Concern over Fiji Archbishop's appointment

The Catholic faithful in Fiji is divided over the appointment of an Archbishop as co chair of the People's Council.

Radio Australia reports that a delegation of the faithful has met with Archbishop Petero Mataca about his appointment.

The interim government has developed the council to draft a people's charter, involving Fiji organisations and the community to outline a plan for Fiji's future.

A member of the delegation and parishioner Kenneth Zinck said the delegation agreed to disagree with the Archbishop about his appointment.

Mr Zinck is also a former member of the deposed Qarase cabinet.

He told Radio Australia he believes the Catholic Church should not be part of Fiji's people's council.

"I am opposed to it because by joining, by joining as co chair, he is making a political statement." he said.

"I believe that the Church should be apolitical and independent in its stance."
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Sotto Voce

Pope urges pharmacists not to supply 'abortion pill'

Pope Benedict has urged pharmacists to refuse to supply drugs that cause abortion or euthanasia.

Speaking to a convention of Catholic pharmacists, the Pope told the health professionals they must be "conscientious objectors" against such practices and that part of their job was to protect human life from conception to death.

"Church teaching that rules out any deliberate termination of pregnancy or euthanasia," Pope Benedict said.

"It is not possible to anaesthetise the conscience, for example, when it comes to molecules whose aim is to stop an embryo implanting or to cut short someone's life,"he said.

While the abortion pill has been available in many European Union countries and has had regulatory approval in the United States since 2000, it has not been authorised in Italy.

The Vatican has criticised moves by some Italian politicians who favour the pill, which blocks the action of the hormone progesterone that is needed to sustain a pregnancy.

The Pope told the international gathering that individual pharmacists could always choose not to prescribe such a drug.

"I invite your federation to consider conscientious objection which is a right that must be recognised for your profession so you can avoid collaborating, directly or indirectly, in the supply of products which have clearly immoral aims, for example abortion or euthanasia." he said.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Baghdad pledges “protection” for Iraqi Christians

The Iraqi government is committed to protecting and helping the Iraqi Christian community whose members have been emigrating in large numbers because of the violence prevailing in the country.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki made a statement to that effect when he received Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans, on Saturday in Baghdad, to congratulate him for his recent appointment as cardinal.

Benedict XVI announced in fact that he was one of 23 new princes of the Catholic Church.

Maliki pledged his support to the patriarch in his “new role,” which the prime minister seems to have interpreted more in political than in religious terms.

Delly's nomination “is a victory for Iraq in the international community which we hope will contribute to bring peace against terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism,” he said.

The prime minister said his government was willing and determined to defend the small community and stem the flight of its members, this according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

For his part, the Patriarch, who heads the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the world, thanked Maliki for his efforts in favour of peace.

But when two Syro-Chaldean priests were abducted on October 17, some members of the Christian community lamented the indifference of Iraqi authorities to their fate.

Since 2003 Iraqi Christians, who are mostly Chaldean, have been targeted by Islamic extremists because they are seen as allies of the US army.

Like Shias and Sunnis Christians have experienced abductions, murders and violence, but they are more vulnerable than the Muslims because of their lack of political clout and their refusal to defend themselves militarily.

Before 2003 Chaldeans numbered some 800,000 but the brutal persecution to which Christians are subjected has forced many families to flee to neighbouring countries.

Unconfirmed estimates put the number left in the country at 200,000.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

From Ravenna “a solid base” for dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox

The final document from Ravenna session of the mixed commission for dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox represents a “solid base for future dialogue”, a working session which followed its regular course despite the withdrawal of the delegation from the Moscow Patriarchate due to the presence of the Estonian Church which they do not recognise.

This however did not impede “significant progress” according to Fr. Dimitri Salachas, professor of Canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University and Catholic member of the Commission.

“Among other things – Fr. Salachas said– the final document refers to the fact that the bishop of Rome, having the primacy of love, as defined by Ignatius of Antioch, was first in the order of the 5 patriarchates (Roma, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, was the pentarchia).

There remains however disaccord among Catholics and Orthodox regarding the interpretation to be given to the competences of the bishop of Rome, as first in the hierarchy, during the first millennium of the united universal Church. Collegiality, as it was exercised during the first millennium, comprises an active role for Rome, which however presupposes the condescendence of the other patriarchs, so that a decision may take on an ecumenical nature.

From a historical point of view, the tow Churches opinion converges on the position that the bishop of Rome had within the Pentarchia during the first millennium, but the historical evolution and the dogmatic formation of the pope in the west during the second millennium are unknown in the Eastern Church and as a result they are not accepted, in so far as they are considered outside the traditions of the universal Church”.

They seem to be very distant positions.

I believe that these issues are not irresolvable, if both are considered in the prismatic light of collegiality.

A synod of bishops has no sense without a primus, just as a primus has no sense without a synod.

On the other hand the Church of Rome is seeking other means of exercising the authority of the bishop of Rome, accepted by all those both within and outside the Catholic Church.

Perhaps this may help contribute to the dialogue. It also needs to be made clear that for the Catholic Church, papal primacy is also a theological question, in other words based on the New Testament.

But I believe that this too can be overcome if it is read in the light of apostolic collegiality.

The Moscow Patriarchate maintains that its absence from the working session detracts all validity from decisions made by the Commission.

The absence of the Russians, I believe, will probably create some complications, but on the other hand it was accepted by all that the non participation of an Orthodox Church, does not constitute an obstacle for the progress of dialogue.

Historically it must be underlined that the Church in Estonia was made autonomous by Constantinople in 1923 and was annexed to the Moscow Patriarchate in 1945, following the Soviet occupation of Estonia, and without Constantinople’s agreeing to it.

Moscow also has issues with Constantinople, maintaining that the Ecumenical Patriarchate aims to take on a “papal” role within the Orthodox Church.

In the canonical tradition of synods and in the eastern cultural mentality there has never been a centralised model of ecclesiastical authority.

The prerogatives attributed to the Patriarchal See of Constantinople, both in order and in honour, have always been recognised by all of the Orthodox Churches of the Byzantine traditions, right from the very first ecumenical synods.

In fact even in the liturgical dictates, all of the patriarchs and the leaders of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches are recalled with at the very head the “Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch”.

Obviously there have been both in the Ecumenical Patriarchate and as well as in the other Orthodox Churches, personalities of great prestige who have served unity and the pan-Orthodox witness above all in particular moments of Orthodox history.
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Sotto Voce

New bishop in Moscow is reassuring about Church’s “mission” in Russia

The entrance ceremony of Mgr Paolo Pezzi as archbishop and head of Moscow’s Mother of God Archdiocese was held in the presence of 1,500 worshippers, 200 priests as well as members of the Orthodox clergy, the diplomatic corps and journalists.

With the mass performed in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow on Saturday Mgr Pezzi took over from Mgr Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, the former head of the archdiocese in the Russian capital, who moved to Minsk, in Belarus.

During the ceremony Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, read out a message from the Patriarch of Moscow Alexy II.

In it the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church voiced his hopes that the tenure of the new head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow would be a time of “good relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches and of an early resolution of the problems between us.”

The message ends saying that it all depends on “how effectively we testify to the world about Christian values,” a clear reference to charges made by the Patriarchate against the Catholic Church in Russia and the Vatican over alleged Catholic proselytising, a major obstacle preventing a meeting between Alexy II and the Pope.

