours his graces into the soul on the occasion of professional work.

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The German synodal journey enters a new phase

The Church in Germany reflects on abuse of power, sexual morality, celibacy and the role of women in the Church in this new phase of the synodal journey.

José M. García Pelegrín-February 18, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsCardinal Koch reaffirms reasons for intercommunionRelated NewsCard. Rainer M. WoelkiI ask that space be given in the synodal journey to the Pope's indications".

In the wake of the scandal that, in January 2018, led to the publication of past clerical sexual abuse in Germany, the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) commissioned a study by research institutes.

Beginning of the synodal journey

Following the publication of the MHG report - an acronym for the Universities of Mannheim, Heidelberg and Giessen - the DBK decided at its March 2019 assembly to initiate a reform process to prevent future abuses. Thus began the so-called Synodal Path, which would be divided into four forums: "abuse of power", "sexual morality", "celibacy" and "the role of women in the Church".

Shortly thereafter, the DBK announced that the "Central Committee of German Catholics" (ZdK) would participate in it; in total, the members of the Assembly number exactly 230.

Participation of the laity

The participation of the ZdK in the process brings advantages - the laity seem closer to society to judge the "credibility" of the Church - but also a problem of mentality: many of them are or have been professional politicians: its current president Thomas Sternberg was, from 1989 to 2017, first a city councilor in Münster and then a deputy in the North Rhine-Westphalia Regional Parliament. Herein lies a fundamental, possibly instinctive misunderstanding: applying to the Church the criteria of democracy that prevail in politics.

Thus, one of the three vice-presidents, Karin Kortmann - who has been a deputy in the Bundestag and Secretary of State - demands "division of powers" in the Church and the election of the bishop by "the rank-and-file Catholics", for only in this way would he have "legitimacy". In response to the project that includes these demands, the Bishop of Regensburg, Rudolf Voderholzer, addressed a letter to the President of the DBK, Bishop Georg Bätzing, in which he emphasized that these demands "are based on a way of understanding the Scriptures, the magisterium and the Church that is fundamentally different from that of past centuries".

Herein lies a fundamental misunderstanding: applying to the Church the criteria of democracy that prevail in politics.

Division of opinions

Another aspect that has been weighing down the synodal process is linking the concrete issue of sexual abuse with a structural reform of the Church. On February 10, Bishop Czeslaw Kozon of Copenhagen, one of the observers of the synodal process, said that it should have focused on abuse: although there may be points of contact, "aspects of the structure of the Church should not be dealt with in such a radical way.

Pope Francis sent on June 29, 2019 a. Letter to the people of God on pilgrimage in GermanyIn it he said: "The 'Sensus Ecclesiae' frees us from particularisms and ideological tendencies to make us taste the certainty of the Second Vatican Council".

The 'Sensus Ecclesiae' frees us from particularisms and ideological tendencies to make us taste the certainty of Vatican Council II.

Pope FrancisLetter to the People of God on pilgrimage in Germany, June 29, 2019.

Reactions to the letter showed the deep division of opinions within the synodal pathSome, such as Michael Fuchs, Vicar General of the Diocese of Regensburg, interpreted it as an invitation to rethink the whole process; the then DBK President, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, and the President of the ZdK saw it as an endorsement.

Meeting of the four forums

Thus, on February 4 and 5, the following events took place online The four forums, in order to prepare the draft resolutions to be voted on in the plenary session, expected in September.

Margareta Gruber, professor of Biblical Exegesis and Theology and advisor to the synodal process, said about the document that the Plenary may approve: "Of course, no matter how good it may be, our document will not revolutionize the Church tomorrow; but we are a factor in the workings of the Spirit. Nor will the Pope be able to decide on these questions alone; a Council will have to be held... with the participation of women".

Self-confidence is not lacking.

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RelatedRelated NewsCardinal Koch reaffirms reasons for intercommunionRelated NewsCard. Rainer M. WoelkiI ask that space be given in the synodal journey to the Pope's indications".
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The Vatican

"Receiving God, bearing witness and caring for those who suffer."

Pope Francis, in his Message for Lent 2021, encourages us to live this "time of conversion and prayer" supported by faith, hope and charity.

Giovanni Tridente-February 18, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsFrancis' message for Lent 2021Related News"He who prays is like a lover, he carries in his heart the beloved person".

To receive God into our lives, to bear witness to the "new time" in Jesus Christ and to care for the suffering and abandoned. Pope Francis' Message for Lent this year, which begins next Wednesday, February 17, is structured around these three "operative" verbs, these three tasks.

The starting point is given by the Gospel passage of Matthew 20:18, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem...", when Jesus separates the disciples from the crowd and announces to them the final phase of his earthly life, entrusting to them also the inheritance of the mission. An ascent to Jerusalem that becomes a true and proper pilgrimage to the Father's house, and an invitation to imitate the self-denial and infinite and gratuitous love of Jesus himself.

Selfless obedience

We too, his followers, are called to follow this path that should bring us closer to the definitive example of Christ for all humanity, learning the lesson he gave on the Cross: obedient faith, selfless love and hope in the Resurrection.

It is not by chance that Pope Francis' reflection seeks to apply these three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity to the current experience of humanity, called to confront the tragic effects of the pandemic. In this time, therefore, we are called to live in depth the experience of Calvary, with the desire to await the Resurrection and, therefore, true freedom from every bondage that holds our life.

In this Lenten season, welcoming and living the Truth that was manifested in Christ means first of all allowing oneself to be reached by the Word of God.

Pope FrancisMessage for Lent 2021

A period of conversion, which Lent helps to achieve through three concrete actions: fasting, as "the way of poverty and deprivation", almsgiving, through "the gaze and gestures of love towards the wounded man" and prayer, which is "the filial dialogue with the Father".

Welcoming the faith

Fasting in poverty and deprivation means fundamentally - Pope Francis explains - learning to listen to the voice of God that comes to us through his Word, rediscovering that we are "creatures who, in his image and likeness, find their fulfillment in him". It is essentially a journey of faith, which in Lent must be carried out as a "time to believe," once we have cleared the field of the superfluous, and thus "welcome and live the Truth that has been manifested in Christ.

The path of hope

In the face of the worries of the world, of uncertainties and fragility, the call to hope becomes stronger, and this hope is always manifested in God, even if only by looking at the patience with which he still "continues to watch over his Creation".

By receiving forgiveness, in the Sacrament that is at the heart of our conversion process, we too become disseminators of forgiveness.

Pope FrancisMessage for Lent 2021

And hope becomes a way - that is, it makes us progress in the life of faith - when we become capable of asking for forgiveness and in turn become spreaders of forgiveness, learning to console the wounded. The attitude of prayer - the Pope maintains - also serves here to shed light on the challenges that await us and to bear witness to a God who "makes all things new".

Charity care

Finally, charity, which "rejoices to see the other grow," and by going out of ourselves opens us to sharing and communion. Obviously it is a gift to be asked for, but once accepted it can really give meaning to our lives, making us consider those around us as friends, brothers and sisters and, ultimately, members of our own family. Charity thus understood is generative, because as we ourselves give confidence to others, we make them feel that God loves them as children.

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem...": in this pilgrimage that opens us to prayer, stimulates us to share and leads us to a true conversion of heart, every stage of our life is marked, a propitious time "to believe, to hope and to love".

Our time, the hour of history. This Lent 2021.

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Spain

To Caesar what is Caesar's. On the immatriculations of the Church

The author explains the legal process of immatriculation of real estate by the Church and the foreseeable future, as a result of the report presented by the Government.

Santiago Cañamares Arribas-February 18, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

The Report that the Government has just sent to the Congress about the immatriculation of ecclesiastical property in the Property Registry, brings cause of a Proposition not of law, presented in 2017 by the Socialist group in the Justice Commission, whose ultimate objective pursued to claim from the Catholic Church the ownership of those properties that had been registered in the Registry in its favor from the reform of the mortgage legislation of 1998.

According to the Government from that date until 2015, the Church immatriculated 34,915 real estate properties, of which about 20,000 would correspond to temples and places of worship, and the rest to other properties not directly related to a religious use: lots, premises, homes, etc.  

Among the places of worship listed -whose ownership in favor of the Church is questioned- are some as significant as the Cathedral of Cordoba or the Giralda of Seville, whose property would belong -according to the registry entries- to the Diocese of Cordoba and the Chapter of the Cathedral of Seville, respectively.

The Government states in its Report that it will conduct administrative proceedings to elucidate the possible ownership of these assets in favor of the State, so that when it is proven, it will resort to judicial proceedings to obtain their recognition and consequent modification in the registry.   

The 1998 change

In order to understand the shadow of doubt cast over the actions of the Catholic Church in this area, it should be borne in mind that until 1998 mortgage legislation did not allow the registration in the Property Registry of either public property (state, provincial, municipal) for public use or of temples intended for Catholic worship, since they were considered property for common use whose owner was taken for granted.

Thus, since they could not be registered, it was of little importance to have a title deed, nor, in the event that it was missing, was it appropriate to initiate an ownership proceeding to prove it. This regulation was clearly detrimental to the Church, since it could not enjoy the protection implied by the registration of its places of worship, contrary to what happened with other religious denominations whose properties could be registered.

To correct this discrimination, the 1998 reform allowed access to the Property Registry for both the aforementioned public properties and Catholic places of worship. When the properties in question lacked title deeds - for various reasons, including historical ones - the registration could be made by means of a certification issued by the competent official or the diocesan bishop regarding the ownership of the property.

 This happened, for example, with the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, which was registered in 2006 in the name of the Diocese because it had belonged since time immemorial to the Catholic Church and because it does not seem that anyone had a title deed in its favor. Obviously, in this case, the Administration could also have used this same procedure, but the reality is that only the Church made use of this prerogative recognized to both by the Mortgage Law.  

Measures to avoid irregular immatriculations

It is true that this system - which ceased to be in force for the Church as of 2015 - could lend itself to certain abuses due to the broad autonomy of the diocesan bishop. However, in order to avoid irregularities, a series of safety valves were articulated. On the one hand, the registration did not produce effects against third parties until two years after it was made. On the other hand, there was always the possibility of going to court at any time to claim ownership of a property against the presumption provided by the registry. It is not known that the Government has disputed the ownership of the Cathedral of Cordoba or any other before the state courts.

It is clear to no one that this Report, which has a clearly identifiable political and ideological component, can uncover irregularities in the process of immatriculation of some places of worship in favor of the Church, but it will not achieve the desired effect: that the ownership of the great cathedrals in Spain passes into the hands of the State. For this, the courts would have to accept that the State has a better right over the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba -to give an example- than the Church, which is highly improbable, if one takes into account that for this the Government would have to prove in a reliable way -in the absence of title deeds- that the Mosque is theirs by demonstrating the origin of its acquisition or its ownership by usucapion, that is, by a public and peaceful possession as owner for a considerable period of time. Neither of these options seems easy to achieve. Caesaris, Caesari, Dei Deo.

The authorSantiago Cañamares Arribas

Professor of Law. Complutense University of Madrid

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Aeneas and euthanasia

The myth of Aeneas provides the keys to life. He went out with his father and his son and, in them, preserves his roots and takes care of the future.

February 18, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

Aeneas, the legendary Greek hero who stars in Virgil's 'The Aeneid', must quickly leave Troy, which is in flames. The goddess Venus advises him to do so. But the hero does not want to flee without taking the most important thing with him: he takes his son Ascanius, a child, by the hand and carries on his shoulders his father Anchises, who because of his old age can hardly walk and may perish in the fire.

The Spanish Bishops' Conference has published the document 'Life is a gift, euthanasia a failure', in which he denounces the proposed euthanasia law. But few other voices have been heard in the face of this new red line that our society has crossed.

The euthanasia law is radically unjust because of the criteria it establishes regarding the value of life.

I have been thinking about the issue of euthanasia and, no matter how much it is dressed up as a supposed 'mercy', I am convinced that it is a radically unjust law with unpredictable consequences, not only for the number of lives it ends, but also for the criteria it establishes in society regarding the value of life and the relationships between us.

In the fifth point the bishops state that 'by granting this supposed right, the person, who is experienced as a burden on the family and a social burden, feels conditioned to ask for death when a law presses him in that direction'. 

Is there anything more unfair than making the person who needs our help feel guilty? Do we not realize what it can mean for a person who is dependent and elderly, who often feels like a burden, to be told by the State and society that there is a 'solution' and that it is in their hands? That by ending their life they are taking a problem away from their children. That her own death is an 'act of love' to her loved ones.

A society that does not cultivate love and veneration for its elderly is a lost society. It is true that on some occasions there is suffering that brings out the best in us, that turns the caregivers and relatives of that elderly person or that person in a critical situation into true heroes. It is true that Aeneas has to carry his father, and that the burden is heavy.

Whoever casts as a burden the weakest, will walk "faster" but will do so towards his own destruction.

But the story of Aeneas, like all myths, provides us with the keys to life. Aeneas saved the most sacred. He went out with his father on his back and his son by the hand. In the face of presentism and the selfish look, he takes his father and his son. He saves the weakest. And, in them, he preserves their roots and history, he takes care of the future.

The path that our civilization has built is that of Aeneas' mercy. He who casts as a burden the weakest, it is true that he will walk faster, that he will even be able to run, but he will do so towards his own destruction.

The five months spent with my friend and brother Manuel in palliative care, the love shown day and night by his wife, the prayer and affection that have sustained them in these seven years of struggle against cancer, give me the certainty that this is the only path that makes us truly human: that of caring for each other, of healing our wounds, of protecting life.

This is what our pastors remind us today in this letter. That Aeneas has to carry his old father again.

And take your child by the hand. 

That the last word should not be that of death - euthanasia - but that of love.

The authorJavier Segura

Teaching Delegate in the Diocese of Getafe since the 2010-2011 academic year, he has previously exercised this service in the Archbishopric of Pamplona and Tudela, for seven years (2003-2009). He currently combines this work with his dedication to youth ministry directing the Public Association of the Faithful 'Milicia de Santa Maria' and the educational association 'VEN Y VERÁS. EDUCATION', of which he is President.

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Education

Online meeting 'What does the Celaá Law oblige us to do?

The Roman Academic Center Foundation organizes an online meeting with the spokesman of Masplurales, Jesús Muñoz de Priego, in which the main doubts about the "Celaá law" will be discussed.

Maria José Atienza-February 17, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute
RelatedRelated News"The LOMLOE is confessional in its understanding of education."Related NewsWho decides the education of our children?

The approval without consensus of the Organic Law for the improvement of the LOE (Lomloe or Celaá Law) in Spain has only increased doubts about the curricular development of the Spanish pedagogical system or about the survival of education systems such as charter schools or special education.

– Supernatural Centro Académico Romano Foundation wants to dedicate a space for reflection to the consequences of the implementation of this educational system and to answer those questions that are on the table around the LOMLOE.

What does the Celaá law oblige us to do?

The virtual meeting What does the Celaá law oblige us to do? A look at the essence of the law will take place next February 25, 2009 as of 20:30 h. and will be broadcasted on Youtube. Registration is free and can be made through the CARF website.

Questions such as the values that underpin the law, the fit of the subject of Religion or the viability of models such as differentiated education, are some of the topics to be addressed at the next CARF reflection meeting, Jesus Muñoz de Priego AlvearHe is the spokesman and coordinator of "enLibertad", an initiative for freedom of education and national spokesman for the platform "Más Plurales". Author of many papers on educational issues and articles in specialized magazines and collective works.

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The World

What will this year's Holy Week be like?

The Holy See offers some indications for this year's Holy Week celebrations, which are along the lines of last year's, with some variation and additional suggestions. 

David Fernández Alonso-February 17, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes
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The Congregation for Divine Worship has published a Note to offer some simple guidelines for this year's Holy Week celebrations, signed by Cardinal Prefect Robert Sarah and Archbishop Arthur Roche, Secretary.

Living Holy Week

The purpose of this note is "to help the Bishops in their task of evaluating concrete situations and to procure the spiritual good of pastors and faithful to live this great Week of the liturgical year".

It is clear that the drama of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many changes, even in the usual way of celebrating the liturgy. The norms and guidelines contained in the liturgical books, conceived for normal times, are not entirely applicable in exceptional times of crisis such as these.

Prudent decisions

Therefore, says the note, "the Bishop, as moderator of liturgical life in his Church, is called to make prudent decisions so that liturgical celebrations may be carried out fruitfully for the People of God and for the good of the souls entrusted to him, taking into account the protection of health and what has been prescribed by the authorities responsible for the common good".

The Congregation recalls the Decree issued by mandate of the Holy Father, March 25, 2020 (Prot. N. 154/20) in which some orientations are offered for the celebrations of Holy Week. This pronouncement is also valid for this year. The Congregation invites,
therefore, to reread it in view of the decisions that the Bishops will have to make with regard to the upcoming Easter celebrations in the particular situation of their country. In many countries strict conditions of confinement are still in force that make it impossible for the faithful to be present in church, while in others a more normal worship life is being resumed.

General indications

On the one hand, it is suggested to facilitate and privilege the media diffusion of the celebrations presided over by the Bishop, encouraging the faithful who cannot attend their own church to follow the diocesan celebrations as a sign of unity.

In all celebrations, according to the Episcopal Conference, attention should be paid to some particular moments and gestures, respecting sanitary requirements.

The Chrism Mass, if necessary, can be moved to another more suitable day; it is desirable that a significant representation of pastors, ministers and faithful participate.

For the celebrations of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, the same indications as last year apply.

Changes in the celebrations

    Palm Sunday. The Commemoration of the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem is to be celebrated inside the sacred building; in cathedral churches, the second form of the Roman Missal is to be adopted; in parish churches and elsewhere, the third form is to be adopted.

    Holy Thursday. The washing of the feet, which is now optional, is to be omitted. At the end of the Mass at the Lord's Supper, the procession is also to be omitted and the Blessed Sacrament is to be reserved in the tabernacle. On this day, priests are exceptionally granted the faculty to celebrate Mass without the presence of the people in a suitable place.

    Good Friday. In the universal prayer, the Bishops are to prepare a special intention for those in danger, the sick, the deceased (cf. Missale Romanum). Adoration of the Cross with the kiss is to be limited to the celebrant alone.

    Easter Vigil. To be celebrated only in cathedral and parish churches. For the baptismal liturgy, only the renewal of baptismal promises is to be kept (cf. Missale Romanum).

It is encouraged to prepare suitable aids for family and personal prayer, also enhancing some parts of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Role of the bishops

Finally, the Congregation sincerely thanks the Bishops and Bishops' Conferences for their pastoral response to a constantly changing situation throughout the year.

They state that they are aware that the decisions taken have not always been easy to accept on the part of pastors and lay faithful. However, -they say- "we know that they were taken to ensure that the holy mysteries were celebrated in the most effective way possible for our communities, respecting the common good and public health".

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Spain

"Church for Decent Work" calls for decent job creation policies

The promoters of the ecclesial initiative for decent work will focus the 2021 campaign on raising political, ecclesiastical and social awareness of commitments in favor of decent jobs. 

Maria José Atienza-February 17, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The initiative Church for decent workwhich is made up of Christian-inspired entities and organizations such as Caritas, the Spanish Conference of Religious, the Catholic Action Workers' Brotherhood (HOAC) and Catholic Student Youth, presented this morning the key to its 2021 campaign.

The "Church for decent work" points out that "the pandemic has aggravated the already difficult situation of the world of work and has revealed the limits of commodified work". In this sense, they wanted to recall the more than six hundred thousand people who lost their jobs in 2020, as well as the figures of youth unemployment among those under 25 years of age, which in Spain is already 39.6%.

DATO

600.000

More than 600,000 people lost their jobs in 2020

A labor drama that is aggravated by the difficulties of thousands of people to access "a decent job that allows them to meet basic needs such as making ends meet, reconciling work and family life, access to housing, occupational safety and health or energy comfort, social participation, etc.".

