The Legend of St. Nicholas: the origin of Santa Claus
Christmas is the time of family, lights and chocolates. It is a time of tales, legends and true stories. One of the best known stories of these dates is that of Santa Claus, whose origin goes back to Saint Nicholas of Bari.
The vast majority of people know that this Christmas, as in all previous ones, there will be a moment dedicated to storytelling. Whether it's family stories, tales for the little ones or that romantic movie on TV, storytelling is a typical element of Christmas, along with the polvorones, gifts and decorations.
There is a character from this period who is known practically all over the world, even though he is not the really important one, who is Christ, but a good friend of his: Saint Nicholas of Bari. If the name doesn't quite fit, maybe it sounds more like his pseudonym: Santa Claus.
Before the bearded man conquered the shop windows, the figure of Santa Claus was much more reminiscent of St. Nicholas, a 4th century bishop who inspired folklore to create the legend of Santa Claus.
The origin
Little is known about the real life of Nicholas of Bari. He was born under the rule of the Roman Empire and some say that he attended the First Council of Nicaea. It seems that he came from a well-to-do Christian family and that he was named bishop almost by chance. With more certainty it can be affirmed that he was a very generous man and at his death people were already very devoted to him.
Bishop St. Nicholas of Bari (Wikimedia Commons)
After Nicholas' death, Emperor Theodosius had a church built on the site of his episcopal see to venerate his relics. However, the saint's bones were moved several times, as merchants and devotees moved his remains from city to city. The current location of the body of St. Nicholas of Bari is a controversial matter that is in the hands of archaeologists.
But how can it be that a person we know so little about has become one of the most recognizable figures of Christmas? This is where the legend comes into play.
The story goes that St. Nicholas of Bari rescued three young women whose father was in ruins. Unable to arrange marriages for lack of money or means to survive, the three women were destined for prostitution. Upon learning of this, the bishop threw a bag of gold coins out of a window of the house, unnoticed by anyone. When the father found it, he was able to marry the eldest daughter because he had a dowry. Shortly after, Nicholas of Bari repeated the gesture. The second daughter was also able to celebrate her marriage.
In his third act of generosity, the benefactor did not manage to go unnoticed. The father noticed and could only kneel before the bishop to thank him for his gesture. St. Nicholas asked the man not to tell anyone about the origin of the three gifts. That is why today it is the most famous story of the saint.
Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas
The figure of Santa Claus is based on part of this story. Some variations of the story tell that Saint Nicholas dropped the coins down the chimney of the house (just as today Santa Claus goes down that narrow channel), so the gold fell into some stockings that the young girls had left to dry (and that is why the socks have to be hung in the chimney every year).
The saint is also said to have rescued several children. Apparently, during his lifetime, he resuscitated three little ones who had died after falling from a tree. He also interceded to bring back to life some children murdered by a cruel innkeeper. He even rescued a child during World War II. The child's mother lost sight of him during a bombing raid on the city of Bari. Hours later, the little boy appeared at the door of the house completely unharmed, explaining that a St. Nicholas had protected him and helped him to return.
But the bishop's relationship with the Christmas is not something new. Since the Middle Ages it has been customary to give gifts to the little ones, for whom St. Nicholas clearly watched over, on the eve of his feast day, December 6.
San Nicolás today
This beautiful reminder has taken its present form through the influence of other European figures and legends. These include "Father Christmas," a character from a 15th century English poem; "Sinterklaas," a majestic old man who wears a cloak and draws from the culture of the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium; and "Mikulás," a legendary character of the Hungarian people.
With the passage of time, the memory of St. Nicholas of Bari, his gifts and his appreciation for children has been deformed. The Santa Claus we know today came through reinterpretations of European traditions in the United States. Little by little, the Christian saint was transformed from a cartoonist's drawing to the old man dressed in red and white (that the colors are due to a well-known brand of beverages is also part of the legend).
Some countries consider Santa Claus to be the result of taking God away from Christmas, making this season lose its essence. For others, it is a commercial claim that invites consumption. However, no one can take away from Catholics their Saint Nicholas, who functions as a precursor of the most important day of these dates and who, as a good student of his Master, brought to life that famous phrase: "Let the little children come to me" (Matthew 19,14).
Although pagan predecessors can be recognized in the Advent wreath, such as the torches that were lit at the dark time of the year in a kind of incantation to the sun god for his return, its authentic history is relatively recent.
The Protestant theologian Johann Hinrich Wichern (1808 -1881) founded a kind of village in his native Hamburg to "rescue neglected and difficult-to-educate children" - the "little children" who populate the literature of the 19th century - the so-called "Rauhes Haus". With a revolutionary educational concept for the time, they learned to read and write, but also to leave their past behind. Those who entered the "Rauhes Haus" "had to forgive everything completely and forever".
Wichern placed the first Advent wreath in that house in 1839, hanging it from the prayer room to prepare his pupils for Christmas. The "original" or also called "Wichern's" wreath consisted of a wagon wheel covered with spruce branches, with four large white candles, symbolizing the Sundays, interspersed with smaller red ones, representing the working days. The first candle was lit on the first Sunday of Advent and the last one on December 24.
The "Wichern wreath", with its four white and 20 thinner red candles, is still used in some particularly significant buildings such as the Bundestag or German Parliament, the Hamburg City Hall or "Sankt Michaelis", the most important evangelical church in the same city. However, mainly for practical reasons, it was soon replaced by four candles, one for each Sunday of Advent.
At the beginning of the 20th century, what was a custom in the Protestant world also spread to the Catholic world: in 1925, an Advent wreath was placed for the first time in a Catholic church in Cologne; in 1930, Munich followed suit.
The attempted Nazi destruction of the Advent wreath
During the National Socialist era (1933-1945), Nazi ideologues tried to take over Christmas and transform the Christian Christmas into a "German Christmas", "Yule" or "Winter Solstice Festival".
The Advent wreath came to represent the four seasons. In addition, instead of the classical wreath of spruce branches, alternative forms were added to the supporting structure, such as the wheel of the sun or Viking decorations symbolizing the Germanic origin; in other cases, a base in the form of a swastika was used. It was also attempted to substitute a special pagan symbol: the "Julleuchter" ("Yule Candlestick"). This clay candlestick, decorated with Germanic runes, was associated with the "winter solstice festival"; although it is an ancient symbol, it was appropriated by Nazism.
The close relationship between this pagan symbol and the National Socialist terror led to their almost total destruction after 1945. Surprisingly, perhaps because of the current efforts to distort the Christian character of Christmas, such candlesticks are again being produced today.
Despite these efforts, the Advent wreath was already so widespread that the Nazis were unable to displace it. Although nowadays they can be made in all shapes -not only in a circle-, with other types of support, such as wood or metal, and with candles of different colors, the traditional Advent wreath has a circular shape, with the green support formed by spruce branches and the red or white candles, at least this way in private houses or also in stores, etc.
Advent Wreath today
For liturgical use; that is, in churches, the Advent wreath can have the candles in the color of the liturgy, violet or purple. In this case -following also the liturgical use-, the third one has a lighter color or even pink, as it is the color of the ornaments used in the third Sunday of Advent, or "gaudete" Sunday. In some cases a white candle is added, in the center of the wreath, which is lit on Christmas Eve.
Less frequently, Advent wreaths with candles in the four liturgical colors of white, green, red and violet can be seen in churches. However, even in German churches, traditional wreaths with red candles are still predominant.
The most famous Advent wreaths
The world's largest hanging Advent wreath - at least traditionally considered so - is on the fountain in the main square of the Austrian town of Mariazell. It has a diameter of 12 meters and weighs six tons. It is inspired by the original Wichern Advent wreath and decorated with 24 lights: four for Advent Sundays and 20 for weekdays.
Mariazell Advent Wreath
However, since this one is made of artificial materials, the largest "real" Advent wreath in the world is in Kaufbeuren: it is placed on the Neptune Fountain from the first Sunday of Advent until the Feast of the Three Wise Men and has a diameter of eight meters.
This wreath is made with real fir branches and decorated with wax candles almost two meters high.
Advent wreath from Kaufbeuren
Symbolism of the Advent wreath
The Advent wreath has several symbols; the fact that, as each candle is lit, the light increases symbolizes the coming of the one who is the "light of the world".
Its different elements also have a certain symbolism: the circular shape - the circle has no beginning and no end - recalls the unity and eternity of God.
The green branches represent the living Christ, since green symbolizes hope and life, and already refer to the Christmas tree.
Even the color of the candles has its symbolism: the most usual, red, symbolizes that Jesus Christ gave his life for mankind; we have already referred to violet candles as a symbol of Advent.
In a hurry and jumping over obstacles. Collection for the Second Sunday of Advent
For the second week of Advent, there is a collect prayer taken from the old Gelasian sacramentary, which we know was also used during Advent. It replaced another prayer, which was in force until the 1962 missal, and which was transferred to another day within this same liturgical season.
Carlos Guillén-December 6, 2023-Reading time: 3minutes
As we can read below, the theme of going out to meet Christ continues to be strongly present in this part of Advent:
"Almighty God, rich in mercy, let not earthly cares hinder us when we go forth with courage to meet your Son, so that, learning from heavenly wisdom, we may share fully in his life."
"Omnípotens et miséricors Deus, in tui occúrsum Fílii festinántes nulla ópera terréni actus impédiant, sed sapiéntiae caeléstis erudítio nos fáciat eius esse consortes."
The structure of this collect, in its Latin version, consists of a rich invocation, followed by a petition composed of two opposing parts. On the other hand, it does not have the element known as "anamnesis", a reference to a salvific action of God that is remembered, resembling in this respect the one we have already analyzed on first Sunday.
God is in a hurry, are you?
The addressee of our prayer is God the Father, but we have recourse in a special way to his Almighty Power and Mercy. After all, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through him might be saved" (Jn 3,16-17).
The first words of the petition ("in tui occúrsum Fílii festinántes") place us in continuity with the way the liturgy proposed to begin Advent last Sunday, that is, by going out to meet the Son of God who is coming. What is new, however, is the emphasis placed on the participle "festinántes", which conveys the idea of haste (although it has been somewhat blurred in the Spanish translation).
We have come across this word before, when studying the collections of the Lenten season (fourth Sunday). It is interesting to see the role it plays in making the faithful aware of the succession of time. After all, the weeks are passing quickly and the time we are waiting for is getting shorter and shorter.
But we cannot only consider it in its chronological sense. It also describes the attitude of the Virgin when she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth (Lk 1:39) and the attitude of the shepherds who approach Bethlehem looking for the Child after the announcement of the angels (Lk 2:16). Therefore, it also intends to portray the interior attitude of the faithful, who are called to give greater priority to living their faith, to the encounter with the mystery of God.
Only in the Collect of the morning Mass on December 24 does the Church dare to ask this haste of God himself, rather than of her faithful: "Make haste, Lord Jesus, we ask you, do not delay". It is very surprising how confident we can be as a Church to address God with a request that sounds almost like a demand. But, evidently, if anyone is in a hurry to love, to give himself, it is God.
The divine ways of the earth have been opened.
As the first part of the petition points out, the Christian's prompt response to God's love encounters possible opposition in earthly concerns ("actus terreni"). Therefore, we ask for help so that they will not be an impediment to our will to go out to meet the Lord. These "earthly" concerns can remind us of the different "types of soil" on which the seed falls, according to another well-known parable of Jesus (Mt 13). That is to say, the different possible responses to the Word of God and the different fruit that it bears in the life of each person.
But we should not think of abandoning our daily occupations in order to generate a spiritual life parallel to the daily realities in which we have to occupy ourselves. The Incarnation of Christ, his hidden life in Nazareth and his work, show us that the problem is not in the materiality of these actions (which in themselves do not prevent us from encountering God) but in our lack of the Spirit of Jesus, capable of turning every moment into a dialogue with his Father and every act into a demonstration of obedience and love.
Therefore, what we oppose to this possible lack is the heavenly wisdom ("sapientiae caelestis eruditio") with which we wish to fill ourselves. If we allow ourselves to be instructed by the Spirit of Wisdom and apply it to the ordinary life in which God Himself has placed us, we will succeed in turning it into a path of holiness that will make us coheirs (spouses) together with the Son. Advent is, then, a time of spiritual enrichment and a new call to hasten the pace. All Christians who live and work in the midst of the world are called to convert their daily achievements into works that are valuable in the eyes of God. As St. Josemaría taught: "There is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, which it is up to each one of you to discover" (Homily "Passionately Loving the World").
Holy Land. Unattainable peace, the theme of the December issue of Omnes magazine.
The December 2023 Omnes print magazine focuses its dossier on the Holy Land, the origins of the conflict, its history and idiosyncrasies and first-hand testimonies. Alongside this theme, Nagorno-Karabakh and the summary of the Omnes Forum with Jacques Philippe.
The Holy Land, the land of Jesus, where the historical events of the incarnation, life and death of Christ took place, is the central theme of the number 734 of Omnes.
The new conflict in the area, following the Hamas surprise attack on Israeli citizens last October 2023 and the subsequent declaration of war, has once again attracted worldwide media, political and religious attention.
The dossier begins with a comprehensive and well-documented historical introduction by Gerardo Ferrara explaining the historical origins of the tensions in the Holy Land, as well as their political and religious branches.
The issue also explores some of the Christian institutions present in the area, especially the work and history of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, which ensures the Christian presence in key places such as the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem or the Basilica of the Agony, located in the Garden of Olives.
Two women, one Israeli and one Palestinian, also share their different views on the events as well as the lessons that society can learn from the war.
10 years of Evangelii Gaudium
Our editor in Rome, Giovanni Tridente, takes stock of the presence of the key themes of the apostolic exhortation. Evangelii Gaudium in the latest speeches of Pope Francis.
This document, which inaugurated the pontificate of Pope Francis, remains today one of the key texts of the pontiff's magisterium, who makes specific references to this text on numerous occasions.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
The section dedicated to The World this month, the focus is on the conflict, barely known from Nagorno-Karabakh. This enclave, historically linked to Armenia but located on the border with Azerbaijan has seen the practical disappearance of the Christian Armenian presence as a result of the 2020 and 2021 wars and the latest attacks by the Azeri army.
What was once the first Christian nation in the West is today facing the disappearance of its religious and cultural legacy.
Christian philosophy and Jacques Philippe
For its part, Juan Luis Lorda sets out in its Twentieth Century Theology the influence of Christianity on philosophical development, contributing, for example, an idea of the person, of what love and the family are, of the natural order of the world, of the sense of human freedom and responsibility, of the ideals of justice and fraternity, in accordance with human dignity.
The author argues that our democratic culture is based on them. They are issues that can be dealt with by reason, but, to a large extent, they have been established by the impulse of faith.
In addition, the magazine includes an extensive report dedicated to the Omnes Forum, held on November 24 in Madrid and was attended by the well-known spiritual author Jacques Philippe.
At this meeting, attended by more than 200 people, Philippe spoke about the consequences of the "traumatic" death of God in today's society. Among other things, he recalled that by scorning God, we have already "there is no peace or solace". Without hope, without mercy and without the opportunity for forgiveness, man cannot even love himself.
The content of this magazine is now available to Omnes subscribers. The December 2023 issue of Omnes is now available in its digital version for Omnes subscribers. In the next few days, it will also arrive at the usual address of those who have this type of subscription. subscription.
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Pope donates a Golden Rose to the image of the Virgin Mary Salus Populi Romani
Pope Francis has announced his decision to donate a new Golden Rose to the icon of the "Salus Populi Romani", which he visits before and after every trip or hospital stay.
After two historically important but lost copies, Pope Francis has decided to donate a new Golden Rose to the icon of the Salus Populi Romani which is venerated at the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, to which the Argentine Pontiff is very attached, so much so that he visits her from the day after his election, at the beginning and end of every trip abroad, or at the end of hospital stays.
The homage will take place on the afternoon of Friday, December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, before the Pope goes - as has always been his tradition, even during the tragic moment of the pandemic - to pay his respects to the statue of Our Lady in Piazza Mignanelli, next to the Spanish Steps.
A millenary link
"After 400 years, the Pontiff wanted to give a tangible sign of his devotion to the venerated icon," reads a note from the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, "reinforcing the millennial bond between the Catholic Church and the city of Rome."
In fact, there are already two Roses attributed to the Salus Populi RomaniThe first was donated by Pope Julius III in 1551 and the second by Pope Paul V in 1613. The first pontiff was very attached to the Basilica, to the point that he celebrated his first Mass on the altar of the Crib. Paul V, for his part, donated it on the occasion of the transfer of the Icon of the Virgin to the new Pauline Chapel, erected expressly to house it and where it is still preserved today. No trace remains of both Roses, and it is assumed that they were lost in 1797 (Treaty of Tolentino), after the Napoleonic invasion of the Papal States.
Commenting on the gift, the extraordinary curator of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Monsignor Rolandas Makrickas, described the Holy Father's gift as a "historic gesture" that confirms the Pontiff's bond "with the Mother of God". Moreover, through it "the people of God will be further strengthened in their spiritual and devotional bond with the Blessed Virgin Mary".
The Rosary for Peace
At the end of last year's Marian month, Pope Francis chose the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray the Rosary of Peace - especially for the tormented Ukraine - before the Icon of the Salus Populi Romani, together with the shrines of various countries around the world connected by streaming.
And on that occasion he invoked: "grant the great gift of peace, that war, which for decades has been ravaging various parts of the world, may soon cease". And again: "intercede for us before your Son, reconcile the hearts full of violence and revenge, straighten the thoughts blinded by the desire of easy enrichment, make your peace reign over the whole earth".
Unfortunately, these are current words that continue to call for the intervention of prayer.
Homage to the Immaculate Conception
There is no doubt that the Pope will also mention it before the image of the Immaculate Conception in Mignanelli Square, which he will visit on December 8 in the afternoon.
A purely "Roman" tradition that the Pontiff has never wanted to lose. Last year, Ukraine remained at the center of his thoughts: "I would have liked to bring you today the gratitude of the Ukrainian people for the peace that we have been asking the Lord for so long. Instead, I have yet to bring you the plea of the children, of the elderly, of fathers and mothers, of the young people of that tormented land that suffers so much".
Today, unfortunately, we are thinking of the Holy Land, tragically affected by a sudden and disproportionate conflict that is claiming thousands of innocent victims. May once again: "over hatred may love triumph, over lies may truth triumph, over offense may forgiveness triumph, over war may peace triumph". A hope that now becomes an absolute necessity for the whole world.
The author proposes as a reading "In Praise of Thinking", by Professor Ricardo Piñero, in which, using various works of art as a common thread, Piñero reflects on dignity, connectivity, solidarity, sustainability and perfectibility.
Juan Ignacio Izquierdo Hübner-December 5, 2023-Reading time: 3minutes
What book would you recommend for someone going into college? That's what a friend who is buying Christmas presents asked me. I didn't hesitate: the latest book by Ricardo Piñero (Professor of Aesthetics and Theory of the Arts at the University of Navarra): In praise of thinkingwhich could also have been titled "Five keys to thinking with a magnanimous heart".
"Thinking is a way of getting to know, to taste, it is a way of tasting, of learning to discern, of accepting and denying, of protesting and admitting, of sharing what we are in order to be, among all of us, better". In other words, thinking is not something obvious.
Through works of art, entertaining writing and quotations from philosophers, the author puts us in front of five themes that underpin the reflective attitude: dignity, connectivity, solidarity, sustainability and perfectibility. All in 109 pages that are quickly finished and leave the impression that the brevity was deliberate.
Piñero writes to enliven your curiosity, stimulate your spirit and invite you to stay around the topics; he only puts the ladder of the plane, but after you climb it, it's your turn to be the pilot.
Why think about these issues? Because although we know they are unavoidable, we avoid them. This is the drama of our century. We need to be more aware of how valuable and worthy we are; we have forgotten that the best ideas require us to relate to others.
We have let ourselves be... perhaps it is because as soon as we glimpse discomfort we lose the desire to explore, but then what are we living for? It is time to wake up, because if we decide to exercise our thinking and participate in the great conversations of our time, then we will be able to sow and bear fruit. Fruits, many fruits, why can't we fill the world with fruits? I love chestnuts, especially in winter when they are freshly roasted in those magical carts of Pamplona.
The thinking that the author proposes is one committed to people and the common good, even well-humored; it resembles the heart knowledge of Pascal, the emotional knowledge of Scheler or the cognitive force of love of Augustine and Bonaventure. Will we be able to think like this, with the heart? Yes, because we have first been loved by the Lamb.
In praise of thinking
AuthorRicardo Piñero Moral
Editorial: Word
Pages: 112
Year: 2023
That same Lamb is represented in the lower right corner of the book's cover, crouching next to John the Baptist. The painting is by El Bosco (1489) and Piñero comments on it in the last pages of the book: "John has his eyes closed, but he sees everything clearly and teaches us where to follow, he quietly shows us what we have to choose, that not everything is worth the same, but that there is a path, a firm way, which is before us, even if it appears as simple and humble as that white lamb huddled among the vegetation, but which is pure light, which is the Truth of which he is the messenger...".
In summary, In praise of thinking is a good book to give as a gift. Just over an hour to climb the ladder and fly the plane.
Brief chapters to rebel against the dry life proposed by so many unwary people and to foster the desire to bear fruits of service, confident that the Lamb is the Light that shows us the path and also the destination of our journey.
Thinking with a magnanimous heart is a gift that we owe to Him and that the world is crying out for. That is why I said to change the title to "Five keys to think with a magnanimous heart", and that is why I am so grateful to teachers like Ricardo Piñero who teach us to live and think with quality.
The authorJuan Ignacio Izquierdo Hübner
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Our society demands rights, which is legitimate of course, but there is suffering when we expect them to be respected in the direction of ourselves but not in the direction of others. This reality is aggravated when, in addition, we call our desires rights.
With the emergence of various initiatives for the defense of human rights, we seem to have forgotten that they go hand in hand with duties. Our society demands rights, which is legitimate of course, but there is suffering when we expect them to be respected in the direction of ourselves but not in the direction of others. This reality is aggravated when, in addition, we call our desires rights.
Recently a mature woman came to my office experiencing distress at the imminent arrival of her mother-in-law. She sobbed and asked herself: "Why does she have to come? I have the right to be happy.
I empathetically accompanied her feelings and little by little we opened up to a deep reflection on love in the family. At one point in the conversation she revealed what was in her heart and in her conscience:
"All my life I have been rejected by my mother-in-law and now that she is ill, I don't feel like seeing her. But I love my husband and I know it would be precious to him if I showed some compassion. I know he is hurt by my coldness and I wouldn't want to be like that, but deep in my heart I don't feel like getting close. What can I do?"
In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul exhorts us to make our faith come alive with certain basic attitudes: "Be of the same mind toward one another, do not be haughty in your thinking, but be condescending to the little ones. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Never repay anyone evil for evil. If possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Rom 12:16-18).
This, which seems utopian, can be achieved with personal determination: "I will do the right thing even if I don't feel like it". Today, thanks to advances in neuroscience, it is confirmed that it is possible to change our feelings and attitudes, modifying our behaviors and thoughts. That is to say that we should not make the actions we take depend on our feelings; we can all choose our reactions thinking about the consequences and selecting the best response to any circumstance.
The German neurologist Eduard Hitzig, already at the end of the 19th century, designed what we know today as the emotional alphabet. He detected a correlation between certain feelings and attitudes.
