The Holy See announced on September 26 the elevation to diocese of the apostolic administration of Estonia. This new diocese, which receives the name of Tallinn, maintains its territorial configuration and "its status as an Ecclesiastical Circumscription immediately subject to the Holy See".
With this elevation to the rank of diocese, Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Philippe Jean-Charles Jourdan bishop of this local church. This French priest, a member of Opus Dei, was the apostolic administrator of Estonia since 2005 and titular bishop of Pertusa.
The news of the elevation to a diocese comes in the midst of the celebrations for the first centenary of the Apostolic Administration of Estonia. A community that in the last 50 years has multiplied by 1,000 and that maintains a cordial and fruitful relationship with the Lutheran Church in Estonia with which it shares "positions very close to those of the Catholic Church on family issues, marriage between a man and a woman, or the defense of life" as Monsignor Jourdan pointed out in a recent interview with Omnes.
In addition, the Estonian Catholic community hopes that in the near future the Pope will give the green light for the beatification of the martyred Bishop Eduard Profittlich SJ.
Pope considers Luxembourg key to "building a united Europe".
Pope Francis highlighted the role of Luxembourg as a key "for building a united and united Europe", given its geographical position and historical background.
Upon arrival in Luxembourg, the Pope Francis had a meeting with the authorities and the diplomatic corps of the country. In addition to thanking everyone for their welcome, the Holy Father began by highlighting in an address to those present the "special geographical situation" of Luxembourg.
This characteristic, he pointed out, makes the country a place of "confluence of different linguistic and cultural areas", and a "crossroads of the most relevant European historical events". Precisely for this reason, Luxembourg "has distinguished itself by its commitment to build a Europa united and supportive".
The Pope pointed out that, despite its small size, Luxembourg is "a founding member of the European Union and its predecessor Communities, the seat of numerous European institutions, including the Court of Justice of the Union, the Court of Auditors and the Investment Bank". He also underlined "the solid democratic structure" of the country, in which "the dignity of the human person and the defense of his fundamental freedoms are safeguarded".
Wealth as responsibility
Francis then invited Luxembourg to continue to set an example in this sense "so that relations of solidarity may be established among peoples, so that all may be participants and protagonists in an orderly project of integral development".
This development, the Pontiff continued, "in order to be authentic and integral, must not despoil and degrade our common home, nor must it leave peoples or social groups on the margins". Referring to the country's economy, the Pope warned that "wealth is a responsibility. For this reason, I ask for constant vigilance so as not to neglect the most disadvantaged nations, indeed, so that they may be helped to emerge from their conditions of impoverishment".
Luxembourg's leadership
The Holy Father insisted on this idea, stressing his desire that "Luxembourg, with its peculiar history, with its equally peculiar geographical situation, with slightly less than half of its inhabitants coming from other parts of Europe and the world, be a help and an example in showing the way forward for the reception and integration of migrants and refugees".
In his address, Francis also noted the "resurgence" in Europe "of disagreements and enmities which, instead of being resolved on the basis of mutual good will, negotiation and diplomatic work, lead to open hostilities, with their aftermath of destruction and death". To resolve this, he affirmed, "it is necessary to look upwards, it is necessary that the daily life of the peoples and of their rulers be animated by high and profound spiritual values".
The Gospel as renewal
The Pope explained the reason for his trip to Luxembourg and Belgium by saying that "as successor of the Apostle Peter, in the name of the Church, expert in humanity" his job is "to bear witness that this vital sap, this ever new force of personal and social renewal is the Gospel". The Pope insisted that "the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only one capable of profoundly transforming the human soul, making it capable of doing good even in the most difficult situations".
The Pontiff ended his speech by stressing once again that Luxembourg has the opportunity to lead a society centered on values and respect for human dignity, and praying God for a blessing for the country.
Pope Francis landed on the morning of September 26 in Luxembourg. He was received at the airport of this small European country by the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden, and the Grand Dukes, Henri and Maria Theresa.
Manuel López: "In Alzheimer's, the most important thing is silence".
Manuel Lopez-Lopez (83), shares with Omnes some reflections after his Mexican wife, Lita, passed away from Alzheimer's in 2023. In his book 'Navegando del duelo a la esperanza' he has written a few. Now he completes it with Omnes. For example, the great lesson of the "communication of silence" with these sick people. The prologue is by his psychiatrist friend Enrique Rojas.
Francisco Otamendi-September 26, 2024-Reading time: 6minutes
In 2006, Manuel, his Mexican wife Lita, and their children were living in Indianapolis (USA), and in a preventive health program, Lita was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. After coming to Spain, she spent the last ten years in the Laguna Care Hospital until her death last year.
After a conversation with the psychiatrist Enrique Rojas, a great friend of his, he wrote the book 'Navegando del duelo a la esperanza' (Navigating from mourning to hope), published by Free Booksin which she has offered an emotional survival manual for those facing the disease. "This is a text that mixes resilience and hope," wrote Dr. Enrique Rojas, who often appears in this conversation with Lita's husband, and who prefaced the book.
Naval engineer Manuel López-López, who has three children and six grandchildren and is in love with the sea, has explained in 176 pages practical advice for accompanying a sea sick person. Alzheimer'sbased on their personal experience; messages for caregivers; and stages and strategies that can help in the transition from grief to hope.
Now, in the interview, he goes off script, and talks about how he feels about this moment. We almost kept our questions to ourselves, and listened to him.
You use sea images when talking about the Alzheimer's process.
- When you find that the person who has been your 'half person', so to speak, because I was lucky enough to find my wife very young, and we have been together all our lives, then the first part of the breakup is extremely hard. Because you see that the other person, it is not that they are gone, because that is one of the things I have learned during this time, that they do not leave, they are there. What happens is that we continue to insist on communicating with them in a way that they no longer communicate.
At the beginning, this had a great impact on me. In fact, during the whole process, there was a very noticeable deterioration. When, at the end of the issue, we were approaching port, there was a decision to be made. To say, this is as far as we have come and this is the end, or to say: this is as far as we have come, and now we are going to start another navigation. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to meet a number of people who helped me find the next sailing.
The spiritual aspect has been fundamental, he reveals. The invisible people...
- Yes. I think that the thought that they are still there, that they are helping us to find our next path, and that above all, it is true, or I feel it, that there is that next navigation, is what gives one peace and serenity, because if not, it would be horrible, wouldn't it?
I think that all this, in the end, concludes, and this is a little of what I have tried to learn in these 17 years -I am a man with a technical background-, but this cannot be learned, because it is not a problem to be solved, it is a state to live with,
That is very important, because what I call the invisible people are the ones that lead us to that situation of looking for the next stage. And in my experience, it has been one of the great discoveries, to see that the invisible people are the ones who create the future. People that many times we don't even know their names, but many times I talk about it. They are people who do not do it for money, they do it out of compassion, out of empathy, out of charity, although now the use of words that have religious connotation is badly considered.
Tell a lesson learned from caring for your wife, Lita.
- I think that in this whole process, the discoveries that one is having, at the end, the person, when you are alone, and you are in the middle of a silence, that is an important topic for me. During all this journey, I have been transforming a verbal communication into a communication with silences. And for me, in this disease, silence is fundamental. I think it is the most important thing.
And we think that what we have to do is to make them remember, to make them talk, to make them answer us..., No, no, they know where they are, and one look is enough for you to see how they know where they are.
You mean your wife, don't you?
- Yes, yes. And besides, she was in a residence, where she has been for ten years, of the Foundation. Vianorte-LagunaAnd I have had a great relationship with the rest of the people who were there. That feeling that you get when you go into a nursing home for Alzheimer's patients, that they are disconnected, and that is not the case.
When you go in and look at them, they sense that connection, which to me is tremendously important. Because many times you might think: they are parked. It's not true. They are connected, and what they are waiting for is someone to look at them and connect them with their silence. That is fundamental, and that is what those people do, who many times we don't even know their names, but who are with them all day long.
This, for me, is the great lesson I have learned during this time. This is not an economic issue, it is something very different.
You have already answered me something else. What would you say to a family member, a caregiver....
- Yesterday a colleague called meand he asked me a question that really struck me. It will be two years in February, my wife passed away in February 2023, and there are days when I am more tender than others, aren't there? The question was: would you take care of your wife again, just like you took care of her before? That question is for me the summary of the whole process. And my answer is this: I would start again tomorrow.
(Manuel gets emotional, and recovers after a while. We continue).
- And then there is another series of elements that enter into this whole process, which is what is in the book I call it 'The Perfect Storm'. And that's because not one person leaves. The perfect storm is for those who stay. For me, dismantling my house has been tremendously emotional, because you dismantle the house and you dismantle your memories. When we presented the book, I told my son: you have to come with me.
"Manolo, look for the next port."
The truth is that it has all been too much together. When she passed away, I went to Dr. Enrique Rojas, the neurologist, with whom I have been very close friends for many years, and he told me: look Manolo, what you have to do is to look for the next port. For that, take the logbook, which I had been writing since day zero, with the daily emotions.
This is a subject that people should take into account. Because many times, when you read what you have done after eight days, you start to see aspects that you had not seen before -our brain is something absolutely unknown to me-, and that helps us to value things. Enrique Rojas told me: within a year you have to have this on the street, and I had only written strategic plans, balance sheets, company stuff.
Did he give you the idea?
- He put the obligation on me. It is one thing to have an idea, and another to have an obligation imposed on you. I also have the theory that things are not casual, they are causal. A series of things began to happen to me, when my wife was at the end of her life, and Enrique Rojas appeared, with whom I had not seen for 50 years. My only objective and project in life was to take care of her. I went daily to see her at the residence. So much so that Telemadrid found out about it and made a video. And I thought, what I have learned, surely it can help someone. As long as it helps one person, it will be worth it. That was the argument he used, and with which he convinced me.
This happened after his wife passed away, or before?
- My wife dies in February, I reconnect with Enrique Rojas the first week of January, he receives me in his office the following Tuesday, and in that meeting he "imposes" the subject on me. And my wife dies three weeks later.
This is causal, you say, not casual.
- That's right.Moreover, in the first talk we had, Enrique Rojas revealed to me an aspect that can happen to people who have had a long, complicated professional life, doing interesting things -I left Spain in 1970-. And that is to get into what I call a comfort capsule. Spiritual issues exist, but they are not the ones that really guide your life. Enrique gave me five things to work on, and one of them was the spiritual area.
But you were already a Christian...
- Yes, yes, but I don't know. It's a matter of putting values in line with your behavior. I can be a Real Madrid supporter, but I don't have to go around telling everyone. At that time, I was lucky that the problems I had been having, had not forced me to develop an important spiritual activity. My wife and I, from the very first moment, tried to make our children better than us. And with that simple expression, we organized our life. Enrique Rojas, for me, was an 'envoy'. A person sent to tell me this.
The Holy See will be the one to decide "the solution" for Torreciudad
Torreciudad has returned to the headlines following the announcement by the bishop of Barbastro Monzón of "leaving in the hands of the Holy See the solution to the differences of criteria with the Prelature of Opus Dei. Opus Dei expresses its "full confidence in the study to be made by the Holy See on this matter".
A new twist, although perhaps predictable, in the process of conversations between the Prelature of Opus Dei and the bishopric of Barbastro Monzón in relation to the Marian temple of Torreciudad.
The communiqué from the Bishopric of Barbastro
On Wednesday, September 25, the Aragonese bishopric announces on its website that it had left "in the hands of the Holy See the solution to the differences of criteria with the Prelature of Opus Dei regarding the juridical, canonical and pastoral regularization of Torreciudad".
The bishopric points out that it has handed over to the Vatican information on "the contractual relationship on this diocesan enclave since 1962, as well as the twenty meetings held over the last four years between both parties". In the brief communiqué issued by the Aragonese diocese it is also informed that this "request for intervention was transferred last week to the Secretariat of State and to the Dicastery for the Clergy", so that the Holy See would already be on the case while Torreciudad was hosting the last of the great celebrations of the temple, the Marian Family Day.
Authorities together with the bishop of Barbastro-Monzón at the 32nd Marian Family Day in Torreciudad
Opus Dei's response
A few hours later, Opus Dei issued a communiqué in which he points out that "the Prelature has kept the Holy See informed of the course of the conversations at all times" and that, in fact, the Dicastery of the Clergy "has had all the relevant documentation since September 2023, and that it has been updated since then."
The diocese continues to point to the regularization of the "status of Torreciudad and erect it, canonically, as a sanctuary" as the key to this process. On this point, the Prelature recalls that on August 30, 2023, it sent the bishopric its proposal for the statutes of the Shrine. A proposal that received a response "six months later by convening a technical meeting in March, which was satisfactory for both parties. However, in a subsequent meeting on June 30, the Diocese delivered a draft that changed some of the most important points previously agreed upon".
On the part of the Prelature, they argue that, the Opus Dei Opus Dei "has always shown its willingness to reach an agreement, within the margins that it has considered to be guaranteed by civil and canon law". A willingness that, according to Opus Dei, "has not met with the correspondence that could be expected, after the refusal of the Diocese to reach any agreement except the acceptance of its own terms". The content of this new draft represented a new stumbling block in the understanding of both parties and now the Holy See will be in charge of deciding the future of the temple, which will be 50 years old in 2025. A decision in which the Prelature expresses "full confidence".
Both the bishopric of Barbastrina and Opus Dei have expressed their desire to "reach a resolution of this matter," as the diocese of Monsignor Angel Perez Pueyo points out. Opus Dei has also expressed its desire to "continue working for the Diocese and for the universal Church from the point of view of the diocese". Torreciudad (...) with the same communion and trust that has always existed".
The process between the bishopric of Barbastro Monzón and Torreciudad
Since July 2023, the process of talks between the bishopric of Barbastro Monzón and the Opus Dei prelature regarding Torreciudad has gone through several stages.
On July 17, 2023, the bishop of the small Aragonese diocese of Barbastro Monzón published a series of "Appointments and some changes to move forward together for better pastoral care." which included the appointment of "José Mairal Villellas, rector of the Sanctuary of Torreciudad to (...) be responsible for the pastoral and ministerial care until the existing canonical situation between both institutions is regularized".
The surprise was great, not only among the faithful, but also in the Prelature of Opus DeiThe appointment of the new church and the dissemination of the devotion to the Virgin of Torreciudad, since the appointment had been made from unilateral manner by the diocese and spoke of the need for a "regularization of the canonical situation".
At that time, Omnes published an article which explained the reasons given by both parties for, on the one hand, considering the appointment as legitimate and, on the other hand, for not doing so and announcing a careful study of the matter.
As a result of this appointment, the process that had been underway for several years between the Prelature of Opus Dei and the Aragonese diocese to reach a new agreement regarding the sanctuary and the consequent problems of understanding that had arisen along the way.
In this matter, issues that directly concern two legal spheres converge: the power to appoint a rector and to make the new church a diocesan sanctuary, which are upheld by Canon Law, and the validity of the emphyteutic census contract for the cession of the old hermitage and the image of the Virgin of the Angels of Torreciudad, which are framed within Civil Law.
Ownership of the image and the wayside shrine
It should be borne in mind that what is nowadays identified as Torreciudad comprises, in the foreground, the church designed by the team of architects led by Heliodoro Dols. This construction was made possible thanks to the donations of the faithful from different places encouraged by Opus Dei. This new church belongs to the Canonical Foundation of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Angels of Torreciudad.
Both the image of the Virgin of Torreciudad and the old hermitage are the property of the diocese of Barbastro-Monzón. However, in 1962, by means of what is known as contract emphyteutic (a type of contract used in law to assign in perpetuity the useful domain of a property or object under the conditions agreed by the parties) are assigned in perpetuity to the civil entity Inmobiliaria General Castellana, S.A. (later Desarrollo Social y Cultural, S.A.).
As noted in the article published in August 2024 in the same media, one of the points of friction between the bishop of Barbastro-Monzón is the consideration of the validity of this contract, signed between Opus Dei and the bishopric of Barbastro in 1962, in which it was agreed that the useful domain of the hermitage and the image of the Virgin would be transferred in perpetuity.
Ángel Pérez Pueyo does not recognize the validity of those agreements, while Opus Dei defends that they are fully valid and should be the basis for any legal modification. Legal sources consulted by this media point out that, in the civil sphere, it is difficult to defend the nullity of these agreements, which were made following the pertinent legal guidelines at all times.
In fact, these differences of criteria are what caused the Opus Dei Prelature not to attend the conciliation act requested by the Bishopric and set for December 20, 2023, since, according to the basis on which it was presented, its attendance at that conciliation act would imply acceptance of the nullity of the 1962 agreements.
The appointment of the rector
In relation to the decision to appoint a rector for Torreciudad, the diocese of Barbastro-Monzón referred to the need to "regularize" the canonical situation of the sanctuary as a reason for this appointment, although it did not specify the nature of this situation.
Subsequently, the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón itself pointed out that "in the case of Torreciudad, and in order to regularize its canonical situation with the diocese, the Prelature was asked to propose to this bishopric a list of three priests to make the appointment of the rector (c. 557 §1). With the passing of the months, and not having received this list after several requests, we have opted for the appointment of José Mairal, pastor of Bolturina-Ubiergo, to whose parish belongs the hermitage-sanctuary of Torreciudad".
Why did Opus Dei not present a list of three priests? The Prelature responded to this question by stressing that the statutes in force for Torreciudad specify that "the appointment of the rector and the designation of the priests in charge of pastoral care corresponds to the Regional Vicar of the Prelature."
These statutes are based on the same canon that the Bishopric pointed out, since it determines that "the diocesan Bishop freely appoints the rector of a church, without prejudice to the right of election or presentation, when this right legitimately belongs to someone; in this case, it is up to the diocesan Bishop to confirm or institute the rector".
This is the procedure that has been followed in Torreciudad. Since there has been no change in the legal status of Torreciudad and meetings are being held to reach a new agreement, the "Prelature understands that it is not necessary to present a list of three candidates".
Faced with the decision of the bishop of Barbastro-Monzón in July 2023 to declare the office of rector of Torreciudad vacant and proceed to appoint a priest of the Diocese, the Opus Dei prelature decided to appeal to the Holy See.
Thus, on September 1, 2023, the rector appointed by Bishop Pérez Pueyo began to carry out this task, which translated into a weekly celebration of Holy Mass in the church.
Torreciudad, a diocesan sanctuary?
At present, the status of the Torreciudad temple is still that of a semi-public oratory.
Making Torreciudad a diocesan sanctuary had long been the desire of the Prelature and the origin of the negotiations that began in 2020 with the bishopric of Barbastro Monzón.
With the status of diocesan sanctuary, the temple erected in 1975 would be governed according to the existing regulations The bishop of Barbastro-Monzón may approve the new statutes and establish an agreement with the Prelature that will include the appointment of the rector by the bishop, in accordance with canons 556 and 557 of the Code of Canon Law.
These canons foresee that the appointment of the rector corresponds to the diocesan bishop and this would be done, after the presentation of a list of three candidates by the Opus Dei prelature of the possible rector", as the Opus Dei prelature pointed out in an extensive document of questions and answers last March.
On December 8, 2023, the bishop of the diocese of Barbastro Monzón announced that Torreciudad will become a "diocesan sanctuary when appropriate" and that he had consulted the Dicastery for the Clergy during his stay in Rome last November 28, during the meeting that all the Spanish bishops held with Pope Francis to analyze the situation of the Spanish seminaries. This news suggested that there was a green light from the Vatican to move forward in this process but, months later, there has been no further information.
The requests of the bishopric of Barbastro Monzón
The conversations between the Prelature of Opus Dei and the Bishopric of Barbastro continue to this day. It should not be forgotten that the new church has been a turning point in the spiritual, social and economic revitalization of the area. However, the positions of both sides do not seem to find a satisfactory solution.
In its request for conciliation, the Bishopric of Barbastro asked "to restore the carving of the image of the image of Our Lady of Torreciudad, without causing any damage, to its original location, located in the Hermitage of Torreciudad" and "the reversion to the Diocese of the Hermitage, Hostelry and annexed dependencies object of the contract of emphyteutic census elevated to public deed on September 24, 1962, the purpose of which was the transfer of the useful domain by the Diocese of Barbastro of the property consisting of the Sanctuary destined to the worship of Nuestra Señora de Torreciudad, together with its guest house and annexed premises, with a surface area of 120 square meters, in favor of the mercantile company INMOBILIARIA GENERAL CASTELLANA, S.A. (today DESARROLLO SOCIAL, S.A.)".
This would involve de facto a declaration of nullity of the agreements signed in the 1960s. Following the usual trend in the management of diocesan sanctuaries, the Bishopric would have to take charge of the maintenance, security and pastoral and economic care of this Hermitage, Hostelry and dependencies.
In addition, the diocese requested the Opus Dei a financial contribution to the bishopric that the prelature considered "disproportionate", taking into account that the income generated by the ordinary activity of the sanctuary "is not enough to cover 30 % of the expenses, and the Association Patronato de Torreciudad has to take charge of finding resources to cover the rest of the expenses". A figure that also has to be agreed upon in the conversations between the prelature and the diocese.
One year later, the Torreciudad process is today with the engine running but in low gear and awaiting a prompt and fair solution.
Chronology
2020- The Prelature of Opus Dei has proposed to the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón its desire to update some details of the legal framework of Torreciudad. Its proposal was to elevate the temple to a diocesan sanctuary.
July 17, 2023: The Bishop of Barbastro Monzón publishes a series of appointments among which is that of the diocesan priest Jose Mairal as rector of Torreciudad.
July 18, 2023: The Prelature of Opus Dei in Spain published a communiqué on the appointment of a rector in Torreciudad, stressing that it will study the matter carefully.
July 22, 2023: The Bishopric summons Opus Dei to an act of conciliation defending as a basis the nullity of the emphyteutic census contract signed on September 24, 1962. (The Prelature would have knowledge of this act in December 2023).
August 20, 2023: The Bishop of Barbastro Monzón presides the day of the Virgin in Torreciudad.
August 31, 2023: Opus Dei sent the diocese a proposal of agreement, which includes both legal and pastoral questions, in which it is proposed that the new church be considered a diocesan canonical shrine.
October 3, 2023: The entity Desarrollo Social S.A. delivers to the Court of Barbastro a document in which it points out the reasons for the validity of the emphyteutic census contract signed on September 24, 1962.
December 2, 2023: Notification was received at the headquarters of Opus Dei in Spain from the Barbastro courts for the act of conciliation with the Prelature, filed on July 22, 2023 by the Bishopric.
December 8, 2023: The Bishop of the Diocese of Barbastro Monzón announces the approval of the Holy See to convert Torreciudad into a diocesan sanctuary.
March 1, 2023: Opus Dei publishes an extensive document clarifying some points about Torreciudad and publishes the details of the emphyteutic census contract as well as the request for conciliation.
September 25, 2024: The Bishopric of Barbastro Monzón announces that "it has placed in the hands of the Holy See the solution to the differences of criteria with the Prelature of Opus Dei regarding the juridical, canonical and pastoral regularization of Torreciudad". The bishopric had transferred the case to the Secretariat of State and the Dicastery for the Clergy the third week of September.
Ana Villota: caring for people with mental illness in supervised apartments
The Asociación de Iniciativas Sociales (AISS), directed by Ana Villota, with psychologists and caregivers, has presented to the media its initiative of supervised apartments for people with mental illnesses. The event was attended by Javier Ojeda, delegate of the diocese of Madrid for Caritas Madrid, and Susana Hernández, head of social works of Exclusion of Caritas Madrid.
Francisco Otamendi-September 25, 2024-Reading time: 3minutes
AISS is a non-profit association, founded in 1999, which provides supervised apartments for people with disabilities. mental illness. It has several apartments in Madrid (four full time, including night), and also offers a home help service.
Its director and founder, Ana Villota, explained this morning that the association "focuses on the attention and care of people, those who need us because of their particular circumstances, AISS accompanies and welcomes, and faith in God is the axis of the association. This project is based on a religious idea, love of neighbor is fundamental. That is, to love others as we love God.
"Thanks to faith."
The event featured the violinist Miren de Felipe, with Schubert's Ave Maria, followed by the Lord's Prayer in seguidillas, with the dancer Christian Almodóvar, Ángel del Toro on vocals, and Javier Romanos on guitar.
Dancer Christian Almodóvar, and other artists, at the AISS event.
"Love for others and for God pushes us to continue working day by day in the most complicated moments, and also teaches us to enjoy the good moments, of which there are many. Smiles and hugs often speak louder than words," said Ana Villota.
"To set up this project I needed my professional career, but everything would have been very short if it had not been for this religious legacy. I find, thanks to faith, peace to be able to develop this work with guarantee, and precisely this premise is what we want to emphasize today with this beautiful visit of Javier and Susana".
Psychologists and caregivers
Also present at the event, in addition to the people living in the apartment, were the psychologist Ana, who provides therapy to AISS users; Arancha, daily caregiver of the apartment, and other caregivers of supervised apartments, such as Mélida Miguelina, Dominican, or Dulce María.
Ana learned about AISS through the CEUShe has told Omnes that she "appreciates the role I have in providing support and how grateful the patients themselves are, being able to talk to them, and that they recognize your work. It's nice to see how they live here, the functions of daily life - the routines are important - and we appreciate being able to make them feel good."
Striving for an integrated life
Susana Hernández, head of social work for Exclusion de Caritas MadridHe pointed out that "in Caritas we also have projects with mental illness, but they are for homeless people. And we agree on the need to eliminate the stigma, to accompany, to make the disease is not a reason to stop being a citizen, in this case of Madrid, or Spain, It is fortunate to see that there are other people working and doing important work, sharing values.
Javier Ojeda, for his part, said that "on behalf of Caritas Madrid, we thank you for being able to get to know closely and enjoy the experience of caring, with affection and professionalism, for those people with whom you share life and future".
"As Ana (Villota) commented in an interview on the Cope channel, "there are four verbs that are very important, and that Pope Francis highlights when speaking of the drama of migrants. They are to welcome, protect, promote and integrate".
"Avoid isolation and individualism."
"We believe that you live these same verbs in your sheltered apartments, in your daily life with people with mental health. That is why we share with you that desire and that effort for these people to lead a fully normalized and integrated life, offering the same living conditions that we have the rest of people, "added Javier Ojeda.
