Pope's trip to Iraq now has official program

Pope to diplomats: "Education is the antidote to individualistic culture".

Pope's trip to Iraq now has official program

The program for the Holy Father's March 5-8 apostolic journey to Iraq has been made public, with visits to Najaf, Ur, Erbil, Mosul and Qaraqosh. Francis will deliver four speeches, two homilies and a prayer of suffrage for the victims of the war.

David Fernández Alonso-February 8, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

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The Pope's trip to Iraq is a manifestation of, as he said this morning in the audience with the Diplomatic Corps, "an important aspect of the solicitude of the Successor of Peter for the People of God spread throughout the world", as well as "a favorable opportunity to deepen, in a spirit of exchange and dialogue, the relationship between the different religions".

The Pope's visit to the country will include meetings with political authorities and civil society, as well as with bishops, priests, religious and seminarians. On Saturday 6, there will be a intercollegiate meeting on the Ur PlainHe will conclude the day with a Eucharistic celebration at the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph in Baghdad.

On Sunday, March 7, the Pontiff has several appointments. The Pope will travel to Iraqi Kurdistan and the Nineveh Plains. He will visit Erbil and Mosul, a city for years in the hands of the self-styled Islamic State, where there will be a prayer of suffrage for the victims of the war in Hosh al-Bieaa, the church square.

That same morning he will visit Qaraqosh, in the Nineveh Plains, a few kilometers from Mosul, occupied by the Islamic State until 2016. Francis will visit the church of the "Immaculate Conception" to visit the community of Qaraqosh, to whom he will address a speech, and then pray the Marian prayer of the Angelus.

In the afternoon, the Pope will return to Erbil to celebrate Holy Mass at the "Franso Hariri" Stadium. At the end of the celebration, Francis will return to Baghdad, from where he will leave for Rome on Monday morning at the end of the farewell ceremony.

Official program

Friday, March 5, 2021

ROME - BAGHDAD

Tomorrow

Departure by air from Rome/Fiumicino international airport to Baghdad

Afternoon

Arrival at Baghdad International Airport

Official reception at Baghdad International Airport

Meeting with the Prime Minister in the VIP lounge at Baghdad international airport

Official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Baghdad

Courtesy visit to the President of the Republic in the private study of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad

Meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps in the hall of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad.

Address of the Holy Father

Meeting with bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and catechists in the Syro-Catholic cathedral of "Our Lady of Salvation" in Baghdad.

Address of the Holy Father

Saturday, March 6, 2021

BAGHDAD - NAJAF - UR - BAGHDAD

Tomorrow

Departure by plane to Najaf

Arrival at Najaf airport

Courtesy visit to Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Husaymi Al-Sistani in Najaf

Departure by plane to Nassiriya

Arrival at Nassiriya airport

Interreligious meeting in the Ur Plain

Address of the Holy Father

Departure by plane to Baghdad

Arrival at Baghdad International Airport

Afternoon

Holy Mass in the Chaldean cathedral of "St. Joseph" in Baghdad

Homily of the Holy Father

Sunday, March 7, 2021

BAGHDAD - ERBIL - MOSUL - QARAQOSH - ERBIL - BAGHDAD

Tomorrow

Departure by plane to Erbil

Arrival at Erbil airport

Welcome of the religious and civil authorities of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan at the Presidential VIP Lounge of Erbil Airport.

Departure by helicopter to Mosul

Arrival at Mosul landing field

Prayer of suffrage for war victims in Hosh al-Bieaa (Church Square) in Mosul

Prayer of the Holy Father

Departure by helicopter to Qaraqosh

Arrival at Qaraqosh landing field

Visit to the Qaraqosh community in the Church of the "Immaculate Conception" in Qaraqosh

Address of the Holy Father/ Angelus

Transfer to Erbil

Afternoon

Holy Mass at the "Franso Hariri" Stadium in Erbil

Homily of the Holy Father

Departure by plane to Baghdad

Arrival at Baghdad International Airport

Monday, March 8, 2021

BAGHDAD - ROME

Tomorrow

Farewell Ceremony at Baghdad International Airport

Departure by plane to Rome

Arrival at the Rome/Ciampino international airport

The motto of the visit

"We are all brothers" is the motto of Pope Francis' visit to Iraq, whose logo shows the Pope with a gesture of greeting to the country, represented on the map and by its symbols, the palm tree and the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The logo also shows a white dove with an olive branch in its beak, symbol of peace, which flies the flags of the Holy See and the Republic of Iraq. Above the image is the motto of the visit in Arabic, Kurdish and Chaldean.

The land of Abraham, the Iraq the Pope wants to visit Related News

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Religious freedom and pandemic: What can the State do and what can't it do?

Can a State limit the capacity of temples or prohibit the celebration of a Mass? These and other questions are answered by the professor of State Law and regular contributor of OmnesRafael Palomino.

Maria José Atienza-February 8, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

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Pope to diplomats: "Education is the antidote to individualistic culture".

The Holy Father Francis received in audience the Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See for the presentation and greetings on the occasion of the New Year.

David Fernández Alonso-February 8, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

The hearing began with the introductory remarks of the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, the H.E. Mr. Georgios F. PoulidesAmbassador of Cyprus to the Holy See, who highlighted the Pope's presence during this difficult time marked by the health emergency. "Despite the difficulties, your action, Holiness, has continued unceasingly, bringing to those in need and distress, the comfort and encouragement of your word also through the intelligent use of the media. Despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic, through the media and others, his spiritual guidance has never failed. We have felt his presence close at hand and his prayer for suffering humanity.".

Following the words of the H.E. Mr. Georgios F. PoulidesIn his address, the Holy Father thanked the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for his kind greetings.

A sign of closeness

Francis has referred to the situation demanded by the emergency, which has forced to maintain a physical, but not spiritual, distance between the members of the Diplomatic Corps with the Holy Father. "We met this morning in the more spacious setting of the Hall of Blessings, in order to respect the need for greater personal distancing, which the pandemic forces us to do. However, distance is only physical. Rather, our meeting symbolizes the opposite. It is a sign of closeness, of that proximity and mutual support to which the family of nations must aspire.. In this time of pandemic, this duty is even more pressing because it is clear to all that the virus knows no barriers and cannot be easily isolated. Defeating it is, therefore, a responsibility that involves each of us personally, as well as our countries.".

Interreligious dialogue

The Pope thanked them for their commitment to maintain and strengthen relations between their countries and the Holy See. He expressed his desire to resume face-to-face meetings and apostolic journeys, which are "a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the Holy See and your countries.in fact, an important aspect of the solicitude of the Successor of Peter for the People of God spread throughout the world, as well as of the dialogue of the Holy See with the States. Moreover, they are often a favorable opportunity to deepen, in a spirit of exchange and dialogue, the relationship between different religions. In our time, interreligious dialogue is an important component in the encounter of peoples and cultures. When understood not as a renunciation of one's own identity, but as an opportunity for greater knowledge and mutual enrichment, it constitutes a good occasion for religious leaders and for the faithful of the various denominations, and can support the efforts of political leaders in their responsibility to build the common good.".

The introduction of his speech concluded with a call to strengthen international agreements, "which deepen the bonds of mutual trust and enable the Church to cooperate more effectively in the spiritual and social welfare of its countries.".

The right to care

After this introduction, the Pope wanted to address some issues of particular relevance to diplomatic relations. First of all, he again underlined the characteristics that this global pandemic has generated in society. "The pandemic also reminds us of the right to care, which is the prerogative of every human being.".

Equitable access to vaccines

"From this perspective, I renew my call for every human person to be offered the care and assistance he or she needs. To this end, it is essential that all those with political and governmental responsibilities strive to promote, first and foremost, universal access to basic health care, also encouraging the creation of local health centers and health care facilities that meet the real needs of the population, as well as the availability of treatment and medicines. Indeed, it cannot be the logic of profit that guides a sector as sensitive as health care.".

And as he has done on other occasions, he has called for equitable access to vaccines, stating that "the most important thing is to ensure that vaccines are accessible to all.It is also essential that the significant medical and scientific progress made over the years, which has made it possible to synthesize vaccines that are expected to be effective against the coronavirus in a very short space of time, should benefit all mankind. Consequently, call upon all States to contribute actively to international efforts to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines, not according to purely economic criteria, but taking into account the needs of all, in particular those of the most disadvantaged populations".

The economy at the service of man

The Holy Father also referred throughout his speech to the environmental, economic, social and political crisis that some countries are suffering. "The current crisis is therefore an opportunity to rethink the relationship between the individual and the economy. What is needed is a kind of "new Copernican revolution". that puts the economy at the service of man and not the other way aroundThe "beginning to study and practice a different economy, one that makes people live and does not kill, that includes and does not exclude, that humanizes and does not dehumanize, that takes care of creation and does not depredate it".".

Countries in difficulty

Of course, he also remembered to mention the situations in countries such as Lebanon, the Holy Land, Syria and Libya. "How I wish that 2021 would be the year when the word "end" would finally be written to the Syrian conflict, which has been going on for ten years now! For that to happen, a renewed interest is needed also on the part of the international community to sincerely and courageously address the causes of the conflict and seek solutions whereby everyone, regardless of ethnic and religious affiliation, can contribute as citizens to the future of the country.".

Crisis of human relations

Finally, the Pope has spoken of a "crisis of human relations, expression of a general anthropological crisis"In this regard, he referred to the importance of education, since "we are witnessing a sort of "educational catastrophe".We cannot remain inert, for the sake of future generations and of society as a whole. "Today a new period of educational commitment is needed, involving all components of society",[13] because education is "the natural antidote to individualist culturewhich 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."".

The religious dimension

In addition, he also emphasized that "demands to contain the spread of the virus also ramified into various fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, limiting worship and the educational and charitable activities of faith communities. However, we should not overlook the fact that the religious dimension constitutes a fundamental aspect of the human personality and societyThe spiritual and moral dimension of the person cannot be considered secondary to physical health, even though the aim is to protect human lives from the spread of the virus.

On the other hand, 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.. That is why it must be respected, protected and defended by the civil authorities, just like health and physical integrity. Moreover, a good care of the body can never do without the care of the soul.".

Fraternity, antidote

Finally, the Holy Father said goodbye, stressing fraternity as a medicine for this situation, "2021 is a time that we must take advantage of. And it will not be wasted to the extent that we know how to collaborate with generosity and effort. In this sense, I believe that fraternity is the true remedy to the pandemic and to many evils that have struck us. Fraternity and hope are like medicines that the world needs today, together with vaccines.".

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AnnotationsJuan Luis Lorda

Aesthetics and charity

Lord Avebury, a successful banker and scientist, wrote in The Use of Life (1895) a secular ideal of refined life, where aesthetics and charity follow different paths. Newman, in The idea of the universityalso described the gentlemanHe warned, however, that education and good taste are not enough: true fulfillment requires the impulse of Christian charity.

February 8, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

Lord Avebury (John Lubock, 1834-1913) was a successful banker, writer, and scientist, who coined "Paleolithic" and "Neolithic," and wrote a remarkable book about The use of Life (1895), the art of living like a gentleman. After a chapter on what to do in life, he studies the "Tact" in treatment, play, health, education, bookstores, patriotism, faith, charity, peace and happiness, to finish in religion (British national). It is a secular ideal of full human life, which has an aesthetic criterion, with the standards of the time, and reinforced by the impulse of "distinction" (Bordieu): opting for a superior living that marks borders with vulgarity.

In the Idea of the university from Newmanalso appears the figure of the gentlemanHe was a man with a careful education, delicate treatment, cultivated intelligence and good taste in everything that goes along with life. But in lecture 7 he studies the differences with Christian ideals. Liberal education -he says- can be a help, but also an obstacle. The motive of good taste is very different from the impulse of charity.

The authorJuan Luis Lorda

Professor of Theology and Director of the Department of Systematic Theology at the University of Navarra. Author of numerous books on theology and spiritual life.

Thinking

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Documents

Message for the XXIX World Day of the Sick 2021

One is your Master and you are all brothers (Mt 23:8). The relationship of trust, the foundation of the care of the sick.

David Fernández Alonso-February 8, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

Dear brothers and sisters:

The celebration of the 29th.^a The World Day of the Sick, which will take place on 11 February 2021, the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes, is a propitious moment to give special attention to the sick and to those who care for them, both in the places where they are cared for and within families and communities. I am thinking in particular of those throughout the world who are suffering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. To all, especially the poorest and most marginalized, I express my spiritual closeness, while assuring them of the Church's solicitude and affection.

1. The theme of this Day is inspired by the Gospel passage in which Jesus criticizes the hypocrisy of those who say, but do not do (cf. Mt 23,1-12). When faith is limited to sterile verbal exercises, without involvement in the history and needs of our neighbor, the coherence between the professed creed and real life is weakened. The risk is serious; for this reason, Jesus uses strong expressions, to warn us of the danger of falling into the idolatry of ourselves, and affirms: "One is your master and you are all brothers and sisters" (v. 8).

The criticism that Jesus directs at those who "say, but do not do" (v. 3) is beneficial, always and for everyone, because no one is immune to the evil of hypocrisy, a very serious evil, whose effect is to prevent us from flourishing as children of the one Father, called to live a universal fraternity.

Faced with the needy condition of a brother or sister, Jesus shows us a model of behavior totally opposed to hypocrisy. He proposes to stop, to listen, to establish a direct and personal relationship with the other, to feel empathy and emotion for him or her, to allow oneself to be involved in his or her suffering to the point of taking care of him or her by means of service (cf. Lc10,30-35).

2. The experience of illness makes us feel our own vulnerability and, at the same time, the innate need of the other. Our condition as creatures becomes even clearer and we experience in an evident way our dependence on God. Indeed, when we are sick, uncertainty, fear and sometimes consternation take hold of our mind and heart; we find ourselves in a situation of helplessness, because our health does not depend on our abilities or on our "anguish" (cf. Mt 6,27).

Illness imposes a question of meaning, which in faith is addressed to God; a question that seeks a new meaning and a new direction for existence, and which sometimes may not find an immediate answer. Our own friends and relatives cannot always help us in this laborious search.

In this respect, the biblical figure of Job is emblematic. His wife and friends are not able to accompany him in his misfortune, indeed, they accuse him, increasing his loneliness and bewilderment. Job falls into a state of abandonment and incomprehension. But precisely through this extreme fragility, rejecting all hypocrisy and choosing the path of sincerity with God and with others, he makes his insistent cry reach God, who finally responds, opening a new horizon for him. It confirms to him that his suffering is not a condemnation or a punishment, nor is it a state of distance from God or a sign of his indifference. Thus, from the wounded and healed heart of Job, flows that moving declaration to the Lord, which resounds with energy: "I knew you only by hearsay, but now my eyes have seen you" (42:5).

3. Illness always has a face, even more than one: it has the face of every sick person, including those who feel ignored, excluded, victims of social injustices that deny their fundamental rights (cf. Encyclical Letter, p. 4). Fratelli tutti, 22). The current pandemic has brought to light numerous inadequacies in health systems and shortcomings in the care of the sick. The elderly, the weakest and most vulnerable are not always guaranteed access to treatment, and not always in an equitable manner.

This depends on political decisions, the way resources are managed and the commitment of those in positions of responsibility. Investing resources in the care and attention of sick people is a priority linked to a principle: health is a primary common good. At the same time, the pandemic has also highlighted the dedication and generosity of health workers, volunteers, workers, priests, men and women religious who, with professionalism, selflessness, a sense of responsibility and love of neighbor, have helped, cared for, comforted and served so many sick people and their families. A silent multitude of men and women who have decided to look at those faces, taking care of the wounds of the patients, who felt they were neighbors because they belonged to the same human family.

Closeness, in fact, is a very valuable balm, providing support and comfort to those who suffer in sickness. As Christians, we live projimity as an expression of the love of Jesus Christ, the Good Samaritan, who with compassion has made himself close to every human being wounded by sin. United to him by the action of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be merciful like the Father and to love, in particular, our sick, weak and suffering brothers and sisters (cf. Jn 13,34-35). And we live this closeness not only in a personal way, but also in a communitarian way: in fact, fraternal love in Christ generates a community capable of healing, which abandons no one, which includes and welcomes especially the most fragile.

In this regard, I wish to recall the importance of fraternal solidarity, which is expressed concretely in service and which can take on very different forms, all aimed at supporting our neighbor. "To serve means to care for the fragile in our families, in our society, in our people" (Homily in Havana20 September 2015). In this commitment, each one is capable of "putting aside his searches, worries, desires of omnipotence before the concrete gaze of the most fragile. [...] Service always looks at the face of the brother, touches his flesh, feels his projimity and even in some cases "suffers" it and seeks the promotion of the brother. For this reason, service is never ideological, since it does not serve ideas, but rather serves persons" (ibid.).

4. The relational aspect, through which a holistic approach to the sick person can be adopted, is decisive for good therapy. Giving value to this aspect also helps doctors, nurses, professionals and volunteers to take charge of those who suffer in order to accompany them on a path of healing, thanks to an interpersonal relationship of trust (cf. New Charter for health care workers [2016], 4). It is therefore a matter of establishing a pact between those in need of care and those who care for them; a pact based on mutual trust and respect, on sincerity, on availability, to overcome any defensive barriers, to put the dignity of the patient at the center, to safeguard the professionalism of health care workers and to maintain a good relationship with the patients' families.

It is precisely this relationship with the ill person that finds an inexhaustible source of motivation and strength in the charity of ChristThis is demonstrated by the witness of thousands of men and women who have sanctified themselves by serving the sick. Indeed, from the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection flows the love that can give full meaning both to the patient's condition and to that of the caregiver. The Gospel bears witness to this many times, showing that the healings that Jesus performed were never magical gestures, but always the fruit of a encounter, of an interpersonal relationshipThe gift of God offered by Jesus is matched by the faith of the one who accepts it, as summarized in the words that Jesus often repeats: "Your faith has saved you".

5. Dear brothers and sisters, the commandment of love, which Jesus left to his disciples, also finds a concrete realization in our relationship with the sick. A society is all the more human the more it knows how to care for its fragile and suffering members, and it knows how to do so efficiently, animated by fraternal love. Let us strive towards this goal, ensuring that no one is left alone, that no one feels excluded or abandoned.

I entrust to Mary, Mother of Mercy and Health of the Sick, all those who are ill, health care workers and all those who work with those who suffer. May she, from the Grotto of Lourdes and from the countless shrines dedicated to her throughout the world, sustain our faith and our hope, and help us to care for one another with fraternal love. To each and every one of you I impart my heartfelt blessing.

Rome, St. John Lateran, December 20, 2020, Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Francisco

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"Caring for the sick is not an 'optional activity' for the Church."

Pope Francis' words at the Angelus today were marked by the celebration of the World Day of the Sick on February 11.

Maria José Atienza-February 7, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The Pope referred to the miracle of the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, recounted in today's Gospel, pointing out how "Jesus shows his predilection for people who suffer in body and spirit: it is a predilection of Jesus to draw close to people who suffer both in body and spirit. It is the predilection of the Father, which he embodies and manifests in deeds and words".

Caring for the sick of all kinds is an integral part of the Church's mission, as it was of Jesus'.

The Holy Father also recalled the participation of Christ's disciples in this task of healing of body and soul. "His disciples," he pointed out, "were eyewitnesses, they saw this and then testified to it. But Jesus did not want them to be mere spectators of his mission: he involved them, he sent them, he also gave them the power to heal the sick and to cast out demons.".