He claimed that "R" feelings generate "D" attitudes:
According to Dr. Hitzig's observations, our brains can be molded: the brain is an easy 'muscle' to fool; if you smile it thinks you are happy and makes you feel better.
So it will be necessary to put a good face on bad weather and go ahead doing the right thing even if we do not originally feel like it, this will give us emotional maturity. Let us strive to practice human virtues, this has been the walk of the saints, and we are called to be saints.
When the Word of God asks us to return good for evil, it is because knowing our human nature, it recommends us to do what is best for us, and not what our resentments dictate.
Listening to the voice of the Creator and obeying it makes us truly free and happy.
On November 30, Pablo Blanco and Francesc Torralba received the Ratzinger Prize from Cardinal Parolin. Afterwards they were able to greet Pope Francis.
Both laureates emphasize that the thought and legacy of Joseph Ratzinger will illuminate with great force the Church of the present and the future.
AhNow you can enjoy a 20% discount on your subscription to Rome Reports Premiumthe international news agency specializing in the activities of the Pope and the Vatican.
Children place candles as they prepare an Advent wreath at St. Charles Borromeo Church in New York. The Advent Wreath is one of the typical traditions of this liturgical season.
The day-to-day life of the rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City
The rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Enrique Salvo, feels a great connection with the Latino Catholic faithful, since he himself is from Nicaragua. In his daily work, in addition to gladly serving the community, he tries to promote devotion to the Divine Mercy, of which he is particularly fond.
There is no mundanity when you are the rector of Saint Patrick's Cathedral and running The Basilica of Old Saint Patrick's.
"No two days are alike," shared father Salvo, and "There is no routine because every week provides another focus and something else is going on, and so that keeps it exciting... and I don't have to have a set routine of how many hours I am going to be at my desk…and Church." He continued, "These days, we have more flexibility to get our work done from so many places," which is something Father Salvo appreciates.
Having this "flexibility" is helpful because it allows him "to prioritize each day according to the needs of each day, which is very different, and is part of the excitement of this place," said Father Salvo.
At the beginning of Father Salvo's tenure, all of the faithful congregation were eager and excited to welcome their new rector, wish him well, and pray for him; some, however, had one or two friendly suggestions that were personal to them. The new rector was gracious, willing, and happy to listen to his new flock. One in particular is Madeline, who is 93 years old and has been a daily parishioner for over 55 years. Madeline has praised Father Salvo for many reasons. She said he was very eager to help her get situated in a Catholic home and for his decision to resurrect the image of the Divine Mercy, which had been in storage before his rectorship. Like many Catholics, Madeline is devoted to the Divine Mercy; coincidently, Father Salvo and his family also have an ardent devotion.
The Divine Mercy
Before Father Salvo's rectorship, a beautiful image of the Divine Mercy remained in storage in Saint Patrick's Cathedral. He told Omnes how it was made especially for the Cathedral in Krakow at the Divine Mercy Shrine and was donated by a former and very faithful parishioner who was very active in the Cathedral. She is now deceased.
"Madeline helped me to think about it, and she gave me a smaller image to remind me" to make it visible in the Church, recalled Father Salvo. He did and created a shrine in the Cathedral. Father Salvo agrees it's beautiful but said," ... the most important thing of all is to believe in the messages, which, of course, we are invited to, and something that the Church encourages." He is also aware of the many people who have this devotion and spoke of Saint John Paul II and how "he made sure that we all knew that this all happened, and that it's real, and that it is something for us to trust." He also said that we should remember what Jesus said: "Amongst things, He asked from us, including…the great feast of the Divine Mercy on the Second Sunday of Easter… is that He wanted that image to be propagated because it's not just an image that helps us to pray because it's beautiful…"
The interior of Saint Patrick's Cathedral is a sight to behold and has a host of statues from which one can choose to say a prayer, do a Novena, or light a candle. Father Salvo appreciates all of the imagery and statues, along with our Blessed Mother that are in the Church, "…and they are all sweet and beautiful, and we have Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and then we have the Crucifix…" acknowledges Father Salvo, however, he appreciates having "one of Jesus that isn't crucified or on the Cross." He says, "It's beautiful to see an image of Jesus as he is portrayed in the Divine Mercy," which we rarely see.
"We also have the Pieta," said Father Salvo, but reiterated the importance of the Divine Mercy and how Our Lord said, "He wanted that image to be propagated, so how much more beautiful is it then that we get six million people from all over the world that come each year through the Cathedral…" "I see people almost all day long taking pictures of it, and now everyone posts everything…, so I think Saint Patrick's Cathedral is helping that mission in a very special way because to propagate that image, which is an anointed image, of a reminder of how much we are to trust in Him."
Nicaragua And The Divine Mercy
Father Salvo was born in Nicaragua and shared that he has a family history connected to the image of the Divine Mercy. He told Omnes that the image has been close to his family for a long time. His real estate developer uncle developed one of two mountains to form a bay in Nicaragua's most popular beach town, San Juan del Sur. His uncle had "this miraculous and beautiful moment with Jesus the Divine Mercy and began a great devotion to Him." And he was inspired to build "a beautiful" statue on top of the mountain, so wherever you are in the town, you see the great statue of Jesus, and people go up on pilgrimages”, shared Father Salvo.
There is also a chapel at the base of it, where Rector Salvo celebrated the first Mass. The colossal statue is one of the highest statutes of Jesus in the world, and when cruise ships arrive in Nicaragua, the first thing that they see is the Divine Mercy. What a way to welcome everyone!
Jesus, I Trust In You
Father Salvo said he is grateful to his uncle who influenced him to have a devotion to the Divine Mercy, and he appreciates "the opportunity to propagate it, not only as a Catholic priest but also as someone from a family that has this devotion." His uncle has since had a stroke and is not in optimal health, but fortunately, he has a nephew who prays for the man who instilled the love of the Divine Mercy every time he passes the image in Saint Patrick's Cathedral.
Viva los latinos católicos
Hispanics comprise more than 48% of the Archdiocese of New York, and many of the faithful rejoiced when Father Enrique Salvo began his rectorship. They were excited to welcome their excellent new rector and having the first Hispanic was memorable and historic.
Father Salvo said that Hispanics are the "life of the Church." And they are all making a mark in their faith community here. The rector spoke of Bishop Joseph Espalliat, who was ordained a bishop last year and is the first bishop of Dominican descent; his parents were born in The Dominican Republic.
We are witnessing Hispanics "making a mark in their faith community here, and it's beautiful to be part of that," said Father Salvo.
While most liturgies are done in English, Saint Patrick's has a Spanish Mass every Sunday at 4:00 p.m., which Father Salvo says he "loves doing," and says "it's a nice combination of people that I see there every Sunday, and people that come from all over the world because there are a lot of tourists from Latin America here in New York."
Look out for more of my interview with Father Enrique Salvo soon.
The United Arab Emirates is currently hosting the COP28 International Summit. A meeting that focuses its objectives on the difficult negotiations for the gradual abandonment of some types of fuels.
198 countries are participating in this meeting with the mission of outlining social and economic measures and actions to achieve a transition to other renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric or geothermal energy. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, urged the international community to eradicate fossil fuels in his opening message.
The Pope was scheduled to attend, but - as is well known - he cancelled his participation a few days ago due to health problems. Neither the President of the United States, Joe Biden, nor the leader of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, countries that together generate 40% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, were present.
Although the pontiff does not attend personally, he has not wanted to leave behind his interest and attention to these problems. Proof of this are some of the latest messages he has shared on the social network X: "Now we are asked to take responsibility for the legacy we will leave behind after our passage through this world. If we do not react now, climate change will increasingly damage the lives of millions of people".
The Pope also sent a video message to this meeting, in addition to the address delivered by Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State, who heads the Holy See Delegation - already present in Dubai during COP28 - and who inaugurated, together with Cardinal Ayuso, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, the Faith Pavilion, the Holy See's pavilion at the conference.
Cardinal Parolin has not hidden his regret at the impossibility of having the Pope present at Saturday's scheduled bilateral meetings with several heads of state and government present at the event. "There were many political personalities who wanted to see the Pope," the cardinal revealed before traveling to Dubai. "At the heart of the Pope - has assured the Secretary of State - is the awareness of the need to act for the care of the common home, the urgency of courageous positions and a new impetus to local and international policies so that man is not threatened by partisan, short-sighted or predatory interests."
As is well known, COP28 is called upon to provide a clear response from the political community to decisively address the current climate crisis within the urgent timeframe indicated by science.
The Pope - in Parolin's words - explains that "with the passage of time... we do not react sufficiently, as the world that welcomes us is crumbling and perhaps approaching a breaking point."
Not only do scientific studies highlight the serious impacts of climate change caused by anthropogenic behavior, but it is now a daily occurrence throughout the world to witness extreme natural phenomena that seriously affect the quality of life of a large part of the human population.
The authorAntonino Piccione
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Contemplare Foundation. Showing the richness of the contemplative life
They were dedicated to the world of business, chemistry or entrepreneurship, but they were united by a fascination for the contemplative life and, above all, by a common idea of helping, in whatever way necessary, one of the 725 monasteries of contemplative life that still exist in Spain.
Spain is one of the world's "first powers" in contemplative life with more than 8,000 monks and nuns of contemplative life. They, with their prayer, support the world and this group of lay people decided, through the foundation Contemplareto help the monasteries that they could in the needs that they presented.
Alejandra Salinas, director of the foundation Contemplareis one of those businesswomen who "threw her hat in the ring" and put her professional knowledge at the service of this cause.
Today, the foundation Contemplare collaborates with more than a hundred of these monasteries helping, on the one hand, in their different needs and, above all, being a current, online and universal showcase of products made by nuns and monks from all over Spain.
Alejandra Salinas, director of the Contemplare Foundation,
How did they come to create what some have called "the Amazon of the monasteries"? Alejandra Salinas points out that "the idea was not to cold call the monasteries saying 'we are a foundation based in Madrid to help you', because that is cold and, in addition, they have been deceived many times. So we decided to trust everything to Providence.
The contact with each monastery is personal: through a priest, because they give us the reference from another monastery, by someone who knows them and, of course, also through the federations".
Thus they have been weaving a relationship that "is a slow burner, explaining to them what we do, seeing how we can help them, etc. They are very perplexed that there are lay people, with high heels, who want to help them... although those who take care of us are these monasteries that pray for the world," Alejandra Salinas points out with conviction.
Sisters, what do you need?
The question they are addressing, from Contemplare to each of the monasteries they contact is always the same: "Sisters, brothers, what do you need?
As Salinas points out, "the needs are many, but we realized that what they asked for most was help in selling the handicraft products made in each of these communities. These products, the fruit of their ora et labora, are what help pay the bills.
The expenses of the monasteries are high, in spite of the poverty and austerity with which they live. Contemplare He points out that "it is not only the electricity bill, which is always very high in a monastery, but also the social security expenses, because they are self-employed, or important repairs to the buildings... But, as Salinas also points out, it is not only a question of covering a need but also of honoring this life of prayer and work by making it known".
An antechamber to the monasteries
Contemplare is not only a way of selling some products, but it is a prelude to the monastery: "We want everyone to know what contemplative life is and what it means, the life of a monastery, of these men and women who enclose themselves and pray for us. We invite people to come to the monasteries because that is our objective: to show the richness of the contemplative life".
That is why its physical store "la casita", located in Aravaca (Madrid), is a small oasis of silence and austerity in the middle of the city. There, as in the webIn the monasteries, you can see everything that these monasteries produce: jams, Christmas pastries, religious imagery, but also liqueurs, cheeses, pâtés or baby clothes.
The online store developed tremendously during the pandemic period, recalls Alejandra Salinas: "We created a marketplace with the products of these monasteries that had been directly affected by the impossibility of moving and were in a desperate situation".
It's personal, not just business
Unlike the famous phrase "It's not personal, It's strictly business" from the film of The Godfatherthe work of the foundation Contemplare always goes beyond the mere professional level. This is also a vocational issue for the members of the foundation and those who collaborate with it.
Salinas states that "those of us who work in Contemplare we are personally enriched. We know we have extraordinary suppliers. You never have a superficial conversation with a cloistered nun, even for two minutes. Those of us who are there are ecstatic at every moment because it's circumstances, conversations, stories that come up ... Being around these people makes you look at life differently."
In fact, as she herself, a businesswoman by profession, points out, "the fact that their mission on earth is not to 'make mantecados', changes everything. They always comply and are concerned about complying, but there is something that is above all that. We, who are in the world, live 'on deadlines' and, really, we are out of our minds. The fact that they situate you, that they tell you, 'Alejandra, sit down and remember what you are here for', as a nun told me, changes everything".
With this product, you support a monastery
Thanks to the foundation Contemplare there are many and varied companies and individuals who, for example, at Christmas time, help one or more monasteries by purchasing their Christmas baskets or by including a product from a monastery in the company's basket.
The foundation acts as a "bridge": "One of our tasks is to make contact with large companies that, for example, make Christmas hampers, and we offer them a product from a monastery in those hampers. We have done this for some time with Inditex. Or we make the complete basket, which can be standard or, in the case of companies with a high volume, there is the possibility for them to order their own baskets from us, with a specific budget, etc."
On the one hand, says Alejandra Salinas, "anything that is handcrafted, handmade in a monastery, is very attractive, because they are things of quality and, in addition, many people feel the desire to help the monasteries, even if they are not practicing or convinced Catholics. It is also a way of letting them know that these people who pray for us still exist".
Christmas is always a time of high sales volume, but the foundation also helps them to "deseasonalize" income. In this endeavor, they have organized cooking courses together with the Cordon Bleu The program also offers them advice on trends in baby clothes sold at flea markets or through the web.
The key is summarized in the phrase that accompanies each of the products "with this product you help a monastery", although perhaps, as Salinas repeats, "you understand that, although you are saying 'Here I am to help', in reality, it is the other way around".
Monastic products fair
Among the foundation's initiatives ContemplareThe first edition of the I Monastic FairThe event will bring together, in the central Casa de la Panadería in Madrid, almost a thousand products from 80 convents.
In this space you will be able to buy up to 650 different types of Christmas sweets, directly from the bakery.
In addition to this gastronomic showcase, there will also be cribs, Christmas figures, carvings and icons for sale: 300 different artistic objects molded and painted by the contemplatives. But also baby clothes, natural cosmetics and table linen embroidered in the old style.
In addition, each evening there will be a time for listening and dialogue with nuns and monks from the monasteries that Contemplare supports, surprise concerts of sacred music, and opportunities for personal dialogue.
Pope Francis has prayed the Angelus this first Sunday of Advent from Santa Marta. Although his state of health continues to improve, as reported by the Holy See, doctors recommended the Pontiff to accompany the faithful in this prayer from inside his residence.
In his brief meditation, Francis stressed a concept that Christ repeats up to three times in today's Gospel: vigilance. Before elaborating on it, the Holy Father warned that this is not "an attitude motivated by fear of imminent punishment, as if a meteorite were about to fall from the sky and threaten to crush us, if we do not turn away in time."
On the contrary, the vigilance preached by Jesus relates to the servant, to "the 'trusted person' of the master," the Pope explains. The servant of the Bible is the one with whom "there is a relationship of cooperation and affection." Therefore, vigilance is a virtue based "on longing, on waiting to meet the master who is coming".
This is the expectation that Christians must have, Francis points out. "Whether it be at Christmas, which we will celebrate in a few weeks; whether it be at the end of time, when he returns in glory; whether it be every day, when he comes to meet us in the Eucharist, in his Word, in our brothers and sisters, especially in those most in need."
The house of the heart
The Holy Father invites everyone to "carefully prepare the house of the heart, so that it may be orderly and welcoming". This is what evangelical vigilance really means, "to be prepared in heart. It is the attitude of the watchman, who in the night does not let himself be tempted by weariness, does not fall asleep, but remains awake waiting for the light that will come".
The two best preparations, says Francis, are prayer and charity. "In this regard, it is told that St. Martin of Tours, a man of prayer, after giving half of his cloak to a poor man, dreamed of Jesus dressed precisely in that part of the cloak he had given." The Pope considers that in this event the Christian finds an exemplary model for living Advent. So much so that he encourages Catholics to "find Jesus who comes in every brother and sister who needs us, and to share with them what we can".
Pope prays for the world
Finally, the Holy Father encourages us to avoid useless distractions and constant complaints, and to turn to the Virgin Mary, "woman of waiting". At the end of the Angelus, Francis called for a new cease-fire in the war between Israel and Palestine, whose truce has already ended. On the other hand, he remembered the victims of the attack during a Mass in the Philippines.
The Pope also made an "appeal to respond to climate change with concrete political changes", since this weekend the COP 28 is taking place in Dubai, which he was unable to attend due to health reasons. Finally, he invited everyone to welcome people with disabilities on this International Day, which has become a special echo of this month of December.
Esperanza and José Ángel: "You can no longer live without your Down children."
Four Spanish families have adopted two children with Down syndrome each, and they agree that "they are a gift". They can no longer live without them, because they make their families happy, and they see their happiness. On the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which the Church in Spain celebrates with the slogan "You and I are Church", Esperanza and José Ángel talk to Omnes.
Francisco Otamendi-December 3, 2023-Reading time: 6minutes
The eight parents are Beatriz and Carlos, who spent eleven years trying to become biological parents without success; Antonio and Yolanda, who have six children, all of them adopted, the last four through adoption offers of special difficulty, and of which two have Down syndromeWe have also had the pleasure of talking to Ana and Carlos (fictitious names), whose first five adopted children, in phases, are Russian; and Esperanza and José Ángel, with whom we spoke.
It is known that, in the West, the majority of children with Down syndromewhose trisomy (three chromosomes in the 21st pair) is detected during pregnancy, "do not make it to birth... and we all know why," explain Esperanza and José Ángel. Between the years 2011 and 2015, in Europe, 54% of babies who were detected with this genetic anomaly were aborted. And in Spain, the percentage reached no less than 83%, according to data provided by the Ibero-American Down 21 Foundation, the parents add.
In March of this year, 2023, a report from BBC World reported that a group of experts had concluded that in Europe, in the last decade, 54% of pregnancies in which the fetus had Down's was terminated. The paper by De Graaf, Buckley and Skotko, which was published in the European Journal of Human Genetics (European Journal of Human Genetics) in 2020, and updated at the end of 2022, noted that the proportion of selective abortions was higher in Southern European countries (72%) than in the Nordic (51%) and Eastern European countries (38%).
We talked to Esperanza and José Ángel about some of the reflections and testimonies of these adoptive parents.
You have studied the work of Brian Skotko, director of the Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Can you add any more data?
-Dr. Brian G. Skotko coordinated a team that interviewed 2,044 parents about their relationship with their Down syndrome child in 2011. Well: 99% of them said they love their son or daughter; 97% of those parents were proud of them; 79% felt their outlook on life was more positive because of them; 5% felt embarrassed by them; and only 4% regretted having them. Parents reported that 95% of their sons or daughters without Down syndrome have good relationships with their siblings with this disability. The vast majority of parents surveyed indicated that they are happy with their decision to have them and indicated that their (Down) sons and daughters are a great source of love and pride.
Why this contrast between the happiness expressed by people with Down syndrome and that of their families, and the current option of abortion for the majority?
-These four Spanish families, including ourselves, have each adopted two children with Down syndrome. They all have their own story. But they all agree, we all agree, on at least one thing: they can no longer live without their children. Because they make those around them happy, first and foremost their parents and siblings. Because they see that their children are happy. And because it is very difficult to meet one of these people and not love them. And love - to love and be loved - is what makes human beings happy, first and foremost their children.
And that in the stories of these families there is also sacrifice and hard times. There are demands and pain. Raising and educating a child with Down syndrome requires a lot of effort and there may be situations -although not necessarily, not always, not all at the same time- of health problems, learning difficulties, behavior disorders, disruptive behaviors.
But we are absolutely normal people, "not heroes", who encourage other normal people to have their children with Down syndrome. And to parents who do not want or cannot take care of them - for whatever reasons, which we will never judge - we encourage them to give them up for adoption.
Tell us a flash of your case, how was the decision?
-We could not have biological children, and there was suffering. However, a series of circumstances aligned until we made the final decision, after a process of discernment, to embark on the adoption of a child with Down syndrome. Christian faith also played an important role in that decision: "Whoever receives one of these little ones in my name, receives me", "whatever you do to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you do it to me".
When they shared the decision with their family and friends, most of them received the news with joy and excitement, the same that they already felt. However, we know of a couple who offered to adopt a child with Down syndrome, and when they told the family, they were shocked and tried to dissuade them by all means: that they would not be happy, that it would be a burden for the siblings....
The truth is that the opposite is true. For all siblings of children with Down syndrome, the arrival of their sibling has been an enormous enrichment. In addition, the siblings acquire a special sensitivity with this type of person: you can see it in their gentleness, their patience, their affection when they see one of them...
What did you perceive when you met your two children?
-Immense happiness and emotion. The second adoption was awarded to us because the social services of the Community did not have any other family candidate or with the suitability required by the Administration.
Since then, a journey has begun, not without sacrifice and effort, with sleepless nights or little sleep, with illnesses, with slow progress in development, with day-to-day difficulties -the battles to dress them, wash them, feed them...-, with the uncertainty of not knowing if we are doing well as parents....
But above all that "there is love and love can do anything". Their adoption is "the best thing we have ever done in our lives.
Any anecdotes about these marriages that you know?
-Carlos, initially, in a context of some difficult circumstances they were going through, said no to Beatriz's proposal. But in the end he gave in. On one occasion they were called to offer them a child with Down syndrome, three months old, with a heart condition for which she has to undergo surgery. In addition, the Administration required them to move the whole family to their city and wait for her to reach the right weight to be operated on. The little girl had already gone through three critical moments. All this made them hesitate and in the end they rejected the adoption: "For us, saying no was like an abortion," explains Carlos. "My heart was crushed, we rejected our baby," says Beatriz.
However, she asked the Lord that this child would have the arms of a mother in heaven or on earth. And nine months after she said no, they called them again: that she had been operated on, that she had survived the operation and that they wanted to go for her. "We had to fly," Beatriz says with emotion.
About Antonio and Yolanda?
-Antonio recalled that "the Lord questioned us because in the adoption process documents there was a box that, if you checked it, you offered to adopt a child with a disease or disability. In the first two adoption processes, we did not check it, but that decision marked us.
It was in the context of a pilgrimage that they saw him calling them to "be parents of a son with difficulties. It was not easy but He, who is a gentleman, whispered it to us". And so came our third child," the first with special needs. Antonio explains that "when we already had this last one, he invited us again to open ourselves to life, and the fourth child arrived, who was born with hypoxia and brain damage. It was a great gift for us.
A final thought...
-As Jesús Flórez and María Victoria Troncoso have pointed out in Our TimePeople with Down syndrome give to society much more than what they receive" Maria Victoria insists: "The world would be much worse without people with Down syndrome".
To all these human beings with this genetic alteration, to whom today's society so often discriminates -is there any greater discrimination than not allowing them to be born?- we can apply the words that Jesús Mauleón dedicated to his friend Genaro, with Down syndrome, in a poem: "And when you go out into the street, you make the world better/ and you make the air you breathe deeper".
I hope that today's society realizes this because, as I was saying Jerôme LejeuneThe quality of a civilization is measured by the respect it shows to the weakest of its members. There is no other criterion by which to judge it".
María Jesús Pérez: "Fair Trade is based on a spirituality of life that, together with the Creator, cares for and generates life with dignity".
This missionary Franciscan Sister Estigmatina, a native of León, is one of the founders of "Maquita", one of the oldest and most important Fair Trade organizations in the world.
