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The "Amoris Laetitia Family" year begins, in the wake of Dublin

The Solemnity of St. Joseph was the starting signal for the "Amoris Laetitia Family Year", which Pope Francis called for five years after his Apostolic Exhortation on the joy and beauty of family love.

Rafael Miner-March 20, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

The Holy Father made the invitation public at the Angelus on 27 December last year, the feast of the Holy Family: "Today's feast invites us precisely to the example of evangelizing with the family, presenting to us once again the ideal of conjugal and family love, as underlined in the Apostolic Exhortation '....Amoris Laetitiawhose fifth anniversary of promulgation will take place on March 19. And there will be a year of reflection on the 'Amoris Laetitia' and will be an opportunity to deepen the contents of the document."

Subsequently, the Pope made the proposal more concrete, and invited the whole Church to make this year, which will conclude with the 10th World Meeting of Families to be held in Rome on June 26, 2022, "a renewed and creative pastoral impulse to place the family at the center of the Church's and society's attention".

This is what he said at the Angelus last Sunday, March 14, in which he encouraged the faithful to pray, "so that every family may feel in its own home the living presence of the Holy Family of Nazareth, which fills our small domestic communities with sincere and generous love, a source of joy even in trials and difficulties".

As reported by omnesmag.com, among the objectives of this Special Year are: to make families the protagonists of family ministry; to make young people aware of the need to of the importance of formation in the truth of love and the gift of self, with initiatives dedicated to them; and tobroadening the outlook and action of the family ministry to become transversal, including spouses, children, young people, the elderly and situations of family fragility.

Two days ago, at the presentation press conference, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, noted that "it is more timely than ever to dedicate an entire pastoral year to the Christian family, because presenting to the world God's plan for the family is a source of joy and hope; it is truly good news!"

"We have to take care of it" (Krakow).

The Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), was signed by Pope Francis in the middle of the Jubilee of Mercy, on March 19, 2016, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Shortly thereafter, the Pope attended World Youth Day in Krakow (Poland), the homeland of St. John Paul II, following the WYD held in Brazil in 2013.

Their messages can be found on the official websites of the Holy See. Here are some significant anecdotes that may illustrate the call for this special Year.

It happened in the archbishopric of Krakow, shortly before the beginning of WYD. The Holy Father was on the balcony to greet a large group of young people. They told him that among them were several newlyweds and young spouses. And in the impromptu chat, he says to them:

"They tell me that there are many of you who understand Spanish, so I am going to speak in Spanish. So I am going to speak in Spanish (...) When I meet someone who is getting married, a young man who is getting married, a girl who is getting married, I tell them: "These are the ones who have courage! Because it is not easy to form a family. It is not easy to commit your life forever. You have to have courage. And I congratulate you, because you have courage".

The Holy Father was well aware of the high number of marriages that break up, even though they began the journey with promises of eternal love, and he continued:

"Sometimes people ask me how to make the family always go forward and overcome difficulties. I suggest that they always practice three words, which express three attitudes, because in married life there are difficulties: marriage is something so beautiful, so beautiful, that we have to take care of it, because it is forever. And the three words are: permission, thanks and forgiveness".

The Pope went on to explain the need not to get caught up in daily life, to foster a "feeling of gratitude", and to say to each other 'thank youHe stressed the importance of knowing how to recognize mistakes and apologize, "because asking for forgiveness does a lot of good. In conclusion, Francis reminded them that when they have problems or arguments, they should ask for forgiveness, "never end the day without making peace".

Encouraging families

In a video message for the 9th World Meeting of Families, which took place in Dublin in 2018, the Holy Father referred to the meaning of world meetings on the family, and the difficulties encountered by marriages and families today:

"As you know, the World Meeting is a celebration of the beauty of God's plan for the family; it is also an occasion for families from all over the world to meet and support each other in living their special vocation. Families today face many challenges in their efforts to embody faithful love, to grow children with healthy values and to be in the wider community, a leaven of kindness, love and mutual care. You know all this.

Later, he offered words of encouragement and hope, also for young people and grandparents: "I hope that this occasion can be a source of renewed encouragement for families from all parts of the world, especially those families who will be present in Dublin [this meeting] will remind us of the essential place of the family in the life of society and in building a better future for young people. [It will remind us of the essential place of the family in the life of society and in building a better future for young people. Young people are the future! It is very important to prepare young people for the future, to prepare them today, in the present, but with the roots of the past: young people and grandparents. It is very important.

In Dublin, also forgiveness

On the afternoon of August 25, in front of more than seventy thousand families gathered at the Croke Park Dublin, the Pope spoke of the Church as the family of God's children. "A family in which we rejoice with those who are joyful and we weep with those who suffer or are brought low by life. A family in which we care for each one, because God our Father has made us all his children in baptism."

And he referred to forgiveness and mercy: "I like to speak of the saints 'next door,' of all those ordinary people who reflect the presence of God in the life and history of the world. [...] The vocation to love and holiness", added the Pontiff, "is silently present in the hearts of all those families who offer love, forgiveness and mercy when they see it is needed, and do it silently, without sounding the trumpet."

Commenting on the testimonies of families from five continents, especially the testimony of forgiveness of Felicité, Isaac and Ghislain from Burkina Faso, Pope Francis noted that, "Forgiveness is a special gift from God that heals our wounds and brings us closer to others and to him. Small and simple gestures of forgiveness, renewed every day, are the foundation on which a solid Christian family life is built."

In this line, Cardinal Farrell, who was in Dublin with the Pope, said yesterday: "We begin this Year seeking to have towards families the attitude of paternity that we learn from St. Joseph, a paternity composed of welcome, strength, obedience and work. At the same time, let us try to be more and more a 'mother' Church for families, tender and attentive to their needs, capable of listening, but also courageous and always firm in the Holy Spirit".

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Debate

St. Joseph: man of faith

The pains and joys of St. Joseph show the immense faith that St. Joseph had and how through them he knew how to identify himself with the will of God.

Alejandro Vázquez-Dodero-March 18, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes
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During these months we have considered various facets of the saint to whom we are dedicating this 2021, a man, first and foremost, of faith. A soul who experienced a series of pains and joys - which give name to that pious tradition of considering them as a whole - and who through them knew how to identify with the will of God for him. Thus he knew, in short, how to exercise his faith.

As stated in the apostolic letter Patris CordeEven through Joseph's anguish, God's will, his story, his plan, passes through. Thus Joseph teaches us that having faith in God also includes believing that He can act even through our fears, our frailties, our weaknesses".

Sorrows and joys of St. Joseph

These anxieties or pains, however, would be rewarded with joys or joys, because God's love always rewards and recognizes the attitude of the soul that, in the exercise of the faith received, abandons itself and trusts in Him.

We now move on to comment on the sorrows and joys of the holy patriarch, an effective demonstration of the faith that accompanied him in his life here on earth. 

First pain and joy

First pain (Mt 1:18): When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they lived together she was found to have conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. // First joy (Mt 1:20-21): The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.. 

Before they lived together it happened that Mary was left in a state. This provoked the pain of a man who, thanks to his faith in God's will and good deeds, although distressed, abandoned himself to the will of the One who designed the coming into the world of Jesus in this way. A mysterious and humanly inexplicable way in the eyes of the legal spouse of the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph.

Second pain and joy

Second sorrow (Jn 1:11): He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.. // Second joy (Lk 2:16): They went in haste and found Mary, Joseph and the infant reclining in the manger..

Joseph - and of course Mary as well - would be hurt by the rejection that Jesus experienced, for many of his contemporaries would not accept his message of salvation, they would ignore him. Yet he would trust that this son of his was, no more and no less, the Savior promised by the Lord. The joy and serenity of seeing him already born and ready to fulfill his redemptive mission were immense.

Third pain and joy

Third pain (Lk 2:21): And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, they called his name Jesus, as the angel had called him before he was conceived in the womb. // Third joy (Mt 1:21): She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins..

That Jewish rite, that of circumcision, to which the Child wanted to submit - it was not necessary for a God to submit to that human law - would mean for his parents the pain of those who love and see the loved one suffer. But faith in God's will overcame that anguish through his trusting acceptance.

Fourth pain and joy

Fourth sorrow (Lk 2:34-35): Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this is a sign of contradiction, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.. // Fourth joy (Lk 2:30-31): For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared for all people, a light to enlighten the nations..

Joseph would be distressed by the fact that his wife would suffer because Jesus preached a message rejected by so many. Yet his faith would lead him to support Mary and always be at her side, because he knew that this was what God was asking of him.

Fifth pain and joy

Fifth sorrow (Mt 2:13): The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said to him, "Arise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to seek the child to kill him".. // Fifth joy (Mt 2:15): And he was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which is spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son.".

Both the thought that the authorities wanted to kill his son, and the fact that they had to flee to unknown lands to avoid it, would mean for St. Joseph an intense pain difficult to imagine. But again, thanks to that faith that he brought out in the face of any setback, he would know how to face such suffering. And all because he knew how to identify himself with the will of God.

Sixth pain and joy

Sixth sorrow (Mt 2:21-22): He arose, took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.. // Sixth joy (Mt 2:23): And he went to live in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene..

Again the pain of knowing that he was persecuted. Or rather, the fact of having to watch over one who -Jesus- was unjustly persecuted. And in this distressing situation we find a St. Joseph who was constantly listening to what God wanted for him. And he wanted them to settle in Nazareth, returning to that land of his, to develop their life there as one more family among many.

Seventh pain and joy

Seventh sorrow (Lk 2:44-45): They sought him among their kinsmen and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him.. // Seventh joy (Lk 2:46): At the end of three days they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, listening to them and asking them questions..

Losing Jesus, still a minor and without the human resources to manage on his own, would mean a very acute pain for his parents. And St. Joseph, with a very sensitive heart because of how much he loved his son, would be plunged into a pain that would not cease until he found the Child in the temple.

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ColumnistsMauro Leonardi

A "mystical" reality

The pontificate of Francis shows that the office of the Pope, a man among men, is a gift, a grace, but also a cross that has nothing to do with the exercise of political, contingent and temporal power.

March 18, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes
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March 13 was the anniversary of the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope. Francis is somewhat "the heir of John Paul II for the centrality of Mercy and, at the same time, interprets an extraordinary continuity both with Benedict XVI and with the great pontiffs of the twentieth century.

The influence of John XXIII is evident in his strong ecumenical spirit and in his attempt to trace a path in which, without detracting from doctrinal solidity, the Church always knows how to offer her most tender and maternal face to mankind. Francis is a Pope, like Pope Luciani, who conquers by his humanity and simplicity; and yet he is also a Pope wounded by controversy like Pius XII, although evidently for different reasons.

Bergoglio, who takes the heritage of many greats, chose for himself the name of St. Francis: with the name of a great saint he gave his ministry a strong imprint of poverty, of attention to the least, of truth always proposed with charity and tact, of apostolate "by attraction", of lived dialogue rather than imposed and shouted.

He told this, immediately after his election, in a historic press conference. "How I would like a Church that is poor and for the poor! - He said - That is why I am called Francis, like Francis of Assisi: a man of poverty, a man of peace. The man who loves and safeguards Creation; and today we have a not-so-good relationship with Creation....".

The idea came to him from the reaction of his neighbor in the Conclave, the Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo, Brazilian Claudio Hummes, his great friend. "When two-thirds of the quorum was reached, the applause went up. Claudio hugged me and said, 'Don't forget the poor.' Then I thought of poverty. To wars. St. Francis of Assisi. And I decided to name myself after him. Poverty, peace, and the care of creation were objectives for which the Argentinean Pope worked tenaciously.

The recent trip to Iraq shows how the papacy has perhaps never been so strong when, as now, it stresses that the Church, that is, the Mystical Body of Christ, is a "mystical" reality: something, therefore, that although it touches time and history has its roots in eternity. It thus seems evident how the Holy Spirit gives the pontiff, a man among men, a charism that is a gift, a grace, but also a cross that has nothing to do with the exercise of political, contingent and temporal power.

The authorMauro Leonardi

Priest and writer.

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The World

Cardinal Woelki of Cologne exonerated by independent opinion

The law firm Gercke has published its report on the handling of abuse allegations in the archdiocese of Cologne. The archbishop relieves an auxiliary bishop and the judicial vicar. The experts call for more professionalism and clarity in canon law.

José M. García Pelegrín-March 18, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsThe German synodal journey enters a new phaseRelated NewsCard. Rainer M. WoelkiI ask that space be given in the synodal journey to the Pope's indications".

An expert report, presented today in Cologne, exonerates Cardinal Rainer Woelki of having allegedly violated his obligations in the face of cases of sexual abuse in his diocese. However, it has found that in the past - between 1975 and 2018 - there were 75 cases of such injuries by church officials, of which a third would fall in the period when the diocese was ruled by the late Cardinal Joachim Meisner.

Relief from office

Due to this breach of duty, Cardinal Woelki has relieved Auxiliary Bishop Dominik Schwaderlapp and Judicial Vicar Günter Assenmacher of their duties. In a statement, Auxiliary Bishop Schwaderlapp announced that he will present his resignation to the Pope; he acknowledges that "in my duty of vigilance and control I should have acted more and more decisively"; also that he should have studied whether the cases of abuse should be communicated to Rome. "But what I am most ashamed of is that I have taken too little account of what the people affected feel and what they need and what the Church should do for them".

A promise kept

Cardinal Woelki, after the official delivery of the report to him, declared: "The cases mentioned by Mr. Gercke affect me deeply. These are clerics guilty of doing violence to people entrusted to their care, and in many cases without being punished for it and - what is even worse - without the people affected by this violence being taken seriously and protected. This is concealment. With this report, however, we have finally fulfilled a first promise: to reveal what has happened, to shed light on the cover-up and to name those responsible."

The expert opinion was commissioned by Cardinal Woelki and has been prepared by an independent firm of lawyers, specialized in Criminal Law, in order to study the ecclesiastical action in cases of sexual abuse. Björn Gercke, the main author of the report - in which ten lawyers from his firm participated, in addition to two specialists in Canon Law - explained at a press conference that the purpose of his study was not to evaluate the facts themselves, but the treatment or the reaction on the part of the ecclesiastical authority.

Another important aspect to understand the scope of the expertise lies in the fact that it has been carried out, between last October and March 15, on the basis of 236 personnel files, in addition to "countless minutes of meetings" that they had at their disposal. The firm also conducted ten interviews with persons involved in the investigation of the facts. 

Appropriate reactions?

The fundamental question to be elucidated by the expert opinion centered on the question whether the ecclesiastical authority - in the period from 1975 to 2018 - reacted adequately when possible sexual abuse of minors or entrusted persons (e.g. in residences) was reported, in accordance with the rules in force in each case, whether one can speak of a cover-up and, in this case, whether this is due to systemic reasons.

The report shows that, in these 236 files, there are 202 "defendants" and at least 314 persons affected. Of the defendants, the majority (63 %) were clerics and 33 % were lay persons (the remaining 4 % were offenses in "institutions"); of the victims, 57 % were male and 55 % were minors under 14 years of age.

Five categories

With regard to the offenses that may have been committed by ecclesiastical authorities, the opinion distinguishes between five categories: obligation to clarify the facts, obligation to report (to civil authorities and to the Vatican Congregation), obligation to impose sanctions, obligation to take measures to prevent abuses, and obligation to care for the victims. 

According to the experts, in 24 files it was possible to unequivocally establish infringements; in 104 they concluded that it was possible that such infringements had been committed, but that it could not be definitively clarified; in 108 cases it can be concluded that (always according to the files) no infringements occurred.

Conclusions

Among the conclusions of the report are: in the cases of abuse committed by lay people, the reaction was expeditious (e.g., dissolution of the contract); there are no cases of infractions according to criminal law (although the authors of the report state that they will send it to the Prosecutor's Office for study). In the 24 files mentioned above, a total of 75 infringements can be ascertained, in accordance with the above categorization.

Irrespective of the individual cases, the experts conclude: "We have encountered a system with a lack of distribution of competencies, a lack of legal clarity, a lack of control possibilities and a lack of transparency; all this facilitates concealment, with the collaboration of many people, also outside the diocese of Cologne.

While it is not possible to speak of a 'systematic concealment' on the part of those responsible in the Cologne bishopric, it is permissible to speak of a 'concealment inherent in the system. According to Gercke, there was no action according to a plan, nor were there "instructions from above", but rather "without coordination and without a plan". For this reason, the true extent of the abuses and their concealment remains unclear.

Some recommendations

The experts include some recommendations, which could be summarized in the demand for professionalization, to address the legislative chaos and ignorance of existing regulations, as well as the lack of training: introduction of standardized rules and above all continuous training of the people who have to deal with suspicious cases, as well as permanent monitoring and a clear system of sanctions.

More generally, the authors of the report refer to the fact that for a long time ecclesiastical authorities dealt with cases of sexual abuse of minors "because the perpetrator breached his priestly or ecclesiastical duties, but not because it was considered particularly serious from the point of view of the victims."

More personal consequences

However, the first personal consequences of the report have not remained in the relief of the auxiliary bishop and the judicial vicar of Cologne. Late Thursday afternoon, Archbishop of Hamburg Stefan Hesse - who was the head of the personnel department of the Cologne diocese from 2006 to 2012 and then vicar general from 2012 to 2014 - announced in a personal statement that he had submitted his resignation to Pope Francis and had asked him to be relieved immediately of his position.

In that statement he emphasizes that he had always acted "to the best of my knowledge and belief: I had conversations with many of those affected by the abuses and tried to understand them." Although "I never participated in any cover-up, I am ready to bear my share of responsibility for the failure of the system" in order to avoid the damage that could be caused to the Archdiocese of Hamburg and the office of the Archbishop.

Apologies

Another auxiliary bishop of Cologne, Ansgar Puff, has also asked Cardinal Woelki to relieve him of his duties. Although he was not mentioned by name in the report, it referred to the fact that a "director of the personnel department of the diocese" had violated his duties to investigate child abuse.

The current auxiliary bishop Puff held that position after Bishop Stefan Hesse, between 2012 and 2013. In a video message released on Friday, he said: "I am infinitely sorry. I have to admit that I was also juridically not up to the task and I was not very clear about what I should have done. I want to apologize for that.

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The World

New bishop in Switzerland, ordained on St. Joseph's Day

The new bishop Joseph Maria Bonnemain has the task of healing the internal fractures of the long-divided diocese of Coira.

Joachim Huarte-March 18, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

The diocese of Coira (Chur in German) regroups 7 cantons and is the second largest in Switzerland both in territory and population. In the strict canonical sense, the cantons of Uri, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Glarus and Zurich do not belong to the diocese of Chur, but are an apostolic administration entrusted to the bishop of Coira as apostolic administrator. They are those areas that until 1816 had belonged to the diocese of Constance, which was suppressed in that period. It should be remembered that in the canton of Zurich alone live more than half of the faithful; it is the most populated canton and the economic heart of Switzerland. For this reason, he demands that the bishop be more present in Zurich.

Some history

The territory of Zurich is marked by the Protestant reform carried out by Ulrich Zwingli (Ulrich Zwingli in German, 1484 - 1531). Until 1807 it was forbidden to celebrate the Catholic Mass and it was not until 1963 that the Catholic Church obtained public recognition in the canton. Today it is the Swiss city with the most Catholics.  

Since the 16th century the proportions of Catholics and Protestants have differed greatly from canton to canton; in recent decades, due to internal population movements and immigration, the proportions have changed markedly. In the canton of Zurich 25% of the population declare themselves Catholic and 27% Protestant; in the city of Zurich, Catholics are already the relative majority. On the other hand, the metropolitan and reformist sensibility of the canton of Zurich clashes, even with animosity, with the more traditional ways of living the Christian faith in the rural regions of Graubünden and central Switzerland. 

Since the 1970s, among Catholics there have been struggles between conservative and progressive tendencies; moreover, within each sector there are polarized groups unwilling to dialogue and to seek solutions acceptable to all. Internal disagreements, both on ecclesiological and theological visions and on ethical and social issues, often surface in the ecclesiastical and civil media. 

Physician and Opus Dei

The new bishop studied medicine and practiced it for some years in Zurich. In 1975 he went to Rome to study theology, and in 1978 Cardinal König of Vienna ordained him a priest of the Prelature of the Opus Dei. In 1980, he obtained a doctorate in canon law and returned to Switzerland. A physician and theologian, Joseph Maria Bonnemain collaborated with the delegation of the Holy See to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva from 1983 to 1991.

Since 1989 he has been Judicial Vicar of the diocese of Coira and since 2008 a member of the Episcopal Council. In 2011, he was entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of the delicate relations with the ecclesiastical corporations in the cantons of the diocese, with the title of Episcopal Vicar. The new bishop therefore knows the diocese very well and we can say that most of the clergy know him personally. In addition, since 2002 he has collaborated with the bishops of the country as secretary of the commission of experts on sexual abuse of the Swiss Episcopal Conference.

A challenge for a divided diocese

His 40 years as a hospital chaplain and his activity in various decision-making bodies of the diocesan see in Coira make Bonnemain a figure of great experience at both the pastoral and governance levels. Among the tasks awaiting him is the urgent need to heal the internal fractures of a diocese that has been divided for a long time. Quite a challenge for this experienced physician and chaplain, who thus becomes an emblem of reconciliation. Everyone agrees that this task is extremely difficult.

In his first greeting to the faithful on the same day of his appointment he wrote: We are living tensions, divisions and polarizations. We see it also in the Church, also in the diocese of Coira. There are tensions, divisions, polarizations that - God knows - we cannot afford and that prevent us from seeking together those "vaccines" that we all desire. Yes, people need fraternity and hope, especially today. And they expect - and rightly so - the Church to be a model here and to show paths of fraternity and hope. (...)

In recent years there has been much prayer for a new Bishop of Coira. I thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have supported these prayers and ask you not to stop supporting them now. I will need it much more in the future. For my part, I will also continue to pray and will do so more intensely. Pray for the good of all people - without distinction - in our diocese.

The authorJoachim Huarte

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Integral ecology

UFV presents the manifesto 'Caring is always possible'.

With regard to the recent approval of the Organic Law regulating euthanasia in Spain, the Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV) presented this morning its manifesto 'Caring is always possible' in favor of all human life; a look from anthropology and medical deontology, because when you can no longer cure, you can always take care.

Maria José Atienza-March 18, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

The manifesto was presented by María Lacalle, Vice-Rector for Teaching Staff and Academic Organization of the Francisco de Vitoria University and Professor of Theory of Law; Ricardo Abengózar, physician and Professor of Bioethics and Elena Postigo, Professor of Bioethics and Director of the UFV Institute of Bioethics.

The Francisco de Vitoria University, from its commitment to the good of the person and society, has wanted to propose with this Manifesto a reflection on euthanasia and all the elements involved in it.

The manifesto, addressed to the entire university community and Spanish society, is intended to promote debate, "aware that behind a request for euthanasia lies a complex web of human, ethical, medical, legal and social implications; aware, above all, that the anguish and the profound questions that death confronts us cannot be avoided, nor is it appropriate for a mature society to close off dialogue, especially in a matter such as this, in which we literally stake our lives," it was explained in the presentation.