In this vein, the Pope emphasized: "Caring for the sick of all kinds is not for the Church an "optional activity", no! It is not an accessory, no. Caring for the sick of all kinds is an integral part of the Church's mission, as it was of Jesus'. Caring for the sick of all kinds is an integral part of the Church's mission, as it was of Jesus'. And this mission is to bring God's tenderness to suffering humanity. We will be reminded of this in a few days, on February 11, the World Day of the Sick".

Pope Francis wanted to recall that the pandemic "makes this message, this essential mission of the Church, particularly relevant".. A message that is interwoven in the human condition itself - so high in dignity - and at the same time so fragile. A paradox to which Jesus responds with a presence that is to be an example for us. "Leaning down to make the other person stand up. Let us not forget that the only lawful way to look at a person from the top down is when you reach out your hand to help them up."said Francis, who asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to give us "help us to allow ourselves to be healed by Jesus - we always need it, all of us - so that we in turn can be witnesses of God's healing tenderness."

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ColumnistsMaria José Atienza

The truth makes us strange

February 7, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

"The Christian vision integrates realities that ideologies have separated."

For the past few months, an interesting debate has been going on about the presence of Catholic intellectuals in public life. A crossroads of opinions and reflections, between declared Catholics and non-believers, which has proved to be more than necessary in today's society. I suggest, to those who have not yet done so, to take a look at this interesting dialogue that exposes many of the weaknesses that Spanish Catholics, or at least a part of them, suffer from at present. Something that was made clear at the round table discussion "A current debate: intellectuals, Christianity and universities"., held at the University of Navarra.

It is true that there is a certain "silencing" on the part of the media establismentor those who refuse to accept that the fact of professing a faith does not nullify the capacity for reasoning, dialogue or progress. This is true, but it is not only imposed silencing that has led to this situation. It has been compounded by a trend, wonderfully described by Charles J. Chaput: "We Catholics tend to think of the Church as a piece of everyday furniture." . A more or less beautiful piece of furniture, almost always inherited, and that there are moments when we do not know "how to fit it" in the rest of our life. And we do not live for a piece of furniture, nor do we die for it. Nor do we delve into it, beyond rummaging through its drawers in case we find some picturesque object.

It may happen, therefore, that, when the time comes, we do not even know why it is there; we do not know how to respond to those who ask us what meaning our faith has in our lives, whether as intellectuals or as flower sellers. That which is called "giving a reason for our faith" will only be possible if, on the one hand, our faith has clear reasons and reasoning and, on the other, if this reason becomes life, 'informs' it: the testimony of example.

Aurelio Arteta, who cannot be labeled as a fideist, says that "the only way to combat a culture of falsehood, in whatever form it takes, is to consciously live the truth, instead of just talking about it".. Example and word.

We have spent years, dozens of years, talking about the role of Catholics, of the laity, in public life, and, perhaps, and despite our regrets, we have been letting others work, letting "priests train themselves" or simply reducing our faith to a smooth mixture of sentiment and good intentions, to a morality that is followed, sometimes without asking why, or better yet, by whom.

We flee from educated confrontation for lack of rational argument and we can shield ourselves in a combative, trench Catholicism, in which the person of Christ, that powerful reason that gives meaning to faith, ends up reduced to a word - a missile with which we shoot internally and externally.

Deep down, we have a certain fear of "losing" in the conversation, of being "hurt", or perhaps, of being labeled "weird", when the story of the truth is none other than that of being weird, or even somewhat annoying, in a society, any society, in which swimming with the current is always more comfortable. Remembering the great Flannery O'ConnorYou shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you strange".

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.

"The Christian vision integrates realities that ideologies have separated."

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The way is set for the next Synod of Bishops

Luis Marín and Nathalie Becquart, new undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops

The Holy See has made public the appointment of this native of Madrid together with that of the French Nathalie Becquart as new undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops. Fr. Luis Marin has been appointed, at the same time, titular bishop of the see of Suliana.

Maria José Atienza-February 6, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

Luis Marín de San Martín, O.S.A.He was born on August 21, 1961 in Madrid. He made his first vows in the Order of St. Augustine on September 5, 1982 and his solemn vows on November 1, 1985.

Ordained a priest on June 4, 1988, he obtained a doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Comillas Pontifical University of Madrid.

Among the positions he has held within the Augustinian Order are that of formator of the Major Seminary of Tagaste, Los Negrales, Provincial Councilor and Prior of the Monastery of Santa Maria de La Vid.

He is Professor of Theology at the Augustinian Centers of Los Negrales, San Lorenzo del Escorial and Valladolid. Since 2004 he has been Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Spain in Burgos. He is the General Archivist of the Order, General Assistant of the Augustinians and President of the Institutum Spiritualitatis Augustinianae.

For her part, Sister Nathalie Becquart, belonging to the Missionaries of Christ Jesus, she was director of the National Service for the Evangelization of Youth and Vocations of the Episcopal Conference of France (from 2012 to 2018) and consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops (since 2019).

This Frenchwoman graduated from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Paris (HEC Paris), studied philosophy and theology at the Centre Sèvres - Faculty of the Jesuits in Paris, sociology at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in the same city, and specialized in ecclesiology with research on synodality in the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (United States of America).

Synod

The way is set for the next Synod of Bishops

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A leadership and conversion course for priests

Evangelization

Leaders

If leadership consists only of "commanding", then we are in a bad way. But leadership is not about commanding. It has more to do with the ability to influence people in one's environment to work with enthusiasm.

Juan Luis Rascón Ors-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

What can you have in common with St. Paul, Napoleon Bonaparte and Atletico de Madrid? Apparently nothing; but yes, there is one thing: leadership. It is true that the three of them, the apostle, the statesman and the glorious club are great in history, and you may not even make it out of your family album. But you are a leader.

Let's see, the word leadership, in Spanish, has a bad press: it sounds like competitiveness and capitalism; but in reality, the word "leadership" has a bad press. is a biblical conceptHow else would you define Moses, David, Daniel, Nehemiah, Deborah, Judas Maccabeus, Paul...and many others?

In the Church, the Pope, bishops and priests occupy undisputed positions of leadership. It has been our lot. But... are we the only ones called to exercise leadership?

If leadership consists only of "commanding", then we are in a bad way.

Absolutely NO. If leadership consists only of "commanding", then we are in a bad way. But leadership is not about commanding. It has more to do with ability to influence people in one's own environment to work with "with enthusiasm towards the achievement of its goals and objectives. It is also understood as the ability to delegate, take the initiative, manage, convene, promote, incentivize, motivate and evaluate a project, effectively and efficiently..." (see Wikipedia, voice Leadership).

Ability to influence. Let's keep that - is it just for clerics?

There is one thing I have learned and one thing I am absolutely certain of. I have learned that in the parish everyone expects me to do everything. Everyone expects me to preach well, to organize well, to attract the young people, to attend to each one as if there were no one else in the world, to be always available, day and night..., to remember to turn on the heat... and to turn it off, etc.

What if we clerics, who are in increasingly short supply, were to devote ourselves to - attention: buzzword - "empowering" the laity?

What I am absolutely certain of is that I alone cannot do everything. If everything depends on me and the others are only collaborators, what will happen when I am gone? If I am the only one in leadership, what will happen if I die?

Ephesians 4:11: "He appointed some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, that they might labor to perfect the saints, fulfilling their ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ." Apostles, prophets... Did he say prophets? Yes, prophets..., evangelizers, pastors, doctors... A little earlier it says that "grace has been given to the extent that Christ wants to bestow his gifts"..

Are these gifts exclusive to clergy? Can there be among the laity apostles, prophets (sic), evangelizers, pastors, doctors? OK: successors of the (12) apostles are only the bishops, but are there no more apostles?

What would a parish be like if it had a dozen apostles, three or four prophets, a couple of dozen evangelizers, many pastors and a few doctors working to perfect the saints in fulfilling their ministry for the edification of the body of Christ? What if we clerics, who are in increasingly short supply, were to devote ourselves to - attention: buzzword - "empowering" the laity?

A leadership and conversion course for priests

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Massimiliano Padula: "Journalism must reflect the truth".

On the occasion of the Message for World Communications Day, Omnes has interviewed the Italian sociologist and professor of Communication, Massimiliano Padula, who gives us the keys pointed out by Pope Francis and the new challenges of journalism.

Giovanni Tridente-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

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Omnes et omnia

We have recently learned of the Message for World Communications Day, in which Pope Francis has once again called for the need for "to get out of ourselves" y "walking in search of truth". Omnes has interviewed for the occasion Professor Massimiliano Padulasociologist and professor of communication at the Pontifical Lateran University, as well as president of the Coordination of Associations for Communication linked to the Italian Episcopal Conference.

P- Professor, in your opinion, what is the central point of Pope Francis' Message prepared for this year's Communications Day?

R- The Pope develops a multifaceted reflection, integrating into an evangelical framework (the meeting between Jesus and the first disciples that is recounted in the Gospel of John 1:46), journalism, opportunities and pitfalls of digital culture, the human dimension of communication. But if I had to extrapolate from this kaleidoscope of proposals a central point, I would choose the ".culture of encounter". This Message has the merit of applying one of the main ideas of the Magisterium of Francis to the world of information, elaborating a renewed criterion of actuality: to approach people where they are and how they are.

The Pope appeals to all people of good will (and not only journalists) to continue to communicate the fascination of the Christian adventure.
Massimiliano PadulaSociologist and Professor of Communication

P- The Pope seems to be addressing journalists in particular, but is this really the case?

R- Journalism, understood in its traditional dimension, no longer exists. The professional orders, the codes of ethics, the physical newsrooms, the defined roles, leave more and more room for a communication oriented by the logic of the web. In a sense, we are all journalists because we are producers and distributors of news, because we have an audience that follows us and because we can easily choose different transmission codes (a written article, a podcast, a video...).

For these reasons, the Pope appeals to all people of good will (and not only to journalists) to continue to communicate the fascination of the Christian adventure also in its actions".journalistic".

P- In the era of disintermediationDoes information still make sense in the classical sense?

R- The word "disintermediation"has acquired a negative connotation in recent years. This happens when whoever is in the media feels part of an elite, proposes himself as the exclusive holder of a service. I believe, on the other hand, that the disintermediation is nothing more than a new form of mediation.free of formalisms, of corporatist presumptions, of restricted clubs (the Pope speaks, in this regard, of "...").pre-packaged, palatial, self-referential information").

This is one of the reasons for the crisis in the journalistic sectorwho certainly does not have to take off his "middle" suit, but rather repositioning your work in other categories and needs. Among them: in-depth analysis, free opinion, denouncing inequalities and reporting on the most marginalized.

Any content can work as long as it reflects one criterion: the truth.
Massimiliano PadulaSociologist and Professor of Communication

P- In your opinion, where do we need to go to offer quality content to the public?

R- I believe that even before the content, it is necessary and urgent to internalize what digital is. It is necessary to break the instrumental vision of the web and begin to grasp the human aspects, to understand times, spaces, codes and languages.. Once this is done, any content can work as long as it reflects one criterion: the truth..

The network, in fact, has the extraordinary function of unveiling evil by making our life transparent. Therefore, communicative quality today refers to communication with truth, justice, beauty and respect for people's dignity.especially those most in need.

Omnes, with its web landing and naming strategy, will only become even more Catholic.
Massimiliano PadulaSociologist and Professor of Communication

P- Since a few weeks ago, Omnes also offers digital information: what added value can the web bring?

R- The added value may refer to the concept of ".glocalization"that is to say, to the multiplication and diversification of localized experiences in global territories. This is possible thanks to the increasing and better technological opportunities, but also to the new perspective, skills and sensibility of contemporary man.

I, however, prefer the adjective ".Catholic" a "glocal"not in its clerical sense, but in the sense of understood in its original sense of "universal".. Omneswith its landing on the web and its naming strategy, will only become even more Catholic.

What are we going to do at Omnes? Journalism Related News

Omnes et omnia

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The Ministry of Education appoints Raquel Pérez Sanjuan as member of the State School Council

The appointment of Raquel Perez is undoubtedly good news, first of all, because of the normalization of a situation regarding the presence of the EEC in this body.

Javier Segura-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Normally, Religion teachers are not aware of the appointments for this type of positions. But it seemed appropriate to focus on this news today, because it seems significant to me.

Raquel Pérez Sanjuán is the current Technical Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Education and Culture of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. She has just been appointed by the Minister of Education, Isabel Celaá, for a period of four years, member of the State School Council, a position held by relevant personalities within the world of education.

In this case, the appointment of Raquel Perez responds to the space that has usually been occupied by a representative proposed by the Episcopal Conference and that had been vacant since Juan Antonio Gomez Trinidad, a man who, due to his worth, became vice president of the School Board.

Normalization of EEC presence

The appointment of Raquel Perez is undoubtedly good news, firstly, because of the normalization of a situation regarding the presence of the EEC in this body. And secondly, it is important because of the key moment we are living in education in Spain with the processing of the new education law. In other keys, it is also a recognition of the work of the current technical secretary and the impetus that the EEC has given to the negotiations with the Ministry of Education. Let us remember the novel proposal that the EEC made to the Ministry at the beginning of the summer, with an integrating model for the integral formation of the students, in which religious education was included. For all this we can only rejoice.

This is good news in the midst of so many other negative ones. Because the educational battle is now crouched and waiting for crucial movements such as the approval of the Royal Decrees that specify the LOMLOE and the application in the different Autonomies, very important given the educational competences that have been transferred. In all these areas we can expect nothing but a hard battle for the Religion class. For example, there is a button to prove it. Just look at what is happening in La Rioja and the contempt to which this Government is subjecting Religion teachers.

Let us hope that the appointment of Raquel Pérez Sanjuán by the Ministry is more than a wink, and that it implies a less belligerent and more collaborative position than the one we have seen so far.

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Adorers: "Living close to pain is possible through the Eucharist and prayer".

Prayer marathon for the end of trafficking in persons

From 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. people and organizations from all over the world will join in prayer for an end to human trafficking.

Maria José Atienza-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The initiative, promoted by Talitha Kum in collaboration with the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, Caritas Internationalis, the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations, the Focolare Movement and many other organizations, will take place on February 8, the liturgical memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita.

From Oceania to the Americas, next Monday, on the occasion of the VII World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Trafficking in Human BeingsAnyone who wants to can join the online prayer marathon for an "Economy without Human Trafficking". It will be the first time that the central event of this day will be held virtually and will give the opportunity to bring together all the realities committed against human trafficking in the world.

Through Youtube

The day, which pcan be followed through the Jornada Mundia YouTube channell will begin at 10:00 am with prayer led by the organizing committee. From then until 5:00 pm marking the different time zones, there will be a moment of "shared" online prayer with translations in five languages, will travel around the different areas of the planet to focus attention and raise awareness on one of the main causes of human trafficking, the dominant economic model, whose limits and contradictions are aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic. At 1:40 p.m., this Day will feature a key moment: the video message of Pope Francis.

As highlighted by the nun Gabriella Bottanicoordinator of Talitha Kum, "The Holy Father asked the Church to stop and reflect on the dominant economic model and seek alternative paths. The dominant economic model is one of the main structural causes of human trafficking in our globalized world. Throughout this day, we will chart together a path of reflection for an economy that promotes life and decent work for all.".

The day can be supported through social networks with the official hashtag #PrayAgainstTrafficking

Adorers: "Living close to pain is possible through the Eucharist and prayer".

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Juan Antonio Cruz, appointed permanent observer of the Holy See to the OAS

Pope Francis has appointed this 45-year-old priest from Almeria who, until now, was in charge of the Spanish section of the Vatican Secretariat of State.

Maria José Atienza-February 5, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

The Holy See today announced the appointment of the Spanish priest and diplomat Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Security Council. Organization of American States (OAS).

Until now, Cruz Serrano was in charge of the Spanish section of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Ordained a priest on September 15, 2001, this graduate in Canon Law entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See in 2004.

Among his assignments as a diplomat of the Holy See, he has worked in the pontifical representations of Zimbabwe, Ireland and Chile.

He succeeds Bishop Mark Miles, who has been appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Benin.

The Organization of American States

The OAS was created in 1948 with the objective of achieving in its Member States "an order of peace and justice, fostering their solidarity, strengthening their collaboration and defending their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence".

Today, the OAS brings together the 35 independent states of the Americas and constitutes the principal political, juridical and social governmental forum of the Hemisphere. In addition, it has granted Permanent Observer status to 69 States, as well as to the European Union.

To achieve its most important purposes, the OAS is based on its main pillars, which are democracy, human rights, security and development.

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Vocations

"In Indonesia we are few Catholics, but with ardent faith."

Fr. Kenny Ang is a young 28-year-old priest of the Diocese of Surabaya (Indonesia). He was born in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, and studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross thanks to CARF.

Sponsored space-February 5, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

"I have the conviction that God has called me to be a holy priest after the heart of Jesus Christ."he says. His bishop sent him to study at the University of Navarra: "I arrived in Pamplona in the 2013-2014 academic year. After five years of formation at the Bidasoa International Ecclesiastical College and at the University of Navarra I am convinced that the story of my vocation is a story of God's action through many people."

After his ordination to the priesthood, he worked for one year in a parish in Surabaya. "Although we are a minority in my country, Catholics have a burning faith. There were many young families, it was a parish with a lot of life."Vincentius S. Wisaksono, who has welcomed him with fatherly affection.

"Catholics in Indonesia like to organize activities in parishes. However, many of them lack doctrinal formation. For this reason, my bishop sent me to Rome this year to further my studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross with a specialization in Dogmatic Theology to contribute to the formation of priests and faithful in the diocese of Surabaya."he says.

Kenny, it would have been very difficult for him to respond well to God's call without the generous assistance of the benefactors of Centro Académico Romano Foundation.

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Integral ecology

Why Spain has a deficit in palliative care

Continues the report on palliative care in our country. Today we address the situation of this specialty in our country and especially the reasons for its lack of development, which are centered on the lack of a regulated medical specialty in this field.

Rafael Miner-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

Palliative services, medications

Let us now look at the challenges posed by the development of palliative care in the different countries. Miguel Sánchez Cárdenas, researcher of the Atlantes Research Group (ICS), points to Omnes that in the context of a person's needs at the end of life, is needed: "1) a culture in the country in which it is considered that at the end of life there are problems to be addressed. This is solved with public policies, awareness campaigns, etc.; 2) professionals trained to solve end-of-life problems. Here education is very important, and also the services where to do it; and 3) essential drugs are required to control the problems that may arise at the end of life".

These are the main parameters, and Sánchez Cárdenas reviews them in the Spanish case, according to the Atlas of Palliative Care in Europe 2019. In his opinion, "there are two very important indicators: how many services there are, and how many opioids are consumed. For the year 2019, the Atlas found 260 services. [in Spain] and an average number of services of 0.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. The European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) says that this indicator should be at least 2. 0.6 is far from the 2010 standard of the European association. This places Spain in the third quarter".

Unlike most European countries, Spain does not have a specialty in palliative care medicine. That is perhaps the most critical point for developing palliative medicine."
Miguel Sánchez Cárdenas

However, a more global average can be sought. The researcher mentions that also in 2019, a global study was published that puts Spain "very well. In the World Atlas, this position is called Advanced Palliative Care Integration. It does this by computing indicators. It does not take just one, but it takes ten indicators and analyzes them, so that they allow it to define where the country is. In that process, it shows that Spain has a good level of advanced integration of palliative care. It is a much more general look at the countries (198)", contained in the Mapping Levels Glasgow cited at the beginning of this report.