"To build a society that includes everyone is not an act of charity more understood, (...), but it must also offer opportunities for social participation. To promote it in community spaces, because all of us have some kind of disability: an excess of selfishness, inability to put ourselves in the place of others, violent attitudes ....".
"We all have much to learn and much to teach, and we must play our part in the field of integration, avoiding isolation and individualism (...). We thank you for your efforts to make life easier and more dignified for persons with disabilities. mental healthWe encourage you to continue in this task," concluded the diocesan delegate for Caritas Madrid.
In his general audience Pope Francis spoke forcefully about the existence of Satan and recommended turning to the Word of God as an infallible method for overcoming temptations.
In the audience On September 25, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Holy Spirit. On this occasion he focused on the passage of the temptations in the desert.
The Pontiff began his reflection by clarifying an error that could arise when reading this episode of the Gospel. "In going into the desert, Jesus obeys an inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he does not fall into a trap of the enemy." The confirmation of this is read in a verse of the Gospel after the temptations, as the Pope pointed out: "Once He had overcome the trial, He - it is written - returned to Galilee 'full of the power of the Holy Spirit'".
The existence of Satan
This detail is very important, because the Pontiff pointed out that "Jesus in the desert freed himself from Satan", so that "now he can free himself from Satan". Something essential in an age in which "at a certain cultural level, it is believed that Satan simply does not exist".
"However," Francis warned, "our technological and secularized world is full of magicians, occultism, spiritualism, astrologers, sellers of amulets and spells and, unfortunately, real satanic sects." The devil, in a cunning way, "expelled from faith, re-enters with superstition".
In fact, "the strongest proof of Satan's existence is not found in sinners and obsessed people, but in the saints!" Pope Francis confirmed. But it cannot be denied either that "the devil is present and active in certain extreme and 'inhuman' forms of evil and wickedness that we see around us."
Overcoming Satan with the Word of God
The Holy Father has insisted that "it is in the lives of the saints that the devil is forced to come out into the open, to set himself 'against the light'". They are also the ones who are often best equipped to confront Satan. "The battle against the spirit of evil is won as Jesus won it in the desert: with blows of the Word of God". And along with this, "St. Peter also suggests another means that Jesus did not need, but we do: vigilance. Francis also repeated an idea that he often says: "You cannot dialogue with the devil.
In this regard, the Pontiff quoted a Father of the Church, Caesar of Arles. This saint explained that after Christ's victory on the Cross, the devil "is tied, like a dog to a chain; he can bite no one, except those who, defying danger, approach him... He can bark, he can urge, but he cannot bite, except those who wish to do so."
Today, the Pope noted, "modern technology, in addition to many positive resources to be appreciated, also offers innumerable means to 'give the devil a chance,' and many fall into his trap."
Confidence in the victory of Christ
However, the Holy Father said that "the awareness of the devil's action in history should not discourage us". Catholics must feel "confidence and security" because "Christ has conquered the devil and has given us the Holy Spirit to make his victory our own".
The Pope concluded his meditation by inviting us to pray with the hymn "Veni Creator": "Remove the enemy from us, give us peace quickly. Be our guide so that we may avoid all evil".
The future of the planet and the challenges of artificial intelligence under scrutiny at the Vatican
The Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences opened on September 23. For three days, its members will discuss Artificial Intelligence, the care of the planet and the so-called "age of the Anthropocene".
On September 23, 2024, the Plenary Assembly of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The Pope FrancisThe speech was delivered to the participants, thus kicking off discussions on highly topical issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the so-called "Anthropocene era".
The event includes three days of in-depth discussions, featuring distinguished scientists and technology leaders committed to solving the global challenges of our time.
Words of the Holy Father
In his speech prepared for the occasion, the Pontiff first expressed his concern about the destructive impact of human activities on nature and ecosystems, and congratulated the Academy for the choice of topics, stressing in this regard the importance of a science that takes into account the common good and social justice.
The central reference was to the "Anthropocene," a term coined in the early 2000s by the atmospheric scientist Paul Crutzen, now a member of the same Pontifical Academy, to define the current era in which the effects of human activities on the planet are evident. Consequences "increasingly dramatic for nature and for human beings, especially in the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity" that such an attitude is generating.
On the other hand, he could not fail to mention artificial intelligence, whose development "can be beneficial for humanity, promoting innovations in the fields of medicine and health," as well as helping to protect the natural environment itself. It is also necessary to "recognize and prevent the risks of manipulative uses" that this technological development can entail, the Pope added.
Assembly Program
The Assembly days include lectures and panel discussions with presentations from some of the world's leading scientists and technologists. During the first day, a panel explored the topic of ethics in artificial intelligence, with the participation of Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, and Frances Hamilton Arnold, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. It was mentioned that "artificial intelligence represents an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate scientific discoveries", although "its application must be accompanied by a strong social responsibility".
On the second day, the debate focused on climate change and biodiversity loss. People are becoming aware, for example, of the urgency of acting in a coordinated manner to address these crises, knowing that "science must guide the actions needed to ensure a livable future."
Highlights of the third day include a session dedicated to emerging sciences, with talks on quantum physics and applications of AI to medicine. Among other things, there will be talks on the use of artificial intelligence in marine science and how it can improve sustainable ocean management and protect marine biodiversity.
Previous Academy initiatives
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences has a long tradition of reflection on ethical and scientific issues of global relevance. Its previous plenaries have addressed topics such as human resilience during climate change and pandemic response, such as COVID-19. In 2022, the Academy explored the theme of "resilience of people and ecosystems under climate stress," highlighting the key role of science in mitigating environmental crises.
This year, the focus was on AI, considered by many to be a "cognitive-industrial revolution". As the Pope also stated, the impact of this technology "on peoples and on the international community requires greater attention and study," thus calling for a responsible use of emerging technologies to avoid exacerbating inequalities and to foster true progress.
María Vallejo-Nágera: "We must get used to reading the Bible as a family".
Despite being the most translated and sold book in the world, many Catholics do not know the Bible well. María Vallejo-Nágera wants to find a solution to this and has therefore begun to write "La Biblia para zoquetes", a collection with which she wants to help the faithful to rediscover the Word of God.
María Vallejo-Nágera has begun a project of immense dimensions: to help the "biblical oafs" to understand the Bible. With the editorial Palabra is preparing a collection of some 11 volumes in which he will explain little by little all the events of the Scripture.
The simple language and touch of humor that the author brings to her works allows adults, believers and atheists alike, to approach the best-selling and most translated book in the world with a different perspective. María Vallejo-Nágera assures that she does not explain the Bible for theologians and connoisseurs, but for ordinary Catholics, for all those who open a copy of the Old Testament and get a headache trying to locate the people or pronounce the names of the places through which the Chosen People pass.
The first volume of the collection covers the story from Adam and Eve to Abraham and, as the author points out, serves as an appetizer to begin the great adventure of all Catholics: delving into the Bible.
What is a "biblical dunce" and why are you dedicating a collection of books to it?
- A "biblical dunce," to begin with, is an adult. A biblical dunce is a person who, Catholic or not, has no idea about the Bible. The dunce may have a copy of the Bible, sitting on a shelf full of cobwebs, but he doesn't know it.
I have written the book with a very simple vocabulary, with a little humor, with no desire to attack anything or anyone in the Bible. The idea is that the reader wakes up and is very attentive to the information in the Bible. The goal is that people who do not understand the Bible can understand the basics by reading "The Bible for Dummies".
This book is like the appetizer that prepares you for the steak that comes later. I want the book to arouse the reader's curiosity to take the plunge and read the Bible.
How did you prepare to write this book?
- At the age of 53 I was fortunate to be accepted at Harvard. I studied there for a full year a course on the Old and New Testament and early Christianity up to the 12th century. There I fell in love with this subject and realized that I had to do something when I returned to Madrid.
On my return I enrolled at the Pontifical University of Comillas and obtained a degree as a Specialist in Biblical Spirituality. I studied hard and decided to tell what I had learned, but in my own way. I started to tell my friends about it through a school I set up in the Prado Museum, explaining the Bible in front of the paintings. We ended up with 120 women going to the Museum and we received the blessing of Cardinal Rouco's secretary.
The school level was very simple and is the one I have kept for the collection, because it is what the dunces need.
In the book you talk about a "philosophical-spiritual indigestion" if people read the Bible too fast. What can we do to avoid this "indigestion"?
- It is enough to read the Bible 20 minutes a day, starting little by little. And I especially recommend the Navarre Bible and the Jerusalem Bible, because they are full of small print that helps you understand the context. In particular, the Navarra Bible is perfectly translated, which is a very important detail.
In addition, I invite people to go to my book when they don't understand something in the Bible, where I try to provide the context to better understand what we read.
You say that the Bible is a very current book even though it was written thousands of years ago. Why?
- The Bible is a book that can be translated into the present. The issues it deals with are the same ones that arise for us today. We do not travel through the desert, but we still have the same problems of faith, we are concerned about the same questions. So much so, that when we read the "Song of Songs", the prophetic books or the wisdom books, we see the moral and emotional issues of thousands of years ago that are still valid today.
What about the inconsistencies that many point out in the Bible?
- We are talking about a very ancient and complex book, written by hands we do not know. We must also take into account that there are many parts of the Bible that we have lost over the centuries and that we are discovering little by little.
The Bible is a very complex book. I remember a professor of Genesis at Harvard who explained to us that, from one verse to the next, we are clearly missing a piece. Knowing this, it is not surprising that there are inconsistencies.
Why don't Catholics know the Bible?
- Catholics were forbidden for a long time to read the Bible. This had a meaning and that is that normally the laity did not have the necessary formation to understand the text.
I believe that the Church has failed in this, because after the Second Vatican Council the prohibition was lifted but the Bible has not been explained to us. By doing that, I dare say that, because of this lack of knowledge, we are not even able to understand the depth of the Mass.
The Protestants have taken the lead and we should be ashamed of ourselves. The Catholic needs to dust off the Bible and start getting to know it.
What is the best disposition for reading the Bible?
- We must open our hearts and tell the Lord that we do not understand what we read. We must ask God for the grace to understand it. It is good to start from the beginning, read little by little and let the Lord give us light. And better yet, we should get used to reading the Bible as a family.
Pope invites to "disarm communication" and encourages dialogue
Pope Francis has chosen as the theme for World Communications Day 2025 a phrase taken from the first letter of St. Peter: "Share with meekness the hope that is in your hearts."
Pope Francis has chosen as the theme for the World Communications Day 2025 a phrase inspired by a letter of St. Peter: "Share with meekness the hope that is in your hearts".
The Pontiff wants to point out how often "communication is violent" and prevents "the conditions for dialogue" from being established. For this reason, he invites everyone to "disarm communication".
By linking the theme of the Day with the Jubilee of the Esperanza which is celebrated in 2025, Francis affirms that "we cannot do without a community that lives the message of Jesus in such a credible way that it gives a glimpse of the hope that it carries, and is able to communicate the hope of Christ with deeds and words even today".
The Sala Stampa of the Holy See held on Tuesday, September 24, a press conference to discuss the next World Youth Day to be held in Seoul (South Korea) in 2027.
The press conference was attended by Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life; Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung, Archbishop of Seoul; Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul; and Gabriela Su-Ji Kim, a young Korean catechist.
The vitality of Catholics in Korea
The first to speak was Cardinal Farrell, who highlighted Pope Francis' choice of Seoul as "a beautiful sign of the universality of the Church and the dream of unity". In this sense, "every World Youth Day is a valuable opportunity for the host Church to celebrate, together with other Churches, its own culture and faith."
Although Catholics in South Korea are a minority, the cardinal assured that the country's believing community "is full of vitality and initiatives of all kinds, and is enriched by the heroic witness of so many martyrs".
For this reason, the prefect expressed his hope that World Youth Day 2027 will be "an opportunity for all young people to rediscover the beauty of the Christian life and to bring to the ordinary circumstances of daily life the renewed desire to be disciples of Jesus and faithful to his Gospel". Something that, Cardinal Farrell said without a doubt, "will have great benefits for the Church in Korea, for the Asian continent and for the Church globally".
On the other hand, the Cardinal highlighted "the natural openness of Asia to the coexistence of cultures, to dialogue and complementarity". He affirmed that this "will be of great help to the young pilgrims in their journey to become the messengers of peace of the future".
The theme of World Youth Day 2027
The Prefect then made public the motto chosen by Pope Francis for World Youth Day in Seoul: "Take courage: I have overcome the world". The phrase is intended to bring hope to all young people, giving prominence to "the witness and courage that flow from the Easter victory of Jesus".
Cardinal Farrell also said that the "passing of the baton" of the symbols of World Youth Day "will take place on November 24, the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe, during the Holy Mass in St. Peter's Basilica".
The Prefect concluded his speech by expressing his hope "that many young people, even those who have never participated in a WYD, will travel a journey, especially an interior one, in the next three years, to meet the Successor of Peter in Asia and together give a courageous witness to Christ".
Evangelization of Seoul
Before the intervention of the Archbishop of Seoul, a video shown by the Sala Stampa recalled the evangelization of South Korea, carried out mainly by the laity. Based on this, Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung said that "the Korean Catholic Church bears witness to the voluntary and dynamic faith of its first faithful, who received the seeds of the Gospel without the help of missionaries, guided by the Holy Spirit."
The Archbishop recalled that "during periods of persecution, the early Korean faithful sent desperate letters to the Pope, fervently requesting missionaries to preserve their faith and join the universal Church." Now, centuries later, "the Pope has once again accepted the request of our Church, inviting young people from all over the world to join the World Youth Day pilgrimage, participating in WYD Seoul 2027."
Joy of being members of the Church
This pilgrimage, said Msgr. Soon-Taick Chung, "will be a meaningful journey in which young people, united with Jesus Christ, will reflect and discuss the current challenges and injustices they face." It will also "be a great celebration that will allow everyone to experience the vibrant and energetic culture created by Korean youth" and an opportunity for young people from the country hosting the pilgrims to "share the concerns and passions of their peers."
The Archbishop concluded his message by committing himself "to the young people of the whole world to experience the profound joy of being members of the Church" and inviting everyone to participate in World Youth Day in Seoul.
Forgiveness and generosity in the lives of Seoul Catholics
Following the Archbishop's remarks, Paul Kyung Sang Lee spoke. The auxiliary bishop of Seoul began by stressing that "Korea finds itself in a unique context, different from that of previous World Youth Day celebrations, characterized by the harmonious coexistence of different religious traditions."
Because of its history, "the Korean Catholic Church has consistently embodied the Christian virtues of 'forgiveness' and 'sharing,' promoting these values in society and coexisting peacefully with other faiths."
Seoul World Youth Day slogan and logo in English
Logo and preparations
The auxiliary bishop of Seoul indicated that preparations for World Youth Day have already begun and showed the logo of the meeting, "which reflects the vision and aspirations of this event that will mark an epoch".
"At the center of the logo is a cross; the red and blue colors symbolize Christ's triumphant victory over the world. The element on the left, facing upwards, indicates God in Heaven, while the element on the right, facing downwards, symbolizes Earth, illustrating the fulfillment of God's will on Earth through its unity."
The logo was created in the style of traditional Korean art, "using the unique brushstroke techniques of Korean painting and subtly incorporating Hangul characters that represent 'Seoul. In addition, the image also features the English acronym for World Youth Day: WYD.
Regarding the colors, Paul Kyung Sang Lee explained that "the red on one side of the cross symbolizes the blood of the martyrs, harmonizing with the theme of courage. The blue represents the vitality of young people and symbolizes the call of God." When seen together, the colors are reminiscent of those of the Korean flag. "Finally, the yellow color shining behind the cross represents Christ, who is the 'light of the world.'"
Rekindling the faith of young people in Seoul
The last to speak was Gabriela Su-Ji Kim, a Korean catechist who participated in the itinerant Synod with young people in Rome as a delegate from her country in 2017. Gabriela echoed the consequences of COVID-19, which prompted many young people from the faith and the communities were dissolved due to the security measures imposed.
The young woman showed enthusiasm because, despite the "challenge of a scattered flock," WYD in Seoul "will be a crucial opportunity to rekindle the flames of faith, not only in Korea, but also throughout the world."
In this way, Gabriela concluded, "we will forge a path of unity, hope, courage and passion, welcoming people from all walks of life, not just Catholic believers, to walk together in harmony."
On September 29, the Church celebrates the World Day of Migrants and Refugees with the theme: "God walks with his people".
On this occasion, the Spanish Episcopal Conference has presented the materials that the Church in Spain has prepared for this day.
Bishop Vicente Martín, member of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral and Human Promotion, was the first to present the event, recalling that "the issue of migration affects us all and we have to manage it together: State, Church and society".
Bishop Vicente Martin wanted to point out the pastoral reflection approved in March by the Spanish bishops, which "is the framework in which the Church works this pastoral care of migrants". In this exhortation of the Spanish bishops there is "a proposal for a cross-cutting pastoral work with migrants".
Bishop Martin pointed out several challenges for the Church in the face of this reality: "inwardly, to be welcoming in order to live Catholicism, to widen the tent. Outwardly, to go out to meet the discarded people". The auxiliary bishop of Madrid recalled that there is the right to migrate but also the right not to migrate and stressed that those who arrive "must feel that they are part of the community to which they belong, not second class".
Once again, the Church has called for a national pact on migration as a framework for action that combines human dignity and security.
"Welcoming, promoting and integrating is our way of being at the side of migrants," said Bishop Martin.
For his part, the director of the Department of Migration, Xabier Gómez, began his speech by pointing out that "the Church has been reminding Christians of the importance of the phenomenon of migration for more than a hundred years," referring to the 110th day.
Gomez wanted to "share good news to raise our gaze and place human dignity and the common good at the center. The chosen motto reminds us that God walks with his people, in his people, in people. People on the move are Christ himself on the way," he said. Therefore "he is not with those who reject them. What we have to do is to fight against poverty, not against the poor.
In this sense, Gómez has highlighted the need to "de-ideologize what refers to migrations. Because what all this does is to defocus the issue. We are talking about people, about lives that are lost, about human dignity and the common good".
Gómez has put on the table some of the main data of the work of the Spanish Church with migrants: there are more than 120 centers serving migrants and refugees and more than 390,000 people have benefited in 2022".
Materials
Various materials have been prepared for this year's campaign. The reference document is the exhortation "Welcoming and Missionary Communities". Along with this, they offer 4 podcasts, "Crossing borders".
Gómez presented, in broad outline, the Atlantic Hospitality project, an ecclesial network in which 26 dioceses from 10-11 countries participate and which, in the next few days, will present the Atlantic Hospitality Guide that includes safe spaces along the Atlantic route as well as "podcasts to offer migrants, in their own language, information to help them manage their first arrival at the border. We will also work to connect with sponsors who can set up work projects in the populations of origin".
Finally, the apostolic vicar of Western Sahara, Mario Leon, who has been in the Sahara for 20 years, explained that "our churches are all migrants. People come for a while, the reality is hard". "The phenomenon of migration has hit us more since 2015. Until then it was concentrated in Rabat or Casablanca and they came to Sahara to pass through. We have had to learn; we with our smallness, we are two parishes, the first thing is to welcome and celebrate the faith. The migrants share their faith with us and make us live the faith in a very lively way". León referred to one of his parishes whose community "is completely migrant. What we want is that they feel at ease, we see this phenomenon as an opportunity: they have given us community life... they have given us faith". León explained the work that, in coordination with various entities and communities, is being carried out from Sahara to attend to these thousands of displaced people.
One of the questions that was in the air from the very first moment of the presentation of this Day was the possibility of Pope Francis' visit to Canary Islands. At this point, the auxiliary bishop of Madrid stressed that, for the Church in the Canary Islands, such a visit "would be a great joy and an endorsement for this work as well as a breath of hope for the people received".
Presentation of the materials prepared by the Spanish Episcopal Conference for World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2024
Bishop Philippe Jourdan: "Our Lady wanted to remain in the Estonian language, even after the Lutheran reform".
Philippe Jean-Charles Jourdan arrived in Estonia in 1996, when he was appointed Vicar General of the Apostolic Administration of Estonia. On March 23, 2005, he was appointed titular bishop of Pertusa and Apostolic Administrator. He is second only to Eduard Profittlich SJ, who is in the process of beatification.
The Apostolic Administration of Estonia is 100 years old. It was on November 1, 1924 when this land ceased to be part of the Latvian archdiocese of Riga and began its journey. It is one hundred years, but in its first half, the presence of the Catholic Church in Estonia was almost non-existent, due to the Soviet occupation that the country suffered from 1940 to 1991. Since September 26, 2024, the Apostolic Administration of Estonia is the Diocese of Tallinn.
The former Apostolic Administrator since 1996, the Frenchman Philippe Jourdan, is now bishop of the new diocese of this Baltic region, which, as a second name, has the name of Maarjamaa o Land of MaryThe Catholic presence in the country since the thirteenth century, which has experienced many vicissitudes up to the present day, is a reminiscence of the Catholic presence. In a country that has been secularized for generations, the faith is making inroads and, every year, dozens of baptisms and conversions bear witness to this.
What is the reality of the Catholic Church in Estonia?
-According to the latest census of 2021, approximately 0.8 % of the Estonian population is Catholic. It may not seem like much, but for us it is a lot.
In the 1970s a German did a doctoral thesis on the history of the Church in Estonia in the 20th century. He did it very well, conscientiously. Among the things he pointed out was how, in the early 1970s, there were five or six Estonian Catholics in Estonia. Not fifty or sixty, but five or six. I was able to meet at least two of these six. They were already very old when I arrived; I was going to visit them in the old people's home where they were. You cannot imagine what an old people's home was like in a post-Soviet society of the 1990s like ours: terrible. Well, from those five in the 1970s to today we have grown more than a thousandfold. It has been a great grace of God.
How has the Estonian faith survived throughout its history?
-Although we are now celebrating 100 years of Apostolic Administration, this does not mean that Catholics arrived in 1924. We have had a Catholic presence in Estonia since the 13th century, but the Church in Estonia - in other northern European nations - almost completely disappeared with the Lutheran Reformation in the 16th century. Catholicism was uprooted and banned for three centuries.
Interestingly, in Estonia at the beginning of the 19th century the Catholic Mass was celebrated again thanks to a Spanish nobleman, who served in the army of the Russian Tsar (at that time this land was part of the Russian Empire) and was the military governor of Tallinn. This nobleman asked the Tsar for permission to celebrate Catholic Mass in Tallinn for the Polish soldiers of the army.
The first Estonian converts to Catholicism date back to the 1930s; but shortly afterwards, in 1940, the Soviet occupation came. Many fled, and others were killed or deported, like my predecessor Eduard Profittlich, who died in prison.
The Catholic Church survived, but with great suffering for more than forty years. During this time there was only one priest, strictly guarded by the Soviet police, for the whole country.
A man who converted in the 1980s recalled that, after being baptized with his mother, when the priest went to register them, she asked if it was not risky to put their names in the parish register because, if they were discovered, for example, her son would not be able to access higher education. This priest told them that when the police called him, he came with a yellow and a red sock and when they saw him, they took him for a madman and threw him out on the street. In this way he protected himself and the Catholics.
Indeed, the Estonian Catholics of that time were heroes, some even martyrs.
In the 1940s, 20 % of the Estonian population was deported to Siberia. We are talking about one in five people. Not all of them died, but a great many did.
There is no family in Estonia that has not had deportees, and some family members have died in deportation. That marks a people for generations. That is why the possible beatification of Profittlich is so significant for the people here. Before God it is obvious that all saints and blessed are on an equal footing, but the life of one of them may have a special significance because of the events they have lived through.
Eduard Profittlich decided to share the fate of a large part of the Estonian people. He could have escaped, but he stayed and experienced what many Estonians experienced.
This beatification is a way of recognizing what has happened in this country and also to give a sense of hope. We should not stop at the fact that these people have died, but that even in those concentration camps, in the prisons, they knew how to live with hope and faith.
Last year more than fifty baptisms were performed Is the Estonian population receptive to the faith?
-Estonian society is a very pagan society. But the reality is that it has remained the same for tens of years.
Currently, 25-30 % of the population consider themselves believers, followers of some religion; the rest have no religion. When I arrived in 1996, the percentage was the same. Unfortunately, in Europe, secularization has advanced in these twenty years, but we have remained at the same level. Today, many countries are not far behind us in these figures. On the other hand, the population here is receptive; there are actually few atheists.
There are many people who claim to believe in something but do not recognize themselves in a constituted Church, especially in the Lutheran Church.
When Pope Francis was here in 2018, the Nuncio acknowledged to me that it had been the best part of his trip through the Baltic countries. The Pope had been told that Estonia was the hard part of the trip, after Lithuania, which is Catholic, and Latvia, which is half and half. But the people came to see him enthusiastically, partly because the "Pope's" visit to the Baltic countries was the most important one.Pope of Rome" as they say here, he came to see them and, moreover, because of the Pope's ability to "get into the pocket" of the people, especially non-Catholics. The president of the nation was known for not wanting to set foot in a church of any denomination. The Pope told her a Vatican joke, that John XXII was asked how many people worked in the Vatican, and he replied "about half". When the president, who may have had a similar experience, heard this, she laughed a lot and everything was very relaxed. When they left, the president said to me: "What the Pope has told me is very important to me, it helps me a lot.". On other occasions, she herself has said "the only one man of God" [as pastors or priests are called here] who tells me something is the Pope".. That was the impression of many Estonians in those days.
Every day there are a good number of people coming to the faith. In recent years, moreover, we have noticed that more and more young people are coming: people between 20-30 years of age, asking to be baptized or to be received into the Catholic Church.
How are relations with the Lutheran Church?
-We have very good relations. There is an intense ecumenical life here. In Estonia there is a Ecumenical Council of Churches. The president is the Lutheran archbishop, and I am the vice president. We see and talk to each other frequently.
The Lutheran Church in Estonia has positions very close to those of the Catholic Church on family issues, marriage between a man and a woman, or the defense of life. We try to give common witness on these moral issues. Last year I went, together with the Lutheran archbishop, to visit the parties represented in parliament. They don't always listen to us, of course, but the important thing is that we go together to dialogue with them and that they see the position of Christians on many issues. Another example is that when Pope Francis came, in 2018, as our temples are small, the Lutherans let us have their churches for the meetings.