Now more than ever, decent work

For all these reasons, this year's slogan: "Now more than ever, decent work", is intended to be a stimulus to "address this situation in which we find ourselves, especially among women and young people. This will be the main priority in the reflection and action of the initiative during 2021 and will have its maximum expression in the call for May Day and the World Day for Decent Work on October 7, key days in its work for the promotion of the dignity of work".

To achieve this, the Church for Decent Work will update its awareness-raising and information materials to continue promoting the adhesion of parishes, groups and institutions to the initiative. In addition, in this sense, "it intends to advance in the dialogue with the members of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, particularly with the bishop of the Pastoral Ministry of Labor, to share views, concerns and strategies that continue to encourage the priority of decent work in the midst of the pastoral action of the whole Church". 

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Lent, a journey back home

Pope Francis recalled the true meaning of Lent in his homily on Ash Wednesday: to return to God, to rediscover the joy of being loved.

David Fernández Alonso-February 17, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsFrancis' message for Lent 2021Related NewsLent will set you freeRelated NewsEurope to pray this Lent for the end of the pandemic

The Holy Father Francis was able to celebrate the Holy Mass of Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, while observing the sanitary measures. During the celebration, the imposition of ashes took place, which Francis imposed on the cardinals and collaborators present at the celebration.

The beginning of the road

The Pope began his homily by recalling that today "we begin the journey of Lent" and pointing out the direction to follow during these days until Holy Week: "There is an invitation that comes from the heart of God, who with open arms and eyes full of longing pleads with us: 'Turn to me with all your heart'" (Jl 2,12). Turn to me. Lent is a return trip to God. How many times, busy or indifferent, have we said to Him: "Lord, I will come back to You later... Today I cannot, but tomorrow I will start praying and doing something for others". Now God is calling to our heart. In life we will always have things to do and excuses to give, but now it is time to return to God."

Lent is the time to find our way back home.

Pope FrancisAsh Wednesday Homily

Therefore, continues the Pontiff, "Lent is a journey that involves our whole life, all that we are. It is the time to verify the paths we are walking, to find our way back home, to rediscover the fundamental bond with God, on which everything depends. Lent is not a gathering of little flowers, it is to discern where the heart is oriented. Let us ask ourselves: which way is the navigator of my life leading me, towards God or towards my self? Do I live to please the Lord, or to be seen, praised, preferred? Do I have a "dancing" heart, which takes one step forward and one step back, loves the Lord a little and the world a little, or a heart firm in God? Am I at ease with my hypocrisies, or do I struggle to free the heart from the duplicity and falsehood that shackle it?"

Francis explains that "the Lenten journey is a journey that is an exodus from slavery to freedom. They are forty days that recall the forty years in which God's people traveled in the desert to return to their land of origin. But how difficult it is to leave Egypt! Always, along the way, there was the temptation to long for the onions, to go back, to attach oneself to the memories of the past, to some idol. It is the same for us: the journey back to God is hindered by our unhealthy attachments, slowed down by the seductive bonds of vices, of the false securities of money and appearances, of the victimizing lamentation that paralyzes. To walk it is necessary to unmask these illusions".

Return trips

"How then should we proceed on the way to God?" the Pontiff asks. And then he proposes as an answer the return journeys recounted to us in the Word of God.

God's forgiveness, confession, is the first step in our return journey.

Pope FrancisAsh Wednesday Homily

Looking at the prodigal son, "we understand that it is also a time for us to back to Father. Like that son, we too have forgotten the perfume of home, we have squandered precious goods for insignificant things and we have remained empty-handed and unhappy at heart. We have fallen: we are children who continually fall, we are like little children who try to walk and fall to the ground, and always need their father to pick them up again. It is the Father's forgiveness that puts us back on our feet: God's forgiveness, confession, is the first step on our return journey".

To return to Jesus, we have to learn from "that healed leper who came back to thank him. Ten were healed, but he alone was also healed. branbecause he returned to Jesus (cf. Lc 17,12-19). We all have spiritual illnesses, but we cannot cure them alone; we all have deep-rooted vices, but we cannot eradicate them alone; we all have fears that paralyze us, but we cannot overcome them alone. We need to imitate that leper, who returned to Jesus and prostrated himself at his feet. We need the healing of JesusIt is necessary to present our wounds to Him and tell Him: "Jesus, I am here before You, with my sin, with my miseries. You are the doctor, You can set me free. Heal my heart".

He came to us first

Near the end of the homily, Pope Francis concluded that "our return trip to God is possible only because it was first produced their outbound journey to us. Before we came to Him, He came down to us. He went before us, He came to meet us. For us he descended lower than we could imagine: he became sin, he became death. This is what St. Paul reminded us: "God made him who committed no sin to be like sin for us" (1 Corinthians 5:1).2 Co 5,21). In order not to leave us alone and to accompany us on our journey, he descended to our sin and our death. Our journey, then, consists in letting ourselves be taken by the hand. The Father who calls us to return is the One who leaves home to come and meet us; the Lord who heals us is the One who let himself be wounded on the cross; the Spirit who makes us change our lives is the One who blows with strength and gentleness on our clay".

Let us place ourselves before the cross of Jesus: let us look at his wounds every day. In these wounds we recognize our emptiness, our faults, the wounds of sin, the blows that have hurt us.

Pope FrancisAsh Wednesday Homily

Referring to the act by which we bow our heads in the imposition of ashes, the Pope encourages us that "when Lent is over, we will bow down even more to wash the feet of our brothers and sisters. Lent is a humble abasement within ourselves and towards others. It is to understand that salvation is not a climb to glory, but a lowering of ourselves out of love. It is to become small. On this path, so as not to lose direction, let us place ourselves before the cross of Jesus: it is the silent seat of God. Let us look at his wounds every day. In those holes we recognize our emptiness, our faults, the wounds of sin, the blows that have hurt us".

However, Francis concludes, "it is precisely there that we see that God does not point a finger at us, but opens his arms wide. His wounds are open for us and in those wounds we have been healed (cf. 1 P 2,24; Is 53,5). Let us kiss them and we will understand that it is precisely there, in the most painful voids of life, that God awaits us with his infinite mercy. Because there, where we are most vulnerable, where we are most ashamed, He comes to meet us. And now he invites us to return to him, to rediscover the joy of being loved.

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Evangelization

Ways to evangelize today: Jesus Christ

José Miguel Granados highlights the backbone of the ways to evangelize in today's world: "to show the true face of Jesus Christ".

José Miguel Granados-February 17, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The greatest poverty is not to have Christ. Like the apostle to the Gentiles, so also to us. "the charity of Christ urges us". to evangelize (2 Cor 5:14). But what can we do to overcome the barrier of indifference and arouse the desire to draw near to the Lord, how can we form these mature Christian personalities in this age, in a pagan, secularized and often hostile environment? itineraries for evangelization that the Holy Spirit wants to awaken in the Church today?

The figure of Jesus Christ

First of all, we must submit the figure of Jesus Christ in a clear and profound, convincing and attractive, experiential and doctrinal way, according to the revelation faithfully transmitted by the Church: true God and true man, incarnation of eternal mercy, redeemer of the world; eternal Word that gives meaning to the cosmos and to history; Light of the world, that reveals definitively the mystery of man; only-begotten Son of the Father, who makes us relatives, beloved children of God; the only Way to go to heaven.

Jesus Christ is the great sign, the definitive proof of the almighty God of Love who comes to meet man.

His life, his works, his teaching, his prophecies, his miracles, his paschal mystery, the trail of sanctification he left in the world, show the consistency of his messianic claim. 

Jesus Christ is the great sign, the definitive proof of the almighty God of Love who comes to meet man. He is the universal and complete Savior. He alone gives the ultimate answer to the great human questions. He alone can satisfy with the divine gift the thirst for eternity, the yearning for fullness and true friendship that nestles in every heart.

Facilitating the meeting

Therefore, all evangelizing action consists, essentially, in bringing people and societies to Christ: facilitate the meeting and identification with him, to follow him in joyful obedience. 

In this series of reflections on the ways for evangelization in environments of indifference we are inspired by the recent teachings of the Popes and the proposals of Bishop Robert Barron, the founder of Word on fire ( www.wordonfire.orgRobert Barron - John L. Allen, To light a fire on earth. Proclaiming the gospel in a secularized world, Ediciones Palabra).

The rest of the ways that we will present - the Christian community, the beauty of the Gospel, the witness of holiness, cultural dialogue with reason and science, the socio-charitable commitment to justice, character formation, recourse to the sources of grace, the missionary conversion of the Church - are, in reality, explanations of this first and principal one: show the true face of Jesus Christ to the men and women of today.

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  • Focus
  • Family
  • New maternity allowance hurts mothers with more children
Family

New maternity allowance hurts mothers with more children

The Spanish Federation of Large Families (FEFN), which represents 700,000 large families, considers that the future maternity supplement in the pension is detrimental to millions of women.

Rafael Miner-February 17, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsStarting a family, secondary for 3 out of 4 young people

Large families are realizing, as they crunch the numbers, how much the new maternity pension supplement is hurting millions of women. According to theSpanish Large Families Federationis about a "covert retrenchment", for mothers, who will see their maternity allowance reduced by between 10 and 70 percent, depending on the number of children and their contribution base. In addition, the higher the number of children, the greater the cut.

Indeed, according to the Federation's calculations, all women with pensions of 1,100 euros and 2 children suffer an economic loss in their pension, although the loss will be greater in the case of large families with 3, 4 or more children. Thus, a mother with 3 children and a pension of 1,100 euros will see her pension cut by more than 400 euros a year; and if she has 4 children, she will receive 800 euros less than under the previous system.

A mother of 3 children and a pension of 1,100 euros will see her pension cut by more than 400 euros a year.

Collection of signatures

The FEFN, chaired by José Manuel Trigo, is made up of 80 local, provincial and regional associations, and is currently seeking support so that the measure does not prosper. To this end, it has opened a signature campaign on Change.org  and has been meeting since last week with representatives of the various political groups.

In their opinion, the provision on the new maternity allowance "is not a fair way to eliminate the gender gap nor does it adequately compensate for the contribution [mothers] have made to society in the form of human capital, through their children, who are precisely the ones who are going to sustain pensions.". The decree-law, which has already been approved by the Government, goes to Congress this week, where it must be revalidated by the parliamentary groups.

The family entity considers it "paradoxical, as well as tremendously unfair" that the objective of this measure is "to reduce the gender gap that women have suffered due to maternity and that women who have had more children are treated worse, when they are the ones who have the greatest salary gap, promotion, etc., having to face and combine employment with several pregnancies, childcare, etc., which have resulted in a loss of salary and fewer job opportunities for them".

Inconsistent situations

The Federation considers that "the argument that this system benefits low incomes is also unsubstantiated, when there are such incongruous situations as a working mother with one child and a maximum pension of 2,400 euros, will see an increase of 27 euros per month, while a mother of 4 children and a pension of 800 euros, will also receive 27 euros for each of her children, a total of 108 euros per month".

The new model is a disguised pension cut, which will affect millions of mothers, from 2 children and with average pensions.

FEFN

"If the woman had 5 or 6 children," adds the FEFN, "she would receive the same amount, since the new supplement has fixed amounts that are equivalent to 4 children, so there is no greater compensation for larger families.".

The federation points out that the new model "is a hidden pension cut, which will affect millions of mothers, from 2 children and with average pensions, which is accentuated in the case of mothers of large families. The only beneficiaries are mothers with one child, who in the previous model did not receive any supplement and now they do".

The FEFN has already assessed "this innovation as positive, because mothers with one child should also be considered, but it is tremendously unfair that this compensation is to the detriment of the supplement for mothers with more children".

Families discriminated against

The Federation also criticizes the fact that there is a limit on the amount of the supplement, which is equivalent to having 4 children, which means that in the case of having had 5 or more children, only the first 4 will be counted. More than 21,000 families will feel "discriminated against" by this fact, being "very unfair that those who have made the greatest effort in terms of reconciling family life and work, and who have contributed the most to the system in terms of demographic contribution, are not rewarded by the State at their retirement age".

"The maternity supplement in the pension also discriminates against families in which one of the parents has stopped working to take care of the children," adds the entity, "because these mothers (fundamentally women) will not receive the supplement, given that [it] is only for contributory pensions, and the fathers will not be able to accredit that the children have affected their working career because they will not have suffered the loss of income or lower contribution due to paternity."

RelatedRelated NewsStarting a family, secondary for 3 out of 4 young people
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The Vatican

Vatican updates its penal system to meet today's needs

Professor of Law, Irene Briones Martínez, explains the main points of change in the Vatican legislative system in recent months. 

Irene Briones Martínez-February 16, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The bookstore Editrice Vaticana published the Penal Code, which reforms Zanardelli's penal legislation that had been in force since 1929. The Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, D. Juan Ignacio Arrieta, has been in charge of integrating in the Code all the adaptations to the new times and changes in society.

Because the subject matter is not religious nor does it deal with the discipline of the clergy, we cannot identify this Code with the Code of Canon Law, but they maintain in common the fact of seeking the health of souls, and with the Code of Criminal Law in the secular sphere, the consideration that crimes are punished to ensure justice and social order.

However, canonical penalties involve a deprivation of a spiritual nature with criteria of humanity and inspired by the values proper to canonical doctrine, which takes into account the educational and curative function of the offender, so that neither the death penalty nor permanent imprisonment is allowed.

Let us recall that number 2267 of the Catechism states: "Therefore the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that "the death penalty is inadmissible because it violates the inviolability and dignity of the person".

The new Motu Proprio

By means of a Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu Proprio of the Supreme Pontiff Pope FrancisThe new law, which will be published and enter into force on February 16, 2021, adding modifications in the area of justice, establishes that in order to compensate the damage, a restorative and restitution behavior is proposed, for which reason it may develop public utility services, volunteer activities of social interest, and even promote mediation with the offended person.

It is indicated that in all proceedings the presence of the person being tried is required, except in the case of legitimate impossibility or serious impediment, and, of course, the right to defense. In the event that the accused does not appear without just cause, and having been duly notified, the trial will be ordered to proceed in his absence, with prior hearing of the prosecution and the defense.

Main novelties

Pursuant to the amendments to article three, there are 5 new products:

  1. Ordinary magistrates retain all the rights, assistance, social security and other guarantees afforded to all citizens;
  2. The office of the promoter of justice works autonomously and independently, at the three levels of the trial, the prosecutorial functions and other functions assigned to it by law;
  3. In appeals, the functions of prosecutor are exercised by a magistrate from the office of the promoter of justice;
  4. In cassation judgments, the functions of prosecutor are exercised by a magistrate from the office of the promoter of justice;
  5. The previously appointed judges will continue to be part of the office of the promoter of justice.

There is cooperation with the international sphere and current crimes are taken into account, such as crimes against humanity, against minors, war crimes, against terrorism and subversion, against airport security, etc., which the old penal codes did not typify.

In short, with this reform, the person must be the center, always pursuing a triple purpose: to restore the justice that has been violated, to repair the scandal that has been caused and to obtain an amendment from the offender. In the reparation of the damage, the aim is also to assist the victims.

The authorIrene Briones Martínez

Professor of Law. Complutense University of Madrid.

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Guest writersJoaquín Martín Abad

Encouragement for Consecrated Life

All Christians experience that the life of consecrated persons shapes the Church in a vital and sanctifying way.

February 16, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

It is fitting to recall the Second Vatican Council when it determined that "the state of life which consists in the profession of the evangelical counsels, even if it does not belong to the hierarchical structure of the Church, nevertheless belongs, without discussion, to her life and holiness." (LG 44).

Jesus proclaimed the evangelical counsels addressed to all his disciples. Naturally, according to the state of each person. Moreover, and from its birth, the consecrated life is a state of life that one enters because one makes public "profession" of these same evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience. And "without discussion" this state belongs to the life and holiness of the Church. After so many centuries and with so many institutes, what life would the Church have without the Consecrated Life? And how would the holiness of the Church be without the holiness of those who have professed the evangelical counsels - and then - with a multitude of canonizations and beatifications - and now - trying to follow the Lord more closely with all fidelity?

It has been proven, therefore, and not only theoretically but also by experience, that the experience of consecrated persons, with an enormous proportion of women over men, shapes the Church in a vital and sanctifying way.

Consecrated life serves vital needs and, among them, the most primordial: the salvation of souls.

We see those who are close to us in education and health care, in caring for the poor of the old and new poverties, and in many other tasks and services. We know of those who have left their homeland to go to the missions "ad gentes" or to other missions. We sense - although socially difficult - those who live the cloistered life in monasteries, to grow in their contemplative life of prayer and work, for the benefit of the whole Church and for the salvation of the world. It is that all consecrated life, with its different statutes and in its different forms, attends to vital needs and, among them, the most primordial: the salvation of souls.

However, we must know that what they are is even more important than what they do. And they are, in the Church, consecrated to God the Father and therefore, in his Son, brothers and sisters to all of us. I was impressed by the exclamation of a little girl when, referring to a religious sister, she said: "This Sister is very sisterly!

Thus, by the vitality of the consecrated life we can diagnose the vigor of the whole Church. And vice versa. And, in this time of lack of vocations in the Consecrated Life, we should examine ourselves on what is happening in all of us regarding the living of faith in the following of the Lord.

We have to analyze our lives and provide the means so that new vocations to consecrated life may continue to spring up in the Church.

Because it is not the same for vocations of special consecration in all nations and continents, nor is it the same for all institutes, since in a few of them they flourish and grow. For this reason it also seems necessary to make a sincere analysis of how we live and, at the same time, to put in place the means so that new vocations to consecrated life continue to spring up in the Church.

St. John Paul II wrote in 1996: "In some regions of the world, social changes and the decline in the number of vocations are taking their toll on consecrated life. The apostolic works of many Institutes and their very presence in certain local Churches are in danger. As has already happened at other times in history, there are Institutes that are even in danger of disappearing." (Vita Consecrata, 63). It has been 25 years since he established the Day of Consecrated Life for every February 2 and since then, on Candlemas with St. Mary, consecrated men and women - in many dioceses - renew their profession of the evangelical counsels before their Bishop in his cathedral.

I will never be able to forget a phrase, as short as it is substantial, that Pope Francis was kind enough to say to me during a greeting in June 2014: "Consecrated persons need to be greatly encouraged". And it is easy to understand. Because in the current situation, when discouragement could spread the most, it is when encouragement is most necessary. Fraternal encouragement in the Spirit.

The authorJoaquín Martín Abad

Priest of the Archdiocese of Madrid

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Education

Tribute to Abilio de Gregorio, teacher of teachers

Abilio de Gregorio is considered a "teacher of teachers", a reference for those who teach and love education.

Javier Segura-February 16, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Juan Antonio Gómez Trinidad, former vice-president of the State School Board, told me about the urgent need to train new generations of teachers. Nearly thirty percent of the teaching staff will retire in the next few years and a huge number of teachers will be needed to fill this gap. This is a challenge for Christian education, and I do not know to what extent we are aware of it.

Abilio de Gregorio, who left us this past November, was. And he devoted his best energies precisely to being a true teacher of teachers. And that is why he became a reference for many of us who today teach and love education.

Abilio de Gregorio

Abilio de Gregorio has a degree in Educational Sciences and a diploma in Family Guidance. He had a deep and first-hand knowledge of the world of education, as he was a professor of Secondary Education in Salamanca, and even more directly, as the father of three children. He wrote numerous books on pedagogical topics, such as the monographs Familia y Educación (1987), La participación de los padres en los centros educativos (1990), Educación familiar y valores de sentido (1992), Educación y valores (1995), El proyecto educativo de centro en la escuela católica (2003) and Atreverse a ejercer de padres (2006), as well as other collaborative works. But perhaps the best way many of us have come to know him is through his conferences in various national and international congresses (Moscow, Rome, Lisbon, Mexico, Buenos Aires).

The tribute

Abilio de Greorio Tribute

His loss is actually a call to rediscover his teachings and to deepen our understanding of what it means to 'educate', precisely in times when legislative changes can make us get lost in the circumstantial and not delve into the essential.