Both Mgrs Kondrusiewicz and Pezzi referred to the issue in the days before the ordination of the new archbishop and metropolitan.

The former bishop of Moscow expressed his regrets that in his 16-year tenure he failed “to establish better relations with the Russian Orthodox Church.”

“I have never promoted any proselytising activities, which are contrary to how I see things as well as to Church teachings,” he stressed.

“Never the less, the dialogue was not disrupted, and I wish that the new archbishop may do more in this area.”

For his part Mgr Pezzi, from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Charles Borromeo, explained his point of view on “mission.”

In a long interview with the Russian news agency Interfax-Religion he said that “mission is a testimony of evangelical values [. . . whereas] proselytism starts at the point where the real mission ends. Therefore, if all of us—both Catholics and Orthodox—practice ‘mission,’ we can develop good understanding and pursue unity, as there will be no place left for conflicts ”

In the interview the new archbishop also mentioned some of the goals he has set for himself in his new pastoral role, which he views as a continuation of what Mgr Kondrusiewicz started.

In addition to ecumenism, he wants greater care for clergy training, greater support for young priests as well as men and women religious and renewed commitment to face the great problems that affect Russian society.

Currently some 600,000 Catholics live in Russia, although some experts say Russian Catholics might account for 1 per cent of the population, or 1.5 million people.

Currently there are 230 Catholic parishes registered in Russia, plus some 30 other organisations.

But some 30 per cent of the parishes still do not have their own churches, which were nationalised in Soviet times, something that is still a serious problem.

Some 300 clergymen from many countries around the world carry out pastoral services.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Sri Lanka’s Anglican Church adopts Liberation Theology, Bishop shows symbolic solidarity with Kilinocchi

The goings-on of the hitherto staid Anglican Church of Sri Lanka have caused some controversy. It started when the good old Church of England, euphemistically called the Church of Ceylon, passed a revolutionary resolution.

Tabling a complexly-worded document, the head priest of the local Church of England, the Right Reverent Duleep de Chickera justified what he called a fundamental “paradigm shift” as a necessity for the church “in the context of the present post-modern political, social, economic and cultural reality in Sri Lanka.

The resolution urged the members of his church to form themselves into a socialist-style “Jesus community with shared resources, shared decision making and shared activities,” with Reverend Father S.D.P. Selvan proposing “a synthesis between the teachings of Jesus and Karl Marx.”

Church clergy and lay leaders from around the country who gathered at the headquarters of the Church of Ceylon’s Colombo diocese for its annual council sessions passed the resolution through a majority vote, with only one dissenting voice who objected to the phrase “paradigm shift,” calling it to be changed to “a return to the teachings of Jesus.”

(That is a strange proposal; why would a church want to return to the teachings of Jesus? What were they practicing all this time? Capitalism? Colonialism?)

With this move, the stuffy old colonial Church of England went radical and turned itself into a Marxist Jesus Community, that is to say, they adopted Liberation Theology.

The members of the church are, by and large, the Anglicized elite of Sri Lanka. (The late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgarmar, who was murdered by the Tamil Tigers, was a prominent member.)

The resolution called church members to “work towards a life style of the poor, which some speakers criticized as “impractical.”

Indeed! It is hard to see these folks ever becoming what Bishop De Chickera is asking them to become, a traditionally privileged elite going down to the slums to work for the poor. More likely they would limit their activities to charity events well away from the stench and ferality of the slums.

Liberation Theology

Liberation theology is a school of theology that focuses on Jesus Christ as not only the Redeemer but also the Liberator of the oppressed.

It emphasizes the Christian mission to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, particularly through political activism. Some elements of certain liberation theologies have been rejected by the Catholic Church.

In essence, liberation theology explores the relationship between Christian, specifically Roman Catholic, theology and political activism, particularly in areas of social justice, poverty and human rights. The main methodological innovation of liberation theology is to approach theology (i.e. to speak of God) from the viewpoint of the economically poor and oppressed, because the poor are a privileged channel of God's grace.

According to Phillip Berryman, liberation theology is "an interpretation of Christian faith through the poor's suffering, their struggle and hope, and a critique of society and the Catholic faith and Christianity through the eyes of the poor."

They call it praxis.

Emphasis is placed on those parts of the Bible where Jesus' mission is described not in terms of bringing peace (social order) but bringing a sword (social unrest), e.g. Matthew 10:34, Luke 22:35-38 and Matthew 26:51-52.

These passages are interpreted as a call to arms to carry out what proponents see as a Christian mission of justice -- literally by some. Marxist concepts such as the doctrine of perpetual class struggle are also significant. (Make a note of this; I’ll show its significance soon.)

Liberation theology also emphasizes what proponents describe as individual self-actualization as part of God's divine purpose for humankind.

In addition to teaching at some Roman Catholic universities and seminaries, liberation theologians can often be found in Protestant-oriented schools.

(The Anglican Church practices a pastiche of Catholicism and English Protestantism.)

Liberation theology is only partially compatible with the official view of Catholic social teaching; large portions of it have indeed been rejected by the Vatican.

Most of the objections by orthodox Catholic critics are leveled at its close affiliation with Marxism, specifically forms of dialectical materialism, and some tendencies (represented by Camilo Torres, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and Ernesto Cardenal for example) to align with revolutionary movements.In effect, Sri Lanka’s Anglican Church has adopted liberation theology.

Liberation theologians Vs the Church

Liberation Theologian Fr. Tissa Balasuriya, a local Catholic priest who made an attempt to adapt his church to the local realities, was excommunicated as a heretic by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, better known as the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

Cardinal Ratzinger is now known as Pope Benedict.

Cardinal Ratzinger fulfilled his institutional role, defending and reaffirming Catholic doctrine, including teaching on topics such as birth control, homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue.

During his period in office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – formerly the Office of the Holy Inquisition, yes, that dreaded one which burnt heretics and a whole heap of witches and sundry subversives at the stake – took disciplinary action against some outspoken liberation theologians in Latin America and Asia, condemning liberation theology, accusing it of Marxist tendencies.

Some, like Leonardo Boff, was suspended, while others like Balasuriya was excommunicated as a heretic.

Other issues also prompted condemnations or revocations of rights to teach: for instance, eleven years after his death, the writings of Indian Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello were the subject of a "notification" – the notice did not condemn all of De Mello's works as heretical, but noted that many of them, particularly the later works, had what Ratzinger and his fellow inquisitors interpreted as an element of religious indifferentism (as they saw it, De Mello held that Christ was "one master alongside others").

Chief Inquisitor Ratzinger accused Balasuriya of denying Mary’s Virginity and, by extension, Jesus’s Virgin Birth. (Some enemy priest in Sri Lanka ratted on him.)

Balasuriya denied the charge of denial, and fought a long battle against the Office of the Inquisition which excommunicated him for heresy.

What he tried to do was to harmonize the Catholic Church in the multi-religious Sri Lanka by, among other things, doing away with its superiority complex.

Finally, thanks to the agitation by fellow priests exclusively in the non-white world, and his own abject pleading, Fr. Balasuriya was reinstalled with a full pension.

Regrettably, in the recent past, Fr Balasuriya has also made what could be seen as overt gestures of solidarity with the Tigers, expressing tacit approval of their cause, in true liberation theologist style. But back to Bishop de Chickera.

Was Rt. Rev. Chickera’s liberation theology approved by the English queen?