In addition, the manifesto also makes a proposal of measures for "the search for the integral and compassionate protection of life, the promotion of a culture of care, the loving respect for the fragile and vulnerable patient until the end of his or her days". Among the proposals, they call for a law on Comprehensive Care for Suffering, including hospital and outpatient units for the control of pain and suffering, training of professionals who are to accompany the sick and their families, the universalization of palliative care and the promotion of care for the dying person with medical, psychological, family and spiritual attention, which will humanize the process of dying.

UFV Manifesto in favor of human lifeDownload
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The Vatican

"It is the year to revalue the beauty of marriage and the Christian family."

Friday, March 19, marks the beginning of the special "Amoris laetitia Family Year" desired by Pope Francis to promote the pastoral care of the family.

David Fernández Alonso-March 18, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
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At the wish and encouragement of the Holy Father, tomorrow, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Special Year "Amoris laetitia Family" will begin on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the publication of the encyclical.

The announcement about the family

At the press conference held in the Sala Stampa of the Holy See via streaming, the Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, Kevin Farrell, said that "the persistent international pandemic situation worries and distresses us all, but this should not paralyze us. On the contrary, in this particular moment of turmoil, Christians are called to be witnesses of hope. Indeed, it is part of the Church's mission to constantly proclaim the good news of the Gospel. It is worth noting that the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia opens with these very words: "The Christian proclamation of the family is truly good news" (AL 1).

"For this reason," he continued, "it is more timely than ever to dedicate an entire pastoral year to the Christian family, because presenting to the world God's plan for the family is a source of joy and hope; it is truly good news!"

Three aspects of renovation

He affirmed that it was the Holy Father who decided to convoke this special Year on the family, which will begin tomorrow, March 19, on the Solemnity of St. Joseph and on the fifth anniversary of the publication of Amoris Laetitia. Both are significant anniversaries.

Cardinal Farrell wanted to underline three aspects of the pastoral renewal to which Pope Francis exhorts us: the first is the need for greater collaboration; the second is a change of mentality; and the third is the formation of formators themselves.

"Let us begin, then," concluded the Prefect of the Dicastery, "this Year by seeking to have towards families the attitude of paternity that we learn from St. Joseph, a paternity composed of welcome, strength, obedience and work. At the same time, let us try to be more and more a 'mother' Church for families, tender and attentive to their needs, capable of listening, but also courageous and always firm in the Holy Spirit".

New impetus for family ministry

The intervention of Prof. Gabriella Gambino, Undersecretary of the Dicastery, focused more on concrete questions of the pastoral care of the family. "This year," she said, "is an occasion to give a boost to pastoral care of the family, trying to renew the modalities, strategies and perhaps even some objectives of pastoral planning: no longer a pastoral care of failures, says the Holy Father in Amoris Laetitia, but a pastoral care that knows how to revalue the beauty of the sacrament of marriage and of Christian families."

Revaluing the encyclical

Professor Gambino encouraged us to reread Amoris laetitia in order to rediscover the full value of the document and of family pastoral care, and not to govern marriage and family accompaniment by the mere criterion of "can or cannot".

"The Pope has repeatedly explained that if Amoris Laetitia is read exclusively with the criterion of "can do or can't do" one goes astray and fails to grasp its true purpose. Unfortunately, in recent years, reflection and debate have focused on only part of the document. In this Year, therefore, Amoris Laetitia must be read as a "whole" and greater value must be given to all the spiritual and pastoral aspects contained in the document, to which perhaps little importance has been given and which are then the ones that most interest the vast majority of families".

Cross-cutting projects

Gambino recalled that the Dicastery itself has proposed twelve paths for renewing the pastoral care of the family: "The criterion: to make pastoral projects transversal, so that there are no longer watertight compartments. The accompaniment of children, young people, engaged couples and the elderly must be done in the light of an integral and unified vision of pastoral planning, which can be a source of great creativity. To put in dialogue the pastoral agents of the different areas, acting in a synodal spirit, is important to give continuity and gradualness to the path of growth in the faith of the laity".

A challenge for the Church

According to the undersecretary of the Dicastery, "we must recognize that many ecclesiastical structures, perhaps without being fully aware of it, are rather oriented towards the elderly or the unmarried. This is therefore a great challenge for the Church. All pastoral agents, therefore, should take families more into account, go out to meet them, find new ways, new times and new spaces to establish a dialogue with them and attend to them".

He assured that the Dicastery will be diligently involved in the dissemination of some pastoral tools for families, parishes and dioceses, in order to help and support the sometimes very laborious work of the local Churches.

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  • "Thou shalt not bring about death, but on the contrary, thou shalt take care."
Spain

"Thou shalt not bring about death, but on the contrary, thou shalt take care."

The secretary general and spokesman for the Spanish Episcopal Conference wanted to highlight the bad news that the approval of the euthanasia law represents and encouraged citizens to make their living will and health care professionals to exercise their right to conscientious objection.

Maria José Atienza-March 18, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute
RelatedRelated NewsArguments and responses to euthanasiaRelated NewsThe best thing to do is to dieRelated NewsDr. Centeno: "Palliative medicine improves well-being and alleviates suffering".

Monsignor Luis Argüello pointed out that "the approval of the euthanasia law this morning in the Congress of Deputies, and thus definitively in the Cortes Generales, is bad news".

The Secretary General of the EEC wanted to recall that "in Spain there are 60,000 people every year who die with suffering, which could be remedied with an adequate palliative care policy". This same request for the development of palliative care has been constant since the Spanish government announced its intention to approve this euthanasia law, in an express manner, without social debate and deliberately ignoring voices that oppose the approved norm, such as those of the Spanish Bioethics Committee.

Argüello encouraged Spanish society to "promote a culture of life and to take concrete steps to promote a living will or advance directives that will make it possible for Spanish citizens to express in a clear and determined manner their desire to receive palliative care. Their desire not to be subject to the application of this euthanasia law" and, along the same lines, he has addressed healthcare professionals to "promote conscientious objection and to promote everything that has to do with this culture of life that wants to have a red line saying forcefully 'Thou shalt not kill'".

The Secretary General of the EEC ended his speech with a call to bet on life: "You will not decisively provoke death in order to alleviate suffering, but on the contrary, you will care, you will practice tenderness, closeness, mercy, encouragement, hope for those people who are in the final stretch of their existence, perhaps in moments of suffering that need comfort, care and hope".

RelatedRelated NewsArguments and responses to euthanasiaRelated NewsThe best thing to do is to dieRelated NewsDr. Centeno: "Palliative medicine improves well-being and alleviates suffering".
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ColumnistsMaria José Atienza

The best thing to do is to die

The message we are sending out as a society with the euthanasia law is that we are not willing to spend even the minimum to care for the weak.

March 18, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
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A few weeks ago, when the Spanish government was stepping on the accelerator of one of the laws of death, the euthanasia law, Javier Segura, in this same newspaper, wrote an impeccable column on this subject entitled Aeneas and euthanasia. In it, with the Greek myth as a backdrop, he described the sad reality that our country has joined with the approval of this law: "Whoever throws as a burden to the weakest, it is true that he will walk faster, that he may even run, but he will do it towards his own destruction".

The excessive bet on death is one of those symptoms of our destructive path as a society. It is paradoxical that they want to present as progressive laws that underlie the same ideas and reasons used by the National Socialist government of Germany in the 30s of the last century. Because no, Hitler did not begin by killing Jews and gypsies, he began by applying "mercy" killing to a handicapped child at the beginning of 1939. From then on, a program was set up to apply these criteria to similar cases, shortly afterwards it was extended to the mentally ill and then... well, we all know the story.

With the euthanasia law, what we are saying to other people is: "it is better for you to die". Yes, you... because you are old, because you are depressed, because you are disabled, because you have this or that syndrome... "The best thing is for you to die... because I am not going to take care of you". Moreover, the approval of this law, together with the scant support existing in Spain for the development and universalization of access to palliative care, carries an additional message: "The best thing is for you to die... because I am not going to take care of you and I am not going to help others to do so".

Thank God, yes, there are those others, health professionals, many and very good, who dedicate their lives to caring for those whom this law wants to kill because it has decided that a life in such and such a way is unbearable. 

Life, when there are means, not cruelty, when there are possibilities and, above all, when there is love, deserves to be lived.

The voice of health professionals, family members and people who find themselves in situations that are not exactly idyllic is unanimous when they emphasize that a terminally ill person does not ask for death: he or she asks for the elimination of suffering, not of life.

The euthanasia law does not seek to put an end to the problem; it eliminates the person suffering from the problem, creating a situation of medical regression by limiting or preventing the search for new solutions to the ailments in question.

Yes, indeed, there are lives with greater or lesser dignity and truly unworthy deaths, such as those of those who remain at the bottom of the sea trying to reach a better life. But there are no such things as unworthy people. Our duty as a society is to help them to live. We are very clear about this, for example, in the prevention of suicide. Inducing death, and even more, wanting to force doctors to certify a provoked death as "natural", seriously wounds the spinal cord of a humane society whose characteristic should be the attention, care and promotion of the weakest. Although it is more comfortable to give a lethal injection and go out for drinks than to spend a night holding the hand of an almost unconscious person. However, what should be proper to men, to women? I do not think I am wrong in the second option, because, in the words of Dr. Martínez Sellés, "a society that kills, even with a smile, has ceased to be human.

The authorMaria José Atienza

Director of Omnes. Degree in Communication, with more than 15 years of experience in Church communication. She has collaborated in media such as COPE or RNE.

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Culture

Audrey Assad: the beauty of singing to the Lord

The American singer, pianist and composer has a style that is close to the melodic pop of the 60s, but what is striking is the subject matter of her songs: she is explicitly Catholic.

José Miguel Granados-March 17, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes
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Audrey Assad is an American singer, pianist and composer. Born in 1983, daughter of Americans, her father being of Syrian descent. She converted to Catholicism in 2007. Mother of two children. She has produced the following albums, with more than sixty original songs: The House You're Building; Heart; Fortunate Fall; Inheritance; Evergreen; Eden. In each one he innovates and seeks new forms of expression. He has collaborated with Matt Maher in the composition of two songs and in several concerts. 

With its own personality

This great artist has a beautiful voice, harmonically modulated, with a personality of her own. Her style could be described as melodic pop, often meditative, in the vein of the unforgettable ones of the sixties and seventies like Simon and Garfunkel, The Carpenters, James Taylor, Peter, Paul & Mary, Joan Baez, etc. 

Its subject matter, on the other hand, is explicitly Catholic: prayers and praises to the Lord full of unction, based on the Gospels, the Psalms and the testimony of the saints. 

Your songs

Thus, Lead me on pray with the psalm of the good shepherd. Sparrowexpresses the trust that Jesus invites us to place in the good Father who tenderly cares for his children more than for sparrows. Blessed are the ones sings with joy the beatitudes. Restless is inspired by the restless heart of St. Augustine. Lead kindly light sets to music with careful delicacy the heartfelt prayer of John Henry Newman on his inner journey of faith. 

Teresa beautifully recreates the experience of the dark night that Mother Teresa of Calcutta endured for decades, as she found the Lord in the service of the poorest. Even unto death is a heartfelt tribute to the Christian martyrs of faith and love for the Lord, killed by radical Islamists. In the begining sings of wonder at the new creation in Christ. Wounded Healer praise Our Lord, who heals us through his glorious wounds.

A wonderful evangelization tool

Many have intensely experienced that the music of this renowned contemporary artist is a wonderful evangelizing instrument, because it delights and enchants, touches the soul and nourishes faith, showing the infinite beauty of Jesus Christ.

RelatedRelated NewsHigh fidelity: true loveRelated NewsWays to evangelize today: Jesus Christ
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The Vatican

"There are as many ways in prayer as there are pray-ers, but it is the Spirit that acts."

At Wednesday's general audience, Pope Francis stressed the action of the Holy Spirit for true Christian prayer, in harmony with the living tradition of the Church.

David Fernández Alonso-March 17, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
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Italy is living reminiscences of the confinement decreed in March last year. The new measures adopted by the government of the nation have made any trace of visitors disappear in the vicinity of St. Peter's Square.

Therefore, as he had been doing in previous weeks, Pope Francis held the general audience via streaming from the Library of the Apostolic Palace.

The fundamental gift

Continuing the catechesis on prayer, the Pope began by recalling that "today we complete the catechesis on prayer as a relationship with the Most Holy Trinity, in particular with the Holy Spirit".

"The first gift of every Christian existence," he said, "is the Holy Spirit. It is not one of the many gifts, but one of the many gifts," he said. the Don fundamental. Without the Spirit there is no relationship with Christ and with the Father. For the Spirit opens our heart to the presence of God and draws it into that "whirlwind" of love which is the very heart of God. We are not only guests and pilgrims on our journey on this earth, we are also guests and pilgrims in the mystery of the Trinity. We are like Abraham, who one day, welcoming three travelers into his tent, found God. If we can truly invoke God by calling Him "Abba - Papa", it is because the Holy Spirit dwells in us; it is He who transforms us deeply and makes us experience the moving joy of being loved by God as true children".

The Spirit draws us to the path of prayer

Francis quoted the Catechism, which contains very clear points on prayer: "Every time we turn to Jesus in prayer, it is the Holy Spirit who, with his prevenient grace, draws us to the way of prayer. Since he teaches us to pray by reminding us of Christ, how can we not also turn to him in prayer? For this reason, the Church invites us to implore the Holy Spirit every day, especially at the beginning and at the end of every important action" (n. 2670). 

Christ educates his disciples by transforming their hearts, as he did with Peter, with Paul, with Mary Magdalene.

Pope FrancisGeneral Audience of March 17, 2021

The Spirit transforms our hearts, the Pope affirms, "this is the work of the Spirit in us. He "remembers" Jesus and makes him present in us, so that he is not reduced to a figure of the past. If Christ were only distant in time, we would be alone and lost in the world. But in the Spirit everything is enlivened: to Christians of every time and place the possibility of encountering Christ opens up. He is not distant, he is with us: he still educates his disciples by transforming their hearts, as he did with Peter, with Paul, with Mary Magdalene".

According to the "measure" of Christ

The example of the saints is evident: "This is the experience of many prayerful people: men and women whom the Holy Spirit has formed according to the "measure" of Christ, in mercy, in service, in prayer... It is a grace to meet people like this: we realize that in them beats a different life, their gaze sees "beyond". Let us not think only of monks and hermits; they are also found among the common people, people who have woven a long life of dialogue with God, sometimes of interior struggle, which purifies the faith. These humble witnesses have sought God in the Gospel, in the Eucharist received and adored, in the face of a brother in difficulty, and they guard his presence like a secret fire".

The Catechism also mentions the action of the Holy Spirit in the living tradition of prayer: "The Holy Spirit, whose anointing permeates our whole being, is the interior Teacher of Christian prayer. He is the architect of the living tradition of prayer. Certainly, there are as many ways of prayer as there are pray-ers, but it is the same Spirit who acts in all and with all. In communion in the Holy Spirit, Christian prayer is prayer in the Church" (n. 2672).

The infinite field of holiness

The Pope concludes by pointing out that "it is therefore the Spirit who writes the history of the Church and of the world. We are open pages, available to receive his calligraphy. And in each of us the Spirit composes original works, because there will never be one Christian completely identical to another. In the infinite field of holiness, the one God, Trinity of Love, makes the variety of witnesses flourish: all equal in dignity, but also unique in the beauty that the Spirit has willed to radiate in each one of those whom God's mercy has made his children".

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Experiences

...And the Cross of the migrants stopped at the Strait of Gibraltar

Until March 8, when it left for Tuy, the Migrants' Cross experienced a special year in front of the Strait of Gibraltar, a hot spot of the migratory phenomenon in Europe.

Maria José Atienza-March 17, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

A year ago, on the night of March 13, 2020, the Lampedusa Cross arrived in Algeciras, by the hand of the Secretariat of Migration of this diocese, with the aim of continuing its journey through different Spanish cities this cross, made with the wood of a skiff that was shipwrecked in October 2013, leaving 366 dead off the Italian island of Lampedusa. However, the declaration of a state of alarm in Spain forced the suspension of all planned actions. Among them, the visit to Punta Carnero, which is the narrowest point of the Strait from Algeciras, the tour in a maritime rescue boat that helps immigrants or the visit to the inmates of the Botafuegos penitentiary center.

There, in Algeciras, in front of the Strait of Gibraltar, one of the hot spots for the passage of migrants to Europe, the cross had to stay. What was to be a few weeks was extended to be a full year that the Cross has remained in the custody of the Trinitarian community.

Providence's "change of plans".

Praying lampedusa cross

As the same community highlighted when saying goodbye to this sign, the fact of this "change of plans" showed how "perhaps the Cross wants to reach the shore of the Strait to bless those waters where the hopes of a promised land of more than 7000 immigrants drowned. Perhaps the cross has heard the cry of so many brothers who lost their lives, perhaps the cross wants to welcome the pain of so many crosses of this cemetery under water. If we die with Christ, we will rise with him". An idea shared by Graziella Cuccu, ambassador and responsible for the Cross in Spain, who emphasized how "suddenly plans have changed, as if the Cross, providence wanted something else, and thanks to this, people who did not expect it have met the Cross, have experienced testimonies of conversion and irrepressible weeping before the Cross".

This time at the Cross has been a blessing, a sign of God's presence in the midst of the suffering of humanity because of the pandemic and the situation of migrants.

P. Sergio Garcia. Trinitario

For the Trinitarian Community, which attends to the Holy Trinity Parish of Algeciras as well as the prison pastoral work of the Botafuegos prison, this time with the Cross "has been a blessing, a sign of the presence of God in the midst of the suffering of humanity because of the pandemic and the situation of the migrants. The boat was reeling from the storm of the Covid, but on the Cross, Jesus was with us, welcoming the suffering of humanity and of the migrants," she said. Omnes the P. Sergio GarciaHe recalled how "from mid-March until the Easter Triduum he was in our community. Every day we prayed before the cross and the Lauds, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and the Eucharist were broadcast live. Intimacy with God, openness to all and support in our work that continued in the house of welcome for the excluded and immigrants. We felt his blessing because everything continued in the parish, the work of Prolibertas... God was with us on the Cross to tell us that his love is stronger".

The life of faith with the community

"From the inside out, the Trinitarians who make up the community of Algeciras have been able to live their life of faith next to this imposing and significant Cross. There have been very special moments, such as the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday or the Easter celebration, where the Cross was decorated as a tree of life with ornaments made by users of the Prolibertas Foundation, most of them migrants. Before the Cross, Eucharists were celebrated for victims of covid, prayers for those affected by the pandemic, the sick, the unemployed... and for the beneficiaries of the mission of the Trinitarians: prisoners, migrants, the elderly in the neighborhood residence. In a difficult year, many people have communicated the consolation and hope they have received from praying before the Lampedusa Cross.

Working in times of pandemic

The Trinitarian Fathers have no doubt that the mystery of the Cross, especially significant in the case of Lampedusa, has been a key factor in their work during this year of pandemic. They especially wanted to point out the increase in the number of needy families who have come to the parish Caritas, both migrants and Spaniards. In Prolibertas, in the shelter and the employment program, more than 70% of the 400 people assisted in 2020 were migrants. Eight courses were held and 150 job placements were achieved, in the midst of security measures and restrictions.

Among the significant moments of the Cross during its stay in Algeciras are the following Circles of Silence which he presided over, an initiative in solidarity with migrants that takes place in cities on both shores of the Mediterranean. An act of half an hour in which, forming a circle, read a statement on current situations of migrants in which calls for respect for human rights, and silence. Once they could be carried out in person, they moved from the Plaza Alta to the Plaza Santísima Trinidad so that this act could be presided over by the Cross.

Lampedusa Cross

Pope Francis Lampedusa Cross

Following Francis' visit to Lampedusa, (2013), Arnoldo Mosca Mondadori, the president of the Foundation of the House and of the Spirit and of the ArtsThe idea was to present Pope Francis with a cross made of barge wood to remind the world of the never-ending tragedy of migrants.

It was not easy to find the wood, because the ships, when they reached Lampedusa, broke against the rocks. After some time of searching, Francesco Tuccio, author of the Cross, found the perfect wood, unbroken and with nails placed in such a way that "it seemed that this ship was born to be a cross".

Pope Francis blessed this Cross and said to Arnoldo Mosca Mondadori: "You must take it everywhere".

The Lampedusa Cross is made of two boards 2 meters and 60 centimeters high, 25 kilos of pain and three nails, one in each arm and one below. These three nails are original from the ship.

On April 9, 2014, after the audience, Pope Francis blessed this Cross, moved, he said to Mondadori: "You have to take it everywhere". There began the journey of the Lampedusa Cross, as a message that Pope Francis sends to all dioceses, about the reality of migrants, the poorest of the poor.

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The World

First signs of a strained relationship

The administration of the U.S. government is generating tensions among those who thought that the "Catholic" president's actions would be consistent with the faith he professes.

Gonzalo Meza-March 16, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is the second American president in the history of the United States to openly profess the Catholic faith. His administration begins almost 60 years after the country's first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy. Although at first glance this fact seems encouraging news for the promotion of fundamental issues for the Church such as the protection of life and the family within marriage between a man and a woman, the matter will be much more complicated. And the first signs have already been given. 

The first signs, in the laws

From the first day of his arrival at the White House, President Biden enacted a series of laws in favor of same-sex unions and abortion. After taking office as President, Biden reversed a federal regulation that restricted government funding for abortion. The regulation, known as the "Mexico City policy," had been in place for decades and basically prohibited the U.S. government from funding abortion clinics. 

Boosting the economy

On March 10, the United States (U.S.) House of Representatives approved a stimulus package for the U.S. economy worth $1.9 trillion. This "American Rescue Plan 2021" takes up and adds measures included in the two previous packages approved during the administration of former President Donald Trump. The Plan's primary objectives are to boost the U.S. economy and bring it out of the crisis period caused by the pandemic.

Its measures include, among others, a $1,400 deposit to individual taxpayers; an additional $300 weekly supplement for the unemployed; economic and food support for families with minor children; fiscal stimuli and loans to companies in support of wage earners.

Under section 1001

The U.S. Bishops acknowledged many positive elements in the aid plan, but expressed dismay that the package includes funds to promote abortion at the national and international level.

And although the Plan does not expressly mention the word abortion, it does contemplate it by indicating that $50 million is earmarked for "grants and contracts under section 1001 of the Public Health Service," a measure under which hundreds of organizations dedicated to reproductive health, family planning and abortion "services" such as Planned Parenthood are governed.

Opinion of the bishops

In a press release, the U.S. bishops expressed their outrage: "It is unconscionable that Congress passed the bill without the critical protections necessary to ensure that billions of taxpayer dollars are used for pro-life health care and not abortion."

Unlike previous stimulus packages, say the prelates, the provisions contained in this package "have been undermined because they facilitate and fund the destruction of lives, which is contrary to their goal of protecting the most vulnerable Americans in times of crisis."