It is therefore worthwhile to return to the teachings of this great master of Catholic education today and to do so in the company of those who knew him and appreciate his contribution. The occasion will be a broadcast on streaming youtube that will take place on March 6, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

This approach places the person at the center and opts for a personalized and customized education.

A session in which we will be able to meet with the central aspects of his teaching. This Abilio, who is above all a teacher of life, who has a deep look at our time and education. That look that puts the person at the center and opts for a personalized and personalizing education. And who is aware of the transcendence of Christian living, the baptismal dignity and the greatness of the lay vocation.

It is not surprising that in the heat of this teaching, gathering Abilio's passion and the urgent mission pointed out by Juan Antonio Gómez Trinidad, the 'Abilio de Gregorio' school has been established. Its purpose is, precisely, to train young teachers, in their university stage and in their first years of teaching. And to offer them solid references to become true teachers. Teachers of life, as was Abilio de Gregorio himself.

To all those who love education, I invite you not to miss it to this appointment on March 6 and to closely follow this school, which, we hope, will be the seed of a renewal in education.

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The Vatican

"God comes in contact with our wounded life to heal it."

At the Angelus, Pope Francis recalled that God is not afraid to approach the sick to heal them, touch their wounds and bring them out of their sickness. He also recalled the beginning of Lent, which begins this Wednesday.

David Fernández Alonso-February 16, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated News"He who prays is like a lover, he carries in his heart the beloved person".Related NewsPope's Audience: "Mass is not simply listened to; it is celebrated and lived".

Pope Francis prayed the traditional Angelus this Sunday morning, February 14, from the window of the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican in the presence of some of the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. During the last few weeks, the Holy Father had celebrated his Sunday Angelus from the library of the Apostolic Palace, due to the health measures caused by the pandemic. 

Social exclusion

The Pope reflected on today's Gospel passage that recounts the encounter between Jesus and a man suffering from leprosy. Francis recalled that at that time, "lepers were considered impure and, according to the prescriptions of the Law, had to stay out of inhabited places.".

"They were excluded from all human, social and religious relationships. Jesus, on the other hand, allowed the man to approach him, was moved, and even reached out and touched him."Francis pointed out, underlining that in this way, the Son of God puts into practice the Good News that he announces.

God has become close to our lives, has compassion for the fate of wounded humanity and comes to break down every barrier that prevents us from living our relationship with him, with others and with ourselves.

On the other hand, the Pope pointed out that in this episode we can observe that there are two actions that attract attention: on the one hand there is the leper who dares to approach Jesus and on the other, Jesus himself who, moved by compassion, touches him in order to cure him.

In Jesus he saw another face of God: not the God who punishes, but the Father of compassion and love, who frees us from sin and never excludes us from his mercy.

Breaking out of isolation

The leper's action stands out because "despite the prescriptions of the Law, he comes out of isolation and approaches Jesus. His illness was considered a divine punishment, but in Jesus he was able to see another face of God: not the God who punishes, but the Father of compassion and love, who frees us from sin and never excludes us from his mercy".

In the same vein, the Pope wanted to emphasize that that man "He can come out of his isolation, because in Jesus he finds God who shares his pain. Jesus' attitude attracts him, pushes him to come out of himself and to entrust his story of pain to him.".

To touch with love means to establish a relationship, to enter into communion, to involve oneself in the life of the other to the point of sharing even his or her wounds.

On the other hand, Jesus also acts in a way that scandalizes, because "while the Law forbade touching lepers, He is moved, He stretches out His hand and touches him to cure him. He does not limit himself to words, but touches him. To touch with love means to establish a relationship, to enter into communion, to involve oneself in the life of the other to the point of sharing even his wounds."

Safety distance

For the Pope, this gesture of Jesus shows that God is not indifferent, that he does not maintain a "safe distance"; on the contrary, "he draws near with compassion and touches our life in order to heal it".

Jesus approaches us with compassion and touches our lives to heal them.

Before concluding his address from the window of St. Peter's Square, Francis recalled that even today, throughout the world, there are so many brothers and sisters suffering from leprosy, "or other diseases and conditions with which, unfortunately, social prejudices are associated." and en some cases there is even religious discrimination.

God comes in contact with the sick

In the face of the different and very varied circumstances that may arise in the course of our lives, "Jesus announces to us that God is not an idea or an abstract doctrine, but the One who is "contaminated" with our wounded humanity and who is not afraid to come into contact with our wounds", warning us against the risk of silencing our pain by "wearing masks", in order to "comply with the rules of good reputation and social customs", or directly giving in to our selfishness and inner fears so as not to "involve ourselves too much in the suffering of others".

Before concluding, the Pope invited the faithful to ask the Lord for the grace to live these two "transgressions" of the Gospel: "That of the leper, so that we have the courage to come out of our isolation and, instead of staying there to lament or cry over our failures, we go to Jesus just as we are. And then the transgression of Jesus: a love that makes us go beyond conventions, that makes us overcome prejudices and the fear of mixing with the life of the other".

Finally, he recalled that Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a time of conversion and prayer, ideal for growing in friendship with God, living with hope, faith and charity.

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The World

The rite of imposition of ashes in the time of Covid

The rite of Ash Wednesday has also had to adapt to the sanitary measures of the pandemic time we are going through.

Maria José Atienza-February 16, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

Last month, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments published a note explaining the modification of the Ash Wednesday rite, adapting it to health safety measures.

No physical contact

Instead of performing the dignity of the cross on the heads of the faithful, this year, the priest "pronouncing the prayer of blessing of the ashes and after sprinkling them, without saying anything, with holy water, will address those present, saying once and for all the faithful, the formula of the Roman Missal: "Convert and believe in the Gospel", or: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return".

The priest will then wipe his hands and put on a mask to protect his nose and mouth. He will then impose the ashes on those who approach him or, if appropriate, he will approach the faithful who are standing, remaining in their place. Likewise, the priest will take the ashes and let them fall on the head of each one, without saying anything".

The note was signed at the headquarters of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on January 12, 2021 by Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments since 2014 and Archbishop Arthur Roche, Archbishop Secretary.

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ColumnistsAntonio Moreno

Lent will set you free

Lent puts us before those little things: the coffee, the cigarette, the little cake.... that are little materially, but perhaps, they are stronger than a chain.

February 16, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

This Wednesday Lent 2021 begins, although many of us have the feeling that we have not yet emerged from Lent 2020. This one brought with it the most demanding ascetic practices that none of us could have ever imagined that a government could impose on us. After weeks confined to our homes, like modern stylites, we were allowed to go out with the sackcloth of the mask, although we were forbidden to touch and kiss each other and to go to bars and restaurants, in addition to the obligation to perform numerous hydroalcoholic ablutions.

Covid-19 containment measures are a desert of deprivation that we have all accepted for the benefit of our bodily health and the health of those around us. Suffering a little is not bad if the aim is to protect life. But what about eternal life, is it worth taking care of?

Lent helps us to discover the chains that bind us to the small pleasures of everyday life, to coffee, beer and cigarettes.

Lent reminds us every year that yes, spiritual health, like bodily health, requires care and maintenance. It is a time of penance, of prayer, of fasting, of almsgiving... A time of renunciation that does not seek them in themselves but in view of a greater good: to give solemnity to Easter, the feast in which we celebrate the liberation from the slavery of Egypt, the victory of Christ over Pharaoh.

How can we celebrate freedom without knowing that we are slaves? Lent helps us to discover the chains that bind us to the little pleasures of everyday life, to coffee, beer, cigarettes..... We call them in diminutive, but their shackles are thick, not to mention the savings account!

The fasting and almsgiving Will I be able to give up my tastes, my money? Will I be able to see the poor, not as an annoying object, but as a brother who suffers and needs me?

– Supernatural prayer will take us out of our ego to put us in the presence of the great Ego - the Ego.Ego sum qui sum (I am who I am (Ex 3:14))-and to realize our littleness before the mystery of the One who is eternal, of infinite love. These forty days will reveal to us that we live condemned to give ourselves everything and that we need true freedom to be able to reach the other, to be able to love. 

In his message for this Lent, Pope Francis states that, "in the present context of worry in which we live and in which everything seems fragile and uncertain, to speak of hope might seem provocative." Isn't it great to have a little rock and roll among all the boring ballads that we men and women of today have turned our self-pitying existence into in the midst of the pandemic? To hope in God, to trust that He will lead us out of this as He led the people of Israel into the Promised Land, to live this desert time consciously, not as an imposition, not as the ultimate anticovid decree, but as an experience of encounter with God, will make us authentically free.

It is time to believe, to hope, to love. It is a time of freedom. 

The authorAntonio Moreno

Journalist. Graduate in Communication Sciences and Bachelor in Religious Sciences. He works in the Diocesan Delegation of Media in Malaga. His numerous "threads" on Twitter about faith and daily life have a great popularity.

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Books

Knowing and feeling loved

Yolanda Cagigas recommends the reading of Take me homethe latest book by Jesús Carrasco.

Yolanda Cagigas-February 16, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Book file

Title: Take me home
Author: Jesús Carrasco
Editorial: Seix Barral
Year: 2021
Pages: 320

The first week of February, Seix Barral has published Take me homethe latest book by Jesús Carrasco.

When my friend Carmen tells me that she is reading this book, I hurry to buy it, because one of my pleasures is to be able to exchange opinions about what I read. With it, I discover an author -Jesús Carraso Jaramillo- whose agile writing, rich language and deep knowledge of human psychology I like.

The official synopsis of the book reports: "John has managed to become independent far from his country when he is forced to return to his small hometown due to the death of his father. His intention, after the funeral, is to resume his life in Edinburgh as soon as possible, but his sister gives him news that changes his plans forever. Thus, without intending to, she will find herself in the very place she decided to escape from."

This weekend, the main national media published interviews with the author. If it is not already, it will soon be one of the best-selling books of the year; in any case, it is one of those few books, of all those published in a year, that are worth reading, having on your bookshelf at home... and reading again.

With my friend Carmen I will talk about the four main characters and much more..., but here I will only share some personal reflections about Juan, the youngest son, the main character.

Juan sees his parents -he, a worker and farmer; she, a housewife; both born in the post-war period- "as emotionally handicapped". It is striking that Juan does not see himself as such, because he is undoubtedly also emotionally handicapped, and very much so!

Our protagonist "felt that only by distancing himself from his origin could he found his own life", but he ends up realizing that "he is made of the same clay as his father, [and that] one cannot run away from oneself, nor hide".

He only has eyes for his navel, "he doesn't allow himself to think outside his own skin", and there are many consequences of his egocentrism. "His greatest difficulty is not being fully aware of what is going on around him," never having felt concerned about the needs of another person, and not caring about his family.

Juan needs to feel loved, like everyone else. It is when he realizes the unconditional love of his sister that his healing begins. She tells him: "We will go to the bottom with you, if you go down. Because that way we can get you out of there". He "still feels his sister's hand on his cheek, he cannot express the relief he feels, but his body does, muscular distension, vasodilatation, slight hypotension, incipient euphoria". His sister is a gift to the whole family.

Knowing and feeling loved enables him - and everyone else - to come out of himself, to accept his reality and to be able to embark on the path of understanding others.

The authorYolanda Cagigas

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  • "The life of the Mozarabs changes to the rhythm of the Andalusian state".
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"The life of the Mozarabs changes to the rhythm of the Andalusian state".

The II International Congress on the History of the Mozarabs presents a wide range of subjects of study and the current affairs of the persecuted Christians.

Maria José Atienza-February 15, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

How did the life of the Mozarabic communities develop under Islamic rule? What connection can these communities have with today's Christian communities living in territories dominated by Islamic confessional governments?

The II International Congress on the History of the Mozarabs "Past, present and future of a community under Islamic rule."The exhibition will address these and many other aspects of the history of the Christian population of the Visigothic kingdom that lived through the imposition of a new Islamic government.

A situation that, from the 8th to the 13th century, was predominant in most of the Iberian Peninsula and that gave rise to the development of a culture, language, liturgy... etc., of great interest both in the academic and informative fields. 

Poster II Mozarabic Congress

This II International Congress on the History of the Mozarabss, promoted by the Cathedral Chapter of Cordoba and the Diocese of Cordoba, is directed by a tenured professor at the University of Seville, Gloria Lora who wanted to point out for Omnes the "risky and different approach" it proposes, given that "the study of the Mozarabic communities from the 8th to the 13th century is combined with the study of Christians who are currently persecuted in areas such as Iran".

However, as this medievalist has emphasized: "Their situations are very different, since the Mozarabic communities were under the status of the dimmaThe "Islamic Code", a limited protection by which the Christian communities had certain rights in exchange for recognizing the superiority of Islam and Muslims in all fields of life and an expensive fiscal subjection. 

Coexistence not always peaceful

The professor of the University of Seville has also pointed out the diversity of situations under which the Mozarabic communities lived "it is a history that spans from the eighth century to the thirteenth century. The situation of these communities changed in step with the history of the Andalusian state. It is incomparable the situation of the beginnings with the practical persecution in the XI century... there are moments in which the coexistence of both societies takes place, and moments of great confrontation".

One of the original points of this Congress is the study of the current persecution of Christians by Islamic states in the world. Authorities in the field will speak on this subject together with direct witnesses of the drama that is being experienced in some areas where Christians are persecuted for their faith.

The II International Congress on the History of the Mozarabs "Past, present and future of a community under Islamic rule", which will be held in Cordoba from April 15 to 18, will feature, in its programThe event will feature presentations by archaeologists, Arabists, paleographers and philologists who will address the study of the Mozarabic idiosyncrasy from their different fields. 

The Congress will be completed with a program of parallel activities including exhibitions, round tables, two lucernaria or vespers in the Cathedral of Cordoba and a Solemn Hispano-Mozarabic Mass.

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AnnotationsJuan Luis Lorda

This is such a bad time...

All times are bad for those who live them. Christ gave the keys for all times, good and bad: to love, to celebrate, to evangelize....

February 15, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

What to do in these bad times? First of all, read Church history, so as not to think that it is so bad. There have always been problems: the Apocalypse is the background story of all Christian epochs.

If one becomes afraid of discomfort and opts for comfort, one ceases to be a Christian. A theologian friend of mine used to repeat: "We have never been so bad; but, on the other hand, we have never been so good". 

It is not necessary to think too much (because of the analysis of paralysis), because in all times we have to do the same thing. The Lord made it very clear.

He commanded us to love one another and to love others: "Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 13:34-35).

He commanded us to celebrate the Eucharist: "Do this in remembrance of me" (Lk 22:19).

And he commanded us to evangelize: "Go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them" (Mt 28:19). This is what they did from the beginning, in more difficult times. And what we have to do now, in easier times: love, celebrate, evangelize. 

The authorJuan Luis Lorda

Professor of Theology and Director of the Department of Systematic Theology at the University of Navarra. Author of numerous books on theology and spiritual life.

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Integral ecology

Euthanasia destroys patient-physician trust

Medical professionals, directors of medical corporations, and more than 140 civic organizations have rejected in recent weeks the euthanasia regulation bill being processed in the Senate.

Rafael Miner-February 15, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

Professors and directors of departments, institutes and clinics of Christian foundations and universities such as Francisco de Vitoria, CEU San Pablo, Navarra or Comillas, as well as nurses and other professionals, sometimes in a personal capacity, and other times in an institutional way, have made their voices heard these days arguing against the criteria reflected in the bill to regulate euthanasia, which is being promoted by the current parliamentary majority.

The list of those who have come to the fore in recent days is extensive, but it is worth mentioning some of them. The doctors Manuel Martínez Sellésdean of the Madrid College of Physicians, and Álvaro Gándaraformer president of the Spanish Society of Palliative Care (Secpal), and professional of the Palliative Medicine Unit at the Fundación Jiménez Díaz, have intervened in several conferences, as well as Federico de MontalvoPresident of the Spanish Bioethics Committee and Professor at the University of Comillas. 

In addition, Elena Postigo, director of the Bioethics Institute of the Francisco de Vitoria University, and Manuel Bustos, director of the Ángel Ayala Humanities Institute of the CEU San Pablo University; Marina Díaz Marsá, president of the Psychiatry Society of Madrid; Carlos Centeno, director of Palliative Medicine of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, and José María Torralba, professor at the same university; the deans of the Faculty of Medicine of the U. Francisco de Vitoria, Fernando Caballero, and the deans of the Faculty of Medicine of the U. CEU San Pablo, Tomás Trigo; doctors Jacinto Bátiz and Ricardo Abengózar; José Jara, president of the Bioethics Association of the CEU San Pablo University; Drs. Francisco de Vitoria, Fernando Caballero, and of the U. CEU San Pablo, Tomás Trigo; doctors Jacinto Bátiz and Ricardo Abengózar; José Jara, president of the Bioethics Association of Madrid; Emilio García Sánchez, vice-president of the Spanish Association of Bioethics and Medical Ethics; José Manuel Álvarez Avelló, author of the book Death with dignity. The great dilemmaThe following are some of the speakers: the nurse Encarna Pérez Bret, from the Hospital de Cuidados Paliativos Fundación Vianorte-Laguna, the promoters of vividores,org, Jaume Vives and Pablo Velasco, director of Eldebatedehoy, and many others.

On the other hand, more than one hundred and forty civic associations integrated in the Assembly for Life, Dignity and Liberty, have sent a manifesto to all senators asking them to vote for "in conscience" and do not endorse the euthanasia law. They have also agreed to launch a popular legislative initiative (ILP) to ask the government for a comprehensive palliative care plan.

Against the essence of medicine

"Euthanasia is contrary to the Hippocratic Oath and multiple World Medical Association standards." y "it destroys the essence of medicine, the relationship of trust we have with our patients." Dr. Martínez Sellés has stated in several conferences. 

In their opinion, physicians who practice euthanasia "will be emotionally and psychologically affected in a negative way. In addition, the patient's trust in the healthcare system will be undermined. If a physician kills out of pity, it is a step that is difficult to return."said the Madrid dean at the recent seminar organized by the Francisco de Vitoria University.

Sellés pointed out that the Code of Medical Deontology stressed in 2011 that "the physician shall never intentionally cause the death of any patient, not even at the patient's express request"and mentioned the 2020 report of the Spanish Bioethics Committee of Spain (see https://www.omnesmag.com/foco/aprobacion-ley-eutanasia-espana/), which states, among other things, that "euthanasia and/or suicide assistance are not signs of progress but a backward step of civilization".

Addressing suffering

At the same seminar, Dr. Álvaro Gándara, palliativist and member of the Spanish Bioethics Committee, quoted psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who said: "Man is not destroyed by suffering; man is destroyed by suffering without any sense." 

Álvaro Gándara focused his analysis on suffering and compassion, and it makes a lot of sense, because all definitions of euthanasia, from its supporters and its detractors, go through suffering. It is the workhorse. We have to try to avoid suffering. On that they all agree, supporters and opponents of euthanasia. The question is how. 

Those who reject euthanasia, who as we are seeing are making themselves heard in increasing numbers and with weighty arguments, point out that the aim is to avoid suffering, to alleviate it, by means of adequate comprehensive palliative care treatment, but that the option cannot in any case be to kill the patient, because this is contrary to the very essence of the medical profession. 

A compassionate intervention

So how to do it? Álvaro Gándara points out that "the care of suffering requires an approach to existential and spiritual needs, and the professional's tasks should be focused here, on facilitating the patient to complete his biography in an integral way, and to close the last chapter of his existence in an adequate manner"..

"Many of us physicians are aware." added the doctorthat we are more expert in symptom care and drug management than in the control of hopelessness, in facilitating reconciliation with one's own history, in helping to find meaning in existence or in facilitating the acceptance of death". 

In his opinion, "Our biology-centered clinical training and disease- and treatment-oriented healthcare model are not only insufficient, but can become an obstacle to meeting real needs at the end of life".

"The skills required to address sufferingDr. Gándara continued, "They are "specific, based on the ability to create a climate of security and trust as well as empathetic and intuitive, non-discursive attention.". Key to this are "the knowledge of the person of the sick person, the ability to identify their fears and values, as well as threats and resources, and the willingness to accompany them in this situation: compassion.".