The British monarch (at present, Elizabeth II), has the constitutional title of "Supreme Governor of the Church of England"; the Canons of the Church of England state, "We acknowledge that the Queen’s excellent Majesty, acting according to the laws of the realm, is the highest power under God in this kingdom, and has supreme authority over all persons in all causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil".

The Anglican Church hierarchy then structures under the reigning British monarch, from the next-in-command, the Archbishop of Canterbury down to the Bishops and parish priests of England’s former dominions.

It would be interesting to learn whether the radical move of the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka was sanctioned by his English superiors or whether it was a subversive local move.

Head Priest performs Eucharist with Kilinocchi-fermented wine

At the meeting, the Right Reverend Chickera sprung a surprise on his flock by announcing that the wine they had been imbibing at Eucharist over the previous few weeks had been made in Kilinocchi, the Tiger’s lair.

Needless to say, the announcement would have made some Anglicans gulp.

But the good man saw nothing bad about this. In fact, he said that his intention was to make all the Anglican churches throughout the country use Kilinocchi wine for the Eucharist. “That’s the challenge,” he said.

Some people don’t see anything wrong with the Sri Lankan head of the Church of England using wine made in Kilinocchi for their rituals. It’s better to use local than, say, Australian or French wine, save some forex, support Vanni agricultural industry, they say.

Also, the Christian priests in the north have had a long reputation for making excellent wine.

So why not?

This should not be seen as a treacherous move by the local chief priest of the Church of England, some say. They see it as a unifying move.

The proclivity of Liberation Theologians to align themselves with revolutionary movements, especially in South America, is well documented.

The subversive support by prominent churchmen for the Tamil Tigers, notably the Catholic Bishop of Mannar, Rayappu Joseph, is also well known. The Tigers portray themselves as revolutionary liberation movement, although, the Tigers merely resemble a liberation movement; I doubt whether Prabhakaran has read Karl Marx.

I know he had watched Clint Eastwood and has most likely taken a page out of Pol Pot’s book.

However, the Tamil Tigers and Liberation theologists do have certain things in common.

Like liberation priests, the Tigers do not much care for peace (social order) but in bringing a sword (social unrest). I don’t know whether Prabhakaran reads the Bible, but he certainly is a man who carries arms, made a call to arms a long time ago, and unleashes mayhem whenever he feels like it.

As I explained above, liberation theologists interpret passages of the New Testament as a literal call to arms, to carry out what proponents see as a Christian mission of justice.

Now, by imbibing the Killinocchi-fermented wine for their Eucharist, the Archbishop seems to be making a symbolic statement of solidarity with the armed-to the-teeth rulers of the Vanni whose religion is violence.

Could it be that the Right Reverend Chickera is a bit too intoxicated with the Vanni wine?

I would advise some sobriety and, ideally, some sober reflection on these dangerous and devious times. It might then dawn on the good prelate that it is hazardous to dance to the tune of the devil who rules in Kilinocchi.

It could lead to more than a paradigm shift.

All hell could break lose.

It could even miff the crowned head of his church in the form of Her Majesty the Queen of England, whose government has proscribed the ruthless gang in Kilinocchi as a terrorist organization.

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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Street fights in Rome after beatification

Pope Benedict XVI today waded into a fierce political battle in Spain over its bloody past, beatifying 498 priests and nuns killed in the civil war in the largest ever ceremony of its kind.

Addressing the 30,000 mainly Spanish pilgrims that flocked to Rome, the Pope paid tribute to the “martyrs” of the 1936-39 war, who had “paid in blood for their faith in Christ and his Church” and put them on the path to sainthood.

“Their words and gestures of forgiveness towards their persecutors should enable us to work towards reconciliation and peaceful coexistence,” the Pontiff said.

But far from healing the rifts left by the conflict, the lavish ceremony in St. Peter’s Square stirred anger among those who fought against General Franco and suffered under his subsequent 36-year dictatorship.

The Roman Catholic Church largely supported Franco’s side during the war and its aftermath and critics said it was again choosing sides by honouring victims on only one side.

Street fights broke out in Rome following the ceremony when a group of faithful attacked left-wing protesters carrying a banner that read: “Those who have killed, tortured and exploited cannot be beatified”.

Around 30 enraged pilgrims tore the banner to pieces along with a large reproduction of Picasso’s “Guernica”, the most famous depiction of atrocities committed by Franco’s side.

Italian police arrested seven people and impounded a van that protesters had used to film the fighting.

Others critics said the Pope should have recognised the Church’s role in supporting a fascist dictator that killed untold thousands and overthrew a democratically-elected government.

“The Catholic Church has missed an opportunity to recognise its deeds during the civil war and Franco’s dictatorship,” said Spain’s Association for Historical Memory, which is exhuming mass graves of those killed on the Republican side to give them a proper burial. “As long as the Church accepts only its role as victim and not executioner, it will simply be contributing to...the partisan use of the past.”

Spain’s Socialist Government has clashed repeatedly with the Roman Catholic Church over issues ranging from its legalisation of same-sex marriage to the easing of divorce laws and plans to introduce civics lessons into schools.

Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, whose own grandfather was executed by Franco’s forces during the war, has likened his government to the Leftist Second Republic that was overthrown by Franco in the war.

Mr Zapatero has caused howls of protest from conservatives after introducing a law aimed at redressing the injustices suffered by victims of Franco’s regime.

Among other measures, the law orders the removal of any remaining symbols of the dictatorship, which arguably include the shrines in many Spanish churches to the dead on Franco’s side.

By contrast, Republican victims still lie in dozens of unmarked mass graves dotted around the country.

On this occasion, however, both the Government and the Vatican have striven to avoid confrontation.

The Government sent its Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, to lead the Spanish delegation at the ceremony. And the Vatican has strenuously denied that the beatification ceremony as anything to do with the Government’s controversial “Historic Memory” Bill, which comes to a vote next week.

“The beatification process began well before Zapatero came to Government,” the Spanish Cardinal, Julián Herranz, said in Rome. “Those wishing to see the ceremony as political or as having an anti-Government intent are distorting reality and telling a lie.”

But critics have pointed out that only priests aligned with Franco’s side during the war were honoured today.

“Priests that were killed in Catalonia or parts of the Basque Country loyal to the Republic are not being beatified,” said Alejandro Quiroga, professor of Spanish history at Newcastle University.

“It is a very selective, political reading of the whole thing.”

Families of several Basque priests, executed by Franco’s men because they supported the Government side or were Basque nationalists, have complained that their cases have been forgotten.

“Are we nothing, or what?” asked Vicenta Sagarna Uriarte, whose brother José was shot in his church by Franco’s men in 1936.

“We feel so helpless seeing the Vatican ceremony. What about our own? No one has asked for our forgiveness,” she told Spain's El País newspaper.

Some 500,000 people, mostly civilians, died during the three-year Spanish Civil War.

Bands of Communist and Anarchist irregulars on the Republican side burned churches and killed thousands of priests and nuns, while Falangist death squads executed tens of thousands of Spaniards suspected of harbouring Leftist sympathies.

The conflict was seen as a dress rehearsal for World War II, with Nazi Germany supporting Franco’s side and the Soviet Union backing the Republic.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Cardinal: My abortion act hopes

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has given his backing to calls for a change in the law, in what is being seen as a "more pragmatic" approach to the abortion issue.

Leading Catholic commentators said last night that it marked a significant development for the cardinal and the Catholic Church in this country, considering that abortion is regarded as "evil" and a mortal sin by the Vatican.