Estonia was one of the first countries to consecrate itself to Our Lady. Is there anything left of that Marian presence?
-The curious thing is that, although Estonia is a country with a Lutheran tradition and the majority of the population has no religion, in the Estonian language the name "..." still exists.Land of Mary". (Maarjamaa) as the second name of Estonia. Just as in France they say "the hexagon" to refer to the country, here - even people who have no faith - say that "the hexagon". Land of Maryno problem. The Cardinal of Riga commented to me in astonishment how it was possible that "for those Estonian pagans, the land of Mary is so important, and we Latvians have lost it.".
For some reason, Our Lady has remained in the language even after the Reformation. I have researched the consecration of Estonia to Our Lady by Innocent III, and apparently we are the second country in the world consecrated to Our Lady. The first was Hungary in the 10th century, then Estonia in the 13th century, and then all the others: Spain, France, Italy...
One of the annual events is the pilgrimage to Viru Nigula. How did it come about?
-It was an initiative that was born in the last Holy Year, in 2000. When Pope St. John Paul II asked that pilgrimages to shrines of Our Lady be organized in each region, we asked ourselves where we could go.
In that search, we found that in the Middle Ages there was a 12th century church dedicated to the Virgin, to which pilgrimages were made in the Middle Ages. There is evidence that people were still going, even 100 years after the Reformation, even though it was burned down. Lutheran pastors were outraged and even sent bailiffs to arrest the pilgrims. It seemed idolatrous to them, because they came to the ruins of the church of the Virgin and, on their knees, went around the temple three times.
We have been going to this place since the year 2000. We celebrate Mass in the Lutheran church of the village and from there we go in procession, with the image of the Virgin, to the ruins of the old sanctuary of Viru Nigula. It has not been possible to rebuild it, but we have put a stained glass window of the Virgin, very beautiful. It is not a very big sanctuary, but it is a good place to pray and one of the northernmost Marian sites in Europe.
One million children to receive medical treatment thanks to Vatican's "global partnership
The work will focus on the creation of a network dedicated to the care of children around the world and specialized support to health personnel in the field.
With the blessing of Pope Francis, an ambitious global healthcare project for children has been launched. The initiative, called the Pope's Global Alliance for Children's Health, aims to provide medical care to one million children over the next three years, bringing hope and health care to the neediest areas of the world.
Seed of our future
The Holy Father received in audience the promoters and partners of the project, welcoming them with words that underline its importance: "Children are the seed of our future. With children we can build a new world".
The Alliance was proposed by Mariella Enoc, a leading figure on the Italian and international healthcare scene. President of the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital from Rome until February 2023, has a long experience in the health sector and a deep commitment to humanitarian causes. His vision and leadership will therefore play a crucial role in the development of this global initiative, given his extensive experience in the management of healthcare facilities and international projects.
For this reason, Pope Francis entrusted the development of the initiative to the U.S. non-profit organization "Patrons of the World's Children Hospital". The work will focus on two main fronts: the creation of a worldwide children's network, a true humanitarian community - which links with the experience of the World Children's Day -and the creation of a network dedicated to the care of children around the world, focusing on specialized support for healthcare workers in the field.
An innovative system
The operational core of the Alliance is based on an innovative system called Hub and Spoke. Hubs are hospitals of excellence that join the initiative around the world, providing specialized expertise and advanced care.
The hubs, on the other hand, are health centers and health points located in areas of the world with a high unmet demand for healthcare. The Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, known as "the Pope's hospital," has been designated the first Hub of this worldwide network, confirming the direct involvement of the Holy See.
The connection between the Hub and the Spoke will be made through a multilingual digital platform, integrated with a telemedicine system: a state-of-the-art technological infrastructure that will enable knowledge sharing and remote technical support, thus overcoming geographical barriers and allowing physicians to collaborate in real time in the care of young patients.
Local spokespersons will have the crucial task of identifying the most urgent pediatric cases and preparing the initial medical and administrative documentation. Two leading international health organizations will coordinate their network: CUAMM (Doctors for Africa) and PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions).
Fabrizio Arengi Bentivoglio, President of Patrons of the World's Children Hospital, stressed the importance of reaching children in less visible areas of the world. "There are hundreds of thousands of children who need help every day in areas that are rarely talked about, for whom there are no protection mechanisms in place," he explained. "These are the first children we want to help," among whom are undoubtedly all those who are suffering the consequences of the war in Ukraine and Gaza or the various natural disasters.
The project involves other relevant organizations in addition to those mentioned above, including companies such as Almaviva and Teladoc Health, but also Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. Advocacy, fundraising and awareness-raising activities will instead be entrusted to Patrons of the World Children's Hospital.
Ethnicity, culture and religion in Georgia: a diverse country
Georgia is a mosaic of cultural, ethnic and linguistic traditions. Its strategic location, straddling Europe and Asia, has been essential for the creation of a complex society, the result of the encounter, and clash, between peoples and religions.
Georgia, like other Caucasus countries, is a mosaic of different cultural, ethnic and linguistic traditions. Its strategic location, straddling Europe and Asia, has been essential for the creation of a complex society, the result of the encounter, and clash, between peoples, empires and religions.
The Georgians
The Georgian ethnicity itself represents about 83-86 % of the population, but does not form a uniform bloc. Georgians are divided into several regional subgroups, such as the Kartveli, Mingreli, Svani and Lazi, each with distinct linguistic and cultural characteristics.
However, they all speak Southern Caucasian languages (Standard Georgian is the dominant literary language and the other languages are closely related to it).
The main group, the Kartveli (the name of Georgia, in the local language, is Sakartvelo, i.e., "Country of the Kartveli"), originates from the central and eastern regions and speaks standard Georgian (although with various accents and dialects, at least 17), the official language of the country.
Then there are the Mingrelians, who live mainly in the western Samegrelo region and speak Mingrelian, a language of the same family as Georgian but not mutually intelligible. The Svani people populate the mountains of Svanetia, in the northwest of the country. They speak Svano, another South Caucasian language, and are known for their cultural and geographical isolation.
Finally, the Lazi (or Laz) are a small ethnic group inhabiting the Adjara region near the Turkish border. They speak Laz, a language similar to Mingrelian, and are mostly Muslim.
As South Caucasian languages, Georgian and its cognates are not related to other languages, being isolated languages. The alphabet used for these idioms is also unique. In fact, as mentioned in a previous article, three writing systems have been used over the centuries to write the Georgian language: mkhedruli, once the royal alphabet, and the one used today, which has 33 characters (out of the original 38), asomtavruli and nuskhuri, the latter two used only by the Georgian Church, in the texts of religious ceremonies and in iconography.
Ethnic minorities
Among the ethnic minorities living in Georgia there are ArmeniansAzeris, Russians, Ossetians, Abkhazians, Greeks and Kurds.
Interior of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
Armenians constitute, together with Azeris, the largest minority in the country. They are especially concentrated in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, where in some cities, including the capital, Akhaltsikhe, they represent more than 90 % of the inhabitants.
Until a few years ago, it was very common for the Armenian population not to be able to speak Georgian (as public education in their region provided a limited number of hours of instruction in the country's official language). Lately, especially since the time of Mikheil Saakashvili, the situation has been changing and the Armenian community is becoming better integrated in Georgia, although it has a long historical presence and its own linguistic and religious identity.
Azerbaijanis live mainly in the Kvemo-Kartli region, on the border with Azerbaijan. Predominantly Muslim, they speak a Turkic language, Azerbaijani. Russians, on the other hand, are a small but always influential minority, especially during the Soviet period, to the extent that their language is still widely understood and spoken, especially among the older generations.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Open wounds
The Ossetians are an Iranian-speaking (Indo-European) population with a predominantly Orthodox Christian religion. They live in South Ossetia (with capital at Tskhinvali), a separatist region in northern Georgia, and in the Russian republic of North Ossetia-Alania. They descend from the Alans and Sarmatians, tribes from Central Asia, and converted to Christianity during the Middle Ages, under Georgian influence.
The Mongol invasions caused the expulsion of the Ossetians from their homeland (today in Russian territory) and their deportation to the Caucasus, where they formed three distinct political units: Digor, in the west; Tualläg, in the south (today's South Ossetia, in Georgia); Iron (today's North Ossetia-Alania).
Historically, South Ossetia has always been part of Georgia, but the local population, mostly ethnic Ossetians, was culturally and linguistically related to the North Ossetians. However, even during the Soviet period, South Ossetia remained part of Georgia, in this case of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, albeit enjoying a particular autonomy.
With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the newly independent Georgia adopted a policy of strengthening sovereignty and national identity throughout the territory, which caused unrest among ethnic minorities. Thus, in 1991, South Ossetia declared its independence, triggering a civil war, the First Russo-Georgian War, with a series of ethnic violence and massacres and a mass migration that saw many Ossetians fleeing to Russia, on the one hand, and thousands of Georgians leaving the region for good, on the other.
The war ended with a fragile cease-fire in 1992, mediated by Russia, which maintained peacekeeping troops (coincidentally, like those Russia maintained in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh or elsewhere) in the region. However, South Ossetian independence was never recognized by the international community.
The Second South Ossetia War, also known as the Five-Day War, the August War or the Russo-Georgian War, broke out in 2008, also involving Abkhazia, after a period of tensions between the Saakashvili government and Putin's government, which strongly opposed the Georgian prime minister for his policy of rapprochement with the West and his attempts to regain control over the separatist regions.
Faced with the upsurge of violence in the region, Russia then decided to intervene under the pretext of protecting its citizens in South Ossetia and Abkhazia (many Ossetians and Abkhazians had Russian citizenship), something similar to what happened with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Russian intervention put an end to the conflict in just five days and marked the formal recognition by Russia of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Here, among other things, the previous conflict in the 1990s had led to a real ethnic cleansing of the Georgian component, which was then the majority in the region (in 1989, Abkhazians, a North Caucasian-speaking people of predominantly Orthodox Christian religion, numbered about 93,000, 18 % of the population, while Georgians numbered 240,000, 45 %. As of 1993, Abkhazians came to represent about 45 % of the population).
In 2021, the European Court of Human Rights accused Russia of human rights violations in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Christianity in Georgia
The beauty of the Georgian churches and monasteries is overwhelming, with the enveloping aroma of incense from the entrance, the sound of polyphonic chants (Georgian polyphony, not only liturgical but also popular, fascinated the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, is now protected by Unesco and NASA has even sent a recording of it into space), icons and frescoes, typical of the local ecclesiastical architecture. Medieval churches, such as those in Mtskheta and Gelati, testify to the country's ancient architectural and spiritual tradition.
In fact, the culture of Georgians is deeply rooted in Christian traditions, and the local autocephalous Orthodox Church plays a crucial role in the life of the country.
In pre-Christian Georgia, which was very diverse in terms of religious cults, local pagan beliefs coexisted with Hellenistic cults (especially in Colchis), the cult of Mithras and Zoroastrianism. It is in this context that, according to tradition, Christianity was first preached by the apostles Simon and Andrew in the 1st century, later becoming the state religion of the Kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) in 337 (the second state in the world after Armenia to adopt Christianity as its official religion), by a Greek woman (according to one tradition, related to St. George), the much venerated Saint Nino (Christian) of Cappadocia, whose effigy can be found everywhere.
The Georgian Orthodox Church, initially part of the Church of Antioch, obtained autocephaly and gradually developed its own doctrinal specificity between the 5th and 10th centuries. The Bible was also translated into Georgian in the 5th century, with the local alphabet created and developed for this purpose (although some recent studies have identified a probable much older, pre-Christian alphabet). As elsewhere, the Church was instrumental in the development of a written language, and most of the earliest written works in Georgian were religious texts.
The adoption of Christianity placed Georgia on the front line between the Islamic and Christian worlds, but Georgians remained stubbornly attached to Christianity, despite repeated invasions by Muslim powers and long episodes of foreign domination.
After annexation to the Russian Empire, the Russian Orthodox Church took control of the Georgian Orthodox Church from 1811 to 1917, and subsequent Soviet rule resulted in harsh purges and systematic repression of religious freedom. In Georgia, too, many churches were destroyed or converted into secular buildings. Once again, the Georgian people were able to react, incorporating religious identity into the strong nationalist movement.
In 1988, Moscow finally allowed the Georgian Patriarch (katholikos) to start consecrating and reopening and restoring closed churches. After independence in 1991, the Georgian Orthodox Church finally regained autonomy and full independence from the state.
Religious freedom
According to the Georgian Constitution, religious institutions are separate from the government and every citizen has the right to freely profess his or her faith. However, more than 83 % of the population adheres to the Orthodox Christian confession, with minorities of Russian Orthodox (2 %), Armenian Apostolic Christians (3.9 %), Muslims (9.9 % mainly among Azeris, but also Laz), Roman Catholics (0,8 %) and Jews (the Georgian Jewish community is of very ancient tradition and considerable importance, although its size was drastically reduced during the 20th century due to massive emigration to Israel, where today several famous Israeli Jews in show business and culture are of Georgian origin, such as the singer Sarit Haddad).
I greeted this beautiful country from the peaks of the Caucasus, first in the coolness, at over 3,000 meters, near the border with the Russian Federation and the splendid Holy Trinity Monastery of Gergeti, and then in the heat of the sulfurous bath, with water at about 50 degrees, in an ancient structure in Tbilisi. But I promised myself that I would return and return soon.
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
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Pope links "true power" to "care for the weakest".
"True power is not in the dominion of the strongest, but in the care of the little ones, the weakest, the poor...". This is what Pope Francis said at the Angelus of this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, in which he asked, once again, that "we pray for peace".
Francisco Otamendi-September 22, 2024-Reading time: 3minutes
"Today's liturgy speaks to us of Jesus, who announces what will happen at the end of his life. The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and after he is dead, three days later he will rise again".
"But the disciples, as they follow the Master, have something else on their minds, and also on their lips. When Jesus asked them what they were talking about, they did not answer. Let us pay attention to that silence," Pope Francis suggested in the meditation preceding the Angelus of this September 22, the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, taking as a reference the Gospel of today.
"The disciples kept silent because they were arguing about who was the greatest," the Pontiff continued. "They keep silent out of shame. What a contrast with the Lord's words. While Jesus entrusted to them the meaning of his own life, they spoke of power. And shame closes their mouths, just as pride had previously closed their hearts".
"Put yourself at the service of all"
"Jesus answers them openly: 'Whoever wants to be first, let him be last. If you want to be great, make yourself small. With a word as simple as it is decisive, Jesus renews our way of living. He teaches us that true power does not lie in dominating the strongest, but in caring for the weakest. True power is taking care of the weakest. This makes you great.
Francis continued to reflect on this idea: "Here is why the Master, in a moment, calls a child, places him among the disciples and embraces him saying: 'whoever welcomes a child like this in my name, welcomes Me'".
"We have been welcomed. He who was rejected, rose again."
"The child has no power, the child has need (...). Man needs life. All of us are alive because we have been welcomed. But power makes us forget this truth. And we become dominators, not servants. And the first to suffer are precisely the last, the little ones, the weak, the poor".
"How many people suffer and die because of power struggles. They are lives that the world rejects, as it rejected Jesus (...) He did not find an embrace, but a Cross, Yet the Gospel remains a living word full of hope. He who was rejected is risen. He is the Lord".
We can now ask ourselves, the Pope pointed out: "Do I know how to recognize the face of Jesus in the least of these? Do I care for my neighbor by serving generously? Do I thank those who care for me? Let us pray together to Mary to be like her, free from vainglory and ready to serve".
Condemnation of all violence and wars
Following the recitation of the Marian prayer of the AngelusThe Holy Father prayed for Juan Lopez, murdered a few days ago in Honduras. Juan Lopez was coordinator of the social pastoral of the diocese of Trujillo and a founding member of the pastoral of the poor. Integral Ecology In Honduras, as reported by Omnes, I join this church in mourning and condemning any form of violence.
He then greeted the Ecuadorians living in Rome, who are celebrating Our Lady of the Swan; a choir from Toledo, families and children from Slovakia, Mexican faithful, and various associations. In concluding, he asked that "the detainees be in dignified conditions", and as he always does, he asked that "we pray for peace" remembering that "on the war fronts, the tension is very high; that the voice of the people who ask for peace be heard". "Let us not forget the tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar".
Pope Francis has insisted since the beginning of his pontificate on the danger of the Third World War "in pieces" that is unfolding. One of the latest warnings came during his address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See in January 2024.
To find out if this qualification of the Pontiff can really be applied to the situation of current warfare, Omnes spoke with María Teresa Gil Bazo, Professor of International Law at the University of Navarra. She explains that "what defined the so-called world wars was the explosion of armed conflicts on different continents, in alliances and battles fought beyond the territory of the states involved. The increase in armed conflicts in recent years has seen the multilateral action of states in different territories beyond their borders. In this sense, we can speak of an undeclared Third World War".
With open fronts in different countries of the world, tension on the international level is increasing. While the Pope insists on the shared responsibility to build for "future generations a world of greater solidarity, justice and peace" (Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Peace 2024).
The Pope's warnings are justified. According to the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, at least 6 international conflicts are currently underway. However, there are more than 110 violent local clashes in various territories. Faced with this situation, the Pontiff cries out for peace and asks for prayers in all his general audiences and in a multitude of public interventions.
War in Ukraine
One of the flashpoints that Francis mentions the most is the war between Ukraine and Russia. The current conflict broke out on February 24, 2022, although its precedents are much earlier. Many authors point out that the beginning of the war was the "Euromaidan," unrest that took place in Ukraine for several months in 2014 over Russian interference in the country's politics. Soon after, Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula followed, which increased the tension. However, the severity of the conflict reached its climax on February 24, 2022, when the Russian army invaded Ukrainian territory.
From the very first moment of the invasion, the events took on an international tinge. The governments of several countries reacted to the Russian advance and denounced the actions of Putin and his army. Many nations have offered assistance to Ukraine during these two years, although it is true that there are other countries that support Russia.
The economic impact of this war is very high, but Pope Francis constantly highlights the consequences of the war for the people of the territory. Many Ukrainian citizens have had to move to escape the bombings and the United Nations has pointed out that this is the largest refugee crisis since World War II. In this regard, Dr. Gil Bazo points out that "since February 2022 more than six million Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Europe".
Faced with this situation, European countries have had to respond quickly and effectively, including, as the Navarra professor points out, "the granting of temporary protection for the first time in the European Union to all Ukrainians just a few days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine". This reaction, she continues, "teaches us that there are no 'refugee crises', but crises in the responses to protection needs". This idea is shared by Pope Francis, when he publicly calls on many occasions for countries to be generous in welcoming people fleeing the fighting.
A church destroyed after Russian shelling (OSV News photo / Vladyslav Musiienko, Reuters)
Israel and Palestine
Another frequent mention of the Pontiff is the war in Gaza between Israel and Palestine. Although the confrontation between these blocs has been making headlines since October 7, 2023, the reality is that this war has been going on for more than 75 years.
In 1948, the United Nations decided to divide the Mandate of Palestine, which had been in the hands of the British, into two different States: one Jewish and the other Arab. While the first group accepted this division, the Arabs opposed it, arguing that the division implied for them a decrease in the territory they had held up to that time.
Despite the refusal of the Arab side, on May 14, 1948, the Jews declared Israel's independence. Almost immediately, the international community recognized the new state, thus ignoring the claims made by Palestine. From that moment on, the Arabs declared war on the Israeli state, but they did not achieve victory and thousands of Palestinians were displaced far from the territory.
Since 1948 Palestine and Israel have been at loggerheads over this issue. However, experts believe that a truce or agreement to resolve the conflict is very difficult to reach. In December 2023, Omnes was able to interview two people, a Jewish woman and an Arab woman, who spoke about the current standoff in Gaza. Both agreed that a resolution to the war is complicated to reach, as neither side wants to give in to the demands of the other.
Iranian attack on Israel in retaliation for the conflict with Palestine (OSV News photo / Amir Cohen, Reuters)
The main demands for an end to the war are incompatible. Both Israel and Palestine demand that the other state recognize their authority over the disputed territory. These are mutually exclusive demands on which it is almost impossible to reach a middle ground.
International experts have proposed three different solutions. On the one hand, some think that the best way to end the conflict would be the creation of a single federal state in which Israelis and Palestinians coexist. Others think that the establishment of two separate states should be accepted, as was proposed by the United Nations last century and suggested by the Pope. Finally, there are those who believe that three different States should be formed, without Palestine being properly speaking one of them, but with Israel, Egypt and Jordan living side by side.
It is not easy for any of these proposals to be accepted, which is why the flames of war are still burning after all these years. In spite of this, Pope Francis frequently insists on the need for dialogue. He demands that political leaders think of the generations that are suffering the drag of the conflict. In his address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in January 2024, he made an "appeal to all parties involved to agree to a cease-fire on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and for the immediate release of all hostages in Gaza."
Fire in Africa
Africa is also a zone of conflict, even though the Pontiff does not mention it so often. While it might seem that the clashes on the African continent have more of a local tinge, the reality is that their consequences can be felt all over the planet.
Obviously, one of the major crises caused by war in Africa is the migration of millions of people to other countries. However, the importance of these conflicts lies not in the consequences for the countries hosting the migrants, but in the destruction they are causing within Africa.
Soldier in Nigeria (OSV news photo / Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters)
The aforementioned Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights ranks Africa as the continent with the second highest number of armed conflicts on the planet. Specifically, it notes that 35 conflicts are ongoing in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Senegal, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
For its part, the "International Crisis Group" organization closely monitors, thanks to the collaboration of experts, the situation of clashes around the world. In a tracking list that they update every month, they mention the situations that are worsening. In February 2024 they indicated that hostilities are escalating in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Senegal, Chad, South Sudan and Burkina Faso.
Many conflicts in Africa are caused by terrorist groups attacking different groups or are battles over territory, but political instability is not conducive to progress towards peace.
Tension in America
On the other side of the ocean, on the American continent, tensions are also very high. On the one hand, there are the multitude of conflicts in which the United States is currently involved: Yemen, Somalia, Niger and Syria. The role of the American power is frowned upon by many actors in the international community, who criticize the US involvement in local events in other countries.
Some armed conflicts are also being waged within the Americas, especially in Colombia and Mexico. Although the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights does not consider these conflicts to be international clashes, it is true that they add to the long list of tensions accumulating in the Americas.
Developments in Mexico are particularly important, as several waves of violence have taken place during 2024 that have plagued the country. The fight against drug cartels and gangs is far from a peaceful end at present. This has caused thousands of Mexican migrants to cross the U.S. border to seek refuge.
At the same time, Haiti has made international headlines. Gangs took control of the country in the face of government inaction. Since then, violence has taken to the streets and the administration has imposed a curfew after declaring a state of alarm.
Violence in the streets of Haiti (OSV News photo / Ralph Tedy Erol, Reuters)
Silence in Armenia
Readers will recall that in December 2023 Omnes published an extensive report on the situation in Armenia. Following a massacre in which more than 20,000 Armenians lost their lives in 1920, the citizens of this country have gone through several armed conflicts involving the Soviet Union and, especially in recent years, Azerbaijan.
After two bloody wars in less than three years, the Armenians have had to abandon part of the territory, in particular the Artaj area which has passed into the hands of Azerbaijan. Not only that, but the Azerbaijani government started in 2023 a process to erase Armenia's presence in the territory. However, as Middle East expert Gerardo Ferrara explains, "from documents in the possession of historians, it is known that Artsakh, or Nagorno Karabakh, has been Armenian land at least since the 4th century AD and a dialect of the Armenian language is spoken there."
The little media coverage of what is happening between Armenia and Azerbaijan is giving rise to a "silent genocide", denounced, however, by Pope Francis, who in turn stresses the urgency of "finding a solution to the dramatic humanitarian situation of the inhabitants of that region, encouraging the return of the displaced to their homes in a legal and safe manner, as well as respecting the places of worship of the various religious denominations present in the area" (Address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See on January 8, 2024).
However, the authorities deny what is happening in Armenia and it is difficult to establish a way to achieve a stable and peaceful situation.
India Division
In 1947 the British colony of India was divided into two parts: the Dominion of Pakistan (which in turn split into Pakistan and Bangladesh) and the Union of India (now the Republic of India). However, this partition was not peaceful and the quarrel over the boundaries of each territory escalated into a war. Thousands of people lost their lives and millions disappeared in riots and armed conflicts.
The focus of the fighting is the Kashmir region, disputed between India, Pakistan and China. The latter occupied the northeastern area, while India controls the southern and central area, and Pakistan rules in the northwestern region. There is also a part of the Kashmiri population that claims the independence of the territory.
The great danger of the India-Pakistan dispute is the nuclear threats between the two sides, which reached a climax in 2012. Despite this, in 2021 the two sides agreed to a ceasefire.
However, diplomatic relations are still not as expected. India demands that Pakistan give up the territory of Kashmir, while the Pakistani government considers that the disputed territory has shown its rejection of the Indian administration and should be allowed to become independent or incorporated into Pakistan.
Police stand guard outside a school adapted as a shelter for Christians in Pakistan (OSV News photo / Charlotte Greenfield, Reuters).
China and India
As already mentioned, India and China are at loggerheads over Kashmir, but that area is not the only source of conflict. For decades, the two countries have been at loggerheads over the demarcation of their adjoining borders along a line thousands of kilometers long. On May 5, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the military on the border opened fire. A Chinese army group advanced across border territories they had agreed upon as common patrol lines. This move surprised India, which responded immediately.
China has an extensive missile arsenal (CNS photo / Thomas Peter, Reuters)
After a few months of fighting, the two sides signed a ceasefire agreement. However, on June 15, they clashed again when, according to the Chinese army, Indian soldiers entered their territory and set fire to their belongings. The fighting was particularly fierce and both governments quickly tried to bring the situation under control. To this end, the Chinese and Indian administrations and media concealed facts and manipulated information, leaving even the events of May 5 in the shadows.
Although there is no open armed conflict as such at the moment, groups from each of the nations are constantly carrying out incursions or attacks. At the diplomatic level, there is a climate of mistrust and there does not seem to be a fluid dialogue between the countries.
