Church News

c h u rc h

new s

BRIEFLY Nuncio says development programs must help people ‘shape own lives’ The “ultimate purpose” of development programs must be to give people “the concrete possibility to shape their own lives” and make sure even the most vulnerable groups feel they are a part of the larger society, said the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio to the United Nations. Archbishop Celestino Migliore made his remarks in a Feb. 5 address to a meeting of the U.N. Economic and Social Council’s Commission for Social Development. Commission members gathered Feb. 4-13 at the United Nations to consider how to help vulnerable groups from being excluded in society and to review the implementation of various U.N. action plans for groups such as disabled people, youths, the elderly and families. (CNS)

Agnostic Ad Tour Stirs Up Defense of Religion Public spaces should not be used to offend citizens, say Spanish bishops in response to an agnostic ad campaign that is touring the world. With precedents in Great Britain and the United States, the ads run on Madrid buses, reading “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Christians have answered the campaign in Britain and the United States with various tactics. In England, a Christian group reported the ads to the agency that monitors advertising, basing their complaint on a policy that prohibits ads from making unfounded claims. (CNS) 28

“LEPERS’ APOSTLE” AND 9 MORE TO BE DECLARED A SAINTS

The miraculous healing of a Hawaiian woman with cancer is leading to the canonization of a priest known for his ministry on the island with lepers relegated to a sequestered community. Belgian Father Damián de Veuster (18401889) is known as the apostle to the lepers, for his ministry on the island of Molokai. The Holy See reported that there will be a consistory to decide the date for his canonization, and that of nine other blesseds. Pope John Paul II beatified Father Damián in 1995.

Father Damián who requested to work with the lepers managed to establish for them a parish, schools and a society. He himself died of leprosy. The miracle that paved the way for his canonization was the healing of Audrey Toguchi of Honolulu. Her cancer was considered incurable, but she spent nearly a year asking God to heal her through the intercession of Father Damián. Along with him the Church will soon have 10 more canonized saints. The 10 to be canonized are: Blessed Zygmunt Szcesny Felinski, former Polish archbishop of Warsaw and founder of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Blessed Jozef Damien de Veuster, Belgian priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed Bernardo Tolomei, Italian abbot and founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Virgin of Monte Oliveto. Blessed Rafael Arnáiz Barón, Spanish oblate friar of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. Blessed Nuno de Santa Maria Álvares Pereira, Portuguese religious of the Order of Friars of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. Blessed Gertrude Caterina Comensoli, Italian founder of the Institute of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

Blessed Arcangelo Tadini, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Worker Sisters of the Holy House of Nazareth.

Blessed Marie de la Croix (born Jeanne) Jugan, French founder of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Blessed Francisco Colly Guitart, Spanish Dominican priest and founder of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the

Blessed Caterina Volpicelli, Italian foundress of the Institute of Handmaidens (Zenit.org) of the Sacred Heart.

ROMANIA THREATENS TO TAKE CHURCH PROPERTY Sixty years after it happened in Communist times, the Catholic Church in Romania is again afraid that the state will expropriate their property if a controversial bill is approved. The prelate, who is also responsible for the laity commission of the Catholic bishops’ conference of Romania, told that this bill about the legal regulations of real estate belonging to the Orthodox and Byzantine faiths in Romania was discussed from Jan. 27-29 in the juridical committee of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies. Archbishop Lucian Muresan, sent a letter Don bosco march 2009

to the president and the prime minister of Romania to express “dismay” and to request the withdrawal of a bill that would “cause moral and material damage to our Church and violate the constitutional rights of the Greek Catholic faithful.” The bishop explained that there are cases in some localities where there are two churches, originally an Orthodox and a Byzantine Catholic. 11 marked a day of prayer and fasting for members of the Byzantine Catholic Church, to pray for aid in this situation. (Zenit.org)

c h u rc h

SALESIAN SUPERIOR CALLS FOR MOVEMENT OF SALVATION The rector major of the Salesians urged the order’s youth to build a movement of salvation, as he launched a year of celebrations to mark the 150 years since Don Bosco founded the society. Father Pascual Chávez Villanueva, the Rector Major recalled in his homily the “seed” that was sown by a small group of 18 young men who, on a cold evening on Dec. 18, 1859, were gathered together in Don Bosco’s room near the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Valdocco to make the most important decision of their life, which was “to stay with Don Bosco, giving themselves completely to the Lord.” Father Chávez invited the youth to “make the voice of young people present, especially the many young people who do not have a voice and who no one hears; make their needs and their expectations known, defend their rights and accompany them in the claims they make.” The superior of the Salesians called on the young people to always remain “present in the reality of youth with your heart anchored in Christ,” and asked them to never neglect volunteering in the community or the missionary commitment.