He argues for the first time that the Government should change the current law, which allows terminations to be carried out as late as 24 weeks into a pregnancy, even though premature babies have recently survived after being born at 22 weeks.

"While upholding the principle of the sacredness of human life, I believe it is both licit and important for those in public life who oppose abortion to work and vote for achievable and incremental improvement to an unjust law," the cardinal says.

"That is why I would support in any way I can MPs who take this stance and are pushing for a reduction in the upper time limit."

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor has entered the abortion row following the launch of a parliamentary inquiry into the suitable upper time limits for abortion, which is expected to publish its report this week.

The Catholic bishops in England and Wales restated their official condemnation of abortion as recently as 2004, describing it as "the taking of an innocent human life", and Pope John Paul II said that it "constitutes a grave moral disorder".

Earlier this year the cardinal said that Catholic politicians who supported terminations should not receive Holy Communion, adding that they should approach the Eucharist "only after receiving faithfully the sacrament of penance".

However, while remaining opposed to abortion, he is understood to be keen to build an alliance to fight the current law.

"In the past Catholic teaching has been seized upon by people on both sides to polarise the debate," the aide said.

"The cardinal is taking a new approach to reach out to the majority in the middle who want abortion to become rarer, but this is not an embracing of relativism."

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor also attacked advice given by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists that argued women should no longer have to obtain the signatures of two doctors to have an early abortion.

"To relax oversight and accountability puts us on the road to unlimited access to abortion," he said.

Yesterday he presided over a service at Westminster Cathedral held to mark the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act, since which 6.7 million terminations have taken place.

Thousands of pro-life activists attended the service, which followed a rally outside the Houses of Parliament.

Helen Watt, the director of the Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics, backed the move to change the law in a pro-life direction. "I share the cardinal's wish to save at least some human lives from destruction," she said.

Fr Ian Ker, a lecturer in theology at Oxford, said that the cardinal's stance seemed to represent "a more pragmatic" approach to the issue.

"Some critics might say that this looks like compromise," he said. "The Holy See might consider that 'unjust' is a very weak word to use to describe a law that permits the killing of unborn children."

However, John Smeaton, the national director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, expressed concern. "He is not making the right approach," he said. "Abortion should be made unlawful, but any attempts to reform the upper limit could backfire by making the law even worse."

Meanwhile, the parliamentary committee conducting an inquiry into abortion is set to split over the contents of its report.

Two members of the science and technology committee are threatening to publish a "minority report" if the group's findings do not give sufficient weight to claims that premature babies can survive at an ever younger age.

MPs are due to meet today, when members would be assured that all their views, and the scientific evidence supporting the arguments, would be reflected in the report.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Catholics in European Russia welcome new leader

The new head of the Catholic Church in European Russia has taken office after a ceremony at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow.

Bishop Paolo Pezzi, 47, of Italian origin, is a former head of the Catholic Seminary in St. Petersburg.

The service was conducted by Pezzi’s predecessor, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz.

He is being transferred by the Pope to his native Belarus after 16 years of service in Russia.

The diocese headed by Paolo Pezzi covers the western part of European Russia from Kaliningrad and St.Petersburg to Nizhny Novgorod.

Catholics make up around one per cent of Russia's population.

And according to the Russian Justice Ministry, 220 Catholic parishes are registered in the country.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Christian Organizations Protest Brutal Attack on Catholic Nuns in North India

Five Roman Catholic nuns were attacked by Hindu radicals in North India.

They belong to the Franciscan Clarist Congregation in Indore in the North Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

According to a news release from Salem Voice Ministries News Service (SVM), the nuns were beaten up Oct. 25 while returning from a prayer meeting.

SVM reported that a group of 20 activists belonging to Bajrangdal (the Monkey Brigade group), and workers from Dharma Raksha Samiti (a society for protecting the Hindu religion), beat the nuns with sticks.

The Hindu activists accused the nuns of persuading people that they needed to convert to Christianity. SVM reported that Sister Geo of FCC said, “The sisters were dragged and their clothes were torn.”

One nun’s leg was broken and another had to get seven stitches on her head. They were admitted to hospital. The other nuns were also injured.

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that while the nuns filed a report with the police the complaint was not initially accepted.

GCIC reported that one of the nuns denied any attempt to convert anyone to Christianity.

However, SVM reported that a local official said the sisters had attempted to convert people in the area.

He added, “The people who came to meet (the) sisters after the prayer meeting picked ... a quarrel on this issue, which lead to (the) clash between the sisters and our workers.”

Responding to these allegations SVM reported that GCIC President Dr. Sajan George said, “It is nothing but finding an easy way to justify the brutality done to women, and we will fight ... tooth and nail.”

SVM reported that officials at an emergency meeting of the diocesan education committee strongly objected to the response from the state and district administration.

Education Secretary Sr. Christie said, as reported by SVM, “As a mark of protest we will close all our educational institutions in Indore, and nearby places where these Christian associations operate. If the government do not arrest them, then we will take longer protests in the due course of time.”

Archbishop Dr. Leo Cornelio, Chairman of the Catholic Bishops Council of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh state, reacted very sharply to the attack on the sisters. He said in a news release, “We have been suffering silently, but it looks that the fundamental organizations take it as a weakness from our part. It is an attack on women and human freedom.”

An emergency meeting of the Christian leaders were called in Bhopal, the state capital, to determine a course of action. SVM reported that the Christian community decided to join a peace rally to be held in Indore on Oct. 28 at Gandhi Chauk.

SVM said that Paul Ciniraj, president of the Christian Ministers of the Churches of India (CMCI) condemned the attack towards Roman Catholic nuns of Indore. Indore Catholic Bishop Mar George Anathil also condemned the incident.

The GCIC further emphasized its condemnation of the attack, saying that the attempt to silence the nuns, the voice of the voiceless and the poor, is a hidden agenda to intimidate the small Christian community in India.

Salem Voice Ministries ministers the gospel and provides relief services in India and third world countries.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

The Rosary: The Devil’s Defeat

On the day of Bartolo Longo's beatification, October 26, 1980, Pope John Paul II called him a "man of the Madonna"; he later called him "a true apostle of the rosary" and "a layman who lived his ecclesial pledge to the full".

And John Paul II knew what he was saying — his own Marian spirituality was influenced deeply by what, as a young man, he had gleaned from Bartolo's life and works.

So who was this a man who so profoundly affected the greatest pope of the 20th century and who has had a permanent effect on the way we Catholics venerate Mary?

Unfortunately, he is unknown to many of those in the English-speaking world. His name is Blessed Bartolo Longo.

Most people who know of Bartolo have heard of him from asides made by John Paul II in his apostolic letter on the rosary — but there is much more to this remarkable man than a few pithy quotes. His feast day is October 6th, and this is his story.

In Bartolo's time, from the 1860s onwards, the Church in Naples was experiencing a spiritual crisis.

Unbelief, rebellion, and the occult were widespread and affecting the souls of the faithful, especially college students.

Many of them traded the theology of the saints for the philosophy of atheists, made street demonstrations against the pope, and — perhaps most dangerous of all — dabbled in witchcraft and consulted the famous Neapolitan mediums.

Among the wayward students in Naples, one stood above the rest in the depths of his depravity.
As a young man, Bartolo not only participated in the anti-Catholic demonstrations, he not only preached publically and vehemently against the faith, he not only sought psychic mediums with his friends — he went even further and became a Satanic priest.