Marta Isabel González Álvarez-December 2, 2023-Reading time: 9minutes
Black Friday, seasonal offers and sales, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day and of course Christmas... Even if we want to live soberly, it is difficult to escape the wild consumerism of our time. However, there is an alternative that respects people and the environment, helps the development of countries and promotes fair trade relations: Fair Trade.
We interviewed in Quito (Ecuador) the missionary Franciscan Sister Stigmatina, María Jesús Pérez, executive director and co-founder, together with the Italian Father Graziano Masón, of "Maquita", one of the oldest and most important Fair Trade organizations in the world. She explains her steps and the inspiration that has led her from the Diocese of Astorga (León) to Ecuador, where next year it will be forty years since her arrival.
María Jesús Pérez was born in Regueras de Arriba, La Bañeza (León) on July 20, 1955. In 1975 she began her formation with the Stigmatine Franciscan Sisters in Astorga (León) and completed her novitiate in Italy, from where she returned and spent eight years with the Stigmatine communities of Sueca (Valencia), Ponferrada and Astorga (León).
She felt well, but something different was being born in her: the desire to know the journey of the church in Latin America and to experience life walking with groups seeking justice and dignity of life from a liberating faith committed to life. She asked to join the pastoral work of her congregation in Ecuador, and arrived in August 1984, living in the peripheral neighborhood of Santa Rita (Quito). There he coordinated pastoral actions with several religious communities from other neighborhoods, priests and lay people, forming a pastoral team very committed to the causes of the poor.
In those years, Ecuador suffered the consequences of strong neoliberal measures imposed by international organizations, which caused misery, hunger, exclusion and strong persecution of both civil and religious organizations, resulting in deaths and disappearances of leaders. In this context, the Ecuadorian church, in the light of the of the Puebla Document of the Latin American EpiscopateThe Christian commitment to the document Pastoral Options which states, among other things: "May the pain and aspirations of the people and particularly of the poor make us feel deeply their needs and problems, so that we may share them and seek together the light for the way and possible models for a more just society" (OP I, 3).
As she herself says, this was the beginning of "a new way of knowing, listening and living from a spirituality of life rooted in the culture of the impoverished people; where community, organization, care for "Pachamama" (mother earth) and other values, make sense in daily life. Where the Word of God strengthens life and illuminates action in strong solidarity and commitment." And with all this the foundation of Maquita.
But what is a nun doing founding and leading a Fair Trade cooperative like Maquita? What does all this have to do with the Church?
-Everything is born from a deep desire to live, in the concrete reality of the people, in following the ideals of the Kingdom that Jesus of Nazareth lived and left us as a life option. The forms of constituting and living in community are diverse and all are necessary to follow the path that He left us traced out: a model of society transformed into the Kingdom of God here in this world, in the world that God the Father and Mother gave us and dreamed of: "a paradise of human and cosmic fraternity".
Pope Francis, today's prophet, urges us to go out to the peripheries, where people live and suffer, to live with them and like them, in the style of the first missionaries of the Christian communities.
The strategies, the actions that are deployed are different and all of them are impregnated with the spirituality of the life that Jesus led along the roads of Israel. Fair Trade is a philosophy of life that is put into practice from the care of the earth and the products it offers us, through the dignity of work and the respect and service with which we exchange products; products full of life stories, of love for all creation, following in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi.
According to the State Fair Trade CoordinatorFair Trade is an international movement that strives for greater global economic, social, human and environmental justice. It has developed a business model that protects human rights and the environment. Its organizations comply with ten principles How do you define Fair Trade and why should we support and promote it?
-Fair Trade is a way of life proposal that seeks to influence society and economies, proposing a form of care and protection in the way of producing, transforming, trading and consuming in a sustainable, sustainable, inclusive, supportive and fair way with people, the planet and everything created. It is a proposal of life that considers humanity, the planet and the economy from a fair and sustainable trade with a responsible and conscious consumption.
For me, the important thing about Fair Trade is that it is based on a spirituality of life that, together with the Creator, cares for and generates a dignified and just life for all in each of its actions.
I am participating in this movement because, based on its principles, it harmonizes faith and life, in the light of Jesus of Nazareth, who saw the needs of the poorest, felt compassion and acted to free them from suffering and give them a dignified life.
Another important area of Fair Trade is that from their trade relations for the benefit of all persons involved in the chain (from production to conscious consumption) also makes a prophetic commitment to denounce the "exploitations" of the market and impacts with concrete actions for the respect and fair recognition of labor rights, the value of products and productions that respect and care for the planet.
But what is Maquita? Tell us more about its creation, its achievements and its current challenges.
-In the desire of families to "to seek models of a more just society"In 1985, a consumer movement was born, led by women's groups, young people, Basic Ecclesial Communities (CEBS) and peasant organizations, which markets directly from the countryside to the city in order to respond to the right to healthy food.
In an assembly reading the Gospel Mk 6:35 "feed them yourselves" will The result was a concrete action: the creation of an organization with participating families from the outskirts of the city (mostly made up of rural migrants) and rural organizations: "Maquita Chushunchic Comercializando como Hermanos" (Maquita Chushunchic Marketing as Brothers). Two words that in the Kichwa language mean: let's shake hands and trade like brothers.
We were born from the impulse of the Word of God and throughout these 38 years it has been the Light that has illuminated the way and given us the strength and simplicity to be "yeast that leavens the dough". Our achievements are measured by the level of organization and solidarity to move forward together, each person contributing what he/she can and knows. In this journey we have been accompanied in strong alliance and generosity by European institutions that believe and work for a more just society, for a fraternal society such as: Manos Unidas, Proclade, Ecosol, Entrepueblos, ADSIS, among others.
It is important to highlight women's leadership and their great capacity to seek and develop work initiatives to generate income and improve the conditions of their families and themselves.
We articulate ourselves in Social and Solidarity Economy Networks, so that organizations can exchange knowledge and collect products to be able to sell them together in local, national and international markets through the World Fair Trade Organization .
The organization currently coordinates and facilitates work in 20 of Ecuador's 24 provinces.
We have two lines of Social-Solidarity Economy Marketing and Fair Trade: Maquita Products,Maquita Agro and the Community Tourism Operator Maquita Tourism All of them work through two areas: Social Productive and Commercial Solidarity. The following chart defines the functions of both and their unique purpose of leading networks of organizations' enterprises, with collection centers for primary products (quinoa, cacao, beans, corn, etc.), community tourism centers, agro-industrial enterprises (jams, honey, etc.), handicraft workshops and bio-inputs production centers.
The work teams that accompany the organizations are 114 people, professionals and technicians who, grateful for the education they have received, have decided to work and walk in this organizational process giving meaning to their lives and as an option that promotes processes of dignity of life and against the established system that generates so much exclusion, "environmental deaths" and poverty.
Our 12 principles, inspired by the spirituality and commitment of Jesus, guide our journey and encourage us to move forward in the midst of so many difficulties:
We live a liberating ecumenical faith, which provokes the practice of solidarity, commitment and mysticism with the impoverished people, in the style of Jesus of Nazareth.
We practice transparency and honesty, with austerity and simplicity.
We consider the family as the pillar of the community's organizational journey.
We facilitate the empowerment of women and their positioning in the family and society.
We support the active participation of young people based on their identity and work proposals.
We promote gender, ethnic-cultural, generational, territorial, environmental and socio-economic equity.
We practice active non-violence and encourage dialogue between the different stakeholders.
We do non-partisan political, social and economic advocacy.
We walk in a network with the active participation of people and organizations.
We value the cultural identities and ancestral knowledge of the people.
We respect the rights of Mother Nature and care for the environment.
We practice equity and solidarity in the production, transformation, commercialization and responsible consumption of healthy products.
What connections does Maquita have at the international level, what aid and from which organizations have you been receiving support?
-It is a gift of the Spirit that has provoked and given rise to so many organizations whose mission and purpose is to work for justice, the redistribution of goods and against the shameful accumulation of wealth and depraved consumerism.
Over the years there have been many organizations with which we have worked in strong alliance in Italy, Holland, France, Germany, among others, currently, our main allies are: Bread for the World, Manos Unidas, Ecosol, Entrepueblos, Proclade, SETEM, ADSIS, Caritas of Bilbao together with their allies: autonomous governments, Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development, EU, etc.
Its participation is of closeness, guidance in the work and support for investments that promote the improvement of production and management of work initiatives with the different strategies of social and solidarity economy that, focused on the dignity of life of people and care of the planet, different work axes and strategies are implemented according to the needs of the territory.
Could you tell us about a case or anecdote that you remember in which you clearly felt that what you were doing really helped people?
-When I want to share some shocking story in my life, my mind and heart are filled with so many faces... women and men with calloused hands and faces marked by discontent and the harshness of life... so I am going to share with you the experience of the women's population. When they join the movement, they are marked by experiences of violence, exploitation and saturation in the burden of domestic work, animal care, land, market exploitation in the payment of the product, and often alone in the education of children.
When you talk to them today, they tell you that they educate their daughters and sons equally, that there is collaboration in household chores, that they no longer sell their products at the middlemen's fairs and how their organization pays them a fair price, but also delivers a healthy and better quality product, that they participate in social and local government spaces demanding works for their sector. Most importantly, they feel that they are valuable women, eager to continue growing and knowing that they also have the right to take care of themselves and to rest.
It is exciting to see that, in the commercial production chain, they no longer submit to what is established by the market, they know how to respect and value their work and, faced with the difficulties that the market poses (price manipulation, weight and devaluation of quality), they are defining organizational alternatives to reduce the intermediation chain and reach the families with agroecological products that are well cared for throughout the process.
They have very much in mind the God who denounces exploitation in the marketplace as the prophet Amos 8:4ff narrates when he says: "You think only of stealing from the pound or overcharging, using poorly calibrated scales. You gamble with the life of the poor and the wretched for some money or for a pair of sandals..." And in all these situations also today, they live and struggle knowing that they are accompanied by the Divine strength and protection.
How do you see the situation in Ecuador at the moment and how can it affect your cooperative's ability to continue helping?
-Ecuador has been deteriorating very strongly in recent years, due to governments that have not known how to administer and govern in favor of the people, but rather in favor of the large national and international economic sectors. Maquita is affected as much as the territories where we collaborate and therefore we try to promote hope and organization to defend the land against mining and oil companies.
We are paying special attention to the opportunities that young people can have to stay on their land by generating momentum for agroecological proposals to produce sustainably and offer healthy products to support food security.
Migration due to the major problems experienced, among other insecurities caused by narco-criminal gangs and the lack of government attention to the rural population, also affects in the sense that leaders who have been trained as social promoters and who provided transfers and agricultural assistance to families in their communities and other services, are forced to migrate.
Working mainly with the rural sector, the proximity of the "El Niño" climate phenomenon with heavy flooding will affect agricultural production, but also access to products in the family basket, and therefore the population's food supply.
The crisis of the European society also affects us because it diminishes the cooperation that boosts production and work and decent living conditions for the impoverished population.
Throughout these 38 years, we have lived through very hard times and economically on the verge of bankruptcy, but always in the most critical moment there have been actions, people, institutions that unexpectedly have been present and have pushed us to move forward, so we always trust in God who walks with his people and when it is necessary to free them, He does it with "the Moses" of today. Therefore, every day we wake up trusting in Him and feeling His presence in the building of the Kingdom.
The authorMarta Isabel González Álvarez
D. in journalism, expert in institutional communication and Communication for Solidarity. In Brussels she coordinated the communication of the international network CIDSE and in Rome the communication of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development with whom she continues to collaborate. Today she brings her experience to the department of socio-political advocacy campaigns and networking of Manos Unidas and coordinates the communication of the Enlázate por la Justicia network. Twitter: @migasocial
Bravo! 2023 Awards recognize Manuel Garrido, "Libres" and ACdP
The Spanish Episcopal Conference has made public the names of the winners of the Bravo! 2023 Awards. Among them are well-known names, such as Pedro Piqueras or Ana Iris Simón.
The Bravo! 2023 Awards already have winners. This was communicated by the Spanish Episcopal Conference on December 1 in the afternoon, publishing in its web page the names of the winners, among which are such well-known names as Pedro Piqueras, Manuel Garrido and Ana Iris Simón.
The award ceremony will take place on January 29, 2024 at the conference headquarters, but the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications has already given the names of the awardees.
These awards, as expressed in its norms, seek to recognize "on the part of the Church, the meritorious work of all those professionals in the field of the Church". communication in the various media, who have distinguished themselves for their service to human dignity, human rights and evangelical values".
Bravo! 2023 Awards honorees
The winners of this edition, according to categories, are:
In Music: the recycling music orchestra promoted by the company "Ecoembes";
In Advertising: the campaign of the Catholic Association of Propagandists "#QuenotelaCuelen";
From Comunicación Digital; Israel Remuiñán, for his podcast "Benedicto XVI, el Papa de la tormenta";
In Institutional Communication: Manuel Garrido;
In Diocesan Communication: Juan José Montes, from the Diocese of Mérida Badajoz.
Jury of the awards
The jury of the Bravo Awards is chaired by Monsignor Salvador Giménez Valls, by delegation of the President of the Commission. The members of the jury are:
Francisco Otero, director of "Ecclesia" magazine;
Irene Pozo, director of socioreligious contents of "Ábside Media";
Ulises Bellón, director of the press department of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications (CECS);
Juan Orellana, director of the CECS film department;
José Gabriel Vera, director of the CECS information office and secretariat.
Missionary Childhood begins its Advent campaign this Sunday, December 3. The objective is to encourage the youngest members of the family to live this time with a missionary spirit.
On December 3, the Catholic Church celebrates the first Sunday of Advent. Taking advantage of the holiday, Infancia Misionera is launching its Christmas campaign to encourage children to live this liturgical season in a spirit of mission. This aspect is essential in Advent, as Fernando González, head of the organization, explains. In this sense, he says: "Advent arrives, a time of preparation for the birth of Jesus. But when Jesus is born, not everything ends, on the contrary: at that moment begins a journey that leads to Missionary Childhood".
Among the main elements of the project is the Advent calendar. Through it, the organization proposes daily activities for the little ones, weekly challenges and short prayers so that they can soak up the Christian spirit. On the organization's website you can view the calendar and download the file.
However, this calendar is not like all the others. Instead of ending on December 25, the final date is January 14, the Day of Missionary Childhood, and the motto chosen for this occasion is "I share what I am".
In addition, this year a new edition of the National Missionary Childhood Contest, focused on drawing, will be held. Children from first to third grade of primary school, on the one hand, and from fourth to sixth grade of the same school stage, on the other hand, will be able to participate.
The winners will receive a tablet and a bluetooth headset, and will be eligible to participate in the International Missionary Childhood Contest. In addition, the organization invites all children to take part in the organization's traditional "Star-Sowers" initiative.
All the information about the calendar, the contest and the "Star-Sowers" initiative can be found on the website of Infancia Misionera, which has just launched a new version, and on the website of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Forum Omnes "Benedict XVI. Reason and Faith" with Pablo Blanco, winner of the Ratzinger Prize 2023.
On December 14, the Villanova University of Madrid will host the Omnes Forum "Benedict XVI. La razón y la fe" which will feature Pablo Blanco Sarto, recently awarded the Ratzinger Prize 2023.
On December 14, the Omnes Forum "Benedict XVI. Reason and Faith" will take place on December 14, with the participation as keynote speaker of Fr. Pablo Blanco Sartoprofessor of Dogmatic Theology at the University of Navarra and recently awarded the Ratzinger Prize 2023.
The meeting will be moderated by Juan Manuel Burgosphilosopher, founder and president of the Spanish Association of Personalism and the Ibero-American Association of Personalism.
Pablo Blanco
Pablo Blanco is one of the most recognized experts on Benedict XVI today. He is a member of the editorial board of the Opera omnia from Joseph Ratzinger in Spanish in the BAC publishing house and has written, in addition to a biography of Benedict XVI, other titles such as Benedict XVI, the theologian pope, Joseph Ratzinger. Life and Theology, Benedict XVI and the Second Vatican Council. o The theology of Joseph Ratzinger.
Omnes Forum "Benedict XVI. Reason and Faith." will take place in person the next Thursday, December 14 at 19:00 h. at Universidad Villanueva (C/ Costa Brava 6. Madrid).
As a follower and reader of Omnes, we invite you to attend. If you would like to attend, please confirm your attendance by sending an email to [email protected](Prior registration is required)
The story of "the forty martyrs of England and Wales", both lay and religious, canonized by Paul VI on October 25, 1970, is framed within the religious persecution that took place in England during the 16th century, after Henry VIII separated from the Catholic Church in 1534 in order to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry Anne Boleyn.
Some of them were executed on December 1.
St. Alexander Briant
St. Alexander Briant was born in Somerset, England, in 1556. He converted to Catholicism while studying at Oxford University. Later, in 1577, he left his native country to continue his studies in Douai, France. In this city a university had recently been founded to train "recusant" priests (those who refused to adopt the state religion of England, Anglicanism), because Queen Elizabeth I had established harsh penal laws against Catholics.
Father Briant was ordained a priest in Cambrai (France) in 1578. Shortly thereafter, in 1579, he returned to England, where he served as a Catholic priest alongside Father Persons. Persons was one of the priests most wanted by the government and it was precisely while trying to capture him that Briant was found by chance and arrested. Two weeks later, he was transferred to the Tower of London, where he was cruelly tortured.
He was then transferred to a cell called "The Pit", where he was locked up in complete darkness for 8 days. He was subjected to other tortures, such as the rack: in addition to considering his writings "high treason", his executioners thought they would be able to extract from him the whereabouts of his father Persons.
During his captivity, the saint requested by letter, from prison, to enter the Society of Jesus. Moreover, in this letter he communicated to the Society that he had "his mind so firmly set on the Passion of Christ that he did not feel pain during the torment, but only afterwards," says the portal of the jesuits. For this reason, he is still considered a member of the Society today, even though he never formally became one.
Finally, St. Alexander Briant was hanged and quartered (while still alive), along with other fellow martyrs, on December 1, 1581. Before his execution, he made an act of faith as a Catholic and declared himself innocent "of any offense against the Queen, not only in fact, but even in thought." He was 25 years old.
These data are not extracted from any Catholic source, but from the Hetford CollegeAlexander Briant, of the University of Oxford. Father Alexander Briant was canonized by Paul VI on October 25, 1970.
St. Edmund Campion
Edmund Campion was born in London in 1540. He was one of the most prominent Oxford professors of the time and was ordained as an Anglican deacon in 1568. Due to his many followers, it was considered that he could be appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
However, Campion had doubts regarding the legitimacy of the Anglican Church. Because of this conflict of conscience, he left Oxford in 1569. Finally, he became a Catholic in Douai (France) and in 1573 he left for Rome, where he entered the Society of Jesus.
In 1580, after taking his vows as a Jesuit and being ordained a priest in Prague, Edmund Campion was sent on a mission to England with Father Persons and Ralph Emerson in order to spiritually assist the English Catholics, who were forced to celebrate Mass in secret because all Catholic worship was forbidden by the government. In order to enter the country, he had to disguise himself as a jeweler. In England, he wrote a famous manifesto in which he explained that the mission was religious, not political. Many of the Catholics martyred during this period were accused of treason against Queen Elizabeth, passing off religious persecution as a political issue.
In these missions, the priests went incognito to the homes of Catholics. Campion "arrived during the day, preached and heard confessions in the evening, and finally celebrated Mass in the morning before leaving for his next assignment." indicates the website of the Society of Jesus.
During this time, St. Edmund Campion wrote "Rationes decem" ("Ten Reasons"), explaining why Catholicism was true and dismantling Anglicanism. Four hundred copies of this text were printed and widely read.
Shortly thereafter, in 1581, a "priest hunter" discovered his whereabouts and he was arrested along with two other clergymen. In the Tower of London, where he was imprisoned in "a cell so small that he could neither stand nor lie down," he suffered torture, although he refused to renounce Catholicism. His case reached Queen Elizabeth, who, due to Campion's great influence and his career at Oxford, offered him to be ordained as an Anglican priest, with the possibility of promotion, if he renounced Catholicism. However, Campion did not accept the offer. Subsequently, he was again tortured on the rack and accused of treason. Although Campion reiterated, on behalf of himself and the other arrested priests, that their mission was religious and not political, they were all sentenced to death by hanging and quartering. Upon hearing the sentence, the condemned priests sang the "Te Deum".
On the day of his execution, December 1, 1581, St. Edmund Campion forgave "those who had condemned him". Campion Hall in Oxford was named after him in commemoration, and, like his fellow martyrs, he was canonized by Pope Paul VI.
Other martyrs
These are just a few examples of English martyrs. There were also lay people condemned to death for hiding Catholic priests, such as St. Richard Langley, married and father of five children, who was beatified in 1929 by Pius XI, or St. Margaret Cliterow, a mother of a family, canonized with the "canonization of the priests".Forty martyrs from England and Wales" by Paul VI.
Part of the mission of Tyburn Convent is to keep the memory of the Catholics who were executed there because of their faith. In addition, numerous relics are kept in the convent, and there is a small shrine dedicated to the martyrs who gave their lives there for Christ and his Church.
What we celebrate at Christmas is that we have truly found the love of our life. A love that is unconditional, patient, compassionate and forever.
December 1, 2023-Reading time: 4minutes
"Discover the magic of Christmas", "enjoy a magical Christmas", "immerse yourself in the magical world of Christmas"... Please, let's stop using this kind of slogans that confuse children and adults. There is nothing magical about Christmas, although it is a mystery. Let me explain:
Four weeks before the commemoration of the Birth of the Lord, the Church proposes a time of preparation that we call Advent; but the commercial Christmas, that month and a half that gets us to consume more than in the rest of the year, has taken the lead over the liturgical year and has advanced one or two more weeks the expectation of the feast with the lighting of lights, imported offers and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.
Extending this "magical" Christmas period manages, in an abracadabra, to balance the profit and loss accounts of many companies and to cheer up, as if by magic, the revenue of the municipalities that invest in lighting, street markets and leisure activities.
Relating Christmas and magic makes sense, because we all have deep down inside the childish desire to see our wishes fulfilled in an incredible way as when we found the gifts we had asked for in our letter.
At this time of the year, we have the illusion that "life" will grant us what we ask for, that "luck" will be with us and we will win the lottery, that a "fairy" will direct her magic wand towards us helping us to find the love of our life or that a "second class angel" will earn her wings helping us to solve that unsolvable problem in our own Bedford Falls.
The truth is that, as much as the romantic comedies that flood the platforms these days insist on showing us a happy time of the year, where everything turns out well in the end; when the holidays pass we will discover, once again, that the supposed "magic" of these dates is seen the trick like a bad conjurer of a fairground barrack.
And the illusion that seemed like it was going to make us happy forever ends up dissolving at the returns counter of department stores in front of clerks overwhelmed by having to assemble the next commercial claim.
Relating Christmas and magic makes sense, because the West has relegated the faith that once gave meaning to its traditions in favor of fantasy or superstition. In magic there is a perfect place for that "there will be something", in reference to transcendence.
We do not know very well what or how it will be, we do not know very well if they are angels or fairies or elves or elves, we do not know very well if our family or health are a gift from God or from life or from the government of the day, nor do we care to investigate much.
It was Chesterton who said that when you stop believing in God, you soon believe in anything. And we are proving that with this magical Christmas fever.