Dialogue and consistency

The tense relationship between Catholic President Biden and the country's hierarchy will not be easy, but it was already visible before he took office. After his inauguration in January 2021, José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops warned that "our new president is committed to pursuing certain policies that promote moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, especially in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage and gender".

In response, Gomez appealed to Biden for dialogue and consistency with his faith and invited him to a respectful dialogue to address these sensitive issues: "If the president, with full respect for the religious freedom of the Church, would participate in this conversation, it would be of great help in restoring civil equilibrium and healing the needs of our country".

At this point, no such dialogue has taken place publicly and the route that the Biden administration is taking does not indicate that there will be a shift to protect life and the family, in keeping with the values of the Catholic faith that J. Biden claims to profess.

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Family

High fidelity: true love

The author unpacks the value of fidelity in marriage, as a manifestation of true love between spouses, for "the essence of fidelity consists in persevering in the word of love that I have given to someone".

José Miguel Granados-March 16, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
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Maggie Tulliver is the main character of the story. The Floss Mill by the great English novelist Marian Evans (1828-1880, who signed under the pseudonym George Eliot). It tells the story of the young and beautiful daughter of the miller who, naively, falls into the wily nets of a handsome seducer, at the time the fiancé of her cousin. 

A trap

At the difficult moment when he takes her away in a small rowboat down the river, she -when she wakes up from a peaceful sleep, rocked by the swaying of the water- realizes that he has set a trap for her. If she secretly marries him, as he proposes, she could save the situation in the public eye, although she would be betraying her loved ones. If she refuses, from now on she will have to go against the current in her life, hard, to overcome at first the strong erotic passion of this sensual man without scruples and then to face incomprehension and social disgrace.

However, it is in this dramatic trance that she succeeds in dismantling the arguments of the imposing, manipulative lover, who only considers the intensity of the romantic attraction as the decisive factor that justifies everything. In a tense dialogue, Maggie lucidly refutes him from the wisdom of the heart: "Love is natural, but no doubt that piety and fidelity and memory are also natural.". 

Safeguarding moral greatness

This woman with a strong character and a delicate conscience understood that covenants and commitments are not merely external laws, but are the inner fabric of the dignity of the person and of right human relations. For this reason, it is essential to maintain them in difficult situations in order to safeguard moral greatness, and not to unravel the beautiful and delicate tapestry of interpersonal communions that make up the human family. 

The enjoyment of the instant cannot be the norm of conduct, but we must be governed by the truth of love for our loved ones and, ultimately, for God Himself. Maggie affirms: "We cannot choose the pursuit of happiness for ourselves or for another... We can only choose whether we will compromise on the craving of the present moment or whether we will give it up by obeying the divine voice within us, by being congruent with all that sanctifies our lives.".

A beautiful act

She knows that, despite all appearances and difficulties, fidelity to loved ones is a beautiful act that resembles the heart of God himself and will bring good to all, while betrayal is degrading. And he adds: "Faithfulness and steadfastness mean more than doing what is easy or pleasant for us. They mean giving up whatever is in opposition to the trust others have in us."

The vocation of spouses demands constancy in the love freely promised. For "the essence of fidelity consists in persevering in the word of love that I have given to someone." (Dietrich von Hildebrand). Thus the bride and groom declare on their wedding day: "I receive you and I give myself to you, and I promise to be faithful to you in joy and in sorrow, in prosperity and in adversity. And so, to love and respect you all the days of my life". These words of hope that they solemnly pronounce express the language of love and proclaim the program of life, which constitutes the maximum expansion of the capacity to give.

To love is to grow and walk together, to overcome together the difficulties and crises of life, to take care with care and firmness of the purpose realized. "Fidelity is freedom maintained and increased. It is the necessary increase of love... it is the actualization of the first love through the existential vicissitudes of my life." (Alejandro Llano). 

Inside the great mystery

Moreover, the Gospel of marriage consists in the insertion of the conjugal covenant of the baptized spouses into the "great mystery" of the new and eternal covenant of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, the Bridegroom of the Church, who gave his life on the Cross to redeem us. Through the sacrament of marriage Christian spouses receive the permanent help of divine blessing.

The grace of the Holy Spirit enables them to care for and nurture the love they have sealed, overcoming difficulties and obstacles and advancing towards conjugal holiness. He who has united them in one flesh will give them the strength they need to always renew their commitment. "Only if they participate in this 'great mystery' can spouses love 'to the extreme'." (John Paul II). For, in the end, God's fidelity makes the fidelity of spouses possible and joyful. 

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The World

Catholics in the Philippines celebrate 500 years of their evangelization encouraged by the Pope

The Holy Father thanked the 100 million Filipino Catholics for the faith and joy they bring to the world, 500 years after the arrival of the Gospel.

Rafael Miner-March 16, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

"Five hundred years have passed since the Christian proclamation first came to the Philippines. You have received the joy of the Gospel: that God loved us so much that he gave his Son for us. And this joy is seen in your people, in your eyes, faces, songs and prayers." said the Pope at the Holy Mass in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the evangelization of the Philippines, celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

"I want to thank you for the joy you bring to the whole world and to Christian communities. I think of many beautiful experiences in Roman families, but it is the same all over the world, where your discreet and hard-working presence has been able to be a witness of faith", Francis added in his homily.

"They do."he continued, "in the style of Mary and Joseph"because "God likes to bring the joy of faith with humble and hidden, courageous and persevering service.". "Don't stop." the Pontiff pointed out, addressing the Filipino faithful, "the work of evangelization, which is not proselytizing".

The Christian proclamation they have received "one must always bring it to others".by taking care of "of those who are wounded and live on the margins.". As the God who gives himself, he reported Vatican Newsalso the The Church "is not sent to judge, but to welcome; not to impose, but to sow; not to condemn, but to bring Christ who is salvation"..

"Do not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel, to serve and to love. And with your joy you will be able to ensure that it will also be said of the Church: 'She has loved the world so much!'"

A Church that loves the world without judging it and that gives itself for the world is beautiful and attractive. May it be so, in the Philippines and in every place on earth", added the Pope.

Asian country with the most Catholics

Five centuries ago, Spanish missionaries brought Christianity to the Philippines, and today it is the country with the largest Catholic population in Asia, around 100 million people, almost 92 percent of the total, and the third largest in the world in terms of Catholics, after Brazil and Mexico. The rest of the Filipino believers, up to 99 percent, are Muslims (5.5 percent), and of other beliefs (syncretism, Buddhism, animism...). 

On the other hand, the Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (Manila, 1957), with a Tagalog father and a mother of Chinese origin, who was archbishop of Manila, is the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples since the end of 2019, and president of Caritas Internationalis. Cardinal Tagle succeeded Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni in the Vatican dicastery, which is also in charge of the missions, and is known in the Philippines by the nickname. "Chito". 

Francis' apostolic visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in 2015 was the second trip by a Vicar of Christ to the Philippines, following that of St. John Paul II in 1995, twenty years earlier. In both cases, millions of people attended the events, especially in Manila.

The first baptisms

Joyful witnesses of a faith that came 500 years ago. This is how the Catholics of the Philippines define themselves as they are preparing to live their Jubilee of commemoration this year, because it was in 1521 when Raja Humabon, Hara Humumay and 800 Filipinos were baptized on the island of Cebu by Spanish missionaries, marking the beginning of a long history of evangelization, according to the official Vatican agency.

Among other institutions of the Church, the Philippine Franciscans, integrated into the Franciscan Province of St. Peter Baptist and the Philippine Custody of St. Anthony Padua, indicated at the end of January that they were joining in the activities of the Church in the Philippines, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Gospel in the country, with various initiatives. Among these is the preparation of publications and books that will record the contribution of the Franciscans to the evangelization of the Philippines since their arrival in 1577. 

The disciples of St. Francis established charitable institutions such as the San Juan de Dios Hospital (1580), the Naga Hospital of San Diego (1586), the Hospital of the Holy Waters in Los Baños (1592), and the San Lazaro Hospital, the first leprosarium in the Far East (1580), explains the agency Fides. From their arrival in 1577 until the end of the Spanish Franciscan Mission in 1898, Franciscan missionaries established and administered 207 parishes in Manila and other Philippine localities.

First Mass 

In September last year, the Philippine bishops informed that the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Gospel in the Philippines would be extended for another year due to the Covid pandemic. Thus, the official opening ceremony of the event ̶ which will be the culmination of the commemorations and pastoral and missionary activities spread throughout the archipelago ̶ , will take place in April 2022, instead of April 2021.

The Philippine bishops have decided that the official date of the celebration will be April 17, 2022, Easter Sunday, when the first Mass celebrated in the archipelago will be commemorated. 

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has recalled that the site of the historic Mass is the island of Limasawa in southern Leyte, celebrated on March 31, 1521, reports Fides. The Catholic Church also commemorates the First Baptism, which took place on April 14, 2021, an event that will be led by the Archdiocese of Cebu in the southern Philippines.

537 Jubilee temples

Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), has communicated that the The Church in the Philippines has presented the 537 pilgrimage sites for the faithful of the country who want to gain plenary indulgence and join the celebration of the five centuries of the arrival of the Gospel in the country. The 537 temples include parishes, chapels and places of pilgrimage, and many of them date back to the time of the first evangelization and the arrival of the first missionaries. Thus, next April 4, Easter Sunday, the "holy doors" of the 537 temples will be opened simultaneously, and will remain open until April 22, 2022.

Pope Francis has sent a decree approving a plenary indulgence for all the faithful who make a pilgrimage to one of the "jubilee churches". In the decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the pilgrims are asked to pray "for the fidelity of the Filipino people to their Christian vocation, for the increase of priestly and religious vocations and for the defense of the family, concluding with the Lord's prayer, profession of faith and an invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary."

Due to the Covid pandemic, the indulgence has been extended to the sick, the elderly and all those who cannot leave their homes. The decree asks priests to facilitate the celebration of the sacrament of Penance and the administration of Communion to the sick.

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Evangelization

A priest with a dream to contribute to justice and peace in Togo

Koffi Edem Amaglo is a priest who is studying in Rome thanks to the benefactors of CARF with the aim of helping pacification and dialogue in his country.

Sponsored space-March 16, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

Koffi Edem Amaglo (Christian name Paul) is a priest from Togo studying Moral Theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. He is 36 years old. He is the fifth child on his mother's side, as his father lives "in polygamy". During his childhood he witnessed social and family conflicts, but from an early age faith was very present in his life. He entered the minor seminary at the age of 12 and was ordained a priest in Lomé at the age of 28.

"While carrying out my ministry as parochial vicar, I also collaborated, together with the bishop, in the Diocesan Council for Justice and Peace, whose objective is to accompany many Christians and non-Christians who face many social injustices that threaten the dignity of people," he relates.

This Episcopal Council, which works in conjunction with various civil associations, has established justice and peace councils in all parishes, an express wish of the Vatican.

When he returns to his country, his training in Rome will help him to work for the defense of human rights and the promotion of justice, peace and social cohesion in Togo, according to the principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church. 

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ColumnistsJavier Segura

Plato and the crisis in education

More than a problem of means, the question of education today is a problem of ends. We are faced with confusion when it comes to educating the new generations. 

March 15, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

When parents get used to letting their children do what they want, when children despise the advice of their parents, when teachers tremble before their disciples and prefer to flatter them, when young people despise the laws because they no longer recognize above them any authority of anything or anyone, then the beginning of tyranny is at the doorstep.

Plato. The Republic

One of the things that makes an author a classic is that his teachings cross the borders of the time in which he lived and reach us with the freshness of the permanent. That is the feeling I had when I reread this quote from Plato and thought about what education needs today in Spain, now that a new educational law is being implemented.

Because, contrary to what is sometimes heard, I do not believe that the main problem of education is a question of financing. Never has so much been invested in education as in our time. Improving education does not mean increasing teachers' salaries, lowering the ratios of students per classroom or having better technological resources. All this is welcome, but it is not enough. More than a problem of means, the question of education is a problem of ends. And, as Seneca said, there is no favorable wind for those who do not know to which port they are heading.

The feeling I have of our education system at the moment is precisely that it is a great ocean liner -you only have to look at the budget and the thousands of people involved-, but it is capsizing, drifting from one place to another, with no fixed course. We know that the ship has to keep sailing, the schools have to be open, the system cannot be stopped, but we do not know where to go.

The symptoms that Plato saw in his time, and which are repeated today, are signs of this aimless navigation. Permissive fathers and mothers, teachers who feel they are simply teachers but have no educational will, politicians who change the laws every time they rise to power to impose their own partisan project, teachers without authority and impelled to massively approve their students... Ah, if Plato could see us today...!

Our society is going through a time of confusion about how we should educate the new generations and it is not enough to patch things up.

Javier Segura

We truly have a crisis in education, or as Benedict XVI said, we are experiencing an educational emergency, closely linked to the historical changes we are living through. Pope Francis has also put on the international agenda the need to rethink and renew education with his call for a 'Global Education Pact'.

We in Spain are experiencing the disorientation Plato spoke of in an intense way. The new educational law and the way in which it has been imposed only aggravate this feeling. But beyond this political situation, our society is going through a moment of bewilderment as to how we should educate the new generations. That is precisely why we have to be aware that it is not enough to patch things up, to focus only on the means, but we have to point out the course that will lead us to the port of a renewal of education that, as Francis asks, puts the person at the center.

The authorJavier Segura

Teaching Delegate in the Diocese of Getafe since the 2010-2011 academic year, he has previously exercised this service in the Archbishopric of Pamplona and Tudela, for seven years (2003-2009). He currently combines this work with his dedication to youth ministry directing the Public Association of the Faithful 'Milicia de Santa Maria' and the educational association 'VEN Y VERÁS. EDUCATION', of which he is President.

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  • Reconstructing European identity through history and beauty
Culture

Reconstructing European identity through history and beauty

In the midst of a confused Europe, re-education in the history of Christianity and the assimilation of the beauty of Catholic roots may be channels for some solution.

Rodrigo Cardenas-March 15, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes
RelatedRelated News"To educate in the contemplation of beauty is to open the mind to its essence."

For decades Europe has decided to break with its fundamental roots to introduce a cultural revolution that translates into a hostile secularism and an emotional nihilism that enjoys the active or passive consent of the people. All this is manifested in abortionist and euthanasic policies, the aging of the population and materialistic individualism far removed from transcendence.

The alternatives in the face of this drama are limited and for many there is almost no room for action. However, in the midst of a confused Europe, re-education in the history of Christianity and the assimilation of the beauty of Catholic roots may constitute the channels for some solution.

Europe, Christianity and History

The eminent English historian Christopher Dawson rightly identified the relevance of spirituality in the dynamics of history. In his works Dawson understands that Europe is made up of very dissimilar peoples, with ancestral claims, whose only element of cohesion for centuries was the preeminence of Christianity.

The strength of the Christian influence in the construction and preservation of Europe is really significant and it is convenient to recall it succinctly by means of a few notes:

  • the vein of humanity of the Christian populations in the face of the violent and violent collapse of the Roman Empire;
  • the contribution of the monastic tradition to preserve culture and develop technology in the face of the torrent of barbarian invasions;
  • the creation of universities as a source of knowledge and rational argumentation;
  • the promotion of the scientific spirit through initiatives such as the distinguished cathedral school of Chartres in France, whose contributions to the understanding of philosophy and the cosmos are invaluable.
  • Catholic art and architecture that are probably the greatest expressions of beauty in the history of mankind;
  • the great influence of scholasticism in the first theorizations of monetary economics;
  • the recognition of the Middle Ages as an era of more than a thousand years that gave us architectural and artistic wonders, technological advances, philosophical depth, and saints of the stature of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas Aquinas.

It is unforgivable that the Christian contribution, and in particular the Catholic one, has been so blatantly ignored and the consequence of this situation is not trivial: Europe is experiencing a violent break with its Christian heritage, which is causing the loss of its moral basis and its vital energy.

The founding fathers of the European Union, Konrad Adenauer, Alcide De Gasperi and Robert Schuman emphasized the importance of Christianity as a key element for European unity and for countering the resurgence of Nazism or the rise of communism. Even Robert Schuman warned that a democracy separated from Christianity would inevitably end in anarchy or tyranny. In that sense, the elimination of any reference to Christianity in the European Constitution was symptomatic.

Any construction that claims to be civilized - such as the European Union - is functional if it is accompanied by a morality that gives it a guarantee of survival. Otherwise, any institution is doomed to dismemberment or disappearance. To avoid this, history is an excellent tool to safeguard in the long term the beauty of the Christian heritage and to protect authentic European values.

The Beauty Apostolate

The re-education process should also be based on immediate physical evidence. Europeans are privileged to be surrounded by splendorous cathedrals, churches, basilicas and works of art of Catholic evocation that exhale a beauty that can be moving and, above all, inspiring.

Europeans are privileged to be surrounded by works of art of Catholic evocation that exhale a beauty that can be inspiring.

Rodrigo Cardenas

No matter how much contempt a person may feel for the Catholic religion, he or she should not be indifferent to the magnificence of the Chartres Cathedral or the Basilica of the Holy Family. These and other buildings involved superhuman efforts and have astonishing proportions full of beautiful symbolism. Even the pictorial perfection of the Gothic stained glass windows has as its purpose the illumination of the soul to represent the fact that the acquisition of knowledge was the product of divine illumination (St. Augustine). Additionally, it would be strange that a person of the 21st century would not be moved by the vivid sentiment of the Blessed Virgin holding her son Jesus Christ in her arms after the crucifixion as depicted in Michelangelo's magnificent "Pieta".

The way of beauty - the "Via Pulchritudinis"constitutes a powerful path to lead people to the wonders of faith. Joseph Ratzinger in "The Feeling of Things, the Contemplation of Beauty" argues that beauty is an effective tool for the apostolate. It is not in vain that the Catholic religion has several additional expressions of incalculable beauty that are not limited only to buildings, such as the liturgy and, especially, the Eucharistic liturgy.

The Catholic liturgy is an expression of God's glory and a glimpse of heaven on earth. Therefore, its beauty is not a mere decoration; it is a constitutive element that manifests itself through gestures and objects that human nature requires as supports to be able to rise towards divine realities. In the face of frequent criticism concerning the alleged wastefulness of liturgies, art or architecture, St. John Paul II always recalled the anointing of Bethany in which the woman poured a precious perfume on the head of Jesus Christ that provoked the disciples' angry complaint. However, Jesus Christ appreciates the gesture as an anticipation of the honor that his body deserves even after death. In any case, the absolute beauty lies in the unrepeatable figure of Jesus Christ. Christianity is centered on a truth that never ceases to amaze: God, the creator of the universe, the one who surpasses the unimaginable, became man and took on our tiny and fragile nature.

Therefore, as a society, Europe has, in this way, the way to find its own identity and, especially, its survival, because as Franz Kafka said: "Whoever maintains the ability to see beauty never grows old".

The authorRodrigo Cardenas

Lawyer. Master in Business Law from the University of Geneva (Switzerland). Doctoral candidate in Ethics, Law and Business at the University of Navarra.

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RelatedRelated News"To educate in the contemplation of beauty is to open the mind to its essence."
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The Vatican

"People first and foremost."

Why does the Church have no power to bless homosexual unions? The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has answered this question in a Note that keeps the Church's teaching clear.

José Miguel Granados-March 15, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Why doesn't the Church have the power to bless homosexual unions?

– Supernatural response of March 15, 2021 from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on this question argues from the primacy of the person. The Church's teaching offers the truth of human love divinely revealed and accessible to a well-configured reason. According to the plan of the Creator renewed in Christ, marriage is the intimate union of faithful, exclusive, fruitful and educative love, sealed by the commitment between a man and a woman who are free and capable of conjugal covenant.

Sexual difference is inscribed in the spousal language of the body, as a call to conjugal communion, the seed of the family home. The ethical exercise of human sexuality must be lived in a respectful way in the reciprocal gift, and open to the gift of life, within the "we" of spousal love. 

Full dignity, wrong choice

While people with homosexual tendencies possess full dignity and always deserve appreciation and help, homosexual acts are a wrong subjective choice. They are completely contrary to anthropological truth. They have absolutely nothing to do with the genuine meaning of human sexuality or the institution of marriage. 

The nuptial blessing, which actualizes the divine plan, cannot be imparted to those who have sexual relations that are alien to the reality of the marital consortium, elevated in Christ to the greatness of the sacrament of the new covenant. If one deceitfully or mistakenly seeks to bless same-sex unions, this would cause grave harm to all people, who would receive a false message that immoral, sinful and harmful actions are condoned. 

Only true love saves

The Church owes fidelity to God and to man, for she mercifully seeks the good, conversion and holiness of each person and of society as a whole. Only the truth taught by Christ does justice to persons and builds up the human family. Only true love saves.

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The Vatican

Georg Gänswein: "Benedict XVI prays for the universal Church".

Benedict XVI's "man of trust" talks to Omnes in an interview about the Pope Emeritus, the challenges facing the Church in the cultural sphere and the situation of the Church in Germany, his native country.

David Fernández Alonso-March 15, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsPaul R. Gallagher: "Europe needs a mechanism to distribute the reception of migrants".Related NewsEight years after a historic resignationRelated NewsJacques Philippe: "To pray is, above all, to welcome a presence".

On the occasion of the publication of his latest book "How the Catholic Church Can Restore Our Culture," we spoke with Msgr. Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Pontifical Household, on various topics, from the "de-worldization" of the Church to Benedict XVI's prayer intentions and his views on the evolution of the Church in Germany.

The singularity of Gänswein's task in the Holy See is well known, as the only person who works daily with two Popes. He is, on the one hand, the Prefect of the Pontifical Household, and in that capacity, among other matters, he is in charge of organizing the solemn audiences that Pope Francis grants to heads of state, presidents of governments, ministers and other personalities. He is also in charge of preparing private audiences and pontifical ceremonies. In addition, Gänswein continues to work as private secretary to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, also after his resignation, for almost twenty years.

The prayer of Benedict XVI

We asked him about the personal prayer of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Gänswein affirms: "Benedict XVI's prayer life is very personal, intimate and hidden from the eyes of others. He prays the Divine Office, like all priests".

Book

TitleHow the Catholic Church can restore our culture
AuthorGeorg Gänswein
EditorialRialp : Rialp
Year: 2021
Pages: 203

In this regard, in an interview included in the book that is now published, he said of Benedict XVI that "his daily routine is simple. It begins with Holy Mass in the morning. From time to time I concelebrate. After that the breviary, then breakfast. The morning has the following rhythm: prayer, reading, correspondence, visits." In the afternoon, the Pope emeritus rests for a while, and spends time reading and answering letters and mail.

We are interested in Benedict XVI's correspondence. Gänswein explains that Benedict XVI "continually receives in his correspondence the requests of people who ask for his intercession in prayer, to which he willingly entrusts himself". He prays the rosary, and after dinner watches the Italian news. "On Sunday he has a different routine: there is no work, but there is music and culture."

On Palm Sunday we were able to see an image of the Pope Emeritus celebrating the Eucharist with his personal secretary.

During the conversation with Omnes, Gänswein said that Benedict XVI includes in his prayer a particular petition "for the intentions of the universal Church and for the ministry of his successor Pope Francis."