Later on, Bartolo would describe how, in the rites of his blasphemous "ordination", he promised his soul to a spirit-guide, a demon, which shook the walls and manifested itself with blasphemous shrieks.

For over a year, Bartolo lived under the spell of the demon, practicing the rites that were a mockery of the Church's holy sacraments.

Eventually, Bartolo's experiences as a priest of Satan became unbearable, for the torments of a demon made him go nearly insane. But his family had not given up on him; through their help, he sought refuge in the sacrament of confession.

Bartolo became associated with a Dominican friar who led him to a love of God through devotion to the rosary.

Soon thereafter, Bartolo became a Dominican tertiary and took the name "Rosario". Around this time, he visited a séance and in his zeal held his rosary aloft, declaring, "I renounce spiritualism because it is nothing but a maze of error and falsehood."

He also came to know some holy Franciscans with whom he helped the poor and incurably ill for two years. While performing these good works, Bartolo kept up his law practice, which took him to the nearby village of Pompei.

Though Bartolo went to Pompei as a lawyer, he left as an apostle. There, Bartolo later recounted, he was shocked at the erosion of the people's faith.

He wrote, "Their religion was a mixture of superstition and popular tradition, rather than a real and true cult of God. For their every need, even the basest, they would go to a witch, a sorceress, in order to obtain charms and witchcraft."

Through talking to the citizens, Bartolo came to recognize their severe lack of catechesis. When he asked one man if there was only one God, the fellow answered, "When I was a child, I remember people telling me there were three. Now, after so many years, I don 't know if one of them is dead or one has married."

It was around this time that Bartolo was beset with another temptation: despair. Thoughts about his sinful past began to overwhelm him so much that he contemplated suicide. When he was on the verge of taking his life, a divine inspiration came to him. It was a thought that changed his life, the diocese of Naples, and the lives of millions around the globe: "One who propagates the Rosary shall be saved."

Falling to his knees, Bartolo made this vow to the Blessed Virgin Mary: "I shall not leave this earth without propagating your Rosary." At that moment, he later recalled, "the little bell of the parish church rang out, inviting the people to pray the Angelus." He regarded this incident as a confirmation of his resolution.

From then on, Bartolo's life was dedicated to teaching others about Mary, praising her, and making her loved among the faithful. His approach to the apostolate had many different aspects.
For catechesis, Bartolo wrote many books and pamphlets and gave conferences on the mysteries of Christ's life and devotion to the Blessed Virgin. To appeal to man's love for beauty, he obtained a painting of Our Lady of the Rosary which in time procured many miracles.

In the practical sphere, Bartolo founded many charitable institutions in Pompei, including an orphanage, a trade school, and a congregation of sisters to staff them; he built so many buildings that the complex became known as the City of Mary.

When Bartolo was about to die in 1926, his bed was surrounded by the orphans whom he had worked with such affection to educate. They prayed their beloved rosary together and, when finished, he said with his last breath, "My only desire is to see Mary, who has saved me and who will save me from the clutches of Satan."

Through Bartolo's tireless efforts, the occult arts were practically eradicated in the region of Naples, a worldwide Marian movement was started, and a church that was once used by about 100 elderly people became a basilica shrine that is now visited by about 10,000 a day.

Bartolo's Marian and rosary-centered spirituality was so influential that, in his own day, he was directly encouraged by Bl. Pius IX, St. Pius X, and Leo XIII, the last of whom has been called the Pope of the Rosary.

After his death, Bartolo's influence on the very highest circles of the Church did not wane. It was due largely to the popular movement which Bartolo started that Pius XII made the infallible declaration on the Assumption of Mary.

Even in our own time, Bartolo continues to inspire the Church.
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

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Sotto Voce

Irish lawmakers to move forward on civil-union proposal

Ireland's Labour Party has announced plans to re-introduce legislation that would establish civil-union recognition for same-sex couples.

The Labour proposal, to be brought before the Dáil (parliament) next week, would provide same-sex couples with the same legal and financial benefits as traditional marriage.

Similar legislation was introduced early this year, but after debating the measure the Dáil agreed to postpone further action for 6 months at the request of the government.

In announcing plans to revive the legislation, the Labour Party called attention to the support the proposal had received from Ireland's major political parties, noting that those who had sought immediate approval for the bill earlier this year now constitute a majority in the Dáil.

Labour officials also took note of the government's promise to allow early consideration of the measure.

Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern announced in July that his government "is committed to providing a more supportive and secure legal environment for same-sex couples."

Ahern said that legislation allowing for recognition of civil partnerships would be introduced "at the earliest possible date." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Top U.K. churchman to visit Israel next week

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, is expected to visit Israel next week for meetings with the chief rabbis.

Williams, the chief religious figure of the Church of England and symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, blasted Israel's security policy on previous visits.

He is not expected to meet Israeli politicians, although he frequently speaks out on political issues.

Williams objected strongly to the war in Iraq and said three weeks ago in Syria that the talk of a military strike against Iran or Syria was "criminal, ignorant and potentially murderous folly."

On a visit to Bethlehem last year Williams said the separation barrier was "a sign of all that is wrong in the human heart."

On another occasion he attacked Israel for not ensuring the safety of the Christian communities in the Holy Land.

Two years ago at a Church of England gathering he supported practicing "morally responsible investment in the Palestinian occupied territories" and divesting from "companies profiting from the illegal occupation."

Rabbi David Rosen, chairman of the International Jewish Committee and one of the organizers of Williams' visit, said that "the archbishop is committed to Israel's existence and the good relations between Jews and Anglicans."
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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Spain's church-state battle goes to class

The new course introduced in Spanish schoolrooms this autumn seemed innocuous enough: civic lessons on the meaning of the constitution and the rights that every citizen of Spain can expect.

But the curriculum has become the latest battleground in a raging war between Spain's leftist government and the still-powerful Roman Catholic Church.

Church officials and conservative social activists are trying to have the mandatory courses scrapped, contending that the curriculum promotes ideas that go against church teachings.

Among those is acceptance of homosexuals and, by implication, same-sex marriage, which the government legalized a couple of years ago.

"This is a frontal assault on the Catholic religion," said Sister Maria Rosa de la Cierva, a nun who is the church's liaison to the Education Ministry.

"This is an authentic scholastic war . . . and part of a clear persecution, little by little, of the Catholic faith."

Opponents of the curriculum have mounted a petition drive and claim to have gathered more than 20,000 signatures. They want children to be allowed to declare themselves "conscientious objectors" and boycott the classes.

And they say they are prepared to go to court to press their challenge.

Education is only the latest squabble driving a wedge between the church and the state.

Church officials, a so-called pro-family conservative lobby and rightist opposition politicians have reacted with horror to the government's liberalization of abortion and divorce laws, its reduction of state funding for churches and its efforts to better separate church and state.

At the heart of the conflict is a Vatican-backed effort by Spanish conservatives to restore traditional Catholicism to a place of importance in public life -- and to recapture the power and influence that go with that.

The Socialist government, however, sees the promotion of secular values and its socially liberal agenda as essential to the nation's modernization, especially in today's fast-changing, multicultural Spain.

Modern Spanish history is replete with the ups and downs of tumultuous relations between the church and state. As the renowned Basque writer Pio Baroja once put it: Spaniards through the ages have followed their priests -- either with candles, or with clubs.

