Pope Francis' appointments will create church of the future

If Pope Francis is serious about reforming the Roman Curia, God bless him. 

Further, if he undertakes that reform with the poor in mind, the first question is not where might he begin, but how long has he got?
Of our nine popes since 1913, only Pius XII, John Paul II and Benedict XVI have made it to 82 or beyond. So the question about a 76-year-old pontiff isn't as impertinent as it first may seem.

Francis lives simply, walks quickly and walks a lot. Can we assume (to achieve Pius XII's 82 years) the new pope has six vigorous years to work with?

If so, six years takes the story to 2019. By 2019 Francis will be able to appoint about 40 percent of the College of Cardinals, approximately 50 of the 120.

The first part of the conjecture looks then to the longer-term utility of significantly changing the makeup of his college.

Which traditional cardinalate sees might cease to get a cardinal? 

And which Vatican jobs that normally bring the coveted red hat might no longer get one? 

With apologies to Cardinals Edwin O'Brien and James Harvey (nothing personal intended), does the grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem need to be a cardinal? 

Does the archpriest of St. Paul's Outside the Walls have to be a cardinal to get the job done? 

Perhaps so. But unless Francis expands the numbers for the College of Cardinals, someone will lose out down the road.

If Francis has no consistory for six years, and therefore appoints no new cardinals, Italy by 2019 would have perhaps 12 cardinals still at conclave voting age compared to 28 today. The United States would have perhaps seven, down from 11.

If Francis is serious about the church representing the poor, then he probably has to consider cardinals representing the regions of the world with the greatest poverty, and if serious about evangelization, the fewest Catholics.

If he scans the world's 100 poorest countries the greater number are in Africa. No surprises there, and that offers possibilities.

A large number of poorer countries are predominantly Muslim. A friend of mine suggests that one way Francis could change the face of evangelization is to send all the bishops who have titular sees in North Africa over to North Africa to start their evangelizing in their other dioceses.

Further, Francis, if he wants to improve the church's influence in key areas of the world, could run his finger down a list of the world's 100 largest cities. He would see that Tokyo, with more than 13 million people, has no cardinal, while Malta, with 400,000 inhabitants, had one.

Rearranging the seating at the conclave table, however, is casting the curial reform into the future. Closer at hand, what to watch for is Francis' handling of two key congregations: the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

If Francis wants a caring church, he will have to see that caring bishops, pastoral men with simple lifestyles, are appointed. Unless he changes the system for the selection of bishop candidates -- by opening it up to wider consultation -- then the type of men in line to be cardinals doesn't change.

Currently, given the appointments of the past three decades, he doesn't have a large pool of compassionate pastor-types to draw from.

Which further means the type of men in line to be papabile doesn't change either, and the church returns to the old curial control.

That takes the topic back to the curial sourcing system for most of the past century's popes. Curial control has been almost total. Going back to the aftermath of Vatican I (1869-70), Leo XIII (1878-1903) was a protégé of Pius IX (Pio Nono of infallibility fame), whom he succeeded.

Pius X (1903-14) began as young Bishop Giuseppe Sarto, appointed assistant to Leo's pontifical throne. Sarto, as Pius X, appointed the future pope Pius XI, Achille Ratti, papal librarian. Ratti was a papal consultant.

Benedict XV (1914-22), Giacomo della Chiesa, succeeded Pius X. Della Chiesa had been a favorite of secretary of state Cardinal Mariano Rampolla. Benedict XV sent the future Pius XI to Poland as nuncio. Ratti returned from Poland to become Pius XI. The future Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli) was Pius XI's secretary of state. The future Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) was Pius XII's pro-secretary of state. John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli) preceded Paul VI.

Two relative outsiders, John Paul I (Albino Luciani, 1978) and John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla, 1978-2005) followed.

But then the old curial system was back in place.

Ratzinger, John Paul II's prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, became Benedict XVI. The old system lost its grip with Francis' election.

Which brings the analysis, as it must, to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly the Holy Office. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith today and the Holy Office before it have been the backbone of curial control.

To recount that part, an old name returns, that of Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani (regarded by some as the Darth Vader of the Second Vatican Council, 1962-65). By all accounts, he was a charming man and well-educated, with doctorates in philosophy, theology and canon law.

The Rome-born Ottaviani entered the service of the church as a teacher at the Lateran University, his alma mater. (The Lateran, originally the Athenaeum of St. Apollinaris, was also the alma mater of Josemaría Escrivá, Opus Dei founder. Ottaviani was known for ordaining Opus Dei priests and supporting Franco's fascism in Spain and Opus Dei's integral support of the fascist government.)

Pius XI made Ottaviani a university rector and then undersecretary of the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs (think the State Department). As such, Ottaviani traveled with Pacelli, the future Pius XII. Laboring under Pacelli and Ottaviani by this time was Montini, the future Paul VI.

By 1935 Ottaviani was serving in the Holy Office. In those years the pope was always the head of the Holy Office, served by its ranking official, the secretary. In 1939 Pacelli became Pius XII, and Ottaviani the Holy Office secretary. The Vatican said that "Pius reigns and Ottaviani rules."

In 1948 Cardinal Ernesto Ruffini of Palermo, Italy, urged Ottaviani to have Pius XII call a second Vatican Council. Pacelli accepted the notion, appointed Ottaviani to head a preparatory group. Two years later, Pius quashed the council idea.