BRIEFLY

The “year of grace” will be marked by other special dates and events including the celebration of the feast of Mary Help of Christians (May 24), the name day of Don Bosco (June 24), and Don Bosco’s birthday (Aug. 16). On Dec. 18 all the Salesians in the world will be invited to renew their religious profession. A casket containing relics of Don Bosco will visit the various countries where the Salesians are present. The long journey will begin in July this year beginning in Chile and will come to an end in 2015, the year of the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth. The Salesian Congregation is present today in 129 countries with 16,092 Salesians: 10,669 priests, 2,025 coadjutors, 2,765 seminarians, 515 novices, 118 bishops and five cardinals. (Zenit.org)

In Kosovo, whole families return to Catholic faith Although armed conflict in Kosovo ended nearly a decade ago, the capital city still feels like a place hit recently by war or natural disaster. Electricity goes out often, water is strictly rationed, U.N. jeeps are ubiquitous and people look harried. Along the main road leading to Pristina, every other lot is full of old cars, stolen from other European countries and picked clean or abandoned by families

who fled the war. But during Sunday Masses at the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, an active Catholic community packs the pews. There are families and old people, a full-voiced choir, eight young altar servers and long lines to receive the Eucharist. The church, located in a workingclass neighborhood, was built in the 1960s after the communist regime demolished

the Catholic cathedral in the city’s center. “We are small but very alive. Children from every grade are in catechism (classes),” said Father Albert Jakaj, 30, whose identical twin is a priest in Montenegro. “People are coming back to their old faith. We have whole families coming back to their roots.”

(CNS)

Supreme Court accepts CBCI petition on Orissa On 23rd February the Supreme Court of India accepted a petition from the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, which sought guidelines for preventing communal violence. Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam accepted the petition and issued a notice to the Centre seeking its response and tagged the PIL with pending petitions relating to communal clash in Orissa. The petition filed by Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) said that

parameters should be clearly laid down for holding the responsibility of the authorities in the case communal clashes. Senior advocate Soli J Sorabjee and Romy Chacko, appearing for the CBCI, said Kandhamal incident should be probed by the CBI. It said should be made mandatory that in events of any communal clash irrespective of the community, a judicial authority should be set up to decide the issue of compensation among the victims. Don bosco march 2009

new s

Benedict XVI entrusts sick to mary of lourdes Benedict XVI is inviting youth, ill people and newlyweds to entrust their lives to Mary on 11th Feb as the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes that day. The Church also celebrates the World Day of the Sick on the same day and the Holy Father addressed the ill to express his hope that “the Virgin of Lourdes, to whose intercession many ill people of body and spirit entrust themselves with trust, may place her gaze of consolation and hope on all of you.” In this way, he continued, the ill can receive support to “carry the daily cross, in intimate union with the redeeming [cross] of Christ.” Finally, with a word to the newlyweds at the audience, the Bishop of Rome said: “May Mary accompany you […] in your path, so that your families become communities of intense spiritual life and concrete Christian testimony.”

(Zenit.org)

Heritage editions will make Saint John’s Bible accessible to world With masterful artwork adorning its majestic pages, the handwritten Saint John’s Bible is a work in progress that Jim Triggs of Minnesota is proud to display at museums, college campuses and conventions. Triggs had a display table about the Bible at the annual meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Washington.

29

c h u rc h

brazil’s legalized abortion bill unaimously rejected Brazilian lawmakers unanimously voted to reject a new law that would have legalized abortion in the country. Brazil’s Social Security and Family Commission unanimously voted to reject a new law that would have legalized abortion in the country. All 33 members of the commission voted against the law that would have made killing the unborn, for any reason, legal throughout pregnancy. Lawmakers who wanted the debate on the new law to continue into a fourth round withdrew from the hearing after there was not enough support from a majority of members. Amidst widespread protests for and against the law, the hearing was closed. The organization Defesa da Vida said “Representative Jose Aristodemo Pinotti, together

with Representative Cida Diogo, initially said they would vote in favor of the law.” Pinotti justified his position by arguing that the number of abortions has decreased in the countries where it has been legalized. Defesa da Vida said such arguments were misleading and that data from countries in developed world, such as Britain, Spain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada show that after being legalized the number of abortions grew instead of diminishing.” The pro-life organization noted that since 1970 Pinotti has also been a member of the Population Council, which belongs to the Rockefeller Foundation, and was established in 1952 to spread international population control. The foundation currently seeks to spread abortion around the globe. (CNA)

defend the family: pope Upon receiving representatives of the Forum of Family Associations and the European Federation of Catholic Family Associations today, the Holy Father addressed the needs of the family while bringing to mind the words of Pope John Paul II, “the future of humanity passes by way of the family.” Pope Benedict addressed the representatives participating in the conference entitled: “Alliance for the Family in Europe, associations in the leading role,” recalling how the conference aims to raise “the awareness of political leaders and public opinion on the central and irreplaceable role that the family plays in our society.” The Holy Father also noted that 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of Paul VI’s Encyclical “Humanae vitae,” and the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the “Charter of the Rights of the Family,” presented by the Holy See in 1983. The Charter of the Rights of the Family is “principally

addressed to political leaders” but it is also directed at families. The charter “offers those invested with responsibility for the common good a model and a point of reference upon which to base appropriate political legislation for the family” while encouraging families to “come together in the defense and promotion of their rights.” Benedict XVI emphasized the family’s importance by citing John Paul II, “the Pope of the family,” who said that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family.” Pope Benedict added that all of Biblical history is “an expression of a story of love, a story of alliance with God and with mankind. This is why the story of love and union between a man and a woman in the alliance of marriage was taken up by God as a symbol of the history of salvation.” Turning to consider the difficulties facing families in the modern world, the Pope noted that in families today, “we hear a cry for help, often an uncon-