Relating Christmas to magic makes sense, because one of the feasts of this liturgical season is the Epiphany, or manifestation of God to the magi. But beware, the word magician applied to those who came from the East to worship the child does not refer to supposed supernatural powers, but to their wisdom or broad scientific knowledge in times when astrology and astronomy had not been separated.
Therefore, to qualify Christmas as magical is to reduce it to glitter trails. Christmas is not magical, hey, it's divine! Jesus is not Houdini, nor David Copperfield, not even the fantastic Harry Potter or Doctor Strange. The Jesus who is born at Christmas is not an illusionist, he is God himself! Neither is he a magician like the magicians of the East, nor like the best scientists of today who amaze the world by mastering the laws of physics. He is not wise, he is the eternal Wisdom who, as the book of Proverbs poeticizes, "played with the ball of the earth" while Abba created space and time and ordered the galaxies and dark matter.
What we celebrate at Christmas is that we have really won the lottery. Put a price, if not, at auction, on the eternal life that Jesus has given you. There are not millions to pay for it.
What we celebrate at Christmas is that we have truly found the love of our life. A love that is unconditional, patient, compassionate and forever. A love that doesn't end after 90 minutes and the label of The End. A love to the point of giving one's life Who wouldn't want to let oneself be loved like this?
What we celebrate at Christmas is that, truly, problems that seemed unsolvable have a solution. Because God, being born as man, rolls up his sleeves with us, gets into our mud and accompanies and helps us on our journey.
Christmas is not magic, but it is a mystery in the biblical sense, meaning that sign whose meaning is hidden. Isn't it admirable that behind that sign of a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger (something so unmagical, so ordinary) hides God himself offering to share his divinity with us?
In these days of preparation for Christmas, while strolling along one of those beautifully decorated streets
If you look into the eyes of that person walking next to you, your husband, your wife, your son, your granddaughter... You will discover in her gaze something much more magical than any amusement park papier-mâché decoration. It is a divine breath that lives inside her and that she will be able to see inside you. That is the mystery that we are going to celebrate and that remains hidden to so many, the admirable exchange between God and the human being. It is the divine Christmas.
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.
The Church joins the Day for Persons with Disabilities
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be celebrated on Sunday, December 3. The Church joins this initiative with the slogan "You and I are Church". The Mass of Thirteen TV, at 12 o'clock, will be dedicated to this theme.
The Episcopal Commission for Evangelization, Catechesis and Catechumenate, which is part of the Episcopal Conference, has a area dedicated to people with disabilitiesThe company has joined in the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Bishop's message
The bishop in charge of this area is Monsignor Román Casanova, who has stated in the Message for Disability Day that the Church joins this day "giving light and sharing life, because there are many people with disabilities that are part of the Churchof the ecclesial 'we' that walks together".
Regarding the motto of this campaign, "You and I are Church", the Bishop pointed out that "it is full of great stories: of fraternity, of overcoming, of service, of tenderness, protagonized by men and women, young people, children who, in community and in the home of the great family of the children of God, overcoming all kinds of barriers, have received and shared gifts".
He added that this motto refers to the fact that "people with disabilities are also a living part of the Church, receivers and transmitters of the good news of the Gospel (...). It is necessary to remember that the Church is all of us. Each one of us is a unique gift, each one of us has been loved by God and we are called to be an expression of his love. We have a long way to go and we still need your humanity, your sensitivity to express love, your closeness, your ability to bring out the best in each one of us and your simple look on life".
"You and I are Church."
The presentation of this day, which took place on November 30 at the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference, was attended by María Ángeles Aznares (Marian), a catechist in Cuenca for people with disabilities, Sister María Granado, who works in the Commission, and Henar, a 25-year-old girl with cerebral palsy from the parish of catechist María Ángeles Aznares.
Marian said she is "enthusiastic" about her catechetical group, which they have named "Anawin" (Hebrew for "poor of Yahweh").
Regarding the motto of this campaign, the catechist pointed out that it refers to the fact that "the Church is our home. As Joseph and Mary welcomed Jesus, the Church seeks to welcome others, saying "yes" to them: "We want the Church to be that yes," she stressed.
She also highlighted the humility and poverty of Jesus, who, being God, chose to experience the limitation of the manger, a place free of luxuries. "The Church is the portal of Bethlehem," said Marian.
On the other hand, she referred to everything she has learned working with people with disabilities: "With their limits, I have been able to accept my limits". Although she stressed that they are just like anyone else, with their moments of bad temper and their attempts to get out of work, Marian sees in them a simplicity that helps her to face life in a different way.
"The Church adapts to me."
Henar, her catechumen, also wanted to intervene shortly after this point, using an electronic tablet on which she wrote, in reference to the Church: "We also have the right and obligation to be part of this great family". Henar also stressed the importance of the Mass and how much it helps on a personal level.
When asked what barriers they have encountered in the Church when promoting catechesis with people with disabilities, Marian commented that sometimes this barrier can be "not understanding", but that it is a process that she herself has also had to go through: "I have not encountered any barriers that are different from mine", she pointed out. On the other hand, Henar did not indicate any barrier, but stated: "I believe that the Church adapts to me".
The following can be found on the website of the Episcopal Conference support materials for catechesis with people with disabilities. However, although for blind or deaf people there are techniques that are the same for everyone (the use of Braille, sign language...), Marian points out that in the case of people with intellectual disabilities the materials are only support resources that must be customized for each specific case.
Mass on Trece TV
On December 3, the Thirteen TV MassThe event, which will be broadcast from the Basilica of the Conception at noon, will be dedicated to the Day of Persons with Disabilities, and will have subtitles and sign language. It can be followed on television or online.
Diego Sarrió: "Muslims leave grateful for the Church's effort for authentic dialogue."
Diego Sarrió is the rector of the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. In this interview with Omnes, he talks about the origin of this institution and the relations between Muslims and Christians.
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, part of the world Islamic felt the need to distance itself from jihadism and the fundamentalist ideology that sustains it. This led to a number of statements such as the Amman Message 2004which was followed by others up to the ".Document on human fraternity for world peace and common coexistence", signed on February 4, 2019 in Abu Dhabi by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and which was one of the sources of inspiration for the encyclical "Fratelli tutti".
This was indicated during an interview granted to Omnes by the current rector of the "Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies" (PISAI), Father Diego Sarrió Cucarella, 52 years old, a Spaniard from Gandia (Valencia) with a friendly and jovial character, who studied at PISAI and later worked there as a teacher, until he became its director. "The Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, based in Rome since 1964, was founded in 1926 in Tunisia by an intuition of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, better known as the 'White Fathers' because of the color of their habit," explains Father Sarrió.
He adds that "the first objective was to train missionaries who were preparing to work in North Africa, in direct contact with the Muslim population. To this objective was later added the promotion of a new type of relationship between Christians and the followers of the second most numerous religion in the world, overcoming mutual prejudices and stereotypes of various kinds through the study of each other's religious tradition".
How did PISAI come about?
It was born out of a very practical, missionary need of the White Fathers. It is one of the many congregations that were born at a time of great missionary fervor, in the second half of the 19th century, like the Comboni Missionaries, the Consolata, the Spiritans, etc., all with the missionary charism as it was understood at that time, that is, to announce Christ and implant the Church in territories where it was not yet present.
Who founded the White Fathers?
The founder was the French Cardinal Charles Martial Lavigerie, a brilliant young man who in 1867 was appointed Archbishop of Algiers. We are in the midst of Europe's colonial expansion and France considered Algeria an integral part of its territory. It was also the time of exploration of the interior of the African continent (suffice it to recall Livingston).
In this historical context, the founder of the White Fathers had the inspiration to create a male and a female congregation for the evangelization of the African continent. Thus, the White Fathers were born in a country with an Islamic tradition. Our first mission country was Algeria and then Tunisia, which in 1881 became a French protectorate and where Lavigerie was appointed Archbishop of Carthage in 1884.
When was PISAI born?
It was born later, in 1926, in Tunisia, because with the experience of the mission they began to see the difficulties: it was not the "triumphal" apostolate that some expected, as was happening in other parts of Africa. On the other hand, in the Maghreb they encountered a lot of resistance when they announced the Gospel. Among other reasons, because Islam had developed over the centuries its own argumentation against Christianity. Little by little, they realized that in order to work in a Muslim environment, the classical studies of philosophy and theology that the priests received were not enough, but that a solid knowledge of Islamic culture and religion was also necessary.
Only for the White Fathers?
In 1926, the White Fathers opened in Tunis a house of studies initially intended for the formation of those who were preparing to work in North Africa, initiating them in the study of the language and the local religious culture. The house operated as a boarding school and the studies lasted two or three years. The teaching staff consisted of the White Fathers and external teachers, Tunisians and Europeans living in Tunisia. The house soon opened its doors to other religious congregations present in North Africa and to interested diocesan clergy.
In other words, training for those who were preparing for the apostolate?
Yes, but let us not forget that mission theology was evolving. Already at the beginning of the 1930s, the team of White Fathers working in the formation house developed a new type of activity while continuing the study program. Remember that this was the time of the so-called "colonial bubble", a European society that often lived on the margins of Tunisian society, each on its own. Those in charge of the training house, which by then had been renamed "Institut des belles lettres arabes, IBLA", sought to bring these two communities closer together by creating the Tunisian Friendship Circle (Cercle des amitiés tunisiennes, 1934-1964), with cultural programs, lectures, excursions, etc. They also opened the IBLA library to Tunisians and began publishing the IBLA magazine in 1937, which still exists today.
What happens when you expand the scope of the mission?
Over the years, the house became too small for the dual activity of the Institute (on the one hand, a center for Arabic and Islamic studies and, on the other, a place of cultural contact with Tunisian society), so in the late 1940s it was decided to move the boarding school section to La Manouba, then a suburb of Tunis. With the physical distance and the specific activity of each house, they ended up working separately. The study center in La Manouba continued to develop into the present-day PISAI. An important moment was its recognition by the Holy See in 1960 as the Pontifical Higher Institute of Oriental Studies. The term "Oriental" and not "Islamic" was used for reasons of discretion. The aim was to prevent anyone from asking: what are these European Catholics doing here, in a Muslim-majority country, independent since 1956, dealing with Islam? In 1964, the nationalization of agricultural land in the hands of foreigners decreed by the Tunisian government affected the land in La Manouba where the Institute was located.
Does expropriation force them to emigrate?
The possibility of moving the Institute to Algiers or France was considered. However, these options were discarded in favor of Rome, where the Second Vatican Council was taking place. On May 17, 1964, Pentecost Sunday, Paul VI had instituted a special department of the Roman Curia for relations with people of other religions, known at first as the "Secretariat for Non-Christians," later renamed the Pontifical Council (now the Dicastery) for Interreligious Dialogue. The Holy See asked the White Fathers to bring the Institute to Rome. In the Eternal City there were professors from the Gregorian or other institutions who knew about Islam, but there was no Islamology curriculum as such.
The transfer of the Institute to Rome also entailed a change of name to avoid confusion with the already existing Pontifical Oriental Institute, dedicated to the study of the Christian East. Thus, in October 1964, the Institute officially changed its name to Pontifical Institute of Arabic Studies. It would be necessary to wait until the promulgation of the Apostolic Constitution Sapientia ChristianaIn April 1979, in order for the Institute to receive its present name of Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies.
What did it mean for PISAI to be based in Rome?
Coming to Rome meant for PISAI first of all a broadening of horizons, the need to place itself at the service of the universal Church and not only of the Church of North Africa. The presence in Rome also meant progressively integrating lay students.
What image has been constructed in the Christian world about Islam throughout history?
Over the past few years, I have personally become quite interested in how Christians and Muslims have written about each other and in the image of the other that this tradition has conveyed to Christians and Muslims today. Arguably, most of what Christians and Muslims have written about each other has been polemical in nature. Although on rare occasions the religion of the other has been described without prejudice, the "default" attitude has been one of suspicion and antagonism. Those who tried to overcome stereotypical characterizations of the other were exceptions on both sides. Polemic is the right word to describe this type of literature. It comes from the Greek noun "pólemos," meaning "war." In effect, it was a "war of words". The authors of these writings saw themselves as taking part in a great battle fought by scholars and princes alike. They were unable to dissociate their writings about each other from the broader competition for political and cultural hegemony, not to mention control of the world's wealth and economic resources. One of the great problems today is that both Christians and Muslims are heirs to a very negative image of the other.
How to develop the dialogue then?
When we speak of Islam-Christian dialogue, we must first of all remember that it is not religions that are in dialogue, but real people, flesh and blood, living in concrete situations, very diverse from every conceivable point of view. Let us think that Christians and Muslims together represent today more than half of the world's population. Just as the Christian world is very diverse internally, so is the Muslim world. This makes it very difficult to speak of Islam-Christian dialogue in the abstract. Islam-Christian relations do not advance at the same pace in all parts of the world. What is possible here and now is not possible elsewhere, so it is important not to generalize. Jihadist fundamentalism is a drift that the vast majority of Muslims reject. In recent years we have seen a succession of Islamic declarations in favor of dialogue and peaceful coexistence, beginning with the Amman Message in 2004. It is interesting to note that these declarations represent an exercise in Islamic "ecumenism" in that they have been signed by Muslim leaders of various traditions and currents.
Is it possible to overcome the past of controversies and wars?
The Nostra Aetate declaration on the relations of the Church with non-Christian religions, promulgated in 1965, which recognized that over the course of the centuries there have been many disagreements and enmities between Christians and Muslims, exhorted all to "forget the past and strive together for and promote social justice, moral good, peace and freedom for all" (Nostra Aetate, 3).
Some commentators have considered this invitation to "forget the past" somewhat naïve. It is true that it is difficult to forget the past, but on the other hand we cannot allow the past to determine the present and condition the future. It is not a matter of forgetting but of overcoming. As often happens in interpersonal conflicts, one side or the other tells the story from the moment they felt victimized. The same is true between Muslims and Christians. If one wants to find a justification for rejecting efforts of Islamo-Christian dialogue, one can certainly always find a historical or current example, real situations, in which Christians or Muslims are victims of discrimination or violence. If we have to wait for everything to be perfect in order to dialogue, then why dialogue at all? There is no magic recipe for Islam-Christian dialogue, no model that can be applied in all situations. We must not forget that Christians and Muslims are human beings, subjects of multiple identities, among which the religious component is one of many other elements: cultural, political, geographical, etc. Everything comes into play when a Christian meets a Muslim.
What relations does PISAI have with the embassies of Islamic-majority countries to the Holy See and other Islamic institutions?
PISAI frequently receives visits from diplomats from countries of Islamic tradition accredited to the Holy See. They are often surprised to discover that in the heart of the Catholic world there is an Institute, dependent on the Holy See, expressly dedicated to Islamic culture and religion; an Institute that is interested not only in Islam from a geopolitical, strategic or security point of view, as is the case in other universities and centers of study, but in the properly religious heritage of the Islamic tradition. This interest is wonderfully reflected in our library of just over 40,000 volumes, specializing in the various branches of Islamic sciences (theology, philosophy, jurisprudence, Koranic exegesis, Sufism, etc.). These diplomats, as well as other Muslims who visit us, especially university professors, leave grateful to note the efforts of the Catholic Church to prepare people for an authentic and profound dialogue with Muslims, which cannot be based solely on good will, but on a scientific and objective knowledge of the other's tradition.
How many students are currently studying at PISAI?
It is a very specialized Institute, so the number is relatively small. We offer only the undergraduate and doctoral programs. This means that to study at PISAI one has to have already completed a first university cycle or three-year degree, which can be in theology, philosophy, missiology, political science, history, language and literature, etc. Some are trained to become teachers or researchers; others come with the motivation, matured in an ecclesial context, to prepare themselves to work in the field of Islam-Christian relations.
In recent years, the average number of students in the degree program is about 30, to which about 8 doctoral students must be added. Unfortunately, the Institute cannot accept a larger number of doctoral students due to the specialized nature of the studies and the difficulty of finding qualified professors to supervise doctoral theses. The academic degrees currently conferred by the Institute are the BA and PhD "in Arabic and Islamic studies", i.e. Arabic is an essential element in our field of study, as is the case with the knowledge of biblical languages for specialists in Sacred Scripture. A specialist in Islam cannot do without Arabic, which is the language of the foundational texts of Islam: the Koran and the Sunna.
Currently, the two years of the PISAI degree program are preceded by a preparatory year that initiates students into the study of Classical Arabic on a solid foundation. One could spend a lifetime studying classical Arabic, not to mention the many different colloquial Arabic languages. The student who completes our degree program acquires a good overview of the Islamic tradition, but cannot be said to be an "expert" in Islam. The PhD, on the other hand, allows one to deepen one's knowledge of a particular area of Islamic studies, opening up important perspectives in all sectors.
Waiting for the Coming of Christ: Preface I of Advent
Advent is one of the "strong seasons" of the liturgical year, which is reflected in the richness of the texts proper to this time in the Holy Mass. Preface I of Advent, which begins on Sunday, December 3, expresses the expectation of the Lord's second coming and the preparation for his birth in history. The remaining ones will be published each week.
Giovanni Zaccaria-November 30, 2023-Reading time: 3minutes
The season of Advent is characterized by a tension between two poles: on the one hand, it is the expectation of the second coming of Christ; on the other hand, it is the preparation for the solemnity of Christmas.
The meaning is easily understood. Since we expect the second coming of Christ, when time as we know it will come to an end and all creation will reach its fullness, this is precisely why we prepare for Christmas: because it is a celebration of the great mystery of our salvation, which begins with the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
This double sentiment that characterizes the season of Advent is also present in the division that characterizes it: the first part - all dominated by eschatological references - runs from the first Sunday to December 16; and then, from December 17 to 24, the so-called Christmas Novena brings us back to the time and place of the first coming.
It is precisely in this tension that the first of the two texts of the Advent preface inserts us, which already from its title ("De duobus adventibus Christi.") indicates as the theme of thanksgiving to God the double coming of Christ, and all this is developed in parallels (first coming...he will come again - humility of human nature...splendor of glory - ancient promise...promised kingdom, etc.) that highlight the "already and not yet" of our salvation. This places the Christian community in a historical-dynamic perspective: it already lives of Christ, present in the midst of his own, but does not lose sight of the eschatological tension towards the full and definitive manifestation.
Qui, primo advéntu in humilitáte carnis assúmptæ,
dispositiónis antíquæ munus implévit,
nobísque salútis perpétuæ trámitem reserávit:
ut, cum secúndo vénerit in suæ glória maiestátis,
manifesto demum múnere capiámus,
quod vigilántes nunc audémus exspectáre promíssum.
Who, coming for the first time in the humility of our flesh, carried out the plan of redemption traced from ancient times and opened the way to salvation;
so that when he comes again in the majesty of his glory, thus revealing the fullness of his work, we can receive the promised goods that now, in vigilant waiting, we hope to achieve.
Compendium of salvation history
The original Latin text comes from the reworking of two prefaces that probably date from the fifth century and are found in the Veronese Sacramentary. It presents us with a kind of compendium of the history of salvation, which in Christ finds its fulfillment: from of old, God has granted us the gift of a good will towards us, which is manifested in the economy of salvation.
This is what is meant by the expression "munus dispositionis antiquae," which expresses the gift and the task ("munus") inherent in the "oikonomia" of the covenant between God and the human race. This gift reached its zenith in Christ ("implevit" - fulfilled, brought to fullness), who willed to manifest himself in the humility of the flesh (cf. Phil 2:7-8) and established the new and eternal covenant in his own blood. Christ's sacrifice has opened for us the gates of eternal salvation ("tramitem salutis perpetuae"); therefore, in the Eucharistic celebration we raise our hearts full of gratitude to God, contemplating the mystery of the expectation of the coming of the Lord Jesus in the splendor of glory (cf. Mt 24:30; Lk 21:27; Acts 1:10-11).
When he comes, he will unite us, his members, to himself, so that we may enter and take possession of the promised kingdom. This certainty that comes to us through faith is not a mere desire, but is based on what happened at the first advent of Christ: the Incarnation is the great mystery that opens wide the gates of Heaven and brings to fulfillment the promises made by God throughout history. Precisely the certainty that God fulfills his promises and the realization that he acts and saves in history are the foundation of the hope that we nourish in our hearts.
Hope is not the vague feeling that all will be well, but the confident expectation of the fulfillment of God's plans. God always acts, and fulfills the promises he makes; that is why we can hope, and we can nourish our hopes.
Joseph Evans comments on the readings for the first Sunday of Advent (B) and Luis Herrera offers a short video homily.
Joseph Evans-November 30, 2023-Reading time: 2minutes
The message of Advent, which begins today, ushers us into a new liturgical year, is that God is ready and willing to save us, but we have to be alert to receive that salvation. It is like a boat that you have to be ready to catch: those who are alert and jump into it when it arrives will be safe. Those who are distracted will miss it and perish.
The first reading offers us some of the most beautiful words of the Old Testament, expressing humanity's longing for God. "I wish you would tear the sky and descend"says Isaiah. Since the sin of Adam and Eve, humanity groans under the weight of its iniquity, but it also groans for salvation, even without being aware of it.
It was as if we were programmed for salvation and the many forms of sincere religious worship ("sincere" because some forms were nothing more than corruptions of religion leading to the corruption of its practitioners), even the erroneous forms, expressed an inchoate desire for salvation.
But with the God of Israel it was no longer humanity that sought God, but God who sought humanity. Now at last there was a god - the God - who spoke to humanity, told us what we had to do and was always consistent in his commands: demanding, yes, but consistent.
In ancient times, men counted only on their confused consciences to guide them, but the God of Israel spoke clearly: "Behold, you were angry and we have sinned.". God punished sin, but that same punishment was mercy because it also clearly showed the way to righteousness, even if it was not yet clear what would bring salvation.
But through Jesus Christ salvation has come to us, in person, in Him. And to receive it we must remain awake and alert. "Be vigilant, be watchful: for you do not know when the time is ripe.". Jesus uses the parable of a man who has gone on a journey: the servants never know when he will come back, but even "lest I come unexpectedly and find you asleep".
Doesn't God want to keep us in a state of tension, as if we have to spend our lives drinking caffeinated energy drinks? No. The key to understanding Christ's words is to appreciate that the logic of Christianity is love. We are invited to participate in, receive and respond to divine love. And love is always alert. Ancient religion sought to appease the divinity: sacrifices were offered in an attempt to obtain favors (good harvests, avoidance of natural disasters, etc.).
Religion could be reduced to periodic rites. But true religion seeks the union of love between man and God. Love is awake, it fears to grow cold, it seeks to remain kindled. This is the fire we try to kindle in this Advent, as we wait for the God who has truly torn the heavens as a little child to descend to us.
Homily on the readings of the First Sunday of Advent (B)
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
Pope urges people to take to the roads, extend Gaza truce
"Peace, please, peace, may the truce in Gaza continue and may all the hostages be released," Pope Francis urged in this morning's catechesis, still suffering from a lung infection, in the Paul VI Hall with thousands of faithful. He also asked us to go out to the crossroads and give reasons for our faith and hope.
Francisco Otamendi-November 29, 2023-Reading time: 3minutes
The Pope, still convalescing from a flu-like illness, which led his doctors to ask him to cancel his trip to the Dubai Climate Summit, wanted to personally read in the Audience a message of peace for the Holy Land, so that "the ongoing truce in the Holy Land may continue". GazaThe government is calling for the release of all hostages and for the speeding up of humanitarian aid".