Benedict XVI prays particularly for the intentions of the universal Church and for the ministry of his successor Pope Francis.

Georg GänsweinPrefect of the Pontifical Household and Personal Secretary to Benedict XVI

Perspective on Germany

Naturally, Gänswein follows church life in Germany closely. He states that he follows with "sympathy, interest and also apprehension the evolution of ecclesiastical life in my homeland". In addition to the information that, as a German prelate, he receives in abundance, his perspective is enriched by the position he occupies in the heart of the Church. Indeed, he confirms that "observed from afar, from the center of Catholicism, the situation can present lights and shadows that can escape those who observe directly from their own place".

Specifically, he finds lights and shadows in the process called "Synodal Way" that began in Germany in 2019 at the urging of the Bishops' Conference in collaboration with the Central Committee of Catholics. He warns that "the Synodal Way, which began almost two years ago, has revealed problems and shortcomings regarding the authenticity of the faith and the pronouncements of the hierarchy, along with some positive aspects."

For this reason, he warns of the possible frustration that could result from making demands that cannot be met. Indeed, "there is a risk that in the end there will be a feeling of disappointment because certain aspirations have not been met.

The German synodal journey has revealed problems and shortcomings concerning the authenticity of the faith and the pronouncements of the hierarchy, along with some positive aspects.

Georg GänsweinPrefect of the Pontifical Household and Personal Secretary to Benedict XVI

Facing a secularized society

"Christians live in the world and are called to serve the world and work in it. But they are not to be content with it". This is how Georg Gänswein expressed himself in the inaugural lecture of the academic year of the Philosophical-Theological University Heiligenkreuz Benedict XVI in 2015. With that diagnosis in mind, inspired by Benedict XVI's famous speech in the Freiburg Concert Hall during the apostolic journey to Germany in 2011, we wanted to ask him his opinion on the matter.

"The Church," he tells us, "must take extreme and particular care not to lose the direction of her action in the world, in fidelity to the Gospel, which is fidelity to God. Its secularization does not correspond to the mandate of the Master, who invited it to be in the world but not to be of the world".

However, she clarifies that this "unworldliness" does not imply alienation: "It does not mean at all that it should be separated from the world, entrenched in the defense of a separate citadel that lives from ecclesiastical and clerical structures". It affirms that "it is inserted in the history of humanity and animates it with the essence of the Gospel for the creation, already here, of the Kingdom of God".

The role of the laity

In the Church, "obviously, each member has his own prerogatives and competencies". We asked him if he did not think that more Catholics should be involved in politics and contribute to legislation that respects human dignity, within the diversity of options and the freedom of each individual. He answers that indeed "it is opportune for [the Church] to form committed lay people who, animated by the spirit of the Gospel, take an active part in political and social life to contribute to a more just and reconciled world, and to be the architects of creative responses to the challenges of the world".

In the book recently published by Ediciones Rialp, Bishop Gänswein deals with these and other questions of interest to the Church and to Christians. His pages present his considerations on the state of the Church and its most probable future in an increasingly secular society. He does so through the nineteen speeches compiled in this volume.

Your new book

By courtesy of Ediciones Rialp, publisher of Bishop Gänswein's new book "How the Catholic Church Can Restore Our Culture," the reader of this issue of Omnes you can download chapter 13 "Europe's past and future. What Europe can learn from its Roman past.".

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RelatedRelated NewsPaul R. Gallagher: "Europe needs a mechanism to distribute the reception of migrants".Related NewsEight years after a historic resignationRelated NewsJacques Philippe: "To pray is, above all, to welcome a presence".
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Guest writersCardinal Anders Arborelius

Hope in evangelization

Our time of secularization needs hope more than ever before. Easter, now approaching, must always be at the center of our way of evangelizing - and so it can also transmit this hope as a natural and logical consequence.

March 15, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute
RelatedRelated News"In a Catholic parish in Sweden we find between 50 and 100 nationalities."

In general, we talk a lot about faith and love, but sometimes we forget hope. Our time of secularization needs hope more than ever before. And naturally, during this period of pandemic this need will be even more pressing.

Our faith in the risen Jesus Christ always remains the source of our hope. Through his resurrection he has conquered sin and death, and has opened up for us an endless future, that is, our participation in his eternal glory. The Easter message must always be at the center of our way of evangelizing - and so it can also transmit this hope as a natural and logical consequence.

Today's secularized people need to discover this paschal hope. Otherwise, death will be the final word and the fundamental climate of their life. It is our vocation as Christians to live our Easter faith in such a way that we always grow in love for our secularized brothers and sisters so that we can show by our way of living this Easter hope.

The authorCardinal Anders Arborelius

Bishop of Stockholm. Member of the Council of Economy of the Holy See as well as the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

RelatedRelated News"In a Catholic parish in Sweden we find between 50 and 100 nationalities."
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  • A single Province for the Order of St. John of God in Spain
Spain

A single Province for the Order of St. John of God in Spain

The Hospitaller Order of St. John of God will integrate the three current religious Provinces into which the institution was divided in our country until now, into a single one.

Maria José Atienza-March 15, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The Superior General of the Hospitaller Order, Brother Jesús Etayo, will proclaim this unique province within the framework of the Provincial Assembly 2021 to be held tomorrow in the Basilica of St. John of God in Granada, where the relics of the Holy Founder are kept, under the theme 'Advancing in the Hospitality that unites us'.

With the proclamation, the three Spanish Provinces existing until now -Aragon, Betica and Castile- become one. The process of union of these three Provinces began in 2018, after the celebration of the Interprovincial Chapter that they held jointly in El Escorial, in which the decision was made to move towards this integration, in order to give a better response to the needs that were on the horizon in relation to the communities of brothers and that were drawn in the future of the institution.

New Provincial Superior and his Government

In the afternoon, the Superior General will announce the name of the Brother Provincial Superior who will lead the Province of St. John of God of Spain. Together with this, the appointment of the Provincial Councilors will be made public, which will increase from four to six, taking into account the dimension of the new Province, which has 75 centers in almost all the autonomous communities of the Spanish territory. 

The Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God

The San Juan de Dios Province of Spain of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God is a non-profit Catholic institution whose origins date back to the 16th century.
The Hospitaller Order upholds a model of integral care centered on the person that adapts to the challenges of today's society, with the aim of promoting and improving people's health and quality of life, without distinction as to gender, beliefs or origin, in order to create a more just and supportive society.

In Spain, the Hospitaller Order is currently made up of 188 Brothers, 15,000 professionals, more than 3,300 volunteers and numerous donors and benefactors. In addition, they have a network of 75 health, social, teaching and research centers and facilities that serve almost one and a half million people annually.

Worldwide, the Hospitaller Order is present in 52 countries with 402 Apostolic Works and social and health centers, serving more than 3 million people a year. It also has 1,020 Brothers, 63,000 professionals and 23,000 volunteers.

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  • "I wanted to explain what it's like to feel like a foreigner in a big city."
Books

"I wanted to explain what it's like to feel like a foreigner in a big city."

Kaouther Adimi's novel reflects on family pressure, intercultural shock and the need to manage our own emotions in order to achieve the vital stability necessary in every situation.

Yolanda Cagigas-March 15, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

I like novels that make me think; this novel took me longer to think about than to read. Although it is a commonplace to say that with each book you live a different life, it has really been true with this one, once again.

The book

Title: Stones in your pocket
AuthorKaouther Adimi
Editorial: LIbros del Asteroide
Year: 2021
Pages: 176

A good summary of the plot is provided by the publisher - Asteroide - on the back cover. A young woman leaves her home in Algeria and settles in Paris. "Five years later she is caught between two worlds: day to day life in the cold capital is much harder than she thought, and although she feels nostalgic for her former life, her mother's continuous phone calls reminding her that her main objective should be to find a husband convince her that going back is not an alternative. When she learns that she has to travel to Algiers to attend her younger sister's wedding, she cannot help but feel a certain sense of failure."

According to the author, Kaouther Adimi, this book is partly autobiographical. About her mother's constant reminder to her, she herself has stated: "We don't talk about two people falling in love and being happy. My mother once told me that he did not want my siblings and me to be happy, it was enough for him that we were normal.". Adimi is not against marriage or men; in fact, she is getting married, but later; what she does not want is to have to get married because of what people will say. The author claims something as obvious as a marriage based on trust.

What does the title "Piedras en el bolsillo" mean? The weight of family pressure to get married. We all have our own history, we carry our own stones, our own emotional backpack that we must know, accept and learn to manage in a healthy way.

"I wanted to explain what it really means to feel like a foreigner in a big city," says the author, who has been in Paris since 2009, in an interview recently published in VogueShe continues: "If I, who am privileged, consider myself permanently attacked as a Muslim and Algerian, attacked in my country, how will the rest feel? It is very significant that the protagonist, a professionally well-placed woman, only has confidences with a tramp; the reason: she is the only one who is not prejudiced.

"I kept remembering the house I grew up in, with the continuous terrorist attacks... and I wanted to write something about it." In 1998, historian Concepción Ybarra published an article with a significant title. "Those French muds bring these Algerian muds.". Once again, to understand the present - not to justify it - one must know history.

It should also be kept in mind that the original of this book was published in Paris in 2016. A year earlier the capital had suffered an unprecedented terrorist massacre. Daesh, in claiming authorship, explained that the causes had been French participation in the war against the Islamic State and daring to insult the prophet, in reference to the attack on Charlie Hebdo.

The authorYolanda Cagigas

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ColumnistsAntonio Moreno

One year saving the world

Even if we feel like answering with data to those who blame Catholics for what happened this year, there is always more that can be done.

March 15, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

-Where is your church now? 

The question was posed to me by a neighbor I met while we were taking out the garbage during those first days of the confinement a year ago. He's a nice guy, Javier: family man, lawyer and amateur cyclist.

I was surprised that, in the midst of the confusion of those days in March 2020, the conclusion of his first analysis of the tragedy that had come upon us was to blame the Church in some way or, at least, to hold it accountable.

At the drop of a hat, it occurred to me to argue him with the news I had read that very morning: the quick response of the Poor Clares of Alhama de Granada, providing the city council with masks made by themselves; the Pope's donation of respirators to various hospitals or the offer of the dioceses to the authorities to contribute financial or residential resources to the fight against the pandemic.

Against prejudice, arguments are useless, so I politely said goodbye and told him that yes, more could always be done.

Antonio Moreno

None of that seemed to convince Javier, who considered those gestures ridiculous. I didn't want to get into a polemic, because I know that, against prejudices, arguments are useless, so I said goodbye politely and told him that yes, more could always be done.

And indeed, more has been done. In the last year, the Church has devoted itself admirably to the spiritual and social care of the Spanish people, which has been highly valued by society in general terms, as shown by two recently released data:

Firstly, the results of the "Caritas in the face of the coronavirus" campaign, described by the organization itself as an authentic "Explosion of solidarity" and which has had the support of more than 70,000 donors who have contributed 65 million euros, mostly destined to cover basic needs for food, hygiene or housing expenses and supplies for people who have found themselves, overnight, without the means to subsist.

And, secondly, the increase in the number of Spaniards who checked the Church's box on their income tax return. More than 100,000 new "x's" that represent a boost to the work that hospital chaplains have been doing -many of them died of the infection-; the parish priests, who have brought comfort to the families of those affected; or the religious men and women, workers and volunteers of the ecclesiastical institutions who have put their lives on the line to care for the people in their charge.

On Sunday, when I was leaving the house to go to Mass, I met Javier again in the doorway, who was out on his bicycle:

-What? To your church? -he asked.

-Well, yeah, you know....

-Nothing, nothing, let's see if by praying a lot you can put an end to the coronavirus," he said, sarcastically, without giving me time to answer him.

When I heard later in Mass that the Son did not come to judge the world but that the world might be saved through him, I thought that the best answer is "yes, there is always more that can be done".

Antonio Moreno

As I watched him ride away with his bike, I thought of several answers to give it back to him; but when I heard later at Mass that the Son did not come to judge the world but that the world might be saved by him, I thought that the best answer would have been the same one I gave him last year at this time: "yes, you can always do more".

The authorAntonio Moreno

Journalist. Graduate in Communication Sciences and Bachelor in Religious Sciences. He works in the Diocesan Delegation of Media in Malaga. His numerous "threads" on Twitter about faith and daily life have a great popularity.

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Books

"The most eloquent thing about St. Joseph is its silences."

A few days before the feast of St. Joseph, in the year dedicated to the Holy Patriarch, we interviewed the priest Pedro Beteta, author of "St. Joseph, model Christian".

Rafael Miner-March 14, 2021-Reading time: 6 minutes

Those who love each other say much more by looking at each other than by talking. Pedro Beteta, doctor in Biochemistry and Theology, a priest for almost 40 years, and author of books on the holy Patriarch, advises "reading the Gospel with St. Joseph in mind and heart in the background". This can be seen in his work "Discovering St. Joseph in the Gospel.".

Pedro Beteta dedicated himself to research and university teaching before studying theology and being ordained a priest by St. John Paul II in 1982 in Rome. Now in his book "St. Joseph, model Christian" and in other works, many hours of meditation and study on St. Joseph and decades of pastoral work. He also advises to pay attention to the holy Patriarch during this pandemic, so as not to lose peace.

What would you ask St. Joseph now, in these times of pandemic, when many people are, we are nervous?

Let them look to St. Joseph, let them abandon themselves. St. Joseph never loses his peace, his nerves. As he is obedient, he does what he has to do: he goes to Bethlehem when Providence marks it with the edict of Caesar Augustus and not before; he flees "by night" to Egypt, when the Angel indicates it, without arguing against the lack of human logic, etc.

Why should we turn to St. Joseph?

Because it gives great joy to his Bride, it touches her virginal Son Jesus Christ and, above all, because it manifests to the Most Holy Trinity a sublime gratitude in choosing St. Joseph for the mission of guarding the humanized Word. Let us not forget that after Mary, Joseph is the holiest human person who ever lived.

What led you to title your recent book St. Joseph, Model Christian?

The Christian tends of himself - through the action of the Holy Spirit, through grace - to reach identification with Christ. He is the person who, with the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, is on the way to becoming another Christ. We are all in fieriIn this process, "in this process" in different stages, but the goal is identification with Jesus Christ. And St. Joseph, filled with the Holy Spirit, "a just man"; that is, a holy man, as Sacred Scripture calls him, was always filled with the Holy Spirit, growing in that identification. First Mary and then Joseph reached that maximum degree of identification with Christ. Therefore, who better Christian, image of Christ, than he?

When did you begin to have devotion to St. Joseph?

My father instilled it in me. My father liked to take me to churches in Madrid, where, after greeting the Lord, he would look for St. Joseph. And sometimes he would say to me: This image is not very good. I thought it was artistically, and asked: Why? His answer was of another kind: because he has the Child in his right arm, and the children are held with the left arm, in order to have the right hand free and agile and to be able to do more things in the service of the baby. It is a small thing, but I remember that.

And how did that devotion grow?

Well, I don't know. Besides my parents, who prayed every Wednesday the sorrows and joys of St. Joseph, I got a lot of help from the devotion I saw at St. Anton's School, where I studied all my secondary schooling, run by the Piarists, on Pharmacy Street. Later it was the founder of Opus Dei who taught me to love him and also to say it to the "four winds," as St. Josemaría did and said. Maybe so.

¿A Who else would you mention?

Of course, St. John Paul II. And I do not say this because of the affection I have for him for a thousand reasons, but because he has written the Magna Carta of St. Joseph, unsurpassed until now, and which has magisterially united all the knowledge there was about St. Joseph. The holy Patriarch was as if hidden, concealed, for centuries. Although, as I write in the book, he always had many devotees, it was St. Teresa who popularized his devotion. St. Josemaría, with his theological and intuitive devotion of a soul in love, made enormous contributions that will be evaluated theologically when the time comes. But St. John Paul II, with his catechesis on the theology of the body, opened up such a perfect anthropology at the beginning of his pontificate that he was able to base the depth of his encyclicals on it.

Tell me in two words a key contribution of St. John Paul II?

With the Exhortation Redemptoris custos, On St. Joseph, it has been made clear that the spousal love of Mary and Joseph does not in any way affect the most perfect chastity of both of them. St. Augustine saw this very clearly when he said that St. Joseph is not only given the name of father, but is owed more than any other. And he continues: "What was he like as a father? All the more profoundly fatherly, the more chaste was his fatherhood.". Finally, I am sorry for having taken so long. In this magna carta of St. John Paul II there is a magnificent instrument for researching and advancing in Josephan theology.

What aspect of the Apostolic Letter would you highlight? Patris CordePope Francis?

We could highlight many things, but I underline this expression, so typical of Pope Francis' style, full of freshness "creative courage". Indeed, St. Joseph never flinches in the face of difficulties, but boldly seeks the solution. Therefore, readers of the books I have written on St. Joseph will see how many things are suggested that the Gospel does not say and that are proper to this "daring creativity" of St. Joseph to put into practice the will of God and that which comes to him in dreams.

At what point in your life did you begin to write about St. Joseph? What prompted you to do so?

Jesús Urteaga, who encouraged me to write a booklet on an ignored divine Person: the Holy Spirit. Then he commissioned me to write about another subject, and when it was something known, although by few people, I was able to write about another one. unknown person for so many people: St. Joseph. It could have been the year 84-86. Afterwards, I meditated a lot on the figure of St. Joseph. Above all, I meditated and discovered that the most eloquent thing about St. Joseph is his silences. Generally, those who love each other say many more things looking at each other, silent, than speaking. St. Joseph does this very well. And the Gospel respects it, because it wants those who love St. Joseph and love him, to go deeper and discover things that are not written, as people who love each other discover things in their letters that are not written. When the Gospel is read with St. Joseph in mind and heart in the background"You learn to discover many things between the lines.

In what dodors and goices of St. Joseph, episodes of his life, would you advise young people to pay attention to?

In a very concrete one. When the Child Jesus is lost and found in the temple. This is a pain and joy that puzzles many people. How Jesus, the Son of God, does this "chore" to his virgin parents. But Jesus is not doing a "chore" to his parents. He is telling all of us that we are to leave our parents, our children, and all those whom God has called to follow that will, his vocation!

The bride and groom, the spouses, the elders?

Let them look at the home of Mary and Joseph, which is a home that can be called heaven. Not only because they love each other very much. No one has loved his wife more than Joseph and no woman has loved her husband more than Mary. But because what unites them both is the unique, unreserved love for the Son of God. Love for Jesus Christ is what really unites spouses and it is what should unite engaged couples who wish to form a Christian home. And to the elderly, let them think that St. Joseph is the patron saint of the good death, and to wish to die like him, accompanied by Mary and Jesus, is the best one can hope for, isn't it?

You were ordained a priest by St. John Paul II and have been a priest for almost 40 years. What would you say to young priests and seminarians?

To the young people and seminarians I would tell them to live the Holy Mass very well, every day. That they prepare for it, that they meditate on it a lot. That they live the rubrics very well, without additions or cuts, no matter how small they may be, that without oddities, they embroider it with piety. That does more good than hundreds of books, eloquent homilies, etc. The priest is for the Eucharist. And the Christian people live from the Eucharist. In the Mass we are Christ and living it with piety, delicacy, elegance, naturalness and cleanliness... we are omnipotent. There is nothing more important than the Holy Mass. To celebrate Mass just once is worth dying the day after being ordained.

Any recollection of the Polish Pope?

I have many, even a book with anecdotes. If you look at some photographs, when I was talking to someone, I was only with that person, there was no one else. I have a photo with John Paul II in which he is listening to a little thing I was telling him and people ask me: what were you telling him that he is so attentive? The most important person for him is the one he was with.

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The Vatican

The eight snapshots of Francis' pontificate

On the eighth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, we take a look at the "eight most significant postcards" that his pontificate has left us.

Giovanni Tridente-March 12, 2021-Reading time: 6 minutes
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Exactly eight years ago, on the afternoon of March 13, 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio looked out from the Central Loggia of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican for his first apostolic blessing "Urbi et Orbi." From there began Pope Francis' journey in the service of the universal Church: "a journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us."

It is not easy, on each anniversary, to make an exhaustive and illustrative summary of the most important "novelties" represented by the event being commemorated or the character being celebrated.

This is even more true in the case of the last pontificate, which voluntarily or involuntarily was characterized by a series of vicissitudes not always and not only related to the "Bergoglio character," but also to the general context in which his mission has developed, both at the ecclesial and international levels. Certainly, it has been - and we hope it will be - a very active ministry, rich in initiatives.

And yet, I think there are two aspects that should be highlighted in order to emphasize how complex it is today, from a narrative point of view, to "isolate" the most characteristic moments of this early years experience.

On the one hand, we must consider the era of media overexposure in which we live, which from the beginning has generated around the figure of the Pope an infinite amount of information and data that flow daily in an unstoppable vortex and in all latitudes, generating an evident overload that in some cases can also be harmful. On the other hand, the Covid-19 pandemic has complicated things, since in the last year it has recalibrated our priorities and has put in the shade other interests for things not necessarily considered "vital", like a kind of passion for bitter, nostalgic memories.

That said, since we do not have the expertise to offer a historiographical synthesis of these last years of the Church's life under the leadership of Pope Francis, we thought it more interesting to select "eight postcards," eight images that in our judgment are representative of each of the last years of the ministry of the Bishop of Rome. It is a totally arbitrary choice, we confess, but they are likely to be snapshots that are probably alive in the hearts of the faithful.

2013 - Visit to Lampedusa, the island of migrants dead at sea.

The first snapshot that characterized the progress of Pope Francis as pastor of the People of God and pilgrim of the existential peripheries will remain that of his unusual trip to the island of Lampedusa, in southern Italy, a few months after his election.

It was the first real departure from the confines of the Vatican, but also the most dramatic and moving. From the tomb-island of hundreds and hundreds of emigrants whose names we will never know, there arose that strong cry to the conscience of all "so that what happened will not happen again". Later we know that, unfortunately, this was not the case at all, but the Pontiff's appeal remains and continues to be a warning against indifference.

2014 - Journey to the Holy Land

The first truly great pilgrimage of the pontificate was perhaps the Apostolic Journey to the Holy Land in May 2014, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the meeting in Jerusalem between St. Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras. 16 speeches in three days, and the moving visit to the Yad Vashem Memorial, with the condemnation in unequivocal terms of terrorism, which "is evil in its origin and is evil in its results." An evil that is born of hatred and that destroys, which led the Holy Father to express his shame for the profanation that man has managed to make towards the main work of God's creation, himself.

2015 - Laudato si'

2015 is the year of the second Encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si', dedicated to the care of the common home, born of the awareness of putting an end to the irresponsible use and abuse of the goods that God has entrusted to us through creation. A path of reflection that has already taken up the calls for "global ecological conversion" of St. John Paul II and the concern for the wounds caused by our irresponsible behavior suggested by Benedict XVI.

The key insight provided by the current Pontiff will be that "everything is connected," which calls for our responsibility to recognize that all our unbalanced behaviors inevitably have consequences in the lives of all our other brothers and sisters. And the pandemic we are experiencing is here to prove it to us.