Steps in the face of suffering

The palliative care expert from the Fundación Jiménez Díaz thus described the "steps for intervention in the face of suffering": "Establish a relationship of trust and a therapeutic bond: identify suffering and its causes; attempt to resolve or defuse threats that can be resolved; explore the patient's resources and abilities to transcend their suffering: and proceed with compassionate intervention, guiding the patient towards the search for meaning, coherence and promoting acceptance of death."

Both Dr. Álvaro Gándara and other professionals, doctors with decades of activity and thousands of patients behind them, have revealed in recent months that when the pain of the very few patients who have asked them to die disappears, the desire to end their lives disappears just as quickly. 

In this sense, they have criticized the assertion of the promoters of the current euthanasia bill, contained in its preamble, on the existence of "a sustained demand of today's society". of euthanasia.

"The importance of care and accompaniment; a necessary training in palliative care; the proper of medicine is to cure and care, not to kill; the danger that looms over the mentally ill; the slippery slope: example of Holland and Belgium; and the need to train young doctors who love life and care for the vulnerable person. Compassion and prudence,were, in the opinion of Elena Postigo, some of the key points of the seminar organized by the U. Francisco de Vitoria.

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Francis' message for Lent 2021

On Wednesday, February 17, Lent begins: today the Pope's Message was made public, in which he encourages us to live this journey of conversion and prayer with "the faith that comes from the living Christ, hope animated by the breath of the Spirit, and love, whose inexhaustible source is the merciful heart of the Father". 

David Fernández Alonso-February 14, 2021-Reading time: 6 minutes

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem..." (Mt 20:18). Lent: a time to renew faith, hope and charity".

Dear brothers and sisters:
When Jesus announces to his disciples his passion, death and resurrection, in order to fulfill the will of the Father, he reveals to them the profound meaning of his mission and exhorts them to associate themselves with it, for the salvation of the world.

As we travel the Lenten journey, which will lead us to the Easter celebrations, let us remember the One who "humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8). In this time of conversion let us renew our faith, let us quench our thirst with the "living water" of hope and let us receive with open hearts the love of God that makes us brothers and sisters in Christ.

On Easter night we will renew the promises of our Baptism, to be reborn as new men and women, thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit. However, the Lenten journey, like the entire Christian journey, is already under the light of the Resurrection, which animates the feelings, attitudes and decisions of those who wish to follow Christ.

Fasting, prayer and almsgiving, as Jesus presents them in his preaching (cf. Mt 6:1- 18), are the conditions and expression of our conversion. The way of poverty and deprivation (fasting), the gaze and gestures of love towards the wounded (almsgiving) and the filial dialogue with the Father (prayer) allow us to incarnate a sincere faith, a living hope and an active charity.

1. Faith calls us to embrace the Truth and to be witnesses, before God and before our brothers and sisters.

In this time of Lent, to welcome and live the Truth that was manifested in Christ means first of all to allow ourselves to be reached by the Word of God, which the Church transmits to us from generation to generation. This Truth is not a construction of the intellect, destined for a few chosen, superior or illustrious minds, but is a message that we receive and can understand thanks to the intelligence of the heart, open to the greatness of God who loves us before we ourselves are aware of it. This Truth is Christ himself who, assuming fully our humanity, made himself the Way - demanding but open to all - that leads to the fullness of Life.

Fasting lived as an experience of deprivation, for those who live it with simplicity of heart, leads to a new discovery of God's gift and to an understanding of our reality as creatures who, in his image and likeness, find fulfillment in him. Through the experience of an accepted poverty, the fasting person becomes poor with the poor and "accumulates" the richness of love received and shared. Thus understood and put into practice, fasting contributes to love God and neighbor insofar as, as St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us, love is a movement that focuses attention on the other, considering him or her as one with oneself (cf. Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti, 93).

Lent is a time for believing, that is, for receiving God into our lives and allowing him to "make his dwelling" in us (cf. Jn 14:23). Fasting means freeing our existence from everything that hinders, even from the saturation of information - true or false - and consumer products, in order to open the doors of our heart to the One who comes to us poor in every way, but "full of grace and truth" (Jn 1:14): the Son of God the Savior.

2. Hope as "living water" that allows us to continue on our way.

The Samaritan woman, whom Jesus asks to give him a drink at the well, does not understand when he tells her that he could offer her "living water" (Jn 4:10). At first, of course, she is thinking of material water, while Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit, whom he will give in abundance in the Paschal Mystery and who instills in us the hope that does not disappoint. In announcing his passion and death, Jesus already announces hope when he says: "And on the third day he will rise again" (Mt 20:19). Jesus speaks to us of the future that the Father's mercy has opened wide. To hope with Him and thanks to Him means to believe that history does not end with our mistakes, our violence and injustices, nor with the sin that crucifies Love. It means to be satiated with the forgiveness of the Father in his open heart.

In the current context of worry in which we live and in which everything seems fragile and uncertain, to speak of hope could seem provocative. The season of Lent is made for hope, for turning our gaze once again to the patience of God, who continues to care for his Creation, while we often mistreat it (cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato Si', 32-33; 43-44). It is hope in reconciliation, to which St. Paul passionately exhorts us: "We ask you to be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:20).

By receiving forgiveness, in the Sacrament that is at the heart of our conversion process, we too become disseminators of forgiveness: having received it ourselves, we can offer it, being able to live an attentive dialogue and adopting a behavior that comforts those who are wounded. God's forgiveness, also through our words and gestures, allows us to live an Easter of fraternity.

During Lent, let us be more attentive to "speaking words of encouragement, words that comfort, that strengthen, that console, that stimulate" instead of "words that humiliate, that sadden, that irritate, that scorn" (Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti [FT], 223). Sometimes, in order to give hope, it is enough to be "a kind person, who puts aside his anxieties and urgencies to pay attention, to give a smile, to say a word that stimulates, to make possible a space for listening in the midst of so much indifference" (ibid., 224).

In the recollection and silence of prayer, hope is given to us as an inspiration and inner light that illuminates the challenges and decisions of our mission: for this reason it is fundamental to recollect ourselves in prayer (cf. Mt 6:6) and to encounter, in intimacy, the Father of tenderness.

Living Lent with hope means feeling that, in Jesus Christ, we are witnesses of the new time, in which God "makes all things new" (cf. Rev. 21:1-6). It means receiving the hope of Christ who gives his life on the cross and whom God raises on the third day, "always ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks us for a reason for our hope" (cf. 1 Pet. 3:15).

3. Charity, lived in the footsteps of Christ, showing care and compassion for each person, is the highest expression of our faith and our hope.

Charity rejoices to see the other grow. For this reason, it suffers when the other is in distress: alone, sick, homeless, despised, in need... Charity is the impulse of the heart that makes us go out of ourselves and that arouses the bond of cooperation and communion.

"On the basis of "social love" it is possible to advance towards a civilization of love to which we can all feel called. Charity, with its universal dynamism, can build a new world, because it is not a sterile sentiment, but the best way to achieve effective paths of development for all" (FT, 183).

Charity is a gift that gives meaning to our life and thanks to it we consider those who are deprived of what we need as a member of our family, a friend, a brother or sister. The little we have, if we share it with love, never runs out, but becomes a reserve of life and happiness. So it was with the flour and oil of the widow of Zarephath, who gave bread to the prophet Elijah (cf. 1 Kings 17:7-16); and with the loaves of bread that Jesus blessed, broke and gave to the disciples to distribute among the people (cf. Mk 6:30-44). So it is with our almsgiving, whether large or small, if we give it with joy and simplicity.

Living a Lent of charity means caring for those who find themselves in conditions of suffering, abandonment or distress because of the AIDS pandemic. In a context of such uncertainty about the future, let us remember the word that God addressed to his Servant: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you" (Is 43:1), and let us offer with our charity a word of trust, so that others may feel that God loves them as his children.

"Only with a gaze whose horizon is transformed by charity, which leads it to perceive the dignity of the other, are the poor discovered and valued in their immense dignity, respected in their own style and culture and, therefore, truly integrated into society" (FT, 187).

Dear brothers and sisters: Every stage of life is a time to believe, to hope and to love. This call to live Lent as a journey of conversion and prayer, and to share our goods, helps us to reconsider, in our community and personal memory, the faith that comes from the living Christ, the hope animated by the breath of the Spirit and the love whose inexhaustible source is the merciful heart of the Father.

May Mary, Mother of the Savior, faithful at the foot of the cross and at the heart of the Church, sustain us with her solicitous presence, and may the blessing of the Risen Christ accompany us on the way to the paschal light.

Rome, St. John Lateran, November 11, 2020, memorial of St. Martin of Tours.

Francisco

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Cardinal Koch reaffirms reasons for intercommunion

Cardinal Koch addresses an open letter to Professor Leppin, reaffirming the reasons for the inconvenience of the intercommunion of Protestants and Catholics in the Eucharist, after the latter had criticized the position of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 

David Fernández Alonso-February 13, 2021-Reading time: 9 minutes

The six-page letter, dated February 8, is addressed to Volker Leppin, professor of church history at the University of Tübingen and academic director of the Protestant section of the Ecumenical Study Group of Protestant and Catholic Theologians (OAK).

Kurt Koch underlines the reasons for the Holy See's opposition to the proposal of the document "Together at the Lord's Table", formulated by the study group of Catholics and Protestants, for both to admit each other to the sacrament of the Eucharist since there are no "theological reasons separating" them on this point. 

Cardinal Koch's open letter to Professor Leppin

Dear Professor Leppin,

With the interview you gave on February 3, you responded to my brief reaction to the Statement of the Ecumenical Working Group (ÖAK) on the intervention of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and expressed the wish that I, for my part, give a "substantive response" on the topic under discussion. This is what I want to do for you with this open letter, also because it offers me the opportunity to clarify some misunderstandings. 

First of all, I would like to recall that the immediate occasion for my reaction was that I had been surprised by the timing of the publication of the ÖAK statement. As far as I know, that statement was requested by Bishop Georg Bätzing, President of the German Bishops' Conference, in order to prepare his response to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. However, I have not yet received an answer to the question why the ÖAK statement was published before the general assembly of the German Bishops' Conference. Quite simply, having received several requests to express my opinion on these processes, I could not remain silent, and as an initial reaction I published a short text with a triple "I can stand it". The brevity of this text has nothing to do with a "refusal to speak", and certainly nothing to do with a "harsh rejection", as you reproached me in your interview. For I did not limit myself to a few statements, but expressed irritation.

But now let us move on to the content. To the "reproach of insufficient substantiation" expressed by me, you replied that "perhaps it would be convenient to go to any Catholic or Protestant community" and "compare what is lived there with the requirements of the office of the Council for Unity in Rome". However, that was not the content of my objection. Because the "office of the Council for Unity" does not claim to know the situation of the individual Protestant and Catholic communities in Germany better than the Ecumenical Working Group.

The "Office of the Council for Unity", however, knows that it is obliged to inform itself and to take note of how the ecumenical partners in Germany understand themselves. That is why I wrote in my reaction that I am surprised by the content of the ÖAK statement: "In it, as already in the VotumThere are certainly many good affirmations, which, however, remain in the purely academic field and have no relation to the concrete ecclesial reality. If they were based on this concrete reality, many affirmations presented as unquestionable consensus would have to be questioned".

My objection points precisely in the direction to which you yourself returned later in the interview, in a way for which I am grateful, by acknowledging that in this process I had relatively early and "quite rightly" pointed out that "on the evangelical side we must ensure that, for example, the leading of the Lord's Supper by ordained persons is guaranteed." And you added that this is one of the points on which justified criticism has driven and can continue to drive our dialogue. It was exactly in this direction that the request contained my reaction, because both in the Votum As in the opinion of the ÖAK, I have to note an important discrepancy between the ecumenical consensus claimed by the ÖAK and the concrete reality in the evangelical churches, and I call this discrepancy unfounded. Welcoming your wish for a "substantive reaction", I am happy to develop my reproach further, and I would like to illustrate this with three prominent examples.

First of all. The Votum "Together at the Lord's Table" is based on the basic conviction, which is also repeated in the "Declaration" of the ÖAK, that after the "basic agreement on baptism" reached in the ecumenical dialogues there also results a "common basic agreement" concerning the Lord's Supper/Eucharist, "which, analogous to the recognition of baptism, allows a mutual recognition of the respective liturgical form of celebration of the Supper and its theological content and justifies a reciprocal invitation". And since it is added that "the text presented here" intends to fulfill this task (2.5), this affirmation of a very close relationship between Baptism and the Eucharist is to be considered as the basic thesis of the whole of this text. Votum. 

With great astonishment I read on the official website of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau the following: "In the congregations of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, all who participate in the service are invited to partake of the Lord's Supper. They are welcome to even those who are not baptized or those belonging to another Christian confession who wish to receive the Lord's Supper".

But then, where is the close connection between baptism and the Lord's Supper affirmed by the ÖAK, if even the unbaptized are invited to the Lord's Supper? An even deeper ecumenical problem arises here: if, on the one hand, baptism and the mutual recognition of baptism are the basis of ecumenism and, on the other hand, an ecumenical partner relativizes baptism in such a way that it is no longer even a presupposition for participation in the Supper, it is legitimate to ask who is questioning the foundation of ecumenism here. In my experience, the Evangelical Church of Hessen-Nassau is no exception in this regard. I have chosen it only because it is the Evangelical Church in whose space the Third Ecumenical Day of the Churches will be held. 

Secondly. The Votum "Together at the Lord's Table" affirms that an ecumenical consensus has also been reached on the question of ministry, namely that the "ordained ministry, linked to ordination" belongs to the "being of the Church" and "is not due to a delegation of the will of the community, but to the divine mission and institution" (6.2.3). Therefore it is affirmed: "The Lord's Supper/Eucharist is to be celebrated regularly in the Sunday liturgy. The direction of the celebration belongs to an ordained person" (5.4.5).

In response to this statement, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has pointed out that the consensus referred to by the Votum The ÖAK statement "is not supported by the majority of the EKD member churches", "which consider a Lord's Supper without an ordained representative to be permissible in an emergency". For stating this, the ÖAK statement points to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with the point that, if the Congregation had looked at "the regulations of the EKD and its member churches," it would not even have raised this objection.

If we follow the invitation of the ÖAK and consult the church regulations, the facts to be found are different. To mention once again as an example the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, we read in its "Regulations for Church Life" of June 15, 2013: "When Christians in emergency situations wish to receive the Lord's Supper and a pastor cannot be found, any member of the church may administer the Lord's Supper to them. In that case, he should pronounce the words of institution and administer the bread and wine to them." Here exactly what ÖAK denies is affirmed.

It should also be recalled that last year, during the first phase of the corona virus crisis, some District Churches, such as in Württemberg, allowed their members the possibility of a domestic celebration of the Lord's Supper without ordained ministers. This is also the context of the official document of the German Lutheran Bishops "Called according to the order" of 2006, in which it is difficult to determine whether there is only a terminological difference or also a theological difference between ordination and delegation, and whether in addition to the ordained also preachers can be commissioned to lead the Lord's Supper.

That these regulations are no exception is shown by the statement of principle of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, in its document on the commemoration of the Reformation in 2017, about the Reformation leading to a "complete reformulation of the essence of the Church" and in particular that "every Christian may in principle administer the sacraments, i.e. administer baptism and distribute the Lord's Supper.

It is for reasons of order that there are male and female pastors who exercise in a special way the tasks that all Christians have, i.e., as officially qualified and called to perform them" (Justification and Freedom, pp. 90-91). Once again we find that the consensus claimed by ÖAK on the question of ministry does not correspond to the concrete reality of the Church, also and especially with regard to the administration of the Lord's Supper by ordained persons.

Third. The Votum of the ÖAK devotes an entire section to the "Consideration of thanksgiving, anamnesis and epiclesis" (5.5) and affirms as an ecumenical consensus that thanksgiving, anamnesis and epiclesis are "constitutive features of the Supper": "Today the Reformation and the Roman Catholic dogmatic traditions agree that thanksgiving and praise for God's action in Jesus Christ are an important element of the celebration of the Lord's Supper / Eucharist" (5.5.2). And with regard to the invocation of the Holy Spirit, it is stated: "In the prayers of the Lord's Supper of the current evangelical norms the two epiclesis come together, according to the model of the Eastern Churches, after the anamnesis of the Lord's Supper" (5.5.4).

By reading the Votum I was also pleased with this statement. But my joy is clouded again when I look at the specific ecclesiastical reality, and I discover that very often the consensus called for by ÖAK is not to be found. I will not choose just any example here, but will refer to the material for the Sunday of the Ecumenical Church Day on February 7, 2021. In the "Draft based on the Gospel tradition" presented there, we find a poorly theologically developed anamnesis, no trace of an epiclesis and the Holy Spirit is remembered with silence. Nevertheless, it might have been expected that the consensus called for by ÖAK would be reflected in this official draft, published precisely in view of the Third Ecumenical Day of the Churches.

With these examples, which are by no means arbitrarily selected and which could easily be multiplied, I hope I can clarify what I meant when I alluded to the lack of substantiation of the Votum and of ÖAK's position on the ecclesiastical reality in my first reaction to the ÖAK Declaration. But I cannot hide my surprise that such discrepancies between the supposed ecumenical consensus and the factual reality in the Evangelical Churches are not noticed by ÖAK members or at least not minimally mentioned.

I am certainly grateful that an ecumenical working group is investing a lot of energy and commitment in overcoming the issues that have so far divided the church. However, this can only happen in a realistic and responsible way if this work is confronted with the concrete reality in the churches, if the theology and practice of the churches are called upon where necessary, and if a process of reception in the churches is fostered, as happened, for example, before the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 1999.

It is imperative that this happens if a Votum is accompanied by practical instructions and encouragement to the faithful, as is the case with the Votum of the ÖAK, if it is affirmed that "reciprocal participation in the celebration of the Lord's Supper/Eucharist with respect for the respective liturgical traditions" is "theologically founded", and if this Votum also implies the "recognition of the respective liturgical forms, as well as of the ministries of leadership," "as envisaged by the celebrating community which invites the baptized of other confessions in the name of Jesus Christ to join in the celebration" (8.1).

When an ecumenical working group affirms that a practice is "theologically grounded" in order to encourage believers to this practice, then it is necessary to identify and study the still open and unresolved issues, as shown by the reality of the church, in order to prepare a binding reception among the leaders of the churches and ecclesial communities. In my opinion, it is not possible to encourage a practice and indicate that afterwards one can perhaps continue to work on the open questions.

This would correspond to the procedure of intra-Protestant ecumenism, according to Leuenberg's model, in which a basic coincidence in the understanding of the Gospel is sufficient to establish a community of pulpit and supper between churches of different confessions. For the Catholic Church, on the other hand, Eucharistic communion presupposes communion in the Church, and communion in the Church presupposes communion in faith. Above all, from a Catholic point of view, communion in the Eucharist is only possible if a common Eucharistic faith can be professed.

For this reason I ask you to understand that the Votum The ÖAK's statement took on a different status when Bishop Bätzing, as president of the German Bishops' Conference, endorsed it and used it as the basis for a decision by the German bishops, also with a view to introducing the practice called for by the ÖAK of reciprocal participation in the Catholic Eucharist and the Evangelical Lord's Supper on the Third Ecumenical Day of the Churches. In doing so, the Votum of the Ecumenical Working Group has become an opinion for the use of the German Bishops' Conference, and has been elevated to the level of the magisterium of the bishops.

The time has thus come for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to pronounce itself. It has done so for the German Bishops' Conference; hence it is clear that you also expect a response from it, but not only to the questions that I have addressed in this letter from a specifically ecumenical perspective, because you are the Scientific Director of ÖAK on the Protestant side and have asked me for a response on the subject.

The intervention of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on the other hand, affects many other contents of Catholic doctrine of faith, especially with regard to the conception of the Church, the Eucharist and the ordained ministry, which the Congregation does not find satisfactorily contemplated in the Votum My open letter to you is certainly not the place to address these questions, especially since the Catholic representative of ÖAK's Scientific Directorate should be the first to make a statement.