"Water is missing, bread is missing, people are suffering, it is the simple people," the Pope added. "Let us ask for peace. War is a defeat, everyone loses. Only one group wins, the arms manufacturers, they make a good profit with the death of others". The Pope also referred, as he always does, to "the dear Ukrainian people, who suffer so much, even in war", and asked for prayers.
Cancellation of the Pope's trip to Dubai
The Pontiff has been suffering from the flu since Saturday with an inflammation of the respiratory tract. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said yesterday: "The general clinical picture has improved, but doctors have asked the Pope not to make the trip planned for the next few days on the occasion of COP28. Francis, "with great regret", accepted".
People from the Circus Talent Festival entertained the Pope and the faithful at today's Audience with a brief display. From the beginning, the Holy Father let ecclesiastics from the Secretariat of State and some of the usual readers, such as a Polish nun, read the messages to the faithful in different languages.
At the crossroads of the roads
After dedicating the catechesis of recent Wednesdays to evangelizing with joy, and to doing so for everyone, Francis focused this morning on evangelizing "today". One of the core messages was the need to "go out to the crossroads, where people are, to give reasons for our faith and our hope, not only with words but also with the witness of our lives".
Furthermore, in his synthesis for the faithful of the different languages, the Pope alluded to the coming coming of the Advent. For example, he wished the English-speaking pilgrims "a fruitful Advent journey to welcome in Christmas to the Son of God, the Prince of Peace".
In his message, the Holy Father relied on St. Paul, when he urged the Corinthians: "At the right time I listened to you, on the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the favorable time, now is the day of salvation". And he also denounced, in order to underline the importance of the person, that, as in the city of Babel, now the individual project is sacrificed to the efficacy of the collective. But God confuses the languages, re-establishes the differences".
"Not to lose the desire for God, go down to the street."
"The Lord turns humanity away from its delirium of omnipotence," which seeks to make "God insufficient and useless." But as Francis wrote in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudiumThe "evangelization that is necessary is an evangelization thatto illuminate new ways of relating to God, to others and to space, and to awaken fundamental values".
In another moment, the Pope pointed out that "apostolic zeal is a witness that the Gospel is alive. It is necessary to go down to the street, to go to the places where people suffer, work and study", "to the crossroads of the roads, to be as a Church a leaven of dialogue, of encounter, not to be afraid of dialogue", and at the same time "not to lose the desire of God to give peace and joy". "Truth is more credible when it is witnessed with life", "apostolic zeal is audacity and creativity", he said. "Let us help the people of this world not to lose their desire for God," he added to the Arabic-speaking faithful.
In the "sweet expectation" of Christ. Collect for the First Sunday of Advent
The author begins to analyze today the "Collect" prayers of the Masses of the four Sundays of Advent, in order to "get us more into the spirit of these weeks". We owe the current four-week Advent to Pope St. Gregory the Great (7th century), for when this time before Christmas began to appear in various places, it varied in length.
Carlos Guillén-November 29, 2023-Reading time: 3minutes
As a celebratory context we can point out that, because it is a time of preparation, the Advent liturgy suppresses some festive signs, as a way of saying that some element is still missing to be able to celebrate the "complete feast". For this reason, the GloriaThe purple vestments are used and a greater sobriety in the decoration is requested.
"The bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him!"
The Collect for the first Sunday of Advent that we propose to analyze is the following:
Grant to your faithful, almighty God,
the desire to go out accompanied by good works to meet Christ who is coming,
so that, placed to your right,
deserve to possess the kingdom of heaven.
Da, quaésumus, omnípotens Deus,
hanc tuis fidélibus voluntátem,
ut, Christo tuo veniénti
iustis opéribus occurréntes,
eius déxterae sociati,
regnum mereántur possidére caeleste.
The prayer has a structure that places the petition in the first place. The element that places it within the liturgical season is inserted in this petition. It is the reference to Christ who comes (Christo tuo venienti(literally: "Your Anointed One who is coming", addressing the Father). It is a phrase that serves well to encompass the two points of reference of this time: Christmas and the Parousia. Although perhaps the desire to go out "accompanied by good works" (iustis opéribus occurréntes) emphasizes above all the second sense.
We will understand this better if we compare the content of this collection with the parables used by Jesus to emphasize the need to be vigilant awaiting the coming of the Lord. The clearest and most direct is that of the wise and foolish virgins (Mt 25), which is not properly read during Advent, but towards the end of Ordinary Time (Sunday 32 of Cycle A). But the Gospels corresponding to this first Sunday (in its 3 cycles) also convey the need to be awake and prepared.
As to what "good works" are involved, we do not have any further details. Evidently, of all those that Jesus has spoken of. The proposal becomes a personal task, to be carried out with generosity and initiative. But some of the readings of this first Sunday of Advent mention peace in a special way. A particularly important and urgent aspect for the world moment we are living in.
It came, it will come and it comes!
The rest of this collection is made up of a clause that clearly refers to attaining the eternal reward. What is asked of the Omnipotent Father is that, when Christ comes, he may place his faithful at his right hand (eius déxterae sociati) and make them worthy of the possession of the heavenly kingdom (regnum mereántur possidére caeleste). The figure used is taken literally from Jesus' description of the final judgment in chapter 25 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Again, this is not an Advent Gospel, but it fits very well with the theme of these first weeks.
As we see, all parts of this prayer focus on the eschatological perspective. And so does the first preface of Advent, entitled "the two comings of Christ". Therefore, spiritually, this liturgical season makes us look not only to the past, but also to the future. This is important, because not everything is done, we are in an "already but not yet". If this were not so, there would be no room for hope, "the theological virtue by which we aspire to the Kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness" (Catechism, n. 1817).
But we could add something else. St. Bernard, in a sermon in the Liturgy of the Hours for Wednesday of the first week of Advent, speaks not only of a double, but of a triple coming. There is, he says, an "intermediate coming", hidden, that takes us from the first to the last. Christ comes to the heart, to the soul, to the conduct of the Christian, to be his consolation and his rest. How, when and where?
Precisely in the liturgy, especially in the Holy Mass. We can (we must!) go out to meet him daily with our works and every day embrace his right hand and receive the King and his kingdom in us. To encounter him in our ordinary life. For a Christian, looking forward to the coming of Christ is not an abstract task: it is the sweet reality of every day.
The main reference that can be consulted for further study is the work of Felix Arocena, "The Collects of the Roman Missal. Sundays and Solemnities of the Lord", CLV-Edizioni Liturgiche, 2021.
Pope Francis outlines the pillars on which journalism should rest
The Pope met on November 23 with journalists from the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies, to whom he spoke about the importance of Catholic journalism.
Giovanni Tridente-November 29, 2023-Reading time: 3minutes
November 23, 2023, Pope Francis met with in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican with dozens of journalists belonging to the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies, a network that brings together some 170 periodicals of the Italian dioceses and other associations of journalism professionals working in the field of communication, specifically in the press, television, radio and new technologies.
In this context, the Pontiff stressed the importance of education as a vital tool for the future of society, encouraging a prudent and simple approach to communication, especially in the digital sphere. Referring to the Gospel, he urged journalists to be "wise as serpents and simple as doves" to say that "prudence and simplicity are two basic educational ingredients to orient oneself in today's complexity." We must not be naïve, but neither should we "give in to the temptation to sow anger and hatred". This is a crucial task for the press of the local churches, called to take a wise look at people's homes, directly on the ground.
The second way indicated by the Pope is that of protection, especially in digital communication, where privacy can be threatened. He stressed the need for instruments to protect the weakest, such as minors, the elderly and people with disabilities, from digital intrusion and provocative communication.
The third means was identified as witness, citing the examples of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists, and the very young Blessed Carlo Acutis, who used communication to transmit the Gospel and communicate values and beauty. Witness, according to the Pontiff, is a prophecy, a creativity that leads to taking risks for the good, going against the tide: it speaks of fraternity, peace and attention to the poor in a world that is often individualistic and indifferent.
The challenges of information
In addition to these reflections of the Holy Father, some general considerations arise regarding the current state of the journalistic profession and the challenges of information.
Training, news coverage and testimony, in fact, are often challenged by today's journalistic landscape, where speed and complexity must be reckoned with first and foremost. It is undeniable how the rapid dissemination of news through digital media has increased the speed of the news cycle itself, forcing professionals to balance the timeliness of the news with the need for adequate verification and contextualization.
Accuracy
This recalls another central element of the journalistic profession, ethics and integrity, which must be reinforced precisely because it is easier to fall into the trap of unverified or often even false information. The commitment consists in monitoring the accuracy of the information disseminated.
The Pope also mentioned the issue of privacy protection, and here the professional commitment consists in being able to balance - as has always been the case - the public's right to information and respect for people's individual rights to privacy.
Transparency
For some time now, the public's trust in traditional sources of information has been declining to worrying limits. The challenge here is to think of new transparency practices that can show quality journalism and service, without double objectives or interests, often ephemeral.
Responsibility
Finally, we must not forget the impact of new technologies, including artificial intelligence and the numerous "automations" it entails. These are aspects that are greatly influencing journalistic practice, as well as the world of communication in general. Here the skill lies in knowing how to integrate these technologies in a responsible way, especially in those passages that can improve the transmission of solid and contrasted information, safeguarding the centrality and interest of the human person.
The formative and testimonial efforts called for by the Pope must therefore be complemented by wisdom, integrity and a constant commitment and desire for the common good. In this way it will be possible to "save" journalism.
Cormac McCarthy (1933-2023). Read The road in a post-pandemic world
The reading of The road, by the recently deceased American writer Cormac McCarthy, is an invitation to think radically about our lives. The dialogue - at once tender and harsh - between father and son that runs throughout the narrative accompanies the reader once he or she has finished reading and invites him or her to read it again.
Marta Pereda and Jaime Nubiola-November 29, 2023-Reading time: 4minutes
On June 13, Cormac McCarthy, one of the most influential American authors of recent decades, died at the age of 89 at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the last sixty years he has written twelve novels, five film scripts, two plays and three short stories: a relatively modest output, but one that has had an enormous impact. From our personal experience, we can affirm that the reading of The road (The Road, 2006) -as it is often said of great books- "changes your life", despite its relative brevity (210 pages). It won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 2007, was translated into Spanish that same year (Mondadori, Barcelona, 2007) and has not ceased to be republished since then.
The road describes the journey of a father and son in a world in ashes where there is no food, few survivors and the air and water are polluted. In this apocalyptic scenario they are fleeing south on a road dragging a shopping cart with their meager belongings. They are driven by their father's hope of finding a group of people with whom they can stay and live.
McCarthy tells just enough for the reader to enter fully into the scene, but, at the same time, describes only the essentials. Virtually nothing is known of the history of the protagonists. None of the characters have names. Nor is it explained where they are or how they got into this situation. And it doesn't really matter. However, in this fictional context, the reflections on life, death, ethics, goodness, beauty and evil are entirely realistic. There are many angles of interpretation and interpellation. For example, the child can be seen as the theory of ethics: he is always the referent of what is right or wrong. However, the father is the practical application of that theory, and he explains to his son why in that particular case ethics does not apply one hundred percent.
"[...] He looked at the boy but the boy had turned around and was looking towards the river.
- We could not have done anything.
The boy did not respond.
-He is going to die. We can't share what we have because we would die too.
-I know.
-And when do you plan to talk to me again?
-I'm talking now.
-Are you sure?
-Yes.
-Okay.
-Okay." (pages 43-44).
The perspective of fear is also striking. That of the protagonists of The road has an explanation, as other survivors seek them out to kill and perhaps eat them. All of us can share the fear, especially after the pandemic, as we have seen how we behaved when other humans were officially a danger to us, where the air was legally polluted and when going to pick up food could be a deadly risk.
The story makes an impact, the characters make an impact, the metaphors make an impact; McCarthy uses a precise and extensive vocabulary. It's a collection of stamps, each paragraph could be a micro-story in itself.
Why read this book? Just for the way it is written, it is worth it. But it is also a jolt for the reader. On the one hand, because the scenario seems possible. On the other, because the reflections are totally applicable to anyone's life. And also because it seems that sometimes we live in a situation of scarcity: we do not help so as not to lose, we fear other human beings, we feel alone in the world, we live in fear, we are not able to enjoy what we have, we feel we are the good guys, but we do what anyone who is not totally corrupt would do.
McCarthy dedicates the book to his son John Francis and the whole book is imbued with an immense tenderness of the father towards his son in the midst of a terribly hostile world: "I am very grateful to him for his kindness.He was beginning to think that death was finally upon him and that he needed to find a place to hide where they could not be found. As he watched the boy sleep there were times when he began to sob uncontrollably but not at the thought of death. He wasn't sure what the reason was but he thought it had something to do with beauty or goodness." (page 99).
And who, like Viktor Frankl, could explain happiness in the concentration camp? However, if there is hope in The road or in the concentration camp, why sometimes we, who are not in a world in ashes or in a concentration camp, are not able to see it? Hope does not lead us to deny the harsh reality, but it gives us the strength to keep on living, to keep on walking towards the south: the father will die, but the son will probably see a better world.
McCarthy stated in 1992 to The New York Times Magazine: "There is no such thing as life without bloodshed. I think the notion that the species can somehow be improved, so that everyone can live in harmony, is a really dangerous idea.". And in 2009 to The Wall Street Journal: "In the last few years, I've had no desire to do anything but work and be with [my son] John. I hear people talking about going on vacation or things like that and I think, what's that all about? I have no desire to go on a trip. My perfect day is sitting in a room with a blank piece of paper. That's heaven. That's gold and anything else is just a waste of time.".
The road is a book that gives much food for thought. At the end, the reader will find his or her own questions in the book and it is sure to be worthwhile to identify them, even if there were no answers to them.
Pope Francis wants Catholics to pray especially during the month of December for people with disabilities, so that "they may be at the center of society's attention, and that institutions may promote inclusion programs that enhance their active participation."
This December Pope Francis asks Catholics around the world to pray especially for people with disabilities. In his video of the monthThe Pontiff focuses on those who, through ignorance or prejudice, suffer from a rejection "that makes them marginalized".
In the video, Francis claims that "civil institutions must support their projects with access to education, employment and spaces where creativity is expressed". The Holy Father considers that "there is a need for programs and initiatives that favor inclusion" and, "above all, there is a need for big hearts that want to accompany".
On the part of society, Francis notes that we must "change our mentality a little in order to open ourselves to the talents of these people with different abilities". As for the Church, the Pope warns that "creating a fully accessible parish does not only mean eliminating physical barriers, but also assuming that we must stop talking about 'them' and start talking about 'us.
For this reason, the Pontiff asks that "we pray that people with disabilities be at the center of the attention of the world's attention". companyand that institutions promote inclusion programs that enhance their active participation".
The full video with Pope Francis' message and prayer intention can be viewed below:
Pope encourages Spanish bishops to adapt seminaries to "changing times"
The problem of sexual abuse "did not enter into the conversations" that the Spanish prelates held with the pontiff during this working day focused on formation programs and the future of the seminaries.
Expectation. This was the general tone before the convocation of Pope Francis to the Spanish bishops to discuss the outcome of the apostolic visit to the Spanish seminaries the Uruguayan bishops: Bishop Arturo Eduardo Fajardo, Bishop of Salto, and Bishop Milton Luis Tróccoli, Bishop of Maldonado-Punta del Este - Minas, made to all the seminaries of Spain during the months of January to March 2023.
Despite this expectation and some "fears of a reprimand", dialogue and encouragement seem to have been the keynote of this day. This was corroborated by the President of the EEC, Cardinal Juan José Omella; the Secretary General, Bishop Francisco César García Magán, and the President of the Episcopal Subcommission for Seminaries, Bishop Jesús Vidal, who were in charge of speaking to journalists after the day.
2 hours of dialogue with the Pope
The day began very early in the morning, at 8:00 a.m., with a meditation led by Cardinal Cantalamessa, preacher of the Pontifical Household, who gave a meditation based on the event of Pentecost, on the need and importance of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ for priests and seminarians. It was during this prayer that Pope Francis joined the meeting. After the prayer, the Spanish bishops held a two-hour dialogue with the Holy Father in which they discussed "formation in seminaries, the pastoral experience of seminarians, and the importance of the various dimensions of formation".
The President of the Episcopal Conference, Juan José Omella, has emphasized that this meeting is for him a sign that "the synodal Church is taking steps". A synodality that is palpable in the Pope's dialogue with the bishops on a topic of such importance as the formation of priests.
Cardinal Omella summarized the day when he said that the synthesis of the meetings held with the Holy Father and the members of the Dicastery for the Clergy were aimed at preparing bishops, priests and seminaries "for the change of era" and to do so "now".
Along these lines, Bishop Jesús Vidal also expressed himself. Jesús Vidal, who underlined the Pope's encouragement to the Spanish bishops "to continue working on the implementation of the Ratio Fundamentalis formation plan".
Spain is the first country to have developed a formation plan for seminaries, a Ratio nationalis, and the bishops consider that perhaps this convocation is a new way of working that we will see, in a more normal way, from now on.
Bishop Vidal will oversee the development of the recommendations.
One of the novelties of this meeting was the designation of Bishop Jesús Vidalas as the bishop in charge of the discernment process and the promotion of formation in the seminaries.
Vidal will therefore be in charge of supervising the development in Spain of the recommendations contained in the conclusions of the working document prepared by the bishops who carried out this apostolic visitation.
These recommendations will be worked on by the other bishops and will certainly be put on the agenda of the permanent and plenary assemblies of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.
To form priests "who generate communion".
The Pope has been especially interested in the care of formation, with all its aspects, of candidates to the priesthood. In this area, Msgr. Vidal emphasized that "the Pope is very interested in human formation and, during the dialogue, he linked it to the communitarian dimension. The Pope insisted that priests should be capable of generating communion".
In this line, the auxiliary bishop of Madrid stressed that the Pope has asked bishops and priests to form priests "rooted in reality and at the service of the Gospel".
The three representatives of the Spanish Episcopal Conference have focused on the positive tone of a meeting that, because of its exceptionality, seemed to give more cause for concern than they have conveyed in the press conference. Responding to questions from journalists, both García Magán, Vidal and Omella stressed that the issue of sexual abuse of minors committed within the Church has not been dealt with "specifically", although, evidently, it has been dealt with in a tangential way when speaking of the human formation of candidates to the priesthood, which also includes affective-sexual formation.
Seminars with "sufficient training community".
Will seminaries or houses of formation be closed? This was one of the questions that hung in the air since the apostolic visit to the Spanish seminaries. On this point, although they did not speak of numbers, the Spanish bishops emphasized that, in their dialogue with the members of the Dicastery of the Clergy, the need for formation houses to always have "a sufficient formative community" emerged and they encouraged the Spanish prelates to "continue on the path" already begun in this area. Namely, the unification of some seminaries into interdiocesan formation houses. The reception and formation of migrant seminarians from other countries was another of the points raised during the day's work.
There are 86 seminaries in Spain, distributed in different formation houses. Catalonia has one interdiocesan seminary, 14 seminaries that receive seminarians from other dioceses in their formation houses, and 40 seminaries that receive their own seminarians. Of these 40, 29 are diocesan seminaries and 15 are Redemptoris Mater seminaries. There is also a formation community of a diocesan ecclesial reality.
Christmas with the Pope: celebrations at the Vatican
The Sala Stampa published on November 28 the calendar of Pope Francis' liturgical celebrations for Christmas 2023, which includes the Solemn Mass on the evening of December 24 and the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing on the 25th at noon.
Pope Francis will have, as he does every year, various liturgical celebrations this Christmas that the faithful will be able to follow. This was announced by the Sala Stampa, which has published the calendar with the most important dates between December 24, 2023 and January 7, 2024.
The first event included in the program is the Mass Solemn Eucharist on December 24. The Pope will celebrate the Eucharist in St. Peter's Basilica at 7:30 p.m. (Rome time). In the evening, he will participate in a Mass in the papal chapel. The following day, Francis will impart the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" blessing of December 25 at noon. He will also take the opportunity to deliver his Christmas message.
Just one week later, on December 31 at 5:00 p.m. in the Basilica, the Holy Father will recite First Vespers and the "Te Deum" in thanksgiving for the past year. The following day, January 1, 2024, there will be a Mass at 10:00 a.m. to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary Most Holy, Mother of God and the World Day of Peace.
On January 6 at 10 a.m. Francis will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord with a Mass at St. Peter's. A day later, he will celebrate Mass for the Baptism of the Lord and baptize several children in the Sistine Chapel.
Christmas 2023 at the Vatican
Pope Francis' Christmas celebrations will end with the Eucharist on January 7. On the same day, the Nativity Scene and the tree will be removed from the Vatican. The latter will be lit on December 9 at 5 p.m., an event that joins the other December celebrations that the Pope will preside over, beyond those mentioned above. On December 8 at 4 p.m., Francis will venerate the Immaculate Conception in Piazza di Spagna in Rome. Four days later he will preside the Mass commemorating the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Despite the lung infection the Holy Father suffered at the end of November that prevented him from taking part in some of his weekly appointments, the Sala Stampa is counting on his full recovery ahead of the trip to Dubai in early December and the major events at the end of the month.
The "Central Committee of German Catholics" turns the Holy See's arguments on their head.
It reinterprets with a "hermeneutic" of its own the recent affirmations of both the Pope and cardinals of the curia who oppose such a committee, in order to affirm the opposite of the textuality of the documents.
Following the establishment of the Synod Committee in GermanyOn November 11, the Statutes were to be approved by both the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK).
While the bishops will meet in plenary assembly at the beginning of next year, the ZdK held its semi-annual assembly on November 24-25 in Berlin. As expected, the Statutes of the Synodal Committee were approved by an overwhelming majority. The president of the ZdK, Irme Stetter-KarpWe have cleared the way for the Synodal Way to continue," he said.
The main objective of the Synodal Committee is to prepare, for three years, a "Synodal Council" to perpetuate the so-called German Synodal Way. However, the Vatican explicitly prohibited the establishment of such a "Synodal Council": this was stated by the Cardinal Secretary of State and the Cardinal Prefects of the Dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Bishops in a letter of the January 16, 2023The letter, sent with the express approval of Pope Francis: "Neither the Synodal Way, nor an organism designated by it, nor an episcopal conference has the competence to institute a Synodal Council at the national, diocesan or parochial level".
To this letter he referred the Pope in a letter sent to four former participants of the Synodal Pathwaydated November 10: the Holy Father spoke of "numerous steps by which a large part of this local Church threatens to move further and further away from the common path of the universal Church". Francis included among these steps "the constitution of the Synodal Committee, which aims to prepare for the introduction of a consultative and decision-making body that cannot be reconciled with the sacramental structure of the Catholic Church".
In a new letter, dated Oct. 23 but not made public until Nov. 24, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin addressed DBK Secretary General Beate Gilles. Cardinal Parolin affirmed that both the doctrine of reserving the priesthood to men and the Church's teaching on homosexuality - two of the main changes the Synodal Way wants to introduce - are "non-negotiable."
To these two new documents, the ZdK reacted without flinching. Instead of reflecting on their clear content and drawing the appropriate conclusions, it engages in a kind of exegesis of these texts in order to interpret the alleged reasons why the Pope or the cardinals of the Curia might have issued such a ban. ZdK Vice President Thomas Söding explained at the beginning of the press conference held in the framework of the ZdK General Assembly: "In his last letter to four former members of the Synodal Way, the Pope underlined his concern for the unity of the Church. The synodality that we are establishing in Germany wants to strengthen and will strengthen this unity, both internally and externally. Catholic synodality will never be without or against the Pope and the bishops, but always with the Pope and the bishops".