On the other hand, at the military level, the soldiers of both sides withdrew from the areas that provoked the confrontation in 2020. Despite this, according to the data of "International Crisis Group", China has more than 50,000 troops on the disputed line. By all appearances, India has a larger number of military agents in the area.
The experts of the "International Crisis Group" organization affirm that "the military reinforcement and the construction of infrastructures on both sides of the border, although technically they do not violate the agreements between the parties, break with their spirit and deepen mistrust". On this basis, they state that "the two sides should consider the possibility of establishing a high-level communication channel that would serve to clarify misunderstandings, complementing the existing hotlines".
The Korean conflict
The relationship between North and South Korea is also of international concern. After a three-year war in the mid-20th century, the two countries signed an armistice. Despite this, the two nations claim that the entire land of Korea belongs to them and threats are constantly crossed.
The international press often highlights the nuclear danger posed by the confrontation between these two powers, but there is currently no open armed confrontation. However, on January 15, 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly stated that he does not consider a peaceful solution to the conflict possible and proposed to officially declare South Korea a hostile state.
South Korean soldier (CNS photo / Kim Kyung-Hoon, Reuters)
Ready?
Considering the amount of accumulated tensions, since the beginning of 2024 many politicians and rulers have warned citizens of a possible full-scale war. From U.S. President Joe Biden to Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaders frequently mention the need to be prepared for war.
So much so that in Denmark, for example, they have established compulsory military service for the country's women as well. For his part, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, made public statements asking the other European countries to consider the possibility of a war in case Russia continues to advance. These statements increase distrust among the population and provoke a sense of uncertainty for the future.
Media war
Another focus that is often forgotten is the battle in the media and social networks. The rise of new technologies has very positive consequences for the development of society, but it also has a negative impact.
The ease of sharing information, as well as the tools that allow you to modify or even create an image from scratch, make the Internet a hole in which it is difficult to distinguish reality from lies.
Peace calls
Against this backdrop, the words of Pope Francis in his message for the 2019 World Day of Peace become topical. In it he affirmed that "peace can never be reduced to a simple balance of force and fear". On the contrary, the Pontiff explained, "peace is based on respect for each person, regardless of his or her history, on respect for law and for the common good."
Every year the Bishop of Rome publishes a few words reflecting on peace. But, of course, his predecessors also advocated peace during their terms of office. A clear example of this is Pope Paul VI, a man who lived through the two World Wars. In his encyclical "Populorum Progressio" he made it clear that "peace is not reduced to an absence of war, the fruit of an always precarious balance of forces. Peace is built day by day, in the establishment of an order willed by God, which brings about a more perfect justice among men".
Joint liability
Both Pope Francis and his predecessors have seen law as a way to resolve conflicts. The current Bishop of Rome frequently calls for a "humanitarian law". Commenting on this issue, Dr. Maria Teresa Gil Bazo explains that "Law can and must put the person at the center. International law already contains bodies of norms concerning armed conflicts and the treatment of persons even in situations of war. But the law has limits and is sometimes violated. This is where the role of a society that demands real solutions from its rulers is most relevant.
In this regard, Francis denounced in 2013 "the culture of well-being, which leads us to think of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of others, makes us live in soap bubbles, which are beautiful but are nothing, they are the illusion of the futile, of the provisional, which leads to indifference towards others, or rather, leads to the globalization of indifference" (Pope Francis' speech on July 8, 2013 during his visit to Lampedusa). And it is important to fight against this indifference because the answer to stop the current conflicts is to recognize the common responsibility to promote peace. A peace that is "laborious and artisanal", as Pope Francis defines it in his encyclical "Fratelli Tutti".
Torreciudad celebrates Family Day in spite of the rain
The weather conditions forced to celebrate the events inside the temple of Torreciudad. In spite of this, about 3000 people attended this traditional appointment with the Virgin whose central mass, for the second consecutive year, was presided by the bishop of Barbastro-Monzón.
Hundreds of families have come to the Marian Journey of the Family of Torreciudad in its 32nd edition. A day marked by rain and bad weather, which was not an obstacle to celebrate this traditional day at the Marian temple of Torreciudad.
Ángel Pérez Pueyo, bishop of Barbastro Monzón, was in charge of presiding over the Mass for the families, which this year was celebrated inside the church erected in 1975.
During the homily, the bishop highlighted how "in a world that seems to be increasingly fragmented, the family becomes a space for reconstruction, to love, forgive and serve".
Taking as an analogy the building that has sheltered thousands of people from the rain, Pérez Pueyo has pointed out that the family "is the sanctuary of the ordinary where, without making noise, the greatest things are done. In the little things of everyday life, at work, in moments of sharing, in difficulties and joys, God is at work. If we are capable of rediscovering the value of the simple, if we learn to love and serve in our own home, we will already be beginning to transform the world.
During the celebration, a message was also read out by the Pope Francis sent to the participants of the Day in which the pontiff encouraged to take care of the home as "the first place where everyone learns to love and relate to others from the experience of being loved" and encouraged families to face together "the moments of adversity" and to witness with their lives the "beauty of faith in Christ".
Due to the weather, the scene of the offering of flowers and fruits was changed, as well as that of a numerous offering of children to the Virgin of Torreciudad. At noon, the Alborada Choir The afternoon, the participants prayed the rosary and received the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament.
Santiago Segura and "A Gentleman in Moscow", what you have to see this month
This month there are two very different recommendations, but entertainment is guaranteed in both. On the one hand, the fourth installment of "Padre no hay más que uno" and on the other, the series "Un caballero en Moscú".
We recommend new releases, classics, or content you haven't seen yet from your favorite platforms. This month's recommendations are a movie and a series that are very different in nature but are sure to entertain viewers.
There is only one father 4
There is only one father 4
DirectorSantiago Segura
Screenwriters Santiago Segura
ActorsSantiago Segura, Toni Acosta, Martina Valeria de Antioquía, Calma Segura
Platform: Cinemas
Santiago Segura continues his crusade of naive, happy family movies, giving the audience what they like in a formulaic way in the best sense. In this installment, the destabilizing act comes when the eldest daughter of the family turns 18, and her boyfriend proposes and she accepts. The film features its star cast, high-flying cameos, and sharp dialogue, creating a reflection on time in the background. A safe choice for anyone who wants to unwind and have fun.
A gentleman in Moscow
A gentleman in Moscow
Director: Sam Miller
ScreenwritersDavid Hemingson
Actors: Ewan McGregor, Johnny Harris, Leah Harvey
PlatformsAmazon Prime
Based on the wonderful 2016 novel by Amor Towles, "A Gentleman in Moscow" is set in post-revolutionary Russia, where Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat, is saved from death and placed under house arrest as the Bolshevik Revolution unfolds before him.
Stripped of his title and material wealth and placed under house arrest for life in a grand Moscow hotel, Rostov creates a life of unlikely friendships, romance and the enduring power of human connection, as well as witnessing Russian history in that incredible microcosm.
William Tell is a legendary character whose story is related to the freedom and independence of Switzerland and who is identified as a symbol of paternal love and the struggle for justice.
September 21, 2024-Reading time: 4minutes
Over the centuries, the figure of William Tell has embodied the ideals of the struggle for freedom and independence of Switzerland first and later those of paternal love and the struggle for justice.
According to legend, Tell was born in the canton of Uri and married a daughter of Furst of Altinghansen, who together with Arnold of Melchthal and Werner of Stauffacher had sworn on September 7, 1307 in Gruttli to free his homeland from the Austrian yoke.
The Habsburgs pretended to exercise sovereign rights over the Waldstetten and Herman Gessler of Brunoch, "dance" of those cantons on behalf of Emperor Albert, wanted to impose his authority with acts of real tyranny that irritated those rough mountain people.
He wanted to force all Swiss to unveil themselves in front of a hat, placed at the top of a pole on the Altdorf square, which, according to the conjecture of the historian Müller, must have been the ducal hat.
Tell, indignant, came down from the mountain to the square of Altdorf, wearing the characteristic costume of the shepherds of the Four Cantons, covered his head with a hood and wearing sandals with wooden soles reinforced with soles and bare legs. And he refused to submit to this humiliation.
The William Tell test
The "dance" ordered him to stop. And, knowing his skill in the handling of the crossbow, he threatened him with death if he did not succeed in knocking down with the arrow, from 120 steps away, an apple placed on the head of the youngest of Tell's sons. From this terrible ordeal, which legend has it that took place on November 18, 1307, the skillful crossbowman emerged victorious. When Gessler noticed that Tell was carrying a second hidden arrow, he asked him for what purpose he was carrying it. "It was for you, if I had had the misfortune to kill my son," was the reply. Gessler, incensed, ordered him to be put in chains, and to prevent his compatriots from freeing him, he wanted to lead him himself across Lake Lucerne to the castle of Kussmacht.
In the middle of the lake they were surprised by a violent storm, caused by an impetuous south wind, very frequent in that region, and, faced with the danger of capsizing and drowning, he ordered the prisoner's chains to be removed and to take the helm, for he was also a skilled navigator.
Tell managed to board next to a platform, known since then by the name of "Tell's Leap," located not far from Schwitz. He quickly jumped ashore and, giving the boat a push with his foot, left it again at the mercy of the waves. Nevertheless, Gessler managed to gain the shore and continued his march towards Kussnacht. But Tell went ahead and, stationing himself in a suitable place, waited for the tyrant to pass and mortally wounded him with an arrow.
This was the beginning of an uprising against Austria. Tell took part in the battle of Morgaten (1315) and, after a quiet life, died in Bingen in 1354, being a recipient of the Church.
History and legend
The story has been passed down through Swiss tradition. Contemporary chronicles of the Swiss revolution of 1307 do not mention Tell. But at the end of the 15th century Swiss historians began to speak of the hero, giving various versions of the legend.
Gessler's name does not appear in the complete list of the Altdorf "dances". None of them were killed after 1300. On the other hand, a governor of Kussnacht is found to have been killed when he jumped to earth by an arrow shot by a peasant whom he had molested in 1296, the event taking place on the shores of Lake Lowertz and not on Lake Schwitz. Probably the legend has taken as its origin this historical fact, prelude of the insurrection of 1307.
Tell is not a name, but a nickname; it comes, like the German word "tal", from the old German "tallen", to speak, not to know how to be silent, and means exalted madman, having been applied in contemporary chronicles to the uprising of the three conspirators of Gruttli, considered, before the triumph, mad and reckless.
Frendenberger wrote in 1760 a book entitled "William Tell, Danish Fable". The legend, in fact, is found in the Scandinavian countries before the Swiss story-legend. It is quoted, among others, by the Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, in his "Danish History", written at the end of the 10th century, attributing it to a Gothic soldier named Tocho or Taeck.
It is probable that emigrants from the north, settled in Switzerland, imported the legend and even the name. Similar legends exist in Iceland, Holstein, on the Rhine and in England (William of Cloudesley).
In honor of William Tell
The plausible thing is, as it happens in analogous cases, that all these legends have been accumulated to a real personage, since the construction of chapels in honor of Tell, only thirty years after the date in which his death is situated, proves in an indisputable way that the legends were supported in a real fact. These chapels are still the object of veneration in Switzerland. One of them stands on the shores of Lake Schwitz, on the same platform on which the hero jumped ashore. It is said that, when it was built in 1384, its inauguration took place in the presence of 114 people who had known Tell personally.
Rossini wrote an opera on the theme and Schiller a drama. This, in 1804, is the last one he composed and is considered his masterpiece. A totally harmonious work," says Menéndez y Pelayo in his work Ideas Estéticas, "and preferred by many to the rest of the poet, is William Tell, in which one certainly does not admire the grandeur of Wallenstein or the pathos of Mary Stuart, but a perfect harmony between the action and the scenery, a no less perfect interpenetration of the individual drama and of the drama which we might call epic or of transcendental interest, and a torrent of lyrical poetry, as fresh, transparent and clean as the water that flows from the very Alpine peaks".
Pope asks Cardinals for "courage" to achieve "zero deficit" in Vatican
Francis has sent a letter to the cardinals focusing on the progress of the economic reform of the Holy See and asks for an additional effort to achieve the complete economic reorganization of the Vatican.
The Holy See made public this morning the letter that Pope Francis sent to the members of the College of Cardinals in which he asks the cardinals for a real effort and commitment to achieve the economic reorganization of the institutions of the Holy See.
In this letter, the Pope recalls the Church's need for continual reform, the spirit on which the reform of the Roman Curia and the Apostolic Constitution are based. Predicate Evangelium.
Within this reform, the Pope emphasizes the economic reform of the Holy See. The work in this regard, the pontiff emphasizes, "has been far-sighted and has made it possible to acquire a greater awareness that the economic resources at the service of the mission are limited and must be managed with rigor and seriousness so that the efforts of those who have contributed to the mission are not dispersed. patrimony of the Holy See".
The Pope thanked the members of the College of Cardinals for their efforts in this regard, but also asked them to make an "additional effort on the part of everyone so that 'zero deficit' is not just a theoretical objective, but a truly attainable goal."
For this reason, Francis emphasizes, the ethical policies that have been implemented in recent years are joined by "the need for each institution to strive to find external resources for its mission, setting an example of transparent and responsible management at the service of the Church".
Cost reduction and avoidance of superficialities
The Pope concretizes this effort in the need for "cost reduction" and calls for services to be carried out "in a spirit of essentiality, avoiding the superfluous and selecting our priorities wisely".
Francis also called for an exercise of fraternity and solidarity among the various institutions of the Holy See, pointing to the image of families in which "those who are in a good economic situation come to the aid of the neediest members," and encouraging Vatican institutions with surpluses to "contribute to covering the general deficit."
Acting with generosity among themselves, the Pope assures us, is also "a prerequisite for asking for generosity also from the outside".
A clear request that the Pope addressed to the cardinals, asking also for "courage and spirit of service" to be able to continue the work of the Church in the future, as well as a participation in the reform process through "your knowledge and experience".
This letter adds to the numerous efforts that have been launched by the Vatican for a more effective and efficient efficient economic management and transparent of the Holy See.
While political news attention continues to focus on Venezuela, the persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua intensifies. Omnes has contacted five Nicaraguan sources, three exiled for years and two from the country, to give the key to what is happening: their points of view are on the side, on this same page. Recent events are summarized here.
Francisco Otamendi-September 20, 2024-Reading time: 5minutes
Relations between the Nicaraguan government, presided over by Daniel Ortega, and the Catholic Church, as well as with other countries and international organizations, are going through a time of great tension, which has worsened in recent months.
Pope Francis referred to this, in an exceptional way, last August 25, when, before leaving on a trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania, he stated in the Angelus in St. Peter's Square: "To the beloved people of Nicaragua: I encourage you to renew your hope in Jesus. Remember that the Holy Spirit always guides history towards higher projects. May the Immaculate Virgin protect you in moments of trial and make you feel her maternal tenderness. May Our Lady accompany the beloved people of Nicaragua".
In the Nicaraguan rainy season, summer in Europe, and so far in 2024, the tension has been reflected in controversial decisions by the government of Daniel Ortega, perhaps also influenced by the nearby Venezuelan country, which have led him to break off relations with Brazil, for example.
Diplomatic relations with Brazil and the Vatican severed
In fact, two days after the Pope's words, on August 27th, Ortega qualified Lula da Silva, his Brazilian counterpart, as "dragged" for his critical position regarding the official result of the Venezuelan elections, during a virtual summit with heads of state of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA).
Also with the Vatican diplomatic relations are broken, since 2022, when Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag, apostolic nuncio, was expelled from the country in a decision that the Holy See described as "inexplicable". "Inexplicable, but not unexpected, considering that in the previous months Ortega had already given a strong diplomatic signal. Indeed, the representative of the Holy See is always, by international convention, the dean of the Diplomatic Corps accredited in a country. But Ortega had decided that no, there would no longer be a dean, effectively marginalizing the Holy See's diplomat", he explained in Omnes Andrea Gagliarducci.
As one of the sources consulted, who lives in Miami, told this newspaper, "there is no apostolic nuncio at this moment in Nicaragua. The last one was removed, and that is on purpose. It is not so much that they are against the Pope, but that the apostolic nuncio is one more piece they have to take care of, and they prefer not to have to take care of him. The same thing happened with the Brazilian ambassador, for a stupid reason, that he did not go to an anniversary celebration".
Expulsions and cancellation of NGOs
Almost at the same time, the Ortega government legally cancelled numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs), of Catholic inspiration and also evangelical in this case, for various reasons, up to 5,600 dissolved according to several analysts, including a Catholic pension and insurance fund for elderly priests.
On the other hand, there have been some notorious facts, such as the dissolution The Jesuits issued a communiqué condemning the aggression and pointing out that these acts are aimed at "the full establishment of a totalitarian regime". Or the expulsion of bishops, priests and seminarians, and of congregations such as the Missionaries of Charity of St. Teresa of Calcutta, welcomed in Costa Rica.
Bishops and priests to Rome
Among those expelled is Nicaraguan prelate Rolando Álvarez (Matagalpa), sentenced in February 2023 to more than 26 years in prison for crimes considered treason, released from prison in January of this year and sent together with another bishop, Isidoro Mora (Siuna), 13 priests and 3 seminarians to the Vatican in Rome, according to Bishop Silvio Báez from Miami.
Indeed, Rolando Alvarez reappeared in June in Seville with Archbishop José Ángel Saiz Meneses, who explained through social networks that the Nicaraguan bishop was making a courtesy and rest visit to his archbishopric, without specifying the date.
Báez, for his part, invited Catholics to thank "Pope Francis for his interest, his closeness and affection for Nicaragua, and for the effectiveness of Vatican diplomacy (...). Thanks to the Lord and the Holy See we celebrate this great joy today," he said.
The government of Nicaragua declared that "this agreement reached with the intercession of the high authorities of the Catholic Church of Nicaragua and the Vatican represents the will and permanent commitment to find solutions, recognizing and encouraging the faith and hope that always animate the Nicaraguan believers, who are the majority".
Complaints from agencies
Various international organizations have taken a position on these and other events. For example, the United Nations Office for Human Rights noted in June of last year an intensification in Nicaragua of the persecution of members of the Catholic Church, "as part of the deterioration of freedoms in the country and of the increasing restrictions on civic space," it reported. Efe.
The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, a Jordanian national, denounced this situation and called on the regime of Daniel Ortega to "stop its persecution of the Church and civil society" in an updated report on Nicaragua to the United Nations Human Rights Council. He also recalled the country's lack of participation in the UN human rights mechanisms. report The UN, which highlights continued violations of human rights and erosion of civic and democratic spaces.
Controversies
However, in February of this year, Nicaragua disqualified the latest UN investigations on human rights in its country, which have denounced the repression of the government presided over by Daniel Ortega, because "the reports of these groups that call themselves experts on human rights" are "criteria manipulated by a group of people who are financed precisely to distort the reality of our country".
On the other hand, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has been reporting that religious freedom in Nicaragua continues to worsen, and has demanded that the government "cease attacks on religious freedom, the persecution of the Catholic Church and release all persons arbitrarily deprived of their freedom".
Now, the Nicaraguan lawyer exiled in the United States, and author of the study Martha Patricia Molina, 'Nicaragua Church Persecuted', assures Omnes that "the Nicaraguan dictatorship has attacked the Catholic Church in different ways on more than 870 occasions".
Some conciliatory statement
According to media Central American, this year's Holy Week celebrations in Nicaragua have taken place "under severe restrictions by the Sandinista regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo". Attorney Molina has estimated that more than four thousand processions were cancelled in the country as a result of last year's ban on public religious activities, including traditional processions.
The Archbishop of Managua, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, held Palm Sunday celebrations in the grounds of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Managua. The vice-president and spokesperson of the government, Rosario Murillo, had personally told the cardinal, during a televised address at the beginning of March, that "the days of chimes and broken glass were behind us.". However, the repression continued to manifest itself, the media reported.
Nicaragua: what's going on in the Church, in 5 key points
In the Nicaraguan country, fear and persecution rule, and the Church keeps silent and prays. This is what emerges from a consultation carried out by Omnes with various sources. Three people who have been in exile for years and two from the country, to tell some of the key facts about what is happening in the Catholic Church. In other information on this website you can see the current context.
Francisco Otamendi-September 20, 2024-Reading time: 6minutes
The global spotlight is on Venezuela these days. But the ecclesial one is looking intensely at Nicaragua, in addition to Venezuela. Omnes has asked several sources for a brief analysis of "the ordeal" that the Nicaraguan people are going through, as Pope Francis pointed out a few days ago.
Two of the three exiled people, living abroad, ask not to give their names. All in off. That's how we do it. Two others from inside the country request the same, but in the end they don't even answer. Related to the Catholic Church, their current rule is silence.
For historical context, you can consult, for example, the following chronologyat least until 2022, and some information by clicking on herefor example. Let's go to the questions and answers.
1) Assessment of the tension between the Nicaraguan government and the Catholic Church.
- Professional exiled in Central America. "The Nicaraguan Catholic Church has historically been the most credible institution in the country. They have been a permanent voice of denunciation of the injustices of the governments, since the times of the dictator Anastasio Somoza, overthrown by the Sandinista revolution of 1979. Then the Catholic Church denounced the injustices of the first Sandinista dictatorship (1979-1990). There, priests and Bishop Pablo Vega were also expelled. It is sadly famous the sabotage made by the Sandinistas to the Mass of Pope John Paul II during his visit to Managua in 1983".
"Since Ortega returned to power in 2007, tensions with the Church escalated until the 2018 protests, when the bishops called for Ortega's resignation and a democratic transition. Ortega crushed the protests by killing more than 300 protesters, imprisoning half a thousand and then shut down all independent media, including those of the Catholic Church."
- Professional exiled in the United States. "To summarize what is happening in Nicaragua is very easy. When we left Nicaragua a few decades ago, in 1979, and moved, there was a Cuban family near where we lived in Miami. And the man of the house would ask us what was happening now in Nicaragua: 'They nationalized the gasoline company,' we told him. And he added: 'Tomorrow, or next week, they will nationalize the banks.. 'And how do you know that,' we asked. 'Because that's exactly what they did in Cuba'.
"What they want to do, and this happens also in developed countries, is to take away initiative, family, education, everything that people have, so that people only trust in what I call the 'government god'. In truth, they replace God with the government, and the Catholic Church is a barrier to achieve their goal."
- Attorney Martha P. Molina. "Before 2018 there was a fictitious bonanza between the Nicaraguan state and the Catholic Church. The dictator Daniel Ortega did not look favorably on some Catholic bishops and they had already murdered a priest whose body was found tortured and burned. After April 2018 the dictatorship's discontent and hatred was uncovered and frontal attacks against the Catholic Church began. The attacks were consequences of the call for dialogue made by the bishops and priests."
"The dictatorship to date has not been able to break the only institution left in Nicaragua that enjoys national and international credibility, the Catholic Church, and that is why it has attacked it in different ways on more than 870 occasions."
- BBC. "Relations between the Vatican and Managua worsened when Ortega accused priests of supporting the 2018 anti-government protests, which he considered a coup attempt led by Washington, and which resulted, according to the United Nations, in more than 300 deaths."
2) Some facts that have contributed to make the relationship between the government and the Church difficult
- Professional exiled in Central America. The Ortega government "outlawed political parties and persecuted all non-governmental organizations, outlawing more than 5,000 of them. In the midst of this illegalization there are Catholic organizations such as Caritas".
"The number of expelled priests represents a quarter of the priests that, until 2018, were officially recognized by the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN), who worked in the archdiocese of Managua and in the eight different dioceses of the country."
- Professional exiled in the United States. "We have supported many organizations of the Catholic Church, and others, and if it had not been for this, a large percentage of the population, and in the most common parts of the country, would not have had access to quality education. I can recognize many health centers run by different orders, that if it were not for them, they would not have been able to maintain themselves".
"We go back to the limit, the truth. If the Catholic Church does all that, it is like a barrier for Ortega and his wife to achieve their task, which is to create the 'god government', to have the minds controlled. Let me give an example. Once when we were bringing more medicines into the country than the government was buying, the Minister of Health told us that he was going to block any further importation of medicines. His basic argument is 'because they make me look bad'. I was in my early 20s, and I didn't understand his response."
- Attorney Molina. "In June 2018, the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua asked President Daniel Ortega to 'formally' accept the proposal to bring forward to March 2019 the general elections, in order to facilitate the national dialogue that seeks a way out of the crisis that has left nearly 220 dead since April 18."
"The homilies and prophetic mission of bishops and priests through pulpits and evangelization projects, which they try to silence completely. The non-submission to Vice President Rosario Murillo. The communist atheism professed by the Ortega-Murillo family".
"And also the immobilization of bank accounts of the entire Catholic Church, among them the priests' retirement fund, with more than 20 years of existence, used for retired and sick priests."
3) Contributions made by the Catholic Church and its members to their country.
- Professional exiled in Central America. "The footprint of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua is immense, with social assistance, Catholic schools and colleges, assistance centers, etc. The poet Rubén Darío is buried in the cathedral of León (the largest and oldest in the country)".
- Professional exiled in the United States. "For years we supported the work of two thousand organizations, mostly related to the Catholic Church, whether they were schools, dispensaries, health centers, which served nuns and priests, and also non-church, local organizations, which we supported, so that they could provide health, education, nutrition, housing, to people living in extreme poverty. We moved millions of dollars in annual support to these organizations.
- Attorney Molina. "The Catholic Church has only done good in Nicaragua, which is a majority Catholic state. All the social projects that the church had through the NPOs, among them Caritas, bring benefits to the most unprotected in those communities where there is no state presence. Today, these people find themselves under precarious conditions of vulnerability and with no one to provide them with care".
4) Do you consider possible (or feasible) any initiative to de-escalate the situation?
- Professional exiled in Central America. "I don't think there is a way to de-escalate relations. In his last public speech, Ortega accused the exiled priests of being 'terrorists'. See here.