I hope that you, dear Professor Leppin, will find in the preceding lines, at least in their basic outlines, a "substantive reaction" to the ÖAK Declaration, which I had hoped for on my part. I remain at your disposal, with cordial greetings from the "office of the Council for Unity", for which it is also an important intention to further advance ecumenical reconciliation, in the hope that at least there will be a consensus among us that, also in such difficult but important discussions, neither side should deny the other a serious ecumenical will.

Yours, 

Kurt Cardinal Koch

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Evangelization

Virtual meeting to relive the Congress of the Laity one year later

This virtual meeting aims to promote the post-congress and recognize the ongoing work in the dioceses despite the setbacks caused by the coronavirus. 

Maria José Atienza-February 12, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

One year after the celebration of the Congress of the Laity, "People of God Going Out", groups, movements and anyone interested will participate in a virtual meeting to relive the congress and review the subsequent work carried out in the different dioceses.

Organized by the Episcopal Commission for the Laity, Family and Life of the CEE, this meeting online will take place next Friday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. and will be hosted by Ana Medina.

Meeting "Revive Congress to revive the process."

This online call will count with the participation of Msgr. Luis ArgüelloThe following are members of the Congress: Isaac Martín, delegate of the Secular Apostolate of Toledo, member of the executive committee and of the contents of the Congress of the Laity and of the Advisory Council of the Laity; Pilar Rodríguez-Carretero, a young woman from Córdoba, National Youth leader of Cursillos de Cristiandad and member of the executive committee and of the logistics and organization of the Congress of the Laity; David Roces, a young man from Acción Católica General de Oviedo; and Isabel García, member of Vida Ascendente.

The meeting is intended to be a boost to the work of dioceses, movements and lay associations, which have been tireless in promoting and encouraging the post-congress among their realities despite the coronavirus situation.

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Integral ecology

Really, are palliatives a major cost to the system?

Specialized palliative care not only improves the well-being of patients with severe suffering, but also represents a significant saving for each hospital center and for the national health systems (NHS) of the countries.

Rafael Miner-February 12, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes
RelatedRelated News"Palliative care should be a right, not a privilege."Related NewsWhy Spain has a deficit in palliative care

Approximately half of the patients with a serious illness accompanied by intense suffering do not receive specialized palliative care treatment in Spain. Some studies put this figure at six out of ten, i.e., 60 percent.

Globally, the figure is higher, taking into account, for example, a lower implementation of services that provide this type of care, and the lower and even scarce consumption of opioids in some areas of the planet.

Some health economists and managers, together with health professionals, have been studying for some time the reluctance observed in some countries and settings to implement palliative care services. One of them, and not the least, is the potential costs.

The idea that palliative care is more expensive has been the subject of a global review.

Miguel Sánchez Cárdenas- Atlantes program researcher

The concern is the following. Let's put ourselves in the role of a health planner, who is told that apart from providing patient care, for example by the team of cardiologists, another team must be called in to take care of the patient. A priori it sounds like they are going to increase costs. "If I have to call in an additional team to the one treating the disease, that sounds expensive," he explains. Miguel Sánchez CárdenasBut this way of arguing has been the subject of a global review", says the researcher of the Atlantes program of the Culture and Society Institute of the University of Navarra.

Report of Jama Internal Medicine

One of the most widely analyzed reports is the one published by Jama Internal Medicine, a journal published by the American Medical Association in 2018. It was conducted by Mount Sinai Health System y Trinity College of Dublin, Ireland, and pooled data from six previous studies involving more than 130,000 adults admitted to U.S. hospitals between 2001 and 2015. Of these patients, 3.6 percent received a palliative care consultation in addition to their other hospital care.

According to the report, hospitals saved an average of $3,237 per patient (nearly €2,700 at current exchange rates), over the course of a hospital stay, when palliative care was added to their routine care compared to those who did not receive palliative care. Palliative care was associated with cost savings, per hospital stay, of $4,251 (€3,542) per cancer patient and $2,105 (€1,754) for those with non-cancer diagnoses. Savings were greater for patients with a higher number of diseases.

Hospitals saved an average of $3,237 per patient receiving hospice care

The causes of the savings were summarized by the author of the analysis, John Commins, as follows Palliative care saves your hospital money. Palliative care programs that better address pain and improve care coordination result in shorter hospital stays and lower costs, particularly for sicker patients, according to the report, whose lead author was Peter May, a research fellow in health economics at the Center for Health Policy and Management at the Trinity College of Dublin.

Catalan hospitals, too

Sánchez Cárdenas was consulted about the work of the Dr. Gómez Batistewho maintained more than a decade ago that specialized palliative care saves the system 60 percent of the costs that a terminally ill patient would incur without such care, pointed out that the time factor is important in calculating savings.

"Gómez Batiste found that there is a decrease in costs per patient treated with palliative care of an average of 3,000 euros, but other studies have made other estimates," the Atlantes researcher points out. "It also depends on when the patient comes to the palliative care program: whether it is an early stage, or more advanced in the disease. What is clear is that the earlier the patient arrives, the more savings there are for the system. Essentially, because it avoids treatments that are unnecessary at the end of life, and that instead of curing or alleviating a symptom, what they do is increase people's suffering."

The earlier palliative care begins for the patient, the more savings there are for the system.

The study by Dr. Xavier Gómez Batiste revealed that in Catalonia alone, palliative care saved 33.5 million euros each year in 2006, an amount higher than the total cost of the structural expenditure of all palliative care in the autonomous community, reported ABC. In his opinion, the conclusion can be extrapolated to the whole country. The reason for his conclusions is that "well-planned and well-done hospital or home palliative care prevents many problems and avoids patients resorting to emergency care or ending up in acute care units, because it is the easiest or the only way they have at hand when they need medical attention".

Sánchez Cárdenas considers that "it should also be noted that the studies that evaluate the cost of palliative care coincide in pointing out that the earlier palliative care is provided, the more successful it will be in terms of the efficacy of the treatments. In other words, it is possible to weigh up the treatments that are good for the patients, but also those that will generate addiction to the treatment, that do not improve the patient's quality of life and that do worsen the cost to the system".

On the other hand, executives from the healthcare sector, such as Zacarías Rodriguez, of the New Health Foundation, have stated that "investing in palliative care is saving the system, making it more sustainable and improving people's quality of life. Along these lines, the foundation argues that with the implementation of appropriate management methods, "palliative care would save the healthcare system between 20 and 35 percent in costs, improving the quality of life of patients and increasing the satisfaction of patients, family members and caregivers by up to 97 percent".

RelatedRelated News"Palliative care should be a right, not a privilege."Related NewsWhy Spain has a deficit in palliative care
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ColumnistsMaria Laura Conte

In search of divergent thinking

It would be interesting to investigate the historical moment when this process of loss of taste for confrontation with difference began. When did difference become so unbearable for us? Or when did we become so bitter?

February 12, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

He was fired because he was the first to report a certain news item during the U.S. presidential election. Only it was a political news that stung for his channel's audience and even more so for the editor. It happened in the United States, but the echo came to us in the lines of an editorial that Chris Stirewhalt, the journalist involved, wrote for the Los Angeles Times. A vibrant piece in which the author takes the baton of dismissal to reason about the tension between two opposing words, habituation and informationand information.

The American public, one reads, has been gorged (metaphorically) by a type of media product with a high caloric content (fake news) and a poor nutritional content (truth) and has become accustomed, misinformed. To the point that when news is transmitted to it, that is, when it is exposed to pure information, the organism collapses, it does not recognize the daily diet, it rejects it to the point of vomiting.

divergent conversation

The metaphor is exaggerated, but it sheds light on a corner that we voluntarily leave in the shadows: many of us are now only able to listen to what we already know or what we want to hear, or it confirms our judgment. We are prone to habituation, we are accommodated to the narrative of a simplified reality in which the irruption of a divergent thought is disturbing: it is presented as dissident, it is not even recognized for what it is, that is, something different from us with a curious potential. It is therefore rejected a priori.

We are accustomed to the narrative of a simplified reality in which the emergence of divergent thinking is disturbing.

It would be interesting to investigate the historical moment when this process of loss of taste for confrontation with difference began. When did difference become so unbearable for us? Or when did we become so bitter?

For our Latin authors, the "divergenza"was an everyday dimension that had to be dealt with, in war, politics and philosophy. Latin diverto – diversum indicates a turn towards two opposite, separate, distant sides. For Caesar, different can be, for example, a path that proceeds in the opposite direction to the desired one (iter a proposito diversum), so it can be treacherous, but attractive; while for Sallust it is the right word to describe the agitation between extreme emotions, between fear and debauchery (metu atque lubidine divorsus agitabatur).

Here is, between Caesar and Sallust, the painful and fascinating point: divergence moves, opens windows, shows different edges, therefore exposes to risks. Like that of changing one's mind, of accepting that one can take a step backwards or to one side. It reveals things about the reality that surrounds us, phenomena that we did not see, much less calculate. That is why we need it, especially when the world around us is increasingly complex and trying to simplify it only distracts us.

Conversation (from cum - verto, same composition as di-verto) asks us to dialogue with those who are not the same, who do not think the same way.

Fortunately (and this is not just a game of etymology) there is a way to withstand the test of divergence without falling off dark cliffs: it's called conversation.

The conversation (from cum - vertosame composition as di-verto) asks us to dialogue with those who are not the same, who do not think the same and do not see the same as we do, and yet participate in the same community.

Conversation is a time dedicated to trusting one's own difference and, at the same time, allowing oneself to be invested by the divergent opinions of others, in order to push oneself to previously unimagined realms of creativity. A frank conversation about how to readjust lifestyles, politics and economics in the wake of the pandemic is the most banal example that can be proposed. But everyone can see it in their everyday experience: at different levels, the conversation is an invitation to relinquish one's responsibilities to others.

Those who "get used" (to borrow the expression of the American journalist) to this type of conversation will hardly give it up. Because it is an activation of humanity: personal deposits of certainties and projects are risked for a higher stake. It counteracts addiction, that unpleasant form of obesity of the soul.

Yes, you have to give up something, but what you gain is more. It is a matter of deeds, not words.

The authorMaria Laura Conte

Degree in Classical Literature and PhD in Sociology of Communication. Communications Director of the AVSI Foundation, based in Milan, dedicated to development cooperation and humanitarian aid worldwide. She has received several awards for her journalistic activity.

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ColumnistsJavier Sánchez Cervera

Boring homilies? Preaching without killing of boredom

Have you fallen asleep while preaching at Mass? No, you are not the only one and, on more than one occasion, the reason lies in a really boring preaching.

February 12, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

When I was preparing to become a priest, I almost always fell asleep during homilies at Mass. Especially when one of my superiors - don't ask, I won't say who - was the one preaching. I always fell asleep. I never failed. There's a whole technique that you perfect so that you don't notice too much that you're asleep at Mass. Sometimes it will look like you're nodding along to what the priest is saying; sometimes it will look like you're deep in contemplation, or it might look like you're emotional and can't lift your head to keep the tears from showing. The truth is that I, inevitably, was sleeping.

One day, after confessing to that, I wanted to convince myself that the problem was not the preacher's problem but mine, and I decided to transcribe the homily in its entirety, from "pe" to "pa". That way, avoiding drowsiness, I would be able to understand the depth of the message that had made me surrender into the arms of Morpheus on other occasions. Said and done. That day I wrote down everything that good priest said. Then I read it. I read it again. I underlined it. Finally I came to the terrible conclusion that he had simply said nothing. It was 20 minutes of not saying anything and not stopping talking. I didn't think that was possible, but it was. Then I realized that it is more frequent than it seems and that it is not an exclusive specialty of priests; politicians, professors, even lecturers walk through those nihilistic places communicatively speaking and provoke, whether they want to or not, whether they know it or not, the same dream that I suffered in those very long homilies in my student days.

It is more frequent than it seems and it is not an exclusive specialty of priests; politicians, professors, even lecturers walk through these places and provoke the same dream.

Boredom in homilies is nothing new. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that in Troas, a city on the Aegean coast, St. Paul was preaching to the Christians. On the third floor, sitting on the window sill, a young boy, Eutychius, was listening to him. He too was overcome by drowsiness and fell asleep. At that moment he fell to the ground and killed himself. He literally died of boredom. The story ends well, because St. Paul resuscitates the boy and returns him to his mother, who was already threatening him with the bag, but it remains as a warning to navigators in the tortuous waters of preaching. In this case, St. Paul had a lot to say; perhaps his failure was that he wanted to say too much. It was not the "what" but the "how" that failed him.

Bored and boring people are everywhere in all the strata of the Church. Not even the bishops are spared from being enveloped by drowsiness before the preaching of one of their brothers in the episcopate. In those ceremonies, the episcopal doze becomes more evident to the eyes of all by the bowing of the mitre on his head, which does not admit any strategy to disguise it.

I would like to help you so that this does not happen to you, and I would like to write down some ideas to see if I apply myself, too, the story.

During my last years of seminary I was lucky enough to be assigned to a parish in the center of Madrid, the parish of Concepción de Nuestra Señora. There the seminarians did everything. On Sundays I did three things and I enjoyed all three very much. First I played the organ at 11:00 Mass. Then I helped at 12:30 Mass. But what I liked the most was what came next: at the 2:00 p.m. Mass an exceptional priest celebrated Mass, Pablo Dominguez.

There was preparation, intelligence, passion, closeness and a desire to communicate.

The large church was filled with young people to pray and also to listen to him. I always stayed in the back room to listen to his homilies. I never fell asleep. Like the whole church, I was absorbed, captivated, gripped by Paul's words. His message touched my head, touched my heart and moved my will. He extracted novelty from the usual and made you see with amazement things in the Gospel that you already knew and that you had overlooked a thousand times. I think that's when I began to be passionate about preaching.

An instinct? A natural gift? Maybe, but I am convinced that there was also preparation, intelligence, passion, closeness, desire to communicate and many other things that I want to tell you about in these lines.

So for you, who have to preach every week or every day, for you, brother priest or deacon, for you who are preparing for the priesthood in the seminary, even for you, Mr. Bishop, successor of the apostles and "herald of the Word" - as St. John Paul II said (cfr. Gregis Shepherds3) - these are some of the ideas that I try to repeat to myself when I prepare and preach, so that every Sunday I can communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and captivate the people, and not bore the suffering parishioners to sleep and bore them to death.

The authorJavier Sánchez Cervera

Priest. Pastor of San Sebastián Mártir de San Sebastián de los Reyes (Madrid).

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Spain

"If we look at others differently we will start to truly care."

Interview with José Luis Méndez, director of the Health Pastoral Department of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick.

Maria José Atienza-February 11, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes marks the World Day of the Sick, which the Spanish Church celebrates this year under the theme "Let us take care of each other".

For this reason, Omnes has interviewed José Luis Méndez, director of the Department of Pastoral Health Care at the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

 Q- How can we take advantage of the Day of the Sick to increase awareness of the need for mutual help and true fraternity?

 R- We should take advantage of this to help each other. On the one hand, those who are healthy, praying for the sick and those who care for them and, at the same time, the sick can offer every moment of loneliness or suffering. All this is a mystery with which Christ makes us sharers in his redemption and, therefore, it is something of inestimable value for the whole of humanity.

Q- How can we live this Day in the midst of a time marked by the coronavirus and with daily news of deaths, contagions... that can provoke anxiety among Christians?

 R- First of all, we must not settle into a culture of complaint. It is true that times are hard, the numbers of deaths and hospital admissions are heartbreaking, but we can take two stances: we can remain with the data and be frightened, or we can listen to the data, commend those admitted and propose to repeat a short prayer throughout the day for those who are admitted or who have died. We must think more about Heaven, give reason for our hope, because evil has an end, because God has put a limit to it in Jesus Christ.

In the face of the pandemic situation, we cannot install a "culture of complaint".

P- How can we continue to encourage the importance of care and dignity for the sick and elderly?

R - The first thing is to ask Our Lady to change our hearts so that she can help us to look at others with tenderness. I like very much that expression of the pontificate of Pope Francis "the revolution of tenderness". Without this tenderness, care will be merely technical. If we are able to look at others in a different way, we will feel involved in their pains, limitations, sufferings... and then we will begin to truly care. Technical" care is essential, but there is a deeper care: that of a caress, a look, a knowing how to listen.

If we look with the eyes of Christ we discover that one minute of a dying patient's life is an occasion to love and is worth an eternity.

Q- How can we continue to advance in the dissemination of the culture of life?

R- First of all, pray and also encourage people to look differently. As this prayer says "May I see with your eyes my Christ, Jesus of my soul.". Then we will understand what it means to truly care. We discover that one minute of a dying patient's life, that one minute, is an occasion to love and is worth an eternity.

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  • A congress addresses the 50th anniversary of the doctorate of Saint Teresa of Jesus
Culture

A congress addresses the 50th anniversary of the doctorate of Saint Teresa of Jesus

The International Congress "Exceptional Woman. Fifty years of the doctorate of St. Teresa of Jesus" aims to be a framework for meeting, dialogue and scientific debate.

Maria José Atienza-February 11, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The capital of Avila will host from 12 to 15 April, the International Congress "Exceptional Woman. Fifty years of the Doctorate of St. Teresa of Jesus. A conference promoted by the Bishopric of Avilathe Discalced Carmelites and the Catholic University of Avila to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Doctorate of St. Teresa of Jesus.

The congress also counts on the collaboration of the Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and, it will be developed in a bimodal way -online and face-to-face-.

The International Congress "Exceptional Woman. Fifty years of the doctorate of St. Teresa of Jesus" aims to be a framework for meeting, dialogue and scientific debate. The congress has a series of themes - axis around which the different papers will pivot.

Congress themes

    Spiritual Theology. Mysticism in the academic context in the 20th and 21st centuries.

    Women and Church.

    Relationships, parallels and contrasts between St. Teresa of Jesus and other holy doctors of the Church.

    New evangelization

Among the speakers at this congress will be the Card. Aquilino Bocos who will speak on "The Teresian reform and our reform. The unforgettable lesson of the first Doctor of the Church". Prof. Dr. Marianne Schlosser with a paper on "The ecclesial meaning of the declaration of a woman teacher of prayer as a doctor of the Church. The feminine face of the Church" or the Dr. Silvano Giordano ocd who will develop the path of St. Teresa of Jesus to the doctorate.

Saint Teresa of Jesus. Doctor of the Church

Paul VI proclaimed St. Teresa of Jesus a Doctor of the Church, the first woman to receive this title. In his homily at the ceremony on September 27, 1970, Paul VI referred to her as "this saint, so singular and so great, arouses in our spirit a wealth of thoughts. We see her before us as an exceptional woman, as a religious who, wrapped in humility, penance and simplicity, radiates around her the flame of her human vitality and her dynamic spirituality; we see her, moreover, as a reformer and founder of a historic and distinguished religious Order, as a brilliant and fruitful writer, as a teacher of spiritual life, as an incomparable contemplative and tireless active soul".

All the information about the congress at https://congresosantateresadoctora.es/

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"Manos Unidas projects show that another world is possible."

The Catholic NGOD Manos Unidas presented today its campaign "Contagia solidaridad para acabar con el hambre" (Spread solidarity to end hunger) with the testimonies of Raquel Reynoso, from Peru, and Alicia Vacas, from Israel.

Maria José Atienza-February 10, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

The presentation of the Manos Unidas for this year 2021 has had as protagonists some of the groups most affected by hunger and poverty in the world: indigenous communities in Ayacucho and African women seeking asylum in Israel.

During his speech, Alicia VacasThe head of the Comboni Missionary Sisters for the Middle East and Asia, began by explaining that, although Israel is not a poor country, "there are pockets of poverty and above all a chronic situation of discrimination against some groups, such as African migrants or Palestinian Bedouins from the occupied territories or Iraqi and Syrian refugees".