Spain is far from the average proposed by the European Association for Palliative Carethe Atlantes researcher underlines, but "It has already come a long way and must continue to increase the number of services. And a very important indicator is that of education. Unlike most European countries, Spain does not have a specialty in palliative care medicine. That is perhaps the most critical point for developing palliative medicine.".

The hitherto president for the past few years of the Spanish Society of Palliative Care (Secpal), Rafael Mota, synthesized a year and a half ago "five key measures to be implemented as soon as possible".. They are as follows:

1) approval of a National Palliative Care Law, with a budget allocation.
2) Reactivate the 2007 National Palliative Care Strategy, which was then a significant advance in regulation and resourcing, but paralyzed since 2014.
3) To recognize the professionals who develop their work in Palliative Care through the accreditation of the specialty or subspecialty, and that this is a prerequisite for working in specific Palliative Care resources.
4) That the central government urge the Autonomous Regions to develop the professional category.
5) Include Palliative Care as a compulsory subject in the University.

Good opioid use

The use of opioids or strong painkillers, such as morphine, for example, is another indicator that WHO has recognized on countless occasions, but which is sometimes the subject of debate. Miguel Sánchez Cárdenas comments: "There is high resistance to opioid use in the world because they are seen as potentially addictive, which is true if misused. But if professionals are well trained and understand that pain and other symptoms at the end of life are a source of suffering, the consumption of these drugs is a good thermometer of how much states are concerned with alleviating people's suffering and addressing their needs.". In his opinion, it is necessary to put in the balance the fact of having well-trained professionals, but also having the medicines that can essentially help to manage people's suffering.

Therefore, "the WHO itself has considered that the most relevant indicator to assess the development of palliative care is how many opioid drugs are consumed". And it has been established what would be the ideal standard, the appropriate measure. For example, in rich countries, the average consumption is 103 milligrams per capita.

It is necessary to put in the balance the fact of having well-trained professionals, but also having the medicines that can essentially help to manage people's suffering.
Miguel Sánchez Cárdenas

"There are many countries, such as Austria (524) or Germany (403) that have much higher consumption. What we would consider adequate consumption is more than 103 milligrams. Spain has it, Spain has 249 milligrams per capita, which is a good consumption. There are those who worry about that and point out that high consumption could be dangerous in terms of the use of these drugs for addictive purposes. But if you have a clear idea, and a very well-trained staff, this is positive, because it says that the countries have the structure to deal with pain and other end-of-life problems. The ranking eliminates methadone, which is used to eliminate dependencies and other types of problems, and only includes drugs that are useful for relieving pain and other end-of-life problems.

Final balance

The analysis shows that palliative care in Spain is not too bad, but it must be improved, especially in terms of education and training.. "In my opinion, we should not convey a pessimistic message, but recognize that it has some aspects gained in the development of palliative care services, the use of medicines, but it does have opportunities in the short term to consolidate education programs, to integrate palliative care into other areas of medicine."Sánchez Cárdenas adds.

"Today, for example, many oncology patients, people with cancer, receive palliative care, but it is not clear that people with other diseases, such as heart disease, chronic lung disease, liver disease, neurological diseases, etc., receive this type of care."

"Spain has many opportunities for improvement. Every time it moves a little further towards the best position, more opportunities open up; but there are some aspects that deserve attention. Spain being a country that has achieved a relatively adequate level of services, and with adequate levels of consumption of essential medicines, it is very surprising that it does not have a specialty." [in Palliative Medicine]..

And also "it is very striking that Spain is a country with such a well-established primary care system that palliative care services are not integrated into primary care.", concludes.

Sick

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Dr. Centeno: "Palliative medicine improves well-being and alleviates suffering".

Integral ecology

"Palliative care should be a right, not a privilege."

Europe will have to care for almost 5 million patients with severe suffering and serious illness in 2030, compared to the current 4.4 million, while 65 % of the population still does not have access to palliative care. Spain lags in education and training in this type of care, while the euthanasia law is already in the Senate.

Rafael Miner-February 5, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

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The estimates are real and recent. Every year in Europe more than four million people need palliative care. But in a few years they will be almost five million patients will require this specialized care in the face of severe suffering due to their illness, according to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO).) realized in 2020.

Thirty-eight percent will have oncological diseases, cancer; 33 percent, cardiovascular; 16 percent, variants of dementia; 6 percent, chronic; and 7 percent, other.

In a global perspective, David Clark, of the University of Glasgow, and other professors and physicians, studied the state of palliative care in 198 countries in 2019. Among their conclusions, they noted that "palliative care at the highest level of provision is available to only 14 % of the world's population and is concentrated in European countries."

Facilitating access to palliative care

The experts added their forecast of "a global growth of 87 % in severe health-related suffering amenable to palliative care interventions by 2060.". However, in his opinion, despite this growing need, "palliative care is not reaching the levels required by at least half of the world's population." (Mapping Levels of Palliative Care Development in 198 Countries: The Situation in 2017, published in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management).

For example, in Spain, of the more than 220,000 people who died in recent years in need of palliative care, it is estimated that around 80,000 died without access to palliative care.according to data from the Spanish Society of Palliative Care (Secpal). Moreover, it is a service that will be needed by around 50 % of the population at the end of their lives.

The reality is that "Greater access to palliative care could greatly alleviate the pain of millions of people. Palliative care should be a right, not a privilege of the few."a report in the magazine Our Time just before the outbreak of the pandemic early last year.

"Today euthanasia is demanded in society, even in law, for many things that have a solution. Medicine also has many things to say in the face of suffering that at times can be intolerable. Medicine has something, and I know it is effective, because I have seen it in action so many times", has assured Omnes the doctor Carlos Centeno, director of Palliative Medicine at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and of the Atlantes research team of the Culture and Society Institute (ICS) from the same university, who has participated in the Glasgow report, in recent studies for the WHO, and also for the Vatican.

Support from the Holy See

The concern of the Holy See in support of palliative care, that is, comprehensive care of patients with intense suffering in a serious illness, in an interdisciplinary manner, in order to maintain their well-being and quality of life, is notorious. In 2019 the White Book for Global Palliative Care Advocacy, a White Paper in which experts from around the world, convened by the Pontifical Academy of Life and coordinated by Atlantes, studied ways to promote palliative care..

At the end of the work, it was recorded in the document that "the scientific community of palliative care recognizes the important role of religions in promoting this form of care for the sick., given the ability of religions to reach out to the peripheries of humanity, those who, within a community, are the most needy". Pope Francis was also quoted, in his description of the culture of the "discard" in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudiumn. 53, and it was stated for the record that "religious faiths support the principles of palliative care to relieve pain and suffering approaching the natural end of life."

"The hope is that all religions, in an active way, will support the palliative care movement." concluded the document, "offering their valuable contribution of wisdom to achieve a culture of accompaniment that is truly inclusive and respectful of the dignity of every human being.".

Human dignity was alluded to a month and a half ago José María Torralbadirector of the Core Curriculum Institute of the University of Navarrain a conference on on line organized under the title Science and values of palliative care. The professor emphasized that human dignity shines in a special way in the activity of caring for another person. "The Problem, he added, "It is the dominant utilitarian mentality, for which caring is a waste of time, because life is seen in terms of performance and success. Our society needs to recover the awareness that we are weak beings in need of care"..

He has also referred to the dignity Tomás Chivato, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Professor of the CEU San Pablo University. "Dignity is intrinsic to every human being." "it is preferable to speak of a dignified life and not of a dignified death".he points out. In his opinion, "if a person feels like a burden or that he or she is useless, he or she may feel that his or her life is meaningless. Conversely, when someone feels loved, appreciated and accompanied they don't feel like someone 'unworthy'".

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Dr. Centeno: "Palliative medicine improves well-being and alleviates suffering".

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ColumnistsJaime Gutiérrez Villanueva

No human dignity at the borders

Thousands of people are fleeing war, persecution and natural disasters. Others are rightfully seeking opportunities for themselves and their families. They dream of a better future.

February 5, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Solidarity, the key after the pandemic. Fratelli tutti's proposal

Almost every day we hear from brothers and sisters immigrants who die in the attempt to reach our countrymainly fleeing from hunger and impoverishment. All the political parties of the Spanish and European parliamentary arc, and many Catholics with them, advocate that the arrival of immigrants should be avoided at all costs. impoverished. Behind this stance are thousands of lives that are torn apart every year at our borders. Many flee war, persecution, natural disasters. Others are rightfully seeking opportunities for themselves and their families. They dream of a better future.

Unfortunately, others are "attracted by Western culture, sometimes with unrealistic expectations that expose them to great disappointment. Unscrupulous traffickers, often linked to drug and arms cartels, exploit the weak situation of migrants, who along their journey all too often experience violence, human trafficking, psychological and physical abuse, and indescribable suffering." (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit, 92).

Whether we like it or not, migration is a sign of the times. They are a determining element of the world's future.
Jaime Gutiérrez Villanueva

Those who emigrate "They have to separate themselves from their own context of origin and often experience cultural and religious uprooting. The fracture also concerns the communities of origin, which lose the most vigorous and enterprising elements, and families, particularly when one or both parents emigrate, leaving the children in the country of origin." (ibid., 93). Pope Francis, in his encyclical Fratelli tuttiOnce again, it reaffirms the right of people not to have to emigrate, to have decent living conditions in their own land.

Francis regrets that "In some countries of arrival, migratory phenomena arouse alarm and fear, often encouraged and exploited for political purposes. This spreads a xenophobic mentality of people who are closed and turned in on themselves". (ibid., 92). Migrants are not considered worthy enough to participate in social life like anyone else, and it is forgotten that they have the same intrinsic dignity as any other person. Therefore, must be "protagonists of their own rescue". (Message for the 106th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2020).

It will never be said that they are not human, but in practice, with the decisions and the way they are treated, it is expressed that they are considered less valuable, less important, less human. It is unacceptable for Christians to share this mentality and these attitudes.Sometimes certain political preferences prevail over the deep convictions of one's own faith: the inalienable dignity of every human person regardless of origin, color or religion, and the supreme law of fraternal love (FT, 39). We are all responsible for everyone.

Whether we like it or not, migration is a sign of the times. They are a determining element of the world's future. Europe "inspired by its great cultural and religious heritage, it has the necessary instruments to defend the centrality of the human person and to find the right balance between the moral duty to protect the rights of its citizens, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to ensure the assistance and reception of migrants." (FT, 40).

The authorJaime Gutiérrez Villanueva

Pastor of the parishes of Santa María Reparadora and Santa María de los Ángeles, Santander.

Solidarity, the key after the pandemic. Fratelli tutti's proposal

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Background on the fraternity: Inspiration of "Fratelli Tutti".

Pope on the Day of Human Fraternity: "Either we are brothers, or everything falls apart".

This Thursday, February 4, on the first International Day of Human Fraternity, the Pope continued on the path undertaken two years ago, at the meeting he held with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, where they signed the Document on Human Fraternity for Peace and Common Coexistence.

David Fernández Alonso-February 4, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

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Pope Francis has celebrated the First International Human Fraternity Day in a Virtual Meeting organized by the sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed in Abu DhabiThe event was attended by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Secretary General of the High Committee for Human Brotherhood, Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and other personalities.

The date was established by the United Nations General Assembly. and coincides with the anniversary of the Abu Dhabi meeting on February 4, 2019, when the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al- Azhar signed the Document on Human Fraternity for Peace and Common Coexistence.

During the event, the winners of the first Zayed Prize inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity were also presented.

Gratitude for the path taken

The Holy Father began his speech by expressing his gratitude to the Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, whose friendship, commitment and companionship he emphasized.on the road to reflection and the drafting of this document, which was presented two years ago". He also appreciated the efforts that His Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed "has put in to make it possible to move forward on this path. He believed in the project. He believed.

To conclude his thanks, he joked with Judge Abdel Salam, "accusing him" of being "l'enfant terrible" of this whole project. Judge Abdel Salam, the Holy Father continued, is that "l'enfant terrible" of this whole project.friend, hard-working, full of ideas, who helped us to move forward. Thank you all for betting on fraternity, because today fraternity is the new frontier of humanity. Either we are brothers, or we destroy each other.".

Avoiding indifference

Pope Francis has emphasized in his speech to avoid indifference to others. "We cannot wash our hands. With distance, with disregard, with contempt. Either we are brothers -allow me-, or everything falls apart. It is the frontier. The frontier on which we have to build; it is the challenge of our century, it is the challenge of our times.".

Fraternity means firmness in one's convictions. Because there is no true fraternity if one's own convictions are negotiated.
Pope Francis

The fraternity, Francis continued, "means outstretched hand, fraternity means respect. Fraternity means listening with an open heart. Fraternity means firmness in one's own convictions. Because there is no true fraternity if one's own convictions are negotiated.".

Children of the same Father

In this sense, he wanted to relate the common fraternity with the common filiation, since ".we are brothers, born of the same Father. With different cultures and traditions, but all brothers. And respecting our different cultures and traditions, our different citizenships, we must build this fraternity. Not by negotiating it".

Finally, Francis called on humanity to engage in an era based on listening. "It is the moment of sincere acceptance. It is the moment of certainty that a world without brothers is a world of enemies". And he wanted to underline this idea: "We cannot say: either brothers or no brothers. Let us say it well: or brothers, or enemies. Because dispensation is a very subtle form of enmity.".

Congratulations

In conclusion, the Pope addressed words of congratulation to the two recipients of the Zayed Prize, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterresand to the French-Moroccan activist Latifa Ibn Ziaten: "your last words are not spoken by hearsay or convention, "we are all brothers". They are the conviction. And a conviction embodied in pain, in your wounds. You gambled your life for the smile, you gambled your life for the non-resentment and through the pain of losing a child -only a mother knows what it is to lose a child- through that pain you dare to say "we are all brothers"and to sow words of love.".

Continuing on the road

A few months after the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity, the High Committee for Human Fraternity was established to translate the aspirations of the February 4, 2019 Document into concrete commitments and actions.

The High Committee plans to establish a Abrahamic Family Housewith a synagogue, a church and a mosque, on the island of Saadiyat, in Abu Dhabi. It has established an independent jury to receive the nominations for the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, selecting the winners whose work has stood out for their permanent commitment to human fraternity.

The Pope urged the Holy See to participate in the celebration of the International Day of Human Fraternity under the direction of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Last January, the Holy Father launched the year 2021 with an appeal to fraternity, in the video with his prayer intention, for people of different religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to return to the essentials: love of neighbor.

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Background on the fraternity: Inspiration of "Fratelli Tutti".

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Culture

"The Church has cared for the needy in every pandemic."

The past and present history of the Church in the face of disease and pandemics is the focus of the 14th edition of the Conference on the History of the Church in Andalusia organized by the Beato Marcelo Spínola Chair of the San Isidoro Faculty of Theology in Seville.

Maria José Atienza-February 4, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The care of the faithful, the sick and the poor in times of pandemics and plagues is nothing new in the history of the Catholic Church. This experience has marked the development of congregations, associations and brotherhoods for the care of those affected throughout the centuries.

‘Church and epidemics in Andalusia. Hospitality and devotions', is the title of this "Conference on the History of the Church in Andalusia" which, as described by the director of the Chair, Manuel Martín Riego:"we wanted to dedicate to this theme as soon as its preparation began because the Church has been the only institution that, throughout history, in such situations, has maintained its attention to the poor and sick. Also in our recent times, especially in areas of Africa and Asia.".

Papers

Three speakers will address the subject from different angles and experiences on February 8, 9 and 10, starting at 7:00 pm.

The first session will be led by Francisco BenavidesDirector of the Archive-Museum San Juan de Dios Casa de los Pisa, Granada, who will dedicate his speech to the following topics The Order of St. John of God between epidemics and pandemics: 500 years of social and health service to the most vulnerable population.'.

The following day, it is the turn of Antonio Claret GarcíaProfessor at the University of Huelva, whose lecture focuses on "''.Health practices in times of epidemics in 17th century Seville according to the Obregones nurses'.. Known as Obregón nurses, they were the religious of the Congregation of the Poor Nurses, founded by Bernardino de Obregón, whose nursing work was pioneering in its time and laid the foundations for today's health care work.

Finally, it will be the religious Magdalena HerreraDaughter of Charity, who will present the '.Presence of the Daughters of Charity in Andalusia: Charity, mission and service'.The presentation focused especially on the Andalusian capital where the Daughters of Charity have been responsible, throughout its history, for the care of the Casa Cuna or the old hospital of the Five Wounds of Our Redeemer, also known as the Hospital de la Sangre.

The Chair of Blessed Marcellus Spinola

The Chair of Blessed Marcelo Spinola was created in 2007 to coincide with the first centenary of the death of the Bishop of the Poor. It is currently integrated into the San Isidoro de Sevilla School of Theology. This chair, promoted by the Handmaids of the Divine Heart, aims to deepen the history of the Church in Andalusia. In the 14 editions that have been developed, topics such as charity, archives, priestly formation or the Church and education have been addressed.

The conferences, which will take place at the Faculty of Theology in accordance with all the hygienic and security precautions established for this time of pandemic, are open to everyone via the youtube channel of the Faculty.

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Spain prepares for Seminar Day 2021

Despite the pandemic, the Spanish Church will not change, this year 2021, the date of celebration of the Seminary Day, as it happened last year, to move this day to December 8 due to the State of Alarm, in force at that time in the Spanish nation.

Maria José Atienza-February 4, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

St. Joseph is the protagonist of this day that this year increases, if possible, its Josephine accent, as it is celebrated within the Year dedicated to St. Joseph by Pope Francis. In this sense, the EEC's Subcommission for Seminaries emphasizes that the day recalls that "priests are sent to caring for each person's lifewith the heart of a father, knowing that each one of them is his brother".

"Father and brother, like St. Joseph."is this year's slogan, which is obviously marked in its actions by the Covid19 pandemic and which refers to the fact that "The priest takes care of Jesus in every man, in every brother. For this reason he is called to become "a neighbor to others".". In the Theological-Pastoral Reflection published for this day, it is emphasized that "the seminary is a privileged place and time for each seminarian to discover how God makes him grow through the Church and His provident hand"..

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TribuneJuan José Larrañeta

World Mission Day. Sowing in tears

We celebrate on October 18 the day of the DOMUND. A missionary song in this celebration, to stir this missionary world, which is fascinating. Let these memories of the years spent in the Mission (36 years) in the Amazon jungles of Peru serve to stir the feelings of people who love the missions.

February 4, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

In my missionary years in Peru, sowing was always surrounded by tears, as the farmer who opens, with sweat, the furrows in the earth and places the seed with care to defend it from adverse winds knows! It was not easy to proclaim the Gospel of Christ - mission work has never been easy - because it had to include so many aspects: health, education, catechesis, attention to children, careful care of marginalized women, protection of the sick, defense of lands, communities and people who seemed to have lost the right to the human dignity that we all have....

In the bottom of our hearts, I recognize our own limitations. We could have done more, mitigated the hunger, the sickness, the death of those who came close to us, who lived next to us, who suffered in the quiet nights of their lives a pain that we could hardly discover.

On December 27, 1978 we inaugurated and blessed the new "San Martin de Porres" cemetery in Puerto Maldonado. The old cemetery had become too small. Just a year later, I felt the curiosity to visit the cemetery. I have engraved in my mind the image of a real forest of crosses. I was overwhelmed when I counted the white crosses whose graves delicately guarded the remains of children: 376 white crosses; in just one year, and in a small town! I also counted the black crosses of adults: there were 92. Today, as I travel through my years in the territory of the Vicariate that the Lord entrusted to me, I feel a kind of remorse. Perhaps if we had put more effort, if we had been better priests, if the lives of those precious children had been more deeply rooted in our personal and community feelings, they would not have died and would continue to bring joy to our lives.