2016 - The Jubilee of Mercy

On the other hand, 2016 was the Year of the first Jubilee extended worldwide, the Jubilee of Mercy, with the opening of the Holy Doors in all the dioceses, on all the frontiers of the earth, beginning with the symbolic one of Bangui, in the Central African Republic. This was also a choice and an unequivocal message: God's mercy knows no limits, and it acts with even greater reason in those events - and in those hearts - that have had to be overcome.

It will be a very special year, with more than 21 million pilgrims arriving in Rome alone. This will give rise to the "Fridays of Mercy" and "Word of God Sunday".

2017 - As a pilgrim in Fatima for his Mother

The presence of the Virgin Mary is a constant feature of the Pontificate. The Pope's visits to the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pay homage to the Salus Populi Romani are emblematic, not by chance the first one made already the day after his election, and then at the beginning and end of each Apostolic Journey abroad.

In 2017, however, Pope Francis went directly to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima for the centenary of the Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, and from there he loudly reiterated, "We have a Mother, we have a Mother." He then invited everyone to be in the world "sentinels of the morning" to show the young and beautiful face of the Church, "which shines when she is missionary, welcoming, free, faithful, poor in means and rich in love."

2018 - The agreement with China

After years of attempts and much suffering, on September 22, 2018, the Interim Agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China on the appointment of bishops was signed in Beijing, effectively ending the existence of a "double Church" in China.

In a letter addressed to all the people of the Asian country and to the universal Church, Pope Francis recalled first of all the spiritual treasure left by the painful experiences of those who have suffered over the years to bear witness to their faith. But he gave thanks for the glimpse of complete unity and a wider and freer evangelization of those lands initiated by the Accord. After two years, the document was renewed for a further two-year period until 2022.

2019 - The Abuse Summit

Not all postcards are sometimes beautiful; some can also portray painful wounds as in the case of the sad story of abuse of minors in the Church. A process of awareness that has been going on for many years and that has shown the crudeness of situations in which there has been a lack of transparency and accountability at many levels.

A crudeness that Pope Francis has not been afraid to take to the extreme, making it a priority to fight what he has repeatedly defined as a cancer. In 2019, a broad summit is finally held in which the bishops sit down to listen to the testimonies of people who have suffered abuse. From there, many other initiatives were born, including legislative ones, to curb complicity and non-compliance and prioritize attention to victims.

2020: The loneliness of the pandemic

The last postcard of these first eight years of his pontificate is also quite sad, linked to the health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, whose solution is not yet in sight. It portrays Pope Francis alone, in a deserted St. Peter's Square, wet with rain. It was a spiritually powerful moment, in which we prayed for the end of this tragedy that has already caused more than two and a half million deaths.

What remains of that night is the prayer to the Lord "so that he will not leave us at the mercy of the storm" and the awareness that "no one is saved alone". Faith and hope, which from that moment will lead the Holy Father to carry out a series of initiatives of closeness to the People of God weakened by fear and loneliness. It is still necessary to take up these words and remind ourselves today "to embrace the Lord in order to embrace hope".

2021 - The journey of fraternity

As of 2021 we cannot say much, we are still at the beginning, hence the 8 postcards. But it will be interesting to be attentive to the recent trip to Iraq, made by the Pope as a pilgrim of fraternity to the land of Abraham, where it all began. A country that after the tragedy of so many wars and hatreds is still to be rebuilt. Like our lives. With the closeness of the Pope and the Church.

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Evangelization

Boring homilies? The opportunity of the week

Given the opportunity of the many people who come to a parish every Sunday, we cannot miss the opportunity to offer them a good preaching, so that they, in turn, leave with the illusion of announcing the Gospel. 

Javier Sánchez Cervera-March 12, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsBoring homilies? Preaching without killing of boredom

In October 2008, Barack Obama, then running for President of the United States, gave a rally in Denver for about 100,000 people. It is the largest crowd to date that I know of. 

Here, in Spain, they say that 61 % of the population declares itself Catholic. That is more than 28 million people, and of them it is supposed that around 7 % go to Mass every Sunday, which leaves us with the impressive figure of 1,960,000 people who listen to the priest speak at Mass every Sunday. There is no other institution that has this capacity to attract and, therefore, to influence so many people. So, what do we do with these talents entrusted to us?

According to the Gospel, the answer is clear: negotiate. To use all our abilities to make what He entrusts to us work so that we can give Him back more than He has given us. "He who had received five talents went immediately and traded with them and came to gain another five. In the same way, the one who had received two gained two more." (Mt 25:14ff).

Every Sunday, in Spain, we receive in the parishes 1,960,000 talents and we are asked to return to the Lord those same multiplied children of his: full of enthusiasm to live their Christian life, with clear ideas that are a guide in their lives, with a renewed love, with a deeper knowledge of Christ and the truths of the faith. It is an opportunity that we simply cannot miss. 

Augustine, twenty-nine years old, arrives in Milan. He had been a Manichean for ten years. At Tagaste he had been a professor of grammar, and at Carthage he had opened his own school of eloquence. Now, in the great city, he arrives as a professor of rhetoric and, soon after, he hears of the oratory of Bishop Ambrose. He meets with him and begins to attend his sermons, although confessing that: "I did not care to learn what he said, but only to hear how he said it, it was this vain care that was all that had remained in me." (Confessions XIV, 24) 

As I opened my heart to receive what he said eloquently, what he said of truth entered into it at the same time.

St. Augustine

Ambrose had been trained from the age of fourteen by a master of rhetoric, and knew perfectly the writings of Cicero, Quintilian and other masters of oratory. Because he united in preaching the Word of God his style, the sweetness of his words and the holiness of his life, Augustine simply could not resist: "There came into my mind, together with the words that pleased me, the things that I despised, because I could not separate the one from the other, and so, as I opened my heart to receive what he said eloquently, there entered into it at the same time what he said of truth.".

The substance, the form and the sanctity of life. The whatthe how and the who are the talents we have to negotiate: a central message in the Gospel, a suitable form and our own union with Christ whom we preach, are the elements that make the Gospel the most effective and effective way to preach the Gospel. irresistible preaching, in the words of Roger Ailes, one of Ronald Reagan's political advisors: "All the suggestions, all the training in public speaking, all the knowledge about staging, performance and media-all that is popularly associated with fabricating an image-won't work if the improvements don't adequately match who you essentially are.".

However, we cannot ignore the importance of this trainingof this staging. The Gospel itself bears witness to Jesus' effort to try to explain in the simplest, closest and most memorable Can we remain at peace without the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven? negotiate the talents that God entrusts to us - because they are His - every week?

Yes, service to the Word of God is a privilege, but it is also an opportunity, a talent that we must negotiate and negotiate well.

Javier Sánchez Cervera

We cannot give back to the Lord the same talent he left us, after having buried it in the ground for a while, motionless, without risk, without change, just as it entered, just as when we began to speak. Couldn't we do something else? As Pope Francis says: "There are many claims that are addressed in relation to this great ministry and we cannot turn a deaf ear." (Evangelii Gaudium, n. 135).

Yes, service to the Word of God is a privilege, but it is also an opportunity, a talent that we must negotiate and negotiate well, for the Word, as Baldwin of Canterbury points out: "It is effective and sharper than a double-edged sword for those who believe in it and love it. What, indeed, is impossible for him who believes or difficult for him who loves? When this word resounds, it penetrates the heart of the believer like sharp archer's arrows; and it penetrates it so deeply that it pierces to the innermost recesses of the spirit; hence it is said to be sharper than a double-edged sword, more incisive than all power or force, more subtle than all human acuteness, more penetrating than all wisdom and all the words of the learned." (Tractatus, 6).

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Books

Training, the task of a lifetime

The reading of Romano Guardini's Fundamentals of the Theory of Formation is a valid proposal for all those who are interested in formation, either as a professional task or as another element of their life horizon.

Ruben Pereda-March 12, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

Among the great Christian thinkers of the twentieth century, Romano Guardini (1885-1968) shines with his own light: the depth and originality of his thought is combined with a breadth of interests that make him a point of reference in many fields. They are well known, for example, The essence of Christianity, The Lord o The spirit of the liturgyThe writings of Guardini theologian that open new perspectives in the field of fundamental theology, Christology or liturgy.

Book file

TitleThe foundation of the theory of formation
AuthorRomano Guardini
Editorial: EUNSA
Pages: 90

However, it should not be forgotten that Romano Guardini was, above all, a priest and an educator: a university professor of renowned prestige, he devoted the best of his energies to the formation of a youth subjected to the ups and downs of the interwar period in Germany. The experience acquired in the years - decades - that he dedicated to the formation of young people, combined with the analytical capacity and depth of a systematic thinker supported by a deep and sincere faith, and enriched by a precise knowledge of the problems of modernity, took shape in different writings that deal with the same theme: the integral formation of man and, in particular, the formation of youth.

Some of these texts had already been published in Spanish: for example, las Letters on self-education, Three writings on the university o The Stages of Life. One more title has recently been added to these, translated by Sergio Sánchez-Migallón: Foundations of training theoryThe book is perhaps a bit denser to read, but of undeniable value for understanding what Christian formation is and, from there, for developing a coherent educational and formative activity and, above all, safe from distractions-methodological, ideological or, in any case, imposed by external factors-that obscure its true meaning. Fortunately, the introductory study by Rafael Fayos Febrer facilitates the reading and offers the context and the appropriate keys to follow the thread of Guardini's exposition.

Starting point

The starting point of the essay is the dissolution of "the unity of the image of the medieval world": for Guardini it is evident that thought and knowledge have become fragmented, with immediate consequences for action; what has been lost, in his words, is "the naturalness with which thinking and acting passed from one sphere to another", and he indicates a series of examples that can also be seen today: "from supernatural faith to natural culture, from the ethical to the aesthetic, from the philosophical to the political". Indeed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see faith incarnated in the cultural sphere, or to find contemporary artistic manifestations that reflect a solid and well-founded ethic (not to mention the transition between imperishable truths and their scant reflection in political life, which is perhaps one of the most disheartening spectacles of the present day).

This situation, which has worsened with the passage of time, can be addressed in many ways. At a glance, it could be through the revivification of models of the past; or through the imposition of rigid norms to reflect faith, ethics and philosophy; even through the renunciation of taking this step between spheres. Guardini's proposal goes further, and asks how to achieve, in the concrete person who has faith, ethics and philosophy, this passage to the different spheres of life. He calls this process formation, and it consists, in the last analysis, in endowing the individual with a rich, solid interior life that embraces all aspects of his or her life and that, therefore, manifests itself gradually. Obviously, this is the task of a lifetime, for "what constitutes the being of my essence I am not beforehand, but I become it in the course of time".

Consequently, Guardini makes us look closely at the person, recognizing that his freedom is the starting point of any process of formation, and that it is precisely freedom. Freedom is, for the author, "self-possession", and is experienced in choice and, above all, in "the expression of the essence: [...] that process in which I can, in an unalterable, free and authentic way, express in act and configuration of being my most intimate essential being". Precisely because it is self-possession, freedom implies responsibility, which is the foundation of morality.

Personal process

Another fundamental element of this formative proposal is "the impulse to become oneself," determined by freedom, and which consists in "realizing more and more fully the expression of one's inner essence. Freedom and formation, according to Guardini, are closely linked: the person is self-possessed and self-made. In this process, the existence of God - and what derives from this fact - occupies a central place: "it is a grotesque comedy to suppose that God exists and at the same time to act pedagogically as if He did not exist", that is, "if God has entered history, if Christ is the Son of God, if from Him comes the new order of reality and values of grace, then all this is also valid for the world of formation". The end of formation, that to which the impulse to make oneself is directed, is found in Christ.

Guardini's essay briefly develops the consequences of this thesis, and tries to apply them to the world of his time. Given that we have not changed that much, and that the fundamentals remain the same, his reading continues to be a valid proposal for all those who are interested in formation, whether as a professional task, or as another element of their vital horizon, or, above all, as the task that every human being has with regard to himself: to form himself in order to express with the greatest fullness what he is: son of God in the Son.

The authorRuben Pereda

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Celebrating "Amoris laetitia" to rethink the family

The Year Amoris Laetitia convoked by the Pope is marked by the great challenges facing the institution of the family in today's society.

March 12, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

March 19 is the day chosen by the pope Francisco for the inauguration of the Year "Amoris Laetitia Family".The event was held on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the publication of his Apostolic Exhortation and with the aim of rethinking the content of a common reality such as the family.

It is likely, says the journalist David BrooksWe are going through the most rapid change in family structure in the history of mankind. The causes are economic, cultural and institutional at the same time. We place too much value on privacy and individual freedom. We want stability and rootedness, but also mobility and freedom to adopt the lifestyle of our choice. We want close families, but not the legal, cultural and sociological constraints that made them possible. We grope for a new family paradigm, but in the meantime confusion and ambivalence reign.

Family challenges

Among the "challenges facing families", Francis denounces in his Encyclical the "culture of the temporary", manifested in "the speed with which people move from one affective relationship to another", the unequivocal result of a "culture of the temporary". deinstitutionalization of the family, of a greater increase in autonomy, of the search for personal fulfillment and satisfaction. This would be a scenario of multiplication of family itinerariesThe transits, where a person goes from courtship to cohabitation, back to courtship and getting married, having children, separating and getting divorced, living only with the children, going back to cohabitation with a new partner and the children of both, ad infinitum.  

To the denunciation of the precariousness of family ties, the Pope will add his uneasiness about the "various forms of an ideology generically called "the ideology of the family". genderThe background of such a gender ideology is to be found in the "gender ideology", which seeks to "impose itself as a single thought that determines even the education of children". The antecedent of such a gender ideology can be found in Emilio from Rousseauin which the education of children is carried out "in the absence of any organic relationship between husbands and wives, and between parents and children", creating for the state of the soul of the students what Allan Bloom in The closure of the modern mind will be called the psychology of separation, the peculiar isolation where each one develops his own little separate system. Divorce will be the logical term and the most visible sign of our growing separation.

In "Amoris Laetitia", Francis will also address the need for a father and a mother in every family, stressing the importance of the difference: "the clear and well-defined presence of the two figures, feminine and masculine, creates the most suitable environment for the maturation of the child". The Pope openly rejects gender feminism: "I value feminism when it does not seek uniformity or the denial of motherhood". In reality, gender ideology does not defend diversity but uniformity that eliminates the role of the mother, motherhood understood as a condition prior to culture, society or political ideas. Gender feminism upholds the subversion of identity ("identity is chosen"), advocates freedom detached from truth, eliminates the distinction between the sexes, and eliminates masculinity and femininity as signs of nature and places them in a cultural indeterminacy. The constructivist discourse, or cultural and moral relativism, has its genesis in Comtefor whom the social is the category in which all others acquire meaning and concreteness: everything (actions, relations, forms of relationship) is legitimate if it is "constructed" socially.

The Pope also warns against the propaganda of "safe sex," a lifestyle that "conveys a negative attitude toward the natural procreative purpose of sexuality." The widespread use of contraceptives has brought with it four results that Paul VI in the encyclical Humanae VitaeIn other words, what has happened over the last 50 years are the consequences of the dissociation of love, marriage, sex and procreation from love, marriage, sex and procreation. In other words, what has happened in the last 50 years are the consequences of the dissociation between love, marriage, sex and procreation.

A thorny chapter will allow Francis to suggest that in situations of cohabitation, civil marriage only or divorced couples, realism imposes "accompanying, discerning and integrating", so that people in these cases "overcome their deficiencies and participate in the life of the Church". As for the possibility of communion for remarried divorcees, Francis will insist, without offering any new discipline, on offering everyone God's mercy and treating each case carefully. The Pope will say that not every person in one of these irregular circumstances is in mortal sin, adding two clarifications: first, just as norms cannot cover all concrete cases, neither can the concrete case be elevated to a norm; second, "understanding exceptional situations never implies hiding the light of the fullest ideal nor proposing less than what Jesus offers to the human being."

Marriage and the family

The anthropological and sociocultural mutation that marriage and the family are going through is far from resembling the true nature of the family, which, in the words of John Paul IIis communio personarumIt is not a mere association of individual human relationships, but a unit of coexistence, a "participation in the common", a communication of some people with others, a true educational network of interpersonal relationships. The new situation has its most devastating consequences on the elderly, children and the sick, who have lost the support once provided by the family and the community.

Institutional deterioration implies the disappearance of norms and values that until recently constituted the lived world (we must not forget that religious marriage is disappearing). The unbearable drop in the birth rate (Spain is the EU28 country with the worst birth rate indicators) requires not only a modification of economic conditions, but above all a cultural and spiritual changea transformation capable of transcending hedonism and secularization to be governed by sacrifice firmly rooted in the divine. This is how the American describes it Rod Dreherauthor of The Benedict Option (The Benedictine option): "the way to revalue the family is to revive the religious commitment, renouncing marriage as self-realization and discovering the sacrifice rooted in the divine".

Marriage and the family understood as "a true path of sanctification in ordinary life" will serve Francis to offer the final message of the Exhortation as an invitation to hope: "Let us walk, families, let us continue to walk. What is promised to us is always more. Let us not despair because of our limits, but let us also not give up seeking the fullness of love and communion that has been promised to us".

The authorRoberto Esteban Duque

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ColumnistsMaria José Atienza

Washing away the guilt

Catholics, with the sacrament of Reconciliation, have the most effective way to wash away sins and live without any feeling of guilt.

March 11, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The American writer Paul Auster, in his book "I thought my father was God", collects the very diverse anecdotes sent to him by his listeners for a radio program... The premise he set for reading these stories every night is that they "break the mold". This column takes its title from one of them: Clean the guilt - wash away the guilt.

The protagonist of this story (Warning! This is a super spoiler) tells how, in the midst of a rebellious season of her newfound youth, she found a note by her bedside written by her mother in which she read "Clean the guilt - Washing away the guilt."

She herself describes that her family was not exactly religious and those words haunted her for weeks... and, directly or indirectly, she began to change some things... yes, "one wonderful day, almost miraculous, it must have been a clear and sunny day, I returned home, went up to my room, looked at the notebook and it said: 'Washing the quilt - Clean the quilt'".

I suppose she washed the quilt but, above all, as she narrates, almost unconsciously she was washing her life. In the case of our friend, who was not Catholic, the sacrament of reconciliation did not enter her life. Catholics, however, have an easy solution when we read the note next to our bedside table. As stated in the Grant for 24 hours for the Lord which we will begin in a few hours: "God forgives every repentant sinner, personally, but the Christian is united to Christ, and Christ is united to the Church. For us Christians there is one more gift, and there is also one more commitment: to pass humbly through the ecclesial ministry. This we must value; it is a gift, a care, a protection and it is also the assurance that God has forgiven me".

With confession, done well, Catholics have the certainty that God forgives us, and not only forgives, but forgets our sins. There is nothing more distant from a Catholic going to confession than the feeling of guilt because, in the words of "C" Anello, the young protagonist of a Bronx story, "It was great to be Catholic and go to confession. You could start from scratch every week.

To start from scratch, to be born again, to forget our sins and also to ask for forgiveness, to be aware of our limitations without this being a problem but rather an opportunity to love, ... this really makes our salvation story a narrative that breaks the schemes of our current society.

To confess is to assume our guilt and erase it; to take the quilt with the marks that we have made with the remains of the dirt we stepped on, and drag it to the washing machine. Even if it weighs a little, even if it is uncomfortable to handle, even if, deep down, we think that "it doesn't look so dirty" and that we could rub here and there, without having to go through the machine.

Although it is unlikely that God will leave us notes on the bedside table, always, but perhaps even more so during Lent, it is a good time to wash the quilt of our life thoroughly, with the help of those priests, professionals in the field, who can help us in this task.... Ah! And if you need to wash the bed quilt, take advantage of it too, as the weather is starting to get good.

The authorMaria José Atienza

Director of Omnes. Degree in Communication, with more than 15 years of experience in Church communication. She has collaborated in media such as COPE or RNE.

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The World

The Inter-American Court and the new human rights

Doctor of Law and Professor of Philosophy of Law Max Silva Abbott reflects on the "human rights" repercussions of the Pavez v. Chile case.

Max Silva Abbott-March 11, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsChile: religious freedom at stake

As it is known, probably during this year, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights will issue a judgment in the case of Pavez vs Chile, that of the religion teacher whose license to teach that subject was revoked, for being incompatible with her way of life, for having entered into a public sentimental relationship with another woman.

Some background information

Previously, the Inter-American Commission, the body through whose review the case must necessarily pass first, stated not only that it considered the measure discriminatory, but also that religious institutions did not have the right to demand from their professors a coherence between their way of life and the beliefs they teach. 

Now, since no agreement was reached with the State, the Commission itself has sued the State before the Court, and a condemnatory sentence with similar arguments is very likely. All of which will affect, both in Chile and in all of Latin America, the autonomy of religious institutions and the right of parents to have their children receive a religious education according to their own convictions. This is because many activists and national judges see in the rulings of this court, a kind of precedent system in human rights, which must be followed without question by all countries in the region.

Consistency

In fact, the Commission's statement is surprising. All the more so if we remember that in recent weeks, this "coherence" between personal convictions and "political correctness", whatever the job in which the subjects work, has been demanded to the point of paroxysm in some countries, such as the United States, generating a veritable witch-hunt against those who have any hint of conservative thinking. However, it seems that this coherence is demanded and even imposed only in one direction.

The right of the institution

Now, it is evident that any religious institution has the right to profess its own creed. Also, and for obvious reasons, to select or disassociate, as the case may be, the suitable personnel to teach it. To do otherwise would be tantamount to an authentic "suicide" as an institution. To this must be added that no one is forced to embrace a belief. However, what cannot happen is that a person pretends to continue teaching this creed and at the same time, seriously and deliberately contradicts important precepts of the same.

However, if this last argument is entirely logical and falls within the basic human right of freedom of conscience, how is it possible that in the name of these same rights, such different conclusions are reached? 

Origin of human rights

The fundamental reason is that at present, for vast sectors, human rights do not depend on a reality or human nature to be discovered, but are a fact to be invented, to be constantly constructed and reconstructed at our whim, in theory, by means of national and international consensus. 

Therefore, if they move further and further away from anything resembling a Natural Law, it is not surprising that these "new human rights" (to differentiate them from the previous ones), are evolving further and further away from their original meaning and even in open opposition to it. 

In fact, this process has reached such a point that nowadays, almost anything can end up becoming a "human right". And in this endeavor, the rulings handed down by various international tribunals on the matter are becoming increasingly important and influential.

Human rights as a talisman

The problem, however, is that the very notion of "human rights" has become a veritable dogma in our Western societies, or if you prefer, a kind of talisman. Hence, despite the aforementioned evolution, everything they "touch" is to a certain extent sacralized, which means that for vast sectors, these matters, however absurd or controversial they may be, end up being practically indisputable and do not admit any divergence or criticism whatsoever. And even, because they are "human rights", they should be put into practice as quickly and completely as possible.