Pius died in 1959 and John XXIII was pope. In 1963, Montini was Paul VI, and the old joke re-emerged as "Paul reigns and Ottaviani rules."

In 1965 Paul VI recast the Holy Office as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with Ottaviani in charge. Ottaviani retired in 1968 but continued to participate in congregation meetings and served on commissions. In 1978 John Paul II was elected; Ratzinger was appointed to the doctrinal congregation, and Ottaviani died the following year.

In 2005, Ratzinger became Benedict XVI.

In 2012, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, older brother of the pope emeritus, wrote that he and his brother felt that Ottaviani had been on the right track, that Ottaviani "was thought to be narrow-minded, but that was a big mistake."

What to watch for: who gets the Congregation for Bishops, and what is his background, and ditto the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

What we don't know is who Francis will draw on for advice about all this.

Evangelical Alliance looks to future after relocation

The Evangelical Alliance has left its home of more than 30 years in Kennington, south-east London, to move to a brand new premises in the heart of the capital's King's Cross redevelopment.

The organisation moved into Whitefield House, Kennington, in 1981. 

The building was so named because the 18th century evangelist George Whitefield used to engage in open air preaching in the public gardens opposite.

The building has down the years housed the offices of other evangelical organisations, including formerly the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelisation.

The Evangelical Alliance decided it was time to move once again as Whitefield House was "no longer fit for purpose".

"When our neighbours unexpectedly approached us asking if we would consider selling them Whitefield House, we knew this was an opportunity from God," said general director Steve Clifford.

"We spent a lot of time carefully and prayerfully searching for new premises and considering how we can best use them."

Their new base on Copenhagen Street in King's Cross is a contemporary and professional centre that will act as a hub for the UK's evangelicals.

After years of neglect, King's Cross is becoming a highly sought after area thanks to a major regeneration project - one of the largest in Europe.

"Though the mission we have had since 1846 remains the same, we feel that God is calling us to something new and exciting, symbolised in our relocation," says Clifford.

"We are looking forward to so much more in our new building in the heart of bustling King's Cross and are expectant for God to do even greater things as we continue in our mission from a new base that reflects the relevant, 21st century organisation that we aim to be. We hope that you'll join us in this journey."

Green heating for Manchester Cathedral

The congregation of Manchester Cathedral are meeting in a pop-up church until work on a new green heating scheme has been finished.

Contractors will be installing the system from 3 April, with work not expected to be completed before the end of November.

The existing under-floor heating system dates back to the 1950s but its deterioration over the years means the heating output is only 60 per cent what it should be.

Ground source heat pumps will replace the current system and use natural energy stored in the earth to heat and cool the cathedral, making it one of the greenest in the UK.

In the meantime, services and activities normally held in the cathedral will take place in a temporary wooden structure set up next to the cathedral building.

'Cathedral on the Street' has been erected outside the cathedral's West door on Victoria Street.

The Very Reverend Rogers Govender, Dean of Manchester said: "Levels of heat are very important for both visitors and worshippers alike.

"The recent extremely cold winters have embarrassed the cathedral as temperatures were unacceptably low. We're incredibly pleased that we can carry out this work in a sustainable and responsible way, ensuring the cathedral is fit for future."

Latin Mass enthusiasts are alarmed at Pope Francis’ election

The simplicity dotting the first days of Pope Francis’ tenure gave many Catholics seeking a more humble church reason for optimism.

For others, they represented cause for concern, specifically among those who celebrate the traditional Latin Mass.

Francis’ decision to omit the papal mozzetta, or cape, from his clerical attire as he first appeared to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square launched a frenzy of worry for the fate of the Latin Mass among forums and comment sections of conservative Catholic blogs and websites:

“This is one of the worst possible men to be elected pope if you are a trad[itionalist]. This is totally depressing! Last one out of the Church please turn off the lava lamp.”

“Abito piano? No mozzetta[?] Not even John Paul II appeared for his first Urbi et Orbi without proper dress.”

“He referred to himself several times as the mere ‘Bishop of Rome.’ He only put the stole on for the blessing, and took it off afterward. I’m stunned.”

“I’m just sick over this. Traditionalists have nowhere to go. I really fear for the health of the Catholic Church.”

These comments and others flooded an initial post March 13 announcing Francis as pope at the traditionalist blog Rorate-Caeli. Its authors held similar apprehensions, and later that evening posted the opinions of a journalist in Buenos Aires, Argentina, sharing their alarm.

“Of all the unthinkable candidates, Jorge Mario Bergoglio is perhaps the worst. Not because he openly professes doctrines against the faith and morals, but because, judging from his work as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, faith and morals seem to have been irrelevant to him,” said Marcelo González, calling Francis “a sworn enemy of the Traditional Mass,” while rebuking his interreligious relations, lack of curial experience and his perceived soft stances on abortion and gay marriage.

But Rorate-Caeli wasn’t the only site fearing the traditional liturgy’s future.

Michael Brendan Dougherty, a national correspondent for The American Conservative, alleged March 13 at Slate.com that Francis had blocked adoption of Summorum Pontificum (Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 apostolic letter regarding use of 1962 form of the Latin Mass) in the Buenos Aires archdiocese and had not implemented the new missal translations.