I recognize that we could have done more in the broad fields that pastoral life offered us. Often we should have spoken more and kept quiet less, especially in the face of the distressing problems of our people. The scent of the orange blossom, which every year invaded our lives in the jungle, faded quickly with the wind; the words did not. We lost beautiful occasions: in the daily aspects of the lives of the faithful, of the religious, of the laity. They were their lives, our lives, the lives of our peoples. Today, before God, I believe that, perhaps, if they had had a good shepherd, the achievements would have been more satisfactory. Sometimes I think that we were on the verge of dying of thirst when we had already reached the fountain of crystalline water.

Those who sowed in tears... Jesus of Nazareth had announced to his disciples the sadness that awaited them with his passion and death. Once the cataclysm of the passion had begun, they lamented because they saw how Christ was seized, how he was humiliated, brought to an iniquitous trial, condemned and crucified. They watched as, to finish off the enormous injustice, one of the soldiers thrust the spear into his side seeking the weakened heart of Jesus. There were, that Friday, many hidden and silent tears from those who contemplated the end of the Master, Lord of Life. He did not deserve to have ended that way. The sowing continued its course: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains unfruitful; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (Jn 12:24). And the Master went before, and his body was buried, to rise again with unusual strength before the astonished gaze of his disciples. And those men were giants of sowing in tears.

The mission field is surrounded by a huge fence of thorns. It is difficult to move along these winding roads; life in the missionary land is difficult. All of us missionaries have had to work, to suffer, to suffer. We did it with enthusiasm because we believed that one day the fate of our marginalized brothers and sisters would change. In this life there is no success without hard work, there is no progress without sacrificed effort. And we chose a difficult route, walking incredible paths, striving to find resources, putting our own health as a guarantee, working with a sense of missionary honesty, looking with faith to the fountain that one day we could find to quench the thirst for life that was in the possession of the weak. Our lives were vast fields where we had to sow in tears. And we sowed hopes, eternity, illusion for the harvest, songs of celebration, anticipated joy. We sowed dreaming of the harvest, often with tears in our eyes and in our hearts, because to be able to sing with true joy it is necessary to cry. But we felt passion. When it began to rain in our jungle, everything was filled with the green smell of the sprouts. The tide of clouds would arrive and lay on the green mantle, transforming the colors into messengers of peace and tranquility. We witnessed this many times. For all that we suffered and lived, I thank God.

The authorJuan José Larrañeta

Bishop Emeritus of Puerto Maldonado (Peru)

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Meetings for Catholic musicians and artists, and Catholic music festivals

"The priests attended to their ministry, while the Levites glorified the LORD with the instruments that King David made to accompany the songs of the LORD." (2 Chr 7:6) Where did David learn to compose the songs of the LORD? What was his school of formation? Where do Spanish Catholic musicians learn?

The Beloved produces love-February 4, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

In this new installment, we dive into the different proposals, very few, that have been developed in Spain for some decades.

Meetings of Christian Artists

One of the most long-standing is the proposal of the Meetings of Christian Artistsalso called EAC's. They are held three times a year. Two of them are usually held in Madrid: one in autumn, another in winter, and the last one outside the capital, in small towns in Burgos or Castellón.

In these meetings, open to any expression that has to do with Faith and Art, we share from the theme that the same group has chosen in the previous meeting, after drawing up a list of concerns or themes that are in the air and that we would like to address. Some of the members of the group (always rotating) prepare the theme for the others not only in a theoretical way, but also with experiential activities.

Organization

The Faith and the work that derives from this Christian experience are shared: melodies, plastic elements, stories, sculpture, etc... Each meeting is woven with a diverse, broad, inclusive approach, where the Word, creation, questions, prayer, answers, experiences, and so many other times, silence, converge before the magnitude of the mystery that pushes the Catholic artist to the creation of the work: a song, a drawing, a poem, a gesture, the movement in the fingers, the words of a story, a tale, an illustration that flies together with a chord that irrigates that character and brings it newborn to life.

These meetings have been in existence for more than 20 years and, depending on the people who have been arriving, they have been developing, growing, giving way to other times, reflecting on their origins, their answers, their path and their questions. Themes as suggestive as: De-Crecer; Pain: that uncomfortable companion along the way; God and time; Peace Art-healthy; Dream bearers; Art and Prayer... are some of the titles of the more than 60 meetings that have taken place, where fundamental questions continue to be asked: "From what sources does your art drink? Is your art the favor of God, a balance of consciousness, a social critique, the planning of a new world... Why and why do we build forms and melodies, play with words and colors, and express experiences?

Proposals

Some proposals were: "The project was to LOOK ART (spectator experience, a contemplative experience, an experience of divinity), CREATE ART (the creative process brings me closer to God and others) and SHOW ART (our artistic production as a means of bringing others closer to God). In image, the purification of Mary. They could not offer a lamb, which would have cost six days of work. They gave two doves, because they were poor. Like a cathedral stained glass window, panel art brings us closer to God."

For young people

On another level, for the past six years the Youth Department of the Spanish Episcopal Conference has been trying to provide a meeting place for Catholic musicians in Spain to advise and accompany artists, especially the youngest ones, spiritually and musically. The first meetings were dedicated to mark the roadmap for a Catholic artist/musician, addressing issues such as tour promotion, management, with the intervention of the director of the SGAE, the commercial director of a distributor, speakers for the legal, fiscal and economic organization of the artists.

Some music producers were seen in these first meetings, and of course a creative as Siro Lopez with a lot of experience in the field of art and Faith from his more plastic look. We could not miss the testimony of committed people like Chito, from Brotes de Olivo. In a II Encounter, fortunately, steps begin to be taken for a great number of participants.

In its III Edition, the tone is similar. With the IV Edition, the first prizes were awarded Speraas well as presentations on digital promotion and distribution, workshops on vocal technique and anatomy applied to singing, and testimonials such as those of Migueli and Fermín Negre, from Ixcis, which we mentioned in the previous issue.

We close this space of formation for Catholic musicians in Spain with a last online edition, this past June 2020, where Martin Valverde and the director of TRECE TV told us the truth. All of them have had a night of prayer or a "now it's your turn!". All of them meetings aimed especially at the youngest where we seek to dialogue with them and their Faith through music.

Training space for Catholic music festivals in Spain

Almost at the same time, the Festival has emerged Laudato Si in Adra (Almeria), where a multifestival format, which had its heyday more than 30 years ago throughout Spain, has been resumed. Many of you will remember the multifestival DavidThe Festival, where several fundamental pillars of the formation of a Catholic musician or artist, and of the life of every Christian, were raised: faith, spiritual and musical formation, the experience of God and community life, prayer groups, parishes, personal calls, religious life, testimonies, workshops, resources and materials for religious education, the meeting tent, and of course, the great vigil on Saturday night, the concerts of large and small format, and the Eucharist on Sunday, with which the Festival was closed. The Festival Laudato Si became the most important festival in Spain, and had international transcendence.

Returning to Adra: in recent years it has been flooded by the Spirit of God, opening hearts that empathize with this idea of bringing to others the message of the gospel through music. As their website says: "Moved by the desire to share the faith through music, we started this project with a night of concerts, where Catholic artists express their experience of God to all attendees. The acceptance and reception of this form of evangelization led us to dream: Why not a full weekend of music, formation and sharing for musicians, open to anyone who wants to come? And the answer was: Laudato Si".. Little by little it has been growing and adopting a format reminiscent of David, but in a smaller format, with concerts, vigil, workshops, lectures, presentations, etc...

This year 2020, given the health situation, some of these training events for Catholic Christian musicians and artists have been held online, or simply not held at all.

Where did David learn to compose the songs of Yahweh? What was his school of formation? Where do our Catholic artists learn? Where do Spanish Catholic musicians learn worship and praise, composition and the making of instruments to accompany the songs of God? Is it at the SGAE, or perhaps at the Asociación de Intérpretes y Ejecutantes (AIE), or through the promotion of tours and management, or by listening to the life testimony of Christians committed to God, the Faith, the Word and their Art?

Standing or kneeling, the solitude of the shepherd is full of humility, work, communion with nature, bowing before the Creator, prayer, desert, listening, openness, simplicity, faith, patience and fortitude. Only God is the All and can do everything. He alone. As St. Francis of Assisi sang: "Most High, omnipotent, good Lord, thine are the praises, the glory and the honor and every blessing." (Canticle of the creatures).

You are Lord, the only giver and creator of the true melody, of the work. All this is what prepared the "shepherd David" who tended the flock and was chosen and anointed by God to one day be the "David the King" who occupied the throne of Israel.

The authorThe Beloved produces love

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A crucial law for the reform of the Curia arrives: financial management

Evangelization

Diego Zalbidea: "I hope for a new springtime in the Church".

We interviewed Diego Zalbidea, priest and professor of Canon Patrimonial Law at the University of Navarra. Diego introduces us to a series of articles and interviews with experts on economic issues, which will be published in Omnes under the title 5G Sustainability.

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Diego Zalbidea, in addition to being a priest and professor of Canon Patrimonial Law at the University of Navarra, is the author of numerous publications on economic matters of the Church, ecclesiastical patrimony, support of the clergy and economic organization.

The importance of paying special attention to economic matters, both in the business and ecclesiastical spheres, makes it necessary in today's world to continue refining the mechanisms of control and management of ecclesiastical institutions. Diego participated, together with expert in compliance of KPMG Alain Casanovasin the Foro Palabra held last Junewhere the implementation of regulatory compliance programs was analyzed. (compliance) in ecclesiastical entities.

In this interview, Prof. Zalbidea introduces the series of articles and interviews with experts on economic issues, which will be published in Omnes and which can be followed under the name of 5G SustainabilityThe title chosen by the author, and for which we have asked him.

"I love co-responsibilityalthough I am not entirely convinced by the term. I admire the bursars of the Spanish dioceses who do so much with so little. I have learned a lot in the United States from lay people who live the Church as their home".

P- What don't you like about the term co-responsibility?

R- Responsibility. This way of understanding the participation of all the faithful in the mission of the Church puts the focus on what each one of us does.

P- And what's the problem with everyone taking their part in that mission?

R-I am convinced that the focus should be on what we receive: from God, from others, from the Church, from society.

P- So where is the maturity of the Christian's vocation?

R- In being grateful. He who learns to receive and allows himself to be "given", is then capable of spreading joy, illusion and dedication wherever he goes.

P- Isn't this all a bit theoretical?

R- Not a little bit, totally in my case. That's why I'm a university professor. The stage holds everything. My mission is to sell smoke. That's why I'm going to ask the experts how they do it. It has been proven that it bears fruit, and long-lasting fruit.

Stewardship is more intended to involve the time and talents of the faithful.
Diego ZalbideaPriest and Professor of Canonical Patrimonial Law

P- A lot of money?

R- That is the least of it. Stewardship is more intended to involve the time and talent of the faithful. Money only comes when these two fundamental resources are exhausted.

P- But parishes are in dire need of the money now, right?

R- Of course, and the faithful are aware and we are seeing acts of true generosity in very difficult situations. There is a lot of sainthood next door.

P- What is 5G? sustainability

R-A window for experts to talk to us about what can be done at this time to help the faithful to be grateful, creative and happy.

P- Why 5G?

R- What is impressive about this new technology is the reduction in latency time. Data is coming and going very fast and in great quantity. I would like God's gifts to His Church to flow unimpeded.

P- What is going to happen?

R- As always, the generous will be more generous and the selfish will sink deeper and deeper into their misfortune. Our mission is to make everyone see the gratuitousness of salvation.

We will abandon complaints, we will become grateful because God is the same as always and we will be creative as Christians have been in every time and place.
Diego ZalbideaPriest and Professor of Canonical Patrimonial Law

P- Do you expect anything from this time?

R- Yes, a new springtime in the Church. We will abandon complaints, we will become grateful because God is the same as always and we will be creative as Christians have been in every time and place.

P- Not afraid?

R- Yes, of missing out on some gift that God is offering me and of not being grateful.

P- A book?

R- From complaint to gratitude: spirituality in difficult times, by Don Francisco Cerro.

P- A song?

R- Si può dare di più. He won San Remo in 1987.

P- A website?

R- www.portantos.es

P- A dream?

R- To be able to help a little bit those who are in the front line of the battle to distribute the gifts that God has prepared for us.

P- A sentence?

R- One from the prophet Malachi (3:10): Put me thus to the test, says the Lord of the universe, and see how I open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessing without measure.

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"The Christian vision integrates realities that ideologies have separated."

Miguel Brugarolas, priest and theologian, the philosopher Juan Arana and the writer Juan Manuel de Prada were the speakers at the Round Table ".A Current Debate: Intellectuals, Christianity and the University."moderated by José María Torralba, held at the University of Navarra.

Maria José Atienza-February 4, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

This meeting, which was also followed virtually and especially addressed to university professors, once again highlighted the central importance of forming intellectuals with a Christian mentality, that is, overcoming the duality between a professed faith and the proper exercise of social and intellectual life.

This round table is preceded by an intense and rich debate that, since last November, intellectuals, journalists and academics have been having, through various digital media, about the presence of a so-called "Catholic intelligentsia" in the space of general debate.

A debate that especially calls for the role of universities, and even more so, universities of Christian inspiration, in this formation of Catholics. "with head and truly Catholic thinking"and which was also discussed a few days ago at a round table at the Francisco de Vitoria University.

The danger of the ideologization of faith

From a theological perspective, Miguel Brugarolasnoted that "We must keep in mind that God has endowed all human activity with a divine value, but human activity is not enough to attain knowledge of the divinity; Christ is needed, Therefore, to approach any subject as a Catholic requires a faith incarnated in one's own life and, therefore, in one's own reason.

Likewise, Brugarolas stressed that, by this same logic of the incarnation of God, "The way in which the Christian relates to the world is profoundly theological, he lives his relationship with God from his humanity, and therefore, his activity is Christian even if he does not do it from an official Catholic point of view".

All the participants agreed on the danger posed by the "ideologization of faith": "This postmodern society reduces the greatest things to banalities, so that they can be set aside, as happens with faith reduced to a simple ideology, stated Brugarolas himself.

For his part, the philosopher Juan Arana emphasized that by not cultivating faith and, above all, Christian and intellectual maturity and formation: "It may be that what is really in a precarious situation is our Christian identity and we are not living up to what society is asking of us.". He also wanted to emphasize that "intellectuality and Catholicism have universality in common as their own thing".

"We have fallen into an impoverishing dualism."

Juan Manuel de PradaThe President, for his part, referred to some of the key problems of this "disappearance" of the Catholic intelligentsia. "when someone is presented as a Catholic intellectual, this 'label' is almost a label, which creates a prior prejudice that everything that person affirms or defends is 'subjugated' to their being Catholic, as if faith did not belong to the realm of the rational"..

Another stumbling block, the writer pointed out, is a problem present in the daily lives of many Catholics: "we have fallen into dualism, separating faith from natural reasons and we have introduced ideological conflict into our activity and, what is more serious, into our Christian life".

"Our challenge"continued de Prada, "is to break this impoverishing and suffocating dualism and to recover Catholic thought as an inspirer of natural realities, capable of offering a novel reading of these realities that is necessary". For De Prada, "It is about proposing a vision of the world that integrates those realities that ideologies have appropriated separately".

The key is for Christians to have a Christian head and, to this end, in response to the doubts raised, the speakers agreed on the need to get rid of this ideologization of the faith. A position that avoids dialogue: "the more catholic we are, the less ideological we will be."Juan Manuel de Prada has even said, since, in the words of Brugarolas: "ideology is reason oriented to power and not to truth".

On the other hand, the need to generate a true Catholic culture that does not end up in a ghetto of comfort was highlighted, "avoid situations such as Catholic writers writing only for Catholics." and to propose the Christian vision as a light on all education, for example in the case of the University, not only as a specific subject: Christian thought should illuminate all areas of personal development of the human being.

Teaching openness

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Pope's teachings

Trust, culture of care and ecclesial ministries

Beginning with the Holy Father's address to the Roman Curia on the occasion of Christmas, the author then turns to two other significant moments of the past month: the Message for the World Day of Peace and the opening of lay ministries to women.

Ramiro Pellitero-February 3, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

Still at the end of December, the Pope's Christmas greeting to the Roman Curia is always seen as an orientation for the coming year. The message for the World Day of Peace, on January 1, dealt with the theme of the culture of care. Later in the month, the Pope published the motu proprio Spiritus Domini, which establishes the access of women to the ministries of lector and acolyte.

A trust protocol to face the crisis

In its address to the Roman Curia (December 21, 2020) on the occasion of Christmas, Francis pointed out that the pandemic, with all its drama, is also an opportunity for the conversion. Conversion particularly to fraternity (cfr. enc. Fratelli tutti).

In a second step, Francis addresses the meaning of the crisis: "sieve that cleans the wheat grain after harvesting". Crises, ultimately crises of faith or trust, were experienced by the important figures in the history of salvation. Above all, the Son of God, Jesus himself, wanted to be a grain of wheat that dies in order to bear fruit (cf. Jn 12:24). And then the saints, with their trust in God and their witness. This is also what Francis suggests, "each of us could find our place"..

What to do during this crisis? And he proposes the following protocol: accept it as a time of grace (given to us to discover God's will for each one of us and for the whole Church); pray more, as much as we can; at the same time, do what we can with confidence in God (because Christian hope is an active hope), serving others with peace and serenity. A crisis that is not overcome remains a conflict, which depletes energy and predisposes to evil. And the first evil to which conflict leads is murmuring that encloses in itself without resolving anything.

Finally, with regard to service, he points out that our service must be directed especially to the poor and needy, to whom we must also proclaim the Good News (cf. Mt 11:5).

Trust in God, humility and courage to face the crisis. Discernment and prayer, work and service to come out of it better. A good road map to manage the crisis at the beginning of the new year.

Careful" navigation to peace

Pope Francis' message for the 54th World Day of Peace (January 1, 2011), The culture of care as a path to peaceThe letter of St. Joseph, in connection with the beginning of the Petrine ministry (January 19, 2013), is related to the task of guardianship and service, as seen in St. Joseph. In the previous issue of the magazine, we referred to the letter Patris corde (December 8, 2020) on St. Joseph.

The image chosen by the Pope is the navigation towards peace, in this boat of fraternity, on the path of justice. In addition to the context of Covid, he points out some obstacles and above all the ways: to take care of creation and fraternity, to eradicate the culture of indifference, rejection and confrontation, which often prevails today.

Secondly, the Pope points out the need for make informed judgments in this topic. The foundations and criteria for discernment can be found in revelation, in the signs of the times, in the human sciences and always in the present situation. Those presented here are of two types. Some refer to the salvation history from creation (God himself teaches the meaning of caring for people and the world; it is taught by the prophets, and especially by Jesus, with his life and preaching; it is lived by his disciples and transmitted by the Church with its tradition and praxis); others refer to the social doctrine of the Church and her fundamental principles (human dignity, the common good, solidarity and the protection of creation, as taught in the encyclical Laudato si').

Finally, and within the proposalsFrancisco points out the importance of establishing processes The aim of the project is to develop educational programs that promote peace care with the "compass" of these criteria. It should be noted that, according to Evangelii gaudium, Fratelli tutti y Laudato si', and in the current context that includes the pandemic, these educational processes imply: an anthropology, an ethic (back to social principles), openness to others, discernment and dialogue in search of the "lived truth".