- Professional exiled in the United States. He makes a preamble on economics. "The economyin the country is interesting. Because Daniel Ortega and his family, and those close to him, own a high percentage of the corporations in the country. And it is in their interest to keep the economy going. There is a difference between Cuba and Nicaragua. They are not touching private enterprise in Nicaragua. They are touching the businessmen who open their mouths against the government, because they are getting in the way and in their clan. The Ortegas control the majority of the economy and businesses in the country, and their interest is not to see the speed of the engine reduced, because it would impact them".
"From the point of view of the Church, it is very difficult, because in the end what they want to create is 'little lambs', that nobody speaks, nobody sees, nobody hears, nobody says anything against the government, because it is the way in which the government maintains itself. The priests or the bishops who were more eloquent about the situation, have been silenced or removed. The priests are afraid. The situation is quite difficult because the government is quickly attacking anyone who opens his mouth, and especially the leaders of the Church, which is also happening with the evangelical leaders. The Church is a barrier in their plan".
- Attorney Molina. "Pope Francis and Vatican policy will always call for dialogue and understanding between the parties. And that is what the Church has been doing since the Sandinista dictatorship began with the violation of the human rights of all Nicaraguans. What happens is that even if the Catholic Church calls for dialogue, the dictatorship will always act in the opposite way".
"The rapprochement that the Vatican has rarely had with the Ortega dictatorship is only for the Ortegas to impose their decisions and agreements, it is not a dialogue in which both parties win."
"I consider that while the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship is in power, there is no peaceful mechanism to ease the persecution against the Catholic Church. Not even the silence that we have seen in recent months from priests and bishops has managed to stop the persecution".
5. Any additional considerations?
- Professional exiled in the United States. "I think what numerous priests are doing is focusing a lot on the power of prayer, and that's the first thing. They don't say anything that could be a certain risk, and they pray.".
"I don't think Daniel Ortega will be allowed to leave power easily. On the economic side, as has already been mentioned, he controls a large percentage of the country's economy; in geopolitics, we have talked about Cuba. And close to where we lived, where we grew up, in Managua, there was a Russian security and intelligence campus, to cite an example. Nicaragua is, geographically, a key country".
"Nicaragua has been a country that has suffered a lot, but also a country with people with a lot of faith. And it has these difficult cycles, but in the end it comes out ahead. That is what is going to happen. There will be some miracle, somehow, because the people are good. But I see it more in the long term than in the short term, because there are too many pressures."
The way of humility. 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Joseph Evans comments on the readings for Sunday 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time and Luis Herrera offers a short video homily.
Joseph Evans-September 20, 2024-Reading time: 2minutes
There are two distinct and opposing paths, which today's readings clearly point out. On the one hand, there is the path of conflict, inflicting violence on others out of our own pride and envy. And on the other, the path of accepting violence, with humility and for the salvation of others.
The path of conflict is evident in the first reading. For some, in their envy, the righteous man is an affront. His goodness bothers them because it highlights their wickedness. Sometimes we resent the goodness, simplicity or generosity of others, because they highlight our lack of those qualities. And then we assume ill will in them and want to catch them: "They can't be that good. Let's make them fall". Or as the sacred text says: "Let us lie in wait for the righteous, who is troublesome to us: he is opposed to our way of acting.".
And as James says in today's second reading: "Where there is envy and rivalry, there is turbulence and all kinds of evil deeds.". Jealousy and bad ambition in ourselves lead us to division and quarrel with others, no matter how much we try to disguise our bad motives under the make-up of righteousness: we fool ourselves into thinking we are right in feeling and doing what we do, but it is a lie.
The Gospel offers us a very different attitude. Christ announces that violence will be exercised against him. As the supreme righteous one, the forces of evil hate him and his goodness with special venom. But instead of inflicting violence on others, he accepts violence against himself and literally rises above it. "The Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men; they shall kill him, but he shall rise again the third day."
The irony, however, is that Jesus' own disciples do not understand this humble spirit of self-denial and display the same pride that will lead to violence, arguing among themselves who is the greatest. They show what James calls "passions at war within you". These passions lead to violence. Jesus, with sublime control of their passions, gently teaches them the need for a humble childlike spirit, placing a child in their midst and telling them that to receive a child is to receive him and his Father. Instead of proudly aspiring to subjugate others by violently seeking power, Jesus teaches, let us have the humility to turn violence against ourselves into saving love and to serve God's little ones.
Homily on the readings of Sunday 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Priest Luis Herrera Campo offers his nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
Vatican authorizes public worship of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje
The Holy See, in agreement with the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno, has authorized the public worship of Mary, Queen of Peace, in Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, through a Public Note. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith does not pronounce on the supernatural character of the apparitions, but recognizes the abundant spiritual fruits connected with the shrine of Medjugorje.
Francisco Otamendi-September 19, 2024-Reading time: 5minutes
The authorization, or nulla osta, indicates that the faithful "can receive a positive stimulus for their Christian life through this spiritual proposal and authorizes public worship," says the Vatican Note, signed by Cardinal Victor Emmanuel Fernandez and Monsignor Armando Matteo, respectively prefect and secretary of the doctrinal section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The high-ranking ecclesiastics have presented the textThe event was attended by the editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication, Andrea Tornielli.
The Note also specifies that "the positive evaluation of most of the Medjugorje messages as edifying texts does not imply that they have a direct supernatural origin".
And although there are - as is known - different opinions "on the authenticity of some facts or on some aspects of this spiritual experience, the ecclesiastical authorities of the places where it is present are invited to appreciate the pastoral value and also to promote the diffusion of this spiritual proposal", it adds.
Encounter with Mary, Queen of Peace
The text indicates that "all this" is done "without prejudice to the power of each diocesan bishop to make prudential decisions in the event that there are persons or groups that 'make an inappropriate use of this spiritual phenomenon and act in a wrong way'.
Finally, the Dicastery invites those who go to Medjugorje "to accept that pilgrimages are not made to meet so-called visionaries, but to have an encounter with Mary, Queen of Peace".
Pilgrimages authorized in 2019
May 2019, Pope Francisauthorized that dioceses and parishes around the world should organize pilgrimages to the Marian shrine of Medjugorje, which did not imply giving the green light to the alleged apparitions.
Now "the time has come to conclude a long and complex history concerning the spiritual phenomena of Medjugorje. It is a story in which divergent opinions of bishops, theologians, commissions and analysts have followed one another", the Holy See points out. With these words begins "The Queen of Peace", the above-mentioned Note on the spiritual experience linked to Medjugorje, signed by Cardinal Victor Emmanuel Fernandez and Monsignor Armando Matteo. At the press conference, the Cardinal revealed that the Holy See has had a special contact with the local bishop, but that the decree transcends the diocese, and has a worldwide reach, because the devotion is popular.
"Many positive fruits"
A text approved by Pope Francis on August 28, the note explains, recognizes "the goodness of the spiritual fruits linked to the Medjugorje experience," authorizing the faithful to adhere to it - in accordance with the new Norms for the discernment of these phenomena - since "many positive fruits have been produced and no negative or risky effects have been spread among the People of God."
In general, "the judgment on the messages is also positive, although with some clarifications on certain expressions," the Holy See explains. It also emphasizes that "the conclusions of this Note do not imply a judgment on the moral life of the alleged visionaries" and that, in any case, the spiritual gifts "do not necessarily require the moral perfection of the persons involved in order to be able to act".
Abundant conversions and confessions: renewing faith
The places connected with Medjugorje have been visited since 1981 by pilgrims from all over the world. The positive fruits are revealed above all as the promotion of a healthy practice of the life of faith" according to the tradition of the Church. There are "abundant conversions" of people who have discovered or rediscovered the faith; the return to confession and sacramental communion, numerous vocations, "many reconciliations between spouses and the renewal of married and family life," the text continues.
"It is worth mentioning," the Note states, "that these experiences occur mainly in the context of pilgrimages to the sites of the original events, rather than during encounters with 'visionaries' to attend the alleged apparitions. They also report "numerous healings".
The parish in the small Herzegovinian village is a place of adoration, prayer, seminars, spiritual retreats, youth meetings and "it seems that people go to Medjugorje mainly to renew their faith rather than for precise concrete requests". Charities have also sprung up to care for orphans, drug addicts and the disabled, and there are also groups of Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Millions of visits
The official approval of the devotion and spiritual experience that began in Medjugorje in June 1981, when six boys told of seeing Our Lady, was made possible by the abundant positive fruits seen in this parish visited by more than a million people every year and all over the world: pilgrimages, conversions, return to the sacraments, marriages in crisis that are rebuilt.
"These are the elements that Pope Francis has always looked at since he was bishop in Argentina: the popular piety that moves so many people to the shrines must be accompanied, corrected when necessary, but not suffocated. When judging alleged supernatural phenomena, we must always look precisely at the spiritual fruits," says Andrea Tornielli.
It corresponds to this vision of the Successor of Peter to have detached, thanks to the new norms published last May, the judgment of the Church from the most rigorous declaration of supernaturality".
The message of peace
The Note of the Dicastery, and the Cardinal Prefect underlined In her presentation, she then examines the central aspects of the messages, beginning with that of peace, understood not only as the absence of war, but also in a spiritual, familial and social sense: the most original title that Our Lady attributes to herself is, in fact, that of "Queen of Peace". "I have presented myself here as Queen of Peace to tell everyone that peace is necessary for the salvation of the world. Only in God is true joy to be found, from which comes true peace. For this reason I ask for conversion". (16.06.1983).
A peace that is the fruit of lived charity, which "also implies love for those who are not Catholics". An aspect that is better understood "in the ecumenical and interreligious context of Bosnia and Herzogovina, marked by a terrible war with strong religious components".
God at the center
The invitation to trusting abandonment to God who is love comes up frequently: "We can recognize a nucleus of messages in which Our Lady does not place herself at the center, but is fully oriented to our union with God".
Moreover, "Mary's intercession and work are clearly subordinated to Jesus Christ as the author of grace and salvation in each person. Mary intercedes, but it is Christ who "gives us strength, therefore, all her maternal work consists in motivating us to go to Christ": "He will give you strength and joy in this time. I am close to you with my intercession" (25.11.1993).
Again, many messages invite us to recognize the importance of asking for the Holy Spirit's help: "People make a mistake when they only turn to the saints to ask for something. The important thing is to ask the Holy Spirit to descend upon you. Having him, you have everything" (21.10.1983).
Call for conversion
In the messages one finds "a constant invitation to abandon the worldly lifestyle and excessive attachment to earthly goods, with frequent calls to conversion, which makes true peace in the world possible".
Conversion is at the heart of the message of Medjugorje, the Note emphasizes, and the Cardinal Prefect corroborated it. There is also an "insistent exhortation not to underestimate the seriousness of evil and sin and to take very seriously God's call to fight against evil and against the influence of Satan," pointed out as the source of hatred, violence and division. The role of prayer and fasting is also fundamental, as well as the centrality of the Mass, the importance of fraternal communion and the search for the ultimate meaning of existence in eternal life".
Vatican acknowledges the positive fruits of Medjugorje
Without entering into the question of the authenticity of the apparitions or making moral judgments on the life of the visionaries, the Vatican has published a note in which it recognizes the positive fruits of the Catholic community that goes to Medjugorje for the apparitions of the "Queen of Peace".
The always delicate relationship between the Holy See and the Chinese government seems to be moving forward, not without obstacles, with the renewal of the Sino-Vatican agreement on bishop appointments signed in 2018.
Andrea Gagliarducci-September 19, 2024-Reading time: 4minutes
In the coming weeks, a delegation from the Holy See is expected to leave for China to discuss the renewal of the Sino-Vatican agreement on bishop appointments. Signed in 2018, the agreement has been renewed ad experimentum every two years since then, and so it should be again this time.
The content of the agreement, which has also remained confidential due to its provisional nature, is unknown. What is known is that it establishes a procedure for bishops in China to be appointed with a double approval: that of the Pope, supreme authority on the matter, and that of the Chinese government, which is called upon to give its approval on the appointments of new bishops.
Since 2018, nine bishops have been appointed using the procedures of the Sino-Vatican agreement. In some cases, there has actually been forcing and mechanisms to grease, as when China unilaterally decided to transfer Bishop Joseph Shen Bin to Shanghai. The transfer, in the end, does not seem to have been contemplated in the agreement, but only because there is no such thing as a transfer of an episcopal see: it is always the Pope who makes the appointment.
Moreover, the distribution of dioceses remains to be defined, because China has its own distribution of dioceses and tends to impose it on the bishops. On this question, the Holy See seems to be open to a redistribution, with a more attentive eye on the Chinese administrative units.
Pope Francis' perspective
Returning from his long trip to Asia, which took him as far as Singapore, on the doorstep of China, Pope Francis stressed that he was "happy with the dialogues with China, including the appointment of bishops, and working with good will."
The Pope's was described as a realistic approach. And, in fact, it was Pope Francis himself who rectified the unilateral appointment of Bishop Shen Bin in Shanghai, making the appointment himself some time later. Is this a naive maneuver or a necessary concession?
Those who defend the Sino-Vatican agreement point out that it allowed, in the first place, all Catholic bishops in the People's Republic of China to be in full and public communion with the Pope. They also point out that there have been no illegitimate episcopal ordinations, as well as the fact that eight unofficial bishops have requested and obtained recognition from the Chinese authorities. In short, progress is being made, and two Chinese bishops were even able to attend the 2018 Synod on Youth and the 2013 Synod on Synodality.
To this must be added the presence of several Chinese pilgrims at World Youth Days, as well as the Pope's visit to Mongolia - when, in fact, there were complaints that it was difficult for Chinese Catholics to cross the border to see the Holy Father.
The agreement, in short, is allowing for a difficult, slow, but nevertheless inexorable dialogue, and must be accompanied, despite the setbacks, considering that the life of the Church in China is advancing - as many as 41 people were baptized in Shanghai on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
The situation in China
This is an optimistic reading of reality. Official sources speak of at least 16 million Catholics in China, which, in the country of the Red Dragon, represents a tiny minority, but of great specific weight.
The agreement on the appointment of bishops is likely to be renewed in October for another two years, but this year alone has seen an acceleration in episcopal appointments: three earlier in the year, and a fourth, Joseph Yang Yongjang, transferred to the Hangzhou diocese, with an appointment that for the first time involved someone who was already a bishop.
However, everyone is aware of the limitations of the agreement.
Beginning with the territorial question. The Catholic Church in China used to have 20 archdioceses, 96 dioceses (including Macao, Hong Kong, Baotou and Bameng), 29 apostolic prefectures and 2 ecclesiastical administrations. Instead, the Chinese authorities have created a geography of 104 dioceses (excluding Macao and Hong Kong) delimited according to the boundaries of the civil administration, and excluding the ranks of the Catholic Church, which they also consider to be archdioceses.
However, the situation for Catholics in China has not improved. Recently, Bishop Peter Shao Zumin of the Yongija-Whenzou diocese in eastern China was detained and placed under house arrest on state property. It was not the first time Bishop Shao, 60, had been detained. Leader of the diocese since 2016, detained and repeatedly harassed in 2017, Shao was "taken into custody" primarily for his refusal to join the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics, the government-run association that officially represents the Catholic Church in China and is independent of the Holy See.There are at least three other dioceses that have not heard from their bishops for several years. Monsignor Joseph Zhang Weizhu, bishop of Xiangxiang, was detained on May 21, 2021; Monsignor Augusti Cui Tai, bishop of Xuanhua, also disappeared in the spring of 2021; and Monsignor James Su Zhimin, bishop of Baoding, was detained in 1996 and would now be 91 years old.
All these bishops are recognized by the Holy See, but not by the Chinese government. There is also the case of Thaddeus Ma Daqin, who left the Patriotic Association upon his appointment as bishop of Shanghai in 2012. He too ended up under house arrest, and has barely administered the diocese. As a result, the Chinese government thought of unilaterally appointing Bishop Shen Bin in Shanghai, displacing him from the Haimen diocese.
The Holy See, however, seems willing to compromise. In recent appointments, the Holy See accepted in one case the division of Beijing dioceses, establishing the diocese of Weifang instead of a prefecture, and even admitted a candidate who seems to have been appointed by Beijing as early as 2022, at least according to the website chinacatholic.cn.
What does the Holy See want to do?
The Holy See wants to have a representative office in Beijing, a non-diplomatic liaison, to follow the situation closely and help interpret the agreement in the right terms, to avoid misunderstandings. However, it does not appear that the Chinese side is willing to set up a non-diplomatic office. And, if it were a diplomatic office, the Holy See would have to drastically cut relations with Taiwan.
For now, the agreement should not be signed permanently. And it is certain that Parolin and his entourage will try to tinker with the agreement, to define more precisely the rights and duties of the bishops and the role the pope has in relation to them.
The authorAndrea Gagliarducci
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Juan Carlos Montenegro. From the Amazon jungle to the concrete jungle
A native of Quito, Juan Carlos Montenegro has always been united to the spirit of Don Bosco. Together with the Salesians, he took part in a volunteer project in the jungle that changed his life, and now he works with migrants in the city of Los Angeles.
It is not very common to find people who become the Amazon jungle and then spend years working with immigrants in the "concrete jungle" that make up the big buildings and countless streets of Los Angeles. The story of Juan Carlos Montenegro is one of those exceptions.
The life of this Quiteño is marked by a deep commitment to faith and service to others.
With an unwavering passion for helping young people discover their potential Juan Carlos has dedicated himself to being a guide and mentor, inspired by the motto of Don Bosco to form good Christians and honest citizens.
He describes himself as a human being with a clear mission: "To help the young people God puts in your path discover their potential."
From a young age he was attracted by the vocation of service, which has manifested itself in various initiatives and activities that seek the integral development of youth, now as Executive Director of theSalesian Family Youth Center.
Conversion in the jungle
He cultivated his faith from an early age, mainly thanks to his parents and the education he received at the Salesian technical school in his hometown.
However, his true spiritual conversion occurred during a Salesian volunteer work in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador, among the Achuaras. Members of this Achuar tribe inhabit the Upper Amazon region in a large territory located on both sides of the border between Ecuador and Peru. Currently, there are about 22,000 Achuar between the two countries and most of them are of Catholic religion.
"There really was a substantial growth in faith when I did Salesian volunteering." comments Juan Carlos, underlining the importance of this transformative experience.
Reflect on how your relationship with God has evolved over time.. "I think that path has changed many times, from a relationship of just asking to a relationship of giving and knowing how to receive whatever comes."he explains.
This evolution has allowed him to understand that God is always present, accompanying us every step of the way, regardless of the circumstances.
Memorable experiences
Juan Carlos' life is full of experiences that have left an indelible mark on his heart, each one related to a face.
From feeding the homeless at the church in the historic center of Quito, to visiting orphanages in the Amazon, to creating a youth support program in the United States in response to the existential crisis of the children of migrants.
Perhaps one of his most memorable experiences was witnessing the impact on the lives of the summer camp attendees, with more than 600 children and youth. What stands out most from all of these experiences with the people he has met and helped along the way is "I have been a part of the people he has met and helped.finding God in people"..
It is an example of how a life centered on faith and service can have a profound and lasting impact on the community. It is possible to make a significant difference in the world.
Ireland's Cyril O'Regan and Japan's Etsurō Sotoo are the winners of the Ratzinger Prize 2024. Both will receive the award from the hands of Cardinal Pietro Parolin on November 22 at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City.
Cyril O'Regan is an Irish theologian and professor born in 1952. His academic work focuses especially on Systematic Theology and the History of Christianity. His works include "Gnostic Return in Modernity", "The Heterodox Hegel" and "Theology and the Spaces of Apocalyptic".
For his part, Etsurō Sotoo is a Japanese sculptor who was born in the city of Fukuoka in 1953. His work was the cause of his conversion when, impressed by the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, he applied to work on Antonio Gaudi's unfinished project. While collaborating in the construction he was converted and received baptism. Today Sotoo's sculptures can be seen not only in the Basilica of Barcelona, but also in many other places in Spain, Italy and Japan. The quality of his works also makes him the first sculptor and the first East Asian to receive the Ratzinger Prize.
The Ratzinger Prize
This award is intended to reward, as stated in the statutes of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI FoundationThe award is given to "scholars who have distinguished themselves by particular merit in publication and/or scientific research" and, for the past few years, to those who have had an impact on Christian-inspired art.
Being Catholic is not a requirement to obtain the award, which shows the openness of the Foundation's scientific committee, composed of:
-Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity;
-Cardinal Luis Ladaria, Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith;
-Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture;
-Archbishop Salvatore (Rino) Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization;
-Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer, president of the Pope Benedict XVI Institute in Regensburg.
It will not be a matter of denouncing the sin of others, but of recognizing oneself as one of those who, by action or at least by omission, become the cause of the suffering endured by the innocent and defenseless. At the end of this confession of sins, the Holy Father will address, in the name of all Christians, a request for forgiveness to God and to the sisters and brothers of all humanity."Cardinal Mario Grech explained at the press conference to present the second session of the Synod, the penitential celebration that will open this assembly on October 1.
The Pope will hear from a victim of abuse, a victim of war and someone who has suffered the sin of indifference to the drama of migration.
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Pope Francis highlights "airs of spring" on his trip to Asia and Oceania
In his first catechesis after returning from his trip to Asia and Oceania, Pope Francis said that the Church is much bigger and more alive than "Eurocentric". The Holy Father has seen "airs of spring" of the Church in East Timor, with "the smile of children, families, young people, the youth of the Church".
Francisco Otamendi-September 18, 2024-Reading time: 4minutes
The Pope began Wednesday's catechesis at the General Audience with an engaged couple, noting, "It is beautiful to see when love leads forward to make a new family, like these two young people."
The scene ties in completely with one of the events that most moved the Pope during his recent trip to Asia and Oceania. In taking stock of his stay in East Timor, he said: "I was struck by the beauty of that people, a people tested but joyful, a people wise in suffering, which generates many children, and teaches them to smile. The smile of the children of that region. They always smile, and there are many of them. With faith they are taught to smile. And this is a guarantee for the future. On East Timor I saw the youth of the Church, families, children, young people. I breathed spring air".
"Today I speak to you about the journey to Asia and Oceania, a journey to bring the Gospel, to get to know the soul of the people," he said. "I thank the Lord who has allowed me to do as Pope what I could not do as a young Jesuit." This is how Francis began his catechesis today, based on the end of the Gospel of St. Matthew, when, before ascending to heaven, the Lord says to the eleven disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".
Living and young church
"It was Paul VI in 1970 who was the first Pope to fly to meet the rising Sun," the Pope recalled. "That was a memorable trip. A few years older than him, I limited myself to four countries, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore."
"The first reflection that arises spontaneously is that in thinking about the Church we are still too Eurocentric, or as they say, Western. In reality, the Church is much bigger, and also much more alive. I have experienced this with emotion when I met these communities, listening to the testimonies of priests, lay people, especially catechists...".
"In Indonesia I found a living Church, although Christians are 10 percent, and Catholics 3 percent. able to live and transmit the Gospel, in a country with a very noble culture, prone to harmonize diversity, and which has the largest presence of Muslims in the world."
Compassion and fraternity for the future
"In that country," he continued, "I was able to confirm that 'compassion is the path along which Christians can and must walk in order to bear witness to Christ' and at the same time meet with the great religious traditions. "Let us not forget the three characteristics of the Lord: closeness, mercy and compassion." "Faith, fraternity, compassion, was the motto of the visit to Indonesia. There I saw that fraternity is the future.
In Papua New Guinea "I found the beauty of a Church on the move, with different ethnic groups speaking more than 800 languages, an ideal environment for the Holy Spirit, the head of harmony. There, the protagonists in a special way are the missionaries and the catechists. I was moved by the songs and music of the young people. There, the future comes without tribal violence, without dependence, without ideological and economic colonialism". "Papua New Guinea can be a laboratory of this model of integral development, animated by the leaven of the Gospel," the Pope noted.
East Timor, faith and culture, youth
"The human and social promotion power of the Christian message stands out in a particular way in the history of East Timor. There, the Church has shared the process of independence with all the people, always orienting it towards peace and reconciliation. This is not an ideologization of faith. It is faith that becomes culture, and at the same time enlightens, purifies and elevates it. That is why I relaunched the fruitful relationship between faith and culture, on which St. John Paul II had already focused during his visit" "Faith must be inculturated, Faith and culture".
I was impressed by the beauty of that people, a tested but joyful people, a people wise in suffering, which generates many children, and teaches them to smile. The smile of the children of that region. They always smile, and there are many of them. With faith they are taught to smile. And this is a guarantee for the future". "In East Timor I saw the youth of the Church, families, children, young people. I breathed the air of spring.
At SingaporeChristians are a minority, but they continue to form a living Church, committed to generating harmony and fraternity among the various ethnic groups, cultures and religions. I thank God for the gift of this trip".
"Children, the true wealth of a nation".
Addressing the Polish-speaking pilgrims, the Pope recalled the Jesuit novice, St. Stanislaus Kostka, patron saint of children and young people, who died at the age of 18, and then underlined the vitality of the local Churches he visited, which welcomed him "with so much love".
Before giving his blessing, the Holy Father insisted that "children are the true wealth of every nation, even here in Europe". He prayed for the victims of the heavy rains that have hit Central and Eastern Europe, causing deaths, missing persons and extensive damage; he asked for "prayers that medical science may soon offer prospects for a cure for Alzheimer's disease" (Saturday 21 is World Alzheimer's Day), and for support for the sick and their families, and prayed that the Lord will help us to overcome war and obtain peace.
The III Caravan for Integral Ecology proposes divestment in mining
On September 17, the tour of the "III Caravan for Integral Ecology" began in Spain, in which nine representatives of Latin American territories (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Peru), affected by extractivism and mining, will tour 10 cities in 6 European countries with meetings and advocacy and awareness-raising actions.
Francisco Otamendi-September 18, 2024-Reading time: 2minutes
The caravan is organized by the Latin American RIM-Red Iglesias y Minería, the CIMI-Consejo Indigenista Misionero Consejo de la CNBB-Conferencia Nacional de los Obispos de Brasil and the REPAMPan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network. In this III edition, the organizers propose "disinvestment in mining", and its slogan is "Mining-Energy Transition: solution or sacrifice of the poor and the earth?