The heightened scrutiny of Francis’ liturgical style is a product of too much focus placed on the pope in recent years, said Adam DeVille, an associate professor of theology at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind.

“Yes, he’s the bishop of Rome, yes, he’s got a special place in the church … but people need to wean themselves off looking to him constantly and assuming that everything he does we have to do, and everything he doesn’t do, we can’t do,” DeVille told NCR.

Some sites sought to temper the heated response, including the Catholic Answers forum, which posted rules for users when talking about the new pope. Among them: “[No] bashing the Holy Father” or “speaking about his papacy in a negative way, without giving the man a chance.”

Others followed suit in policing comments, including the traditionalist blog “What Does the Prayer Really Say?”

“I ask for respect and decorum when concerns or disagreements are expressed. If it turns out that our new Pope starts us down a path you or I don’t like, then we will discuss those matters as they come along. But … how long has he been Pope?” the author Fr. John Zuhlsdorf wrote March 14.

A poll on the site soliciting readers’ first impressions of Francis (on a 1-10 scale) showed that, as of March 18, more than half of respondents approve of their new pope, rating him an 8 or above.

Fellow Catholic blogger Taylor Marshall at “Canterbury Tales” expressed embarrassment with the vitriolic response among traditionalists and urged them to “take a deep breath!” and give Francis time and prayers.

“If you’re really worried, don’t log on to a blog combox. Fast on bread and water, pray the Rosary more, go to confession more regularly, give alms to the poor,” Marshall recommended, adding, “It’s really not our place to sift through what might be the future errors of a Pope that we don’t yet know.”

At Patheos.com, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, an Anglican priest-turned-Catholic, also encouraged perspective. Francis’ own preferences for a simpler Mass likely reflects more informal worship common in Argentina and the region, he said, not a desire to eliminate the Latin Mass.

DeVille agreed, telling NCR he did not interpret Francis’ style as a signal he intended to reverse Summorum Pontificum, or make other dramatic liturgical changes.

“I strongly suspect his approach is live and let live. If people want to do Latin and lace, great, go for it. People don’t, they want to do something else, that’s great, too. He does not strike me as a person who wants to micromanage everybody’s life,” he said.

Catholic MPs urge Pope Francis to allow ordination of married men

Catholic peers and MPs have written to Pope Francis asking him to consider permitting bishops in the United Kingdom to ordain married men as priests.

The parliamentarians, led by Rob Flello MP and Lord Alton of Liverpool argue in their letter that it is anomalous that married Anglican priests can be received into the Catholic Church and ordained as Catholic priests but married Catholic men cannot do the same.

The 21 parliamentarians from all political parties suggest that “if the celibacy rule were relaxed, there would be many others who would seek ordination bringing great gifts to the priesthood.”

The signatories also reiterate that celibacy should be retained for bishops in order to indicate the “continuing high regard we have for those who are able to live a genuinely celibate life.”

But in a 2012 interview, Pope Francis (then Cardinal Bergoglio) said that he favoured maintaining priestly celibacy. 

He said: “In Western Catholicism, some organizations are pushing for more discussion about the issue. For now, the discipline of celibacy stands firm. Some say,with a certain pragmatism, that we are losing manpower. If, hypothetically, Western Catholicism were to review the issue of celibacy, I think it would do so for cultural reasons (as in the East), not so much as a universal option. For the moment, I am in favor of maintaining celibacy, with all its pros and cons, because we have ten centuries of good experiences rather than failures. What happens is that the scandals have an immediate impact. Tradition has weight and validity. Catholic ministers chose celibacy little by little. Up until 1100, some chose it and some did not. After, the East followed the tradition of non-celibacy as personal choice, while the West went the opposite way. It is a matter of discipline, not of faith. It can change. Personally, it never crossed my mind to marry. But there are cases. Look at the case of the Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo. He’s a brilliant guy. But as a bishop, he had a fall and resigned from the diocese. This decision was honest. Sometimes we see priests fall into this.”

The full text of the letter signed by parliamentarians is printed below:

Your Holiness, We write to you as Catholic members of both Houses of the United Kingdom Parliament.

First, we would like to warmly congratulate you on your election and assure you of our prayers and of our support as you work for the deep renewal of the Church. We would also like to place one specific request before you.

Your two predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict, guided we are sure by the Holy Spirit, generously permitted the ordination of married Anglican clergy as Roman Catholic priests. These men and their families have proved to be a great blessing to our parishes.

Based on that very positive experience we would request that, in the same spirit, you permit the ordination of married Catholic men to the priesthood in Great Britain.

In recent years we have been saddened by the loss of far too many good priests. If the celibacy rule were relaxed, there would be many others who would seek ordination, bringing great gifts to the priesthood.

If celibacy were retained for bishops, as in the Eastern rites, this would signal the continuing high regard we have for those who are able to live a genuinely celibate life.

We recognise that the Church is serious about the New Evangelisation and the need to renew the Christian faith in our secular societies. As such one of our priorities must be to ensure that parishes have priests to administer the sacraments, therefore we believe that allowing married priests is desirable and imperative.

In the first instance, based on the Anglican precedent and the desirability of subsidiarity, it would be logical and greatly welcomed by the faithful, if you were to consider permitting our bishops in England and Wales and in Scotland to ordain married men where they believe it would meet the pastoral needs of the local Church.