scious one, which clamors for a response from civil authorities, from ecclesial communities and from the various educational agencies.” This must be recognized through a “common commitment to support families by every means available, from the social and economic point of view.” Among the initiatives of the conference, the Holy Father praised the family-friendly fiscal policy, which aims to “promote familyrelated policies that give parents a real possibility of having children and bringing them up in the family.” Exhorting members of the conference to “help families to be a visible sign of this truth, to defend the values which are written in human nature itself and which are therefore common to all humanity: life, the family and education. These are not principles deriving from a (particular) confession of faith but from the application of a justice respectful of the rights of each human being,” Concluded the pontiff. (CNA)

Don bosco june 2008

news

BRIEFLY Serving all people

Pope Benedict XVI explained that with faith, it is possible to see that “the heavenly and earthly cities interpenetrate and are intrinsically ordered to one another, inasmuch as they both belong to God the Father.” The Pope affirmed to the pontifical academy that “you can be assured that your discussions will be of service to all people of good will, while simultaneously inspiring Christians to embrace more readily their obligation to enhance solidarity with and among their fellow citizens, and to act upon the principle of subsidiarity by promoting family life, voluntary associations, private initiative, and a public order that facilitates the healthy functioning of society’s most basic communities.”

Pope encourages media professors to teach skepticism, not cynicism

Students preparing for a career in communications must learn to be skeptical, especially when the public good is at stake, but they also must be helped to avoid becoming cynical, Pope Benedict XVI told communications professors. “Nourish and reward that passion for truth and goodness that is always strong in the young. Help them give themselves fully to the search for truth,” the pope said in a May 23 address to participants in a meeting sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. While discussing the specifically Catholic mission of their educational programmes, the best ways to respond to rapid changes in the field of communications and how to educate future media professionals in ethical values. (CNS) 31

c h u rc h

news

BRIEFLY Pope:Solidarity, Subsidiarity Reflect the Trinity “The solidarity that binds the human family, and the subsidiary levels reinforcing it from within, must however always be placed within the horizon of the mysterious life of the Triune God, in whom we perceive an ineffable love shared by equal, though nonetheless distinct, Persons.” The Pope affirmed this when he addressed participants in he plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

Catholic roots fight Hollywood nonsense: Jon Voight

Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight said the strong Catholic roots instilled in him by his mother have helped him overlook much of the “nonsense” of Hollywood. “It is a relief in Hollywood to have some spirituality,” Voight told CNS . “You are protected from all the nonsense. You keep your spirituality by doing good deeds.” After a period of spiritual-seeking in the mid-1980s, Voight said, he rediscovered the lessons learned as a young child from his mother and became involved in using his celebrity status to help others, including American Indians, drug addicts, the homeless, Vietnam veterans and farmers. He also has been a spokesman for almost 20 years for Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl, a medical relief programme for Russian Jewish children still affected by the fallout from the 1986 explosion of the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Voight was in Israel to show his support for the Chernobyl children’s programme. (CNS) 30

massive mexican protest for life

Luis Mauricio Saldaña Ayala, executive secretary of the Mexican Bishops’ Committee on the Laity, announced this week that all dioceses in the country would be promoting a nation-wide pro-life protest on May 25. Plans for the protest were drawn up during the National Gathering of Diocesan Lay Councils, which took place April 4-6 in the city of Cuernavaca. “During those days of work and reflection, we focused on issues of national interest,

such as the right to life from conception to natural death,” Ayala said. Leaders at the event decided to organize a prolife march on May 25 and to request the support of all the Mexican bishops. The purpose of the event is to “publicly and openly” express support for human life, “from the moment of conception and in all of its stages,” as a living and coherent commitment “by those of us who believe in the marvelous gift of human life,” Ayala stated. (CNA)

POPE REAFFIRMS TRUTH ABOUT MARRIAGE AND FAMILY One day after California overturned a ban on same-sex marriage, the Holy Father has firmly stated that only marriage between a man and a woman is moral. After California’s Supreme Court came to a 4-3 decision overturning the state’s law preventing homosexuals from being recognized as married, the Pope said, “The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be

substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions,” he said. “The union of love, based on matrimony between a man

and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions,” he said. He continued by speaking of the rights of the traditional family, “founded on matrimony between a man and a woman, the natural cradle of human life.” Mention of the need to defend the family is not uncharacteristic for Pope Benedict, but his statement takes on particular relevance following the California ruling. (CNA)

sisters of the good shepherd welcome the new act signed by bush The Sisters of the Good Shepherd welcome the signing of the Consolidated Resources Act of 2008 (S.2739) into law as their organization advocates and works for the women in trafficking. Since 1999, several Sisters of the Good Shepherd have been working in a shelter for women on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States under the banner National Advocacy Center ( NAC). The shelter is run by Karidat, the local Catholic social services agency. The Sisters noticed the growing need for assistance to women who are fleeing human trafficking- the tragedy of modern day slavery. These women struggle desperately to survive their ordeal of being held captive and exploited, and the Sisters gather resources to serve them once they are able to reach safety. A large part of the struggle these women face is immigration. The women have no safe place to begin a new life due to the difficulties in the immigration system. Don bosco june 2008