In response to the specific question I put to him as to how these words can be reconciled with the statements in the Pope's letter, the ZdK Vice President replied that the Pope was referring to the letter of the three cardinals of January 16. "In this letter, in my opinion, the objection expressed from Rome was formulated very clearly that there should neither be a Synodal Council at the federal level, which is, so to speak, a higher authority than the Bishops' Conference, nor that the bishop - to use my own words - is a kind of Manager of a Synodal Council." The Synodal Committee "is precisely not intended to relativize and take power away from the bishop".
In his address to the plenary assembly, Thomas Söding reiterated this statement: "The Roman Synod is an endorsement for us", and with regard to the Pope's letter of November 10, he said: the fact that the Pope affirms that "neither the episcopal office can be undermined nor the power of the Bishops' Conference taken away, ultimately confirms the direction we are taking here". In response to a question from a ZdK delegate, he added that the suspicion that the bishops were going to be disempowered was being spread "by interested parties." He continued: "We are entering into a process: synodality in Catholic terms always means synodality with the Pope and the bishops, but also synodality with the people of the Church. That is what has been lacking up to now, and that is what must be promoted".
The president of the ZdK, Irme Stetter-Karp, also tried to relativize the statements of the Pope and the cardinals. At the aforementioned press conference, she referred to a "dynamic" in the Roman Curia: "I would like to recall the dynamic within the Curia in Rome, and also between the Curia and the Pope." He recalled that Cardinal Parolin had also opposed the "openness and the right of the laity and women to vote for the World Synod", but the Pope did it anyway: "suddenly it was legal and possible". He believes it is important not to overlook this "dynamic" in the Curia.
The DBK has yet to approve the bylaws of the Synodical Committee.
In this context, the ZdK quotes the Archbishop of Berlin, Msgr. Heiner Koch, who is the new Spiritual Assistant of the ZdK, with the following words: "We bishops are in favor of the statutes of the Synodal Committee. It is a conscious yes!". However, when he spoke at the ZdK plenary assembly, his message was quite different. He said that "the bishops" used to be spoken of as uniform, but that the debate in the DBK is heterogeneous, even if it is not made public.
"There are theological, ecclesiological and also psychological differences. Concerns and reservations on the subject can also be observed, depending on the positioning with respect to tradition and doctrine". Koch made reference to the fact that these differences also exist among the laity: "I receive many letters and e-mails that say: we do not agree with the Synodal Way, we do not want to go this way. And don't think it's just a few of them".
Response of a canonist to the interpretations by ZdK
On the binding nature of Pope Francis' letter and the note of Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Stefan Mückl, Professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, expounds:
"Canon law obliges all the faithful - clerics and laity, men and women - 'always to observe communion with the Church' (can. 209 § 1 CIC). In particular, 'they are bound by Christian obedience to follow whatever the sacred Pastors, as representatives of Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or establish as rectors of the Church' (can. 212 § 1 CIC). While the first aspect ('teachers of the faith') refers to the ecclesiastical magisterium, the second ('rectors of the Church') refers to the exercise of the ecclesiastical office of government.
The provisions of canon law are not 'inventions' of jurists, but the juridical formulation of the substance of the Church's faith, as described in the Ecclesiastical Constitution 'Lumen gentium' of the Second Vatican Council.
Therefore, when 'sacred shepherds', especially the Pope as supreme pastor of the Church (or his closest collaborator, the Cardinal Secretary of State) 'declare' or 'determine', they are binding on all members of the Church, regardless of to whom the relevant announcement was addressed in detail. Statements such as 'it was only a letter to four women' or 'the Vatican forbids things we have not decided' are beside the point.
The Holy See has made it clear for years and repeatedly, both through the Pope himself and (with his knowledge and will) through the principal heads of the Roman dicasteries, what is (or is not) compatible with the doctrine and discipline of the Church. It is therefore incomprehensible how one can construct a contrast ('dynamic') between the Pope and the Curia. Rome's messages are clear".
Pope Francis calls to communicate "without hatred and distortion" on the web
On the occasion of the Festival of the Social Doctrine of the Church, which took place in Verona (Italy) this weekend, with the theme #soci@lmente libres", Pope Francis encouraged the laity to live freedom in social networks and promote initiatives for the common good. Communicate inspired by love, and avoid messages of hatred and distortion of reality.
Francisco Otamendi-November 28, 2023-Reading time: 3minutes
The Pope sent to the 13th edition of the Festival of the Social Doctrine of the Church in Verona, which took place this weekend with the hashtag "#soci@lmente libres," a Message of support and guidance. Because "if mission is a grace that involves the whole Church, the lay faithful make a vital contribution to carrying it out in all environments and in the most ordinary daily situations," the Pope pointed out to them.
The message of His Holiness emphasizes that "professionals, entrepreneurs, teachers and lay people represent one of the convergences expressed in the Synthesis Report of the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 4-29, 2023)".
"The lay faithful are above all those who make the Church present and proclaim the Gospel in the culture of the digital environment," the Pontiff stressed. A digital world that "has such a strong impact on the whole world, on youth cultures, on the world of work, the economy and politics, the arts and culture, scientific research, education and training, on the care of the common home and, in a special way, on participation in public life".
The topic of discussion This year's theme was "#soci@lmente libres", which recalls "some highly topical issues, especially for the digital culture that influences relations between people and, consequently, society".
Jesus is interested in the whole person
The network we want is not made "to trap, but to liberate, to house a communion of free people," the Pontiff pointed out.
"Jesus' communication is true because it is inspired by love for those who listen to him, sometimes even distractedly. In fact, the teaching is followed by the gift of bread and the companion: Jesus is interested in the whole person, that is, the whole person, Jesus, as is evident, is not a solitary leader," he added.
In this tension and in this surrender, personal and communitarian freedom is expressed. "Faced with the speed of information, which provokes relational voracity, the amen is a kind of provocation to go beyond cultural flattening to give fullness to language, with respect for each person."
At that time, Francis encouraged the avoidance of hatred on social networks: "Let no one be the promoter of wasteful communication through the dissemination of messages of hatred and distortion of reality on the web. Communication reaches its fullness in the total donation of oneself to the other person. The relationship of reciprocity develops the network of freedom".
Cardinal Zuppi: to be at the side of the person
At the closing ceremony, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, underscored the Pope's message, saying that "the Social Doctrine of the Church does not belong to one part" of society. "It always stands at the side of the person, whoever he or she may be."
In 2024, Pope Francis will visit the city of Verona, as announced by its bishop, Bishop Domenico Pompili. Francis sees us as "a land at the crossroads of peoples, of dialogue in which confrontation can flourish and, especially in these difficult times, peace," the official Vatican agency reported.
This is the same idea emphasized by the Holy Father Francis when he received in audience the members of the Pontifical Foundation Centesimus Annus, dedicated to promoting the Social Doctrine of the Church, which is 30 years old in 2023, following its creation by St. John Paul II in 1993. At the beginning of June, Francis reminded them of the origins of the foundation: the encyclical of the holy Polish Pope written for the 100th anniversary of the foundation. Rerum novarum of Pope Leo XIII: "Your commitment has been placed precisely on this path, in this 'tradition': (...) to study and spread the Social Doctrine of the Church, trying to show that it is not only theory, but that it can become a virtuous way of life with which to make societies worthy of man grow".
Centesimus Annus Foundation: the person in the company
In the middle of last year, Anna Maria Tarantola, president of the Centesimus Annus Foundation, also insisted that "inclusion and efficiency are not antithetical, but complementary". meeting held at the "Palazzo della Rovere", headquarters of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Rome, organized by the Rome Reports agency, the Roman Academic Center Foundation (CARF) and Omnes, sponsored by Caixabank.
Anna Maria Tarantola recalled Pope Francis in his encyclical "Fratelli tutti", referring to entrepreneurial activity. "The activity of entrepreneurs effectively "is a noble vocation aimed at producing wealth and improving the world for everyone. In its designs each person is called to promote his own development, and this includes the implementation of economic and technological capabilities to grow goods and increase wealth. However, in any case, these abilities of entrepreneurs, which are a gift from God, must be clearly oriented towards the progress of other people and the overcoming of poverty, especially through the creation of diversified job opportunities" (Fratelli tutti, 123).
In the last 20 years, in many classrooms paper has been replaced by screens and students have abandoned the heavy encyclopedia tomes for Wikipedia, which in 2021 had 244 million page views per day. Recently, social concern is spreading around the impact of technology on education.
We are witnessing a movement that we could call "de-digitization," whereby initiatives are multiplying at all levels - from schools and colleges to universities and graduate schools - to limit the use of screens in academic classrooms.
There is no shortage of studies and the results are compelling. UNESCO's GEM 2023 report warns about the detrimental impact of smartphones in the classroom. Data from international assessments such as PISA indicate a negative relationship between ICT use and lower student performance.
Following its findings, UNESCO has recommended a global ban on smartphones in the classroom and has insisted that education should continue to focus on human relationships. We need to teach children to let technology support, but not supplant, human interactions in school.
Need for legislation
Experts recommend promoting appropriate legislation. This is a sufficiently relevant issue for public authorities to make decisions.
At the international level, some governments have taken courageous decisions: in 2023, Italy has banned cell phones in classrooms.
France did so already in 2018, except for strictly teaching functions.
Finland and the Netherlands have announced that they will not allow the use of smartphones, tablets and smartwatches in class from 2024. Another country with restrictions is Portugal.
In the case of the United Kingdom, 98% in its schools is prohibited.
In Spain, according to the National Observatory of Technology and Society, 22% of children under 10 years of age have a smartphone. However, only 3 autonomous communities (Madrid, Galicia and Castilla-La Mancha) have so far banned the use of cell phones in schools.
Do we need more evidence to start taking this issue with the seriousness it requires?
Professor at the Faculty of Law of the International University of Catalonia and director of the Institute for Advanced Family Studies. She directs the Chair on Intergenerational Solidarity in the Family (IsFamily Santander Chair) and the Childcare and Family Policies Chair of the Joaquim Molins Figueras Foundation. She is also Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law at UIC Barcelona.
Malek Twal: "Islamist terrorism targets more Muslims than Christians."
The ambassador of the League of Arab States in Spain, Malek Twal, has dismantled to Omnes the thesis of the flight of Arab Christians from the Middle East because they are Christians. As a representative of the Arab League, based in Cairo and which brings together 22 states, he assures that the real reason is the absence of peace, and for this he asks for help from "Christian Europe".
Francisco Otamendi-November 27, 2023-Reading time: 5minutes
Malek Twal had clear priorities in his participation in the recent Catholics and Public Life congress at the CEU. "What I want you to remember from my speech," he said, is "that Christianity and Christians will remain in the Holy Land despite all the difficulties," and that "their permanence depends on the support that Europe and America give them and their Muslim brothers."
Omnes wanted to delve into the matter for at least three reasons. 1) Because "Arab Christians are patriotic people and do not leave their home countries except in harsh and unbearable circumstances," Malek Twal noted. 2) Because despite those circumstances, "there are still half a million Christians in Iraq and more than a million Christians in Syria, and Christians still represent the majority in Lebanon," the ambassador added. And 3) Because the terrorist threat remains.
These were his words, accompanied by CEU San Pablo University professor Antonio Alonso Marcos. As you will see, the nuances of the leader of the Arab Leaguewho is Jordanian, and has a wife and four children, have their interest. The interview took place days before the announced cease-fire.
Are you a Christian?
-Yes.
Do you know the Foundation for Islamic Culture? Omnes follows educational initiatives of that foundation.
-Yes. This association is promoting the message of the Pope Francis with the Imam of Al-Azhar. It is a very important message, because it is a common Christian, Islamic message, a message of peace.
Does the Arab League share the document of human fraternity?
-No, no. The Arab League is a regional organization of political character although it has an economic, social mission, etc., but the origin of the Arab League is a regional organization of political coordination among Arab countries, twenty-two.
What does the League of Arab States think of the document?
-Within the Arab League we have a department that deals with intercultural and interreligious dialogue. All initiatives concerning dialogue in the world are important initiatives and it is interesting for us in the Arab League.
In this initiative we have one Arab country, the Emirates; another party, Al-Azhar, which is a religious institution in the largest Arab country, Egypt. The initiative is very important for us in the Arab League. We are not a legal party to this initiative, but we are happy about this declaration that was adopted at the same time by the Holy See and Al-Azhar.
It is inevitable to talk about the Israeli-Palestinian war, the conflict.
-First of all, this is not a conflict because a conflict is between two states; this is an aggression by a state against a people, the Palestinian people, which has been under occupation for 75 years by a state, the Israeli state. The aggression comes from a State that has all kinds of weapons against a people that has been under occupation for many years in a closed strip, by land, sea and air.
But within the Palestinian people there is a radical minority called Hamas.
--Hamas is a component of Palestinian society. Occupation results in various kinds of resistance movements. Hamas is a component of Palestinian society, radical, but we must understand that, according to the rules of physics, every action is followed by a reaction. Hamas' radicalism is the reaction to the occupation, which is insufferable.
In this context, how do you qualify the Hamas attack on October 7 on civilians in Israel?
-The council of Arab ministers, when it met 4 days later, condemned all attacks against civilians on both sides. For us, the safety of civilians is very important, on both sides. We do not call this a conflict, as I said, but an aggression against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Let's talk about Christians. The paper is entitled "Christians in Arab countries". With the logical differences, how are Christians doing in these Arab countries?
-The Christian communities in the Middle East are going through a very difficult period. Not because they are Christians, but because the situation is very difficult, for Christians and Muslims. An example. Lebanon is a country with a Christian majority, the president is Christian, but the Christians are living in extreme difficulty, like the Lebanese Muslims, who are also living in a very difficult situation.
This is in general, but if we look at a Christian community in different countries we see differences. For example, Christians in Jordan have always been privileged, despite being a minority, because they always have my role, my quota. We are overrepresented, in politics, in the economy, in parliament, but this does not mean that we do not have problems. The problems do not come because we are Christians, but because we have a situation that is not normal in the whole region. The absence of peace, of security, of stability....
If we talk about the Christians in Iraq, or in Syria... They are people very integrated in society, socioeconomically, in politics... We remember the famous Christian foreign minister, Tariq Aziz; the father of Arab nationalism, Michel Aflaq... The Christian communities in Iraq and Syria were always in the forefront.
However, the number of Christians is decreasing.
-Yes, the number of Christians is decreasing. They are going through a very difficult period of wars for years, as is well known.
The problem of Christians in all these countries is that they are very qualified. As they have the best education in the country, as soon as there is a problem they say: well, what future do I have here, and they go abroad, to Switzerland, America or Canada, wherever. It is not the most vulnerable or the poorest who leave, but the most capable. Christians, within society, belong to the middle or upper middle class, that's why they go to the best schools, the best universities....
Coptic Christians in Egypt have suffered attacks and violence. Is it because they are Christians?
Yes and no. Christians have been victims of Islamist, not Islamic, terrorism. It is very important to select terms. There is a big difference between Islamic and Islamist. I am talking about Islamist terrorism, a person who takes Islam as a motive, they are people who have nothing to do with Islam.
The same victims are more Muslims than Christians. Terrorists attack all those who are not like them. When there is an attack against a Coptic church, the victims are Copts, but yesterday or tomorrow the victims are Muslims.
Another thing, the victims of the Taliban, of Al Qaeda, are Muslims, they are not of another religion. It is very important to understand that for a terrorist, their enemy is those who are not like them. Moderate Muslims, open to the world, are enemies for terrorists.
Another example: who are the victims of Taliban terrorism in Pakistan. There are no Christians in Afghanistan, in Pakistan they are all Muslims. Well, there are a few Christians, yes.
What guidance would you give to help Christians in the Middle East?
I say to theChristian Europe that the best way to help us is to work together for the cause of peace, to give peace to the Muslims, to the Palestinians, to the Syrians, to the Iraqis... The most important thing is stability, security, and all this depends on peace. If we don't have peace, we don't have security and if we don't have security, all Christians are tempted to emigrate and leave.
Francis insists from Santa Marta on "dialogue, the only way to peace".
Pope Francis prayed the Angelus this morning from Casa Santa Marta due to a slight flu-like condition. On the Solemnity of Christ the King, he emphasized that "Jesus' favorites are the most fragile" and stressed, in reference to wars, the importance of dialogue.
Francisco Otamendi-November 26, 2023-Reading time: 3minutes
"Today I can't look out of the window because I have this problem with inflammation in my lungs (the doctors Braida will be the one to read the reflection because he is the one who does them and he always does them so well! Thank you very much for your presence".
This is how Pope Francis began his remarks before the prayer for the Angelus of the last Sunday of the liturgical year and the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the universe. The Gospel speaks of the Last Judgment "and tells us that it will be about charity".
"The scene presented to us is that of a royal hall, in which Jesus is seated on a throne. What is so special about these friends in the eyes of their Lord?"
According to the world's criteria, the King's friends should be those who have given him wealth and power. However, according to Jesus' criteria, his friends are others: they are those who have served him in the weakest. "He is a King sensitive to the problem of hunger, to the need for a home, to sickness and imprisonment: realities all of them, unfortunately, always very current. Hungry, homeless people, often dressed as best they can, throng our streets: we meet them every day. And even with regard to sickness and imprisonment, we all know what it means to be sick, to make mistakes and pay the consequences," the Pope pointed out.
Thus, before the Marian prayer of the Angelus, the Pontiff recalled that "today's Gospel tells us that one is 'blessed' if one responds to these poverties with love, with service: not by turning away, but by giving food and drink, by clothing, by welcoming, by visiting, in a word, by being close to those in need. Jesus, our King who calls himself the Son of Man, has his favorite sisters and brothers in the most fragile men and women.
Finally, he turned to "Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, help us to love Jesus, our King, in his least brothers and sisters".
Holodomor in Ukraine
After praying the Angelus, Francis recalled that Ukraine commemorated yesterday" the Holodomor, genocide perpetrated by the Soviet regime that caused the starvation of millions of people 90 years ago."
That wound, instead of healing, is made even more painful by the atrocities of the war that continues to make these dear people suffer, the Holy Father stressed. "Let us continue to pray without tiring, because... the prayer is the force of peace that breaks the spiral of hatred, breaks the cycle of revenge and opens unsuspected paths of reconciliation".
Dialogue in the Middle East, and trip to Dubai
On the war in the Middle East, the Pope gave thanks to God because "at last there is a truce between Israel y Palestineand some hostages have been released". "Let us pray that they are all released as soon as possible - let us think of their families!", he added, "that more humanitarian aid enters Gaza and that we insist on dialogue: it is the only way, the only way to have peace. Those who do not want dialogue do not want peace.
Finally, the Pope asked for prayers in the face of "the climate threat that endangers life on Earth, especially for future generations. This is contrary to God's plan, who created everything for life. And he referred to his apostolic journey to DubaiNext weekend I will travel to the United Arab Emirates to speak on Saturday at COP28 in Dubai. I thank all those who will accompany this trip with prayer and with the commitment to take to heart the preservation of our common home".
The Holy Father also recalled that today the XXXVIII World Youth Day is being celebrated in the particular Churches on the theme "Rejoicing in Hope". I bless all those who are participating in the initiatives promoted in the dioceses, in continuity with WYD in Lisbon. I embrace young people, the present and future of the world, and I encourage them to be joyful protagonists in the life of the Church".
Father Salvo is not only the rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral, but also directs the basilica of the former St. Patrick's Cathedral (sometimes referred to as the "Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral"), located in Nolita, a neighborhood with which he is very familiar. When he first moved to New York, he lived across the street from St. Patrick's Basilica, and it was his first parish.
Running St. Patrick's Cathedral can be challenging, but Father Salvo is committed to being physically and emotionally present in both places and recognizes the help he receives. He says he can attend both churches "because there are great people in both places who make it possible; that's the bottom line when it comes to their practicalities."
A revived legacy
The basilica, located on Mott Street at the corner of Prince Street, was once known as "the new church in town." It was the second Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States (Baltimore was the first) and the first church dedicated to the patron saint of the city. IrelandSt. Patrick.
The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral has a legacy that Father Salvo is proud of and recognizes its importance and significance. "It is beautiful to remember that there is a legacy..." and it is "a great opportunity to, once again, try to pick up that legacy, which should never have been broken in the first place."
The old cathedral became parish status when the new St. Patrick's Cathedral opened in 1879; however, "it was still respected as the original cathedral; it still is and always will be; and it has the status of a basilica," and it's good that people are more aware of that, says Father Salvo.
A cathedral and its seat
The two churches are very different "in terms of size" and are located on the opposite side of Manhattan. However, Father Salvo appreciates the "similarities" between the two churches and their shared history. He spoke of Archbishop John J. Hughes (1797-1864), whom he says "was the visionary of St. Patrick's Cathedral as we know it." But the man who laid the cornerstone for the new cathedral north of the city would not see the majestic cathedral open its doors on the first day because he died before the momentous date. "It took a long time to build because of the Civil War," Father Salvo recalls.
The rector also acknowledges the blessing of being part of both churches, "To be able to have that legacy is a great privilege, and it's a beautiful thing, and it thrills me." He also defines what a cathedral is: "A cathedral is where the seat of the archbishop of the diocese is; here is the seat of Cardinal Dolan, so this is the cathedral, but the history of both is tied together."
It's a beautiful thing!
The two churches are inextricably linked and have commonalities; the way Old St. Patrick's Cathedral is run on a daily basis "is more like a normal parish in terms of the number of parishioners and the obligations to people...". But because "it's such a special place" and is "in such a prime location in New York City, it's also another place where there are a lot of great events that take place almost weekly," says Father Salvo.
He is also proud and happy to tell Omnes about the "vibrant young adult community" at Old Saint Patrick's and boasts of his 7 p.m. Sunday Mass. He says that every Sunday at that time, "the church is full of young adults; very talented, intelligent, faithful young adults who don't need to be there, and many of their peers are unfortunately not there, but they are, and they are faithfully there, and it's such a beautiful thing to witness." He goes on to say that "it's not just about them expressing their faith, but also being able to serve them, and not just helping them grow in faith, but also providing a platform for them to meet other young adults who also care about their faith."
This article is the second part of my interview with Father Enrique Salvo. Soon we will publish the third part.
Jacques Philippe at the Omnes Forum: hope in a world without God
On Friday, November 24, Omnes held a forum with Jacques Philippe at Villanova University. The acclaimed spiritual author spoke about the consequences of the "traumatic" death of God in today's society.
On November 24, Omnes held a forum at the Villanueva university with Jacques Philippe. The theme of the session was "Do we need God?".
Jacques Philippe during the session
During his lecture, the well-known spiritual author developed four key points about the consequences of having separated God from our lives. In order to give a hopeful tinge to the session, Philippe began by assuring that "it seems that man abandons God, but God does not abandon man". Therefore, even if the consequences of the "death of the Father" are traumatic, there is the possibility of returning to Him.
The first essential idea that Jacques Philippe wanted to convey was that "to move away from God is also to move away from the source of truth". By losing the stability and solidity provided by God, "we fall into subjectivism, each one creates his own truth".
From this arises a danger of which the author warned, which is the temptation to create tailor-made religions. And not only that. In the long run, this leads to "loneliness, an individualism that deeply marks today's world".
Freedom and mercy
Secondly, Philippe denounced the lie of atheism, which claims that "God is the enemy of freedom". To remove the Father from the equation, the speaker explained, is not only to allow oneself to be carried away by a lie, but by removing God from our lives, we also remove mercy.