We very much hope this proposal finds favour with you. Please keep our country and its people in your prayers. 

Thank you. 

We remain, 

Yours sincerely,

Rob Flello MP

Prof Lord Alton of Liverpool KCSG KCMCO
 
Dr John Pugh MP
 
Prof Baroness Hollins
 
Stephen Pound MP
 
Baroness Goudie
 
William Cash MP
 
Lord Hylton
 
Thomas Docherty MP
 
Rt Hon Lord McAvoy
 
Michael Dugher MP
 
Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC
 
Tom Blenkinsop MP
 
Rt Hon Lord Touhig KSS
 
Chris Ruane MP
 
Patricia Glass MP
 
Ronnie Campbell MP
 
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP
 
Meg Hillier MP
 
Jonathan Evans MP
 
Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP KSG KCMCO

Argentine press claims Pope Francis will visit country in December

Two of Argentina's leading newspapers have reported that Pope Francis will visit the country this year during the first half of December.
In response, however, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the only trip for the Holy Father that has been confirmed so far is his visit to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in July.
On March 26, local newspaper La Nacion reported that Pope Francis took the opportunity during President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's recent visit to the Vatican to tell her of his decision to postpone a trip to Argentina until after the country holds elections in October.
According to the Argentine daily Clarin, possible travel to the country in December by the Pope has been welcomed by President de Kirchner.
Fr. Lombardi told CNA that although it is “normal that the Pope would go to Argentina sooner or later, as Benedict XVI went to Germany or John Paul II to Poland,” the spokesman does “not have any official confirmation” at this time.
“The only thing I can confirm,” he added, “is his trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day,” which will take place July 23-28.
Valentina Carusi, an official with the Holy See's Argentine Embassy in Rome, told CNA that the press “did indeed give some dates, but we are not going to confirm anything here because there has been no official confirmation by the Vatican about the Pope’s schedule.”

Bishop stands firm on maintaining Catholic identity in schools

Bishop Robert F. Vasa of Santa Rosa, Calif., has said that he will allow several months for education and instruction before moving forward with a Catholic identity policy for diocesan school teachers.
 
“The Pastors and I agree that a longer implementation period is in order,” Bishop Vasa said in a March 19 letter to the diocese.

“It is now clear to me that there are a number of significant misunderstandings about what the Church teaches, as well as why, and this presents an opportunity to teach.”

The bishop had previously introduced a contract addendum, entitled “Bearing Witness,” which all educators within the diocese were to sign, acknowledging that they are “ministerial agent[s]” and are “called by God to a life of holiness.” 

The statement of faith encourages teachers to keep God in their “thoughts, words and deeds.”

It further requires that teachers reject the “modern errors” that “gravely offend human dignity,” including contraception, abortion, same-sex “marriage” and euthanasia. Teachers would be expected to attend Mass regularly and not to “teach, advocate, model or in any way encourage beliefs or behaviors contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

Originally, teachers would have been required to sign the additional pledge on all contracts for the 2013-2014 school year, a change that would have affected 11 schools and nearly 200 teachers.

Reports indicated that some parents and teachers resisted the requirement, arguing that it was too harsh.

“I'm a Catholic, but to have the bishop do this is not the type of Catholicism my faith teaches me,” said parent Lori Edgar to PressDemocrat, a Santa Rosa news outlet.

Bishop Vasa responded to the various critiques by explaining that he “had failed to properly communicate” with principals and pastors in the diocese before issuing the requirement, and will now delay the pledge of faith until the spring of 2015, at which time it will be implemented in some form.

PressDemocrat reported that the Bishop’s decision to delay the implementation of the policy was a sign of the bishop had “relented” and that he was softening his position.

In his letter to the diocese, however, the bishop stood by his decision, calling the additional time an opportunity to instruct teachers on the requirements of the faith.

Bishop Vasa said that “this desire to strengthen our Catholic schools is just too important not to do well” and that the additional months of preparation and instruction will help this project.

“We agree that we need to engage our Teachers and give them the necessary faith instruction which they need to more fully understand and appreciate the teachings of the Church, including those issues about which there is such sharp contrast between the mores of society and the clear and consistent teachings of the Church.”

“This,” Bishop Vasa said, “is too important a goal to try to accomplish in one year by way of a couple of meetings and a mandate.”

Vatican TV documentary reveals Pope Francis' first words

The Vatican Television Center will release the documentary “Francesco” this week, providing an intimate look at the historic events that led to the election of Pope Francis, including his first words after his election.
“I am a great sinner confident in the patience and mercy of God. In suffering, I accept,” said Monsignor Dario Edoardo Vigano, director of Vatican Television, as he recounted the moment when the Pope was asked if he accepted the results of the voting.
The film, titled “Francis: The Election of a Pope from the Ends of the Earth,” will be distributed throughout Italy as a supplement to the April 2 edition of the national newspaper Il Corriere della Sera.
It follows the historic events that have occurred at the Vatican, beginning with Benedict XVI renouncing the papacy on Feb. 11 and concluding with the March 23 meeting between Pope Francis and his predecessor at Castel Gandolfo.
The documentary reconstructs the pivotal moments of the period using interviews with four cardinals – Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica; Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture; and Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals.
The DVD supplement in Italian will cost 10.90 euro, and there are plans to make it available in English, French and Spanish through the company HDH Communications.
The film will be debuted for an international audience in Florence and Cannes, Msgr. Vigano said.