The law becomes significant after the Sr. Mary Stella Mangona travelled to Washington, D.C. from Saipan with a survivor of trafficking to testify before Congress the dismal situation of workers in February of 2007. The National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd has been advocating for the passage of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 which includes a piece of legislation to reform immigration. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd feel that this law, signed on 9th May 2008 by the President, will have a positive effect on the lives of the women and will help prevent future instances of human trafficking. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd are a Roman Catholic order of women religious founded by St. Mary Euphrasia with the mission to promote the dignity of women and girls as well as the individual worth of every person. The Sisters are in 70 countries throughout the world, including the US. For more information see the NAC website at www.gsadvocacy.org

c h u rc h

news

BRIEFLY New collection of ‘Letters of St. Paul’ published To mark the special jubilee year dedicated to St. Paul, which Pope Benedict XVI formally opens June 28, Pauline Books & Media has published a new collection of the “Letters of St. Paul.” The pocketsize, 290-page book also includes prayers related to St. Paul’s letters, a study guide and an index of topics discussed by the saint. “Most of all, however, people striving to be great lovers of God and neighbor will find in these letters soul-shaping wisdom and practical ways of sharing the Gospel with the world,” Father Mickler said. “Savoring these letters as a whole will embed them in our hearts and minds, expand our capacity to love, and deepen our faith.”

Tens of Thousands Accompany Eucharist Through Streets of Quebec Nearly 25,000 Catholics from around the world poured through the narrow streets of Quebec City, accompanying the Eucharist in an outpouring of religious fervor absent from this city for at least half a century. The June 19 procession was one of the highlights of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress June 15-22. (CNS) 30

Mangalore Catholics Elated Over Their First ‘Servant of God’ Catholics in Mangalore, southern India, rejoiced as a member of their community took the first formal step towards sainthood, for the first time. Hundreds of people attended a special Mass on June 16 at St. Sebastian Church in Bendur, where Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza of Mangalore announced the Vatican’s decision to declare Monsignor Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas a servant of God. The declaration is the formal

prelude to the three-stage process by which a candidate may be declared venerable, then proclaimed blessed and, lastly, canonised a saint.Bishop D’Souza noted that Monsignor Mascarenhas is the first Catholic from Mangalore diocese on the road to sainthood. Bishop D’Souza claimed that several miracles have occurred through the priest’s intercession. Born in 1875, he studied at Mangalore’s Jesuit-managed St. Aloysius College and was

ordained a priest for Mangalore diocese in 1900. After serving in five remote parishes, he was assigned to Bendur parish. There, in 1921, he started the Congregation of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany, popularly known as the Bethany Sisters, with four schoolteachers who wanted to dedicate their life to the Church. Today it has 1,300 nuns in 162 convents serving mostly rural missions in Africa, Australia and Europe, besides India. (UCAN)

Christians In Orissa, Still Targeted After Attacks Still struggling to rebuild their homes and lives after suffering large-scale attacks last Christmas season, Christians in Orissa state’s Kandhamal district continue to face ostracism and threats from Hindu nationalists. It is more than five months after violence in Kandhamal that killed at least four Christians and burned 730 houses and 95 churches. “Christians who had started making a life for themselves through running shops and selfemployment were particular targets – they are still being socially boycotted,” Dr. John Dayal told Compass. “Even now, many [Christian]

girls cannot go to school for fear of molestation after threats have been issued to Christians.” According to an AICC report, intolerant Hindu leaders in three villages near Barakhama -Salagud, Madagudami, and Perbapanga - have ostracized Christian families. (CNS)

Fr. Henry D’Souza Consecrated As Bishop Of Bellary Bishop Henry D’Souza was consecrated third bishop of Bellary by Cardinal Oswald Gracias as the principal consecrator, with Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore and Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza of Mangalore, as co-consecrators at the St. Joseph’s School Grounds, Bellary, June 12.

The town of Bellary wore a festive look with large posters of the bishop donning the city. The solemn ceremony, accompanied by melodious singing and prayers in Kannada, was attended by over 35

religious women and men, and thousands of people.

archbishops and bishops from all over India, and more than 300 priests and hundreds of

Don bosco july 2008

The Episcopal ordination was attended by Union Minister Oscar Fernandez, Secretary to the President of India, Dr. Christy Fernandez, Karnataka Minster for Tourism Shri Janardhan Reddy, several MLAs of the sate of Karnataka, Mayor and deputy Mayor, District Commissioner and other officials of Bellary. The dignitaries felicitated the new Bishop and assured him of their full support and collaboration. (CBCI)

c h u rc h

Kerala Gears Up For Historic Canonisation of Native Nun Catholics in Kerala state, southern India, are preparing for the canonisation of a local nun. Blessed Alphonsa, a Franciscan Clarist nun, is set to become the first Indian woman to become a saint, with Pope Benedict XVI scheduled to canonise her at the Vatican on Oct. 12. Sister Ceelia Mankuriyil, who heads the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, told UCA News on June 3 that the canonisation program at the Vatican “has been already finalised.” The two-hour-long ceremony will start 9:30 a.m. Vatican time, she said. “Prior to the ceremony, a tele-

On the canonisation day, Mass and special prayers will be conducted at Blessed Alphonsa’s tomb in Bharananganam, a village near Kottayam that comes under Palai diocese.

film on the life of Blessed Alphonsa would be screened to introduce the saint to a global audience. A bhajan (Indian-style hymn) would be sung, followed by prayers, Bible reading and reflection.”