The Kuchinate project

Alicia Vacas focused her speech on African women from groups of South Sudanese and Eritrean migrants. Women who have suffered abuse and violence and without recognition as refugees by the Government. Before arriving in Israel, they have suffered, as this missionary has related "all kinds of hardships and violence: a crossing through the desert to reach Israel, kidnapping and violence exercised by mafias, torture and extortion...".

Change of mentality

Experiences that were not easy to share to help them, until a Comboni missionary of Eritrean origin explained that in her country, women's sorrows were shared by knitting. Thus was born Kuchinate (Crochet in Tigrinya), which is being developed thanks to the support of Manos Unidas. Thanks to a providential donation of T-shirt fabric, the women began to meet to weave crochet baskets and thus also began to weave personal relationships and the opening of wounds.

Kuchinate currently serves "more than 300 women in situations of extreme vulnerability who make up this project. They receive, above all, psychosocial and professional support, facilitating their integration into Israeli society and their recognition as refugees".

The head of the Comboni Missionary Sisters for the Middle East and Asia stressed that Kuchinate is "an example that "another world is possible, that there are alternatives to fear, to exclusion... and that the alternative is through solidarity and the care of the common good, which is the focus of the campaign of Manos Unidas this year and is what Pope Francis reminds us in the Fratelli tutti", and concluded her speech with a call to "make this crisis an opportunity to put ourselves in the shoes of those who suffer most".

Peru: water and promotion of women

From Peru, the president of the association SER (Servicios Educativos Rurales), Raquel ReynosoThe pandemic has shown the vulnerability of society as a whole.

Reynoso described the situation of the people of Ayacucho (Peru), an area where she works in projects with the support of Manos Unidas. In addition to the Covid pandemic, these people have suffered, since before, "lack of drinking water, they are communities that live from day to day and that, if they did not go out to sell, they died of hunger or died of Covid. In addition, many of them do not have electricity and could not preserve food for a confinement".

She also described the situation of the women with whom she works and who have suffered the consequences of the armed conflicts that have been raging in the area for decades, as well as discrimination because of their feminine condition. It is these women, however, who are responsible for working the land.

Reynoso focused on two lines of work, with the support of Manos Unidas, with encouraging results: the implementation of sanitation and access to water projects and the promotion of projects for the advancement of women so that they, as well as their family and social environment, understand their collective rights, are recognized and valued and also have access to managerial positions like men.

Reynoso highlighted the solidarity that the rural communities of this Peruvian area have shown in these times of pandemic, which has hit the area very hard. A solidarity among the neighbors themselves, but which has also led them, for example, to send food to urban areas and to create family and community gardens to help each other. A solidarity of which "we can become infected and see how we can share the little we have".

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Books

Transformed wounds

José Miguel Granados recommends reading Loved as I amby Miriam James Heidland.

José Miguel Granados-February 10, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Book file

TitleLoved as I am. An invitation to Conversion, Freedom and Healing through Jesus.
AuthorMiriam James Heidland, S.O.L.T.
EditorialAve Maria Press
Year: 2014
Pages: 106

"Every pain which is not transformed is transmitted - Every wound which is not transformed is transmitted". This is one of Sister Miriam James Heidland's strongest statements in her impressive testimonial and thematic talks (which can be seen on social media) or in her recent publication: Loved as I Am. An invitation to Conversion, Freedom and Healing through Jesus (Loved as I am. An invitation to Conversion, Freedom and Healing through Jesus).

The author, sister Miriam James Heidland

In fact, experience teaches us that a soul sickened by sin oozes poison and bitterness. At the same time, we can see that every wound of the heart healed by grace makes a person wiser, more grateful and humble: it enables him to pour out the tenderness and goodness of the Lord all around him, especially to his suffering brothers and sisters. 

This is what happened to this dynamic Texan religious, a descendant of German immigrants, who in her university youth was a volleyball player and also went through a painful period, far from God, trapped by addictions. The Lord came to her with compassion in the merciful gaze of an elderly priest, who helped her to get up and courageously embark on the beautiful path of total love for Christ.

We can see that every wound of the heart healed by grace makes the person wiser, more grateful and humble.

The audiences were moved by the authenticity and strength of this consecrated woman who simply showed her miseries purified by divine mercy, becoming a convincing witness of the joy of the Gospel. Her new heart radiates the beauty of the following of Christ.

Also our life, transformed and healed by the Spirit of the Lord, full and luminous, will lead many to accept the power of Jesus, physician of souls, dear friend and savior of the world.

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The Vatican

"He who prays is like a lover, he carries in his heart the beloved person".

Pope Francis has reflected, in the hearing this wednesday, february 10The theme of the conference is prayer in daily life, which permeates all aspects of our lives.

David Fernández Alonso-February 10, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsPope's Audience: "Mass is not simply listened to; it is celebrated and lived".Related NewsGeneral Audience: Praise God always, in good times and in bad.Related NewsPope to diplomats: "Education is the antidote to individualistic culture".

Pope Francis addressed the faithful around the world from the Library of the Apostolic Palace on Wednesday morning, February 10.

Prayer in ordinary life

In the previous catechesis, the Holy Father reflected on how Christian prayer is "anchored" in the liturgy. On this occasion, Francis emphasized how from the liturgy prayer returns to daily life: "on the streets, in the offices, in the means of transport... And there the dialogue with God continues: those who pray are like those in love, who always carry the loved one in their hearts, wherever they may be".

The Pope affirms that "in fact, everything is taken up in this dialogue with God: every joy becomes a reason for praise, every trial is an occasion for a request for help".

Therefore, "prayer is always alive, like an ember of fire, even when the mouth does not speak. Every thought, even if it is apparently "profane", can be impregnated with prayer".

The Mystery Of God

In the same vein, he also addressed the prayerful aspect of intelligence, pointing out that "it is a window onto the mystery: it illuminates the few steps that lie before us and then opens up to the whole of reality, which precedes and surpasses it". For the Pope, "this mystery does not have an unsettling or distressing face: the knowledge of Christ makes us confident that where our eyes and the eyes of our mind cannot see, there is not nothingness, but infinite grace.

Christian prayer instills in the human heart an invincible hope: "whatever experience touches our path, God's love can turn it into good".

Each day that begins, if it is welcomed in prayer, is accompanied by courage.

Pope Francis

The Pope then reflected on the importance of facing the present with joy: "There is no other wonderful day than the day we are living today. And it is prayer that transforms it into grace, or rather, that transforms us: it pacifies anger, sustains love, multiplies joy, instills the strength to forgive. At some point it will seem to us that it is no longer we who live, but that grace lives and works in us through prayer. Each day that begins, if it is welcomed in prayer, is accompanied by courage, so that the problems to be faced are not obstacles to our happiness, but calls from God, occasions for our encounter with Him".

Pray for all

Pope Francis also encourages us to pray always for everything and everyone, both for our loved ones and for our enemies: "Prayer disposes us to a superabundant love. Let us pray above all for unhappy people, for those who weep in loneliness and despair that there is still a love that beats for them.

In short, that "prayer works miracles; and the poor then sense, by the grace of God, that even in their precarious situation, the prayer of a Christian has made present the compassion of Jesus: He in fact looked with great tenderness on the tired and lost crowd like sheep without a shepherd (cfr. Mc 6,34).

We are fragile beings, but we know how to pray: this is our greatest dignity. And when a prayer is according to the heart of Jesus, it obtains miracles.

Pope Francis

Prayer from our fragility

The Holy Father wanted to remind us that by loving the world in this way, we encounter the mystery of God: "It is necessary to love each and every person, remembering in prayer that we are all sinners and at the same time loved by God one by one. By loving this world in this way, loving it with tenderness, we will discover that every day and every thing has hidden in it a fragment of the mystery of God".

Finally, the Pope concluded his catechesis by alluding to the philosopher Pascal: "Man is like a breath, like grass (cfr. Salt 144,4; 103,15). The philosopher Pascal wrote: "It is not necessary that the whole universe be put together to crush it: a vapor, a drop of water is enough to kill it".

"We are fragile beings, but we know how to pray: this is our greatest dignity. And when a prayer is according to the heart of Jesus, it obtains miracles".

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RelatedRelated NewsPope's Audience: "Mass is not simply listened to; it is celebrated and lived".Related NewsGeneral Audience: Praise God always, in good times and in bad.Related NewsPope to diplomats: "Education is the antidote to individualistic culture".
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Education

Law professionals denounce LOMLOE before the European Parliament

The National Legal Commission for the Freedom of Education has filed a Petition requesting the protection of the EU institutions against the attacks on the freedom of education resulting from the recently approved Organic Law for the Improvement of the LOE (Ley Orgánica de Mejora de la LOE).

Maria José Atienza-February 9, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes
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In its letter to the European Parliament, registered by the European Parliament on January 28th, the National Legal Commission for the Freedom of Education The company denounced, among others, the violation of Articles 14 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and 27 of the Spanish Constitution, which protect the freedom of education and teaching.

The Commission has highlighted six basic aspects of this new regulation that violate EU or national legislation:

  • Infringement of educational and religious freedomThe lack of a link to the subject of Religion among the subjects to be taught, which may lead to its direct suppression, or to its undervaluation, as it loses the requirement of comparability and evaluation of the subject.
  • The inclusion of ideological subjects that could violate the beliefs of parents and students, distancing themselves from common values and outside of those that are found in the Spanish Constitution and community texts.
  • The open discrimination against charter schoolsby changing the concept of the right to education to the 'right to public education'. Furthermore, it turns the subsidized education system into a subsidiary educational system and, by eliminating the concept of social demand, aims at its gradual asphyxiation, infringing on the freedom to create educational centers and educational freedom.
  • – Supernatural pursuit of the differentiated education model, violating the ideology of the centers and the freedom to choose the pedagogical or educational model that parents consider most appropriate for the development of their children's personalities in freedom.
  • The progressive disappearance of special education against the criteria of a large majority of parents.
  • The lack of protection of Spanish or Spanish in the classroomThe use of the official language of the State is left to the whim of arbitrary administrative or political decisions, ignoring the duty of all Spaniards to know it and their right to use it.

The aim of the letter presented by this Legal Committee is to achieve a political response from the European Parliament in order to open avenues of intervention so that the Community institutions can legally protect the essential rights of so many families that have been violated.

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The Vatican

The valuable testimony of the elderly

This morning, the Pontifical Academy for Life made public the document "Old Age: Our Future. The state of the elderly after the pandemic", in which it reflects on the situation of our elderly and the valuable contribution they make to society. 

David Fernández Alonso-February 9, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes
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On Tuesday morning, February 9, at 11:30 a.m., live streaming from the "John Paul II" room of the Holy See Press Office, the Pontifical Academy for Life presented the document: "Old Age: Our Future. The state of the elderly after the pandemic".

Vincenzo Paglia, the Secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, Msgr. Bruno-Marie Duffè, and Professor Etsuo Akiba, professor at the University of Toyama (Japan), a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, connected from the Japanese city.

The title of the document proposes a reflection on the lessons to be learned from the health emergency caused by the spread of Covid-19, on its consequences for today and for the future of our societies.

A way of the Church

In this sense, this situation that we are experiencing on a global scale leads us to learn lessons that have given rise to a dual awareness: "on the one hand, the interdependence between all and on the other the presence of strong inequalities. We are all at the mercy of the same storm, but in a certain sense, it can be said, we are rowing in different boats, the most fragile are sinking every day".. 

"It is essential to rethink the development model of the entire planet," says the document, which takes up the reflection already begun with the Note of March 30, 2020 (Pandemic and Universal Fraternity), continued with the Note dated July 22, 2020 (The Humana Communitas in the Age of Pandemic. Timeless considerations on the rebirth of life.) and with the joint paper with the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development (Vaccine for all. 20 points for a fairer and healthier world) December 28, 2020.

The intention, as can be seen, is to propose the path of the Church, teacher of humanity, with respect to a world that has been changed by the pandemic situation, addressed to women and men in search of meaning and hope for their lives.

The pandemic hit

The elderly were a particularly hard-hit sector during the early stages of the pandemic, specifically in nursing homes, places that were supposed to protect the most fragile in society and where, instead, death struck disproportionately more than in the home and family environment.

"What has happened during the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us from resolving the issue of care for the elderly by looking for scapegoats, individual culprits and, on the other hand, raising a chorus in defense of the excellent results of those who prevented the contagion in nursing homes. We need a new vision, a new paradigm that allows society to take care of the elderly".

In 2050, one in five will be elderly

The document highlights a striking situation, that "under the statistical-sociological profile, men and women have today, in general, a longer life expectancy". "This great demographic transformation represents, indeed, a great cultural, anthropological and economic challenge." According to data from the World Health Organization, - reads the document - in 2050 in the world there will be two billion people over sixty years of age, that is, one in five will be elderly. Therefore, "it is essential to make our cities inclusive and welcoming places for the lives of the elderly and, in general, for frailty in all its expressions".

The gift of being an elder

In our society, the idea of old age as an unhappy age, understood only as the age of care, need and expenses for medical treatment, often prevails. However, nothing could be further from the truth: "Becoming old is a gift from God and an enormous resource, an achievement to be safeguarded with care," says the document, "even when the disease becomes disabling and the need for integrated and high quality care arises." "And it is undeniable that the pandemic has reinforced in all of us the awareness that the 'wealth of years' is a treasure to be cherished and protected."

A new model for the most fragile

With regard to care, the Pontifical Academy for Life indicates a new model, especially for the most fragile, inspired above all by the person: the application of this principle implies an intervention organized at different levels, which realizes a continuous assistance between the home itself and some external services, without traumatic censures, not suitable to the fragility of aging, that "nursing homes should be requalified in a continuum The aim is to offer some of its services directly in the homes of the elderly: hospitalization at home, care for the individual person with care responses modulated according to personal needs at low or high intensity, where integrated socio-health care and domiciliation remain at the heart of a new and modern paradigm". It is hoped to reinvent a wider network of solidarity "not exclusively and necessarily based on blood ties, but articulated according to belonging, friendship, common feeling, reciprocal generosity to respond to the needs of others".

The young and the elderly

The document evokes an "encounter" between the young and the elderly that can bring to the social fabric "that new lymph of humanism that would make society more united." On several occasions Pope Francis has urged young people to help their grandparents. The document recalls that "the aging man is not approaching the end, but the mystery of eternity" and, to understand it, "he needs to draw close to God and live in relationship with Him." Hence it is a "task of charity in the Church" to "care for the spirituality of the elderly, their need for intimacy with Christ and for sharing their faith." The document makes it clear that "It is only thanks to the elderly that the young can rediscover their roots, and only thanks to the young that the elderly regain the ability to dream."

The valuable testimony of fragility

The frailty of the elderly can also be a valuable witness: "It can be read as a 'magisterium', a teaching of life", the document points out, and clarifies that "old age must also be understood in this spiritual horizon: it is the age particularly conducive to abandonment to God": "as the body weakens, psychic vitality, memory and mind diminish, the dependence of the human person on God becomes ever more evident".

The cultural turning point

Finally, he calls for "the whole of civil society, the Church and the various religious traditions, the world of culture, schools, volunteer work, the performing arts, the economy and social communications to feel a responsibility to suggest and support - within the framework of this Copernican revolution - new and incisive measures to accompany and care for the elderly in family contexts, in their own homes and, in any case, in domestic settings that are more like homes than hospitals. This is a cultural change that must be implemented."

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RelatedRelated NewsPope institutes the first World Day of the ElderlyRelated NewsElderly: Listening, patience and timeRelated NewsCaring for elderly priests
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ColumnistsHosffman Ospino

U.S. Catholicism with a Hispanic Flavor

U.S. Catholic leadership and communities in the coming years have a Hispanic face and accent. 

February 9, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

Not so long ago, and I am only referring to a few decades ago, to speak of American Catholic realities meant speaking of communities and church leaders primarily of Irish, German, Italian and other European nationalities.

Demographic and cultural shifts in the American Catholic world in recent decades have changed that. When talking about the United States Conference of Catholic BishopsThe first name that comes to mind is that of its current president, Archbishop José Gómez. Archbishop Gomez, of Mexican origin, is also the pastoral leader of the country's largest Catholic archdiocese, Los Angeles, which is home to more than 4.3 million Catholics, 74 percent of them Hispanic.

In the country's largest cities, including Chicago, Houston, Miami and New York, more than half of the Catholic population residing there is Hispanic. Some 4,500 of the country's approximately 16,900 Catholic parishes offer services and pastoral accompaniment in Spanish.

These signs and realities serve as evidence of the tectonic movement at the cultural and ecclesial levels that is occurring in the U.S. Catholic world. Perhaps the best indicator of what Catholicism in the United States will look like in the remainder of the 21st century is the youth. Approximately 60 percent of young Catholics under the age of 18 are Hispanic. There is no guessing what the face of American Catholic leadership and communities will look like in the years to come.

The history of Catholic communities

To speak of a tectonic movement also requires speaking of geography. The vast majority of Catholic immigrants who arrived from Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries settled in the Northeast and Midwest. There they established a massive network of parishes, schools, universities and social service centers that made Catholics one of the most influential groups in the American context.

Since 2015, thanks to the Hispanic presence flowing steadily from Latin America and the Caribbean, the majority of U.S. Catholics now live in the South and West of the country. It is there that the present and future of U.S. Catholicism is being forged. One of the great challenges is the lack of basic structures to support the growth of the Hispanic Catholic population, especially parishes and Catholic schools. However, it is a more agile, less structured and more diverse Catholicism.

Tennessee Procession
Hispanic community procession in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Part of my research work as a theologian is to study the structural, cultural and theological evolution of this new way of being Catholic in a country with deep Anglo-Saxon and Protestant roots. To be part of the American Catholic experience in the 21st century is to participate in the birth of a community that has been centuries in the making. And like any birth, the emergence of this community does not come without its due pains.

I like to cook. I like to experiment with ingredients and seasonings. I like to change recipes from time to time. I also like to eat in restaurants and sometimes I order the same dish in different places so I can appreciate the different ways it is prepared. It never ceases to amaze me that although the ingredients are practically the same, the flavors are different depending on who is cooking them and how they are cooked. Of course, the quality of the ingredients and seasonings also affects the taste.

Well, today we are witnessing a series of profound demographic, socio-cultural and ecclesial changes that make American Catholicism an experience with a particular flavor. It is an American Catholicism with a Hispanic flavor about which there is much to say and about which we will surely hear a great deal in this century.

The authorHosffman Ospino

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  • Fran Delgado: "Vocation is like lifting the hood of a car".
Vocations

Fran Delgado: "Vocation is like lifting the hood of a car".

Francisco Delgado is a young Jesuit in his first year of philosophy. A millennial vocation to which, like any young man with these concerns, it was not easy for him to take the step of saying yes to God's call. 

Maria José Atienza-February 9, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

Founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, is one of the best known and most widespread religious families in the world.

In these more than five centuries of history, great saints have emerged from among its members: St. Peter Canisius, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Aloysius Gonzaga or, more recently, St. Albert Hurtado or St. Joseph Mary Rubio.

A long history of holiness that is a mirror for new generations of Jesuits to look up to. One of them is Francisco DelgadoFran, who reports for Omnes in this month's print issue, the discovery of his vocation and his beginnings in the Society, in which he has already made his first vows.

"I'm going to be a Jesuit."

Although he had attended a Jesuit school, Fran did not have close contact with any Jesuit until university. His discovery of the Society's charism was gradual and his entry into the Society came as a surprise to everyone: "I was actively involved in Church initiatives and had my faith group, but religious life and in the Society of Jesus seemed like dissonant pieces."he explains.

They didn't shut up what they thought, and I thank them for it.

When he communicated his decision to parents and friends "No one understood it very well. I guess the unknown is always scary. I was the first. And they wouldn't shut up about what they thought... And I appreciated that. Later, on a visit to the novitiate, my parents got serious and told me that they would support me whether I decided to go forward or to plant myself and follow another path. I think that marked a turning point with them, for which I am deeply grateful," he relates, "As for friends, I was very surprised by the reaction of several of them non-Christians. Without sharing the option and being very critical of the Church, they strangely saw something good in my decision and encouraged me".