The future of the U.S. Catholic Church depends on Latinos

Earlier last month, Hispanics celebrated the election of Pope Francis, the first Latino to hold the papacy. 

People of Latin origin are driving Catholicism’s worldwide growth, so clearly the College of Cardinals knew their target audience when they chose a South American as the next pontiff. 

However, while Catholicism is the dominant religion among Latinos, its membership is declining as Protestant faiths attract “very religious” Hispanic young adults. Insight Tr3s shares some research on U.S. Hispanics and religion:

More than 7 in 10 Hispanics 18 to 34 are Christian – and most are Catholic. To be exact, 72% of Hispanics age 18 to 34 are Christian, and 51% are Catholic. Other Christian religions represent smaller segments of the Hispanic population: 9% are “Christian,” 4% are “other evangelical Christian,” 4% are Pentecostal/Charismatic, and 3% are Baptist.

Just over half of Catholic adults 18 to 34 in the U.S. are Hispanic. Among total U.S. Catholic adults, more than 1 in 3 are Hispanic.

Hispanics 18 to 34 are four times more likely than non-Hispanics to be Catholic. 51% of Hispanics age 18 to 34 are Catholic, compared with 13% of non-Hispanics.

Young Hispanic adults are less likely than older Hispanics to be Catholic – and as likely to be Protestant. Though the percentages of young Hispanic adults are still large, they are smaller for the 18 to 29 group. 47% of Hispanics 18 to 29 are Catholic, compared with 56% of Hispanics 30 to 49 and 60-61% of those over 50. Meanwhile, 29% of Hispanics 18 to 29 are Protestant – compared with 27% of Hispanics over 30. While the Catholic Church is losing young adults, other Christian religions are not.

Over the last five years, Hispanics overall have become less likely to identify as Catholic – but are as likely to be Protestant. 54% of Hispanics said they were Catholic in 2012, down from 58% in 2008. However, 28% said they were Protestant, comparable to the 27% reported in 2008.

Catholicism is in rapid decline among non-Hispanics 18 to 34. From 2008 to 2012, the percentage of non-Hispanics 18 to 34 who consider themselves Catholic fell from 18% to 13% — a decrease of nearly 30%. Hispanic Catholics 18 to 34 fell at a slower pace (61% in 2008 to 51% in 2012, a 16% decrease). Because non-Hispanic Catholics are declining faster, Hispanics will represent a larger share of young Catholics in the U.S. in the years to come.

Though smaller in number, Hispanic Protestants are more likely than Hispanic Catholics to identify as “very religious.” 60% of Hispanic Protestants said they were very religious, compared with 43% of Hispanic Catholics. Hispanic Catholics were more likely to consider themselves to be moderately religious (39%, vs. 29% of Hispanic Protestants). This trend held across age groups, though Hispanics over 30 were more likely than the 18-29 group to classify themselves as “very religious.”

When it comes to marriage, religious compatibility is very important to young Hispanics. They consider religion to be the third most important thing, following trust and love.

Irish abortion debate reflects growing church-state tensions

Ruth Bowie was in the throes of grief when she found out she would never know her unborn child.

At the 12-week mark, a pregnancy scan showed the baby had anencephaly, a fatal condition in which a portion of the brain and skull never form.

Bowie, 34, a pediatric nurse, knew the implications of the birth defect even before the doctor explained. But the life-changing news didn't stop there.

"The doctors said we will continue to look after you, or else you can choose to travel," she recalled.

Put another way, if she and her husband wanted to seek an abortion, they would have to travel to England to end the pregnancy.

Ireland's stringent abortion laws made it impossible for her to terminate the pregnancy in her home country -- and she refused to give birth to a child who had no chance of surviving outside the womb.

Her husband, Michael, supported her decision and flew with her to the U.K., though he was terrified of telling his devout Catholic parents. When he and Ruth returned to Dublin, he told them she had a miscarriage. It wasn't until his wife went public with her story last year that he told them the truth.

Bowie's experience highlights the struggle between religious morals and secular rights in what was once considered the most Catholic country in the world. Under Irish law, abortion is legal only if the mother's life is at risk.

"You give me news that the baby we very much want is going to die, and now I have to go to another country," Bowie said. "It's like kicking you when you're down."

Irish abortion rights groups argue the country needs laws that remove the stigma of ending an ill-fated pregnancy.

"Current policy is adding to a sense that they have to sneak around, and adding to what is a very difficult situation," said Sinead Ahern of the reproductive rights group Choice Ireland.

Most European countries allow abortion on demand during the first trimester -- except Ireland, where there is still a palpable struggle between Catholic influence and an increasingly secular state. In many ways, the fight over abortion reflects the growing friction between the two sides.

Activists from the United States have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Ireland's anti-abortion lobby in the belief that it is Western Europe's last line of defense in the fight to protect the unborn.

Those lobbies are equally vocal in the United States, where North Dakota lawmakers recently approved a bill that would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy. It would be the earliest ban in the nation.

Despite interest groups' push to keep Ireland's abortion policy intact, the Irish government said it would reform the country's controversial rules by the end of July. Activist Evelyn Fennelly said she believes that is a step in the wrong direction.