As the canonisation date draws nearer, the number of people visiting Blessed Alphonsa’s tomb has increased. Meanwhile, the federal government plans to issue memorial coins and postal stamps to mark the occasion. The state government has started repairing and widening roads in Bharananganam and in Kudamaloor, Blessed Alphonsa’s native village.

PONTIFF SAYS RADIO HAS SPECIAL APOSTOLIC MISSION Benedict XVI says Catholic radio stations can play a part in spreading hope in the world, and they can do it by relaying the truth. The Pope said this today, June 20, when he received participants in a symposium titled “The Identity and Mission of Catholic Radio Today.” The symposium was organised by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and is under way through Saturday. The Pontiff expressed the view that “radio, due

to its association with the word, participates in the mission and visibility of the Church, but it also establishes a new way of living, of being and of making the Church; this brings with it various ecclesiological and pastoral challenges. It is important to make the Word of God attractive, giving it consistency through your transmissions so as to touch the hearts of the men and women of our time, and to participate in transforming the lives of our contemporaries.” (Zenit)

A Tearful Farewell to First Bishop of Jashpur The mortal remains of the late Bishop Victor Kindo was laid to rest June 14 at the cathedral at Kunkuri. The 61-year-old prelate, the first bishop of Jashpur, passed away on June 12, after protracted illness. Some 8,000 tribal Catholics, 12 neighbouring bishops, some 500 priests and 700 nuns gathered at the funeral ceremony. Besides, people of other religions, many political leaders, civil servants and

Judbir Singh Judeo, son of reconversion activist Dilip Singh Judeo, joined the last rites. In his homily during the funeral Mass, Bishop Paul Toppo of neighbouring Raigarh remarked that just as the a good shepherd laid down his life for his sheep, Bishop Kindo had also sacrificed his life for the diocese by hard work and patiently suffering his sicknesses.

Bishop Kindo had opened many parishes and institutions, Father Edmon Bara, the bishop’s secretary and public relations officer, told SAR News. Twenty-seven parishes out of the 50 parishes in the diocese had been created by him, he said. The diocese has nearly 200,000 Catholics, mostly Oran Catholics, served by some 180 priests and 320 nuns, mostly (CNA) tribals.

Don bosco july 2008

news

BRIEFLY MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Receives State Honor Archbishop Murphy Pakiam of Kuala Lumpur on June 7 received the Panglima Setia Mahkota award, which carries the honorary title Tan Sri, in conjunction with the birthday of Malaysia’s King Yang di-Pertuan Agong Mizan Zainal Abidin. Archbishop Pakiam was among 30 persons on whom the king bestowed this honour. (UCAN)

Jesuit Environmentalist Awarded Honorary Doctorate in America Jesuit environmentalist and founder-director of Tarumitra (Friends of Trees) Student Environmental Organisation, Father Robert Athickal, was awarded, May 26, an honorary doctorate by the Holy Cross College, USA. The award was presented to him by college president, Prof. McFarland, in the presence of dean Timothy Austin, over 6,000 students, faculty members and their parents. He has been a crusader in bringing up the issue of ecology among Christian theologians, his own religious society - the Jesuits - and also within the Church. (SAR NEWS) 31

c h u rc h

news

BRIEFLY Nuns Adopt State Chief Minister As ‘Brother’ To Help Protect Christians Some nuns of the community Blessed Mother Teresa started have tried to “reach out” to the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh state by tying ceremonial threads on his wrist on the festival of siblings. On the day of Rakshabandan, bond of protection, 13 Missionaries of Charity (MC) nuns performed the ritual. Sister Mamta led the nuns who visited Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan at his home in the state capital of Bhopal. She told UCA News on Aug. 17 they went there with hopes he will act as “a good brother” and protect them from the violent attacks of radical Hindu groups. (UCAN)

Archbishop of Bombay asks parents not to abort unborn child with heart defect Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay, on Sunday appealed to a couple seeking legal permission to abort their unborn child due to its congenital heart defect, asking them to stop seeking legal permission to abort the 25-week-old fetus. Cardinal Gracias promised that the Church would take care of the baby if it were allowed to be born. Cardinal Gracias offered the Church’s help to the couple on Sunday and condemned all abortions, continuing his activities from earlier this year, the India Catholic says. (CNA) 30

He who prays never loses hope, says Holy Father

In his general audience, celebrated in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about St. Teresa Benedict of the Cross, also known as St. Edith Stein, and St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, whose feast days the Church celebrates in August.