A deadly wave of anti-clericalism swept Spain in the 1930s, when another leftist government was trying to modernize the state and push aside a Catholicism that had reigned for centuries.

In extreme cases, priests who resisted the changes were jailed, even killed, and churches burned.

It became one of the pretexts seized upon by Gen. Francisco Franco to attempt overthrowing the government in a 1936 revolt that launched Spain's devastating civil war. Once he won, Franco declared Catholicism the official religion, and the church and its priests gained enormous clout.

Under Franco, Catholic instruction became compulsory in school. To this day, under a treaty that Franco signed with the Holy See, Spain is obliged to offer Catholic instruction in all public schools. With the citizenship curriculum introduced this term, that arrangement raises the possibility of contradictory lessons. A pupil could be instructed in the beliefs of the Catholic Church in one schoolroom, then hear opposite arguments in another.

Education Ministry officials say that teaching about citizenship and laws, and all that goes with it, including tolerance for minorities, is essential in a Spain that is no longer homogenous. The number of children of immigrant parents in Spain's pre-university school population, officials point out, has grown nearly tenfold in the last decade.

"The reality of Spain today is that students are coming from different kinds of families," Alejandro Tiana, secretary-general of the ministry, said in an interview.

"The education system should teach the importance of fighting discrimination and avoiding homophobia. The new curriculum does not impose a code of personal morality but one of civic principles, Tiana said. In other words, it aims not to govern personal convictions but behavior within society.

But opponents contend that the government is using the courses to impose its own beliefs. By refusing to establish marriage between man and woman as the only acceptable form, for example, the instruction creates a kind of "relativism" in which there are no rules or absolute truths, the critics maintain.

"If you can't tell good from bad, then you can't be a good citizen," said Benigno Blanco, head of the Spanish Family Forum, a coalition of conservative organizations.

The new curriculum, he said, "makes a moral code of what the government of the moment wants."

Tiana, the ministry official, said the citizenship courses would not force pupils to change their core beliefs but would help them understand what it means to be a responsible citizen in a diverse world.

He said he believed the government would be able to negotiate with moderate sectors of the church to make the curriculum acceptable, saying, "It is not our desire to have a war." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Lawyers for Catholic Church hand over dossier to PSNI

SOLICITORS for the Catholic Church have handed over files to the PSNI which is carrying out a major inquiry into historic allegations of child sex abuse by priests.

Security Minister Paul Goggins has revealed that church solicitors have supplied police with details of victims and allegations and that an investigation file had been sent to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) for consideration.

Mr Goggins has disclosed limited details about the inquiry in answers to a series of questions in the House of Commons by David Simpson, the DUP MP for Mid Ulster.

The minister said the church had "co-operated fully" with the PSNI investigation.

But Mr Simpson says Mr Goggins failed to clarify whether the Catholic church has handed over its full files on the alleged abuse cases.

In his latest written question on the issue, Mr Simpson asked whether the information submitted to the PSNI by solicitors for the church was in the form of full details or in the form of summaries of allegations.

Mr Goggins replied: "Solicitors acting on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church provided PSNI with details regarding the victims and their allegations.

"This information permitted PSNI to make contact with those victims and establish the full facts of each case.

He added: "For legal reasons no further comment can be made at this stage."

Mr Simpson told Sunday Life: "What would concern me is if full disclosure was not forthcoming from church authorities. The minister failed to confirm whether or not the full files or only summary files were handed over.

"If it was the case that only summary files were made available to the police, then they would not have access to details about any internal investigation that was carried out or of any questions put to and answers given by people against whom allegations were made."

Mr Simpson added: "Surely the lesson previous notorious cases is that a minimalist approach simply won't work."
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Polish Catholic Church counts worshippers

On Sunday the Catholic Church in Poland conducted an annual study to find out how many Catholics go to churches and how many receive Holy Communion.

In 10,000 parishes throughout Poland the worshippers were counted by pollsters.

The hierarchs of the Catholic Church want to know how many people are engaged in religious live and how many are attending masses.

The pollsters also checked the sex division among practicing Catholics.

The pollsters will have counted the worshippers over 7 years of age.

In Poland such studies are conducted since 1980 and they reveal changes in the Polish society.

For example, since that time the general number of people attending masses has decreased, but the number of worshippers describing their faith as deep doubled.

According to sociologists, this means that Poles stopped going to church because ‘this befits’, but out of spiritual needs.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Book on Italy's favorite saint draws Catholic ire

For millions of Catholics, Padre Pio was a holy man whose bleeding hands were stigmata -- supernatural signs of his deep faith and miraculous powers.

But a new book suggesting the Italian priest, who died in 1968 and was made saint by Pope John Paul II, was a self-harming fraud has drawn a backlash from those who accuse the author of committing "anti-Catholic libel".

In his book "Padre Pio, miracles and politics in 20th century Italy", Sergio Luzzatto reveals that the Vatican itself was initially deeply skeptical of the priest whose image is ubiquitous in homes, shops and cafes throughout Italy today.

"The job of a historian is not to say whether a miracle is true or false," Luzzatto told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"It is to understand why, in a country like Italy which in the 20th century can be considered fairly secular, miracles are so prominent -- what does that say about Italy?"

With access to Vatican archives, Luzzatto found evidence that the Capuchin priest secretly ordered bottles of carbolic acid which he may have used to create the wounds in his hands similar to those of Christ who was nailed to the cross.

As the priest's fame grew in the early 1900s, senior Vatican officials suspected him of being a hoaxer, but the groundswell of devotion was eventually too much for the Church to resist and he was gradually tolerated and later revered.

Pio died in 1968, aged 81, 50 years after first saying he experienced the stigmata.

In 2002, Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Pio of Pietrelcina after the Church found evidence that the miraculous cure of a sick woman was due to the late priest's intercession.

PAPAL INFALLIBILITY

The saint's popularity in Italy is hard to overstate.

His birthplace in southern Italy is a shrine that attracts hordes of pilgrims and a survey in a Catholic magazine last year found far more Italian Catholics pray to him than any other icon of the faith, including the Virgin Mary or Jesus.

Even before the book's publication later this week, excerpts printed in a national newspaper have sparked controversy.

"We remind Professor Luzzatto that, according to Catholic doctrine, canonization implies papal infallibility," said Pietro Siffi, head of the Catholic Anti-Defamation League in a statement on the group's website.

In a reference to Luzzatto's Jewish origins, Siffi added: "Might we suggest that Prof. Luzzatto puts his energies into studying his own religion seeing that when it comes to Christianity, and Catholicism in particular, it looks like he has really overstepped the mark."

Luzzatto, who teaches at the University of Turin, rejected the notion that Catholic history should be the exclusive realm of Catholics. "No one asks a scholar of Greek history: 'Do you believe in Jupiter?' It's not relevant for a historian to answer this type of question."

Declaring himself an agnostic, Luzzatto says he does not believe in the stigmata, but believes that the Padre Pio story says a lot about Italy and about the Roman Catholic Church which, in his analysis, learned to love the priest only after it was clear he had a large and devoted following.

"This whole story shows that the Church sometimes has to resign itself to let the lower rungs win rather than the hierarchy.

"There's no doubt that even if Padre Pio did have supporters high up in the church in the 1930s and 1940s, this is one of the cases where the base won."
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Sotto Voce

Catholic church says mass beatification not political

The biggest mass beatification ever has taken place in Rome, amid accusations that it is a political dig at the Spanish government.