Therefore, contrary to their primitive intentions and thanks to the almost irresistible prestige they still have, human rights are being used as a remarkable instrument to impose a single way of thinking, at least in the West. This single way of thinking is intended to affect all spheres of life, which is why many believe that it should be the State itself that puts them into practice, encouraging compliance, preventing possible violations, and severely punishing those who do not comply with them. 

That is why, beyond appearances, these new "human rights" are no longer what many believe them to be, and are becoming more and more threatening, limiting our freedoms day by day. It is therefore imperative to become aware of this delicate and dangerous phenomenon. 

The authorMax Silva Abbott

D. in Law from the University of Navarra and Professor of Philosophy of Law at Universidad San Sebastián (Chile).

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The Vatican

Vatican launches appeal to help the Holy Land

He did so by means of a letter from the Congregation for Oriental Churches, to collaborate in the Good Friday Collection.

David Fernández Alonso-March 11, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes
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Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, together with Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro, Archbishop Secretary, have addressed a letter appealing for collaboration in the Holy Friday Collection to help the Holy Land.

As pilgrims in Jerusalem

"In every Holy Week" begins that missive Cardinal Sandri, "we ideally present ourselves as pilgrims in Jerusalem and contemplate the mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ dead and risen. St. Paul the Apostle, who had a living and personal experience of this mystery, in the Letter to the Galatians He goes so far as to say: "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2,20). All that the Apostle has lived is also the foundation of a new model of fraternity, which derives from the work of reconciliation and pacification accomplished by the Crucified One among all peoples, as St. Paul writes in the Letter to the Ephesians".

The deserted streets around the Holy Sepulchre and Old Jerusalem have echoed St. Peter's Square, deserted and drenched by rain, crossed by the Holy Father on March 27, 2020.

Card. Leonardo Sandri

Sandri emphasizes that during the year 2020 Pope Francis wanted to remind us of the consequences of this gift of reconciliation, and he did so through the encyclical Fratelli tutti. With this text, the Pope, starting from the prophetic experience proposed by St. Francis of Assisi, wants to help us to read in the light of the principle of fraternity all our relationships and all the areas of our life: religious, economic, ecological, political, communicative.

The foundation at Calvary

"The foundation of our being all brothers and sisters," he says, "is properly found on Calvary, the place where, through the ultimate gift of love, the Lord interrupted the spiral of enmity, broke the vicious circle of hatred and opened for every man and every woman the path of reconciliation with the Father, among all people and with the very reality of creation."

Evoking the situation that led to the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic, Sandri points out that "the deserted streets around the Holy Sepulchre and the Old Jerusalem echoed St. Peter's Square, deserted and drenched by rain, crossed by the Holy Father on March 27, 2020, walking towards the Crucifix, before whom the whole world was on its knees, begging for the end of the pandemic and making everyone feel united in the same mystery of sorrow".

One year trial period

It has therefore been a year of trial, and so it has been for the Holy City of Jerusalem, for the Holy Land and for the small Christian community living in the Middle East, which wants to be light, salt and leaven of the Gospel. In 2020, the Christians of those lands suffered an isolation that made them feel even more distant, far from vital contact with their brothers and sisters from the various countries of the world.

They have suffered the loss of work, due to the absence of pilgrims, and the consequent difficulty to live with dignity and to provide for their own families and children. In many countries the persistence of wars and sanctions has aggravated the very effects of the pandemic. In addition, part of the financial aid that the Holy Land Appeal guaranteed every year has also been lacking, due to the difficulties in many countries to carry out the Appeal in 2020.

The Good Samaritan

The letter goes on to join in the intentions of Pope Francis, who "offered to all Christians the figure of the Good Samaritan as a model of active charity, of a love that shows initiative and solidarity. He also encouraged us to reflect on the various attitudes of the characters in this parable, in order to overcome the indifference of those who see their brother or sister and pass by: "With whom do you identify? This question is crude, direct and decisive: which of them do you resemble? We need to recognize the temptation that surrounds us to ignore others, especially the weakest. Let's say it, we have grown in many aspects, although we are illiterate in accompanying, caring for and sustaining the most fragile and weakest in our developed societies. We are accustomed to look the other way, to look the other way, to ignore situations until they hit us directly" (Fratelli tutti, 64)".

From the parable of the Good Samaritan, with whom do you identify? This question is crude, direct and decisive.

Card. Leonardo Sandri

"May the Collection for the Holy Land 2021 be for everyone a propitious occasion not to look away, not to pass by, not to be disinterested in the situations of need and difficulty of our brothers and sisters who live in the Holy Places. If this small gesture of solidarity and sharing (St. Paul and St. Francis of Assisi would call it "restitution") were lacking, it would be even more difficult for so many Christians in those lands to resist the temptation to leave their own country; it would be difficult to support the parishes in their pastoral mission and to continue the educational work through the Christian schools and the social commitment in favor of the poor and the afflicted.

Caring for the Holy Places

It is clear that the difficulties of the past year have not been lacking: "the sufferings of the many displaced persons and refugees who have been forced to leave their homes because of the war, need an outstretched and friendly hand to pour into their wounds the balm of consolation. Finally, we must not give up the task of caring for the Holy Places, which are a concrete witness to the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God and the offering of his life, carried out for our love and for our salvation".

In such a difficult scenario, marked by the absence of pilgrims, "I feel the duty to make my own", continues the Cardinal, "once again, the words that the Apostle of the Gentiles addressed to the Corinthians, two thousand years ago, inviting them to a solidarity that is not based on philanthropic but Christological reasons: 'For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, so that you might become rich through his poverty'" (2 Cor 8,9)".

He who sows bountifully, shall reap bountifully

"And after having recalled the principle of equality, solidarity and the sharing of material and spiritual goods, the Apostle adds eloquent words, today as then, and which need no commentary: "But I say to you, he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly; he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him do, not grudgingly or under compulsion: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to increase in you every kind of grace, so that, always having sufficient in everything, you may abound in every good work.2 Cor 8,9)".

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Vocations

Originality and new media for the Seminar 2021 campaign

A few days before celebrating the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Seminary Day, in a campaign once again marked by the restrictions of Covid 19, the different seminaries in Spain have used ingenuity and new formats to make themselves known among the youngest.

Maria José Atienza-March 11, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsSpain prepares for Seminar Day 2021

The incidence of the coronavirus in Spain has marked, once again, the Seminary Day campaign. This year, the campaign has not been postponed as was the case last year, so students and formators of minor and major seminaries have resorted to various ways to be present in the different communities and schools where they have not been able to go in person due to the obvious restrictions.

Online Prayers and Vigils

Prayer continues to be the central axis of this Day. For this reason, there are several seminaries that have convened semi-presential prayer vigils or retransmitted by various digital platforms. This is the case of the Seminary of Barcelona, which will have its prayer vigil on Saturday at 7:00 pm. you can attend by reserving a ticketbut which will also be broadcasted online.

Videos

One of the most widely used formats for this vocation campaign has been the video. Dioceses such as Cadiz and Ceuta or the seminaries that make up the Theologate of Avila have used different perspectives to respond, directly or through evocation, to the most frequently asked questions of those who are in the formation process to become priests.

Bishops' message to seminarians

In addition to the many diocesan bishops who dedicate their pastoral letters to seminary students at this time of the year, the bishops of the dioceses of the obispos of the Episcopal Commission for the Clergy and Seminaries They wanted to mark this date in a special way. In this letter, the prelates point out that the "Seminary is really a presbytery in gestation. Thus, the discreet and attentive presence of St. Joseph in each formative community, at Mary's side".  

They also invite the seminarians to meditate three features of St. Joseph's paternal pedagogy,

  • – Supernatural fatherhoodSt. Joseph assumes, in the first place, the mission of acting as a representative of the fatherhood of God". The Seminary, this letter points out, "must be the place where we learn the meaning of Joseph's sacrifice, and educate ourselves in the total dedication that comes with living our personal paternity as a testimony of the only divine paternity, guarantor of man's humanity. Learning to renounce all possession - of whatever kind - over our future "children", with regard to our pastoral work, from a spiritual fatherhood that engenders freedom and awakens everyone to a full life, of conscious, free and joyful surrender".
  • – Supernatural couragehumility and discretion, as vocational qualities. At this point, the responsible bishops point out, it is necessary to "deepen in the ultimate meaning of things, in the value of work shared with men in real life, and with an always open heart" so as not to fall into individualism or comfort.
  • Pedagogical workFinally, they refer to the learning and teaching task of priests after the example of St. Joseph and urge them to "enter into the heart of the houses, to be close to the people, to the sufferings and joys of the People of God".
RelatedRelated NewsSpain prepares for Seminar Day 2021
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Vocations

Holy priests: St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales is one of the great priest-saints in the history of the Church. His teachings on Christian holiness allow us to consider him as a precursor of the universal call to holiness proclaimed at the Second Vatican Council.

Manuel Belda-March 11, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes
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St. Francis de Sales was born in 1567 in the castle of Sales (Thorens, Savoy), in one of the oldest and noblest families of Savoy. He studied law at the University of Padua, reaching the degree of Doctor. He was appointed lawyer of the Senate of Savoy, but decided to follow his priestly vocation, being ordained in 1593.

Your life

At the request of his bishop, he initiated with his cousin Louis the re-evangelization of the Chablais, a region located to the south of Lake Geneva, which had turned en masse to Calvinism. He dedicated himself to print flyers with doctrinal content, which he pasted on the walls of the houses and circulated among the population, so that Pius XI, on the occasion of the third centenary of his death, named him patron of Catholic journalists. In September 1598 more than 3,000 Calvinists returned to the Catholic faith.

In 1599 he was appointed coadjutor bishop of Geneva and in 1602 residential bishop, based in Annecy, because Geneva was almost entirely Calvinist. In 1604 he met St. Jeanne-Françoise Frémyot de Chantal, co-founder with him of the Congregation of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God of the Visitation, in 1610.

On December 28, 1622 he died in the Visitation Convent in Lyon, and on January 23 of the following year his body was transferred and buried in the Basilica of Annecy. He was beatified in 1662 and canonized in 1665. On July 19, 1877, Pius IX declared him Doctor of the Church. His feast is celebrated on January 24.

His works

He wrote numerous works, which can be classified as follows: 1) Works of controversy; 2) Treatises on the spiritual life; 3) Conferences to the Visitandines; 4) Sermons; 5) Epistolary; 6) Documents of his episcopal ministry; 7) Constitutions of the Congregation of the Visitation; 7) Various pamphlets.

His most famous works are the treatises on spiritual life: Introduction to the devotional life and the Treatise on the love of God. The first, his masterpiece, is an authentic best-seller The book continues to be published today because it responds to the deepest religious desires of the human heart. In it, the author addresses every Christian who lives in the world and wishes to correspond to the demands of holiness that come with having received Baptism. The truths he proposes therein throb with faith, love and cordiality.

The second book, notes the saint in the PrefaceThe book, written to help the already devout Christian to progress on his path to holiness, presents the story of man's unceasing search for God and God's search for man. This work presents the story of the incessant search of man for God and of God for man, and constitutes a sort of commentary on the Song of Songs.

St. Francis de Sales is known as a great writer. In French literature his prose is cited and pointed out as a model of ductility, delicacy, liveliness of images and expressive richness.

His teachings on Christian holiness

I will limit myself here to pointing out his teachings on Christian holiness, to which, according to the holy bishop, all Christians must aspire. For this reason he has been considered a precursor of the universal call to holiness proclaimed by the Second Vatican Council.

In the Preface from Introduction to the devotional lifeHe presents the purpose of this book and its recipients: "Almost all those who have written about devotion have done so with a view to instructing people who are far removed from the world, or at least they have taught a kind of devotion that leads to this total withdrawal. My intent is to instruct those who live in cities, in families, at court; those who by their condition are obliged to live among their peers (...). To these I teach that an energetic and constant soul can live in the world without absorbing its poisons, find its springs of sweet piety in the midst of the bitter waves of this century and fly among the flames of earthly lusts, without burning the wings of the holy desires of a devout life".

Devotional life without leaving the world

But in what does this devotion or devout life, which can be lived without leaving the world, consist concretely? St. Francis de Sales explains it in the first two chapters. The first is entitled: Description of true devotionand the second: Characteristics and excellence of true devotion. Here is the key text of the first chapter: "The living and true devotion (...) presupposes the love of God; but not just any love, because, when divine love embellishes our souls, it is called grace, which makes us pleasing to his divine Majesty; it is called charity when it gives us strength to do good; but when it reaches such a degree of perfection that it not only makes us do good, but also with care, frequency and promptness, then it is called devotion".

Devotion is, therefore, a certain style, a way of practicing the love of God, that is, diligently, always and promptly. Therefore the holy bishop adds: "In a word, devotion is nothing more than an agility and a spiritual liveliness, by means of which charity does its works in us, or we by it, promptly and affectionately", and thus concludes this first chapter: "Charity and devotion differ from each other only as flame and fire; for charity being a spiritual fire, when it is well kindled it is called devotion, so that this flame of devotion adds nothing to the fire of charity, but rather makes it prompt, active and diligent.

The sweetness of sweetness

And at the end of the second chapter he offers this definition of devotion: "Devotion is the sweetness of sweetnesses and the queen of virtues, because it is the perfection of charity. If charity is milk, devotion is the cream; if it is a plant, devotion is the flower; if it is a precious stone, devotion is the shine: if it is a precious balsam, devotion is the aroma, the aroma of softness that comforts men and rejoices the angels."

As can be seen, for St. Francesco di Sales devotion or devout life is synonymous with perfection of charity, that is, with perfect Christian life: ultimately, in his teachings, this concept means Christian holiness.

According to its own condition

In the third chapter, entitled: Devotion adapts to all kinds of vocations and professionsexplains that devotion or the perfection of charity can be lived in different ways according to one's condition or state in life. This is the key text: "The nobleman and the artisan, the servant and the prince, the widow, the single woman and the married woman must practice devotion in different ways; and not only this, but it is necessary to adapt the practice of devotion to the strengths, chores and obligations of each person in particular (...).

Would it be a reasonable thing if the bishop wanted to live in solitude, like the Carthusians? And if married people did not want to save anything, as the Capuchins do, and if the artisan were in church all day long, like the religious, and if the religious dealt continually with all kinds of people for the good of his neighbor, as the bishop does, would this devotion not be ridiculous, disordered and insufferable? (...) No, devotion spoils nothing when it is true; on the contrary, it perfects everything, and when it is contrary to someone's vocation, it is, without the slightest doubt, false (...). It is a mistake, and even a heresy, to want to banish the devout life from the soldiers' companies, from the workmen's workshop, from the princes' court and from the married people's home".

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Evangelization

A parish in the "Nazareth style".

The Year of St. Joseph invites attention to the many ways in which the Holy Patriarch is present in the life of the whole Church. In a popular neighborhood of Madrid, Vallecas, there is a modern parish dedicated to the Patronage of St. Joseph.

José María Casado-March 11, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the Patronage of St. Joseph. It was Pope Pius IX who, on December 8, 1870, placed the Church under his intercession and protection. 

Pope Francis, to help us live this anniversary, has written a beautiful letter, entitled Patris Corde, and encourages us to "go to Joseph" in this hard time: to live his virtues, to become aware of the need for the figure of the father and to welcome his intercession. St. Teresa already said "that there is no thing that is asked of him that he will not grant it.".

In the district of Vallecas, specifically at 78 Pedro Laborde Street, we find the only parish in Madrid whose titular is the Patronage of St. Joseph. In the parish baptismal books we find the first inscription on January 1, 1966, date of the beginning of the parish, similar to many others that began their journey at that time of the diocesan life, and specifically in the first floor of San Anselmo Street. In Alto de Palomeras there was a colony with the name of St. Joseph, and currently remains as a memory of that time the St. Joseph School: for this reason, the parish was also placed under the patronage of St. Joseph, collecting the feeling and life of the neighborhood, who lived in the shadow of St. Joseph.

 Twelve years ago the new parish church was built, very bright, which dignifies and beautifies this sector of Vallecas. With a taste of home, open doors and serenity, we live day by day with the certainty that we are on a pilgrimage towards the goal of which St. Joseph is a witness.

"With a Father's Heart"says the title of Pope Francis' letter. And, indeed, in the parish facilities live families who have migrated in search of prosperity and receive support on this path to move forward and progress. We feed materially a good number of families, with the sole desire to be a balm, and we offer them a point of support to overcome and move forward. To clothe those who are cold is the purpose of the humble closet, which dignifies life.  

A small, humble and simple grain of sand that transmits something essential and that is born from the entrails of Nazareth: to accompany, to make together this path towards the Homeland that knows no sunset. The ardent charity is a very Nazareth aspect, very much of St. Joseph, who at the head of this family strove and struggled to make family.

Home of health, integral health of body and soul. Our parish consists of two floors and a visible tower, connected by a staircase, with a great luminosity, as indicating the desire to unite, to put in communication and integrate heaven and earth. Faith gives meaning and opens horizons to the earthly journey. The architectural structure thus helps us to understand the challenge we have in our hands, and of which St. Joseph is the patron and protector, since it is not in vain that he resounds as the patron of the parish of the Patronage of St. Joseph. This parish in the style of Nazareth wants to be a neighbor among neighbors, and one of its desires is the spirituality of the neighborhood.

With our working hands, aware of challenges, difficulties, obscurities, successes and failures, conscious of reality and the new era, we wish to make visible and real what iconography and painting present to us of St. Joseph with the Child Jesus in his hands. 

We do not exhaust ourselves in our problems, everything does not end at the end of the street, violence and abuse do not have the last word. Valuing so many efforts and hopeful gestures, we wish to contemplate the Presence of the One who has not left us alone and is our strength: Christ Incarnate and Alive among us.

With different activities, in the desire to integrate the human and the divine, we will accompany this year of St. Joseph, understanding that Nazareth is home for all, a school of fraternity.

With the Novena to St. Joseph, monthly meetings of catechesis on the Holy Patriarch, some charitable work and a carving by popular subscription that we want to put in a garden of the parish, we want to bring life to this year dedicated to St. Joseph.

The authorJosé María Casado

Parish Priest of Patrocinio de San José, Vallecas (Madrid)

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Editorial

Getting closer to the sources

Omnes-March 11, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The new information portal linked to this magazine was launched barely a month ago, on the website www.omnesmag.com, and the response received has been very favorable. The quality of the conception and design, together with the content of the news and articles, as well as the prominence of the signatures, have probably made it very popular; those who collaborate with their support, the recipients of the newsletter and the participants in the dialogues and forums also express their satisfaction. We thank everyone for their interest.

From these pages we would like to remind paper subscribers that, because they are paper subscribers, they can enjoy the digital subscription free of charge. To do so, they must enter the portal www.omnesmag.com and click on "Subscribe"; then, in the box marked "Free annual digital subscription", they must enter the requested data.

This is another expression of the complementary nature of the portal and the magazine. The reinforcement of the digital channel thus leads to mutual enrichment. The contents of the magazine are not being reduced, but expanded. For example, this issue of the magazine includes a new section on the Fathers of the Church, exclusively for subscribers. Precisely one of our objectives is to bring the reader closer to the sources, as we have been doing with the section on Sacred Scripture and the commentaries on the liturgical texts of Sundays and feast days. With the same purpose, we transmit the teaching of the Magisterium through the selection of some documents in the central pages, and we also offer a section that summarizes and comments on the words that the Holy Father pronounces each month: we are not aware of any other means of communication that does it in this way. On the strictly informative side, the efforts of our editors and bylines to get to the truth and context of the news about the Church are well known.

At this point, we would like to highlight one of the contents of the present issue. The month of March is beginning, when we celebrate the Day of the Seminary and pray to St. Joseph for vocations, precisely on the feast of the saint. It is only natural that we turn our gaze to priestly vocations, one of the "focal points" of permanent interest of the Church and of this media, and we focus on families, which often play a decisive role in the emergence of vocations. It has been a joy to collect the direct testimonies of the fathers and mothers of several priests, and their comments on the way in which their experiences in the context of the family contributed to the discovery of their call. Although this is not always or necessarily the case, because grace knows many paths, it is often the fertile ground of a family where a Christian atmosphere is breathed and where virtues are learned that vocations germinate.

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Pope's teachings

Catechesis, fraternity and Lent

Francis entered February with a speech to those responsible for catechesis in Italy, in line with his constant interest in the education of the faith. He then reflected with the Diplomatic Corps on aspects of the world crisis. And, in the middle of the month, he introduced the Church to Lent, on Ash Wednesday.

Ramiro Pellitero-March 11, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

The Pope's interest in education, which he has maintained during the pandemic, has been extended in recent weeks in an address to those responsible for catechesis at the Italian Bishops' Conference (30-I-2021). 

For a renewed catechesis

He pointed out three focuses or priorities: the proclamation, the future and the Christian community. 

a) First, the proclamation of the faith (kerygma), because catechesis is the echo ("the long wave") of the Word of God, which allows the person to participate in the history of salvation. At the same time, it is a mystagogical itinerary, which leads to the "mysteries" of Christ celebrated in the liturgy and favors a personal encounter with Him. 

And that is why the catechist "guardianship and nourishes the memory of God". (cf. homily at the meeting with catechists during the Year of Faith, September 29, 2013). Their task must have these characteristics: "closeness -family language-, openness to dialogue, patience, a cordial welcome that does not condemn". (Evangelii gaudium, 165).

b) Second, the future of catechesis, which should be inspired by the horizon outlined by the Second Vatican Council. "We must look to the Council." -St. Paul VI pointed out. "with gratitude to God and with confidence in the future of the Church; it will be the great catechism of the new times." (speech in Florence on the occasion of the First International Catechetical Congress, June 23, 1966).

This has now been echoed by Francis, and he has left no room for doubt: "The Council is the magisterium of the Church. Either you are with the Church and therefore you follow the Council, and if you do not follow the Council or you interpret it in your own way, as you wish, you are not with the Church." There is no room for "selectivity" in the education of the faith at the whim of the contents of the Council. Today, he proposes, a renewed catechesis is needed that continues to be a "extraordinary adventure" like "vanguard of the Church"to speak the language of the people but inside, not outside the Church; to listen to the questions and unresolved issues, the fragilities and uncertainties; to be able to "to elaborate updated instruments, which transmit to the people of today the richness and joy of the kerygma, and the richness and joy of belonging to the Church.".

c) And with this sense of belonging, he introduces the third point: catechesis and community. We are a family, already at the human level, and the pandemic has highlighted that "only by rediscovering the meaning of community can each person find his or her own dignity in fullness". 

Catechesis also has an essential communitarian, ecclesial dimension. It must foster Christian communities that are open, missionary and inclusive, free and disinterested, that dialogue without fear with those who have other ideas, that approach the wounded with compassion. 

It must be creatively placed within the framework of Christian humanism (as was made clear in the Address to the Italian ecclesial assembly on 10-XI-2015). 

Fraternity and hope, medicines for the world

During his address to the Diplomatic Corps (8 Feb. 2021), the Pope reviewed the various dimensions of the crisis we are experiencing. Once again, he pointed out that the pandemic has shattered some of the comforts and certainties that have been consolidated, putting us in crisis. 