also their worries, their family problems and those at work, the hopes which they carry in their heart and the anguish and uncertainties which humanity is living this moment.” He assured all persons that he remembers their intentions in his daily celebration of the Holy Mass and Speaking from a balcony in recitation of the Holy Rosary. the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father The Holy Father stressed, “He recalled his recent two-week who prays never loses hope, vacation in Bressanone, Italy. even when he finds himself in He said that many people have difficult situations.” He said written him requesting prayer that Sacred Scripture and the for their intentions. Pope history of the Church give witBenedict explained, “They ness to how prayer sustains the tell me about their joys, but

way of the saints and Christian people. Pope Benedict added: St. Teresa Benedict of the Cross, whose feast the Church celebrated on August 9, and St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, on August 14, are such examples in our time. The Pontiff reminded his audience that both saints were martyrs in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, witnesses of the love which “defeats the darkness of egoism and hatred.” The Holy Father concluded by calling on his audience to renew their trust in Mary, “who from heaven watches over us with maternal love.” (CNA)

The most important service is the proclamation of Jesus Christ Pope Benedict XVI sent a message to the Third American Missionary Congress (CAM3) being held in Quito, reminding Catholics that “the most important service we can give our brothers and sisters is the clear and humble proclamation of Jesus Christ, who came to this world that we might have life and have it in abundance.”

“He instructs us in order that we might remain in his love without molding ourselves to the messages of this world. Let us learn from Him. Let us imitate his way of life. Let us be sowers of the Word. In this way, with all of our lives, with the joy of knowing we are loved by Jesus, who we can call brother, we will be valid instruments for Him to continue drawing everyone to Himself with the mercy that flows from his Cross,” the Pope added.

He went on to encourage Catholics “to share this treasure with others, as there is no greater treasure than to enjoy the friendship of Christ and walk by his side. Consecrating our greatest energies to this beautiful labor is worth it, knowing that divine grace precedes, sustains and accompanies us in carrying it out,” the Pontiff stated. (CNA)

Caritas Georgia and Caritas Russia working together for victims of conflict

Caritas Georgia and Caritas Russia are working together to provide assistance to the thousands of victims who are suffering due to the conflict between the two countries. According to the L’Osservatore Romano, the Apostolic Administrator of Caucaso, Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto, said, “There is great fear and disillusionment among Georgians because they think that the bombings will resume at any moment.” In response to the current crisis, the bishop explained, “Caritas Georgia has begun Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

helping families in difficulties. Fortunately it had first aid supplies and food which it already began to distribute to the different camps taking in those who lost their homes.” He further explained that the relief effort is being carried out with “the collaboration of the patriarchate.” L’Osservatore Romano also reports that Caritas Russia has visited the camps together with leaders of the Orthodox Church to determine how to initiate assistance from Catholics for those impacted by the conflict. According to statistics, some 40,000 people in Georgia have become refugees during the conflict with Russia. (CNA)

c h u rc h

Church cannot betray Gospel or adapt it to society Spanish priest Father Francisco Javier Ruiz had said that the role the Church has in today’s world is to bring to it the message of the Gospel, “but what she cannot do is betray the message in order to adapt it to society.” “The truth is always the truth. There are some things that cannot change, because they are things man has receivedrevealed by God in Jesus Christ,” and therefore “history and the present moment must adapt to the truth and not vice versa,” the priest said during an interview for the website Laverdad.es. After noting that “there is no redemption or salvation” without the Church, he pointed out that despite what

is said about her, he has never considered abandoning the Church. “I have never had that thought. The Lord has given me the gift of a profound love for the Church,” Father Ruiz said.

the desire of the Pope-and the sense of the Church-is that priests should dress as clergy.” For this reason, he stressed, “I will always dress as a priest,” as in “a world that is so secularized, where more than ever they want to take God out of everything, we should dress as to make present the mystery of God.”

“I always say that if I could be born again, I would be a priest,” he continued, stressing that “the greatest moment of my day is celebrating the Eucharist andin the name of Jesus Christ- He concluded by saying that it forgiving sins.” is not true that young people He also denied that many priests have lost their faith. “There live posh lives, and that instead are more young people in the they give of themselves in Church now than ever. Young service to others. “Since I have people are falling in love with been a priest I haven’t had one Jesus Christ and encountering minute for myself…I’m very the mystery of the Cross, in order to confront suffering. happy being priest,” he said. Jesus saves them from the death Asked about priestly garb, Father of sin,” he said. Ruiz said he is “convinced that

Priest’s Mutilated Body Discovered In Andhra Pradesh The mutilated body of Father Thomas Pandipally, 37, a Carmelite of Mary Immaculate (CMI) priest, was found on Aug. 17 near Yellareddy town, a deserted road in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh state. His provincial superior, Father Alex Thannippara, told UCA News on Aug. 18 that the murder took place during the night of Aug. 16-17. Father Pandipally had been pastor of Jeevadhan (gift of life) Church and vice-principal of a Church-run high school, both in Yellareddy. According to the provincial, Father Pandipally was returning home on Aug. 16 evening after offering Mass in Burgiga, a mission station 25 kilometers from Yellareddy. He stopped at a Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) convent at Lingampet for dinner and left around 9:45 p.m. His body was found the next morning halfway to Yellareddy, 15 kilometers from Lingampet. Father Thannippara said 18 stab wounds on the priest’s body reveal that he tried to block his attackers. “His palms had several cuts. He was pulled down from his motorbike and taken to a small bridge near the road,” he explained. The FCC sisters drove past the body while going for Mass at the parish on Sunday morning. Father Thannippara said they did not stop because they did not recognize it, but after learning that the priest and his bike were missing and his room was locked, they went back and identified his body.