The 498 Spanish martyrs, mainly priests, monks and nuns, were killed at the start of the Spanish civil war by left-wing government militias after the clergy, generally, sided with General Franco.

The ceremony comes at the start of a week when the Spanish parliament is expected to pass legislation condemning the rule of Franco.

The Spanish Catholic church has attacked the proposed law and insists today's ceremony was not politically motivated.

It says it has been gathering evidence for years of the killings of hundreds, if not thousands of its members during the civil war.

Some say Franco launched his rebellion in part because of the government treatment of the church.

"It's not a question of rewriting the Civil War," said one Spanish pilgrim attending the ceremony in St Peter's Square.

"It was religious persecution. They are martyrs because they died for their religion."

Relations between the Catholic church and the Spanish government have deteriorated under Zapatero's rule, as he has made it easier for Spaniards to divorce, legalised gay marriages, and opposed religion in schools.
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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Martyrdom is a “realistic possibility” for every Christian, says Pope

The beatification of 498 martyrs from the Spanish Civil War and Saturday’s beatification of a Polish nun, Sister Celina Chludzińska Borzęcka, gave Benedict XVI to opportunity to touch upon a central tenet of the faith: martyrdom.

Indeed martyrdom is a “realistic possibility” for every believer who lives his or her faith coherently. But in addition to the giving one’s life as a result of an act of violence there is also the “silent” gift in “everyday life” made by those who dedicate themselves to the poor, i.e. those who give an “important witness in the secularised societies of our times.”

The Pope addressed the issue before a crowd of some 50,000 who had gathered in Saint Peter for the recitation of the Angelus, including a large number of Spaniards with unfurled flags who had previously taken part in the beatification ceremony presided in Saint Peter’s Square by Card José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

“The contemporaneous inclusion of such a large number of martyrs to the list of the Blessed,” said the Pope, “shows that the supreme witness of blood is not an exception reserved only to a few individuals, but is a realistic possibility for the entire Christian people. We are in fact talking about men and women who vary in terms of age, vocation and social background but who paid with their life their faithfulness to Christ and the Church. The words by Saint Paul that echo in this Sunday’s liturgy are fitting: “For I am already being poured out like a libation,” aid Timothy, “and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith (2 Tim, 4: 6-7).”

“The month of October, which is dedicated in particular to the missionary action, thus ends on the luminous witness of the Spanish martyrs,” Benedict XVI stressed.

“Their example bears witness to the fact that the Baptism commits Christians to participate with courage to expand the Kingdom of God, going as far as sacrificing their very lives. Not everyone is called to violent martyrdom,” the Pope added.

But “there is also a bloodless ‘martyrdom,’ which is no less significant, like that of Celina Chludzińska Borzęcka, wife and mother, widow and nun who was beatified yesterday in Rome. She is the silent and heroic witness of so many Christians who live the Gospel without compromises, performing their duties, generously devoting themselves to serve the poor. Their everyday martyrdom is a very important witness in the secularised societies of our times. It is the peaceful battle of love that every Christian—like Paul—must indefatigably fight.”

At the end, “the race to spread the Gospel commits us till death,” said the Pope.
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Why more and more of us are saying 'I don't!'

We imagine that all women want weddings.

That they long for the day when they'll drift down that aisle in a dress of their dreams.

Not so!

Marriage, it seems, is going out of fashion.

British statistics show that by 2031, married couples will be in the minority.

The number of couples eschewing marriage has increased by 65pc in the past 10 years.

There are now 2.3 million co-habiting couples.

The same trend is happening in Ireland.

The 2006 census showed that co-habiting couples are the fastest growing family type.

They now comprise 11.5pc of all family units compared with 8.4pc in 2002.

Only a third of those couples had children; but in Dublin city, less than one in five households were made up of the traditional family of husband, wife and children.

Does this matter in our enlightened age?

According to the UK's Focus on Families report, children do better within marriage.

Seventeen-year-old children of co-habiting couples had done less well at school, and the children of single mums tended to be less healthy too.

Legally, it is better to be married too; particularly if you are a dad.

It's something that Pól Ó Conghaile, author of That's My Baby, pondered over when his girlfriend Lynnea was expecting baby Rosa.

"As an unmarried father, I have no statutory rights," he writes to his unborn child. "My name may appear on your birth certificate but I am not automatically your legal guardian. I may become a joint guardian only provided your mother and I sign a statutory declaration. We will, of course, but thinking about it all, my ship feels suddenly unsteady."

Pól and Lynnea are now engaged.

Couples taking pre-marriage courses at MRCS Counselling are often parents of babies and older children. And they're not just marrying for legal reasons.

"They are marrying for emotional reasons, and for what is best for the children," says Doreen Condon, a counsellor with MRCS.

"In my experience, most people in Ireland want marriage; and, according to various studies, this is not the case internationally. When people here have children, they want to create that safe, secure environment that they feel comes with a marriage contract."

Gerry Hickey, a psychotherapist and counsellor, sees very few co-habiting couples in his practice.

"There are some," he says. "And they seem contented enough. I do have a suspicion, though, that one partner is less keen on co-habiting than the other; although they go along with it, they are secretly hoping things will be formalised."

When it comes to the second time around, though, couples tend to co-habit for a long time before they consider making that commitment.

"Where trust has broken down and there has been a sense of betrayal, it will take a long time for that person to trust again," he says. "And if you were the one who wanted out, it affects your confidence. You think: 'Am I right in making this decision, or will I be making the same mistake again?'"

Victor Murphy, 38, and Máire O'Mahony, 30, have been seeing each other for five years and have lived happily together for the past three. And they don't see any need for that piece of paper to formalise things.

"It's just not an issue," says Máire. "When you say 'marriage' in Ireland you think of that whole Catholic marriage, and that is something I have never, ever aspired to."

Victor agrees. "It's the thought of that whole church thing which is twisted and is dominated by men," he says. "Ours is a very equal relationship. Marriage vows are about the subservience of women. It just does not seem equal."

What about the legal issues; and about the saving in tax?

"Money does not make you happy," says Victor, who runs restaurants, bars and clubs.

Máire is an artist. Her work can be seen, until 23 October, in a group show titled Scissors Cut Paper at the Monster Truck Gallery on Francis Street.

The next big event in her life will be the birth of her first baby, due in six weeks' time.

Will that make a difference to the way the couple feels about marriage?

"Family values are great," says Victor. "Children want and need stability. If two people can live together and bring up children that is wonderful. But marriage is simply of no consequence. None."

Máire, though, is beginning to waver. She likes the idea of celebrating the family unit in some way. What will Victor do if she ever decides she wants to be married?

"I love her so I would go along with anything that makes her happy," he says. "But marriage, to me, really is not relevant."

Sarah Webb and Ben Cooke have two children; Amy, 4, and Jago, 10. They've been living happily together for almost eight years now, and have no immediate plans to marry.

"It's just not an issue," says Sarah, author of When The Boys Are Away. "I have a son, Sam, from a previous relationship. I had him when I was 24; he's 13 now. I wasn't married then, and it wasn't a problem; so having another child when I wasn't married didn't seem like a big deal. I have friends who are separated and divorced; it's the strength of the relationship that matters, not some piece of paper."

"Sam's father got married last year. Sam was an usher and we all went. He did ask, then: 'will you and Ben ever get married?' And I said: 'Maybe. Sometime down the line.' He accepted that.
"We're always going to weddings; there was a rash of them two years ago. People always ask us why we're not married; especially if they are happily married themselves. They just don't get it. And it's not that we're anti-marriage; we just haven't seen the need for it."