After reviewing the health, environmental, economic-social and political aspects of the crisis, he finally focused on the aspect that he considers the most serious: "the crisis of human relations, expression of a general anthropological crisis, which concerns the very conception of the human person and his transcendent dignity". 

A very concrete and worrying manifestation: the enormous effort of the computerized educational platforms has not been enough to stop a kind of "digitalization" of education. "educational catastrophe"The only reason for this is the great disparity in educational and technological opportunities that exists in the world.

"Today it is necessary". -Francis takes up his appeal for the global education pact- "a new period of educational commitment, involving all components of society".because education is "the natural antidote to the individualistic culture, which sometimes degenerates into a true cult of the self and the primacy of indifference. Our future cannot be one of division, of impoverishment of the faculties of thought and imagination, of listening, of dialogue and mutual understanding." (Videomessage on the occasion of the Meeting Global compact on education. Together to look beyond, 15-X-2020). 

As John Paul II pointed out, all of this must be strengthened from within the family at the beginning of a new Year dedicated to the family, "offering their children a model of life founded on the values of truth, freedom, justice and love". (Familiaris consortio, 48).

A third and final emphasis that the Pope places in relation to the pandemic is that of limiting worship and other activities related to the faith. While conceding the need to follow in general the orientations of governments in health matters, he warns that "we must not overlook the fact that the religious dimension constitutes a fundamental aspect of the human personality and of society, which cannot be cancelled; and that, even when we are seeking to protect human lives from the spread of the virus, the spiritual and moral dimension of the person cannot be considered as secondary to physical health.". 

In addition, "Freedom of worship is not a corollary of freedom of assembly, but derives essentially from the right to religious freedom, which is the first and fundamental human right. For this reason it must be respected, protected and defended by the civil authorities, just like health and physical integrity. Moreover, good care of the body can never do without care of the soul.". "Fraternity and hope are like medicines that the world needs today, along with vaccines.".

Lent, a time of freedom

Lent began in mid-February with Ash Wednesday. Already in his message for Lent (signed on 11-XI-2020), the Pope had pointed out that it is a question of "a time to renew faith, hope and charity.". 

On Ash Wednesday, Pope Francis outlined this liturgical season as a time of "time to return to God", to free the heart from the bondage that grips it. This return can be costly, as it happened to the Israelites who left Egypt. 

From time to time, they would paradoxically yearn for that slavery: the onions, their memories, their attachments, their false securities, their paralyzing laments. Y "to walk it is necessary to unmask these illusions". (homily, 17-II-2021).

Lent is a time to return to the Father, like the prodigal son, imploring forgiveness in the sacrament of Confession. Time to return to Jesus, like that leper (we all have spiritual illnesses, vices, fears) after feeling healed. Time to return to the Holy Spirit. "Let us return to the Spirit, Giver of life, let us return to the Fire that makes our ashes rise again, to that Fire that teaches us to love." (ibid.).

Returning is possible only because God has taken the initiative in accompanying Jesus on our journey, touching our sin and our death. It is up to us to let ourselves be taken by the hand; not based on our own strength, but welcoming his graces and looking at the wounds of the Crucified One. "Let us kiss them and we will understand that right there, in the most painful voids of life, God waits for us with his infinite mercy. Because there, where we are most vulnerable, where we are most ashamed, He comes to meet us." (ibid.).

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Evangelization

"In a Catholic parish in Sweden we find between 50 and 100 nationalities."

Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm was the guest of the Omnes Forum that took place yesterday evening via Youtube. He was joined by Andres Bernar, Vicar for Evangelization of the Diocese of Stockholm.

Maria José Atienza-March 11, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

"The return from a secularized society"was the title of the Omnes Forum, which focused on the timid but constant awakening of interest in religion, especially the Catholic Church, in Sweden and the new multicultural face that migrations are bringing to Catholic communities in a country where Lutheranism is considered part of "being Swedish". These were the main themes of this digital meeting, which was attended by the first native Swedish bishop since the Reformation, Anders Arborelius, as well as the Spanish priest living in Sweden, Andrés Bernar, Vicar of Evangelization of the diocese.

Migration is changing the face of the Church in Europe

Migration is one of the key factors in the changing trend and perception of the Catholic Church in Sweden. In this sense, the Cardinal pointed out that the "traditional" animosity against the Catholic Church is fading, especially among the younger people. "It must be remembered," the Cardinal stressed, "that Sweden was formed as a modern state by taking a stand against the Catholic Church".

Multiculturalism is a particularly evident reality in the Catholic Church in Sweden. "Every Sunday, in a parish, we can find between 50 and 100 nationalities". Diverse origins that, at times, can cause controversy among themselves, but which, at the same time, the Cardinal emphasized, make visible "that the Church can understand people of all kinds, of all political options or nationalities, and that faith can be a point of union among these very different people".

After World War II, Sweden became one of the main destinations for migrations from all over the world: Latin America, Asia, Africa... "Sweden hosts the largest Chaldean Catholic community after Iraq", Arborelius pointed out, "they were excited by the recent trip of Pope Francis to their country of origin". Arborelius also pointed to the nationalist movement that is growing in Sweden and that hardens, for example, the entry to immigrants "The Catholic Church can be a bridge, as the Pope tells us".

Interest in the Catholic faith

Catholics in Sweden account for just 2% of the population. Every year, Cardinal Arborelius pointed out, about a hundred people convert to Catholicism and they do so from very different starting points such as Lutheran pastors, spouses of Catholics, a Muslim or completely pagan people, with no previous religion.

While the Catholic faith is having a good reception in intellectual circles, politics continues to be a difficult field "since the existing political options contemplate points such as abortion, which are incompatible with the faith". He also explained the difficulty in setting up, for example, Catholic schools, due to the opposition of some parties to this type of schools, "mainly for fear of Islamic fundamentalist schools, but in the end, they lump everyone together".

In this regard, Andrés Bernar, responding to one of the questions from the audience, stressed the importance of faith education in the family "here the catechesis is family. Not only the child goes, but, at the same time, the parents also receive formation". "Accompanying Catholics is fundamental," Cardinal Arborelius stressed, because the environment is still very adverse, "being a Catholic in Sweden is a vocation in itself. Along with this, there is a growing interest in the Catholic faith, the moral life and the sacraments that "gives signs of hope" to the Church in Sweden.

Omnes Forum

The Omnes Forum takes up the baton of the on-site forums organized for years by the magazine Palabra, now Omnes. The forums bring together experts on topics of interest and topicality for social and ecclesial life, giving the participants the opportunity to ask questions on issues related to the topic presented.

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Newsroom

"New revolution": the project to curb pornography

The Spanish Family Forum has started a crowdfunding campaign to finance a prevention, training and dissemination project for young people about the terrible consequences of pornography.

Maria José Atienza-March 10, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

Pornography is one of the major problems affecting today's society, especially due to the early access to pornographic content that minors in Spain have through digital media. The very Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has stated that, according to the data of the reports it handles, the average age of access to pornography among minors is 8 years old. 

Among the consequences generated by this access to content are serious problems such as family and sexual violence, absenteeism, depression, distorted vision of relationship models and addiction with neurobiological consequences.

Faced with this reality, the Spanish Family Forum wants to launch a new revolution: a project with two keys:

  • Assistance: FEF wants to set up a platform to contact from which each case can be treated by specialized professionals to resolve the issue, whether clinics specializing in treating pornography addiction, psychologists, mediators, lawyers or psychiatrists experts in the field and welfare associations of the same branch that collaborate with the project.
  • Informative: Likewise, the Spanish Family Forum wants to make known the reality of pornography and its harmful consequences through talks, conferences, and the training of volunteers to reach schools, universities, associations. In addition to this, they contemplate the elaboration of publications, studies, reports to make visible a latent problem in our time and in our society whose consequences are often silenced for economic reasons.

With these objectives in mind, the Spanish Family Forum has initiated a crowdfunding campaign through the iHelp platform. with which they intend to collect donations that will make possible the execution and development of this project over the next few months.

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The World

Chile: religious freedom at stake

The case Pavez vs. Chile has sparked a debate on religious freedom in the Andean country and the rest of Latin America, which awaits a resolution in 2021. 

Pablo Aguilera-March 10, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsBishop Celestino Aós: "It is time to build a Latin America of greater solidarity".Related NewsReligious freedom and pandemic: What can the State do and what can't it do?

A former Chilean novice, she was a religion teacher in Chile for 22 years. She earned her degree at an institute attached to a Catholic university. However, she began a relationship with another woman. There were complaints from some parents and guardians, with the collection of signatures.

Start of the case

The bishop of the diocese of San Bernardo warned him that his decision was contrary to the duties of chastity and that if he continued in it he would be obliged to revoke his certificate of suitability, since he did not give "testimony of Christian life", which the Catholic Church expects and requires of teachers of that subject. He was repeatedly offered various forms of assistance, which he refused.

As there was no positive response, under Chilean civil legislation she was not granted a new certificate of suitability, so she could not continue teaching that subject in a municipal school. However, since then, she continued to work uninterruptedly in that establishment, and was even promoted to the management team, where she remains to this day, without any financial loss.

Support from the LGTB environment

A Chilean NGO dedicated to the promotion of the LGTB ideology began to advise her. This institution together with the Teachers' Association filed a constitutional protection appeal in the Court of Appeals, which was rejected by the three judges who studied it, considering that the appealed act was not illegal or arbitrary, a decision that was unanimously confirmed by the Supreme Court of Justice.

In 2008, the NGO took its case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which agreed with the NGO, stating that it has the right to teach Catholic religion classes, even against the objection of the Church, and that faith communities cannot require teachers to conduct themselves in a way that is faithful to their beliefs, even in private schools. The commission made several demands to the State of Chile, which accepted them, including revising the rule that allowed religious authorities of all faiths to issue a certificate attesting to the suitability of a teacher.

Parental rights

The case escalated and is now before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and a decision is expected in 2021. The verdict will determine whether Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Evangelical or any other denomination of students may be taught their faith by religious educators who uphold their duty of fidelity to the convictions they voluntarily profess, and whether States will respect the right of parents to choose for their children to receive a religious education in accordance with their convictions.

The existing precedents suggest that the IACHR will give a verdict in favor of the NGO and against the State of Chile. It is perhaps the first time that a direct collision of rights can be provoked in an essential issue such as religious freedom. The Court did not accept the presentation of the Episcopal Conference of Chile to be part of the process, which will only be able to present briefs such as "....amicus curiae".

Equal conditions?

In short, religious freedom is at stake not only in Chile, but also in the other 22 Latin American countries subscribed to the so-called Pact of San José de Costa Rica, on which the Court depends. To aggravate the situation, the representatives of the Chilean State who were to act as parties in the trial were rejected by the Court for arriving after the deadline with their briefs, which makes the trial almost defenseless, since one of the parties cannot be legally heard on equal terms with the other.

Several international organizations have begun to gather support to safeguard religious freedom in the face of a possible adverse ruling, among them ADF International, (religiónlibre.org) based in the USA, which promotes the defense of fundamental freedoms and human dignity around the world, with representation before the UN, the OAS and the European OSCE. 

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RelatedRelated NewsBishop Celestino Aós: "It is time to build a Latin America of greater solidarity".Related NewsReligious freedom and pandemic: What can the State do and what can't it do?
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ColumnistsMaria Laura Conte

Spring risk

The approach of spring suggests us to reflect on risk, as something that somehow shapes us.

March 10, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsIn search of divergent thinking

The month of March can be quite exhausting. Lion and lamb. The cold side of spring.

There is no more accurate description of the days that are now slipping through our fingers than this one by Amy Smith, the writer of the novels of the seasons. This month of March feels very uneven; half lion, energetic and powerful, and half lamb, meek and frightened, split in two by one word: risk. The risk of not being able to resist any longer, of being crushed by the health-political-economic crisis, of falling ill, of losing a job or an affection, of crashing again against a wall of uncertainty.

Risk, like all expressions with infinite semantic capital, has an uncertain etymology: layers of disparate human events, not easy to distinguish, have been deposited on it, leaving us with this dense word.

It may come from Byzantine Greek rhizikòwhich means luck, destiny; or from Arabic rizqwhich evokes the balance due to the soldier sent on daring ventures; or from the classical Latin verb resecareto cut, to cut, to exclude. In its nautical declension, resecare means that way of cutting the waves before they rise, with eye and skill to avoid capsizing. Horace uses this verb in one of his hortatory verses: since life is short (spatio brevi), the poet suggests, spem longam resecescuts short a long hope. A verse that, with poetic license adapted to our century, I would translate as follows: rischiala, osala, una speranza eterna (to risk, to dare, an eternal hope).

Here is the risk: it runs like a tightrope walker between caution and possible harm, between the prudence of those who take cover and the drive of those who choose to come out into the open, even if they calculate how much they could be harmed.

Here is the risk: it runs like a tightrope walker between caution and possible harm, between the prudence of those who take cover and the thrust of those who choose to come out into the open, even if they calculate how much they can be harmed. Between surrender to blind chance and the stubbornness of the will.

Although its nature is that combination of luck, destiny, will, calculation and due balance, an attempt is made to measure it. We try to study it in order to prevent or contain it.

Today's most complex organizations cannot stand up to the competition, or even get into the game, if they have not equipped themselves with a risk assessment, i.e. an analysis of the possible threats, how they can occur, the limits to be set and the methods to be planned to prevent them. Even if companies manage to fit large ranges of risks into the cells of an Excel spreadsheet, it is not so easy for people to tame them.

We are born into it. From the first moment in the womb, or perhaps even before, it is part of our essence, it is pure human experience. Perhaps even more, it is a vocational quota, in the sense that if life unfolds as a continuous response that we are "forced" to give, instant after instant, to what reality puts in front of us - be it springs or winters - the risk is right there, in every question.

We are the result of the risks we choose to take. The artistic artifact of what pressing life continues to produce in us.

It is demanding, since being at risk requires the ability to choose among the alternatives on the ground, because the escape route is not always available. It asks for an elastic reason, capable of expanding to consider all the elements, from the most macroscopic to the implicit, apparently insignificant, that can become decisive. And then it asks for a good companion, the kind that has the temperament to keep us alert and not let us drift in solitude.

We are the result of the risks we choose to take. The artistic artifact of what pressing life continues to produce in us.

And when that wins, March arrives, back to the beginning. A month that bears the name of the god of war, because when winter begins to say goodbye, warriors resistant to the violence of storms, of change, of the unexpected are needed. So that the lifeblood that was hidden in a withered nature, dead only to the distracted eyes, regains all its space to explode.

The authorMaria Laura Conte

Degree in Classical Literature and PhD in Sociology of Communication. Communications Director of the AVSI Foundation, based in Milan, dedicated to development cooperation and humanitarian aid worldwide. She has received several awards for her journalistic activity.

RelatedRelated NewsIn search of divergent thinking
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Initiatives

Oratorios: friendship, music and faith

Meditating on the lives of the saints has always been a richness for Christians. Their testimony always encourages us to look upwards, placing all the emphasis on the work that God is doing, at his own pace, in us. From the hand of two young priests from Burgos and with this conviction in their hearts, the oratories were born.

Carlos Azcona-March 10, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

During our time of studies in Rome, captivated by the beauty of the music, we often attended the oratories organized in the Parish of San Felipe Neri (Chiesa Nuova). The figure of a saint, a meditation on a Christian virtue or a reflection on the corresponding liturgical season served to weave a prayer meeting, in which live music was always present in one way or another. 

Sometimes it was an organist, sometimes a choir, sometimes a small chamber orchestra. The hearts of those present beat in unison and there was a sublime, quasi-divine atmosphere, which was very conducive to a personal encounter with the Lord.

Once back in Burgos, we considered that something like this we had to do in our own diocese. We saw the importance of using a similar channel to the one we had known in Rome, thinking also of taking advantage of the occasion to invite to participate in the meeting so many people who rarely set foot in a church.

The prolegomena: a beatification

While these thoughts were in our diocese, an event of singular relevance took place: the beatification of the Burgos priest Valentín Palencia and of four young men who gave their lives with him (Donato Rodríguez, Emilio Huidobro, Germán García and Zacarías Cuesta). On that occasion (April 23, 2016), for the ceremony that took place in the cathedral of Burgos, an orchestra was organized, composed of musicians from different origins, who put their music at the service of the liturgy. Several choirs also took part. 

The bar was set very high, since two of the newly beatified (Donato and Emilio) were musicians and, among other initiatives, they led the music band of the San José patronage, which was led by Valentín Palencia.

The result was more than satisfactory. And, besides dedicating endless hours to rehearsals, bonds of friendship were forged, which still survive, among many of the musicians. I had the good fortune to participate as a violinist in that great little orchestra and so, when D. Enrique and I considered the project of the oratorios, it came up spontaneously to think of some of those fellow musicians to propose it to them. It is also normal that, being D. Enrique the vicar of the parish of San Cosme y San Damián, in the city of Burgos, that was the framework chosen for the staging of our idea. We suggested it to the parish priest, Mr. Máximo Barbero, who welcomed the initiative with enthusiasm and we immediately got down to work.

First oratory: Blessed Valentin Palencia

The first oratorio, naturally, we decided to dedicate it to Blessed Valentín Palencia himself. We have always considered that his patronage from heaven has been crucial for the development of this project. In the Seminary of Burgos, where Enrique and I were trained, we met Luis Renedo, today also a priest and, since always, a lover of the figure of D. Valentín. So we asked him to write a text that would serve as the basis for the oratory.

Once we had the text in our hands, and always in dialogue with the musicians, we were adapting it to see which pieces of the repertoire we were rehearsing on our part were better suited to one moment or another of the text. And, also in a very natural way, the musical pieces were fitting in with the text. Everything seemed to be orchestrated from above! All that remained was to find a speaker to read the text, which was provided by the parish of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, and a date for the convocation. We were close to Advent and so, on the eve of the first Sunday, we decided to put it into action: the first oratory was born.

Second oratory: St. Josemaría Escrivá

Since we wanted these oratories to have a special link with Burgos, a year later we sat down to think about what other relevant figure the Church counts among its altars could serve as inspiration. We quickly realized that we could dedicate the second oratory to St. Josemaría Escrivá. He lived in Burgos for a little more than a year, and at such an important time in his life and in Opus Dei, which is in fact known as the Burgos period.

https://youtu.be/FI49FtLt25A

From our Roman times, both Enrique and I were friends with Javier Lopez, co-author of a well-known book (in three volumes) on the spirituality of St. Josemaría. He was undoubtedly the best person to write the text for our new project, as he was happy to do. The group of instrumentalists was also put together again and the result, once again, was more than satisfactory. As in the previous year, this oratorio was also presented on the eve of the first Sunday of Advent.

A very special oratory: to Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd

The following year, we changed scenery. The parish of the Good Shepherd where I serve as vicar, in Miranda de Ebro, was celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Within the rich program of events that was prepared for such an event was an oratory dedicated, precisely, to the Good Shepherd.

A script was prepared which, accompanied by a projection of images, led those present through the history of the parish. All framed in a long time of prayer, with live music, which delighted all those who were able to attend.

An oratory for a millennial: Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Another unforgettable oratory was the one we prepared for the millennium of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. In its marvelous cathedral took place one of the most ambitious projects we have ever developed. It was the first time that we left our province (and, except for the adventure in Miranda, we had always done the oratories in the city of Burgos).

The level of demand was quite high, since during the whole time of the millenary celebrations, every week at least one musical group came to honor the figure of the saint. As it corresponded to our trajectory, we were clear about the format of what we wanted to offer: an oratorio on the life of St. Dominic.

The text, in this case, was in charge of the then parochial vicar of the place, Mr. Jesús Merino, also a good friend of ours. And the result could not be other than the desired one: the Lord was great with us and we managed to give the best of each one of us. For the first time, besides instrumental music, we also had vocal music. The group of instrumentalists reconfigured itself again, giving birth to a new adventure, which they baptized as Music@e.

Friendship, music and faith

In this story, friendship, music and faith are intertwined. And each one has its own future. Friendship, because it was the one that started it all and keeps everything going. Music, because it serves as an amalgam between all the participants and helps us to transcend the sphere of the merely sensible to elevate us to God. And faith, because in the end that is what we are trying to transmit, through the testimony of the lives of the saints.

There are already new projects in mind, since Burgos is a fertile land of saints. Surely they themselves, from heaven, will be marking the roadmap to continue reaching so many souls through the narration of their lives and the company of good music, always forging new friendships. 

The authorCarlos Azcona

Parochial Vicar, parish of the Good Shepherd, Miranda de Ebro.

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The Vatican

"Iraq has the right to live in peace and regain its dignity."

Pope Francis has once again recalled the message he delivered during his visit to Iraq: that the answer to war must be fraternity and that the Iraqi people "have the right to live in peace".

David Fernández Alonso-March 10, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

After the historic trip to Iraq, the Pope continued his catechesis at the general audience on Wednesday, March 10. He was also able to speak about the days spent in the land of Abraham.

A grateful pilgrimage...

"In recent days," the Pope began, "divine Providence has granted me to visit Iraq, a land devastated by war and terrorism, carrying out a project of St. John Paul II. I am very grateful to the Lord and to all those who made this visit possible: to the government, to the pastors and faithful of the various Catholic Churches, and to the authorities of other religious traditions, beginning with the Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, with whom I had a cordial meeting. It was a pilgrimage under the sign of hope, reconciliation and fraternity".

...and penitential

Francis wanted to underline his solidarity and association with the Iraqi people, especially in their pain and suffering that they have endured for years: "In the name of the whole Catholic Church, I wanted to associate myself with the cross that this suffering people and this martyred Church have carried for years of terror, violence and forced exile. Seeing the wounds of destruction, meeting and hearing the witnesses, victims of so many atrocities, I felt the strong penitential meaning of this pilgrimage".

In this country, as in the whole world, the answer to war and violence can only be fraternity.

"And at the same time," the Pope continued, "I perceived the joy of the Iraqis who welcomed me as a messenger of Christ, and their hope, open to a horizon of peace and fraternity. Iraq, a people with millenary roots, has the right to live in peace and to recover its dignity".

Fraternity is the answer

As he said at the interreligious meeting held on the plains of Ur, Pope Francis once again recalled that "in this country, as in the whole world, the response to war and violence can only be the fraternity. For this purpose Muslims, Christians and representatives of other religions met and prayed together in Ur, and the Lord's affirmation resounded strongly in our hearts: You are all brothers! That same message of brotherhood was also palpable in all the other meetings I had in Baghdad, Mosul, Qaraqosh and Erbil, with the faithful of the various traditions."

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The Vatican

The Church prepares for "24 hours with the Lord".

The initiative promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization and encouraged by Pope Francis will be held throughout the Church on March 12 and 13.

Maria José Atienza-March 10, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The initiative promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization and encouraged by Pope Francis will be held throughout the Church on March 12 and 13.

24 hours for the Lord, is an initiative of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and also focused on the reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent. This year's theme is

Despite the constraints of the current pandemic situation, from the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization parishes and communities are encouraged "to celebrate this day with the extraordinary opening of the church, offering the possibility of access to Confessions, preferably in a context of suitably prepared Eucharistic Adoration. The event could begin on Friday evening with a Liturgy of the Word to help the faithful prepare for sacramental Confession, and conclude with the celebration of the festive Holy Mass on Saturday evening".