In Spain, the organization is in charge of the alliance "Link Up for Justice." (Caritas, Cedis, CONFER, Justice and Peace, Manos Unidas and REDES), which this morning called a press conference with the Latin American representatives. At the beginning of the session, prayers were said for the Honduran activist Juan Antonio Lopez, who was assassinated on Sunday as he left Mass, leaving behind a wife and two children.
Proposal
Divestment is a proposal "as an option to stop financing socio-environmental crimes that sacrifice life in entire territories, as well as to support the end of an economic model based on extractivism, inequality and the new colonialisms of mineral extraction chains," the organizers point out.
The objective of the tour is "to promote dialogue and advocacy in ecclesial and political processes in Europe on the issues of extractive economies and energy transition, based on the denunciations and life plans of communities martyred by mining, who resist and propose alternatives".
Collaboration of institutions
In Spain, they also collaborate in the tour other institutions such as ALBOAN, Arrupe Etxea Foundation, the Bishopric of Bilbao, the Social Pastoral and Integral Ecology Commission of the CEE-Spanish Episcopal Conference, the PER-Platform for Responsible Business, the Spanish NGO Coordinator for Development, the Human Rights Observatory of the University of Valladolid, the "Save the Mountain" Platform of Cáceres and the Integral Ecology Commission of the Archbishopric of Madrid.
From September 16 to October 11, coinciding with the "Time of Creation", the representatives will visit Spain (Madrid, Bilbao, Valladolid and Cáceres), Belgium (Brussels and EU institutions), France (Paris), Italy (Rome and Vatican), Austria (Vienna and Linz) and Germany. On Wednesday they will be received at the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), and at the Conference of Religious (CONFER).
Defense of the life and rights of indigenous peoples
The III Caravan is composed of nine young activists and representatives of indigenous peoples from Argentina (Valentina Vidal), Brazil (Railson Guajajara, Ytaxaha Braz Pankararu, Christian Cravels and Guilherme Cavalli, who acted as moderator), Chile (Joan Jara Muñoz), and Peru (Vito Calderón, Father Enrique Gonzalez and the nun Gladys Montesinos, who although Peruvian is working in Bolivia).
In the opinion of the representatives, "the so-called energy transition is not moving towards a change of model, but continues to sustain the colonial and extractive system of raw materials, at the cost of the lives of thousands of people and territories".
In his analysis, there is no corporation or state in which the rights of indigenous peoples are adequately combined and respected with the obtaining of minerals, such as lithium, despite the appeals of Pope Francis in encyclicals such as Laudato si' o Fratelli tutti.
To be Gollum or Wraith. The meaning of life and death are, without a doubt, the great dilemma that every human being has to solve.
September 18, 2024-Reading time: 3minutes
We stake our lives on the answer we give to the big questions, those that, at least in the West, we have stopped asking ourselves. The meaning of life and the pressing sting of death are, without a doubt, the biggest questions that every human being and every culture has to resolve. How each person and each civilization responds to these questions is a matter of their own consistency. And I fear that the answers we are giving to these great questions are too weak to sustain us.
In our world we tend to look the other way so as not to consider the inescapable fact that we are going to die. Like the child who covers his eyes, imagining that if he does not see the problem it will not affect him, we fill our lives with fun and noise believing that, by not thinking about this reality, it will not affect us. But the heart is stubborn and demands an answer.
Deep down we need a reason to live. It is not enough to be promised that in the year 2030 we will be happy, even if we have nothing, or that we will live, thanks to technology, in a continuous Disneyland where we will not have to work and life will be just fun. Because, although a huge business has been built around it, fun does not fill the soul. It only entertains it.
So it is not surprising that the new gurus have rushed to promise us near immortality. 'The first person who will live 1,000 years has been born, according to a scientist,' read the headline of an article. The scientist making this claim is Raymond Kurzweil, author of 'The Singularity is Nearer'. He defends the idea that nanorobots and, in short, the union of biotechnology and artificial intelligence could allow human beings to live to be a thousand years old. Others even speak of attaining immortality.
Reading this reminded me of the old professor, Tolkienand the warning he gives us in his work, which, as he acknowledges, has death as its central theme and, along with it, the desire for immortality that man has in his heart. It is worth listening to him.
In their mythology there are two types of beings created by Eru. Elves, who are immortal, and men, destined to die. But death, as Tolkien conceives it, is not a punishment, but a gift from God himself. Let us hear the professor and teacher.
Death is not a consequence of the 'Fall'. A 'divine punishment' is also a 'divine gift' if accepted, for its goal is the ultimate blessing, and the supreme inventiveness of the Creator will cause punishments to produce a good not otherwise attainable, a mortal man has probably a higher, if unrevealed, destiny than a long-lived being. To attempt by some expedient or magic to regain longevity is thus the supreme folly and wickedness of mortals. Longevity or false immortality is Sauron's chief bait; he turns the small into a Gollum and the great into a wraith of the Ring. (Letter No. 212)
So it happened in Tolkien mythology. Sauron deceived men by introducing into their hearts the idea that death was a curse of Eru, of God. And he made them seek its substitutes, which were power and glory. And ultimately encouraged them to rebel against the Valar and go to take away the gift of immortality to the Blessed Realm itself.
In a society that does not believe in eternal life, the substitutes with which men will try to fill this void will emerge with force. Power and glory will be the highest aspirations of human beings, as the English writer warned us. And once again the usual charlatans will take advantage of the thirst of our heart to get rich. They will promise us immortality if, in the last instance, we strip ourselves of the limits that our weak corporeality offers us. That is the destiny of the new evolutionary step they promise us through transhumanism and this fusion of technology and biology.
But I fear that human beings are destined to become a shadow of themselves if they go down that road. As the Oxford professor warns us, the powerful will become spectres. We little ones will be destined to become like Gollum.
That is why I have no doubt that today we must speak more than ever of the revolution that the resurrection of the flesh entails, which completely fulfills the ultimate aspirations of our hearts and destines us to be ourselves, authentically human, in fullness.
To be or not to be Gollum or a specter. That is the dilemma we are faced with.
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.
The date and theme of the next JWorld Youth Day which, this year, will be celebrated on November 24, the Solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe.
The Pope focused his message on the phrase contained in the book of Isaiah: "Those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they spread wings like eagles, they run and are not weary, they walk and do not grow weary" (Is 40:31). A consoling phrase for times that, in the Pope's words, "are marked by dramatic situations that generate despair and prevent us from looking to the future with serenity.
In this regard, the Pontiff began his message by recalling that "those who pay the highest price are you young people, who perceive the uncertainty of the future and do not see clear possibilities for your dreams, thus running the risk of living without hope, prisoners of boredom and sadness, sometimes dragged by the illusion of delinquency and destructive behavior". In view of this, he wanted to convey to them a "message of hope".
Fatigue and weariness
The pontiff once again brought to the forefront the search for happiness proper to young people, which, when reduced to the material aspect, "does not fully satisfy our soul because we were created by the One who is infinite". Thus, the Pope did not want to hide the weariness that can come after having started a journey with enthusiasm. In this line, he focused on the feeling shared by many young people today of an "eagerness for an empty activism that leads us to fill the day with thousands of things and, in spite of this, to have the feeling of never doing enough and never being up to the task". In this line, he warned of the danger of paralyzing boredom that leads to not wanting to do anything and to live life "seeing and judging the world behind a screen".
The Pope wanted to encourage young people to walk with hope, which is a gift from God himself and which "overcomes every fatigue, every crisis and every anxiety, giving us a strong motivation to move forward". He also urged us to have "a grandiose goal" because "if life is not directed towards nothing, if nothing of what I dream, plan and achieve will be lost, then it is worthwhile to keep walking and sweating, enduring obstacles and facing fatigue, because the final reward is marvelous".
Taking the image of the wilderness journey of the people of Israel, the Pope did not want to hide the crises that occur along the path of life for all people: "Even for those who have received the gift of faith, there have been happy moments in which God has been present and felt close to them, and other moments in which they have experienced loneliness. It can happen that the initial enthusiasm for study or work, or the impulse to follow Christ - whether in marriage, the priesthood or the consecrated life - is followed by moments of crisis, which make life seem like a difficult journey through the desert".
In these difficult times, God remains close and does so especially in the nourishment of the Eucharist, a gift that the Pope invited young people to rediscover, following the example of Blessed Carlo Acutis.
Being pilgrims, not tourists of life
Finally, Francis focused on the upcoming Jubilee 2025, in which the figure of pilgrims will materialize in the streets of Rome. Taking this example, the Pope differentiated the attitude of the pilgrim from that of the tourist: the latter passes through life without grasping the essence while "the pilgrim, instead, immerses himself fully in the places he encounters, makes them speak, makes them part of his search for happiness. The Jubilee pilgrimage, therefore, must be a sign of the inner journey that we are all called to make, to reach the final destination".
The Pope proposed three attitudes to live this Jubilee Year: "thanksgiving, so that your hearts may be open to praise for the gifts received, above all for the gift of life; seeking, so that the journey may express the constant desire to seek the Lord and not to quench the thirst of the heart; and, finally, repentance, which helps us to look within ourselves, to recognize the wrong steps and decisions we sometimes make and, thus, be able to convert to the Lord and to the light of his Gospel".
Along with this, he emphasized the path of reconciliation with God and forgiveness, proper to the Jubilee years, inviting us to "experience the embrace of the merciful God, to experience his forgiveness, the remission of all our 'interior offenses,' as was the tradition of the biblical Jubilees. And so, welcomed by God and reborn in him, become open arms for so many of your friends and contemporaries who need to feel, through your welcome, the love of God the Father".
Young people are the protagonists of the next Catholics and Public Life Congress
The 26th edition of the Catholics and Public Life Congress will take place from November 15-17. This year's title is "Quo Vadis: Thinking and Acting in Times of Uncertainty".
The Congress aims to deepen the influence that faith has on all dimensions of life, as pointed out by the two new co-directors of the Congress: María San Gil and José Masip.
Back to Catholic basics
Although the program of the conference is not yet public, the Congress organizers assure that this year the protagonists will be the following young people. Through them, both the Catholic Association of Propagandists and the CEU San Pablo University want to remind the new generations of their main role in reminding society of its Christian foundations.
Faced with the relativism of truth and political extremism, says the manifesto of this Congress, Catholics must assume their responsibility as defenders of truth. Faced with "the systematic advance and imposition of a new society", Christians can remind everyone of their Christian origins and roots, which are necessary to draw a clear horizon that allows us to answer the question "Quo Vadis? Where are we going?".
In this way, the 26th edition of the Congress does not depart from the fundamental mission of the Congress, expressed on its own web page: "to show society the value and power of the Christian proposal". In the presentation of the Congress, the co-directors made special emphasis on the participation of many different groups of Catholic initiative, as a way of meeting and collaborating in this task that is the responsibility of all Christians.
This year's manifesto also shows this eagerness for unity in the diversity inherent to Catholicism. "It is as wrong to consider that all Catholics think the same in all political matters as it is to conclude that we have no cohesion in the public sphere.
In the coming days, the presentations and keynote speakers, including Catholic influencers, will be unveiled.
The second session of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be as follows
The president and the general rapporteur of the Synod of Bishops, as well as the two special secretaries, presented the main developments and the development of the second session that will begin in October.
Andrea Acali-September 17, 2024-Reading time: 4minutes
The XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the second part of the work on synodality, will take place from October 2-27, preceded by two days of retreat.
Pope Francis will officially open the work with a concelebrated Mass in St. Peter's Square on the feast of the Guardian Angels, Wednesday, October 2.
In the afternoon of the same day, the debate will get underway in the Paul VI Hall with the greeting of the Holy Father, the reports of the Secretary General, Cardinal Mario Grech and the General Rapporteur, Cardinal Hollerich, and with the presentation of the reports of the study groups and the meeting of the parish priests for the Synod.
Almost the same participants of the first session
Card. Hollerich explained, during the presentation press conference, the composition of the assembly, which does not differ much from last year. The participants are divided into three macro sections: "The Members (i.e., those with voting rights) who are organized, as usual, according to the Participation Title (i.e., ex officio, ex designatione and ex electione members); the Special Guests and the other participants".
In total, there are 368 members, 272 of whom are invested with the munus episcopale and 96 non-bishops. There are only 26 changes in all these categories, mostly replacements.
There are also 8 Special Guests, while the Fraternal Delegates have increased from 12 to 16: "Pope Francis has made it possible to increase their number given the great interest that the sister Churches have shown in this synodal journey". Among the other participants, in addition to the two spiritual assistants, Father Radcliffe and Sister Angelini, and Father Ferrari, a Camaldolese reference for liturgy, this year the 70 experts have been divided into three categories: facilitators, expert theologians and expert communicators.
Prayer, listening and witnessing
"The Synod is a time of prayer, not a convention," reminded the Secretary General of the Synod, Cardinal Mario Grech. Therefore, the first listening is that of the Spirit: "It is this "original" listening that allows us to listen authentically to one another, recognizing in what the other says the voice of the Spirit". Grech announced a novelty at the end of the retreat: a penitential vigil that "will take place on the evening of Tuesday, October 1, in St. Peter's Basilica and will be presided over by the Holy Father".
The event, organized jointly by the General Secretariat of the Synod and the Diocese of Rome, in collaboration with the Union of Superiors General and the International Union of Superiors General, will be open to the participation of everyone, especially young people, who always remind us to what extent the proclamation of the Gospel must be accompanied by a credible witness, which in the first place they wish to offer to the world together with us.
Some of the sins that cause the most pain and shame will be called by name, invoking God's mercy. In particular, in the Vatican Basilica we will hear three testimonies of people who have suffered for some of these sins.
It will not be a matter of denouncing the sin of others, but of recognizing oneself as part of those who, by action or at least by omission, become the cause of the suffering endured by the innocent and defenseless.
At the end of this confession of sins, the Holy Father will address, in the name of all Christians, a request for forgiveness to God and to the sisters and brothers of all humanity," Grech added. The victims' testimonies refer to the sins of sexual abuse, war and indifference to the growing phenomenon of migration.
On the afternoon of Friday, October 11, "we will repeat the experience of an ecumenical prayer, together with the Holy Father, the Fraternal Delegates present in the Synod Hall and various other representatives of Churches and Ecclesial Communities present in Rome". The date was chosen to commemorate October 11, 62 years ago, when the Second Vatican Council was solemnly inaugurated.
A new day of retreat is planned for Monday, October 21: "It will be a kind of pit-stop, to implore the gifts of the Lord in view of the discernment of the draft of the Final Document," continued Grech, who concluded his speech by recalling how people all over the world pray for the Synod: "How beautiful it would be if at least on Sundays, in every parish, all over the world, we prayed together to invoke the Lord on the work of the Synod, saying: Give us Lord, hearts and feet burning on the way."
Methodological innovations
One of the special secretaries of the Synod, Father Giacomo Costa, explained some methodological innovations of the assembly. "The question of method cannot be considered only as an operative mode, but as the way in which the Church takes shape and how listening to the Spirit leads to shared actions.
The methodology is at the service of the entire synodal process. Starting from the Instrumentum laborisIt will be necessary to identify what deserves to be accepted in the final document and what needs to be deepened and amended, in order to provide the Holy Father with the tools that will enable him to identify the steps to be taken. An agenda voted by the assembly itself will be followed, in order to better focus on the topics to be deepened".
The resulting document will be presented on the day of the retreat and then examined for the drafting of the final document to be offered to the Pope.
A final important novelty will be the four theological-pastoral forums, open to the public, which will be held on October 9 and 16, simultaneously at the Jesuit Curia and the Augustinanum.
The other special secretary, Msgr. Riccardo Battocchio, said: "There will be the presence of theologians, canonists, bishops and the opportunity to dialogue with those present. The topics foreseen: on October 9, the People of God as the subject of the mission and the role and authority of the bishop in a synodal Church; on October 16, the mutual relations between the local and universal Church and the exercise of the primacy and the synod of bishops. In each forum, the discussion will be preceded by the intervention of 4 or 5 experts who will present the main issues, focusing on the different perspectives from which each topic can be considered".
The authorAndrea Acali
-Rome
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Santiago Portas: "We treat a Cabildo the same as the humblest parish".
With more than a decade in this sector, the Director of Religious Institutions and Third Sector at Banco Sabadell has become a reference in the financial management of this type of institutions.
Santiago Portas Alés is the director of Religious Institutions and Third Sector at Banco Sabadell. This entity has been serving dioceses, congregations, schools and all types of religious institutions for more than 45 years in terms of financial management.
With more than 20 years of experience in the sector, Santiago Portas, from Seville, is more than just the familiar face of an institution; for many parish priests, religious men and women and people in the third sector, he is a friend and a person they can trust in the complicated world of financial management of these institutions. Married and the father of two children, Portas holds a degree in Business Administration and is a graduate of IESE's Social Leadership program. He is also the academic director of the financial advisor course for Religious Institutions and the Third Sector at the Francisco de Vitoria University and a professor in the Edelvives Foundation's Expert Course in Leadership and Management of Educational Centers. In addition, he develops a wide range of volunteer and advisory work in different initiatives of the Church and Third Sector Entities.
Sabadell has been, for years, a benchmark in the financial management of religious institutions and the Third Sector. What has been the recipe for achieving this leadership?
-At Banco Sabadell we have been serving these groups in a segmented manner for more than 45 years, based on proximity and specialization, listening to their needs in order to provide agile responses through our teams of specialists distributed throughout Spain.
In my opinion, the ingredients of the recipe are great proximity, good products and an excellent team of people.
How have you managed to gain trust in an environment where it is so difficult to establish relationships?
-It is true that it is difficult to enter into the management of these customers, mainly because when they are well served they have no need for change. They prefer long-term relationships based on trust, and that is where we have been working especially in recent years.
Our teams, which only manage clients from both groups, have the appropriate training in financial matters and the specificities of these clients, and also have a sensitivity for these groups that is an added value when it comes to creating relationships and making them last over time.
We are a Bank that seeks long-term relationships and this fits perfectly with the needs of our clients.
One of the characteristics of this task in your case is the knowledge and personalized treatment of each client. How do you achieve this personalized treatment in a world that tends to the contrary, even more so in the financial sphere?
-The financial sector has hung the sambenito I think it's quite the opposite. Nowadays, clients receive a more professional and personalized attention and have at their disposal an endless number of channels to communicate with managers.
People are and will always be a differential value within any sector, we generate trust and transparency among others, and we bring commitment. In my case, I believe that these values are fundamental to strengthen relationships; if this is missing, the rest will never be able to stand out.
However, all this comes with time. I have spent more than two decades in the financial sector and the last ten years dedicated exclusively to the management of religious institutions and Third Sector entities.
This is not done "from one day to the next", as they say, the times of the "Church are different", and we must know how to cultivate virtues such as prudence, fortitude, temperance, humility, generosity, patience and, of course, gratitude.
I like to say that, from our Segment, we bring the Gospel to the world of finance. For me, the best manual for management of history, the one that should be followed by all managers, is the Bible.
Santiago Portas and Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of the Institute for the Works of Religion, at an event organized by Omnes in Rome on June 4, 2024.
What needs are addressed by the Religious Institutions and Third Sector Segment and to what type of institutions are they directed?
-We are a bank and our core is to offer financial products. Within the needs of our clients, there is a very wide range of needs due to the diversity of entities that we manage, all denominations, third sector entities, mainly foundations and NGOs of a social and welfare nature, we serve parishes, hospitals, schools, universities, residences, dioceses and congregations and the rest of the realities of the church, as well as its works.
We establish with them a framework of conditions that is very well tuned to the needs they have, and through agreements we cover everything that depends on each institution.
I like to use the simile of the umbrella, since all the institutions dependent on the main one can benefit, treating equally a Cabildo and the humblest parish within a diocese, this is fundamental.
We also include conditions for priests, religious life, workers and family members up to the first degree of the latter.
You also put a lot of emphasis on the training of bursars and administrators of these entities. How would you summarize the financial advisory courses for religious entities and the third sector?
-Training is a necessary lever for improvement in all areas of life. At the bank, we make an important effort to have a training program for all our teams to help them in their personal and professional growth.
In 2020, from the Religious Institutions Segment, we proposed to the bank's Human Resources Department to implement training that would include subjects adapted to the needs of religious institutions and third sector entities, training that would not only complement the bank's management team but would also become a tool that would provide our clients with a broad and transversal knowledge within the field of management and, in particular, finance.
As a result of this and of the collaboration with the Francisco de Vitoria University we launched the first course of Financial Advisor for Religious and Third Sector InstitutionsThe more than 1,100 students who have taken this course, a completely online course that allows them to reconcile work and family life, with seven very different and necessary modules, have been able to study the structure of the Church, taxation, patrimony, training in Social Doctrine of the Churchmanagement of development cooperation and social action projects, management of financial and social assets, and compliance and money laundering.
The proposal has been very well received by both religious institutions and third sector organizations, with students giving it a rating close to outstanding.
In scholarships, more than 500,000 euros in tuition fees have been waived for students, it was the wish of the University and the Bank not to profit from the training, it was a project from the Church and for the Church.
Soon a new call will be open, in which we expect again a large influx of students, there is still a lot of interest and need for training.
What do you think differentiates an advisory service to these entities from that which can be provided to other types of civil entities?
-There is a fundamental difference: religious institutions, although they have cif, are not businesses, there is no profit motive, their mission is not economic.
The Catholic Church is the oldest institution in the world, as I said before, its times are different and its vision is very long term, this has to be understood and mimicked within the management that has to be compatible with the bank's DNA.
I have been fortunate to work in two of the entities that have had the greatest presence and seniority in the management of these groups within the financial sphere and that have been able to fully understand the idiosyncrasies of religious institutions and bring them to the management and relationship model.
My experience makes me understand that groups with notable differences cannot be managed in the same way. At Sabadell we are specialists in adapting the product and management offer to each group, a tailor-made suit made by listening.
Our maxim is to always be close to our clients and their needs, to listen to them and to give agile and innovative answers. This has led us to be the current benchmark for management within the financial world, with simplicity, humility and always having our clients, in short, people, at the center.
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St. Boniface, a native of England, dedicated almost his entire life to missionary work in Germanic lands. His main legacy is the ecclesiastical organization in present-day Germany.
The history of Christianity in Germany dates back to the 3rd century. In Trier - then part of the Roman province of Gaul - Cologne and Mainz - the capitals of Germania prima and Germania secunda - there were already Christian communities. The first historically recorded bishop in Germanic lands is Maternus, who participated as an advisor to the Roman Emperor Constantine I at the Lateran Synod in Rome in 313 and at the Synod of Arles in 314. According to the lists of the bishops of Trier, he was the third bishop of Trier, as well as the first historically attested bishop of Cologne (Civitas Agrippinensium) and possibly bishop of Tongeren.
However, the true "Apostle of the Germans" is St. Boniface (c. 673 - 754/755), who is considered the messenger of the faith to Germanic lands for having durably established Christianity in those regions. More than a missionary, Boniface was an organizer. He gave the German Church - in his time, the East Frankish Kingdom - a solid structure by creating several dioceses and founding numerous monasteries. Even today, the German bishops hold one of their two annual assemblies in Fulda, as his tomb is located in the cathedral of this city.
Boniface closed a gap of about three centuries in the historical documentation of Christianity in Germanic lands. With the fall of the Roman Empire and, in those lands, already around the year 400, the sources that could provide evidence of Christianity in the cities of Germania disappear.
While in the kingdom of the West Franks Christianity took hold after the baptism of Clovis around 500, attempts at missionary work on the right bank of the Rhine initially failed. There is hardly any source from the 7th century that mentions the Franks - already Christians - as a protective power in that region. It was not until the 8th century that Christian testimonies reappeared, a time when Boniface played a fundamental role.
Origins of St. Boniface
Originally called Wynfreth, Boniface was born around 673 into a noble Anglo-Saxon family in Crediton, in the kingdom of Wessex. He was educated as a "puer oblatus" in the Benedictine monasteries of Exeter and Nursling, where he was later ordained a priest and worked as a teacher.
His missionary activity in the Frankish kingdom and neighboring regions was part of the Anglo-Saxon missionary movement of the 7th and 8th centuries, originally promoted by Pope Gregory the Great (590-604). The aim was to Christianize the Germanic tribes and integrate them into a hierarchical ecclesiastical organization.
In 716, Boniface undertook his first missionary journey to Friesland, but failed. He returned to Nursling, where he was elected abbot. A year later he decided to leave England for good and go on pilgrimage to Rome. Pope Gregory II (715-731) entrusted him in 719 with the mission of proclaiming the Christian faith to the "unbelieving peoples" and changed his name to Boniface ("benefactor" or "one who acts well").
His mission among the Frisians was resumed, this time in cooperation with the missionary Willibrord, but the two separated in 721 due to tensions. Boniface continued his mission in the present-day regions of Hesse, Thuringia and Bavaria, where he founded several monasteries and churches. His commitment to a strict Roman Catholic church order met with resistance, especially in Thuringia.
Church organization
Much of his legacy is due to the ecclesiastical organization he undertook in Bavaria from 738 onwards. There he succeeded in establishing and reorganizing several dioceses, such as Salzburg, Friesingen, Passau and Regensburg. He also founded the dioceses of Würzburg, Eichstätt, Erfurt and Büraburg near Fritzlar. In 746 he was appointed bishop of Mainz, but his influence in Bavaria was soon eclipsed by the Irishman Virgil of Salzburg.
In the "Concilium Germanicum" of 742 he enacted strict disciplinary measures against "licentious" priests and monks. During this and subsequent synods (744 in Soissons, 745 in Mainz) the basic rules of ecclesiastical discipline and Christian life were established: the position and duties of the bishop, the ethics and behavior of the clergy, the regulation of the use of ecclesiastical goods, the renunciation of pagan customs, as well as questions of ecclesiastical marriage law.
Boniface strove to structure the Church in the Frankish kingdom according to the Roman model. His attempt to convert the episcopal see of Cologne into the metropolitan see of a new ecclesiastical province failed, however, because of resistance from the bishops east of the Rhine. Mainz only became an archbishopric and metropolitan see under his successor, Lullius.