"When my cousin got married to her female partner it was a wonderful celebration. That did make me think: 'If they can do it against all the odds, maybe we should.' A wedding is lovely for both families. "

"We would pay less tax if we were married, but that's not a reason. We once went to a wedding of a couple who had been together for many years. On their invitation it said: 'We're marrying as a triumph of taxation over free will.' That's awful!"

"We've made a will, and though fathers' rights can be an issue, Ben knows he can trust me. Sam's father had always played a strong role in Sam's life; Ben can see that. Sam still sees his grandparents on his dad's side as well. I feel, strongly, that the more people who love a child the better."

"If one person wants to marry and the other doesn't, that could be difficult. We have discussed it and we are both comfortable with it."

And these days celebrities too are reluctant to walk up the aisle, despite the pressure on them to provide the society pages of the glossy style mags with glamorous wedding photos.

Actress Helen Baxendale, star of Cold Feet and guest star on Friends, has said she has no plans to marry, despite having given birth to her third child last year with her partner David Williams.
"I'm not religious so I can't see a need for marriage. I think it is monstrous how the British government is trying to manipulate people into marriage using the tax laws and penalising people for being single. We have been together for 10 years, we love each other and that should be enough."
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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

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New editor-in-chief takes over at Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano

The new top editor at the official Vatican newspaper said Saturday he would promote an exchange of ideas at the daily and include news about Judaism, Islam and other Christian communities around the world.

Giovanni Maria Vian penned his first editorial for L'Osservatore Romano on Saturday, his first day on the job, after being named to replace editor-in-chief Mario Agnes, who guided the daily for more than two decades.

Pope Benedict XVI received Vian in a private audience, telling him he hoped the newspaper of the popes would continue to show the "fruitful meeting between faith and reason."

In his editorial, Vian said that in its international coverage, L'Osservatore would "reserve space for the meeting of ideas, with a cordial opening to the confrontation of reason."

"The newspaper of the popes will look to inform the world on the Catholic community in different continents, on Christian churches and confessions, Judaism, Islam and other religions," he wrote.

Vian, a church historian and journalist, is the newspaper's 10th editor-in-chief since its inception in 1861.

L'Osservatore is published daily in Italian and weekly in six other languages.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

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Pope Urges Bishops to Focus On Thorough Christian Formation

Catholics in Gabon need thorough formation to enable them face various challenges in life, the Pope told bishops from the West African nation.

In this way, said Benedict XVI, "ecclesial communities will be more vibrant and the faithful will draw strength from the liturgy and from individual, family and community prayer, so that, in all fields of social life, they become witnesses of the Good News and workers for reconciliation, justice and peace in this world of ours which needs these things more than ever."

The Pope met the bishops Friday at the close of their five-yearly visit to the Vatican.

He emphasized to them the need to pay particular attention to the youth of Gabon, so that they may become "the first evangelizers of their peers".

Responding to the bishops' concern over the low numbers of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life, the Holy Father noted that "the seminary in Libreville must be watched over with particular care because the future of evangelization and of the Church are at stake."

The Holy Father encouraged priests and religious and their families to "mobilize themselves through prayer, attention to the youngest and a concern for transmitting the call of Christ, so that the vocations your country needs may arise and spread."

With reference to priests, the Pope stressed that, "living in constant intimacy with Christ, they will have a sharper awareness of the need to remain faithful to the commitments made before God and the Church, especially ... chastity and celibacy. In this way, they will experience their priestly ministry ever more as a service to the faithful."
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

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Conduct unbecoming a ‘Catholic’ college? (Contribution)

The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester was slated to provide facilities for a conference on Oct. 24, organized by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy.

By the time this contribution appears, the conference either will or will not have taken place.

If it does not, it will be because of the Worcester bishop’s request to Father Michael McFarland, SJ, president of Holy Cross, “to revoke the college’s agreement to rent space to the Massachusetts Teen Alliance.”

Bishop Robert J. McManus issued his formal request on Oct. 10 because of complaints from people that are “shocked and outraged that a Catholic institution like Holy Cross would have anything to do” with workshops presented by members of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, both of which “promote positions on artificial contraception and abortion that are contrary to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.”

The schedule includes a workshop run by someone from Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts to “learn the latest and greatest information on protection methods and how to engage the teen parents you work with in conversations about these options. The workshop will provide useful information about contraceptive methods…”

Another workshop is to be led by lawyer Jamie Sabino, who arranges for minor girls to get judicial consent for abortions without the consent or even knowledge of any parents: “Specifically addressed will be provision of contraceptives, parental consent and judicial bypass for abortion and questions regarding mandated reporting of underage sexual activity.”

The Bishop of Worcester says it is his “pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves ‘Catholic.’”

As a Catholic institution, “The College of the Holy Cross should recognize that any association with these groups can create the situation of offering scandal understood in its proper theological sense, i.e., an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil.”

What was the response of Father McFarland?

On Oct. 18 he sent an e-mail to alumni and friends of Holy Cross saying that “Holy Cross regrets any confusion that in renting space, the college is supporting Planned Parenthood, NARAL or other agencies that promote practices contrary to Church teaching….

Holy Cross fully affirms and promotes Catholic teaching on abortion and the sanctity of all human life…

To cancel at this point would break a legal contract and would make it impossible for the alliance to hold a conference that we believe deals with a worthwhile subject. Teenage parents and teenagers at risk of becoming pregnant are among the most vulnerable people in our country today….

I respect the duty of Bishop McManus to uphold the teachings of the Church….

However, it is the college’s position that providing rented meeting space to a conference of professionals….does not represent a disregard of Catholic teaching.”

So it seems that, unless he has a last-minute change of heart, Father McFarland will provide space for Planned Parenthood et al. They have a contract. It’s about the money, then.

But it’s also about the principle: “We believe [the conference] deals with a worthwhile subject”: stuff like artificial contraception for kids and minor girls getting abortions without their parents’ knowing about it. It’s also about sex, then. And it’s ultimately about power.

The Jesuit college is telling the bishop that he’s wrong.

Who’s in charge here?

Funny. I thought that the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience were all about distancing religious from the temptations of money, sex and power.

Giving lip-service to the teaching of the Church (and the authority of the bishop), contrasts rather sharply with giving scandal in the proper theological sense of providing facilities to lead others into evil attitudes and behavior.

In the words of then-Cardinal Ratzinger, “Can it be that, despite all our expressions of consternation in the face of evil and innocent suffering, we are all too prepared to trivialize the mystery of evil?”

This trivialization of evil “salves our consciences and allows us to carry on as before.”

In the modern university, it’s business as usual for the educational careerists and bureaucrats.

What would St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, say?

We know what he did say: “If we wish to be sure that we are right in all things, we should always be ready to accept this principle: I will believe that the white that I see is black, if the hierarchical Church so defines it” (Rules for Thinking with the Church, n. 13).

And St. Ignatius’ patron saint, the apostolic father St. Ignatius of Antioch, whose feast we celebrated last week, wrote insistently, “Let there be nothing among you that can divide you, but be unified with the bishop and with those who preside according to the model and teaching of incorruptibility.” (Letter to the Magnesians, 6).

If Holy Cross persists in saying one thing and doing another, professing Catholicism but denying it in practice, then to hell with it.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

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