In cases where, for health reasons, celebrations of the Sacraments are not permitted, or can be celebrated with a limited number of people, Eucharistic Adoration could be transmitted via the Internet, thus preparing the faithful for perfect contrition following the indications of the catechism for these cases and, naturally, with the resolution to have recourse as soon as possible to sacramental confession.

Subsidy

Spanish grant for "24 hours for the Lord".Download

The subsidy made public for this occasion contains two parts: in the first part, some texts are presented that encourage to consciously live the encounter with the priest at the moment of individual confession, which is one of the characteristics of this day, although it is pointed out that, in case it is not possible to temporarily approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation, they can be used to prepare for perfect contrition.

The second part can be used during the opening time of the Church, so that those who come to confession can receive help in prayer and meditation through a journey based on the Word of God.

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Guest writersJaime López Peñalba

A 'pilgrim's' ecumenism. The Pope's trip to Iraq

March 10, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

Let me begin with an important premise, key to a good understanding of the extraordinary figure of Pope Francis: the Holy Father understands his ministry as a service to the unity and fraternity of mankind, with great awareness. If the successor of Peter is always a real and effective sign of communion for the Church, the current Pope has given this function of his a very lively missionary horizon, offering the seed of unity that is the Church to all people of every creed and nation.

Seen in this light, the ecumenical dimension of the apostolic journey to Iraq that Francis has just completed should come as no surprise. Leaving aside other very relevant values of the visit, such as the interreligious dialogue with Islam or the consolation brought to the Catholic communities surviving a crisis that has lasted for decades, the encounter with the Christian East has been one of the focal points of this historic moment.

The Pope does little theorizing when it comes to embracing Christians of other Churches and communities. He exercises rather an ecumenism that we could call 'pilgrim'. He sets out on a journey, and while walking he meets people, believers and non-believers, and recognizes in these coincidences a call to open up, to give of oneself and to unite. This is the perspective in which the entire visit took place, as the Holy Father himself explained to us on the esplanade of Ur of the Chaldeans, the home of the great patriarch Abraham, who has become a patron saint of the Church. de facto of this journey. There he recalled the call of God to leave his land, to set out on the road and to be the father of as many believers as there are stars in the firmament. There he offered us the pilgrimage of Abraham as the great symbol of the Church and of the history of mankind, of its common yearnings, of its harmony, of its difficulties.

In the Catholic cathedral of Baghdad, a holy land watered by the blood of so many martyrs, especially remembered in the latest atrocious persecution by ISIS, Pope Francis offered us a beautiful spiritual commentary on the communion of Christians through the metaphor of the tapestry, with a happy nod to the Persian culture with which he was celebrating: the Church, he said, is like a carpet, unique and beautiful, woven with so many threads and fabrics of different colors, as varied are the Christian communities present in the East, with a patrimony of spirituality, liturgy and pastoral forms that is a treasure for the Church throughout the world. The weaver, of course, is God, with his pattern of warps and wefts, his patience made of care and detail, his patches if they appear broken and untied.

As a practical exercise of this loom, there was a historical milestone: a pope celebrated for the first time in the Chaldean riteThe Church of Iraq is akin to that of the Iraqi Church. In fact, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, some Christian communities of the Middle East joined the Roman Catholic Church, forming the Syro-Catholic and Chaldean Churches, still present, although much diminished today.

Another significant ecumenical moment has been the meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Mar Gewargis of the Assyrian Church of the East, a millenary Christianity, with apostolic origins, of Semitic spirituality, missionary in all the regions of the Silk Road, until reaching India and China, and also marked by the successive martyrdom of the Persians, Mongols and Turks. With this Church, separated from Rome for centuries, a progressive rapprochement has been taking place since the pontificate of John Paul II.

Mosul, Qaraqosh, Erbil... the places the Pope has visited first bring to mind, as spontaneously as they do tragically, images of battles, razed cities and casualty counts. That Francis has added to this terrible album the photos of joy, hugs and hopeful glances is no small gesture of charity. In the midst of this Lent, God has consoled his people. In the last act of the Apostolic Visit, the Mass celebrated in Erbil, the Holy Father described in his homily how Jesus Christ foretold, to the scandal of his contemporaries, the ruin of the temples, while promising their restoration by the hand of God. He thus announced his resurrection, and the great gift of a new Temple, which was himself, where we will all be reunited. Unity is also a path to Easter.

The authorJaime López Peñalba

Professor of Theology at the University San Dámaso. Director of the Ecumenical Center of Madrid and Vice-consiliary of the Cursillos of Christianity Movement in Spain.

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ColumnistsRafael Miner

Three lessons from the Pope in Iraq

With the Pope's visit to Iraq over, the temptation is to think that his words and gestures in the land of Abraham were only for Iraqis. The Holy Father has offered the world at least three lessons: thinking of others, compassion and forgiveness.

March 10, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

Pope Francis was born on December 17, 1936, is 84 years old, and has commented that he does not enjoy traveling. However, following the rules of prudence due to the pandemic, he 'let himself' be convinced by the Iraqis, civilians and religious, and has lived with dedication his trip to the land of the prophet Abraham. As he said before leaving, "I couldn't let them down a second time." in allusion to St. John Paul II, who was unable to begin the Jubilee of the year 2000 in Iraq for political reasons.

He came back from the trip exhausted, but happy. "I traveled to Iraq knowing the risks, but after much prayer, I made the decision freely. It was like getting out of prison, he pointed out on the plane. The stay of the Common Father of Catholics in Iraqi lands leaves us with important lessons. Perhaps the first is this: think of others, of the Iraqi people.to travel even though everything seemed to be against them, to go to comfort and console them. A work of mercy.

The second is compassion. The Vicar of Christ has behaved like Jesus before resurrecting the son of the widow of Naim, or seeing the crowds who had nothing to eat, or like the Father who sees the prodigal son coming. A few years ago, in October 2015, shortly before the convocation of the Holy Year of Mercy, the Pope said in Santa Marta: God. "he has compassion, he has compassion for each one of us; he has compassion for humanity and has sent his Son to heal it."

Compassion beats at the heart of the prayers that the Pope prayed on the plains of Nineveh and Ur, for so many people, especially Christians, who have suffered from the suffering of their faith. "the tragic consequences of war and hostility".

It was in Mosul that the Pope spoke of cruelty: "It is cruel that this country, the cradle of civilization, has been hit by such an inhuman storm, with ancient places of worship destroyed and thousands and thousands of people (Muslims, Christians, Yazidis and others), forcibly evicted and killed.". Hours later, on the flight back to Rome, he would tell reporters: "I did not imagine the ruins of Mosul, I was speechless." The photos are really impressive.

"We have to forgive."

There, in Hosh-al-Bieaaa, the square of the four churches (Syriac-Catholic, Armenian-Orthodox, Syriac-Orthodox and Chaldean), destroyed between 2014 and 2017 by terrorist attacks, Francis solemnly affirmed that. "fraternity is stronger than fratricide, hope is stronger than death, peace is stronger than war.". "This conviction can never be silenced in the blood shed by those who profane the name of God by walking paths of destruction."

Last but not least (last but not least), forgiveness. "Almighty God, open our hearts to mutual forgiveness, make us instruments of reconciliation."prayed on Saturday in the ancient Ur, together with a hundred representatives of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, at the historic interreligious meeting.

"A woman who lost a son in the first bombings in 2014 said one word: 'Sorry, I forgive them.' And she asked forgiveness for them. That was what touched me the most, the testimony of a mother in Qaraqosh." revealed the Pope on the plane returning to Rome, says correspondent Juan Vicente Boo at ABC. "This word, forgiveness, we have lost it. We know how to condemn in a big way, and I am the first. We have to forgive. This was what impacted me the most in Qaraqosh."

The authorRafael Miner

Journalist and writer. Graduate in Information Sciences from the University of Navarra. He has directed and collaborated in media specialized in economics, politics, society and religion. He is the winner of the Ángel Herrera Oria 2020 journalism award.

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ColumnistsMauro Leonardi

A fruitful Lent

Now well into Lent, and almost at the gates of the second Holy Week marked by the global pandemic of the coronavirus, Pope Francis gives us the keys to take advantage of this path of conversion.

March 9, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes
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For Pope Francis, Lent 2021 should be marked by ".a journey of conversion that leads to a rediscovery of the bond of communion with others, especially with the poor". Fasting, prayer and almsgiving, the three works that traditionally mark the period that Christians dedicate to preparing for Easter, should not be seen as actions aimed at building one's own perfection, but as steps towards loving one's neighbor more and thus loving God more.

In the message promulgated on February 12, the Bishop of Rome underlines the possibility that fasting does not necessarily refer to food, but to everything that clutters our existence, in particular the saturation of information, whether true or false. How is it possible in practice to live this suggestion? It is not uncommon to meet Christians who proclaim at the beginning of Lent that they want to "fast" from everything that is cluttered in our existence, in particular the saturation of information, whether true or false.fasting from the Internet"But, apart from the fact that this decision often has the consequence of complicating the lives of others, for those who for serious reasons need to relate to these people, it is almost never really applicable.

A realistic and intelligent way to put Bergoglio's advice into practice is to learn to prioritize the things in our day this Lent. It can truly be a revolutionary discovery to learn to "be focused"The first tip is not to keep your cell phone in your hand all the time, but to concentrate, for the right amount of time, on your work or on what you consider a priority in your life (not in a selfish sense, of course). Those who paint a picture need to step away from it from time to time.

It can be very useful to learn to open the iPhone looking at all the apps, emails and so on and then close it for an hour or so as if you were on a plane, keeping only the ability to receive calls open. But then there is the second point. The problem is not the smartphone but oneself: we have to hierarchize our day.

The smartphone is probably a revolution comparable to the discovery of the wheel, fire or writing. It is something wonderful that we are learning to take on board: we are understanding the need to unite the enormous sail with which the network endows our lives with the depth of drift: that strange vertical fin that allows the sailboat not to capsize.

From the metaphor we need to unite speed with depth in order to be open to grasp, to understand the needs that others manifest to us. If we do so, ours will truly be a fruitful Lent.

The authorMauro Leonardi

Priest and writer.

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Evangelization

Bettina Alonso: "Generous people give until it hurts a little bit".

We interviewed Bettina Alonso, Director of Development of the Archdiocese of New York. She tells us, with great transparency, her opinion on how to move forward projects and work in the dioceses, from her experience in New York.

Diego Zalbidea-March 9, 2021-Reading time: 6 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsDiego Zalbidea: "I hope for a new springtime in the Church".

After 10 years working in Oceana and be your Vicepresident of Global DevelopmentCardinal Dolan asked her to become the Executive Director of Development of the Archdiocese of New York. He has been there for six years and in that time has led such major campaigns as the Renew and Rebuild Campaign which raised more than $240 million to support the Church's activity in New York, as well as others for the repair of Saint Patrickthe cathedral of the Archdiocese located in Manhattan. 

What are generous people like? 

I would distinguish those who are generous with money, with time and with talent. 

Those with money? 

The ones that give until it hurts a little bit. I always wonder if I should have asked them for more. There are people who impress me because they give. up to the shirt. In poor neighborhoods it is very common. If the priest needs something, they give everything. 

What about time and talent? 

There are people who are very involved, who dedicate a lot of time and who put all their abilities at the service of the parish. In the end, in any of the three dimensions, what defines generous people is that they feel privileged and grateful to God for all that they have received. They understand that they are very lucky and that they have been chosen by God. Here from the time they are very young they have this vision. I think true generosity manifests itself in all three aspects.

What can a priest in a parish do to involve the faithful in support? 

Ask, ask and ask. When I have trained the priests to make requests they have all responded very positively. At first it seemed impossible for them to ask for what we advised ($25,000). They were afraid to ask, but they realized that people were much more open than they thought.

The panic that the faithful would be offended disappears when they ask them and what they imagined never happens. We may be wrong in the amount we ask for, but any conversation bears fruit, even if sometimes it is not immediate. 

And does that also work with time and talent? 

Of course. Now we are having training sessions with the seminarians to teach them how to ask and we give them exercises on how to ask for talent and time from the faithful. It is fantastic. They are very creative. The perspective is the same. 

What if someone finds it hard to order? 

If a priest finds it difficult to ask for money, which is usually the most difficult thing to ask for, we recommend that he find someone in his parish to do it. There are people who do not suffer from asking, on the contrary. Besides, we like the request to be intentional. It is like saying that it is "directed to a specific purpose".

We like the request to be intentional. It is like saying that it should be "directed to a specific end".

It is not good to ask in general. I learned this from Cardinal Dolan. We encourage parish priests to ask concretely. That way the faithful don't give what they can spare, what they have on them at the moment. The Cardinal told me how he learned from his father. They would all pray together and then sit down and decide how they were going to share their time, talent and money with the Church. That's an offering intentional.

How are the faithful asked to collaborate? 

The first thing we have tried and are trying to get the priests to understand is that asking for money is not just a financial matter, but something deeply pastoral. So it can't be done in a general way. It's best to be able to do it in the context of a broader conversation.

It has happened to me that a priest was going to have one of these conversations and forgot to ask for the money. I congratulated him. Very good, Father, you have done what you had to do. Now leave me the contact and I will call them to ask for their collaboration. I understand that in other countries there is no such support from the diocese, but thank God the priests are understanding the pastoral dimension of these donations of time, talent and money. 

What are these people who enjoy asking for money like? 

They are usually people who love people, very sociable and passionate. They are people who have a very genuine conviction and who ask not for themselves, but for other people, for a community in need. I always recommend before asking to practice a little bit. Here we call it the role playbecause everyone will have his or her own style. Everyone is more passionate about some subjects than others and it is good that everyone asks for what they are passionate about.

I have seen people asking with great passion to put in air conditioning, windows, etc. They spoke of an experience of connection with the Lord that occurred in the parish because one is not distracted by the heat, for example. It was wonderful to listen to them. It is also very helpful if it is someone creative to connect with the donor.

Do you think this can be done by the bursar of the dioceses? 

I don't think so, because we are two very different profiles. Those who work with me laugh at me because I am not able to read any contract and I could sign my death warrant without any problem. When I meet my CFO, the other side of the coin, he usually tells me that I exhaust him. He really likes Excel and he crunches all the numbers, he knows where everything is... Finance people have a message that is interesting for those in finance, but we have to put the donor back in the forefront: he is the protagonist.

Asking my mother for money is very different from asking a 23-year-old nephew of mine. Not only is it a generational difference, but the reaction is also different.

Asking my mother for money is very different from asking a nephew of mine who is 23 years old. Not only is it a generational difference, but it's also different what we each react to, what is important to us. When a priest has two or three parishes, asking for money becomes very low on the priority list. They are all day long running from here to there. 

I am concerned that numbers and money have too much influence on the mission of the Church. I told the Cardinal this and he responded enthusiastically. We have gotten into a dynamic in which we are always trying to balance the books. That's why we talk all day long about cutbacks, closing parishes and making savings.

The Cardinal told me that he was thinking a lot about the Gospel passage in which Jesus tells Peter to put out into the deep. The fish are not on the shore. That implies a risk. We cannot feel safe in our glass tower. Sometimes we have to take on debt. We lack conversations on evangelization, for example, on how to bring people back to Mass. It is true that a lot of people follow us because of streaming and we have to take advantage of that. St. Patrick's Cathedral has 25,000 followers of the Mass in streaming on Sundays. 

And how do you connect with the donor? 

In the beginning, I tried to learn everything very well and to know the life of the potential donor inside out. I would make the bigger requests. Now I've realized that it's much better to let the donor lead the conversation. I want to listen to them so I can respond to what he or she has in his or her head and heart. I try not to have a pre-fabricated outline of what they are like and try to be guided by their will. It's like an adventure.

I have come to this conviction after many years. I cannot insist on my ideas. My opinions are not relevant. Sometimes I don't have the answers to what they ask me, but it is always good to listen and you come up with very creative solutions. 

How has the pandemic affected the support of the archdiocese? 

We have had to reinvent ourselves. We have made a great effort to learn how to connect humanly through technology. In this department we work with about 40 people and we have discovered that we could improve a lot in the use and exploitation of social networks. We discovered that 15% of the parishes did not have a website and 88% had outdated data.

What has happened and how we have learned would not have been possible without the pandemic. In addition, we have asked those who have kept their jobs to contribute more. Many people could no longer commit as much because of the economic situation they have been left in. People are being very generous. 

Any recent specific strategies? 

Yes, of course. There are various groups of people depending on how much they participate in the life of the parishes. There are those who always come and they need a concrete message. There are also those who will never come and finally those who participate sporadically. An example of this last group are those who come on Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday.

The use of technology is very exploitable. We were caught totally unprotected by the pandemic.

This year we have made a campaign for those people. How can we connect with those people who only come on those days? We want the pastors to send them a message like this: "I see a lot of new faces. You are here for a reason. I don't know what it is, but I would love to see you again. You can take the QR that is at the entrance and send us your name and phone number because we want to stay in touch." The use of technology is very usable. We were caught totally unprotected by the pandemic. 

A book? 

I will say three: "Sostiene Pereira", I try to read it every 5 or 6 years, in it a journalist in Lisbon is challenged not to look at life from the sidelines; "The Four hour week" is about time management and encourages to have a little balance and not go running all day; and the last one is one of Cardinal Dolan called "Who do you say I am" and are daily reflections on the Bible, the saints and the answer that is Christ. I love it because I listen to it on Audible every day. It is very short and again this man demonstrates what an inspirational genius he is.

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RelatedRelated NewsDiego Zalbidea: "I hope for a new springtime in the Church".
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Photo Gallery

Pope prays in the ruins of Mosul

During his trip to Iraq, Francis participated in the prayer of suffrage for the victims of the war in Hosh al-Bieaa in Mosul.

David Fernández Alonso-March 9, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute
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  • Caritas has assisted more than half a million new people this year.
Spain

Caritas has assisted more than half a million new people this year.

The data presented today by Caritas Spain reflect the harsh consequences of business closures, layoffs and the exacerbation of previous situations of vulnerability and poverty with the Covid19 pandemic.

Maria José Atienza-March 9, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes
RelatedRelated News"On the street you don't know what to do, or where to go."

One out of every three people who have come to Caritas since the beginning of the pandemic was new to this situation or had not sought help for more than a year. These are the first figures of the crisis caused by Covid 19 in the economy of millions of families in our country. This is what the president and the general secretary of Caritas have stated, Manuel Breton y Natalia Peirowho, together with the coordinator of the Study Team, Raul FloresThe Diocesan Caritas of the Philippines, have presented a report with detailed data on the actions carried out since March 2020 by all 70 Diocesan Caritas in the country.

The Caritas response in Spain

Natalia Peiro highlighted the impact that "the restrictions on mobility and the worsening living conditions of the population" had on the state network of resources for shelter and assistance. "Only in the first months of the pandemic - the Caritas secretary pointed out - the requests for help received by Caritas throughout Spain increased by 57% and there were periods and certain territorial areas in which many Caritas saw their requests for help triple".

This situation has forced Caritas to reinvent itself and to focus its response to Covid on three specific aspects:

  • Maintain support for families with whom we were already working, and whose situation has worsened with this crisis.
  • To accompany families who come to us for the first time because of the precariousness of this reality.
  • Adapt the action of volunteers and contractors to the new situation imposed by the social distancing to guarantee the accompaniment of people who demand Caritas' support.

In addition to this, Caritas activated an Accompaniment 2.0 based on the multiplication of telephone listening and the use of digital connection applications, school support or telematic Spanish classes, the use of economic transfers to replace in-kind aid or the online reception of documentation. The aim is to ensure follow-up in personalized accompaniment, incorporating prevention and security measures, and during the weeks of confinement, as well as to advance in the dignification of the right to food, encouraging the use of solidarity cards; and support at home.

"Caritas in the face of the Coronavirus".

Likewise, in this press conference, they have recognized the explosion of solidarity that the Spanish society showed from the beginning, and that has manifested itself in a very intense way since the launching, on March 14, 2020, of the campaign "Caritas before the Coronavirus". A campaign that has resulted in 70,666 donorswhose contributions have added up to 65 million euros. Of these funds, 34.5 million euros came from 67,094 individual donors and 30.3 million from a total of 3,572 companies and institutions. Of the 65 million raised, 6.5 million were donations in kind.

How they have been invested

In terms of economic investment to meet the needs of the pandemic, the Caritas Confederation in Spain has mobilized these economic items:

– 41,163,068 euros to direct aidThe families accompanied have been able to cover some of their basic needs, such as food, hygiene, housing and utilities.

– 991,963 euros for sanitary and protective materialsThe program is designed for the families served as well as for our staff and for the centers and direct care facilities.

– 1,014,634 euros for the hiring of reinforcement personnel for those projects that have been overwhelmed.

– 3,307,160 euros in support for children. Within this chapter, answers have been given to the special needs of families with children and adolescents, where, together with the basic material demands (added to those that already existed previously due to the loss of many jobs), others arise from the distance management of the school year, such as the need for equipment and Internet access, or distance school support, for example.

– 2,444,290 euros to meet the needs of international action. Cáritas Española has supported a total of 65 projects, which have been supported with funds provided by more than half of the Diocesan Caritas of our country.

Households with no income

As Raúl Flores pointed out, based on data from the latest Report of the Observatorio de la Realidad Social de Cáritas Española (Observatory of the Social Reality of Cáritas Española)As a result, 258,000 people accompanied by Caritas live in households with no income at all; that is, 75,000 more people than before the beginning of this crisis. This means that more than 825,000 people accompanied by Caritas are in a situation of severe poverty. Many households are unable to meet the cost of utilities in their homes and 161,000 families (about 77,000) have been forced to change their residence to reduce expenses.

Homeless and lonely people

Loneliness has been another of the dramas imposed by the pandemic, a reality that has been hardened by forced isolation and limited movement, especially in the case of the elderly and their caregivers, whether employees or family members.

Before the pandemic, Caritas already had 29 residential centers, 12 day care centers, 2 group homes, 4 supervised apartments, and more than 4 assisted living units and/or apartments. In addition, the Confederation has 30 home accompaniment programs, both in urban and rural areas. Altogether, this means a total of more than 7,000 elderly people accompanied by Caritas. Thanks to the collaboration of many people, it has been possible to increase significantly in all these months the number of accompanied elderly people, reaching almost 11,000 at the moment.

The impact of Covid has also been tremendously costly for the homeless. The pandemic has made access to sanitation and/or isolation even more difficult. Sleeping on the streets or staying in temporary or emergency shelters has also exposed homeless people, an already medically high-risk population, to a high risk of transmitting the virus. A reality that became evident last November in the Homelessness Campaign.

In this line, the pandemic has forced to diversify the response to the needs of these people to, among other measures, adapt shelter and housing resources, and provide them with more flexible hours; adapt and rehabilitate spaces to accommodate the homeless. In fact, during these months Caritas has set up 13 new centers and more than 1,400 new places for homeless people.

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