"Whether a life is short or whether a life is long, it's no less valuable," said Fennelly, 21, a member of the Pro Life Campaign in Dublin. "What matters is how we honor those lives."

A nonpracticing Catholic, Fennelly represents a contingent of Irish women who see abortion as a human rights issue and not just a religious debate.

Others say women should have the right to choose what to do with their bodies.
"(We) would like to see Ireland adopt the Canada model," said Dr. Mary Favier, a general practitioner and founder of Doctors for Choice in Ireland. "Each procedure would be handled on a case-by-case basis, with the decision made by the woman and her medical doctor."

Bowie, who was raised in a devout Protestant household, was taught that abortion is immoral in all cases. Now that she has been through the gut-wrenching experience herself, her parents are more understanding of subtleties in the debate, she said.

The conversation resonates throughout the country and permeates its religious communities. The Protestant minority in Ireland is typically aligned with Catholics on abortion, though they are perhaps less visible.

Despite her hardships, Bowie describes herself as a woman of "strong faith." 

She takes issue with Ireland's abortion policy, not her religion, and thanks God for her healthy 2-year-old son, Dougie, who helps fill the void left by the child she lost.

Pope to live in Vatican guesthouse, not papal apartments

Pope Francis has decided not to move into the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, but to live in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse where he has been since the beginning of the conclave that elected him, said Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, reports the Catholic News Service.

"He is experimenting with this type of living arrangement, which is simple," but allows him "to live in community with others," both the permanent residents -- priests and bishops who work at the Vatican -- as well as guests coming to the Vatican for meetings and conferences, Lombardi said Tuesday.

The spokesman said Pope Francis has moved out of the room he drew by lot before the conclave and into Suite 201, a room that has slightly more elegant furnishings and a larger living room where he can receive guests.

The Domus Sanctae Marthae, the official name of the guesthouse, was built in 1996 specifically to house cardinals during a conclave.

Celebrating Mass on Tuesday with the residents and guests, Pope Francis told them he intended to stay, Lombardi said.

The permanent residents, who had to move out during the conclave, had just returned to their old rooms.

Pope Francis has been there since his election March 13, taking his meals in the common dining room downstairs and celebrating a 7 a.m. Mass with Vatican employees in the main chapel of the residence.

He will be the first pope in 110 years not to live in the papal apartments on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace.

Tom Heneghan: Pope Francis is an experienced manager set for reform

FRANCIS of Assisi began his saintly career following what he said was God's command: "Rebuild my Church." 

The new pope who took his name heard the same message from the cardinals who elected him.

The 13th-century Francis toured the Italian countryside repairing dilapidated chapels before realising his mission was to change the whole Roman Catholic Church.

At 76, Pope Francis does not have as much time to get to work.

What the first Jesuit pope has is management experience in his native Argentina as head of the Jesuit province and chairman of the national bishops conference. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he dealt with everything from poverty to national politics.

"He's been at the top of the organisation, but he's not been tamed by that," says Rev James Hanvey, a Jesuit theologian. "In management speak, he's held to the core values. He wants us all to refocus on the core values."

Bergoglio's record shows he has strong convictions and is not afraid to take unpopular decisions. Jose Maria Poirier, editor of the lay Catholic monthly Criterio in Buenos Aires, said Church staff there described him as an "attentive, human and considerate" boss who is also demanding, has little patience for bureaucracy, and appoints talented assistants.

His predecessor Benedict's failure in this regard was partly to blame for the infighting that crippled the Curia bureaucracy and came to light in leaked Vatican documents last year.

SHAKEUP IN THE CURIA

The first hint Francis gave of plans to change the Curia came three days after his election when he reappointed its top bureaucrats temporarily rather than permanently, as Benedict did after being elected in 2005.

With his humble style, the pope has begun deflating the imperial side of the Vatican, which resembles a Renaissance monarchy with an absolute sovereign, a coterie of close advisers and Curia departments that answer to the pope but often don't talk to each other.

Francis's references to himself simply as the bishop of Rome - the position from which his papal authority flows - hints at a willingness to involve the hierarchy around the globe in running the world's largest church.

Hanvey said a first step would be to call heads of national bishops conferences around the world to meet regularly in Rome as advisers. 

This was proposed by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), but Popes John Paul and Benedict used it so rarely that some bishops complained they were being "treated like altar boys" rather than senior colleagues.

The Curia needs regular cabinet meetings, more international staffers to overcome its domination by Italian clerics and a full work day rather than schedules that end in early afternoon, U.S. theologian George Weigel said.

It has only two women in senior posts, another aspect of the Curia critics say needs to be changed.

One overlooked fact is that the Curia, with just over 2,000 employees, is actually understaffed.

 "They're overwhelmed," said one senior figure from another religion in contact with the Curia, who asked not to be named.

WAITING FOR OTHER SIGNALS

The opaque operations at the Vatican bank, known as the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), were widely discussed among cardinals ahead of the conclave. 

Francis has criticised globalisation and unfettered capitalism in the past, so he may take a critical look at the bank, but he has not indicated his plans.

The book "His Holiness," which published the leaked Vatican documents last year, detailed alleged corruption, inflated prices for work in the Vatican and clashes over the management at the bank.