Doubts are not absurd

A promising young man, with a future ahead of him, who leaves everything... leaves everything? In the eyes of the world, including many Catholics, yes. And the doubts they raised, as Francis points out, made sense. For some of them "I was clear about the answer because I had already faced that doubt myself, other times I kept silent without an answer and other times I got on my nerves because they touched my heartstrings".  

The questions touched on deep parts of the heart and it is a gift for me to have been able to bring them to prayer.

Contrary to what it may seem, "The doubts of those close to me helped me a lot. Most of them were not absurd: "You've been in contact with the Society for so long and it has never caught your attention, it's not too demanding for you, you're not running away from something, you can't live the same vocation from a family, it's not enough with what you have?

These questions led him to prayer and discernment: "They were questions that pointed to deep parts of the heart and for me it is a gift to have been able to rest them, to take them to prayer, to share them with others, to talk about them with companions, to have been able to answer honestly what part of them could be true, what deceptions they hid, what paths to maturity they opened... and to have been able to discover this call that is deeper than all of them".

Training: knowing "the place of each piece".

Francisco is currently in Rome with 20 other companions from Southern Europe studying the first two years of philosophy after two years of novitiate.

For this young man, vocation is like "lifting the hood of the car. These first years have a lot to do with opening the engine and seeing how the machine works inside: where the driving force comes from, why each part is there, how everything fits together, what gets in the way, what can make everything flow better... the eye is on the outside, on the road, but it's time to open up inside first."

His discovery is not made alone, but within a charism and with the help of those who already know the way: "...".The best thing is to find yourself surrounded by people who have been watching engines for half their lives and who are willing to help, even if only a little, to get them ready to roll." A metaphor that, he notes, "an atheist can understand; only, for me, it is inevitable to recognize God as a driving force and as a goal."

Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Together with his brothers in the Society of Jesus, Francis brings to life the Jesuit charism inspired to St. Ignatius of Loyola, keeping in mind the figure of its founder and so many others who have preceded him on this path of holiness.

"It is a great help to be able to see how Ignatius of Loyola dealt with things and how God was leading him."

Notes that "The figure of Ignatius did not attract me much at first. It has been awakening my interest and admiration as I gradually got to know his story from the inside and as I immersed myself in the Spiritual Exercises".

He concludes:"It is a great help to be able to see how he faced all that and how God was leading him. In the end, these things are very similar to what we experience today in our daily lives"..

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The World

Pope's trip to Iraq now has official program

The program for the Holy Father's March 5-8 apostolic journey to Iraq has been made public, with visits to Najaf, Ur, Erbil, Mosul and Qaraqosh. Francis will deliver four speeches, two homilies and a prayer of suffrage for the victims of the war.

David Fernández Alonso-February 8, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
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The Pope's trip to Iraq is a manifestation of, as he said this morning in the audience with the Diplomatic Corps, "an important aspect of the solicitude of the Successor of Peter for the People of God spread throughout the world", as well as "a favorable opportunity to deepen, in a spirit of exchange and dialogue, the relationship between the different religions".

The Pope's visit to the country will include meetings with political authorities and civil society, as well as with bishops, priests, religious and seminarians. On Saturday 6, there will be a intercollegiate meeting on the Ur PlainHe will conclude the day with a Eucharistic celebration at the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph in Baghdad.

On Sunday, March 7, the Pontiff has several appointments. The Pope will travel to Iraqi Kurdistan and the Nineveh Plains. He will visit Erbil and Mosul, a city for years in the hands of the self-styled Islamic State, where there will be a prayer of suffrage for the victims of the war in Hosh al-Bieaa, the church square.

That same morning he will visit Qaraqosh, in the Nineveh Plains, a few kilometers from Mosul, occupied by the Islamic State until 2016. Francis will visit the church of the "Immaculate Conception" to visit the community of Qaraqosh, to whom he will address a speech, and then pray the Marian prayer of the Angelus.

In the afternoon, the Pope will return to Erbil to celebrate Holy Mass at the "Franso Hariri" Stadium. At the end of the celebration, Francis will return to Baghdad, from where he will leave for Rome on Monday morning at the end of the farewell ceremony.

Official program

Friday, March 5, 2021

ROME - BAGHDAD

Tomorrow

Departure by air from Rome/Fiumicino international airport to Baghdad

Afternoon

Arrival at Baghdad International Airport

Official reception at Baghdad International Airport

Meeting with the Prime Minister in the VIP lounge at Baghdad international airport

Official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Baghdad

Courtesy visit to the President of the Republic in the private study of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad

Meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps in the hall of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad.

Address of the Holy Father

Meeting with bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and catechists  in the Syro-Catholic cathedral of "Our Lady of Salvation" in Baghdad.

Address of the Holy Father

Saturday, March 6, 2021

BAGHDAD - NAJAF - UR - BAGHDAD

Tomorrow

Departure by plane to Najaf

Arrival at Najaf airport

Courtesy visit to Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Husaymi Al-Sistani in Najaf

Departure by plane to Nassiriya

Arrival at Nassiriya airport

Interreligious meeting in the Ur Plain

Address of the Holy Father

Departure by plane to Baghdad

Arrival at Baghdad International Airport

Afternoon

Holy Mass in the Chaldean cathedral of "St. Joseph" in Baghdad

Homily of the Holy Father

Sunday, March 7, 2021

BAGHDAD - ERBIL - MOSUL - QARAQOSH - ERBIL - BAGHDAD

Tomorrow

Departure by plane to Erbil

Arrival at Erbil airport

Welcome of the religious and civil authorities of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan at the Presidential VIP Lounge of Erbil Airport.

Departure by helicopter to Mosul

Arrival at Mosul landing field

Prayer of suffrage for war victims in Hosh al-Bieaa (Church Square) in Mosul

Prayer of the Holy Father

Departure by helicopter to Qaraqosh

Arrival at Qaraqosh landing field

Visit to the Qaraqosh community in the Church of the "Immaculate Conception" in Qaraqosh

Address of the Holy Father/ Angelus

Transfer to Erbil

Afternoon

Holy Mass at the "Franso Hariri" Stadium in Erbil

Homily of the Holy Father

Departure by plane to Baghdad

Arrival at Baghdad International Airport

Monday, March 8, 2021

BAGHDAD - ROME

Tomorrow

Farewell Ceremony at Baghdad International Airport

Departure by plane to Rome

Arrival at the Rome/Ciampino international airport

The motto of the visit

"We are all brothers" is the motto of Pope Francis' visit to Iraq, whose logo shows the Pope with a gesture of greeting to the country, represented on the map and by its symbols, the palm tree and the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The logo also shows a white dove with an olive branch in its beak, symbol of peace, which flies the flags of the Holy See and the Republic of Iraq. Above the image is the motto of the visit in Arabic, Kurdish and Chaldean.

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RelatedRelated NewsThe land of Abraham, the Iraq the Pope wants to visitRelated NewsPope on the Day of Human Fraternity: "Either we are brothers, or everything falls apart".Related NewsPope to diplomats: "Education is the antidote to individualistic culture".
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Spain

Religious freedom and pandemic: What can the State do and what can't it do?

Can a State limit the capacity of temples or prohibit the celebration of a Mass? These and other questions are answered by the professor of State Law and regular contributor of OmnesRafael Palomino. 

Maria José Atienza-February 8, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute
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The Vatican

Pope to diplomats: "Education is the antidote to individualistic culture".

The Holy Father Francis received in audience the Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See for the presentation and greetings on the occasion of the New Year.

David Fernández Alonso-February 8, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

The hearing began with the introductory remarks of the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, the H.E. Mr. Georgios F. PoulidesAmbassador of Cyprus to the Holy See, who highlighted the Pope's presence during this difficult time marked by the health emergency. "Despite the difficulties, your action, Holiness, has continued unceasingly, bringing to those in need and distress, the comfort and encouragement of your word also through the intelligent use of the media. Despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic, through the media and others, his spiritual guidance has never failed. We have felt his presence close at hand and his prayer for suffering humanity.".

Following the words of the H.E. Mr. Georgios F. PoulidesIn his address, the Holy Father thanked the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for his kind greetings.

A sign of closeness

Francis has referred to the situation demanded by the emergency, which has forced to maintain a physical, but not spiritual, distance between the members of the Diplomatic Corps with the Holy Father. "We met this morning in the more spacious setting of the Hall of Blessings, in order to respect the need for greater personal distancing, which the pandemic forces us to do. However, distance is only physical. Rather, our meeting symbolizes the opposite. It is a sign of closeness, of that proximity and mutual support to which the family of nations must aspire.. In this time of pandemic, this duty is even more pressing because it is clear to all that the virus knows no barriers and cannot be easily isolated. Defeating it is, therefore, a responsibility that involves each of us personally, as well as our countries.".

Interreligious dialogue

The Pope thanked them for their commitment to maintain and strengthen relations between their countries and the Holy See. He expressed his desire to resume face-to-face meetings and apostolic journeys, which are "a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the Holy See and your countries.in fact, an important aspect of the solicitude of the Successor of Peter for the People of God spread throughout the world, as well as of the dialogue of the Holy See with the States. Moreover, they are often a favorable opportunity to deepen, in a spirit of exchange and dialogue, the relationship between different religions. In our time, interreligious dialogue is an important component in the encounter of peoples and cultures. When understood not as a renunciation of one's own identity, but as an opportunity for greater knowledge and mutual enrichment, it constitutes a good occasion for religious leaders and for the faithful of the various denominations, and can support the efforts of political leaders in their responsibility to build the common good.".

The introduction of his speech concluded with a call to strengthen international agreements, "which deepen the bonds of mutual trust and enable the Church to cooperate more effectively in the spiritual and social welfare of its countries.".

The right to care

After this introduction, the Pope wanted to address some issues of particular relevance to diplomatic relations. First of all, he again underlined the characteristics that this global pandemic has generated in society. "The pandemic also reminds us of the right to care, which is the prerogative of every human being.".

Equitable access to vaccines

"From this perspective, I renew my call for every human person to be offered the care and assistance he or she needs. To this end, it is essential that all those with political and governmental responsibilities strive to promote, first and foremost, universal access to basic health care, also encouraging the creation of local health centers and health care facilities that meet the real needs of the population, as well as the availability of treatment and medicines. Indeed, it cannot be the logic of profit that guides a sector as sensitive as health care.".

And as he has done on other occasions, he has called for equitable access to vaccines, stating that "the most important thing is to ensure that vaccines are accessible to all.It is also essential that the significant medical and scientific progress made over the years, which has made it possible to synthesize vaccines that are expected to be effective against the coronavirus in a very short space of time, should benefit all mankind. Consequently, call upon all States to contribute actively to international efforts to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines, not according to purely economic criteria, but taking into account the needs of all, in particular those of the most disadvantaged populations".

The economy at the service of man

The Holy Father also referred throughout his speech to the environmental, economic, social and political crisis that some countries are suffering. "The current crisis is therefore an opportunity to rethink the relationship between the individual and the economy. What is needed is a kind of "new Copernican revolution". that puts the economy at the service of man and not the other way aroundThe "beginning to study and practice a different economy, one that makes people live and does not kill, that includes and does not exclude, that humanizes and does not dehumanize, that takes care of creation and does not depredate it".".

Countries in difficulty

Of course, he also remembered to mention the situations in countries such as Lebanon, the Holy Land, Syria and Libya. "How I wish that 2021 would be the year when the word "end" would finally be written to the Syrian conflict, which has been going on for ten years now! For that to happen, a renewed interest is needed also on the part of the international community to sincerely and courageously address the causes of the conflict and seek solutions whereby everyone, regardless of ethnic and religious affiliation, can contribute as citizens to the future of the country.".

Crisis of human relations

Finally, the Pope has spoken of a "crisis of human relations, expression of a general anthropological crisis"In this regard, he referred to the importance of education, since "we are witnessing a sort of "educational catastrophe".We cannot remain inert, for the sake of future generations and of society as a whole. "Today a new period of educational commitment is needed, involving all components of society",[13] because education is "the natural antidote to individualist culturewhich sometimes degenerates into a true cult of the self and the primacy of indifference. Our future cannot be one of division, of impoverishment of the faculties of thought and imagination, of listening, of dialogue and mutual understanding."".

The religious dimension

In addition, he also emphasized that "demands to contain the spread of the virus also ramified into various fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, limiting worship and the educational and charitable activities of faith communities. However, we should not overlook the fact that the religious dimension constitutes a fundamental aspect of the human personality and societyThe spiritual and moral dimension of the person cannot be considered secondary to physical health, even though the aim is to protect human lives from the spread of the virus.

On the other hand, Freedom of worship is not a corollary of freedom of assembly, but derives essentially from the right to religious freedom, which is the first and fundamental human right.. That is why it must be respected, protected and defended by the civil authorities, just like health and physical integrity. Moreover, a good care of the body can never do without the care of the soul.".

Fraternity, antidote

Finally, the Holy Father said goodbye, stressing fraternity as a medicine for this situation, "2021 is a time that we must take advantage of. And it will not be wasted to the extent that we know how to collaborate with generosity and effort. In this sense, I believe that fraternity is the true remedy to the pandemic and to many evils that have struck us. Fraternity and hope are like medicines that the world needs today, together with vaccines.".

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Aesthetics and charity

Lord Avebury, a successful banker and scientist, wrote in The Use of Life (1895) a secular ideal of refined life, where aesthetics and charity follow different paths. Newman, in The idea of the universityalso described the gentlemanHe warned, however, that education and good taste are not enough: true fulfillment requires the impulse of Christian charity.

February 8, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

Lord Avebury (John Lubock, 1834-1913) was a successful banker, writer, and scientist, who coined "Paleolithic" and "Neolithic," and wrote a remarkable book about The use of Life (1895), the art of living like a gentleman. After a chapter on what to do in life, he studies the "Tact" in treatment, play, health, education, bookstores, patriotism, faith, charity, peace and happiness, to finish in religion (British national). It is a secular ideal of full human life, which has an aesthetic criterion, with the standards of the time, and reinforced by the impulse of "distinction" (Bordieu): opting for a superior living that marks borders with vulgarity.

In the Idea of the university from Newmanalso appears the figure of the gentlemanHe was a man with a careful education, delicate treatment, cultivated intelligence and good taste in everything that goes along with life. But in lecture 7 he studies the differences with Christian ideals. Liberal education -he says- can be a help, but also an obstacle. The motive of good taste is very different from the impulse of charity.

The authorJuan Luis Lorda

Professor of Theology and Director of the Department of Systematic Theology at the University of Navarra. Author of numerous books on theology and spiritual life.

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Message for the XXIX World Day of the Sick 2021

One is your Master and you are all brothers (Mt 23:8). The relationship of trust, the foundation of the care of the sick.

David Fernández Alonso-February 8, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

Dear brothers and sisters: 

The celebration of the 29th.a The World Day of the Sick, which will take place on 11 February 2021, the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes, is a propitious moment to give special attention to the sick and to those who care for them, both in the places where they are cared for and within families and communities. I am thinking in particular of those throughout the world who are suffering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. To all, especially the poorest and most marginalized, I express my spiritual closeness, while assuring them of the Church's solicitude and affection. 

1. The theme of this Day is inspired by the Gospel passage in which Jesus criticizes the hypocrisy of those who say, but do not do (cf. Mt 23,1-12). When faith is limited to sterile verbal exercises, without involvement in the history and needs of our neighbor, the coherence between the professed creed and real life is weakened. The risk is serious; for this reason, Jesus uses strong expressions, to warn us of the danger of falling into the idolatry of ourselves, and affirms: "One is your master and you are all brothers and sisters" (v. 8).

The criticism that Jesus directs at those who "say, but do not do" (v. 3) is beneficial, always and for everyone, because no one is immune to the evil of hypocrisy, a very serious evil, whose effect is to prevent us from flourishing as children of the one Father, called to live a universal fraternity.

Faced with the needy condition of a brother or sister, Jesus shows us a model of behavior totally opposed to hypocrisy. He proposes to stop, to listen, to establish a direct and personal relationship with the other, to feel empathy and emotion for him or her, to allow oneself to be involved in his or her suffering to the point of taking care of him or her by means of service (cf. Lc10,30-35). 

2. The experience of illness makes us feel our own vulnerability and, at the same time, the innate need of the other. Our condition as creatures becomes even clearer and we experience in an evident way our dependence on God. Indeed, when we are sick, uncertainty, fear and sometimes consternation take hold of our mind and heart; we find ourselves in a situation of helplessness, because our health does not depend on our abilities or on our "anguish" (cf. Mt 6,27).

Illness imposes a question of meaning, which in faith is addressed to God; a question that seeks a new meaning and a new direction for existence, and which sometimes may not find an immediate answer. Our own friends and relatives cannot always help us in this laborious search.

In this respect, the biblical figure of Job is emblematic. His wife and friends are not able to accompany him in his misfortune, indeed, they accuse him, increasing his loneliness and bewilderment. Job falls into a state of abandonment and incomprehension. But precisely through this extreme fragility, rejecting all hypocrisy and choosing the path of sincerity with God and with others, he makes his insistent cry reach God, who finally responds, opening a new horizon for him. It confirms to him that his suffering is not a condemnation or a punishment, nor is it a state of distance from God or a sign of his indifference. Thus, from the wounded and healed heart of Job, flows that moving declaration to the Lord, which resounds with energy: "I knew you only by hearsay, but now my eyes have seen you" (42:5).

3. Illness always has a face, even more than one: it has the face of every sick person, including those who feel ignored, excluded, victims of social injustices that deny their fundamental rights (cf. Encyclical Letter, p. 4). Fratelli tutti, 22). The current pandemic has brought to light numerous inadequacies in health systems and shortcomings in the care of the sick. The elderly, the weakest and most vulnerable are not always guaranteed access to treatment, and not always in an equitable manner.

This depends on political decisions, the way resources are managed and the commitment of those in positions of responsibility. Investing resources in the care and attention of sick people is a priority linked to a principle: health is a primary common good. At the same time, the pandemic has also highlighted the dedication and generosity of health workers, volunteers, workers, priests, men and women religious who, with professionalism, selflessness, a sense of responsibility and love of neighbor, have helped, cared for, comforted and served so many sick people and their families. A silent multitude of men and women who have decided to look at those faces, taking care of the wounds of the patients, who felt they were neighbors because they belonged to the same human family.

Closeness, in fact, is a very valuable balm, providing support and comfort to those who suffer in sickness. As Christians, we live projimity as an expression of the love of Jesus Christ, the Good Samaritan, who with compassion has made himself close to every human being wounded by sin. United to him by the action of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be merciful like the Father and to love, in particular, our sick, weak and suffering brothers and sisters (cf. Jn 13,34-35). And we live this closeness not only in a personal way, but also in a communitarian way: in fact, fraternal love in Christ generates a community capable of healing, which abandons no one, which includes and welcomes especially the most fragile.

In this regard, I wish to recall the importance of fraternal solidarity, which is expressed concretely in service and which can take on very different forms, all aimed at supporting our neighbor. "To serve means to care for the fragile in our families, in our society, in our people" (Homily in Havana20 September 2015). In this commitment, each one is capable of "putting aside his searches, worries, desires of omnipotence before the concrete gaze of the most fragile. [...] Service always looks at the face of the brother, touches his flesh, feels his projimity and even in some cases "suffers" it and seeks the promotion of the brother. For this reason, service is never ideological, since it does not serve ideas, but rather serves persons" (ibid.).

4. The relational aspect, through which a holistic approach to the sick person can be adopted, is decisive for good therapy. Giving value to this aspect also helps doctors, nurses, professionals and volunteers to take charge of those who suffer in order to accompany them on a path of healing, thanks to an interpersonal relationship of trust (cf. New Charter for health care workers [2016], 4). It is therefore a matter of establishing a pact between those in need of care and those who care for them; a pact based on mutual trust and respect, on sincerity, on availability, to overcome any defensive barriers, to put the dignity of the patient at the center, to safeguard the professionalism of health care workers and to maintain a good relationship with the patients' families.