Father Moolayil insists that the murder was meticulously planned because the deceased priest received a call on his cell phone just before leaving the convent in Lingampet. According to Father Moolayil, the caller wanted to know if Father Pandipally would be returning to his residence. The police came with a dog squad and forensic experts, but heavy rain the night before had washed away all clues, Father Thannippara also said. He added that police have no clue as to the murderers. (UCAN) Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

news

BRIEFLY Berhampur Diocese In Orissa Mourns The Death Of Its First Local Bishop Bishop Joseph Das, who had been ailing for four years, died on Aug. 5. The 78-year-old prelate served the diocese from 1993 until he retired in 2006. About 6,000 Catholics have attended the funeral of the first native bishop of Berhampur in Orissa; 200 priests and 500 nuns were among mourners attending the funeral for Bishop Das. The service was held on Aug. 7 at Queen of Missions Cathedral in Berhampur, about 175 kilometers southwest of Bhubaneswar. (UCAN)

Pope approves beatification of St. Therese’s parents in Lisieux

Pope Benedict XVI has approved the beatification of Louis and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. The couple will be beatified on Oct. 19, World Mission Sunday, during a Mass in the Basilica of St. Therese in Lisieux, France. Sister Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy in Italy, will be beatified Sept. 21 in Verona, Italy. Father Michael Sopocko, founder of the Sisters of Merciful Jesus and spiritual director of St. Faustina Kowalska, will be beatified Sept. 28 at the Church of Divine Mercy in Bialystok, Poland. Father Francesco Pianzola, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Queen of Peace, will be beatified Oct. 4 in Vigevano, Italy. Father Francesco Giovanni Bonifacio, martyred in 1946 by Yugoslav communists, will be beatified Oct. 4 in Trieste, Italy. (CNS) 31

c h u rc h

news

BRIEFLY Pope Benedict to open Bible Synod at St. Paul’s basilica On 23rd morning the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI will convene the greatly anticipated Synod on the Bible by celebrating Mass at the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on October 5. The Holy

Father will concelebrate the Eucharist with the Synod Fathers for the opening of the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will have as its theme: “Verbum Domini in vita et missione Ecclesiae” (The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church). (CNA)

Indian Catholic leaders speak of conspiracy behind violence Church officials and others say there is a “clear conspiracy” behind the sudden upsurge in the atrocities committed against Christian targets in different parts of India. “We are really distressed to see that atrocities on Christians are being reported from different parts of the country on a daily basis,” Divine Word Father Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, told Catholic News Services. Though some of the attacks look sporadic, with incidents reported from different areas, he pointed out that “there is a clear conspiracy to terrorize the Christian community behind these attacks.” St. Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Jabalpur Diocese in central Madhya Pradesh state was set on fire Sept. 18 by Hindu fundamentalists. At a hermitage near Dehra Dun in northern Uttarakhand state, Father Francis Samuel of the Meerut Diocese was found murdered Sept. 22. The priest had been strangled to death and the tabernacle was desecrated at the hermitage where he lived. A Catholic woman visitor to the hermitage was found dead in the storeroom, her head smashed with a stone. The incidents were among dozens of atrocities since Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, leader of Hindu nationalist groups in Orissa, was shot dead by Maoist rebels Aug. 23.

Since mid-August, more than three dozen Christians have been killed; 4,200 Christian houses along with dozens of churches and Christian institutions have been looted and burned. Roving mobs of Hindu extremists forced Christians to convert to Hinduism, and more than half of the 100,000 Christians in Orissa’s Kandhamal district have become refugees in jungles or 14 relief camps run by the government.

On Sept. 14, the Hindu fundamentalist group Bajrang Dal attacked more than a dozen churches of different denominations in and around Mangalore. John Dayal, spokesman for and former The following week, 15 more churches in the state president of the All India Catholic Union, were desecrated, and reports of church desecrations told CNS that the pro-Hindu Bharatiya have come in from other states such as Kerala and Janata Party was the “brain behind” the Tamil Nadu. (CNS)

Evolutionary theory ‘not incompatible’ with Catholicism

Catholics must know Bible The president of the Pontifical Council for Culture has to live Christian lives said that evolutionary theory Catholics must know the is “not incompatible” with Bible and meditate on the the teachings of the Catholic Scriptures in order to live Church, insisting that the thefully Christian lives, Pope ory of biological change over Benedict XVI told the bishops of Uruguay. Bishops, time was never condemned by the Church. Archbishop priests and catechists must Gianfranco Ravasi made such help Catholics learn to remarks while presenting the read, understand and pray new interdisciplinary conferwith the Bible so that “they ence to mark the 150th annican live their Christian versary of Charles Darwin’s vocation in a way that is more conscientious, firm and Origin of the Species. The conference, which is a Vatisecure,” the pope said on can initiative to promote diaSept. 26. (CNS) 30

relentless attacks. Most of the attacks on Christians, he said, have been reported from BJP-ruled states such as Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh; the party is part of the ruling coalition in Orissa.