This will have to be translated into concrete projects at the universal and local levels: in the family, the parish and the school, in the university, in relation to religions and in collaboration with other educators (educational pact). These projects should be able to highlight the values (valuable contents) and the paths of human reality and creation.

Lay ministries", open to women

With the motu proprio Spiritus Domini (January 10, 2012), the so-called "lay ministries" are no longer reserved to men. In 1972, St. Paul VI established these ministries (m. p. Ministeria quaedam) for access to the sacrament of Holy Orders, although they could also be conferred on men considered suitable. Doctrinal developments in recent years have led to the recognition that the basis for these instituted ministries is in baptism and the royal priesthood received with it (along with the reinforcement of confirmation). Consequently, the Pope has changed the wording of canon 230, &1 to remove the reservation of access to these ministries for men only, and to leave it definitively open also to women who are considered suitable for these ministries.

On the same day, in a letter addressed to Cardinal Ladaria, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he recalled the distinction between the so-called "instituted" (or "lay") ministries and "ordained ministries", in respective relation to the common priesthood of the baptized and to the ministerial priesthood.

Interestingly, this letter states: "The commitment of the lay faithful, who 'are simply the vast majority of the People of God' (Francis, Evangelii gaudium102), certainly cannot and should not be exhausted in the exercise of non-ordained ministries".. At the same time, he maintains that the institution of these ministries can help to enhance Christian commitment in relation to catechesis and the celebration of the faith, in order to "to make Christ the heart of the world"as the mission of the Church demands, without being locked into the sterile logics of the "spaces of power".

The reactions to this decision have not always been adequate, as was perhaps foreseeable. Particularly on the part of those who consider it as a step in the direction they would like to see: the access of women to priestly ordination.

This is explicitly contradicted by the Pope's letter to Cardinal Ladaria recalling the impossibility for women to be ordained as priests (cf. John Paul II, Letter to Cardinal Ladaria, "The impossibility for women to be ordained as priests"). Ordinatio sacerdotalis, 1994).

It should be added, in line with the letter, that while these or other ministries are necessary in many places (such as in the missions or in the young Churches), they do not change the ecclesial condition of those who exercise them: they continue to be lay faithful or members of religious life. Therefore, they should not be considered as the goal or fullness of the lay vocation, which is situated in relation to the sanctification of the temporal realities of ordinary life.

In this sense, it could have been used to change the denomination of "lay ministries" (which had already become obsolete, since they could be conferred to religious, now also in a stable way to religious women) for that of "ecclesial ministries" or another equivalent, along the lines that the same letter suggests when quoting the synod of Amazonia, when it proposes to open up "new paths for ecclesial ministry"..

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Pope Francis expands women's service in the liturgy

Pope's Audience: "Mass is not simply listened to; it is celebrated and lived".

Francis held a general audience on Wednesday, February 3, from the Library of the Apostolic Palace, in which he reflected on the relationship between prayer and liturgy.

David Fernández Alonso-February 3, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

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On the first Wednesday of February, the Holy Father Francis held the general audience from the Library of the Apostolic Palace.as usual due to the health emergency.

The catechesis took place after the reading of the Letter to the Hebrews in different languages, which served as inspiration for the Pope's preaching. This text speaks of the elect, of those who have approached the heavenly assembly, a multitude of angels, an assembly of the first-born whose name is written in Heaven.

– Supernatural Arabic reading has attracted particular attention, with a close horizon of the Pope's apostolic trip to Iraq in early March.

Francis continued his catechesis on prayer. At today's general audience, he reflected on the relationship between prayer and liturgy. He began by recalling the traditional intimate prayer that had been consolidated in some periods of the Church's history. A religiosity that did not recognize the spiritual dimension and importance of the liturgy. This led many of the faithful, even when participating in Sunday Mass, to downplay its importance and to seek nourishment for their faith and spiritual life in devotional sources rather than in the liturgy.

Holy Mass cannot be merely "listened to", as if we were mere spectators of something that is happening without getting involved. Mass is celebratedand not only by the priest who presides over it, but also by the for all Christians who live it.

The roots of Christian spirituality

However, in recent decades, the Constitution on the Liturgy of Vatican II has underlined the importance of the divine liturgy in the life of Christians, for in it is found that objective mediation requested by the fact that Jesus Christ is not an idea or a feeling, but a living Person, and his Mystery, a historical event..

"The prayer of Christians passes through concrete mediations: Sacred Scripture, the Sacraments, the liturgical rites, the community. In the Christian life we do not dispense with the corporeal and material sphere, because in Jesus Christ it has become the way of salvation. We could even say that yes, now we have to pray with the body. The body enters into prayer.

A Christianity without liturgy is a Christianity without Christ.

The liturgy, the Pope explained, "is not just spontaneous prayer, but the action of the Church and an encounter with Christ himself."and, therefore, "there is no Christian spirituality that does not have the celebration of the divine mysteries as its source.".

"The liturgy is an event, an occurrence, a presence, an encounter. It is an encounter with Christ. Christ makes himself present in the Holy Spirit through the sacramental signs: from this derives for us Christians the need to participate in the divine mysteries. A Christianity without liturgy, I would dare to say, is perhaps a Christianity without Christ".

Even in the most stripped-down rite, - the Holy Father affirmed - such as that which some Christians have celebrated and celebrate in places of imprisonment, or in the hiding place of a house during times of persecution, Christ makes himself present and gives himself to his faithful.

Fervor is key to the celebration of the liturgy

The liturgy, moreover, asks to be celebrated "fervently"The grace poured out in the rite should not be dispersed, but should reach the life of each person.

Every time we celebrate a Baptism, or consecrate the bread and wine in the Eucharist, or anoint the body of a sick person with holy oil, Christ is here! It is He who does, it is He who is present. He is present as when he healed the weak limbs of a sick person, or gave at the Last Supper his testament for the salvation of the world.

The Mass is celebrated and lived

Thus, the Mass cannot be only "...".listened": "I am going to listen to Mass"is not an expression "correct"said Francis, because the Mass "is always celebrated":

"The Mass cannot be listened to without further ado, as if we were just spectators of something that glides by without involving us. The Mass is always celebrated, and not only by the priest who presides, but by all Christians who live it. The center is Christ! All of us, in the diversity of gifts and ministries, are united to his action, because it is He, Christ, the Protagonist of the liturgy".

In the liturgy we pray with Christ

Francis made reference to the fact that when the first Christians began to live their cult, they did "actualizing Jesus' gestures and words"The first step was to become a spiritual sacrifice offered to God, with the light and power of the Holy Spirit, so that his life, reached by that grace, would become a spiritual sacrifice offered to God. An approach that was a "revolution"For life is called to become a worship of God. Something that, however, "cannot happen without prayer, especially liturgical prayer.".

May this thought help us all when we go to Mass on Sunday: I am going to pray in community, I am going to pray with Christ who is present. When we go to the celebration of a baptism, for example, Christ is there, present, baptizing. "But, Father, this is an idea, a way of saying...": no, it is not a way of saying. Christ is present and in the liturgy you pray with Christ at your side.

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Father S.O.S

Personal denial that develops authenticity

Is it compatible to deny oneself, as the gospel demands, and to develop a healthy personality? It is precisely the surrender to God that can contribute to the growth of a more authentic personality.

Carlos Chiclana-February 3, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

Is it compatible to deny oneself, as the gospel asks, and to develop a healthy personality? If God is the truth, denying oneself and following him should enhance self-esteem, a better self-concept, the flourishing of self-identity and authentic personality.

However, sometimes this is not the case and we find people who, with the premise of refusing to follow Christ, have ended up annulled, subdued, lifeless, without a project of their own or with a complex. Could it be that God has deceived them?

Healthy personal denial

Imagine yourself having a coffee with several Teresian Saints: of Calcutta, Jornet and Ibars, Benedicta of the Cross, of Jesus, of Lisieux. You observe them, you listen to their stories, you let yourself be carried away by their way of speaking, saying and being. They smile as they tell you about your life.

You see that they have all denied themselves, you perceive that each personality is very different and that, precisely thanks to the denial of themselves, they have enhanced the development of their authentic being, they have sculpted their character and, far from becoming uniform, they have become more diverse.

The counsel of the saints

St. Gregory the Great has an answer to this that integrates very well with a healthy psychology: "It would not be enough to live detached from things, if we did not also renounce ourselves. But where will we go outside of ourselves? Who is he who renounces, if he leaves himself? Know that our situation is one in that we are fallen by sin, and another in that we are formed by God. We have been created in one way, and we are in another because of ourselves. Let us renounce what we have become by sinning, and let us maintain ourselves as we have been constituted by grace. Thus he who has been proud, if, having been converted to Christ, he becomes humble, has already renounced himself; if a lustful person changes to a continent life, he has also renounced himself in what he once was; if a covetous person ceases to covet and, instead of seizing what belongs to others, begins to be generous with what is his own, he has certainly denied himself.".

In music

It seems that, far from running away from oneself, the interesting thing is to connect and search for oneself as God-formed while dancing to the song. Blessed glory by Mario Diaz: "I once wanted to be someone / and ended up being myself / I tried to fly so high / that it made all sense.". There is a question that I sometimes ask those who are caught up in giving to others in a disorderly way, or are dedicated to solving the problems of others without attending to their own.

They argue that this is God's will for them and that doing so enriches them, but the reality is that they are sitting in the office asking for help, because their energy levels are very low and the compass of their life does not point north. I ask you: who is the person that God has entrusted you to care for with the greatest dedication and quality? Think about it now.

Personal care

On one occasion, a married woman with several children heard the question, looked at me defiantly with a half smile and commented: "I know I have to say it's me, but it's not going to get it. I thought first of my husband, but I said to myself: no, my husband is not; then I thought of my children, but as I had said only one person, I couldn't choose any of them. So I concluded that it had to be me, but it was by exclusion.".

The search for what is good for oneself with self-care, setting limits to the requests of others, saying no, asking for help, letting oneself be helped and served, having desires and dreams, or enhancing one's tastes and hobbies, is what is most proper to a Christian who has denied himself in that which distances him from God and follows a Christ who has the face of the risen Christ.

To give oneself it is necessary to possess oneself, to get out of oneself, you need to be inside. That person will balance between giving and taking care of himself, between loving and letting himself be loved, and will not stop looking for what makes that person, that God has entrusted to him, reach his best version.

St. Thomas Aquinas explains it in De Malo: "As in the love of God God himself is the last end to which all things that are rightly loved are ordered, so in the love of one's own excellence is found another last end to which all things are also ordered; for he who seeks to abound in riches, or in knowledge, or in honors, or any other goods, by all this seeks his own excellence.".

Self-denial integrates the search for personal excellence with the rejection of what detracts from that excellence, thinking of oneself and others, caring and letting oneself be cared for, loving and letting oneself be loved, in reciprocity: loving one's neighbor as oneself.

Psychology

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Vocations

Adorers: "Living close to pain is possible through the Eucharist and prayer".

In the midst of the pain and injustice generated by human trafficking, especially of women victims of prostitution, the work and labor of the Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament and of Charity, the Adorers, appears as a ray of hope.

Maria José Atienza-February 3, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

Projects such as Amaranta, Source of Life, Hope, Onna o Sicar are some of the paths that these consecrated women have opened in defense of the liberation, personal integration, promotion and social reintegration of women exploited by prostitution or victims of various forms of slavery.

Anaadoratriz, is one of the voices of Consecrated Life that is part of the report included in the printed issue of this magazine.s. When asked about her charism as an Adorer, she pointed out thate "live adoration from and for liberation, and liberation from the encounter, in prayer and adoration, with Jesus in the Eucharist and incarnated in each of the women, the sisters, in each person of the team of professionals and volunteers. For me, to live the Adorers Charism is to concelebrate life with Jesus, and at the same time with the people closest to me, especially with the women. It is to live my journey with Jesus in a conscious way. I remember now this phrase of Maria Micaela: "Do you know what Adorers and Handmaids mean? Adorer means to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, not only at the foot of the Tabernacle, but all the moments of life, and for this we carry the monstrance hanging from our breast, recommending ourselves at every moment that we must adore Him... Slaves: What is a slave? To be always with her Lord...; and thus we give ourselves body and soul to serve, ... and to love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. (PIV f. 1168)"

Prayer in the face of human misery

The Adorers touch, on a daily basis, the consequences of the social wounds of prostitution and trafficking. Their prayer unfolds in the face of this reality, How is the prayer of one who touches so much pain and injustice? Ana responds: "Pray with confidence, in poverty, leaving in the heart of the Good God the people we carry in our hearts with all their wounds, worries and also with all their strengths, with all their dreams, their desire to overcome. Pray in communion with so many people who pray".

His dealings with women are part of his prayer material: "I am convinced that the secret of being able to live close to the pain that violence produces in women survivors of trafficking, and above all the possibility of accompanying processes of liberation, is to do it from the essence of the charism in the experience of the Eucharist and from moments of prayer and adoration. To enter into the Mystery, to identify myself with Jesus, to relive his feelings of praise and thanksgiving, of encounter, of closeness, of respect and affection, to feel vulnerable, in need of help, to welcome the affection of the women and together to carry out our processes of liberation"..

To make an incarnated prayer, from the concerns and occupations, personally and communally, to pray with women, in their way, from their parameters, to understand their religiosity, their songs, dances, their images of God ... to welcome in God their fears and, above all, their trust in Him. Women are my teachers in many things, also in prayer. So many experiences to tell. They are marking my path of fidelity and happiness. I thank Jesus for having chosen me and for sharing with them my Life and their Life"..

The hopeful future

Ana sees the future of consecrated life and the Adorer charism with hope: "We have much to contribute in the church and in society. We have to continue to open ourselves more and without fear to the shared mission. Enter into an open and participatory dialogue within the Congregation and in the ecclesial, inter-ecclesial and inter-congregational work. To share from the essence of our identity.

We will do well if we are more and more credible, more spiritual, more prophetic, more open, more flexible, if we are a sacrament of presence, of encounter. We must continue to deepen our way of leading in order to be charismatic. We have to continue creating intercultural, inter-generational, inter-ecclesial communities... The future, although always uncertain, is an opportunity for renewal, for new looks, for rethinking. The future is the great challenge as long as we live the present as a gift.".

The Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament and of Charity

The Adorers recently celebrated their VIII General Conference and are preparing the Provincial Chapter "Together on the Way" for March. These meetings are intended to lay the foundations for the future of their ecclesial and social work around three axes:

LeadershipWith a style capable of animating life and the Mission. It implies: change of structures: mental and physical, closeness, care for people, listening and accompaniment."
Adorer Mission and Apostolic ActionFrom our concrete reality and with a broad view as a congregational body, to respond to the challenges presented today by the reality of women, given the situations of vulnerability in which they find themselves".
Laity and Shared MissionTo strengthen the involvement of sisters and lay people in apostolic action. To live the Shared Mission as a challenge and hope for the Congregation".

Today, the congregation of the Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament and Charity, founded by Saint Mª Micaela Desmaisières y López de Dicastillo, is made up of the following members four provinces and a delegation of the General Government:

Province of Europe/Africa, comprising Spain, Italy, Portugal, London, Morocco, Cape Verde and Togo.
The Province of America, comprising Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela.
In India the Provinces of Kolkata integrating Nepal and Mumbai to the Philippines.
Japanese delegation present in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Photos: Project Hope - www.proyectoesperanza.org

Consecrated life

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Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus to be included in the General Roman Calendar

Pope Francis has established that the memory of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus be included in the General Roman Calendar.

David Fernández Alonso-February 2, 2021-Reading time: 4 minutes

Hildegard of Bingen: The Unknown Doctor of the Church Related News

In addition to the brothers of Bethany, Pope Francis has also established, through the publication of the corresponding decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship, the optional memory of the three Doctors of the Church: St. John of Avila, St. Gregory of Narek and St. Gregory of Narek. St. Hildegard of Bingen to be held on May 10, February 27 and September 17, respectively..

July 29: Feast of Martha, Mary and Lazarus

On January 26, Cardinal Robert Sarah and Archbishop Arthur Roche, Prefect and Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, have signed a Decree of Variation in the General Roman Calendar concerning the July 29th celebration. A from this year it will be called Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus..

In the Decree signed by Cardinal Robert Sarah and Archbishop Arthur Roche, respectively Prefect and Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, it is recalled that ".in the house of Bethany, the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and that is why the Gospel of John affirms that he loved them.". And it adds:

"Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words, and Lazarus came quickly out of the tomb at the command of Him who has humbled death."

Marta's inscription

It also highlights that "the traditional uncertainty of the Latin Church about the identity of Mary - the Magdalene, to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection, the sister of Martha, the sinner whose sins the Lord forgave - which led to the inscription of only Martha on July 29 in the Roman Calendar, has been resolved in recent studies and times, as testified by the current Roman Martyrology, which also commemorates Mary and Lazarus on the same day.".

Already celebrated in some calendars

It also explains that "In some particular calendars the three brothers are celebrated together on that day. Therefore, considering the important evangelical witness they gave by hosting the Lord Jesus in their home, by listening to him attentively, by believing that he is the resurrection and the life.":

"The Supreme Pontiff Francis, welcoming the proposal of this Dicastery, has decreed that July 29 be inscribed in the General Roman Calendar as the memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus."

Therefore, the memory of Martha, Mary and Lazarus should appear under this name in all liturgical Calendars and Books for the celebration of Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.The variations and additions to be adopted in the liturgical texts attached to the present decree are to be translated and approved. After confirmation by this Dicastery, they will be published by the Episcopal Conferences.

The three doctors: St. John of Avila, St. Gregory of Narek and St. Hildegard of Bingen

In this way, "these new memorials should be inscribed in all Liturgical Calendars and Books for the celebration of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours." y "the liturgical texts to be adopted, attached to the present decree, are to be translated, approved and, after confirmation by this Dicastery, published by the Episcopal Conferences.".

In this regard, the text states:

"Holiness is combined with the knowledge, which is experience, of the mystery of Jesus Christ, indissolubly united to the mystery of the Church. This link between holiness and the understanding of things divine and at the same time human, shines forth in a very special way in those who have been adorned with the title of Doctor of the Church, says the decree that bears the date of January 25, 2021, feast of the Conversion of the Apostle St. Paul.".

The decree also explains the meaning of this title for the universal Church: "The wisdom that characterizes these men and women is not theirs alone, for in becoming disciples of divine Wisdom they have in turn become teachers of wisdom for the entire ecclesial community. From this point of view, the holy "doctors" appear in the General Roman Calendar.".

The monk of Andzevatsik

The monk Gregory of Narek probably lived around 950 in Andzevatsik, Armenia, now Turkish territory.

He was an excellent theologian, poet and religious writer. commentary on the Song of SongsHe wrote numerous panegyrics and a collection of 95 prayers in poetic form called "Narek", after the name of the monastery where he spent his entire life.

Important elements of Mariology are found in his theology, such as the prefiguration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conceptionproclaimed more than eight hundred years later. In 2015 Pope Francis declared him "Doctor of the Universal Church" with the Apostolic Letter "quibus sanctus Gregorius Narecensis Doctor Ecclesiae universalis renuntiatur".

St. John of Avila, model for priests

John of Avila lived in Spain in the 16th century in a well-to-do family of Jewish origin. He became a priest and, moved by an ardent missionary spirit, he wanted to go to the Indies but the archbishop of Seville kept him in his homeland to preach in Andalusia.

There he worked for nine years, converting people of all ages and social classes and leading them to progress in their faith journey.

He lived in poverty and prayer, continuing his studies in theology and preaching. He laid the foundations of what would become his spirituality, which took Mary as model and mother. He asked for apostolic and missionary zeal, starting with the contemplation and a stronger commitment to the universal call to holiness.