The Council of Europe and the Bank of Italy have criticised it for lax anti-money-laundering controls and oversight, two areas where the Vatican says it is improving.

Critics also say the Church has not compensated victims of sexual abuse enough or held bishops sufficiently responsible for covering up cases. 

Francis would quickly tarnish his compassionate image if he did not go beyond the apologies and meetings with victims that Benedict pioneered.

Reputed to be a theological conservative, Francis has criticised Argentina's government for legalising same-sex marriage, opposes abortion and women priests and defends the celibacy rule for male clergy. 

But he has also upbraided priests who refused to baptise babies of unmarried mothers. He has admitted to being "dazzled" by a young lady while in the seminary and said he helps priests who struggle with their vow of celibacy.

All this suggests a softer edge to some of his positions. 

"Benedict was clearly labelled" as a doctrinaire conservative, said Italian theologian Massimo Faggioli. 

"It will be easier for (Francis) to say things without the audience having a ready response."

Open Letter to Bishop Burrows from Reform Ireland

In light of the motion on Human Sexuality within the Context of Christian Belief passed at General Synod 2012 Reform Ireland asks the following questions:

The Bishop of Cashel and Ossory stated that he would make no comments concerning his actions until the Church of Ireland had spoken. 

 

The Church of Ireland spoke clearly and decisively at Christ Church Dublin when the General Synod 2012 reaffirmed the biblical teaching on marriage. 

 

We would now ask Bishop Burrows to explain his actions in relation to the appointment of Dean Tom Gordon as we believe they are clearly contrary to the teaching of the Church of Ireland.  Further, in the light of the General Synod decision, we would ask how Bishop Burrows can remain as a Bishop of the Church of Ireland?

 

Despite several public appeals and many letters requesting an explanation of his actions the Bishop has remained silent. We believe he can no longer remain silent and ask that he explains to the people of the Church of Ireland, who are deeply hurt and offended, why he ignored the teaching of the Church and appointed Dean Tom Gordon?

 

Regarding Dean Tom Gordon, we ask him to explain how his civil partnership is compatible with Christian and Church teaching? We call on the dean to reconsider his position in light of the teaching of Scripture and the motion passed at General Synod in 2012.

 

Reform Ireland has remained silent over the past year concerning this situation. However, contrary to assurances given, nothing has changed and the Church of Ireland House of Bishops has failed to exercise any discipline concerning Bishop Burrows and Dean Gordon. 

 

This is a moral failure on their part and shows a clear lack of biblical leadership. We are saddened that this situation has been allowed to continue and that it has de facto been accepted by those in authority. 

 

Reform Ireland places in the public domain, once again, its opposition to the acceptance of this situation and, with a heavy heart, states that it finds itself in broken communion with Bishop Burrows and Dean Gordon as a consequence.

 

Reform Ireland has no desire to see the Church of Ireland torn apart by this issue but as we look around the Anglican Communion, especially the situation in the USA we can only conclude that we are on an inevitable path to separation from one another. 

 

We have committed ourselves to maintain the Christian faith and the teaching of Scripture on this issue. For us this is an issue which goes to the heart of Gospel – that which the bible calls sin and must be repented of, cannot be ignored or abandoned by those who wish to call themselves Christian and remain faithful servants of Christ. We commit ourselves to uphold the plain teaching of the Scriptures on this and all areas of holiness of life. 

 

We call those in spiritual oversight and all those who would claim to be followers of Christ to commit to living lives in keeping with the teaching of Scripture and where necessary to repent, seek God’s forgiveness and to seek with the help of the Holy Spirit to live holy lives.

 

Reform Ireland – March 2013

 

26th March 2013

50,000 postcards invite cinemagoers to explore Christian faith

The Christian Enquiry Agency is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a new poster and postcard campaign.

The organisation provides free and confidential information about the Christian faith.

Its campaign is inviting people to take a look at the website Christianity.org.uk and offers them a free colour magazine-style Gospel of Luke.

The postcards ask the question 'At what moment in your life did you feel most fully alive?'. 

On the reverse is the challenge: 'It's time you found out what Jesus said about life in his own words.'

People can add their details and send the postcard to a freepost address or use the QR code to ask for a Gospel.

It is hoping the 50,000 postcards placed in cinema foyers around the country will make their way into the hands of people unlikely to set foot in a church.

Thousands more postcards will be handed out at parent and toddler groups, outreach events, and clubs and community groups meeting in church buildings.

Peter Graystone, the coordinator of the Christian Enquiry Agency, said: "The campaign is relentlessly positive. Like me! When people visit the website they will find information about enjoying life, how faith can improve life, and resurrection."

Franciscan University undaunted after HHS suit dismissed

Although a judge has dismissed Franciscan University of Steubenville's lawsuit against the federal contraception mandate, the school says it will continue to fight for its religious liberty.

“We will not stop fighting this unjust mandate, this unjust attack on our first freedoms,” said Michael Hernon, vice president of advancement at Franciscan University.

“As a university, we believe this goes right to the heart of who we are as a Catholic institution. We cannot and will not back down.”

Hernon told CNA March 25 the university finds it “repugnant” to follow new federal regulations requiring that its health care plan provide employees access to sterilization and contraception, including abortifacient drugs.

The regulations are “treating pregnancy as if it was a disease,” he said. Cooperating with them “would require us to say that a child is a disease,” he said. “That’s just wrong.”