Drawing on the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel, Jacques said: "Once the death of God has been proclaimed, what happens? The house is empty. There is no one to welcome you, to tell you that you have the right to be happy."
Taking the Father out of our life implies that "there is no more forgiveness for our sins, because man cannot forgive himself. He can find excuses, he can rely on psychological ones, but he cannot forgive his sins". What happens then? The speaker expressed it clearly: "man is alone with the weight of his mistakes".
The problem of freedom
The effects of this on our society today are terrible, Philippe said. Today, "there is no room for failure, no room for fragility". Men, unable to be weak, have become obsessed with success. We have put "an excessive burden on human shoulders".
Faced with a life in which error is not tolerated, the speaker explained, "the exercise of human freedom becomes difficult. Two different excesses open up before us. "On the one hand, the most absolute irresponsibility; on the other hand, the excess of responsibility, the burden of our decisions alone."
Jacques pointed out that having rejected God, "we have a lot of options to choose from, but we have no one to accompany us". This immediately becomes a "source of anguish. We men are aware that "we have freedom, but we have no one to help us discern". And, again, Philippe warned of the danger of this: "freedom can become problematic".
Healing wounds
The third key that the speaker spoke about relates to hope. "To deprive ourselves of God is to deprive ourselves of hope for the future. When one lives without the revelation of God, which is the meaning of our existence, life becomes heavy, narrow."
When we have the Father, the author explained, there are no definitive tragedies, because we know that the Lord, when we come to meet him, "will heal us completely". Not only that. Philippe encouraged all those present to have hope because "in an instant God can save what was lost".
This idea also has a very practical consequence in everyday life. "What prevents us from forgiving?" the speaker asked the lecture hall. "Sometimes what prevents us from forgiving is that we have the feeling that the wrong received by another is irremediable. That is where faith comes to help us, because if God exists every wound can heal."
Self-hatred
Finally, Jacques Philippe warned everyone of a clear consequence today that comes from driving God out of our lives. "Contemporary man does not succeed in reconciling with himself." Without hope, without mercy and without the opportunity for forgiveness, man does not even manage to love himself.
"We thought that by eliminating God we were eliminating guilt. It has been exactly the opposite. There is more and more guilt. Human beings consider their poverty as a tragedy. Philippe explained that "man can only accept himself with the gaze of God". He even went further in his affirmation: "When man distances himself from God, he ends up hating himself, because he no longer has any reason to love himself".
Jacques Philippe ended his talk by encouraging everyone to regain hope and to have the firm belief that "the freedom that God gives by accepting his presence in our lives is immense".
Jacques PhilippeSometimes you have to face your own misery to begin to cry out to God".
The priest and author of spirituality was the speaker at the Omnes Forum "Do we need God?" held on Friday, November 24 in the Aula Magna of the Villanova University in Madrid.
Jacques Philippe shared the evening of November 24 with more than two hundred people at the Omnes Forum "Do we need God?".
At the meeting, held at the Universidad Villanueva de Madrid and sponsored by Fundación Carf and Banco Sabadell, Philippe reflected on the absence of God which means the disappearance of hope and mercy or the need for a filial relationship with God for a full life of man today.
The Forum, which will be available on the Omnes YouTube channel in the near future and will be the focus of the Experiences section of the December 2023 print issue of Omnes, has raised enormous expectations.
Jacques Philippe is the author of numerous books on the spiritual life, including titles such as "Interior Freedom", "Time for God" and "The Spiritual Fatherhood of the Priest", among others.
In our world there is an alternating paradox of an evident secularization and the rise of new spiritualities. Do you think it is easier to reach God through this "spiritualism" or, on the contrary, is it more confusing?
-There are many possible paths. I think there are people who are in atheism who may feel a vacuum because, somehow, man cannot do without spirituality. And maybe that emptiness will lead you to faith.
I have also known people who have gone through the new spiritualities first, because they were looking for meaning or there was something wrong in their life that they wanted to remedy and they touched here and there, and ended up ending up in the Church. I have met several like that. I don't have statistics, but I think that's how it is!
It is beautiful to see how different people's paths are: someone from a totally atheist family who becomes a believer or someone who is a Buddhist "to the last hair" who ends up meeting Christ....
There is talk of a world in crisis, a Church in crisis, a humanism in crisis, and reasons for hope?
-Yes, I think so. Because God is faithful. Sometimes man can abandon Him - which is what is happening today - but God does not abandon man. I believe that God will find a way to manifest Himself and draw hearts to Himself. He will find a way to propose Himself to all men.
It is not only the historical and sociological mechanisms, which of course have their importance and their part of truth, but deep down I believe that there is a design of God on man and on the universe. That is what gives me hope.
How can one, in a society marked by "noise" and deadlines, achieve the inner silence necessary to listen to God today?
-Today there are many people who also want something else, who want to return to nature, who feel the need for silence. A life that is not frenetic, but calmer, let's say. And we see it in all the newspapers.
Putting this into practice is not easy, because one cannot completely isolate oneself from the world. I think the most important thing is to find spaces in our heart. Some spaces of silence, of openness to God, peace. But this supposes to cut. We have to know how to cut off the cell phone, the television and take some time for recollection, even if it is in a little corner of your bedroom.
This is what Jesus says: "When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you". It is clear. When we can bring people to the Gospel, to prayer, seeking Christ, it leads to a change in our life.
You are the author of a book on the spiritual paternity of the priest. In general, has our society, even in the Church, lost the concept of paternity?
-Yes and no. I think the subject is quite complex. It is true that nowadays there is a rejection of fatherhood, a rejection of God, fatherhood is accused of being abusive, the criticism against the "patriarchal society", the father is the "enemy to be beaten".
There are certain legitimate motives in this perhaps because the way authority is exercised in the world, and also in the Church at times has not been correct: it has not been respectful of human freedom, it has had too much power, too much influence on people who were not conducive to freedom that there is a reaction may be normal, the problem is that it is excessive.
In the face of this, it is necessary to remember what true fatherhood is. To return to the mystery of divine paternity and also, we need men who are the image of that divine paternity: humble, respectful, who lead to freedom and help people to be themselves and not to be someone who suffocates. It is necessary to turn to God, to promote true models of paternity and to find the sense of filiation.
In other words, I believe that there is a certain human pride that proclaims "I don't need anyone, I don't want to depend on anyone, I can save myself...". In addition to the above, we find then this human pride that is contrary to a filial attitude, of trust, of availability. All these are things that we must rectify.
I believe that it can be very helpful to return to the Gospel, to rediscover the fatherhood of God, not as man conceives it and projects it onto God, but God as he is, as he reveals himself in the parable of the Prodigal Son, for example. To rediscover the true image of God in the Gospel and also to recover a childlike, trusting heart. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our heart. The Holy Spirit who makes us say, "Go!Abba, Father!"who awakens trust in us, who heals us of fears and suspicions, who allows us to truly open ourselves to God.
I believe that the most profound solutions are of a spiritual order. There are things that can be done on a psychological and social level, some changes in society in the Church... But the basic issue is to reencounter the mystery of the living God and to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. A new outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the world, a new Pentecost, where we find ourselves now in a certain way.
The Church is not a human institution, it is God communicating.
Jacques Philippe. Spirituality author
Do you really believe that we are in an outpouring of the Spirit when, for many, the Church is mortally wounded?
-The Church has always been in crisis. It has never been a stable institution. It almost died a hundred times. But the Church is not a human institution, it is God communicating himself. The mystery of Christ communicating himself to the world.
The Church always has to purify and reform itself and I believe that this is what is happening. There is suffering, there is questioning, but I believe that we also see the Holy Spirit at work who does not abandon his Church.
I see many signs of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the last few years there have been very important spiritual renewals: the Charismatic Renewaland also a Marian renewal, so many people to whom it comes Medjugorjefor example. Perhaps it is not a mass phenomenon, but there are many places where the presence of the Spirit can be experienced, where there is a renewal of hearts and healing of the wounds of the spirit.
I believe that this reality will be amplified. Perhaps through suffering, sometimes it is necessary to hit rock bottom in order to get back up again. Sometimes, people have to face their own misery, their own radical impotence, so that they begin to cry out to God.
The 123rd Plenary Assembly of the Spanish bishops has published a letter addressed to all the people of God on sexual abuse committed within the Church.
Under the title "Sent to welcome, heal and rebuild", the bishops reiterate their request for forgiveness to the victims and commit themselves "to be transparent in this process and accountable to the victims, the Church and God" and make reference to the implementation of a plan to integral reparation.
Full text of the letter "Sent to welcome, heal and rebuild".
You are the light of the world (Mt 5:14).. To the people of God and to Spanish society, in the face of the drama of abuse, we, the bishops of the Plenary Assembly, aware that we have been sent to welcome and heal the victims of this social scourge, humbly offer the following considerations.
1. Grief, shame and request for forgiveness.
The abuse of minors has filled us with sadness. As on other occasions, we want to express unequivocally the pain, shame and sorrow that this reality, which betrays the message of the Gospel, causes in us. In no way do we intend to look for excuses or justifications to avoid any responsibility that may correspond to us as a Church.
At the same time, we reiterate our most sincere request for forgiveness to all those who have suffered because of these execrable actions, especially to the victims and their families. We also ask God's forgiveness, in which, as Christians, we have not been faithful. The suffering has been caused not only by the abuses but also by the way in which, at times, they have been dealt with. There are not enough words to express how sorry we are for the pain of the victims, as well as for the betrayal committed by some members of our communities. These acts, which are not only sins but also crimes, are incompatible with the fundamental values of our faith in Christ, for they contradict the love, compassion and respect that He teaches us and gives us the strength to live. They are also a call to a profound personal and communal conversion.
Above all other considerations, we commit ourselves to be transparent in this process and to be accountable to the victims, to the Church and to God. Our brothers, priests, religious and lay people, betraying the trust they had received and the mission entrusted to them, were abusing those persons, minors or vulnerable, who had been entrusted to them for their protection, education or care.
2. The action of the Church: attention to victims.
Many of us have met the victims of these abuses. We have known their face, their story, their name. We want to take on their pain incarnate. We have asked for their forgiveness, we do so now and we will always do so. To ask for forgiveness is to recognize our limitations, our poverty, our weakness, our lack of courage. We know that the damage and pain caused are indelible, but to ask for forgiveness and to forgive is the first step to heal the wounds.
First and foremost, we can assure you that we continue the commitment to take concrete and effective measures to prevent future abuse in our Church that we began in 2001. We are constantly, and for some time now, reviewing all of our security and training protocols, as well as working closely with civil authorities to ensure that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.
- Welcoming and reparation. - In relation to the victims, for their reception and accompaniment, offices for the protection of minors have been created in all dioceses and religious institutions and studies have been carried out in order to know the dimension of the problem. We encourage anyone who has suffered abuse to approach these offices to initiate processes of reparation and healing. We are fully prepared to listen, support, repair and offer the help they need to heal the wounds. Every child protection office is open to listen and welcome that pain.
- Prevention and training. - With the encouragement of Pope Francis, necessary steps have been taken in three directions. In this Episcopal Conference, the Advisory Service to the Diocesan Offices, now fully operational, has held numerous formation meetings to establish a joint work that makes possible an effective accompaniment of the victims. In relation to the rest of the People of God, the Episcopal Conference, the dioceses and the congregations have prepared and promulgated protocols to prevent and detect abuse, and have begun training processes for all those in the Church who work with minors, so that they can help prevent this social scourge. In the juridical sphere, both the motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi as theVademecum on procedural issues in the face of sexual abuse, promulgated by the Holy See, have been accompanied in Spain by the Instruction on sexual abuseapproved by this Episcopal Conference last April.
- Complaint and action. - The rapid assessment of abuses, which is essential for prompt action, must lead immediately to denunciation in the canonical, civil and criminal spheres. This is the beginning of the judicial action that is essential on the road to reparation.
It is necessary to emphasize that, in the legal context, the determination of whether an act constitutes a crime of abuse and who is responsible for such criminal act corresponds to the judicial authority, as well as the legal measures that may be taken as a consequence.
Nevertheless, conscience, which "is man's most secret core and tabernacle, where he sits alone with God" (GS 16), calls us to recognize those intrinsically evil acts that violate God's law, even if they cannot be appreciated by human justice, and leads us to the urgency of making reparation for them.
3. It is a problem of the Church and of society.
Likewise, we are well aware of the impact that these actions have on the public's perception of the Church. The bishops of Spain consider that cases of abuse are very serious matters that must be dealt with within the legal framework. Unfortunately, they affect all sectors of society. The vast majority of abusers are family members or people close to the victim.
However, in this very important issue, to focus only on the Church is to defocus the problem. The recommendations and measures to be taken should not only be addressed to us, but to society as a whole.
We believe that the way to heal this scourge in the Church and in society is for us to work together to build just, safe and compassionate environments where every person is loved, valued and respected.
Now, gathered in plenary assembly, we bishops have given special value to the testimony gathered from the victims, which allows us to place them at the center.
During this year, four reports on sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable persons in the Church have been published by different entities and media. The Spanish Episcopal Conference, based on the work carried out by the Offices for the Protection of Minors, prepared its own report, "To Give Light", with 728 testimonies collected from the 1940s to the present. But we insist that what is important are the people and not the numbers.
4. Not just words: the comprehensive reparation plan.
We are aware that words are not enough. Our action continues. In this same Plenary Assembly we have worked on the first draft of the plan of integral reparation for the victims of abuse, which has three lines of action that we are already developing and that we are going to promote with all our might:
- attention to the victims through all legal and ecclesiastical channels,
- full reparation, to the extent possible, for the damage caused
- and training for the prevention of such abuses in the future.
We have decided to continue working on this plan, approve its itinerary after the necessary revisions and ratify it at the next Plenary Assembly.
5. The valuable service of the People of God.
Lay people, missionaries, consecrated persons, deacons, priests and bishops, beyond our limitations and frailties, we give ourselves every day, helping, accompanying, consoling and fulfilling a very difficult mission that is not always recognized in our times.
It is not just to attribute to all the evil caused by some. We are aware that this path of reparation is indispensable and, at the same time, we believe that it can also help to heal the wound inflicted on the People of God. We must also remember all those among us who make us proud of our faith: priests who bring Jesus into every heart; consecrated men and women who dedicate themselves to education and assistance; consecrated women who care for the poorest and most needy with their whole life; missionaries in every country of the world making the Gospel visible; lay people who give themselves as catechists or volunteers; monks and nuns who support us with their prayer and all those who live their Christian life in the midst of ordinary concerns.
6. Hopeful.
Our commitment to eradicate sexual abuse is also a service to the society in which we live. We humbly offer our sad and painful experience to help any other institution to fight against this scourge.
We want to look to the future with hope. Once again, we reiterate that our struggle against all kinds of abuses must continue unceasingly. And, at the same time, we wish to show our deep gratitude and appreciation to the priests and consecrated persons of our Church, encouraging them to live with enthusiasm and hope the treasure of the ministry entrusted to them (cf. 2 Cor 4:7). We take this opportunity to appeal to the Catholic faithful to accompany, encourage and support them in their daily dedication.
Together with the People of God, we turn to Christ, the foundation of all hope, who promised us that he would be with us until the end of the world (cf. Mt 28:20). May he, the Good Shepherd, help us beyond the dark glens, to walk the path of healing, reconciliation and renewal, accompanied by the motherly love of Mary.
We ask your prayers for the victims and their families, as well as for all members of our Church.
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Spanish bishops launch comprehensive reparations project for abuse victims
The project, presented by the Coordination and Advisory Service of the Diocesan Offices for the Protection of Minors, has been unanimously approved and must now begin its development and definition.
The Secretary General and spokesman of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Francisco César García Magán has been in charge of communicating to the media the results of the work of the 123rd Plenary Assembly of the Spanish Bishops, which took place in Madrid from November 20 to 24.
The management and development of the various investigations into sexual abuse committed in the Church has focused part of the reflections and work of the Spanish bishops during these days.
In this field, both a letter to the People of God in Spain, on this topic, approved unanimously, and the approval of a work process to structure and develop a plan for the integral reparation of victims of abuse, are framed in this field.
Letter to the people of God for the abuses
The Plenary Assembly has given the green light to a letter to all the faithful which deals specifically with the problem of sexual abuse committed within the Church.
The missive, which is addressed especially to the victims, is centered above all on the request for forgiveness to the victims, as the secretary general of the Spanish bishops wanted to emphasize, and also "a word of hope to the rest of the people of God".
In addition, this letter announces the comprehensive reparation plan for the victims that will be developed by the Spanish Episcopal Conference.
Repair plan
The spokesman for the Spanish bishops pointed out that what has been approved at this Plenary is the work plan, although he was able to advance three lines of action that include the iter The work presented by the Coordination and Counseling Service of the Diocesan Offices for the Protection of Minors: attention to victims and prevention and integral reparation, from all perspectives, psychological, social and economic.
In this sense, he pointed out that "we cannot talk about specific dates, since we have to meet certain statutory requirements", although he wants to get it up and running as soon as possible.
The bishops' spokesman has been asked several times about the possibility of establishing an economic fund to face the compensation to the victims. Magán pointed out that, in this type of cases, the economic compensation to each victim "has to be paid by the victimizer or, if he has died, by the institution involved. In principle, not the Episcopal Conference".
Other Plenary Assembly topics
In addition to the abuses, the bishops have approved different projects in these days such as the "Project in favor of the dignity of the person". This initiative aims to address various problems affecting life, the dignity of the person, the family and society. Among the issues to be addressed, the bishops highlight the growing consumption of pornography among young people through the Internet, the trivialization of sexuality, the use of prostitution and sexual exploitation, mental health, or addictions.
The Compliance system for the Spanish Episcopal Conference has also been approved, a manual of regulatory compliance and best practices adapted to the nature and identity of the EEC.
In addition, as stated in the summary of these days, the constitution of the Table of Interfaith Dialogue in Spain between the Catholic Church and the different Christian denominations is also being studied.
On the other hand, the bishops have approved the list of three candidates to be presented to the Dicastery for Evangelization for the appointment of the director The national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, since the first five-year term of the current director will come to an end next December, José María Calderón.
The Assembly dealt with various follow-up matters. It also received information on the current status of Apse (TRECE and COPE) and the PMO.
Congresses and meetings
In the coming months, various meetings are planned, promoted by different areas of the EEC, which the bishops have also spoken about in these days.
Among them, the Congress "The Church in Education" to be held in Madrid on Saturday, February 24, 2024, the National Meeting on the First Announcement, to be held from February 16 to 18 in Madrid or the National Congress on Vocations planned for the first half of 2025 with "the aim of raising awareness throughout the Church and society about life as a vocation".
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The arrival of the Christmas tree marks the beginning of Vatican Christmas preparations. This year the tree comes from the Maira Valley and will be lit on December 9. After Christmas, the wood will be made into toys and donated to Caritas.
This Bilbao native is the new bishop of Helsinki and has joked with the Pope about the end of the world "Finland is the end of the world: "Fin" "land", "end of the world". Although he insists that the "end of the world" is Argentina, but we have again agreed that there is "end of the world" in the north, Finland, and "end of the world" in the south, which is Argentina".
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The USCCB Plenary Assembly featured the presence of a recently deposed Texas bishop just steps away from the meeting venue, an apparent difference of opinion between the USCCB president and the Pope's ambassador to the U.S., and a surprisingly lively public debate on the Church's role in responding to the mental health crisis.
Pablo Kay-November 24, 2023-Reading time: 5minutes
The autumn plenary assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), held this year in Baltimore, did not feature the intense public debates and closely watched leadership elections to which we have become accustomed in recent years.
Instead, the Nov. 13-16 meeting featured the presence of a recently deposed Texas bishop just steps away from the meeting venue, an apparent difference of opinion between the USCCB president and the Pope's ambassador to the U.S., and a surprisingly lively public debate on the Church's role in responding to the mental health crisis.
A bishop dismissed
The case of Bishop Joseph Strickland took a dramatic turn two days before the meeting began, when the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had removed him as bishop of Tyler, Texas, and appointed Bishop Joe Vasquez, of the nearby Diocese of Austin, "apostolic administrator" until a permanent replacement is named.
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland prayed the Holy Rosary outside the hotel where the USCCB Plenary Assembly was being held. (OSV News photo / Bob Roller)
Strickland has been a leading critic of the pope, especially in his warnings about Francis' alleged lack of clarity on Church teachings related to sexuality and gender. Last May, he accused the pope of "undermining the deposit of faith" in a post on Twitter (now known as X). Days before his ouster, Strickland read a letter describing the pope as "a usurper of the chair of Peter" at a gathering of conservative Catholics in Rome.
The Vatican asked Strickland to resign and, following his refusal, promptly dismissed him on November 11.
But if what happened in Baltimore is a sign of things to come, Strickland, 65, will not go quietly. After the apostolic nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the pope's delegate to the United States, asked him not to participate in the bishops' meeting, Strickland traveled to Baltimore anyway with the stated intention of praying in front of the Waterfront Marriott Hotel.
After his final act of prayer before the bishops' hotel, the National Catholic Reporter asked Strickland if he was trying to draw attention to himself.
"It's about Jesus Christ, and his truth must be proclaimed," he replied.
Synodality in America
Although the controversy swirled outside the assembly, Strickland's name was not mentioned as the bishops vigorously pursued a primarily administrative agenda.
In his first address to the bishops since becoming a cardinal in September, Pierre recalled the Gospel account of Jesus' Easter encounter with his disciples on the road to Emmaus to link the Synod on Synodality being held at the Vatican to the initiative of the bishops of the National Eucharistic Revival.
"I believe we will have a true Eucharistic rebirth when we experience the Eucharist as the sacrament of Christ's incarnation: as the Lord walking with us together on the way," Pierre said, echoing the synod's "walking together" motto.
Moments later, the president of the U.S. bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, praised in his opening address "the many synodal realities that already exist in the Church in the United States."
Broglio's speech was interpreted by some as a mild rejoinder to more controversial statements Pierre had made in an "America" magazine feature published days earlier. In the interview, Pierre expressed concern that some U.S. bishops and priests were not fully supportive of the Pope's synod initiatives. In his speech, Broglio thanked "those who infuse vitality, commitment and renewal into our faith communities," and praised U.S. priests "on the front lines" for being "on fire with the Gospel."
Later, at a press conference, he said he had spoken to Pierre about his interview ....
"At the very least, the way "America" magazine characterized Archbishop Pierre's reflections, I don't think it really reflects the Church in America," he said.
A mental health epidemic
Most of the action items at the meeting elicited little or no debate or discussion from the bishops, with one notable exception: the Conference's new "National Catholic Mental Health Campaign."
In the longest public debate of the assembly, nearly 20 bishops rose to address the initiative with input on ways the Church in the U.S. can address the mental health crisis.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston lamented the shortage of psychiatrists in his archdiocese, and urged the Church to find ways to encourage more young medical students to seek careers in the field.
"The lack of this kind of help is very, very troubling in the United States," he said.
Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, called attention to the disintegration of family life and the targeting of youth by the pornography industry; Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio was concerned about the relationship of the crisis to the rise in domestic and gun-related violence across the country.
Several bishops spoke of initiatives in their own dioceses to address what they described as a mental health "epidemic," including healing Masses, introduction of therapists in Catholic schools and parish mental health ministries.
2024 on the horizon
Overall, this year's meeting impressed some observers as reflecting the new "synodal" style that the Pope calls for the universal Church, with the bishops devoting more time to prayer and private "fraternal dialogues" than in previous years.