Mercilessly accused of heresy by the Inquisition, he was later acquitted of the unjust accusations. He was a counselor and friend of great saints and one of the most prestigious and consulted spiritual masters of his time.. Among them, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of God. Canonized in 1970 by St. Paul VI, Benedict XVI proclaimed him "Doctor of the Church" on October 7, 2012.

St. Hildegard of Bingen

A woman endowed with an extraordinary intelligence, multifaceted and eclectic genius, St. Hildegard of Bingen was a Benedictine nun and abbess.writer, mystic, philosopher and theologian, composer of music, expert in natural sciences and medicine, advisor to princes, popes and emperors.

She was born in Bermesheim, Germany, in 1098, the last of ten children. "She who is bold in battle"means his first name. In spite of her delicate health, she reached the age of 81 facing a life full of work. Her visions, transcribed in notes and later in organic books, made her famous. On the mountain of St. Rupert, near Bingen, on the banks of the Rhine, Hildegard founded the first monastery. In 1165, the second, on the opposite bank of the river. In 2012 she was declared Doctor of the Church by Benedict XVI..

Saints

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Hildegard of Bingen: The Unknown Doctor of the Church

The inscription of Hildegard of Bingen in the General Roman Calendar brings back to the forefront the life and work of this medieval saint who advocated a renewal of the ecclesial community through a sincere spirit of penance.

Maria José Atienza-February 2, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

This morning, the Holy Father decreed that St. Hildegard of Bingen, together with St. Gregory of Narek and St. John of Avila, be inscribed in the General Roman Calendar as a memorial ad libitum.

Who is this saint whom Benedict XVI elevated to Doctor of the Church?

Hildegard is part of the small number, four, of women doctors of the Church. Together with her, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of the Child Jesus make up the female presence among those proclaimed, so far, as doctors of the Church.

Although of reduced presence, as I pointed out Jaime López Peñalba in its article "Women Doctors of the Church. The mothers God has given us."published in the printed issue of our last november's magazine, "The history of the Church is incomprehensible without these female figures, the celebrated and the anonymous, who mark and sustain the life of families, communities, charisms and missions."

Life of Hildegard of Bingen

In the same issue, López-Peñalba recalls the figure of what he calls the "sibyl of the Rhine".

Hildegard was born in 1098 in the German Palatinate, the youngest daughter of a noble family, and as such was educated among the Benedictines of Disibodenberg. When the abbess of the female community died, Hildegard, her favorite disciple, was unanimously chosen to replace her, despite her youth of 38 years, which demonstrates her talents, already evident to all. Her personality gave impetus to the life of the monastery, and above all, to its freedom. Therefore, in 1148 the community founded the new monastery of St. Rupert in Bingen, seeking autonomy to deepen the reform promoted by Hildegard.

The fame of our nun spread throughout the European Church, spurred on by the decisive support of Bernard of Clairvaux and the reigning Pope Eugene III. By letter, in face-to-face interviews, in preaching trips, her word reached monks, nobles, the emperor, the legitimate Pope and the schismatic antipopes. In the middle of the late Middle Ages, this woman raised her voice calling for reform, conversion and holiness in Christendom... and she was heard!

Hildegard had had mystical experiences since she was a child. At the age of 41, the prophetic visions became stronger and were accompanied by an urge to put them in writing. Hildegard, submitting to the discernment of Bernard and Rome, wrote her main work: Scivias (Know the Ways), completed a decade later, in 1151. Here we find her personal mysticism, abounding in nuptial symbolism, as is frequent in feminine spirituals, with allegorical descriptions of her visions - enriched with the miniatures typical of medieval scriptoriums - that remind us in many ways of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and with a charismatic intelligence of Scripture and the history of salvation that demonstrates her spiritual stature. In 1163, he published the Book of the Merits of Life, a work of moral theology and discernment, centered on man as the image of God, where he shows a very fine anthropology and spiritual psychology. The last work is the Book of Divine Works, of 1173, a treatise on creation. She became ill, her poor health began to deteriorate, and she finally died in 1179.

It is said that Benedict XVI wanted to name her Doctor of the Church to rescue the spiritual figure of St. Hildegard from the oblivion of a cult that was too regional and from the abuse that some pseudo-religious movements such as the New Age were beginning to make of her works. Because Hildegard cultivated all the knowledge of the time: a Physics on natural sciences, the medical treatise Causes and Cures based on knowledge of biology and botany, a collection of liturgical chants called Harmonic Symphony of Heavenly Objects, which today musicologists study with interest. In this sense, Hildegard embodied perfectly the Benedictine ideal of seeking the eternal God who does not pass away (quaerere Deum), and in the process discovering man and the world, and learning a catholic wisdom that embraces everything, heaven and earth.

Benedict XVI and Hildegard of Bingen

The Pope emeritus dedicated two audiences to the figure of Hildegard of Bingen, on September 1 and 8, 2010. In them, he emphasized that this medieval saint "speaks to us with great timeliness, with his courageous ability to discern the signs of the times, with his love for creation, his medicine, his poetry, his music - which today is reconstructed -, his love for Christ and his Church, which was suffering even at that time, wounded even at that time by the sins of priests and laity, and much more beloved as the body of Christ".

Benedict XVI also emphasized that Hildegard, with her writings about her visions, is an example of how to "theology can receive a special contribution from women, because they are able to speak of God and the mysteries of faith with their particular intelligence and sensitivity".

His feast day, now included in the General Roman Calendar, is celebrated on September 17.

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Eight years after a historic resignation

It has been eight years since what we can consider Benedict XVI's great lesson, his resignation from the papal throne on February 11, 2013.

David Fernández Alonso-February 2, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Thank you, Benedicto Related News

On February 11, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI announced before the cardinals, to the great surprise of all, that he no longer had sufficient "strength" to continue exercising the Petrine ministry, and that he was therefore resigning to continue at the head of "the barque of Peter".

"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that, because of my advanced age, I no longer have the strength to exercise the Petrine ministry adequately". It was with these words with which he surprised the world, with which he departed, giving a great lesson in humility.

A vigor that had diminished

Benedict explained that he was "well aware that this ministry, by its spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by works and words, but also and to no lesser degree by suffering and prayer."

However, he explained that "in today's world, subject to rapid transformations and shaken by questions of great importance for the life of the faith, in order to steer the boat of St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel, it is necessary to have vigor of both body and spirit, a vigor that, in recent months, has diminished in me to such an extent that I must recognize my inability to exercise well the ministry entrusted to me".

Resignation from the Petrine ministry

And so, he conveyed his decision to announce "in full freedom, I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of St. Peter, which was entrusted to me through the Cardinals on April 19, 2005, so that, from February 28, 2013, at 8 p.m., the See of Rome, the See of St. Peter, will become vacant and the conclave for the election of the new Supreme Pontiff must be convened, through whoever has competence,".

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love and hard work with which you have carried the burden of my ministry with me, and I ask forgiveness for all my shortcomings.
Benedict XVIResignation statement, February 11, 2013

In addition to this decision, from which we can all learn, he has also left us other great lessons throughout his almost eight years of pontificate.

A theological legacy

On the one hand, his theological work. Specifically, his masterpiece "Jesus of Nazareth", where he shows that the Jesus who appears in the Gospels is the same Jesus who existed. It consists of three volumes, in which he comments on the life of Christ. In fact, he wrote it during his little free time.

Benedict XVI is a great theologian. Because of this concern, he organized a synod for Catholics to better appreciate the Bible; where he explained that the Second Vatican Council cannot be read as a break with the past but as continuity; and he taught how to appreciate the liturgical meaning of the ceremonies.

His speeches in Europe

His three major political speeches on the contribution of religion to public debate are another aspect of his legacy. In particular, they are the speeches he delivered in the French Academy (College des Bernardins)in the English Parliament (Westminster Hall) and in the German Parliament (Bundestag).

It is clear that in fundamental questions of law, in which the dignity of man and humanity are at stake, the majority principle is not enough.
Benedict XVISpeech in the German Parliament

Benedict XVI's dialogue

Finally, Benedict demonstrated a special willingness to dialogue. The now Pope Emeritus extended a hand to the Fraternity of St. Pius X, the traditionalist group founded by Marcel Lefebvre.

On the other hand, he also promoted the Catholic Church's relations with the Jewish community, traveling to the Holy Land and holding meetings with rabbinical organizations. After the Regensburg crisis, he multiplied his gestures to reject the idea of a conflict of civilizations between Christians and Muslims.

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Books

The next Pope

Rubén Pereda recommends reading The next popeby George Weigel.

Omnes-February 2, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

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The latest book by George Weigel, an author well known for his biography of St. John Paul II, contains his reflection on the tasks awaiting the Church in the immediate futureas a series of challenges that will face whoever is elected pope after the current pope..

Book

TitleThe next Pope

AuthorGeorge Weigel

Editorial: Homo Legens

Pages: 200

The starting point for this reflection is the moment of transition that, according to the author, the Catholic Church is going through.

The seriousness of this moment is underscored by comparing it, as he does in the introduction, to the transitions that involved, successively, the break with rabbinical Judaism, the emergence of patristics, the constitution of medieval Christianity and, finally, Counter-Reformation Catholicism.. At this point we would be in what he calls the "step".from Counter-Reformation Catholicism to the Church of the New Evangelization".

On the other hand, the author is aware of a purely chronological issue: the transition that the Church is undergoing The fundamental point is the Second Vatican Council, in which both John Paul II and Benedict XVI took an active part; Pope Francis, for his part, was preparing for priestly ordination in the Jesuit novitiate.

However, whoever is elected Pope at the next conclave will certainly have experienced the Council as an adolescent.The oldest of the electors would have been twenty-five years old at the time. This implies that he will not have lived with the same intensity as his predecessors the post-conciliar debates.

At the same time, the next Pope will have to continue the task of implementing the outcome of the conciliar sessions and give shape to what Weigel calls "the Church of the New Evangelization".

Logically, it is impossible to know what the outcome of this step will be, just as it is impossible to know what concrete challenges the Church will face in the future. Nevertheless, Weigel offers some indications on the most relevant issues, and - given his background and experience, combined with a vision anchored in faith - he is a voice that deserves to be heard.

The task of the next Pope is centered on Christ and the Gospel, and he must lead the Church along that path.
Ruben Pereda

Starting with the most obvious one - the new evangelization - Weigel discusses the following topics what it will mean to be Pope in the decades to comeHe also stressed the importance of a new approach to the Vatican, descending to how his relationship with bishops, priests and laity should be, or the reform of the Vatican. He underlines the importance of a Church in which doctrinal clarity coexists with mercyin which the dialogue with other religions is based on the search for truth.and whose relationship with social problems is based on knowledge and moral authority.

The conclusion of the essay sums up the key point perfectly: the task of the next Pope is centered on Christ and the Gospel, and he must lead the Church along that same path..

Pope Francis

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ColumnistsMaria Laura Conte

The new poor

The global pandemic caused by the coronavirus has brought about a paradigm shift, whereby the new poor are discovered: the family member or next door neighbor who has lost their job, has passed on the disease and is struggling to bring home a plate of food.

February 1, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

They are called the "new poor" because of the Covid crisis. But why new? What is new about them?

In fact, the poor are ancient, as old as the world is alive, they have always been there. They were in the most remote places in the world. They were sent help in case of floods, catastrophes and wars. We mobilized with impetus donations in the face of certain emergencies.

Then they began to move in unprecedented numbers, to migrate from those corners of the planet to appear at the crossroads of our highways, to invade the news, presented by some media as dangerous "invaders" threatening our welfare. And while the wealthy countries were struggling to resolve the reception or rejection of these uncontrollable flows, the pandemic arrived that has changed all paradigms.

One of them is that the poor have become "new", that is, they have taken on features that are familiar to us, they may even be our neighbors who, having lost their jobs (precarious? unstable? already fragile?), find themselves in difficulty to guarantee even a plate of food at home for their children.

These new poor line up at the doors of aid centers to receive a bag of food, or sign up on the lists of municipalities and parishes to receive a food package at home.

It would be interesting if everyone had at least once the experience of taking a package of food to a "poor person". In the real bodily sense. The sequence is as follows: pick up the loaded and sealed box from the floor, feel its weight in your arms, load it into the car, ring the doorbell of the "poor", see the face of the person who opens, say hello, approach the first available table and drop the package. You don't know who is more embarrassed or shy or uncomfortable, the giver or the receiver. It may just be an exchange of pleasantries, but still, it's a meeting. And you can't help but make your way through.

It is repeated that the pandemic calls for a paradigm shift. The NGOs that worked for decades in these countries are now working in European regions that are among the richest, with projects identical to those carried out in Burundi or the Congo: they follow the same procedures, help the beneficiaries with the same needs: to eat, to be accompanied from the psychological and social point of view, to be treated, to find a job. If we were to go one step further in becoming aware of this new closeness within a new form of globalization, we would already be at the beginning of an April morning. A new era.

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.

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Pope's teachings

Fraternity, Word of God and Education

The Pope's teachings in the last month have mainly revolved around three axes: fraternity, due to the recent encyclical signed in Assisi; Sacred Scripture, to which he has dedicated a notable Apostolic Letter; and education, due to his interventions to promote a global educational pact.

Ramiro Pellitero-February 1, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

On October 3, Francis signed his third encyclical in Assisi, Fratelli tutti, on fraternity and social friendship. A few days earlier, on September 30, he had published the apostolic letter Scripturae Sacrae affectuson the 16th centenary of the death of St. Jerome. And on October 15, from the Aula Magna of the Lateran University, the Pope issued a video message on the occasion of the meeting promoted and organized by the Congregation for Catholic Education. Global compact on education. Together we look beyond.

Fratelli tutti

In this social encyclical, Fratelli tuttiand following the method of pastoral discernment, Francis offers keys, criteria and orientations for dreaming together and building together a new humanity, "as walkers of the same human flesh, as children of this same earth that shelters us all, each one with the richness of his faith or his convictions, each one with his own voice, all brothers." (n. 8). Under the main inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi, and in a perspective that is both ethical and theological-pastoral, the Pope takes into account the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and what it has brought to light: "A fragmentation that made it more difficult to solve the problems that affect us all." (n. 7).

It is not simply an aseptic description of reality, but the gaze of Christ's disciples (cfr. Gaudium et spes, 1), who wishes to "to look for a light in the midst of what we are living".. A search open to dialogue and with the purpose of "to raise some lines of action". (n. 56).

The background of faith illuminates the picture with reference and prayer to God the creator and common father. "We believers think that, without an openness to the Father of all, there will be no solid and stable reasons for the call to fraternity. We are convinced that only with this awareness of children who are not orphans can we live in peace among ourselves." (n. 260). And he adduces the reason, pointed out by Benedict XVI, that "reason alone is capable of accepting equality among men and of establishing a civic coexistence among them, but it does not succeed in founding brotherhood." (encyclical Caritas in veritate, 19).

This openness to the common Father is fully reinforced by Christian faith in divine filiation, which we the baptized proclaim as a concrete and operative horizon for advancing human solidarity. Christian faith is presented here as capable of generating the spiritual forces that make what might seem to be a utopia a reality: fraternity in all areas of reality, following the model of the Good Samaritan presented by Jesus.

As one of the keys to the reading of the document, it can be considered the binomial which appears in the subtitle of the document: fraternity (and not a solidarity based only on the noble human bonds of friendship, but also on a transcendent dimension, which guarantees common human dignity, as an absolute value and prior to decisions and actions); and at the same time, social friendship (which must be opened and extended universally to all, precisely as a manifestation and path of fraternity).

From this dynamic connection between universal fraternity and social friendship, proposals arise to confront the issues that affect us. We cannot abandon them to mere self-interest or to the temptation of idleness of those who have their needs sufficiently resolved. Priorities and means can and should be discussed. But we cannot neglect or hide the problems, nor can we change the goals that correspond both to society as a whole and to individuals: integral development, the common good, true human progress.

For a more detailed presentation of the encyclical, see Fratelli-tutti: friendship-and-fellowship-dialogue-and-encounter.

Love for Sacred Scripture

"An esteem for Holy Scripture, a living and gentle love for the written Word of God."is the heritage of St. Jerome, the Pope affirms in the apostolic letter Scripturae Sacrae affectus (30-IX-2020).

In Bethlehem, where St. Jerome moved when he was 41 years old, he spent a large part of his life, dedicating himself, among other studies, to translating the Old Testament into Latin from the original Hebrew text (what is known as the "Old Testament edition"). Vulgatabecause it became the common heritage even of the Christian people).

In contrast to certain strong tones found in some of his works, moved by love for the truth and his ardent defense of Christ, this saint emphasized in the Scriptures, in the words of Francis, "the humble character with which God revealed Himself, expressing Himself in the rough and almost primitive nature of the Hebrew language.". He showed the importance of the Old Testament, since it "only in the light of the OT 'figures' is it possible to fully understand the meaning of Christ's event, fulfilled in his death and resurrection.".

St. Jerome is a good teacher and guide for the study of the Sacred Scriptures, whose richness, the Pope notes, "is unfortunately ignored or minimized by many because they have not been provided with the essential foundations of knowledge.". For this reason Francis desires that the biblical formation of all Christians be promoted, so that each one may draw from it many fruits of wisdom, hope and life.

Thus Jerome exhorted his contemporaries: "Read very often the Divine Scriptures, or better, never let the sacred text fall out of your hands." (Ep 60, 10).

For a global educational pact

In addressing the current situation of education in his video message of October 15, Francis also begins by referring to the pandemic. To the health, economic and social difficulties he adds the difficulties in the field of education (he speaks of an "educational catastrophe"), despite the benefits and efforts of digital communication.

To alleviate this situation, we need to go deeper and with realism. A whole new cultural and development model is required. "What is in crisis." -acknowledges the Pope. "it is our way of understanding reality and of relating to each other".

We cannot stand idly by without promoting an education for all that is able to "to generate and show new horizons, in which hospitality, intergenerational solidarity and the value of transcendence build a new culture.". For education is an effective way to humanize the world and history. And above all, "a matter of love and responsibility".

Therefore -deduce Francisco-"education is proposed as the natural antidote to individualistic culture", without allowing our faculties of thought and imagination, of listening, dialogue and mutual understanding to be impoverished.

That is why a new educational commitment is needed to overcome injustices, violations of rights, great poverty and human exclusion, and we need courage to generate processes precisely in the perspective of fraternity. Processes capable of"to have an impact on the heart of a society and give birth to a new culture".. And for that, we should not expect to get everything done from governments or institutions.

The Pope proposes seven criteria to advance in this global educational pact: the centrality of the person and the responsibility to transmit values and knowledge children, adolescents and young people; the promotion of education for girls and young women; to place the family as the first and indispensable educator; to educate and to educate ourselves in order to the reception of the most needy; to look for another way of understanding economics and politics, growth and progressto safeguard and care for our natural resources. common house.

For this renewed educational project, we offer the reference of the Church's social doctrine as a light and impulse of beauty and hope.

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ColumnistsMauro Leonardi

A gesture of the Pope full of meaning

Pope Francis wanted to pay tribute to all the people who go unnoticed in these times. They are all the people who find in St. Joseph the man of daily presence, an intercessor in times of difficulty.

February 1, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

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The military of #stradesicure who were on duty in Rome on the day of the Immaculate Conception, suffering the cold and rain, have been rewarded in the best way they could imagine. In fact, against all expectations, they saw a man dressed in white get out of a blue Focus and bring them cookies. It was Pope Francis returning from Santa Maria Maggiore where he had been praying and had celebrated Mass absolutely privately. If the videos were not there to document it, one would not believe it.