logue between scientists and theologians, is scheduled to take place in Rome in March 2009. The prelate remarked that adversarial interpretations of the interaction of religion and science should be avoided, saying: “We should stop thinking of history as a court of law that is continuously in session but rather concentrate on establishing franker and more efficient dialogue between two points of view that look at the same reality - that of man and his world”

Don bosco october 2008

While the Catholic Church has said Darwin’s theory of natural selection is the most probable cause of biological development, Catholic teaching has also emphasized God’s role in creation. According to ANSA news agency, last September Pope Benedict XVI issued a strong criticism of interpretations of evolutionary theory which hold that the universe is “the random result of evolution and therefore, at bottom, something unreasonable.” (CNA)

c h u rc h

Nun Says Police Beating Helped Her Appreciate Her Faith Sister Selma says the beating she endured at the hands of policemen has helped her appreciate the persecution her forefathers suffered for their Catholic faith. The Bethany nun and eight other members of her congregation were among some 40 women injured on Sept. 15 when policemen baton-charged Catholics at two separate gatherings in Mangalore, Karnataka state. The Catholic men and women were protecting their churches from attack by Hindu fanatics while protesting earlier attacks

on other churches southern Indian state.

in

this

During the past month, Hindu militants in Karnataka have vandalized churches and prayer halls, destroyed bibles, prayer books, crosses and crucifixes, and desecrated the Blessed Sacrament. Hindu radical groups accuse Christians of converting Hindus through force and allurement. Mangalore is the heart of a Catholic community that plays a major role in the Church in India, with nearly one-third of

the bishops in India’s 160 dioceses coming from the region. These Catholics are the descendants of people who withstood persecution under Tipu Sultan (17501799), a Muslim ruler. “Our Catholic community grew up amid persecutions, crises and captivity,” Sister Selma told UCA News on Sept. 17 as she tried to rise from her hospital bed. The nun, who is in her 50s, sustained back and leg injuries. (UCAN)

Vietnamese gang ransacks Catholic chapel as police stand by The simmering property disputes between the Catholic Church and the Vietnamese government were again aggravated on Sunday when a Hanoi official accused the Archbishop of Hanoi of inciting riots, making false allegations against the government, ridiculing the law, and disrespecting the nation. Meanwhile late Sunday night, a street gang made a second attack upon a chapel at Thai Ha Church with no interference from nearby police. In what

“The gang yelled out slogans threatening to kill priests, religious, faithful and even our archbishop,” the monastery’s superior clergyman wrote.

one priest called a “sort of terrorism” against the Catholic faithful, the gang ransacked the building, destroying statues and books while shouting threats against the lives of clergy and religious, Catholic faithful, and the Archbishop of Hanoi.

Father Matthew Vu continued, saying “everything happened clearly in front of a large number of officials, police, security personnel, anti-riot police, and mobile police – those who are in charge of keeping security and safety in the region. “But they did nothing to protect us,” he charged. (CNA)

Church Helps Bihar Flood Victims

Church people are bringing aid to homeless, hungry and sick victims of heavy flooding that has affected millions in the eastern Indian state of Bihar.

News on Sept. 4. It assigned Caritas to work in the three districts of Madhepura, Purnea and Saharsa.

“So our main focus would be these districts,” Thomas said, adding that Caritas has “some 500 volunteers” who are helping 270,000 people, most of them women and children, by reaching out to 54,000 families. He said Caritas plans to provide these people The government has set up dry food rations for a month. relief camps and entrusted The worst affected areas in the them to voluntary agencies, he northern part of the state are explained, speaking to UCA covered by Bettiah, Muzaffarpur Caritas India is providing food, medicine, temporary shelter material and essential household items for the affected people, said Xavier Thomas, who coordinates the Catholic social-service agency’s programs in Bihar.

and Purnea dioceses, which are Caritas India’s local partners in getting aid to the flood victims. Caritas is providing medical support, food, health and sanitation materials to the affected people, who are trying to survive in relief camps and villages, despite “losing almost everything.” (UCAN)

Don bosco october 2008

news

BRIEFLY CHINESE BISHOP MOVED TO HOUSE ARREST The Chinese bishop arrested on the last day of the Olympics has been returned to his residence, where he is being held under house arrest. The U.S.based Cardinal Kung foundation reported that Bishop Jia Zhiguo of the underground Church of Zhengding, Heibei, was returned to his home at Christ the King Cathedral on Thursday. The bishop was detained -- his 12th arrest since 2004 -- on Aug. 24. Now in his home, he continues under 24-hour surveillance and is isolated from the priests and faithful of the diocese, the Cardinal Kung foundation informed. It is not yet clear how the bishop was treated during his days held by the police. (Zenit.org)

MASS IS MEDICINE FOR UNFORGIVING SOULS, SAYS POPE For apologies that are hard to accept and people that are hard to forgive, the Mass is the key to opening our souls to reconciliation, says Benedict XVI. The Pope said this on 21st, when he celebrated a Mass and dedicated the altar at the Cathedral of Albano, near the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. “How can we present ourselves divided and far from each other at God’s altar,” the Holy Father Said. (Zenit.org) 31