It is precisely this relationship with the ill person that finds an inexhaustible source of motivation and strength in the charity of ChristThis is demonstrated by the witness of thousands of men and women who have sanctified themselves by serving the sick. Indeed, from the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection flows the love that can give full meaning both to the patient's condition and to that of the caregiver. The Gospel bears witness to this many times, showing that the healings that Jesus performed were never magical gestures, but always the fruit of a encounter, of an interpersonal relationshipThe gift of God offered by Jesus is matched by the faith of the one who accepts it, as summarized in the words that Jesus often repeats: "Your faith has saved you".

5. Dear brothers and sisters, the commandment of love, which Jesus left to his disciples, also finds a concrete realization in our relationship with the sick. A society is all the more human the more it knows how to care for its fragile and suffering members, and it knows how to do so efficiently, animated by fraternal love. Let us strive towards this goal, ensuring that no one is left alone, that no one feels excluded or abandoned. 

I entrust to Mary, Mother of Mercy and Health of the Sick, all those who are ill, health care workers and all those who work with those who suffer. May she, from the Grotto of Lourdes and from the countless shrines dedicated to her throughout the world, sustain our faith and our hope, and help us to care for one another with fraternal love. To each and every one of you I impart my heartfelt blessing.

Rome, St. John Lateran, December 20, 2020, Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Francisco

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"Caring for the sick is not an 'optional activity' for the Church."

Pope Francis' words at the Angelus today were marked by the celebration of the World Day of the Sick on February 11.

Maria José Atienza-February 7, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The Pope referred to the miracle of the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, recounted in today's Gospel, pointing out how "Jesus shows his predilection for people who suffer in body and spirit: it is a predilection of Jesus to draw close to people who suffer both in body and spirit. It is the predilection of the Father, which he embodies and manifests in deeds and words".

Caring for the sick of all kinds is an integral part of the Church's mission, as it was of Jesus'.

The Holy Father also recalled the participation of Christ's disciples in this task of healing of body and soul. "His disciples," he pointed out, "were eyewitnesses, they saw this and then testified to it. But Jesus did not want them to be mere spectators of his mission: he involved them, he sent them, he also gave them the power to heal the sick and to cast out demons.".

In this vein, the Pope emphasized: "Caring for the sick of all kinds is not for the Church an "optional activity", no! It is not an accessory, no. Caring for the sick of all kinds is an integral part of the Church's mission, as it was of Jesus'. Caring for the sick of all kinds is an integral part of the Church's mission, as it was of Jesus'. And this mission is to bring God's tenderness to suffering humanity. We will be reminded of this in a few days, on February 11, the World Day of the Sick".

Pope Francis wanted to recall that the pandemic "makes this message, this essential mission of the Church, particularly relevant".. A message that is interwoven in the human condition itself - so high in dignity - and at the same time so fragile. A paradox to which Jesus responds with a presence that is to be an example for us. "Leaning down to make the other person stand up. Let us not forget that the only lawful way to look at a person from the top down is when you reach out your hand to help them up."said Francis, who asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to give us "help us to allow ourselves to be healed by Jesus - we always need it, all of us - so that we in turn can be witnesses of God's healing tenderness."

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The truth makes us strange

February 7, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated News"The Christian vision integrates realities that ideologies have separated."

For the past few months, an interesting debate has been going on about the presence of Catholic intellectuals in public life. A crossroads of opinions and reflections, between declared Catholics and non-believers, which has proved to be more than necessary in today's society. I suggest, to those who have not yet done so, to take a look at this interesting dialogue that exposes many of the weaknesses that Spanish Catholics, or at least a part of them, suffer from at present. Something that was made clear at the round table discussion "A current debate: intellectuals, Christianity and universities"., held at the University of Navarra.

It is true that there is a certain "silencing" on the part of the media establismentor those who refuse to accept that the fact of professing a faith does not nullify the capacity for reasoning, dialogue or progress. This is true, but it is not only imposed silencing that has led to this situation. It has been compounded by a trend, wonderfully described by Charles J. Chaput: "We Catholics tend to think of the Church as a piece of everyday furniture." . A more or less beautiful piece of furniture, almost always inherited, and that there are moments when we do not know "how to fit it" in the rest of our life. And we do not live for a piece of furniture, nor do we die for it. Nor do we delve into it, beyond rummaging through its drawers in case we find some picturesque object.

It may happen, therefore, that, when the time comes, we do not even know why it is there; we do not know how to respond to those who ask us what meaning our faith has in our lives, whether as intellectuals or as flower sellers. That which is called "giving a reason for our faith" will only be possible if, on the one hand, our faith has clear reasons and reasoning and, on the other, if this reason becomes life, 'informs' it: the testimony of example.

truth

Aurelio Arteta, who cannot be labeled as a fideist, says that "the only way to combat a culture of falsehood, in whatever form it takes, is to consciously live the truth, instead of just talking about it".. Example and word.

We have spent years, dozens of years, talking about the role of Catholics, of the laity, in public life, and, perhaps, and despite our regrets, we have been letting others work, letting "priests train themselves" or simply reducing our faith to a smooth mixture of sentiment and good intentions, to a morality that is followed, sometimes without asking why, or better yet, by whom.

We flee from educated confrontation for lack of rational argument and we can shield ourselves in a combative, trench Catholicism, in which the person of Christ, that powerful reason that gives meaning to faith, ends up reduced to a word - a missile with which we shoot internally and externally.

Deep down, we have a certain fear of "losing" in the conversation, of being "hurt", or perhaps, of being labeled "weird", when the story of the truth is none other than that of being weird, or even somewhat annoying, in a society, any society, in which swimming with the current is always more comfortable. Remembering the great Flannery O'ConnorYou shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you strange".

The authorMaria José Atienza

Director of Omnes. Degree in Communication, with more than 15 years of experience in Church communication. She has collaborated in media such as COPE or RNE.

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Luis Marín and Nathalie Becquart, new undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops

The Holy See has made public the appointment of this native of Madrid together with that of the French Nathalie Becquart as new undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops. Fr. Luis Marin has been appointed, at the same time, titular bishop of the see of Suliana.

Maria José Atienza-February 6, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute
RelatedRelated NewsThe way is set for the next Synod of Bishops

Luis Marín de San Martín, O.S.A.He was born on August 21, 1961 in Madrid. He made his first vows in the Order of St. Augustine on September 5, 1982 and his solemn vows on November 1, 1985.

Ordained a priest on June 4, 1988, he obtained a doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Comillas Pontifical University of Madrid.

Among the positions he has held within the Augustinian Order are that of formator of the Major Seminary of Tagaste, Los Negrales, Provincial Councilor and Prior of the Monastery of Santa Maria de La Vid.

He is Professor of Theology at the Augustinian Centers of Los Negrales, San Lorenzo del Escorial and Valladolid. Since 2004 he has been Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Spain in Burgos. He is the General Archivist of the Order, General Assistant of the Augustinians and President of the Institutum Spiritualitatis Augustinianae.

For her part, Sister Nathalie Becquart, belonging to the Missionaries of Christ Jesus, she was director of the National Service for the Evangelization of Youth and Vocations of the Episcopal Conference of France (from 2012 to 2018) and consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops (since 2019).

This Frenchwoman graduated from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Paris (HEC Paris), studied philosophy and theology at the Centre Sèvres - Faculty of the Jesuits in Paris, sociology at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in the same city, and specialized in ecclesiology with research on synodality in the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (United States of America).

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Evangelization

Leaders

If leadership consists only of "commanding", then we are in a bad way. But leadership is not about commanding. It has more to do with the ability to influence people in one's environment to work with enthusiasm.

Juan Luis Rascón Ors-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsA leadership and conversion course for priests

What can you have in common with St. Paul, Napoleon Bonaparte and Atletico de Madrid? Apparently nothing; but yes, there is one thing: leadership. It is true that the three of them, the apostle, the statesman and the glorious club are great in history, and you may not even make it out of your family album. But you are a leader. 

Let's see, the word leadership, in Spanish, has a bad press: it sounds like competitiveness and capitalism; but in reality, the word "leadership" has a bad press. is a biblical conceptHow else would you define Moses, David, Daniel, Nehemiah, Deborah, Judas Maccabeus, Paul...and many others?

In the Church, the Pope, bishops and priests occupy undisputed positions of leadership. It has been our lot. But... are we the only ones called to exercise leadership? 

If leadership consists only of "commanding", then we are in a bad way.

Absolutely NO. If leadership consists only of "commanding", then we are in a bad way. But leadership is not about commanding. It has more to do with ability to influence people in one's own environment to work with "with enthusiasm towards the achievement of its goals and objectives. It is also understood as the ability to delegate, take the initiative, manage, convene, promote, incentivize, motivate and evaluate a project, effectively and efficiently..." (see Wikipedia, voice Leadership).

Ability to influence. Let's keep that - is it just for clerics? 

There is one thing I have learned and one thing I am absolutely certain of. I have learned that in the parish everyone expects me to do everything. Everyone expects me to preach well, to organize well, to attract the young people, to attend to each one as if there were no one else in the world, to be always available, day and night..., to remember to turn on the heat... and to turn it off, etc.

What if we clerics, who are in increasingly short supply, were to devote ourselves to - attention: buzzword - "empowering" the laity?

What I am absolutely certain of is that I alone cannot do everything. If everything depends on me and the others are only collaborators, what will happen when I am gone? If I am the only one in leadership, what will happen if I die?

Ephesians 4:11: "He appointed some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, that they might labor to perfect the saints, fulfilling their ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ." Apostles, prophets... Did he say prophets? Yes, prophets..., evangelizers, pastors, doctors... A little earlier it says that "grace has been given to the extent that Christ wants to bestow his gifts".. 

Are these gifts exclusive to clergy? Can there be among the laity apostles, prophets (sic), evangelizers, pastors, doctors? OK: successors of the (12) apostles are only the bishops, but are there no more apostles?

What would a parish be like if it had a dozen apostles, three or four prophets, a couple of dozen evangelizers, many pastors and a few doctors working to perfect the saints in fulfilling their ministry for the edification of the body of Christ? What if we clerics, who are in increasingly short supply, were to devote ourselves to - attention: buzzword - "empowering" the laity?

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Massimiliano Padula: "Journalism must reflect the truth".

On the occasion of the Message for World Communications Day, Omnes has interviewed the Italian sociologist and professor of Communication, Massimiliano Padula, who gives us the keys pointed out by Pope Francis and the new challenges of journalism. 

Giovanni Tridente-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsWhat are we going to do at Omnes? JournalismRelated NewsOmnes et omnia

We have recently learned of the Message for World Communications Day, in which Pope Francis has once again called for the need for "to get out of ourselves" y "walking in search of truth". Omnes has interviewed for the occasion Professor Massimiliano Padulasociologist and professor of communication at the Pontifical Lateran University, as well as president of the Coordination of Associations for Communication linked to the Italian Episcopal Conference.

P- Professor, in your opinion, what is the central point of Pope Francis' Message prepared for this year's Communications Day?

R- The Pope develops a multifaceted reflection, integrating into an evangelical framework (the meeting between Jesus and the first disciples that is recounted in the Gospel of John 1:46), journalism, opportunities and pitfalls of digital culture, the human dimension of communication. But if I had to extrapolate from this kaleidoscope of proposals a central point, I would choose the ".culture of encounter". This Message has the merit of applying one of the main ideas of the Magisterium of Francis to the world of information, elaborating a renewed criterion of actuality: to approach people where they are and how they are.

The Pope appeals to all people of good will (and not only journalists) to continue to communicate the fascination of the Christian adventure.

Massimiliano PadulaSociologist and Professor of Communication

P- The Pope seems to be addressing journalists in particular, but is this really the case?

R- Journalism, understood in its traditional dimension, no longer exists. The professional orders, the codes of ethics, the physical newsrooms, the defined roles, leave more and more room for a communication oriented by the logic of the web. In a sense, we are all journalists because we are producers and distributors of news, because we have an audience that follows us and because we can easily choose different transmission codes (a written article, a podcast, a video...).

For these reasons, the Pope appeals to all people of good will (and not only to journalists) to continue to communicate the fascination of the Christian adventure also in its actions".journalistic".

P- In the era of disintermediationDoes information still make sense in the classical sense?

R- The word "disintermediation"has acquired a negative connotation in recent years. This happens when whoever is in the media feels part of an elite, proposes himself as the exclusive holder of a service. I believe, on the other hand, that the disintermediation is nothing more than a new form of mediation.free of formalisms, of corporatist presumptions, of restricted clubs (the Pope speaks, in this regard, of "...").pre-packaged, palatial, self-referential information").

This is one of the reasons for the crisis in the journalistic sectorwho certainly does not have to take off his "middle" suit, but rather repositioning your work in other categories and needs. Among them: in-depth analysis, free opinion, denouncing inequalities and reporting on the most marginalized.

Any content can work as long as it reflects one criterion: the truth.

Massimiliano PadulaSociologist and Professor of Communication

P- In your opinion, where do we need to go to offer quality content to the public?

R- I believe that even before the content, it is necessary and urgent to internalize what digital is. It is necessary to break the instrumental vision of the web and begin to grasp the human aspects, to understand times, spaces, codes and languages.. Once this is done, any content can work as long as it reflects one criterion: the truth..

The network, in fact, has the extraordinary function of unveiling evil by making our life transparent. Therefore, communicative quality today refers to communication with truth, justice, beauty and respect for people's dignity.especially those most in need.

Omnes, with its web landing and naming strategy, will only become even more Catholic.

Massimiliano PadulaSociologist and Professor of Communication

P- Since a few weeks ago, Omnes also offers digital information: what added value can the web bring?

R- The added value may refer to the concept of ".glocalization"that is to say, to the multiplication and diversification of localized experiences in global territories. This is possible thanks to the increasing and better technological opportunities, but also to the new perspective, skills and sensibility of contemporary man.

I, however, prefer the adjective ".Catholic" a "glocal"not in its clerical sense, but in the sense of understood in its original sense of "universal".. Omneswith its landing on the web and its naming strategy, will only become even more Catholic.

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The Ministry of Education appoints Raquel Pérez Sanjuan as member of the State School Council

The appointment of Raquel Perez is undoubtedly good news, first of all, because of the normalization of a situation regarding the presence of the EEC in this body. 

Javier Segura-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Normally, Religion teachers are not aware of the appointments for this type of positions. But it seemed appropriate to focus on this news today, because it seems significant to me.

Raquel Pérez Sanjuán is the current Technical Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Education and Culture of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. She has just been appointed by the Minister of Education, Isabel Celaá, for a period of four years, member of the State School Council, a position held by relevant personalities within the world of education.

In this case, the appointment of Raquel Perez responds to the space that has usually been occupied by a representative proposed by the Episcopal Conference and that had been vacant since Juan Antonio Gomez Trinidad, a man who, due to his worth, became vice president of the School Board.

Normalization of EEC presence

The appointment of Raquel Perez is undoubtedly good news, firstly, because of the normalization of a situation regarding the presence of the EEC in this body. And secondly, it is important because of the key moment we are living in education in Spain with the processing of the new education law. In other keys, it is also a recognition of the work of the current technical secretary and the impetus that the EEC has given to the negotiations with the Ministry of Education. Let us remember the novel proposal that the EEC made to the Ministry at the beginning of the summer, with an integrating model for the integral formation of the students, in which religious education was included. For all this we can only rejoice.

This is good news in the midst of so many other negative ones. Because the educational battle is now crouched and waiting for crucial movements such as the approval of the Royal Decrees that specify the LOMLOE and the application in the different Autonomies, very important given the educational competences that have been transferred. In all these areas we can expect nothing but a hard battle for the Religion class. For example, there is a button to prove it. Just look at what is happening in La Rioja and the contempt to which this Government is subjecting Religion teachers.

Let us hope that the appointment of Raquel Pérez Sanjuán by the Ministry is more than a wink, and that it implies a less belligerent and more collaborative position than the one we have seen so far.

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The World

Prayer marathon for the end of trafficking in persons

From 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. people and organizations from all over the world will join in prayer for an end to human trafficking. 

Maria José Atienza-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsAdorers: "Living close to pain is possible through the Eucharist and prayer".

The initiative, promoted by Talitha Kum in collaboration with the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, Caritas Internationalis, the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations, the Focolare Movement and many other organizations, will take place on February 8, the liturgical memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita.

From Oceania to the Americas, next Monday, on the occasion of the VII World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Trafficking in Human BeingsAnyone who wants to can join the online prayer marathon for an "Economy without Human Trafficking". It will be the first time that the central event of this day will be held virtually and will give the opportunity to bring together all the realities committed against human trafficking in the world.

Through Youtube

The day, which pcan be followed through the Jornada Mundia YouTube channell will begin at 10:00 am with prayer led by the organizing committee. From then until 5:00 pm marking the different time zones, there will be a moment of "shared" online prayer with translations in five languages, will travel around the different areas of the planet to focus attention and raise awareness on one of the main causes of human trafficking, the dominant economic model, whose limits and contradictions are aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic. At 1:40 p.m., this Day will feature a key moment: the video message of Pope Francis.

As highlighted by the nun Gabriella Bottanicoordinator of Talitha Kum, "The Holy Father asked the Church to stop and reflect on the dominant economic model and seek alternative paths. The dominant economic model is one of the main structural causes of human trafficking in our globalized world. Throughout this day, we will chart together a path of reflection for an economy that promotes life and decent work for all.".

The day can be supported through social networks with the official hashtag #PrayAgainstTrafficking

RelatedRelated NewsAdorers: "Living close to pain is possible through the Eucharist and prayer".
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  • Juan Antonio Cruz, appointed permanent observer of the Holy See to the OAS
Spain

Juan Antonio Cruz, appointed permanent observer of the Holy See to the OAS

Pope Francis has appointed this 45-year-old priest from Almeria who, until now, was in charge of the Spanish section of the Vatican Secretariat of State.

Maria José Atienza-February 5, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

The Holy See today announced the appointment of the Spanish priest and diplomat Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Security Council. Organization of American States (OAS).

Until now, Cruz Serrano was in charge of the Spanish section of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Ordained a priest on September 15, 2001, this graduate in Canon Law entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See in 2004.

Among his assignments as a diplomat of the Holy See, he has worked in the pontifical representations of Zimbabwe, Ireland and Chile.

He succeeds Bishop Mark Miles, who has been appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Benin.

The Organization of American States

The OAS was created in 1948 with the objective of achieving in its Member States "an order of peace and justice, fostering their solidarity, strengthening their collaboration and defending their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence".

Today, the OAS brings together the 35 independent states of the Americas and constitutes the principal political, juridical and social governmental forum of the Hemisphere. In addition, it has granted Permanent Observer status to 69 States, as well as to the European Union.

To achieve its most important purposes, the OAS is based on its main pillars, which are democracy, human rights, security and development.

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Vocations

"In Indonesia we are few Catholics, but with ardent faith."

Fr. Kenny Ang is a young 28-year-old priest of the Diocese of Surabaya (Indonesia). He was born in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, and studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross thanks to CARF.

Sponsored space-February 5, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

"I have the conviction that God has called me to be a holy priest after the heart of Jesus Christ."he says. His bishop sent him to study at the University of Navarra: "I arrived in Pamplona in the 2013-2014 academic year. After five years of formation at the Bidasoa International Ecclesiastical College and at the University of Navarra I am convinced that the story of my vocation is a story of God's action through many people."

After his ordination to the priesthood, he worked for one year in a parish in Surabaya. "Although we are a minority in my country, Catholics have a burning faith. There were many young families, it was a parish with a lot of life."Vincentius S. Wisaksono, who has welcomed him with fatherly affection.

"Catholics in Indonesia like to organize activities in parishes. However, many of them lack doctrinal formation. For this reason, my bishop sent me to Rome this year to further my studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross with a specialization in Dogmatic Theology to contribute to the formation of priests and faithful in the diocese of Surabaya."he says.

Kenny, it would have been very difficult for him to respond well to God's call without the generous assistance of the benefactors of Centro Académico Romano Foundation.

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