In his public presentation, synod delegate Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, suggested that the synod's discussion of possible reforms to the Church's leadership structures would have to respect "doctrinal principles."
"The structure alone, of course, cannot ensure a form of Christian life and mission shared and promoted in common; because without the Spirit, the letter is dead," said Flores, who also announced that the synod's "interim report" will be discussed at the next meeting of the bishops in June 2024, before the synod's second session next October.
Meanwhile, the bishops also heard an update on preparations for next year's National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis (July 17-21). The main organizer, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, emphasized the pilgrimage aspect of the event, which he said is intended to be "a moment of great renewal and great rebirth for our Church" that will "stimulate evangelization" in the United States.
Ultimately, if anything can be gleaned from the bishops' week in Baltimore, it is that the outcomes of moments like the Eucharistic Congress and the concrete steps taken to address crises like the mental health epidemic or the decline of faith and practice in America will tell us far more about the state of the Church in America than the statements of church leaders.
The authorPablo Kay
Editor-in-Chief of Angelus. Weekly magazine of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, California.
Stephen BarrThe thesis of the conflict between science and faith is a myth generated by the polemics of the end of the 19th century".
D. in theoretical particle physics, Stephen Barr is president of the Society of Catholic Scientists. Member of the American Physical Society, In 2007 Pope Benedict XVI awarded him the Benemerita Medal and in 2010 he was elected member of the Academy of Catholic Theology.
Stephen M. Barr is Professor Emeritus of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware and former Director of the Bartol Research Institute, a research center of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware.
Together with Jonathan Lunine he founded the Society of Catholic Scientistswhich has more than a thousand members from over 50 countries. Hundreds of scientists, theologians, philosophers and historians have attended its conferences.
This association, one of the leading associations in the field of the study of the relationship between science and faith, is conceived as a place where Catholic scientists can share their knowledge, perspectives and intellectual and spiritual gifts with each other for their mutual enrichment as well as a forum for reflection and debate on issues relating to the relationship between science and the Catholic faith.
This relationship between science and faith, its history and the myths and truths that are intertwined in this field, is the central theme that has been dealt with -with interviews with leading figures and collaborations such as Juan Arana-, the November issue of Omnes magazineavailable for subscribers.
How and why was the Society of Catholic Scientists born?
- In 2015, an eminent astrophysicist, Jonathan Lunine, a convert to the faith, told me that his pastor had suggested founding such an organization. I myself had been thinking about it for a long time. So Jonathan and I launched it in 2016.
We had several motives. One was to show the world that modern science and the Catholic faith are in harmony.
A second was to foster spiritual and intellectual communion and fellowship among Catholic scientists. Religious scientists and science students can feel isolated, although they are in fact very numerous, because they are often unaware of each other's existence.
A third motive was to create a place where people with questions on the subject could find quality information and discussions on issues of science and faith.
Is it scientifically reasonable to have religious faith? Is it possible to be a recognized scientist and a believer today?
- Many great scientists have had religious faith; in fact, almost all of them, from Copernicus in the 16th century to Faraday and Maxwell in the 19th. The founder of genetics, Gregor Mendel, was a priest, as was the founder of the cosmological Big Bang theory, Georges Lemaître.
One of the best physicists in the world today, Juan Martin Maldacena, who created a revolution in the understanding of the relationship of quantum theory and gravity, and who in science is considered on a par with Hawking, is a member of the Society of Catholic Scientists.
One can also point to eminent contemporary scientists of other faiths. Dozens of Nobel laureates have been religious. I can think of two Nobel laureates in physics who converted to the Catholic faith (Bertram Brockhouse and Sir Charles Kuen Kao).
Where do science and faith converge - do they complement each other or are they incompatible?
- Faith and science have many of the same roots: a sense of wonder at the existence of the world and its beauty and order, the conviction that there are ultimate answers and that reality makes sense, and the belief that human beings have the capacity to arrive at truth and the obligation to seek it. Faith and science complement each other, is a good way of putting it.
St. John Paul II said that science shows us how the world works, while our faith tells us what the world means.
The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks also said so. But the issues addressed by science and religion overlap in some areas, especially when it comes to the nature of human beings, since we are part of nature as well as transcending it.
Why, in many academic circles, is the non-existence of God still a kind of premise for accepting scientific advances?
- Outside of pure mathematics it is difficult to find rigorous proofs. In the natural sciences, for example, we do not speak of "proving" theories, but of finding confirmatory evidence.
As for the atheistic and materialistic premises found in many academic circles, I believe they are often the result of unexamined intellectual prejudices or inherited misconceptions, though not in all cases, of course.
Intellectuals are not immune to the "herd instinct".
Disinformation also plays some role. For example, the idea that religion has been perpetually "at war" with science has been very damaging to the credibility of religion. But contemporary historians of science agree that this "conflict thesis" is a myth generated largely by the polemics of the late 19th century.
Nevertheless, there are many academics who are religious or have respect for religion.
Is there interest in science in the Catholic world? Are we satisfied with superficial knowledge?
- The Catholic world is a broad and diverse place. But, in general, Catholics have a great respect for science. Traveling and giving many talks to Catholic audiences of various kinds, I have found a great interest in what science has discovered and a strong desire to understand it better. Much of what is presented to people about science in the popular media - even some popular science media - is superficial, or sloppy, or confusing, or exaggerated. It seems to me that Catholics and others want to know what the real story is.
Are we believers sometimes afraid that science will "steal our faith"?
- Yes, it is a widespread fear, but totally unjustified. People have been taught that breakthroughs in science have generally overthrown ideas that were previously considered "intuitively obvious", "self-evident" and matters of "common sense" and have been shown to be naive. Think, for example, of the revolutionary ideas of Copernicus, Darwin, Einstein and the founders of quantum mechanics.
Consequently, many people live in fear that science may, at any moment, make some great discovery that proves that our deepest convictions and most cherished ideas are equally naive).
There was a newspaper headline in the U.S. not long ago that a quantum experiment had shown that "there is no objective reality." (When people heard that something called "the God particle" had been discovered, they imagined that it was supposed to do the things that God had traditionally been thought to do.
In reality, the Higgs particle is no more God-like than electrons or protons, and physicists laugh at the term "God particle" and never use it.
Perhaps believers would be less nervous if they understood that some of the great advances in modern science have actually supported certain traditional notions that had been threatened by earlier science.
To give just one example, before the 20th century it seemed that physics had demonstrated that the laws of physics were "deterministic," which was seen as overthrowing the idea of free will; but in the 20th century "physical determinism" was in turn overthrown by quantum mechanics.
I discuss this and four other examples in my 2003 book "Modern Physics and Ancient Faith".
Science follows a winding path, but Catholics have reason to be confident that, in the long run, it will not stray from God, who created the world that science studies.
There are questions that can help us examine the situations we face. They function as a guide to really learn to be masters of ourselves, masters of the circumstances that we can control.
I was talking to a person who was very busy in her professional duties and apostolic attentions, and at the same time very accelerated and with peaks of anxiety. I asked her: "What obstacles are there to your becoming - once and for all - the master of your house? Busy, yes, and with lordliness. With many tasks, yes, and with elegance. Full of projects, yes, and with serenity.". He was surprised and pleased with the question. "I don't know, but I'll take it and think about it.".
Notice, you choose to whom you give the power in your life: to you and to the personal direction of your actions, to the exterior that asks you to do things, to the interior desires, to the dependencies of people.
Dominate is related to different Latin words such as "dominare"to have under its power, with the root of domus (house). Thus, we could say that who dominates is the lord/lady of the house, of the home; and it also referred to the dominus (master). Thus, the owner and master of the household decides who enters the house and how far. He is knowledgeable about the environment, the system and the people knocking at the door from outside, as well as the internal affairs of the house. He is very aware and attentive to decide what to do and to have balance within himself. When balance is within you, your "I" is calm and healthy, and others respect your house. When we give power to "outsiders", the self is exhausted and sometimes a kind of selfishness is born, which has no moral root contrary to generosity, but is necessary for survival.
However, to be able to have balance within oneself, it is necessary to put the focus of attention also outside, on the outside. Contact with reality and let yourself be affected by people to be able to decide accordingly, and in coherence, with the real nature of things.
It is not a matter of keeping the house closed, the blinds down and the light off, but of deciding who enters our inner abode and who does not, how far they enter and for what purpose. To make it easier for you to make these decisions, to master your life and choose what is good for you, you can observe, look, consider and reflect, and then decide accordingly. These questions below will help you to exercise, at first perhaps as a laboratory analysis, but then you will do it naturally.
Who is there or what is there? Someone asking for something. A situation that calls for intervention. An environment that seems to force me to react in a certain way. Expectations about me.
2.- What is it or who is it? Describe the situation, the person, the environment, the circumstances and the type of relationship: pastoral, institutional, family, filial, work, friendly.
3.- What does it have to do with me? Here you have a filter to prioritize. It will depend on whether it is a person, a situation, something material; if it is very dear to me or depends on me for whatever reason; to what extent I have committed myself before or if it is something new. For example, it is not the same to be asked for money by a man in the street than by your little sister, whether it is a matter of your pastoral or neighborhood, whether you are responsible for it because of a previous commitment or whether it is something new.
4.- What do you ask for? Others have the "right" to ask us for whatever they see fit. Before the vice of asking, we have the virtue of not giving. It does not depend on us that they ask for more or less, everyone can ask for what he/she wants, and I will decide how to respond.
5.- What do you need? The request may not match what he needs. A man who asks you for money on the street may need a job or training. A system that asks you to do what you have always done may need a change on your part. This again serves as an adjustment factor to better understand the situation and what we will ultimately choose to give or not to give.
What do I know how to give? Whether or not I know how to give him what he asks for and/or needs, will also help us to make the decision of what is best for me, in balance with what is best for the other person.
7.- What can I give? The plausibility of giving or not giving also serves as a measure.
8.- What do I want to give them? Regardless of whether I have what they ask me for, whether I know how to give it to them and whether I can give it to them, I have the margin to decide whether I want to give it to them or not, for whatever reasons. To be able to choose what is good for me, it is also necessary to have the possibility of not choosing it. To choose what is good will not be forced, but willed.
9.- How do I want to give it? Ultimately I will decide in what way and manner I give what is being asked of me, either exactly as requested or with the variations in intensity, timing, measures, etc., that I see fit.
"The Mass is not a spectacle.". The Spanish bishops publish guidelines for the broadcasting of celebrations.
The Episcopal Commissions for Liturgy and the Media of the Spanish bishops have drawn up guidelines so that "the retransmissions of liturgical celebrations may have the dignity they deserve".
The president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications, Bishop José Manuel Lorca Planes, and the president of the Episcopal Commission for the Liturgy, Bishop José Leonardo Lemos, shared a briefing focused on the guidelines that both commissions have jointly developed to "help and advise" on the retransmission of the Eucharist and other liturgical or "paraliturgical" celebrations, both in the general media and through various social platforms.
The document recommends that special care be taken with these broadcasts to avoid confusing the faithful.
The president of the Episcopal Commission for the Liturgy wanted to point out that these are "guidelines for all those who bring the celebrations closer to those who cannot physically attend".
Bishop Lemos stressed that "we want people to take into account what is being offered: the Mystery of Redemption and to whom it is offered: to specific recipients, especially the sick, the elderly and caregivers".
At this point, the bishops once again recalled that following Mass through the media is not a substitute for attending Sunday Mass if one does not have a serious impediment.
Among some of the guidelines included in this document, it is established, for example, that the celebrations should be held from a holy place: temple or chapel, and that the priest celebrant, the acolytes and the faithful people physically present, "should be aware that the celebration is being retransmitted".
Lemos called for "care to be taken in the development of the liturgy, the readings, etc., as well as in the realization and retransmission of the celebration. In this sense, the celebrant "must know that he is addressing both the present and the virtual community.
In addition, the document advises that, once the Eucharistic celebration has been broadcast, the video should be deleted "so as not to give rise to misunderstandings". The Eucharistic celebration is lived in spiritual communion with a real community that gathers at a certain time and place. "We do not 'save' the video of the Mass to watch it later," said Msgr. Lemos, although he pointed out that certain moments of the celebration of the Holy Mass, such as the homily, "can be recorded as spiritual nourishment for the faithful.
Another piece of advice is that priests who carry out this type of retransmissions should inform the Episcopal Media Delegation of their corresponding bishopric so that the bishop is aware and knows which priest is retransmitting this type of celebrations and how.
In the words of Bishop Lemos, "it is not a matter of controlling or restricting, but of helping, especially the priests who carry out this type of retransmission, so that they may be worthy and help both the people present physically and virtually".
The bishops responsible for both commissions emphasized that these guidelines will be published on the CEE website and sent to diocesan priests.
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Thanksgiving is a very important holiday in the United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Turkey is the traditional meal on this day.
Jennifer Elizabeth Terranova-November 23, 2023-Reading time: 4minutes
The United States is a melting pot: a patchwork people, a cultural and ethnic highway, all driving toward similar goals and objectives.
We are Irish, German, Polish, African, French, Puerto Rican, Russian, Italian, Mexican, Spanish, Chinese, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, and every other country we see on the world map. And, of course, the Native Americans whose feet were on American soil before all of us. We are inherently similar and distinctly and beautifully different. Many are Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Baptists, Episcopalians, and Jews, and some are Muslims and Atheists. Still, on the most secular holiday of the year, Thanksgiving, we are all American, united by a day that evokes childhood memories and allows us to create new ones of family food and great stories. It is a day we give special thanks for our abundant blessings.
Thanksgiving is a National holiday in the United States celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a day when family and friends gather together and enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal, which may vary from one house to the next depending on one's ethnicity and food preferences. Still, every family can count on Tom (an endearing name many Americans give to their turkey every year) to make an appearance. It's the day that most people invariably break their diet. And when Americans sit at the table for hours and linger longer than other days, talking, laughing, maybe crying, watching football, and thinking about the eagerly awaited Black Friday Sales.
Although the history of Thanksgiving is perpetually up for debate and, at times, met with controversy, we know that it was considered a harvest celebration between the early settlers of the Plymouth colony and members of the local Wampanoag tribe at the Plymouth Plantation. According to Sarah Pruitt, a contributor to History.com, "It wasn't known as Thanksgiving…and it took place over three days between late September and mid-November in 1621."
Tom Begley, the executive liaison for administration, research, and special projects at Plimoth Plantation, wrote, "Basically it was to celebrate the end of a successful harvest…the three-day celebration included feasting, games, and military exercises, and there was definitely an amount of diplomacy between the colonists and the native attendees, as well." He also confirms that giving thanks was essential to English and Native American cultures. "For the English, before and after every meal, there was a prayer of Thanksgiving. "
Likewise, for the Native Americans, Thanksgiving was a part of their daily lives. Linda Coombs, the former associate director of the Wampanoag program at Plimoth Plantation, says, "Every time anybody went hunting or fishing or picked a plant, they would offer a prayer or acknowledgment." And, in 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated in November.
The traditions of "Turkey Day" (as some Americans call it) have developed since the two cultures ate together. The Thanksgiving Day table shows the fusion of one's ancestor's culture and that of their own American culture. Side dishes may vary, but turkey always gets an invitation.
In an Italian-American household, one will enjoy all of the American trimmings, such as cranberry sauce, stuffing, mince pie, and sweet potatoes. In addition, Italian-American accompaniments, like stuffed artichokes, stuffed mushrooms, fried cauliflower and artichoke hearts, Brussel sprouts, and very often, the antipasto and lasagna are expected, even if there is no need.
Anthony, a lay person at Saint Joseph's Seminary and College who is discerning the priesthood, had this to say about Thanksgiving, "What I love about it Thanksgiving is the bond between family, especially being Italian American; it's a time to share things that we normally share, and that makes us even stronger." He eats the traditional American foods on Thanksgiving but always eats Lasagna, Italian pastries for dessert, and cappuccino.
Some Puerto Ricans like Maria, who came to the United States when she was just a few days old, said the table is filled with more Puerto Rican delicacies than American ones. She said her grandmother made "hundreds of Pasteles; she would give a dozen to each family member when they left…" And "she would also make pernil, arroz con gandules, ensalada de papa, and yams....and then we would finish a plate, and she'd give us another plate, and she would make coquito." That was another delicious thing, remembered Maria. And then for dessert, they would enjoy coconut candy that "they would make and limber." Maria said as a child, she would get excited to get together with all the family members and said, "Their tradition was to put up the tree on Thanksgiving Day. Maria is the manager of The Church of Our Saviour in Manhattan.
Angel, who is also Puerto Rican and retired but loves the Catholic Church so much that he decided to work as an usher in Saint Patrick's Cathedral, spoke to Omnes about his traditions. His parents were born in Puerto Rico, and he was born and raised in New York City: "It was a traditional Thanksgiving." they enjoyed turkey, but in addition, his mom made Puerto Rican food, too, like Maria's family, pastels, arroz con gandules, rice pudding were enjoyed, but angel recalled, "She also made stuffing, the normal American tradition Thanksgiving." He shared what Thanksgiving means: "I love Thanksgiving; it's a day of giving to everyone, especially the poor; some of these people don't have food on their table to eat."
Thanksgiving, for some Dominican families like Luis, who also works at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, says, "We do a lot of stuff: turkey, chicken pork, salad, and arroz con gandules," makes an appearance again!
The language, decor state, and dishes may vary. Still, most of us ultimately appreciate the holiday that allows us to slow down, relax, overeat, gather with relatives and friends, some of whom we might see infrequently, and create new memories.
Fortunately for Catholics, however, we are blessed with the greatest harvest each time we receive the EucharistAs Catholics know, it means Thanksgiving, so why not strive to give thanks to God for His Body and Blood every day?
In 1927 the Mexican government shot the priest Miguel Agustin Pro. He is the first martyr on Mexican soil declared by the Catholic Church and Pope St. John Paul II beatified him in 1988.
Between 1926 and 1929, Mexico experienced years of great tension. The Cristero War, between the government and Catholic religious militias, took thousands of lives. In the midst of this conflict, a police squad shot the priest José Ramón Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez. Decades later, the Catholic Church recognized in this man the first martyr of the Cristero War in Mexico, and St. John Paul II beatified him in 1988. Therefore, on November 23 Catholics unite to remember the memory of the man known as Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro.
Miguel Agustín was born on January 13, 1981 in Guadalupe, Mexico. The son of a wealthy engineer, he and his ten siblings received an education based on respect and charity. At the age of fifteen, he began working with his father at the Mining Agency of the Ministry of Development.
The young Miguel was a direct collaborator of his father until the entry of one of his sisters into the convent forced him to stop in his tracks. His sister's vocation prompted him to rethink what he was doing. It was then that he made the decision to ask for admission to the Society of Jesus and on August 15, 1911, Miguel Agustín entered the novitiate.
Just four years later, the future Blessed traveled to Spain with the Jesuits. There he dedicated himself to philosophy and rhetoric. He remained in Europe until 1919, when he settled in Nicaragua to work as a professor. However, it was not long before he crossed the Atlantic again. After another stay in Spain, he settled in a community of 130 Jesuits in Belgium.
The Provincial of Mexico wanted Miguel Agustín to be trained in social issues while he was in Belgian territory. The objective was to promote the Catholic social movement and for the Jesuit to prepare himself for pastoral work with the Mexican workers.
Tour of Mexico
Finally, in 1925 Miguel Agustín was ordained to the priesthood. However, only a month later he became seriously ill with an infection and spent a long convalescence. Thinking he was going to die, his superiors sent him back to Mexico. On the return trip, the young priest passed through Lourdes and wrote that his visit to the grotto was one of the happiest days of his life.
When he arrived in his country in July 1926, the government had enacted several laws to repress and stifle the Catholic Church. Miguel Agustín decided to continue his ministry in a clandestine way, serving the people who needed it and fleeing from the police who persecuted him. He organized himself to distribute communion and at times he distributed it to 1,500 people.
Everything was cut short when in 1927 an engineer made an attempt against a general, a candidate for the presidency. The bomb that had been planted did not explode, but the general's guards responded immediately and suspected Miguel Agustín, already known for circumventing government restrictions.
The police arrested both the Jesuit and his brother and, although the author of the failed attack admitted his guilt, Miguel Agustín remained in jail. On the morning of November 23, 1927, the priest was shot together with his brother, without prior notice of the sentence.
When the blessed man realized what was about to happen, he opened his arms in the form of a cross and told the armed officer that he forgave him. He walked to the place of execution on his own, without being blindfolded, and asked to be allowed to pray before death. Waiting for the shot, he pronounced: "Long live Christ the King".
The Mexican government invited the press to the execution, thinking that they would succeed in removing the anti-religious sentiment of the population. On the contrary, the images of the last moments of Miguel Agustín became an object of devotion. The international echo of the event provoked a wave of indignation against the excesses of the regime.
The legacy of Miguel Agustín Pro
61 years later, on September 15, 1988, St. John Paul II beatified the Jesuit.Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro is the first martyr on Mexican soil declared by the Catholic Church and is a model for many people.
In addition, in his name there are now schools in Peru and Mexico, and foundations that fight for human rights.
Joseph Evans comments on the readings for the Solemnity of Christ the King and Luis Herrera offers a brief video homily.
Joseph Evans-November 23, 2023-Reading time: 2minutes
Surprising as it may seem, the Solemnity of Christ the King is a fairly recent feast. It was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI in response to the growing secularization of the world. With it, the Church wanted to highlight Christ's sovereignty over all creation, including humanity and its history.
This does not mean, of course, that in 1925 the Church "invented" the idea that Jesus is king. The Church has known since the apostles that Christ is king, but she wanted to underline this reality now that her dominion over the world is increasingly questioned... The initial challenge, also for Jesus, was to cleanse the notion of his kingship of worldly connotations.
On several occasions we see that the Jews proclaimed him king, wanting him to be a worldly political-military leader who would free them from Roman rule. But on every occasion Jesus slipped away, eschewing any kind of kingship. He also made it clear to the cynical Pilate, concerned about threats to Rome's hegemony in the region, that his kingdom "is not of this world"(Jn 18:36). Throughout the three-year cycle of Sunday readings, the Church presents us with different aspects of Christ's kingship, which, as always, far surpasses the worldly conception of power and authority.
In today's readings, with which we end the liturgical year, we are shown Jesus coming at the end of time to "...".to judge the living and the dead"as we say in the Creed.
The second reading tells us that "everything will be put under your feet". But, as always, the first reading helps us to understand the Gospel, and describes kingship as the shepherding of the people. A good king was like a good shepherd, who took care of the whole flock, who kept everyone in sight, who rescued the strayed. True kingship does not consist in lording it over the people, but in serving them. This was Jesus' kingship, and it is the form of kingship that he not only offers us, but expects of us. Our own judgment will be based on whether or not we live a form of servant kingship.
Thus, the Gospel is the famous parable of the sheep and the goats, which describes the universal judgment of all humanity that will take place at the end of time. The sheep, at the right hand of the Lord, who will join him in heaven, are those who cared for the needy. These sheep were caring shepherds, who used whatever authority they had, whether much or little, to help others. They lived a reign of service. The goats, on the left of Christ, who are sent to hell, are those who neglected their suffering brethren. They used the privileges they enjoyed selfishly and their power for pleasure. Their kingship/kingship involved lording it over others. The choice is hard: which form of kingship will we choose? One leads to heaven, the other to hell.
The homily on the readings of the Solemnity of Christ the King
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
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