The death of St. Boniface
At the age of over 80, Boniface undertook a last missionary journey to Friesland. Sensing his death - for he carried a shroud with him - he wanted to end his life where he had begun his mission. On June 5, 754 (or 755), he was killed near Dokkum by a group of Frisians opposed to Christian missionary work, along with eleven companions. His contemporaries regarded the circumstances of his death as an act of martyrdom. His remains were recovered by Christians, transported by ship to Utrecht and later taken to Fulda, where he was buried in the grave of his own choice.
Despite the resistance to his ecclesiastical reform, Boniface left a legacy of Christianization and organization of the Church in parts of the Frankish Empire. For this reason he is venerated as the "Apostle of the Germans" and is recognized as a central figure in European ecclesiastical history. He was canonized after his death in 754 under Pope Stephen II (752-757), and his veneration was officially sanctioned by the Pope Pius IX in 1855.
The initiative has arisen from a group of representatives of different Christian denominations with members in Spain and aims, among its objectives, to ensure the right to religious freedom of believers.
The Anglican Cathedral of the Redeemer in Madrid hosted the constitution of the Bureau of Interfaith Dialogue of Spain. The act was centered on the reading of a Communiqué of constitution and its signature by all the Christian confessions that form part of this Table.
The Catholic Church through the Subcommission for Interfaith Relations and Interreligious Dialogue of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain (FEREDE), the Metropolis of Spain and Portugal of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Romanian Orthodox Bishopric of Spain and Portugal, the Russian Orthodox Bishopric of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Spanish Evangelical Church (IEE), the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church (Anglican Communion), the Church of England (Diocese of Europe), the German-speaking Evangelical Community of Madrid, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Syro-Orthodox Church are the confessions that are, as of today, part of this Bureau.
The main purposes of this Bureau, according to the note published on the occasion of its constitution, are "to promote dialogue and collaboration for the common good among the Christian confessions present in Spain in those issues that are appropriate. To watch over and work to guarantee the adequate exercise of the fundamental right to religious freedom of believers and to contribute fundamental values to society, highlighting the capacity of the Christian faith to build bridges between people".
All this through "respectful, sincere and constructive" institutional dialogue, collaboration in areas of common interest and even "the exchange of resources, when possible according to their own doctrines".
Carolina Bueno Calvo, executive secretary of FEREDE, the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain will be the president of this table that will count, as vice presidents, with Mons. Ramón Valdivia Giménez, president of the Subcommission for the Interconfessional Relations of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, and Mons. Rafael Vázquez Jiménez, director of the Secretariat of the Episcopal Subcommission for Interconfessional Relations of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, will be the secretary of this Table.
As of September 16, 2024, Omnes begins a new phase under the direction of María José Atienza, until now editor-in-chief of Omnes.
Maria José succeeds Alfonso Riobó, who after almost 20 years linked to the publication, both during his time at the magazine Word as under the new Omnes brand, hands over the helm of the multiplatform medium in a succession that confirms the commitment to the transformation and future of this socioreligious information medium.
Omnes thus continues the editorial line maintained since 1965, with the mission of offering its readers quality content, characterized by analysis and in-depth analysis of the great themes that occupy the hearts and minds of today's Catholics.
We would also like to reiterate our gratitude to all those who, since its foundation and up to now, have made and continue to make possible the development of this editorial project, in order to make this Catholic view of current affairs available to everyone.
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In this new series, Gerardo Ferrara delves into Georgia, a country that straddles Europe and Asia, where landscapes, viticulture and a large collection of gold stand out.
I don't like surprises. I like to inform and document myself about everything around me. However, before traveling to Georgia this summer, I chose to read little, to approach the trip expecting some surprises, especially since the first stop on my visit to the Caucasus was Armeniaabout which I wrote several articles for Omnes. So I went from a country I knew almost everything about to a country I knew little about. And I must admit that I was very surprised.
A small big country
Georgia is a small country in the South Caucasus located on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, straddling Europe and Asia and between the two mountain ranges of the Greater Caucasus to the north and the Lesser Caucasus to the south, but it is a real treasure to be discovered. With an area of 69,700 km² (bordered to the north by the Russian Federation, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan), it has a fascinating capital, Tbilisi, with some 1.3 million inhabitants. And it was precisely from Tbilisi that my trip began, which ended on the peaks of the Caucasus, on the border with the Russian Federation, at the wonderful Holy Trinity Monastery of Gergeti.
In Tbilisi, from a viewpoint at the foot of the old city, next to the beautiful Metekhi church and the statue of the mythical king Vakhtang Gorgasali (439 or 443 - 502 or 522), founder of the city, we contemplate the castle, the famous ancient baths (it is said that the name of the city derives from the sulfurous waters that flow there) and the Kura river just below us.
Before taking a long walk through the city's narrow streets, we retraced the country's long history, which dates back to the Paleolithic era. In fact, over the millennia, the region was a crossroads of civilizations and peoples from Anatolia, Persia and Mesopotamia. During the Bronze Age, several cultures flourished, such as the Trialeti culture, which laid the foundations for later Georgian civilizations.
Wine and gold
There are two surprising details: the "invention" of wine in Georgia and the very advanced treatment of gold.
As for wine, viticulture has been attested in Georgia for about eight thousand years (so much so that the oldest amphora with traces of wine, dating from 6000 BC, was found in this country and is preserved in the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi). Of the fragrant and sparkling wines of this region, by the way, Homer already spoke in the "The Wine of the Sea".Odyssey".
The same terracotta jars are still used today, in a country that has at least 500 species of vines suitable for winemaking (in Italy, where the oldest example of grape fermentation "only" dates back 6000 years, there are 350). The region where 70 % of the wine is produced is Kakheti, east of Tbilisi, where we were able to taste, among bucolic landscapes and ancient monasteries, several wines fermented in amphorae, including the famous Saperavi.
As for gold, the archaeological treasure on display in the museum itself is impressive, with its immense collection of gold, silver and pre-Christian precious stones from tombs of the 3rd millennium BC, of extremely fine chiseling and workmanship, especially those found in Colchis (western Georgia), a region not infamous for the myth of the Golden Fleece and the Argonauts, with the legendary Medea, daughter of a king of this same land.
From a map of Georgia, which my exceptional guide displayed on a small wall from which we could admire the Europe Square, a large square filled with flags of the European Union (omnipresent throughout the country, along with the Georgian flags) and the scene, in recent times, of several popular demonstrations, one can see how this nation is literally nestled in the Caucasus, among powerful and unwieldy neighbors, and, in its complex and rugged territory, several ethnic groups coexist (along with the majority Georgian), among them the Armenian (in the south), Ossetian (in the north) and Abkhazian (in the northwest, on the shores of the Black Sea). And it was precisely the two regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia that proclaimed their independence, provoking bloody conflicts (independence, however, only recognized internationally by Russia).
Some data
The territory of Georgia is characterized by a great variety of landscapes: from the Caucasus Mountains, with peaks exceeding 5,000 meters (Mount Shkhara is the highest, at 5,193 meters, in the north), to the fertile central plains and the Black Sea coast. The climate varies from temperate in the coastal zone to alpine in the mountainous regions.
Georgia is a semi-presidential republic, with the President as Head of State and the Prime Minister as Head of Government. The population is around 3.7 million, the majority ethnic Georgians (over 83 %), with Armenian (5.7 %), Azerbaijani (6 %) and Russian (1.5 %) minorities.
The official language is Georgian, a language with its own alphabet (there are actually three Georgian alphabets). On the religious level, Orthodox Christianity predominates, and the Georgian Orthodox Church (now autocephalous) has always played a prominent role in the social and cultural life of the country.
A bit of history
The oldest Georgian kingdom was therefore that of Colchis, along the Black Sea coast, famous in Greek mythology as the land of the Golden Fleece. According to many scholars, especially contemporaries, the inhabitants of Colchis may be defined as proto-Georgians. This kingdom developed commercial and cultural relations with the Greeks since the 1st millennium BC, becoming an important commercial center.
However, another kingdom flourished in the interior of the country, that of Iberia, also known as Kartli. This kingdom, founded around the 4th century BC, became one of the main centers of the Caucasus. Its strategic location made it an object of dispute between the Roman Empire and the Parthians, and later between the Byzantines and the Sassanids. During the reign of King Mirian III in the 4th century AD, Iberia adopted Christianity as its official religion, making Georgia one of the first Christian countries in the world, shortly after Armenia.
Interior of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
In the period between the 9th and 13th centuries, often referred to as the "golden age" of Georgia, the country was unified under a series of important kings and queens, such as David IV, known as "the Builder", and his niece, Queen Tamara (both considered saints by the Georgian Church). With them, Georgia became one of the most powerful states in the region and expanded throughout much of the Caucasus. During this period, Tbilisi became a major center of culture, art and architecture.
This era of prosperity ended, however, with the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, followed by Tamerlane, the various Persian khanates and the Ottomans, which led to the gradual weakening of the Georgian kingdom and a long period of decline and fragmentation.
Precisely to seek protection from Ottoman and Persian incursions, Georgia turned to Russia in the 18th century and, in 1783, the Treaty of Georgievsk sanctioned Russian protection over the kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, which was later formally annexed in 1801, bringing the whole of Georgia gradually under Russian rule.
Russification process
During the 19th century, Georgia underwent a process of Russification, with the loss of many of its traditions (dramatic proof of this is the plastering of Georgian church frescoes by the Russians), as well as its political autonomy. In reaction, however, this same period also witnessed a great cultural awakening, with the revival of Georgian literature and national consciousness.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia declared its independence on May 26, 1918, with the birth of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, which, however, was short-lived, since in 1921 the Red Army invaded the country and annexed it to the Soviet Union as the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.
During the Soviet period, Georgia underwent a radical transformation. Despite fierce political repression and massacres, it managed to preserve its strong cultural identity (many prominent figures, including Soviet leader Iosif Stalin, were of Georgian origin).
Over the years, discontent with the Soviet regime grew, until the events of April 9, 1989, when a peaceful demonstration in Tbilisi was violently repressed by Soviet troops, causing a massacre among the civilian population, with 20 dead and hundreds wounded.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia again declared independence, but its first years as a sovereign state were anything but easy, both economically and due to political turmoil and ethnic conflicts.
Conflicts and tensions
The regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia proclaimed secession, leading to bloody conflicts that left these regions in a de facto, but not internationally recognized, state of independence.
In particular, the ethnic cleansing carried out against the Georgians of Abkhazia by Abkhazian separatists, supported by foreign mercenaries (including, unfortunately, Armenians) and forces of the Russian Federation during the Abkhazian-Georgian war (1991-1993 and again in 1998), is infamous. Between 10,000 and 30,000 Georgians lost their lives, victims of unspeakable violence, and about 300,000 had to seek refuge in the rest of Georgia, with a significant decline in the population of Abkhazia, where Georgians constituted 46 % of the population before the war.
In 2003, the Rose Revolution brought to power a reformist government led by Mikheil Saakashvili, which sought to modernize the country and bring it closer to the West. However, this government was marked by tensions with Russia, which culminated in the Russian-Georgian war of 2008. The conflict lasted only five days and ended with Georgia's defeat and Russia's recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which accentuated the rift between Georgia and Russia.
Georgia today
In recent years, Georgia has made considerable economic and institutional progress, while facing significant challenges. The country, also after the war between Russia and Ukraine (which led to a massive immigration of Russians to Georgia) pursued a foreign policy aimed at Euro-Atlantic integration, with the goal of joining NATO and the European Union, which granted it candidate status in 2023.
However, the current government, with the Georgian Dream party in power, maintains a rather ambiguous attitude, on the one hand favoring the rapprochement of Georgia to the European Union, but then introducing, in domestic policy, a series of authoritarian laws, such as the one that assimilates all foreign NGOs to enemy agents. Precisely on the occasion of the approval of the latter, massive street protests were held in Tbilisi in the spring of 2024, in which the mostly young demonstrators waved EU flags and accused the government of pursuing a pro-Russian and despotic policy.
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Pope on return from trip: knowing Jesus requires an encounter with Him
At the Angelus this September 15, On the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, having just returned from his apostolic journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania, the Pope said in Rome that in order to know Jesus, it is necessary to have an encounter with Him that changes life, that changes everything. He also asked for "solutions of peace" for the wars in the world.
Francisco Otamendi-September 15, 2024-Reading time: 2minutes
Pope Francis said this morning at the recitation of the Marian prayer for the AngelusIn St. Peter's Square, he said that in order to know the Lord it is not enough to know something about him, but "it is necessary to follow him, to let oneself be touched and changed by his Gospel. It is a matter of having an encounter with him. You can know many things about Jesus, but if you have not met him you do not know who Jesus is".
"It changes the way of being, it changes the way of thinking, it changes the relationship you have with your brothers and sisters, it changes your disposition to accept and forgive, the choices you make in life, everything changes," he continued. It is not enough, he stressed, to know the doctrine, but it is necessary to have this encounter,
Francis then quoted the Lutheran theologian and pastor Bonhoeffer, a victim of Nazism, who wrote that the problem that never leaves me calm is that of knowing what Christianity really is for us today, or who Christ is. Unfortunately, many no longer ask themselves this question, and remain quiet, asleep, even far from God.
The Pope concluded: "It is important to ask ourselves who Jesus is for me and what place he occupies in my life? Do I allow the encounter with him to transform my life? May our Mother Mary, who allowed God to upset her plans, who followed Jesus to the Cross, help us in this.
The Pontiff's meditation started from the Gospel This Sunday, from St. Mark, in which Jesus asks his disciples: "Who do the people say that I am? Peter answers in the name of all: "You are Christ, that is, you are the Messiah",
However, when Jesus begins to speak of suffering and death, Peter himself objects, and Jesus rebukes him harshly. Looking at the attitude of the Apostle Peter, we can ask ourselves what it really means to know Jesus," the Pope said.
Vietnam, Myanmar, new Blessed in Mexico, ALS patients...
After the recitation of the AngelusThe Pope prayed for the victims of the floods in Vietnam and Myanmar, and asked for a round of applause for the Mexican Moisés Lira, priest of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit and founder of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity of Mary Immaculate, beatified by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
The Pope also prayed for those suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ELA), whose day is celebrated today in Italy, to whom he expressed his closeness, and that "the wars that bloody the world" should not be forgotten.
Francis prayed for the martyred Ukraine, Myanmar, the Middle East, and he stopped at "the mothers who have lost their children in the war", praying for the kidnapped people, that the hostages be released, and that "solutions for peace" be found.
What use can a more or less reliable image of a wounded Jesus be to us in our life of faith? Well, only insofar as we are able to see in that wound, in that drop of blood, in that bruise, his message of personal love without limits.
In the last few weeks a photograph of Jesus created with artificial intelligence based on the image printed on the Holy Shroud has gone viral. Is it just a morbid curiosity or can we get something good out of it?
First of all, it should be made clear that the Catholic Church sees in the Shroud of Turin only a relic of great value, but in no case has he affirmed that it is really the sheet that wrapped the body of the Lord, no matter how many indications there are in favor of it.
As St. John Paul II said, "the Church has no specific competence to pronounce on these questions", but "entrusts to scientists the task of continuing research to find answers".
Secondly, it is necessary to relativize the capacity of the artificial intelligence to reconstruct faces, however shocking the results may be.
Let's not forget that AI cannot create from nothing, but relies on what it has already seen. It uses the impressive wealth of data that the internet gives it to "read" how things are and, with that information from here and there, it replicates. For this recreation, helped by the humans who have guided her, she will have studied thousands of bearded men's faces, compared them with the proportions of the traces of the Shroud and merged that data into an image that is the one we see.
Thus, this would be only one of the multiple similar faces that he would be able to generate by sticking to the proportions and structural features set by the original image.
In any case, supposing that the image on the sheet was that of Jesus Christ and that the AI was able to achieve 99% of fidelity in the recreation; apart from the first "wow", what does it bring me as a Christian? Does anyone really believe that, if Jesus had been incarnated today and we had, not one, but, as is typical of our times, thousands of photographs and videos of Him, His testimony would reach further and increase the number of believers and followers? Allow me to doubt it.
There were many thousands who knew him and witnessed his miracles, not through photographs and videos, but face to face; but, at the culminating moment of his life, at the foot of the cross, how many accompanied him, how many trusted him, how many, in short, believed in him and in his message? Only Mary, John and some holy women.
Where were those who for years of discipleship had followed him along those paths, where were those who had shared with him teachings, friendship and affection, where were those who had seen him with their own eyes in order to believe? Even Peter and James, who had also attended with John his glorious transfiguration, were not satisfied with what they had seen with their own eyes in order to believe. What did they lack to make the leap of faith?
Benedict XVI offers us a clue by explaining the Gospel passage in which the Apostle Thomas, who was not in the assembly when the Risen One appeared in their midst, said: "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and put my finger into the nail holes and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. "In the end," says the German Pope, "these words manifest the conviction that Jesus is no longer to be recognized by the face, but rather by the wounds. Thomas considers that the distinctive signs of Jesus' identity are now above all the wounds, in which the extent to which he loved us is revealed".
What use can a more or less reliable image of a wounded Jesus be to us in our life of faith? Well, only insofar as we are able to see in that wound, in that drop of blood, in that bruise, his message of personal love without limits.
In these days in which we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows, it is worth remembering that only those who are able to discover the mystery of the cross can go from knowing Jesus (the one in the photo) to recognizing him, as the centurion recognized him when he saw how he had expired and proclaimed: "Truly this man was the Son of God".
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.
Coinciding with the march of the Universal Synod -The second and final session of which will open on October 2 and conclude on Sunday, October 27, the Italian dioceses are also experiencing their own national "synodal journey," which obviously has not had the same echo as what is happening in Germany, but which responds to the current need to involve the People of God more and more in the life of the Church.
Three phases
Articulated in three phases - Narrative, Wisdom and Prophetic - the experience promoted by the Italian Episcopal Conference had opened in October 2021 relaunching the proposals of "listening to and gathering the life of people, communities and territories", already put forward at the universal level by the Synod of Bishops. The following year, in 2022, a series of "priorities" were identified and validated by the General Assembly of the Bishops' Conference.
This was followed by what was called the "sapiential phase", which called on all the Italian dioceses to reflect on five macro-questions, which emerged from the listening phase of the previous biennium: the mission according to the style of proximity; language and communication; formation to faith and life; permanent synodality and co-responsibility; and, finally, the change of structures.
Emerging needs
The orientations of this phase emphasized the need to "open ways for everyone to have a place in the Church, regardless of their socio-economic status, origin, legal status, sexual orientation". In addition, that document stressed the need to "rethink the initial formation of priests, overcoming the model of separation from the community and favoring modes of common formation between laity, religious and priests."
Equal attention must be paid - the text reads - to the "real recognition of the significance and role of women within the Church, already preponderant in fact, but often immersed in that officialdom which does not allow for a true appreciation of their ministerial dignity".
Towards the Italian Synodal Assembly
In these months, therefore, the last phase of the Italian Synodal Journey begins, which will be anticipated with the presentation of the so-called "Lineamenti" that the National Committee will present to the Permanent Episcopal Council and that will serve as a guideline for the first Italian Synodal Assembly, scheduled to be held in Rome from November 15 to 17.
The draft text underlines the need to "find the instruments to make the dream of a missionary Church a reality and, therefore, more welcoming, open, agile, capable of walking with the people, humble", as communicated in recent days by the National Committee itself.
Beware of author narcissism
For his part, the president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppicommenting on the work done - "beautiful and important" - encouraged to look "with courage to the future of the Church and the world to announce the presence of the Lord that makes the life of people full", understanding that we must be careful with "author narcissism, which is the enemy of synodality because it pits some against others, wants to put some above others and humiliates communion, the premise and fruit of synodality".
The themes that characterize this time the text of the "Lineamenti" are formation, co-responsibility, language, communication and culture, and serve to "focus attention on some mechanisms that are weighed down or rusty in the Church in order to unblock it," explained Archbishop Erio Castellucci, who chairs the National Committee of the Synodal Way. After all, "the question is not what should change in the world, but what should change in us so that communities can be more transparent to the Gospel".
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The sacrament of forgiveness. An experience of freedom
When I go to confession, the protagonist is not my sin, nor my repentance, nor my interior dispositions - all of which are necessary - but the merciful love of God, Pope Francis explained in a Roman parish on March 8. Every sacrament is a real encounter with the living Jesus. Forgiveness is an experience of freedom, while sin is an experience of slavery.
Fernando del Moral Acha-September 15, 2024-Reading time: 7minutes
No one can forgive if he has not been forgiven before, if he has not experienced true forgiveness. Forgiving is a modality of loving, perhaps I dare say that it is one of the most perfect. To say to someone "I forgive you" is to say "I love you as you are, I recognize in you something that transcends your deeds, your limitations, your mistakes".
But forgiveness has a double aspect: in the first place, it is a gift, it does not come from ourselves, it is not the exclusive result of our will or our determination; but, in the second place, we can also learn to forgive. There are a series of internal and external attitudes that make it easier for us to accept this gift.
The collect prayer of the Mass of the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time contains a provocative affirmation: "O God, who especially manifests your power through forgiveness and mercy, pour out your grace unceasingly upon us, so that, desiring what you promise us, we may obtain the good things of heaven".
Although this formulation may initially surprise us, we must affirm that the greatest manifestation of God's power is not only the creation or the physical miracles narrated in the Gospel and confirmed today, for example, in the processes of beatification and canonization (behind every saint we know there are two confirmed miracles), but that he manifests himself "especially" in forgiving us.
How powerfully St. Josemaría Escrivá expresses it: "A God who brings us out of nothing, who creates, is something imposing. And a God who allows himself to be sewn with iron to the wood of the cross, to redeem us, is all Love. But a God who forgives, is father and mother a hundred times, a thousand times, infinite times".
God also pronounces upon us a word of forgiveness, and the Word of God becomes flesh: "Jesus Christ is the face of the Father's mercy. The mystery of the Christian faith seems to find its synthesis in this word. It has become living, visible and has reached its culmination in Jesus of Nazareth" (Misericordiae Vultus, 1).
Thirst for love
God had it all figured out. Through the sacraments, the power of Christ's paschal mystery remains in the Church. That face of the Father's mercy is still alive and active. God forgives me today! And he teaches me to forgive. When St. Leopold Mandic - a holy Capuchin confessor - was once reproached for forgiving everyone, he pointed to a crucifix and replied: "He gave us the example!" (...) And opening his arms, he added: "And if the Lord reproached me for being too long-suffering, I could say: 'Lord, you gave me this bad example, dying on the cross for souls, moved by your divine charity. The sense of humor of the saints hides a profound truth.
The man of today-who is the man of always-frequently experiences a profound rupture, abundant failures, anguish and disorientation. Benedict XVI rightly affirmed that "in the heart of every man, a beggar of love, there is a thirst for love. In his first encyclical, "Redemptor hominis"My beloved predecessor (St.) John Paul II wrote: "Man cannot live without love. He remains for himself an incomprehensible being, his life is deprived of meaning if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate in it fully" (n. 10).
The Christian, in a special way, cannot live without love. Moreover, if he does not encounter true love, he cannot even call himself a Christian, because, as he emphasized in the encyclical "Deus Caritas Est", "one does not begin to be a Christian by an ethical decision or a great idea, but by an encounter with an event, with a Person, which gives a new horizon to life and, with it, a decisive orientation" (n.1.). (Homily during a penitential liturgy. March 29, 2007).
Recognizing ourselves as sinners
Every sacrament is a real encounter with the Living Jesus. When I go to confession, the protagonist is not my sin, nor my repentance, nor my interior dispositions - all of which are necessary - but the merciful love of God. Pope Francis recently explained it in a Roman parish, saying that confession "is not a devotional practice, but the foundation of Christian existence. It is not a matter of knowing how to express our sins well, but of recognizing ourselves as sinners and throwing ourselves into the arms of Jesus crucified to be freed" (Pope Francis, Homily at the celebration of Reconciliation, 24 hours for the Lord, March 8, 2024).
The Pope points out something that is important: forgiveness is an experience of freedom, while sin, guilt is an experience of slavery, as is repeatedly pointed out in Sacred Scripture. And with that experience of freedom comes peace, inner joy and happiness.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1423-1424) teaches us that this sacrament can be called by various names: "of conversion," "of penance," "of confession," "of forgiveness" and "of reconciliation. None of these terms exhausts all its richness, but shows it to us as a polyhedral diamond that can be contemplated in its different faces.
Sacrament of conversion
This is the initial point: to recognize that we all need to convert, which is the same as saying that we are all imperfect. But conversion must not spring from the contemplation of my wounded self because I am not perfect, but from the astonishing contemplation of a Love that envelops me and to which I want to correspond. "Love is not loved!" cried the young Francis through the narrow streets of his native Assisi. The starting point of conversion must be the awareness of my sin, as in medicine the starting point of treatment is the diagnosis.
It is precisely in that imperfection where God is waiting for us, who always gives us a second chance. It is always time to begin again, as is clear from the words of the Venerable Servant of God Tomás Morales, SJ: "Never get tired, to be always beginning". These words remind us of the insistent repetition of Pope Francis, since the first days of his pontificate: "God never tires of forgiving, let us never tire of asking for forgiveness".
Sacrament of Penance
The conversion mentioned above is not a matter of an instant, but implies a process, a road to travel. Even in cases where the beginning was a direct and "tumbative action of God" (let us think about St. PaulIt is clear that the great converts of the twentieth century (St. Augustine, St. John of God, St. Camillus de Lelis and the great converts of the twentieth century) had to continue their daily journey of living in the face of God. He counts on time, he is patient and knows how to wait, he accompanies us. As such a process, conversion is something living, non-linear, with ups and downs.
For many Christians, the experience of conversion can be frustrating because of the lack of time. In a culture of the immediate it is easy to succumb to impatience or despair and want everything for now. Think of Israel's forty years in the desert... God is in no hurry.
Sacrament of Confession
Verbalizing our sins. To pass from the idea to the word. St. John Paul II, in his Apostolic Exhortation on this sacrament, affirms that "to recognize one's own sin, indeed - and going even more deeply into the consideration of one's own personality - to recognize oneself as a sinner, capable of sin and inclined to sin, is the indispensable principle for returning to God (...). In reality, to be reconciled with God presupposes and includes to get rid with lucidity and determination of the sin in which one has fallen. It presupposes and includes, therefore, doing penance in the fullest sense of the term: repenting, showing repentance, taking the concrete attitude of repentance, which is that of one who sets out on the path of return to the Father. This is a general law that everyone must follow in the particular situation in which he finds himself. Indeed, sin and conversion cannot be treated only in abstract terms". (Reconciliatio et paenitentia, 13).