U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley dismissed the case on March 22 on the grounds it lacked standing. He said the case was not “ripe” because the groups could not prove they would suffer harm in light of the Obama administration’s pledges to make accommodations for those with religious and moral objections.

Franciscan University and the Michigan Catholic Conference were parties to the suit. They were represented by the law firm Jones Day in their challenge to the federal rules.  

In May 2012, Franciscan University had dropped its student health care plan because it feared the mandate would force it to compromise its Catholic values. Judge Algenon said the university was “fleeing a phantom specter” spawned by its “unsubstantiated fears.” He said this was especially the case given the government’s promise it would not harm the plaintiffs.

He contended that it was a self-inflicted injury for the university to “prepare for an eventuality that always appeared unlikely to ever occur.”

In response, Hernon said he was “incredulous” at the judge’s argument in light of the Obama administration’s continued actions.

“This is not about some future specter. It is about the law as written today, what we are basing our lawsuit on,” he said. “They have promised they will make other, future changes, but every change they have made thus far has  not accommodated our religious liberty.”

He said Franciscan University believes that under the new rules its insurance company will be required to provide free of charge the objectionable services to all its employees. Hernon was skeptical of the Obama administration’s claims that the new rules would remedy earlier objections from those who did not want to cooperate with or pay for providing the coverage.

“It is nothing more than an accounting gimmick or a shell game to think that there is not going to be funding for those services coming from university employees and from us as an employer,” he said.

While the revised rule purports to expand the definition of religious employer, Hernon said it is “still debatable” whether Franciscan University qualifies. He said the Health and Human Services department said the language was not intended to increase the number of people exempted.

“They themselves are admitting that they only really want to exempt houses of worship,” he said.

The Department of Health and Human Services is accepting public comment until April 8 before it issues the next part of its decision. The one-year safe harbor provided to some religious organizations ends Aug. 1. The federal rules will apply to plans created after that date.

The rules will also “grandfather” in some insurance plans which allows for the plans to maintain their current provisions. Employers will not be penalized for lacking the mandated coverage – provided that they do not change their health plans significantly.

However, Franciscan University is concerned that its grandfathered status “ties our hands,” president Father Terence Henry, TOR, said March 22.

“Since many changes to our plan would cause it to lose grandfathered status, it denies both our employees and the university opportunities to save money and enact plan changes appropriate to our changing needs for coverage. In effect, this makes us second-class citizens because of our faith.”

Hernon said any health plan changes the university makes to respond to an expected rise in health care costs could remove what protections the grandfathered status has.

He also voiced concern about the university’s “many alumni and friends” who are “people of conscience” whose own businesses and organizations are threatened by the mandate. He said the mandate would force these people to violate their consciences and “pay for services that they deem morally or religiously objectionable.”

Fr. Henry said the school has the right and “the duty” to re-file its lawsuit at the appropriate time.

The Michigan Catholic Conference said the court simply delayed the lawsuit and did not rule on its merits. The conference said it could again bring similar legal claims against the administration once the promised mandate changes are made and said it would evaluate “all its options” in light of the court decision.

Hernon added that lawsuits against the HHS mandate in other jurisdictions have “strong promise” and he hoped that they will prevail.

Pope app tops iTunes charts

A Vatican-sponsored news application for smart phones known as “The Pope App” has risen to the top of the charts in the iTunes store, reflecting a spike in interest in the papacy and newly-elected Pope Francis.
 
In the last week, The Pope App is the most-downloaded news app for iPhone in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Venezuela, Peru, Poland, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, and Pope Francis’ home country of Argentina.

It is the second most downloaded news app in France and Germany and the third most downloaded in Germany. 

The app also ranks in the top ten in eight other countries, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications said March 23.

The Pope App is managed by the Pontifical Council and uses content from www.news.va, the Vatican’s multimedia, multilingual news portal.

The application provides news and official speeches from Pope Francis as well as images and videos of his appearances. Users can access live coverage of papal events and receive alerts about them.

In addition, it gives users access to live webcams of the Vatican, including a view overlooking St. Peter’s Square, a view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Bl. John Paul II’s tomb, and the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo.

The app is available for the iPhone, the iPad and Android devices. 

The high-definition iPad version was recently released, offering higher resolution versions of the same content.

Pope Benedict XVI launched The Pope App on Jan. 23. Since then, it has been downloaded more than 155,000 times across all mobile devices.

The application is part of a push in the Vatican to reach out using new media. 

Pope Benedict also launched a Twitter account, using the handle “Pontifex,” in December 2012. 

Pope Francis now uses the account to reach millions of followers in numerous languages.

Brandon Vogt, a Catholic blogger who has authored a book on the Catholic Church and the new media, said there has been a “flurry of digital activity” on the part of the Vatican that has been “very surprising and encouraging.”

Vogt told CNA in January that the new technology and media can be “the most powerful means that we’ve ever had” to reach out to both Catholics and non-Catholics.

Prayer to The Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, be with me today.
Be my teacher, my guide, my counselor, my friend.

Fill me with your gifts, especially the gifts of
wisdom, discernment, knowledge, understanding, compassion,
love, and awe in God's presence.

In all that I think, say, and do, let it be in accordance
with your most holy and perfect will.

I ask this in Jesus' name.

AMEN.