What happened was that, contrary to what had been announced, Bergoglio decided to go very early, to avoid any crowds, to Piazza di Spagna for the traditional homage to Our Lady, and from there he went to Santa Maria Maggiore where, first he prayed in front of the icon of the Salus Populi Romani and then celebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Nativity. While the whole city, battered by rain and cold wind, was still sleeping in the warmth of their homes, the surprising scene happened for a small group of soldiers who were on duty.

This gesture, like all the Pope's, is full of meaning. On the same day, in fact, December 8, 2020, the Bishop of Rome, with the Pastoral Letter Patris Corde, had decided to dedicate the year to St. Joseph, whose humble and hidden service he had remembered, and on the same occasion he had named the forces of order. "Our lives are interwoven and sustained by ordinary people - usually forgotten - who don't make the headlines in newspapers and magazines or on the big catwalks of the latest show."

The cookies that the Pope wanted to give to the soldiers from #stradesicuresymbolically go to all the people who exercise patience every day and instill hope, trying not to sow panic but responsibility. They are fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, teachers; they are the people who go unnoticed. They are all the people who find in St. Joseph the man who reminds us that, for God, there are no people in the "second line" but only in the "first line", the line of love.

The authorMauro Leonardi

Priest and writer.

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'Family Forum' asks to listen to parents to stop LOMLOE

The #EuropaEscúchanos campaign is aimed at MEPs in order to stop the LOE Improvement Act, which, since its proposal, has been rejected by the majority of the private and subsidized education community.

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

The # campaignEuropalisten to us invites the Spanish society to participate by means of mails addressed to the MEPs in which they can publicly show their discontent with this law that limits the freedom of parents and the rights of children.

Family Forum has been one of the entities that has shown its rejection to the new education law. As reported by the Forum itself: "They wanted to continue insisting on the work against the LOMLOE which puts at risk the concerted education in Spain and with it more than 82,000 teachers without counting the administrative and management staff of the centers. Evidently without leaving aside the risks that this law presents for freedom and human rights".

In order to participate in this campaign, the Forum offers, through this web addressThe first one is a Report that breaks down all the problems against human rights, educational freedom and the right to education. The second is a STATEMENT through which MEPs can express their disagreement with the so-called Celaá Law.

Initiatives

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Chiara Lubich's culture of unity at UCV

Margaret Karram is the new Focolare president

David Fernández Alonso-February 1, 2021-Reading time: 3 minutes

Elected on January 31, she is the third president to lead the Movement after the founder, Chiara Lubich, and Maria Voce, who has just completed two terms.

Successor of Chiara Lubich

Margaret Karram, from the Holy Land, has been elected president of the Focolare Movement with more than two-thirds of the votes cast among the participants in the General Assembly of the Movement, composed of 359 representatives from all over the world. Succeeding foundress Chiara Lubich and Maria Voce, who remained in office for 12 years (two terms).

From the Holy Land

Margaret Karram is 58 years old and is an Arab, Christian-Catholic. Born in Haifa and graduated in Judaism from the Hebrew University of Los Angeles (USA).. He has held various positions of responsibility in the Focolare in Los Angeles and Jerusalem. He has also worked in various commissions and organizations for the promotion of dialogue between the three monotheistic religions, such as the Episcopal Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, the Assembly of Ordinary Catholics of the Holy Land and the ICCI organization (Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel). He worked for 14 years at the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem.

Since 2014 it has been at the Focolare's International Center. as advisor for Italy and Albania, and co-responsible for the Dialogue between Ecclesial Movements and New Catholic Communities.

She speaks Arabic, Hebrew, Italian and English. In 2013 she was awarded the "Mount Sion Award"The award was given together with Jewish scholar and researcher Yisca Harani, for their commitment to the development of dialogue between different cultures and religions.

In 2016, she received the Santa Rita International Award for fostering dialogue. between Christians, Jews, Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians, starting from the everyday.

The election was held yesterday, January 31, 2021, but his appointment became effective only today, following confirmation by the Holy See.as required by the General Statutes of the Focolare.

The document expresses the hope that the new president will be able to to perform their duties "with fidelity, a spirit of service and a sense of the Churchfor the good of the members of the Work and of the universal Church".

The president's tasks

According to the General Statutes of the Movement, the president is elected from among the focolarinas (consecrated women with perpetual vows) and will always be a woman. It is a "sign of the unity of the Movement"This means that it represents the great religious, cultural, social and geographical variety of all those who adhere to the spirituality of the Focolare Movement in the countries of the world. 182 countries where it is presentand which are recognized in the message of fraternity that its foundress, Chiara Lubich, drew from the Gospel: "....Father, may they all be one" (Jn 17:20-26).

There are many commitments and challenges awaiting Margaret Karram in the coming years: the tasks of governance and leadership of a worldwide movement like the Focolare, deeply immersed in the local and global realities and challenges of humanity, beginning with this time of pandemic.

The style of his work

The Bylaws also indicate the "style"that should distinguish the work of the president: "His presidency will be first and foremost a presidency of charity", it is said, "because it must be the first to love, that is to say, to serve her brothers and sistersrecalling the words of Jesus: 'Whoever wishes to be first among you will be the servant of all'." (Mk 10:44).

The president's overriding commitment, therefore, is to be bridge-builder and spokeswoman for the central message of the Focolare's spiritualitywilling to practice it and spread it, even at the cost of his own life.

The next steps of the Focolare General Assembly are the election of the Co-President this afternoon and of the Councilors on February 4.

Chiara Lubich's culture of unity at UCV

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AnnotationsJuan Luis Lorda

The Christian intellectual

February 1, 2021-Reading time: < 1 minute

In its Introduction to Christianity (1968), Ratzinger takes up the parable of Kierkegaard in his Diapsalmata (1843): a clown runs to warn the people of a fire in the circus. The more he shouts, the more they laugh at him, and so the fire eats the circus and the people.

It is the fate of the Christian intellectual, Kierkegaard thinks, who announces what people no longer want to hear. Then, because he had made a Christianity to suit himself. Now, because it has become detached and flees from it.

It is a fact that Christianity seems to people to be a known thing; that words alone do not move; and that, as Nietzsche charged, we Christians do not look very much like we have been saved. Orwell said that "freedom consists in telling people what they do not want to hear".. Ortega, recalling Amos, said that the mission of the intellectual is to "oppose and seduce".. But with the beauty of charity, a continual miracle and proof of God in this world, which the Holy Spirit puts in hearts. Newman knew this from experience: Cor ad cor loquitur. So many witnesses.

The authorJuan Luis Lorda

Professor of Theology and Director of the Department of Systematic Theology at the University of Navarra. Author of numerous books on theology and spiritual life.

Thinking

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"The LOMLOE is confessional in its understanding of education."

The EEC Permanent Secretariat will discuss living wills and the protection of minors.

The bishops who form part of this commission will meet on February 23 and 24 to analyze various pastoral and current issues.

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

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The Standing Committee of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) will meet starting tomorrow at the Casa de la Iglesia in Madrid in what will be its first meeting of the year.

On this occasion, the conference will focus on the following topics:

Lines of pastoral action of the Episcopal Conference for the quinquennium 2021-2025.
Implementation of the letter of Pope Francis for the institution of lay men and women as readers and acolytes.
Dialogue on the work of the Diocesan Offices for the Protection of Minors.
Dialogue on the implementation of the training plan that was approved at the previous Plenary.
Information about Euthanasia and the living will.
Information about Ábside Media's work
Dialogue on various current issues.

In addition to this, the meeting will serve to approve the agenda for the Plenary Assembly scheduled for April 19-23 and to update information on economic issues, various follow-up matters and the various Episcopal Commissions, as well as the chapter on appointments.

The Standing Committee

The Standing Commission is the organ of the Bishops' Conference that is responsible for the preparation of the Plenary Assemblies and the execution of the decisions adopted thereat. It is made up of the members of the Executive Commission; the presidents of the Episcopal Commissions; the military archbishop - who will be represented by the Vicar General - and the metropolitan archbishops who are not included for the above reasons.

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InNovaReli, innovation and teamwork

Today I would like to share with you an educational experience that is worth sharing. It is InNovaReli, an initiative that was born with the aim of sharing experiences and good practices among Religion teachers. It is an initiative that will be presented in the forum opened by the EEC to build the new Religion curriculum, and I have asked one of its promoters, José Fernando Santos, to tell us about it in first person.

Javier Segura-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The history of InNovaReli is brief compared to other initiatives. It was born on the Web, so reviled and used for so many things, on the initiative of Susana García. From her humble situation as an ERE teacher in Asturias, a commitment she kept with enthusiasm for years, she moved to involve and unite different teachers who were sharing experiences in isolation through the Network. Why not join together, enriching each other mutually and generously, and whatever comes next?

As an invitation launched into the air, without knowing what would happen, teachers from all kinds of areas responded: public and subsidized; infant, primary, secondary, high school; young and experienced; technological or not; very different charismas and proposals open to different emphases. That is to say, without a concrete line and open to the necessary recovery and significance of the ERE. This is the broad field in which it moves, generating synergies of all kinds, with respect and communion as a fundamental aspect.

The second surprise, as Susana says, was to see the interest aroused in many people interested in listening and receiving, in renewing and innovating. The gap that this word opened up, both in general methodologies and in more specific projects, served as a hook to respond to a concern that was alive. They have always wanted to be more than those possible, both in the four editions held in person, thanks to the collaboration of La Salle University (Madrid), and in the last one, which has been held virtually with the support of the resources of SM. In the latter, with a broader spectrum, nearly 2,000 teachers wanted to join, more out of personal interest than as a project of the institution of which they are a part.

Therefore, we continue working on this future in community and welcoming new experiences, projects, ideas put into practice in the classroom, with different contents and objectives. Convinced, in a way, not only of the relevance of ERE in itself, but also of the need to update it to the new times. Aware not only of the general social situation regarding religion and Christianity, but also of the pedagogical and technological progress, in which ERE cannot be left behind. It should be emphasized that it arises from the most concrete and that is its greatest richness.

On the other hand, it also has to face important challenges if it wants to continue to grow. It will continue if it continues to nurture horizontality in sharing, if individual initiatives are valued and welcomed and respected, if it continues to awaken good ideas in others.

For more information and to contact Twitter: @josefer_juan

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Online forum "Towards a new Catholic Religion curriculum".

Towards a new Religion curriculum

Religion teachers are the ones who know the needs of the students and the limits of the previous curriculum of this subject.

Javier Segura-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

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With the implementation of the LOMLOE, it is mandatory to review the Religion curriculum and adapt it to the new legal framework. It is undoubtedly, beyond the technical necessity, an opportunity to review and update the curriculum of this subject and put it back in dialogue with the educational needs of the new generations.

This is undoubtedly the intention of the Spanish Episcopal Conference in launching this open forum 'Towards a new Religion curriculum', to facilitate a dialogue among all that will lead to the creation of a new Religion curriculum. It will be an open call for four virtual forums that will lead to a revision of the sources of the curriculum. The forums will be held on February 23, and March 2, 9 and 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

Several sessions will deal with aspects that have an impact on the development of the curriculum. The session on February 23 will deal with 'Reasons for a new Religion curriculum' and will include a presentation by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the Conslilium Conferentiarium Episcoparum Europae. The following sessions will address the social keys in the session 'Challenges of the school and society of the 21st century to the ERE', the theological keys in the session 'From Theology to the pedagogy of Religion', and the pedagogical keys in the last meeting on 'Psychopedagogy for a renewed Religion class', which I will have the opportunity to moderate.

Each session will have an open forum until the following Sunday to receive input on the specific topic addressed each Tuesday. It will be possible to follow the broadcasts through the YouTube channel of the Episcopal Commission for Teaching. All this will be accompanied by the possibility of participation of teachers through a form that will be available on the web site http://hacianuevocurriculo.educacionyculturacee.es/ which will be open from February 15.

Undoubtedly, this is an opportunity for all of us to participate and it can mean a new impulse to the subject in a really transcendental time. The teachers who are imparting this knowledge in the classroom are the ones who most directly know the needs of the students, the limits of the previous curriculum, the adaptation needs that they themselves have made. That is why they should be, and this is what the EEC wants, the first protagonists in the elaboration of the new Religion curriculum.

Photo: Banter Snaps/unsplash

Education

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Books

May the call of God resound in us

José Miguel Granados recommends the book "Take over", by Joseph Grifone.

José Miguel Granados-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Take up the baton. Models of holiness for a new evangelization.

Joseph Grifone

Ediciones Cristiandad, Madrid 2020

The author, a university professor of mathematics, has published several books on spirituality and anthropology. As Cardinal Robert Sarah writes in the Preface, "the purpose of this book is to make God's call resound in our hearts." To this end, it "presents the central themes of the new evangelization not in a theoretical and abstract way, but precisely through the example and lives of some saints." And he offers profiles of these saints that can be of particular relevance for Christians of our time.

It begins with the figure of our Father Abraham. It situates us in his time and in his peculiar psychology. He highlights not only his great human qualities, but also his unwavering fidelity to God's call. He then delves into the faith of the Mother of God, who knew how to remain in the light throughout the darkness of her earthly pilgrimage and, especially, in the dark night at the cross of her Son. Of St. Paul, we can highlight his sweeping evangelizing adventure. Of St. Irenaeus of Lyons, his keen discernment in finding the way between tradition and progress in the development of the revealed message. In St. Augustine, he considers the sincerity of his search for truth until his conversion to Christ. In St. Thomas Aquinas, he underlines the splendid synthesis between faith and reason achieved by the great doctor of the Church.

He also approaches us to the personality of St. Thomas More, characterized by coherence in obeying the voice of conscience in the face of violent tyrannical imposition. In dealing with St. Teresa of Jesus, he delves into her life of prayer as an essential path for the efficacy of the believer's action. He also introduces us to the Jewish convert and Carmelite philosopher, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, outstanding not only for her integrity until her martyrdom, but also for the intelligent dialogue she knew how to carry out in order to favor the encounter of faith with important cultural currents of contemporary thought.

He also approaches the impressive saint of charity, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who has fascinated humanity with her dedication to the poorest for the love of Jesus, as well as for her audacity in proclaiming the sacred value of every human life. In this sense, it includes an outstanding scientist and servant of the sick, still in the process of being declared a saint: the geneticist researcher Jerôme Lejeune, who had the courage to defend the inviolable dignity of the human being in the embryonic phase or suffering from hereditary pathologies. Finally, by way of a synthesis, it echoes the message proclaimed and lived by St. Josemaría on the call to holiness in ordinary work, as a specific sphere of apostolate for all the baptized who live in the midst of the world.

In short, the book is a journey through the history of great souls from very different eras, which helps to illuminate the meaning of the divine call to collaborate in the extension of the Kingdom of God on earth; its reading constitutes a stimulating invitation to every believer to feel a protagonist in the evangelizing task.

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Readings I Sunday of Lent

Andrea Mardegan, priest, comments on the readings for the First Sunday of Lent.

Andrea Mardegan-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The first Sunday of Lent brings us the word of God's covenant with Noah and all creatures after the flood, and the certainty that there will not be another flood to devastate the earth. It brings us the rainbow as a divine sign of this covenant.

The hope-filled and confident words of Peter's first letter: "Dearly beloved, Christ suffered his passion once for all for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring you to God. He died in the flesh, but was made alive in the Spirit; in the Spirit he went to preach even to the spirits in prison, to the disobedient in another age".

A climate of confident hope, which also permeates the narration of the temptations that Jesus suffers in the desert, with the peace of victory over the tempter. Mark does not detail the temptations like Matthew and Luke, giving us to understand that they were all overcome by Jesus. He writes for the faithful immersed in a pagan society, and could easily have used tones of condemnation or fear for the temptations of the enemy.

Instead, the story is serene. Jesus is driven into the desert by the Spirit who rests in him. He is tempted by Satan, but we contemplate him in the desert with jungle beasts and angels who serve him, an image that reminds us of the messianic prophecies and a harmony in creation like the one before Adam's sin, and even greater. Jesus, the new Adam, harmonizes various dimensions of man's life: relationship with the Spirit, victorious struggle with the tempter, dialogue with earthly creatures and with angels.

Jesus' initial kerygma, presented as "the Gospel of God," is composed of four brief phrases: "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel".

The first two phrases speak of God: the time has come to its fullness with the Incarnation of the Word and the kingdom of God is near, it is already here, but it is not yet fulfilled. It needs man's correspondence, specified by the other two phrases: convert and believe in the Gospel.

To convert, to change one's way of thinking, one's orientation, to return to God, to abandon idols, to change one's life. That is to say, to believe in the proclamation of the Gospel requires a commitment not only of the mind, but of the whole human being. If we want to imitate Jesus, listen to him and put into practice what he teaches, we are called to allow ourselves to be led into the desert by the Spirit, to resist the temptations of Satan, to live in harmony with the creatures of the whole universe, including those of the angels.

We are also called to turn from idols and believe that the time is fulfilled, that the kingdom of God is at hand, and to live according to the gospel of Jesus.

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Readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Andrea Mardegan comments on the readings of the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Andrea Mardegan-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

For the lepers, according to the law of Moses, to the pain of the disease was added the total marginalization from the people and being considered sinners, as if the disease were a direct consequence of some sin. In the first steps of his public life, Jesus has already challenged the customs: he cast out a demon on the Sabbath day, he approached Peter's mother-in-law and made himself served by her, something very striking for a rabbi of his time and culture, where women had no importance and it was rather opportune to avoid them. He, on the contrary, dedicates his first miracle of healing to her. Now he lets a leper come to him, and instead of saying to him: "I am unclean, get away from me", he kneels down and begs: "If you wish, you can cleanse me".

Jesus does not put distance between himself and the leper. With a gesture he changes the approach of the religion of his ancestors: not to keep the sinner outside and far away, but to purify and include him. The Levitical priests do not have the power to cure leprosy: they only certify whether the disease is present or not. The leper already knows that Jesus has this power. The Levites had only the ability to judge; Jesus, on the other hand, purifies and heals. They turned away, Jesus comes near and heals. Jesus, "having compassion, stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, 'I will: be cleansed'. And immediately the leprosy disappeared and "he was cleansed". Jesus reciprocates trust with compassion. "He sent him away, sternly charging him: Tell no one." This harshness might be surprising after the tenderness, but there was something important at stake: if the leper spoke, Jesus would have had to interrupt his preaching, because he would be suspected of having caught leprosy. Jesus treats him as a father does his little child, so that he does not endanger his own integrity or that of others by his imprudent actions. He sends him away so that they will not be seen together.

Jesus often recommends that they do not say what good it does, because spreading the truth is not an absolute value that is always valid: it depends on the circumstances and the opportunity, and on the real possibility that those to whom it is addressed have the capacity to understand, on the good that can be derived and the evil that can be avoided. He sent it to the priests "to serve as a testimony", hoping that they would understand the error of his approach. But he knew that he who sympathizes, then suffers. He suffers in his flesh the consequences of his audacity and his love. The cured leper disobeys him and tells everyone everything; that is why Jesus must enter in quarantine, in deserted places, without entering the cities. But they come looking for him from everywhere. Compassion, loving people, even in contravention of the law of Moses, attracts people to him.

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Readings Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Andrea Mardegan comments on the readings of the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Andrea Mardegan-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

The Gospel of Mark is, according to the most widespread opinion today, the first to have been written, and, according to Bishop Papias of Hierapolis (70-130 A.D.) in his work Explanations of the Sayings of the Lord, it derives from the preaching of Peter in Rome. In one of the few fragments that remain, it says that Mark was Peter's interpreter and that he was his disciple, and that he writes what he remembered of what Peter related of the facts and sayings of the Lord.

St. Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202 A.D.), years later, added that Mark wrote it in Rome, after the death of Peter. We think of this tradition when we notice in Mark some particulars that seem to be "visual" memories. For example, the frequent recourse to the adverb "immediately" (in Greek euzús). In the first two verses of today's Gospel, he uses it twice: "Jesus, leaving the synagogue, euzús went with James and John to the house of Simon and Andrew" and "Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and immediately (euzús) spoke to him about her".

In his Gospel 42 times he says "immediately", while this adverb is used 18 times in Matthew, 7 in Luke and 6 in John. Mark is very attentive to the visual description of the action and the rapidity of the events. He describes Jesus, who after having expelled the demon from the man who had suddenly (euzus) insulted him in the synagogue, "immediately" takes care of the fever of Peter's mother-in-law. He takes her by the hand, without saying a word: the power of the touch of the Son of God, who, together with his whole body, will often be the vehicle of his healing power. In the evening, they can start moving again, free from the Sabbath rest, and they bring the sick to him. Jesus heals and frees from evil personally, one by one, but his action is directed to all.

Mark underlines many times this universal destination of Jesus' attention: "all the sick", "the whole city", "he cured all those who were afflicted with various diseases and cast out many demons", and Simon, who tells him "everyone is looking for you!", and Jesus replies: "Let us go somewhere else, to the nearby villages" and he will go to "all Galilee". The totality of the horizon of Jesus' heart is greater than that of Simon, who has in mind only the inhabitants of his city. Mark gives us the synthesis of Jesus' journey and his actions: he preaches, he heals, he prays. Jesus manages to be there for everyone, and at the same time not to be dependent on the crowd and its demands, and reserves time for himself to be with the Father. He leaves early in the morning, before everyone else, and goes to a solitary place to pray. He likes to pray in nature and in solitude. In this way he educates those who follow him. And us.

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Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Andrea Mardegan comments on the readings of the IV Sunday in Ordinary Time

Andrea Mardegan-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

Mark says: "They went into Capernaum, and as soon as the Sabbath came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach". In the liturgy we read: "At that time, in the city of Capernaum, on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue to teach". The "as soon as he came" is lost, with the vivid description of Jesus going immediately to the synagogue to teach.

In the ruins of Capernaum, Peter's house, where Jesus may have stayed, is very close to the synagogue. In Mark's "as soon as" (euzús in Greek, sta-tim in Latin) we grasp the temporal sense: without unpacking or getting organized, without resting or refreshing himself after the journey, Jesus goes to the synagogue. We also see this inner "as soon as": it was his desire, his priority. He goes immediately to the synagogue because there are the people to whom he wants to reveal himself progressively.

He has a desire to teach: he reveals himself as a Teacher. He has a desire to speak: he reveals himself as the Word of God. He has the desire to heal the wound of ignorance: he reveals himself as a physician. He wants to carry on his shoulders those sheep that have been left uncared for: he reveals himself as a shepherd. And, in fact, he arouses astonishment. His speech is different from that of the scribes, who recount the fruits of their studies and discuss school matters. He speaks of his life, and of the Father whom he knows like no other, he who is in his bosom, and whom he has come to reveal to us. No one else like him, who is God, can reveal the hidden meaning of the Word of God that is read every Sabbath in the synagogue. He is the principal author of that Word. He will reveal it little by little, so as not to be stoned or thrown from the rocks, although they will try.

People say that he "has authority". Let us imagine that astonishment, so understandable: they have heard the words of the Word of God with the tone of his unique and unmistakable human voice. But all is not well in the life of Jesus. As the people are happy with his preaching, a demon, through the man he possesses, causes confusion: "You are the holy one of God". The demons feel threatened by the presence of Jesus and his word, and become agitated. They believe in him: "You are the holy one of God", and they sense that he has come to "destroy" their kingdom. Jesus says to them: "Shut up!" Come out of this man", and the demon "twisted him violently and, giving a very loud cry, came out of him". Jesus' authority is not only in word, but also in action, which adds surprise to the astonishment of the people. As a consequence, people speak of him throughout Galilee.we too: let us listen to the word of Jesus, open to conversion, and then allow ourselves to be healed and purified by his word and by the efficacious signs of his grace, and then carry his word and his healing everywhere.

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Living stones. Religious art, "mediator" for the encounter with God.

"If a pagan comes and says to you: 'show me your faith,' take him to the church and, presenting to him the decorations with which it is adorned, explain to him the series of sacred pictures." This phrase of St. John Damascene summarizes the service that this initiative aims to provide, giving visitors the keys to read in order to recover the message of faith written on Christian monuments.

Carlos Azcona-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

When, in 2008, Jesuit Jean Paul Hernandez Di Tomaso took the initiative to gather a few young university students in the city of Bologna for his ordinary pastoral work with them, he may not have been aware that he had started a new project. something new. From the desire to communicate Jesus Christ through art -and from the anger at seeing how badly this Christian art is so often explained- arises a new way of evangelizing through art, while at the same time taking into account prayer, formation, service and community life, always in the key of living gratuitousness. A novelty that, however, is already a reality in many countries and cities of our immediate and distant surroundings.

Origin and start-up

Temples are sacred places, in which the divine presence is felt through the deep spirituality that oozes from their walls. Architectural elements that have witnessed many centuries of history, culture and art, but above all the necessary encounter of the soul with God. How often this perspective is missing when visiting churches! Perhaps we have lost sight of their consideration as the place where the Christian community prays together and where the heart is set on fire to serve others as Christ desires to serve them. This path of service is a two-way street.

For this reason Living Stones (pietre lives(in its original Italian): to bear witness to the fact that our churches are alive and give birth to life. In them we are born to Christian life and they are privileged places for an encounter with God. One cannot enter them as one enters a museum. This, however, is so frequent nowadays. In the words of their initiator, "the less you go to church, the more you go to churches.". However, from the point of view of faith, the visit to a temple is based on the experience of God that one has had with him. And this is what these Living Stones They try to do this through prayer, service and community life.

Target

As is evident, it is not a tourist visit to the use. Nor is it about giving a lecture or a class in history, art or theology. Rather, it is a matter of offering the necessary reading keys to recover the message of faith that is written in sacred art. Although, as is no less evident, in the explanations that are given there are -necessarily- historical, artistic or theological data. It is necessary to know well the object of the explanation; but above all it is necessary to have lived it previously. And of this, of experiences, these guys understand a little bit...

International communities

Each community of Living Stones begins where there is a minimum of interest among young people (usually university students aged just over eighteen and into their thirties) who, in general, have become acquainted with this community of communities in some of the cities where they serve, to which they may have come as part of an exchange program for their studies. But this is not the only channel: the social networks (where their presence is becoming more and more notorious) are also a source of information.its website is worthy of being known-, the sensitivity for the art lived from the faith and, above all, the face to face is what has made this reality, in just ten years, to be present in more than thirty cities (and those to come...) throughout the wide world.

It has a major presence in Italy. But it is also present in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela and, incipiently, in Burgos), Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Romania, England, Slovenia, Canada, France, Czech Republic and Malta, as well as in Chicago and Mexico City.

Organization

The organization and the number of members of each community is something that depends a lot on the circumstances of the place. There are communities of only two members and other more extensive ones that reach up to twenty. Their meetings are usually fortnightly (in some places, where they are more established, the meetings are even weekly). Their content varies (each meeting has a different theme), but always revolves around prayer, formation and service.

However, there are places, such as Madrid, where the pace of life makes it difficult to have a proliferation of meetings. For this reason, the local team decided very early on to have a single monthly meeting. As Sofía Gómez Robisco, the coordinator of the Living Stones In Madrid, it is the church of San Jerónimo el Real that currently houses them (although the beginnings of this community are in the chapel of the Beata María Ana Hospital, with its famous mosaics by Rupnik).

In this meeting, which is always open to those who wish to get to know them, they begin with an hour of prayer, followed by another hour of formation. After lunch and a long time together, the service begins. The young people who are part of the community are distributed throughout the church and its surroundings, to welcome anyone who is interested in getting to know it: tourists, passers-by and anyone who is willing to listen to them.

The desire of these young people is to go out to meet the people to offer them the true meaning of the sacred space that houses them. Many other young people remain in the prayer corner: a privileged corner of the church, where there is always live music that invites them to pray, as well as a notebook where people write down their reflections. Often they also ask for prayers. Something that the community of Living Stones always does at the end of the service is to take the notebook, evaluate the day and put it all in the presence of God.

In addition, there are summer camps. There are specific training and service camps. The specific formation camps are located in Paris (on medieval theology and Gothic art), Munich (on biblical exegesis) and Greece (on the origins of Christianity). For the service camps they go to Santiago de Compostela (they have also done some in Puente La Reina) and, ordinarily, to the New Year's meeting of Taizé.

In addition, having a strong Ignatian imprint in its origins, the members of Living Stones to make retreats and spiritual exercises. In Madrid, for example, there is one retreat per quarter. For the retreats, the privileged place is offered in a house in the Alps, at the end of August. And the fact is that Living Stones It is not a watertight group, but rather an itinerary of faith and community life, which usually concludes with the discovery by the young person of his own vocation and his place in the world and in the Church. Hence the importance of the spiritual exercises.

During the pandemic

The circumstances of the current confinement have meant that many of the scheduled meetings have had to be held in a forced modality. on-lineThis was an adaptation that, given the average age of the participants, did not cost them much. In this regard, they were able to experience a very participative and multilingual sacred triduum, as well as their traditional formation camp at the beginning of May (which this year was to be held in Malta) and which focused on the theme: violence, art and religion.

And all of this obviously requires a minimum of organization, which is based on an international team of columnsThe eight members who, in direct collaboration with Jean Paul Hernandez, are in charge of scheduling the meetings, directing the training and, above all, taking care of the young coordinators and giving them a chance to take the lead, as Mari Paz Agudo (column from Living Stones in Spain).

The team of coordinators, to which Sofía Gómez and Diego Luis, a priest from Burgos and initiator of the community in his diocese, also belong, meets annually. In his first experience in Assisi half a year ago, the latter was able to feel the closeness, naturalness and welcome with which everything was lived in this authentic school of apostolic life. He, like everyone else who comes into contact with this community of communities, is invited from the very first moment to become one of them, a Living Stone more, in the beautiful mosaic that we Christians make up in the Church.

The authorCarlos Azcona

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

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Evangelization

Pastoral care in a hollowed-out Spain. Diary of a Serrano priest

We went to two villages in empty Spain to learn about the work of a young priest. These are areas where the population is sparse and scattered, and a small number of priests attend numerous parishes. An evolution that implies difficulties,... and many possibilities.

Carlos Azcona-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 5 minutes

Today we travel to the Burgos area of the Sierra de la Demanda. Around the capital of the region, Salas de los Infantes (in memory of the seven Infantes de Lara), eleven priests and a seminarian distribute the pastoral work to attend to the little more than 11,000 inhabitants of a population scattered in more than sixty localities. There are many and varied initiatives that, not only in this time of pandemic, but throughout the year, are carried out in the so-called archpriesthood of the Sierra of the archdiocese of Burgos.

Dispersed population

The first thing that is striking about the pastoral work of the priests in this region is the dispersion of the population in many villages. There are two large centers: Salas de los Infantes (1,955 inhabitants) and Quintanar de la Sierra (1,658); several medium-sized towns: Huerta del Rey (923), Palacios de la Sierra (725), Hontoria del Pinar (661), Vilviestre del Pinar (520), Canicosa (449), Araúzo de Miel (306) and Regumiel (340). The rest are almost sixty villages, of which barely a dozen have more than a hundred inhabitants.

We are facing a clear example, therefore, of what is the empty Spain. However, it is an area with a lot of natural charm and a quality of life that is so often lacking in the big cities. Also the peculiarities of the area mean that the task of the priests must constantly reinvent themselves, always looking for new ways to be close to the parishioners. The mere ringing of bells is no longer enough to bring people closer to the temples, many of them, by the way, authentic marvels of art. It is necessary to go house by house, family by family, one by one. As in the early days of Christianity. Getting to know each one personally is, without a doubt, one of the greatest satisfactions that a pastor of souls can experience in these circumstances.

The Pastor and the parishioners

Isaac Hernando González welcomes us in two local villages. A young priest, who is not yet in his thirties, and who is beginning his priestly ministry in these lands. Although he has known the area for three years: there he has carried out his final stage of pastoral formation as a seminarian and his year of diaconate. Specifically, since last summer he has been parish priest of Canicosa and Regumiel. Two of the municipalities that we previously described as of intermediate size.

They are undoubtedly remote places in our geography. But where any gesture, no matter how small, is always reciprocated with an enviable kindness and openness of heart. There is no doubt how well they treat the Mr. Priest in these towns; and if not, just ask him, who was recently celebrating his birthday and was surprised to see a banner hanging from the facade of the town hall: "Congratulations Isaac!

"They are very welcoming people." -he assures us, "and from the first moment they have made me feel like one of their families, opening the doors of their homes wide open to me.". It is not in vain that houses are the place par excellence where a good part of the priestly work is carried out in the villages. They are places of encounter, of meeting. Many times, to attend to the sick, who always appreciate the visit of a young and smiling priest; other times, to listen to those who need it; most of the time, for be.

During the pandemic

In fact, the current pandemic has forced everyone, even in the villages, to remain confined to their own homes. And pastoral work has necessarily had to adapt to the circumstances. As Isaac himself confesses, it is now time to devote time to phone calls. Many of the parishioners are elderly; and in addition to their children's concern that they not move from home, there is also the lack of internet access, in many cases. And, therefore, hearing a friendly voice greeting you on the other end of the telephone line, "it is something that fills them with great joy."he says.

But there are also many who have learned to use the telephone for more than just calling and receiving messages: many of the subscribers who have their YouTubeof the followers of your profile on Instagram and quite a few of his friends from his personal profile on Facebook are, undoubtedly, those who used to attend the parish regularly. Now they have to make do with these means, to follow any of the acts of piety that are transmitted through them or the formative talks given by Isaac. But all of them follow him gladly, as long as they can attend at least virtually to your parish, with your cure. It is a great help, especially for those who live alone.

However, the exceptional situation we are living in these months cannot overshadow the enormous work that is being carried out in this archpriesthood of Burgos in the Sierra. In spite of the distances, there is an atmosphere conducive to working in community. Life in the villages ends up being very routine: that is why the bakery, the bar, the store and the bank end up being regular meeting points. And many times, the activities programmed by the parish help people to get out of their routine and meet people from other villages.

Groups and pastoral care

For example, there are groups of Caritas and prayer, as well as Communion and Confirmation catechesis. A reflection group has also been set up on the occasion of the diocesan assembly that is currently taking place in Burgos. Also noteworthy is the archpriestly excursion that is organized once a year, bringing together more than two hundred people from the different towns in the area. In these excursions we always visit an emblematic place (Medinaceli, Sigüenza, Tarazona or any corner of the province of Burgos), since it is about sharing life and faith. During Lent and Advent, many people go on retreat to cultivate the spiritual dimension, taking advantage of the proximity of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. Pilgrimages to the Holy Land or Fatima have also been organized.

Of all his work, Isaac highlights "the charm of being a village priest, of knowing the people, their problems, their joys... It is a richness that is difficult to achieve in the big cities.". Even for those who do not share the faith or do not attend Mass, the parish priest remains a reference point. And his initiatives sometimes end up having an impact on them as well.

Besides, the ministry of the rural priest cannot be understood if it is not in communion with the surrounding priests. There is a good relationship among them and the people know it. Besides meeting to pray together and take walks in the area (there are wonderful pine forests), every Sunday they meet for dinner together; and there arises the possibility of exchange, of dialogue, in short, of unburdening. It is important to feel supported in order to be able to take initiatives that help people.

This is how, for example, the archpriestly youth group that has been created around the well-known dynamic of LifeTeen. There are several young priests in the archpriesthood who have been committed to this initiative from the beginning, and Isaac is one of its main promoters. These catecheses for young people and adolescents are given every two weeks, with the collaboration of Victor, the seminarian in pastoral stage, a group of university students and three other priests: Juan, Jose and Javier. As Isaac tells us, in short, it is a question of "to lead young people to an encounter with the Lord, from their own personal experience.". It also assures: "You are pleasantly surprised at the times of worship you have with them.".

He also knows many of them as students, since Isaac is the religion teacher at IES Alfoz de Lara, located in Salas de los Infantes. There he also has contact with many other children who do not normally attend the parish. For all of them, undoubtedly, it is the priestin and out of the classroom. And there are many who come to him for advice, closeness and even friendship. Proof of this are the gifts he received on the occasion of his ordination to the priesthood, as well as the presence of some of them at the ceremony.

Many and varied initiatives, which ultimately deal with something as simple - and at the same time as complex - as bringing Christ closer to souls and souls closer to Christ.

The authorCarlos Azcona

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

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How does the Religion class look like in the LOMLOE?

Every hand adds up: a service-learning project

One of the positive novelties of the LOMLOE is the development of the Service-Learning projects (ApS). A modality of work in which Religion teachers are pioneers, both for the contents with which we work and for the experience of so many years.

Javier Segura-January 31, 2021-Reading time: 2 minutes

What is Service-Learning?

A simple answer to this question is that the ApS implain learning by doing a service to the community. It goes beyond mere solidarity. It entails a learning process, and a training process in the students themselves, who acquire basic competencies of service to the community. In service-learning, students identify a situation in their immediate environment that they are committed to improving, developing a solidarity project that brings into play knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.

Planting a tree where it is needed is an act of solidarity. Researching the causes of forest degradation is a learning activity. Committing to its reforestation by applying what has been studied is service-learning.

I believe that Religion teachers have been working in these areas for many years.Perhaps without realizing that we were using this ApS methodology. We simply knew that we were educating. We knew that solidarity, empathy, commitment to our society were essential dimensions of our being Christians, based on the deep sense of brotherhood that comes from knowing that we are children of the same Father. And being in school, we understood that everything we do in that 'field must necessarily be educational, not just a simple action of solidarity.

This Christmas of the COVID-19 year has brought us a service-learning project launched by teachers of Religion, and to which many teachers of other subjects have joined. This is the project Every hand adds up.

The purpose was to launch a campaign to collect food in the form of 'Christmas baskets' for those families most in need precisely because of the pandemic. A project carried out by the association VEN Y VERÁS EDUCACIÓN in collaboration with diocesan Caritas.

As we were saying, beyond the solidarity action, there is an important educational work. First of all, the analysis of reality. The situation generated by the pandemic, its impact on our immediate environment, the specific needs of a family... were topics of previous dialogue in the classrooms. From there, the collaborative work of everyone began. Of course we had to bring the food, but we also had to design a good drawing for the solidarity boxes or write messages that would be attached to each of the Christmas baskets.

Another important point was the fact that former Religion students, who have promoted an association of students called 'Two or more,' were the driving force behind this initiative. This reference of seeing young people who have acquired these values that are taught in the classroom and have assumed them in their lives has undoubtedly been of great educational value. An educational line of peer-to-peer mentoring that is worth pursuing further.

In the end, more than two thousand solidarity baskets were collected with the participation of more than sixty schools. Something that for a first edition of this project has been, undoubtedly, a great achievement.

There is no doubt that in the application of this dimension of the LOMLOE, which is the service-learning projects, Religion teachers have much to contribute.

How does the Religion class look like in the LOMLOE?

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