The examination of conscience made from the basis of love - and not from a legalistic conception of sin - helps us to identify, to concretize. Not to remain only in "what I have done" or "what I have not done" but to go to the root. To kill a tree, it is not enough to cut the branches, but we must destroy the root.
Forgiveness and reconciliation
It is impressive to hear (in the case of the priest, to pronounce) those words that, if we can, we receive on our knees: "I absolve you of your sins...". At that moment the rope that held us is cut; God approaches us and embraces us.
This is how Pope Francis explained it a few years ago: "Celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation means being wrapped in a warm embrace: it is the embrace of the Father's infinite mercy. Let us remember the beautiful, beautiful parable of the son who left home with the inheritance money; he spent all the money, and then, when he no longer had anything, he decided to return home, not as a son, but as a servant. He had so much guilt and so much shame in his heart. The surprise was that when he began to speak, to ask for forgiveness, the father did not let him speak, he hugged him, kissed him and made a party. But I tell you: every time we go to confession, God embraces us, God celebrates". (General Audience, February 19, 2014).
Link between Penance and Eucharist
And who does not want to be embraced? Who does not want to be grafted back into a relationship of love? God always waits for us with open arms and an open heart. That is why some authors have also called this sacrament "the sacrament of joy". This is a virtue that appears in all the characters in Luke's parables, except for the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son; something that should give us pause for thought.
This journey reaffirms the need to place the sacrament of penance back at the center of the Church's ordinary pastoral care. Let us not forget the intrinsic link between the sacrament of penance and the sacrament of the Eucharist, the heart of the Church's life, which, although it is not the subject of this article, must be mentioned.
New evangelization and holiness
Hence Pope Benedict XVI asked himself: "In what sense is sacramental Confession a 'way' for the new evangelization? First of all, because the new evangelization draws vital lymph from the holiness of the Church's children, from the daily journey of personal and communal conversion in order to be ever more deeply conformed to Christ. And there is a close link between holiness and the sacrament of Reconciliation, witnessed to by all the saints of history. Real conversion of heart, which means opening oneself to the transforming and renewing action of God, is the "motor" of every reform and translates into a true evangelizing force.
The same Pope went on to point out: "In Confession, the repentant sinner, by the gratuitous action of divine mercy, is justified, forgiven and sanctified; he abandons the old man in order to put on the new man. Only those who have allowed themselves to be profoundly renewed by divine grace can bear within themselves, and therefore proclaim, the newness of the Gospel. (St.) John Paul II, in his Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, affirmed: "I would also like to ask for renewed pastoral courage so that the daily pedagogy of the Christian community may be able to propose in a convincing and effective way the practice of the Sacrament of Reconciliation" (n. 37).
"I wish to emphasize this appeal," he added, "knowing that the new evangelization must make known to the people of our time the face of Christ as the 'mysterium pietatis,' in which God shows us his merciful heart and fully reconciles us to himself. This is the face of Christ, which they must also discover through the Sacrament of Penance" (Benedict XVI. Address to the participants in the course of the Apostolic Penitentiary on the internal law, March 9, 2012).
I believe that, even in a cursory way, it has been possible to demonstrate that the sacrament of penance also has a pedagogical value. It is part of a journey of holiness, the ultimate goal of the life of each one of us.
This is why we must share our experience with others. "May the word of forgiveness reach everyone and the call to experience mercy leave no one indifferent" (Misericordiae Vultus, 19). From the forgiveness we have received, we too become instruments of forgiveness.
The authorFernando del Moral Acha
Vicar of the parish of St. Mary of Cana. Assistant to the Office of the Causes of Saints (CEE).
Bishop Jaime Spengler: CELAM, Synodality and the Challenges for Latin America
During the International Eucharistic Congress 2024 in Quito, Ecuador, Bishop Jaime Spengler, president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), shared his vision of the role of CELAM and its mission of communion in the continent.
Bishop Spengler described the work of CELAM as fundamental for coordinating and promoting communion among the various bishops' conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of helping the local churches through advice on formation, research and communication.
The CELAMbased in Bogota, acts as a bridge between the local churches and the universal Church, offering support in key areas: Communication, Knowledge Management, Training and Action Networks.
The Center for Pastoral Action Programs and Networks is responsible for services related to ministry, missionary discipleship and other specific pastoral activities, which are integrated into the area of the outgoing synodal Church.
The Cebitepal Training Center trains clergy, religious and lay people, and centers dedicated to research and communication, seeking to articulate the social, economic and pastoral challenges facing the continent.
The role of CELAM in synodality
At a key moment for the worldwide Church, marked by the synodal process promoted by Pope Francis, Bishop Spengler delved into the three levels of this process, which he considers essential for the Latin American Church:
1. The People of God
"Synodality starts from an essential premise: listening to everyone," Bishop Spengler explained. The synodal process begins with active listening to the communities, to all the baptized, to those who, in their daily lives, seek to live the faith and build stronger communities.
For CELAM, this first step is crucial because the voices of the faithful represent a wealth of experiences that reflect the challenges, joys and hopes of the Church in Latin America. CELAM facilitates this listening through its study centers, which make it possible to gather the pastoral and social realities of the continent.
2. The Bishops
The next level of the synodal process is the work of discernment by the bishops. "After listening to everyone, it is up to some to discern and articulate what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church," Bishop Spengler noted.
CELAM plays an essential role in coordinating the bishops' conferences, helping them to interpret and respond to the challenges facing their respective regions. Bishop Spengler underscored the importance of episcopal communion, where bishops, in collegiality, not only listen to their communities, but also support each other in the search for pastoral solutions.
3. The Pope
Finally, "this process reaches Peter," Bishop Spengler emphasized. The Holy Father, as head of the universal Church, is the one who has the unique mission of guiding the whole Church towards truth and unity. Bishop Spengler explained that CELAM, by facilitating this synodal process in Latin America, helps the voices of the continent to reach Rome in an articulate and coherent manner.
"The Pope shows us the way according to the Gospel, and we as pastors must accompany our communities in this process of discernment," he added.
CELAM's current challenges
Bishop Spengler also addressed the challenges facing CELAM in the coming years. One of the biggest challenges is to consolidate the recent internal restructuring of the organization, carried out at the request of Pope Francis, with the aim of making it more efficient and closer to local realities. "CELAM has gone through a major restructuring, and our mission is to ensure that this change strengthens communion and service among the churches of the continent," he explained.
Political and social crisis on the continent
Bishop Spengler also referred to the external challenges facing the Church in Latin America, especially the political, economic and social crises. "Today, in Latin America, as in many parts of the world, we are experiencing a crisis of democracies. Political polarization and economic inequality profoundly affect the life of our communities," he said.
For Bishop Spengler, synodality and communion within the Church are a model that can inspire solutions in a continent that urgently needs reconciliation and fraternity.
Formation and evangelization
Another important challenge is the strengthening of formation and evangelization in a changing cultural context. Cebitepal, as a formation center, seeks not only to educate clergy and laity in doctrine, but also to train them to be effective witnesses in their communities.
"We want to form pastors who can face the challenges of a globalized and fragmented world," emphasized Bishop Spengler. He also referred to the need for a deeper and more creative evangelization that responds to contemporary problems based on faith, but also on a profound understanding of social reality.
Bishop Spengler (right), president of CELAM with Juan C. Vasconez, correspondent of Omnes.
Strengthening the testimony of communion
Finally, Bishop Spengler expressed his desire that communion within the Church be a witness that transcends ecclesial walls and reaches the whole of society.
"The witness of communion among us can be a beacon of hope for a world suffering from divisions," he said. For him, synodality is not only an internal exercise of the Church, but also a tool to promote peace and fraternity in a continent facing deep crises.
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The book of the psalms is a prayer book; Benedict XVI called it "the prayer book par excellence" because it involves an encounter between God and man. It consists of a collection of 150 poems, many of which have been attributed to King David, as is the case of Psalm 23, which will be the subject of our reflection.
Santiago Populín Such-September 14, 2024-Reading time: 5minutes
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in its number 2588, affirms that each psalm "is of such sobriety that men of every condition and of all times can truly pray with it".
In them we can see many situations common to all men, such as: suffering, joy, family, friendship, work, etc.; and they teach us that we can turn them all into a reason for prayer.
Specifically, the Psalm 23According to the Greco-Latin dating, it is one of the most commented and prayed psalms both by the Jewish and Christian tradition. It is a psalm of thanksgiving; a poem that reflects very well the religious attitude of the man who recognizes God, his action in his own life, emphasizing the confidence in Him.
Comments on Psalm 23 (22) that can help meditation
1)The Lord is my shepherd-first image
The psalmist calls God his shepherd. "The image refers to a climate of trust, intimacy and tenderness: the shepherd knows his sheep one by one, he calls them by name and they follow him because they recognize and trust him (cfr. Jn 10, 2-4). He takes care of them, he guards them as precious goods, ready to defend them, to guarantee their well-being, to allow them to live in peace. Nothing can be lacking if the shepherd is with them" (Benedict XVI, General Audience, October 5, 2011).
2)Nothing is missing
In Israel, as in most of the Middle East, neither water nor pastures are plentiful. But in the presence of the Lord - the Good Shepherd - nothing is lacking. He knows where to find food and drink, for his priority is his flock.
3)In green meadows he makes me rest
In the Song of Solomon 1:7 we read: "Tell me where you feed the flock, where you lead them to rest at noon." For the good Shepherd leads his sheep to obtain abundant pasture, being also a very comfortable place to rest.
4)Into calm waters he guides me
These are sources of still water, but not only for drinking and refreshment, but also for cleansing. Throughout the Bible we find many times the symbol of thirst to speak of God's desire. For example, in Psalm 42:2-3: "As the hind seeks streams of water, so my soul seeks you, my God. My soul thirsts for God.
5)It comforts my soul
After the weariness of the day, his care comforts us. In this sense, Psalm 27 presents a similar idea: "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is my strength and my power; who shall make me tremble? Though the wicked rise up against me... He will gather me into his tent... Though my father and mother forsake me, He will take me in."
6)He leads me along straight paths for the honor of his name
Even though I walk through dark valleys, I fear no evil.
"We too, like the Psalmist, if we walk behind the good Shepherd, even if the paths of our life prove difficult, tortuous or long, often even through spiritually deserted areas, without water and with a sun of burning rationalism, under the guidance of the good Shepherd, Christ, we must be sure to go along the righteous paths, and that the Lord guides us, is always near us and we will lack nothing." (Benedict XVI, General Audience, October 5, 2011).
7)Because you are with me
Here we come to a central part of the psalm. The reason why one feels safe, without fear, even when going through the darkness of life, is the following affirmation: "You are with me", this is the most important thing. Psalm 118 also affirms the same idea: "If the Lord is with me, I am not afraid; what can man do to me?". Benedict XVI says: "the closeness of God transforms reality, the dark valley loses all danger, is emptied of all threat". (Cfr. Benedict XVI, General Audience, October 5, 2011).
8)Thy rod and thy staff comfort me
David was king and shepherd. Surely the staff and the staff refer to God the Savior, liberator, guide of the people, in reference to the departure from Egypt.
9)You prepare a table for me in front of my adversaries.-second image
We now enter the shepherd's tent. "The vision is coherent and engenders a few archetypal symbols: hospitality, feasting with food and drink, home." The Lord is presented as a divine guest. "It is a gesture of sharing not only food but also life, in an offering of communion and friendship that creates bonds and expresses solidarity" (Cfr. Alonso Schokel, L. and Carniti, Psalms I, translations, interpretations and commentariesBenedict XVI, General Audience, October 5, 2011).
10)Anoint my head with oil
At that time, anointing a visitor - who arrived tired from a long and tiring day - was a great manifestation of affection and appreciation. The oil with perfumed essences gives freshness and soothes the skin. The New Testament (cf. Matthew 26) shows us that in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman made a gesture that was highly appreciated by the Lord: she poured an alabaster jar of perfumes on him. How much the Lord appreciated this gesture!
11)And my cup runneth over
What does this figure entail? Benedict XVI says: "The overflowing chalice adds a festive note, with its exquisite wine, shared with superabundant generosity. Food, oil, wine: these are gifts that give life and joy because they go beyond what is strictly necessary and express the gratuitousness and abundance of love" (Benedict XVI, General Audience, October 5, 2011).
12)Your goodness and mercy accompany me.
Every day of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for a long time.
"God's goodness and faithfulness are the escort that accompanies the psalmist who leaves the tent and sets out again on his journey. But it is a journey that takes on a new meaning, and becomes a pilgrimage towards the temple of the Lord, the holy place where the pray-er wants to "dwell" forever and to which he wants to return" (Benedict XVI, General Audience, October 5, 2011).
By way of concluding these comments, it is important to emphasize that Psalm 23 acquires its full meaning after Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd" (Jn 10:11,14). With Him, who has already prepared for us the table of the Eucharist, and under His guidance, we hope to reach the green pastures of His Kingdom, to full happiness (Cfr. Commentary on the Holy Bible, EUNSA, Faculty of Theology, University of Navarra).
Some tips for praying with Psalm 23
First, read it calmly. Second, read the commentaries that the bibles usually have on the text in order to have a correct interpretation and a good complement for prayer. Third, meditate on it; it may help you to answer the following questions in dialogue with God:
What strikes you about the text, how does it challenge you, what does it say to you?
Does it lead you to notice God's presence at your side, to abandon yourself to him, to be more grateful?
How do you deal with your difficulties, sorrows, pains and worries? How would you like to react to them?
Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila
"Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you, all things pass away, God is not moved, patience achieves all things, he who has God lacks nothing, God alone is enough."
Both Psalm 23 (22) and St. Teresa's prayer invite us to rest in God's provision and protection. He is our sure guide, he is always with us. God is pure love, loves us unconditionally and is always ready to forgive and restore us.
Both are a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and unfailing love for us, and invite us to trust fully in His care and provision in all of life's circumstances.
A purpose
After meditating on Psalm 23 (22), you can ask yourself what purpose I would like to make with God, with my family, with my friends, with my community, etc.? One of them could be to ask for and maintain peace, which will be the fruit of abandoning oneself to God, especially in the moments of difficulty that arise during the day. Also, to transmit that peace to others; as Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: "May no one ever come to you without leaving feeling a little better and happier."
The authorSantiago Populín Such
Bachelor of Theology from the University of Navarra. Licentiate in Spiritual Theology from the University of the Holy Cross, Rome.
We find it hard to accept that suffering is part of the fabric of life, and that no human being is exempt, not even the most noble and good.
September 14, 2024-Reading time: 6minutes
Why do the good and the innocent suffer? Why does tragedy, earthquakes, floods, fires, storms, pandemic, or any global suffering have such a bad aim? Why doesn't it select its victims better to hit those who truly "deserve it" or brought it on themselves?
What a strange coexistence between justice and injustice, between prey and predators, between powerful forces and fragile victims! But also, what a strange presence of the inert, inappetent, indifferent, apathetic and silent people who see the parades of pain in front of them and hide or excuse themselves instead of helping to transform these sad realities.
We do not like to talk about human pain, but we cannot avoid it. We fear it, we flee from it, we supposedly fight to avoid or attenuate it. Only in United States We spend almost 18 billion dollars a year on painkillers and pain medication, and another 18 billion on antidepressants worldwide. It causes us desolation, existential crisis, sense of injustice, bitterness, rebellion, resentment, and we even fight with God and with life for making us the target of the "undeserved". That is why we engage in a cold war against him.
We find it hard to accept that suffering is part of the fabric of life, and that no human being is exempt, not even the most noble and good. All nature experiences it, and it is part of the daily struggles for survival. The first language of a newborn is crying, and it is also the most recognized expression in farewells. As Ecclesiastes 3 says, "there is a day to weep and a day to laugh".In other words, for every day of joy, expect a day of pain.
How different it would be to learn to live soberly and wisely with suffering, without necessarily abandoning legitimate efforts to eventually eradicate it! As James 1:2-4 says: "Consider yourselves fortunate, brethren, when it is your lot to endure all kinds of trials. These trials develop the ability to endure, and the ability to endure must become perfect, if we are to be perfect, complete, lacking nothing.".
Suffering has its program, its purpose and finality. In reality we must understand that although we have all suffered for different reasons, there are only two types of suffering: that which destroys and that which edifies. At 2 Corinthians 7, 10St. Paul, the great theologian of suffering, tells us: "The sorrow that comes from God leads to repentance and accomplishes a work of salvation that will not be lost. On the contrary, the sadness that inspires the world causes death".
In St. Paul's teachings, he consistently exhorts us to live suffering that edifies by finding mysterious benefits. Among them, his gift of spiritualizing life and experiencing God's consolation. Trials force us to go beyond superficialities to go deeper introspectively. Human suffering is the great purifier of consciences and intentions, and it is the realm where love is tested. Although it seems that suffering stops and paralyzes us, in reality its main purpose is to move us from an unfinished or imperfect reality to a more meaningful one. It is up to us whether we take up the challenge with courage and faith until we find its supernatural purposes.
Worse than suffering would be to suffer in vain
The suffering experienced by tests or wounds leaves marks or gives rewards, because that test can serve as a springboard to a life full of misfortunes, bad decisions, or emotional imbalance, or to a new reorganized, better prioritized and transformed life.
Every trial is a halt in life. We can no longer continue to live on autopilot because now the safe road has been intercepted, and suddenly splits into two uncertain paths. There are no specific road signs and no clear signposts: it is up to us to discern or guess. If we choose wrongly, there will be more pain, loss, wear and tear, illness, bondage, or, in extreme cases, a death wish.
But if we choose well, we take stock of reserves of assets, health, emotional and spiritual resources. Being aware of these resources within reach, we reposition ourselves, we opt for positive changes that will bring us closer to victorious conclusions and hidden blessings. It is this path that leads to the necessary changes, revitalization and reintroduction to normalcy, in an active endeavor to minimize losses and maximize gains.
Difficult times are times to face the unpredictable.
We can no longer remain inattentive, apathetic or indifferent. Now we must dedicate ourselves to polishing old virtues and manifesting new acquired gifts, because the effort is double when tenacity, courage, discernment, resilience, patience and perseverance must be added to every activity. The task is to save ourselves from physical and psychological damage, and still have the strength and will to rescue others in our personal orbit.
You can accept a lot without having to understand everything
Human beings can demonstrate an extraordinary capacity for resilience in the face of the cruelest adversity. Many of life's experiences do not make logical sense or have a reasonable explanation at the time of their occurrence. That's why we can't always be in such a hurry: with calm, we can break down, analyze, measure and weigh more accurately.
We have to ally ourselves with time to allow it to assemble its conclusions without our sudden or hasty interruptions. At the end of this process we will realize that everything was directed towards a greater purpose that claimed its time in our calendars and schemes, and that perhaps it will not take into account individual preferences or wills that impose themselves.
After each tragedy, iconic images will be immortalized and will remain in our memories for years to come. It will be difficult to forget them. The question is whether we will remember with the same ease the great and valuable lessons that we must imprint with each image or event we experience. Let us list some of those that should remain tattooed in our souls.
We can learn
- That there are still many good people in the world. The good are not only the saints, the healthy and virtuous, but also those who intend to take the lead in the coming calamity and invest their best efforts in helping themselves and others even without expecting just reward.
- That human beings do not change easily with speeches, exhortations, resolutions, but with new virtues that transform their internal paradigms and their essences. It is from the wellspring of virtues that great ideas, noble projects, and the best behaviors supported by the most sublime intentions flow.
- That trials awaken nostalgia to begin to love more what we had abandoned, wasted or squandered because we were ungrateful or bad custodians of what we took for granted.
- That physical confinement silences the hubbub of the world so that the voices from within speak, voices that so many times tried to warn us in time, but we were so distracted and obfuscated that we did not listen to them.
- That the heart is oxygenated with love and there is no substitute.
- That we could live with less money, less fun, less hatred, less division, less wars, crimes, selfishness, violence; with less sense of hoarding or deserving.
- But we cannot live without more emotional connections, without more faith, without more hope, without more resilience, common purpose, collaboration and community effort.
- We may find that the best antidotes to suffering are forgiveness, reconciliation, refocusing and redefining ourselves in order to be moved from anguish and bitterness to peace. And peace is the bridge to emotional health and happiness.
- And above all, we can come to the unanimous conclusion that we cannot live without God, without prayer, without our spiritual searches and encounters.
We understand that our life before the trial was half sane and half madness. We wasted a lot of time trying to feed an insatiable heart that by chasing after the superfluous and temporary forgot to seek the sovereignty of truth. Now we will be able to appreciate that the most pressing thing in life is to liveabove all, with quality of life, even if only for a few days more.
This is the great anthropological and psychological struggle that we undertake every day, consciously or unconsciously. And just as we fight for the right to the last breath, why not fight more for the right of every creature to the first heartbeat?
Trials are not God's punishments, but God's trusts.
With suffering, God is entrusting us with sharp moments because he knows our reserves, strengths and gifts that we can activate in the rush of life. It is an invitation to know a new definition of miracles: it is as miraculous to love life even in the midst of pain, as it is to be freed from suffering.
So let us keep stillness; it is the insignia and identity card of the healthy and the saints. Stillness can be an anonymous or invisible movement, because while we are physically still, everything that always wanted to manifest itself is mobilized. How often we try to avoid pain, but what a unique gift it has to transform old identities and carve new essences! Do we forget that nature is a mother, that she conceives and corrects, sometimes with patience and gentleness, and other times with harshness when we respond with defiant rebellion?
We must acquire the gift of assigning purpose to all of life's experiences, to turn them into valuable lessons or hidden blessings.
Let us not waste any more tears or sacrifices. Let us begin to consecrate everything to God's supernatural purposes, for purpose is the most effective soothing and mitigating agent for all pain and suffering. So let silence speak to us and let human hearts begin to breathe without masks. The invitation is for all of us to finally learn to suffer in order to learn to live!And let us remember that after all, there is a greater hope.
Pope bids farewell to Singapore in a meeting with youths
Pope Francis ended his apostolic journey in an interreligious meeting with young people in Singapore. During his speech, the Holy Father reiterated the responsibility of the new generations to build a fraternal world.
On schedule and with partly cloudy skies, the Singapore Airlines A350 flight took off at 18.25 local time, carrying Pope Francis and the delegation of journalists and assistants who accompanied him to Rome. Asia and Oceania.
This concludes the historic 12-day trip that began on September 2 and which saw the Pontiff on pilgrimage through Southeast Asia, where the Holy Father made the Church's closeness felt, confirmed the Catholic faithful in their faith and encouraged them to continue on their journey.
Love for others and harmony among religions
As aspects to highlight, during his stay in Indonesia Francis praised the interreligious coexistence where Catholics are only 3 % of the population. There he signed a declaration together with the main Islamic representative of the country in which he reiterated the no to political manipulation and violence in the name of religion.
In Papua New Guinea, the Holy Father called for equity, peace and care for the earth. In East Timor, a country with a Catholic majority and 65 % of young people, he invited people to take care of the little ones. Finally, in Singapore, he stressed that gigantic buildings and money are of no use if there is no love of God and neighbor behind them.
During his last hours in Singapore, the Pope held a private meeting with Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, priests and consecrated persons at the "St. Francis Xavier" retreat center.
On this last day, the Holy Father was close to and caressed a group of elderly and sick people at St. Theresa's Home, where the Archbishop Emeritus of Singapore, Nicholas Chia Yeck Joo, three priests and a nun were also present.
Pope bids farewell to young people
Francis then took part in an interreligious meeting with young people at the "The Youth Forum".Catholic Junior College". In this institution, students from affiliated Catholic schools take a two-year pre-university course that prepares them for the "Cambridge GCE Advanced Level" exam.
The joy of these students waving flags, wearing their university uniforms, was felt from the first moment with applause. A group of boys placed a wreath of flowers for the Pope and other young people with disabilities performed a choreography. Along with the Bishop of Rome, the event was attended by several leaders of different religious beliefs.
Cardinal William Goh, present at the meeting, described the Church's work with other religions as "interfaith Christmas". "Singapore strives to be an icon of interfaith harmony in the world," he asserted. Afterwards, a young Hindu, a young Sikh and a young Catholic offered their testimony to those present.
In his address, Pope Francis said he was happy "to spend the last morning of my visit to Singapore with you, among so many young people, gathered together in unity and friendship. This is a precious moment for interreligious dialogue!"
Building a fraternal world
The successor of Peter also wanted to point out "three words that can accompany us all on this journey of unity: courage, sharing and discernment".
"Courage" to "maintain a courageous attitude and promote a space where young people can enter and talk". Then "sharing", because "there are many debates on interreligious dialogue... not always successful". However, what "breaks down walls and shortens distances are not so much words, ideals and theories, but above all the human practice of friendship, of encounter, of looking into each other's eyes".
"And I add one thing," the Pontiff said, "thinking especially of you young people who frequent the digital world a lot: sometimes cultural and religious differences are used in a polarized and ideological way and we feel divided and distant from those who are different, simply because we are influenced by clichés and certain prejudices that also find space on social networks."
Finally, "discernment", a "spiritual art" that is more necessary than ever "in the face of the challenges of artificial intelligence", and which also allows us "to be able to grasp the hidden truth, sometimes masked by many illusions or false news".
"Continue on this path," the Holy Father urged the young people, "continue to dream and build a fraternal world, cultivate unity by drawing on the richness of your religions." And to young Christians he reminded them: "the Gospel focuses on God's love for each one of us, a love that invites us to see in the face of everyone else a brother to love".
The end of the intense meeting concluded with the reading of an appeal for commitment to unity and hope and a moment of silent prayer. Pope Francis greeted the 10 leaders of other religions present at the meeting and left for the airport to catch his plane to Rome, where the Pontiff is expected to arrive around 18:30 (local time).
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Bishop Philippe Jourdan: "Our Lady wanted to remain in the Estonian language, even after the Lutheran reform".
