The lathe is on the net: convent sweets are sold online
The usual economic difficulties of cloistered convents and monasteries in our country have been accentuated by the pandemic. A situation that has boosted the sale of traditional Christmas sweets made in convents and monasteries throughout Spain through the network.
Polvorones, turrones and mantecados... but also baby baskets, nativity scenes and other handicraft items, all these can be found on various platforms that, through the web, offer these products made in monasteries and convents throughout the Spanish geography while fulfilling a dual purpose: to sweeten our tables on special dates and financially help hundreds of religious communities that are in dire economic straits, especially in these times of COVID19.
Contemplare
The website of theContemplare Associationis one of the pages through which we can access the articles that more than a hundred communities make in order to survive.
Among the monasteries and convents with which Contemplare collaborates we can find the Convent of the Poor Clares of Santa Isabel de Segovia, the monastery of the Aguilera de Iesu Communio, the monastery of the Encarnación de mercedarias de Osuna, the abbey of Nuestra Señora de Viaceli or the monastery of Tulebras.
– Supernatural store offers a wide range of products to help the different monasteries and convents: from icons and medals, to natural and gastronomic products. It also offers the possibility of ordering gifts for companies and Christmas baskets.
In addition to being an online sales channel, in order to contribute to the sustainability of the communities, the Contemplare Association has the objective of disseminatingThe "richness of the contemplative life, channel donations and advise them on various matters". In addition, prayer requests can be sent to the monasteries to be prayed for.
Declause
– Supernatural DeClausura Foundation is a non-profit initiative to help the Monasteries and Convents of Spain. It works to spread the richness of contemplative life and contribute to the support of monasteries and convents.
Declause The Foundation is a subsidiary of the Foundation, which is responsible for the Humanitate Family Association. Thus, the website includes articles on monastic life, short reports and activities organized by the monasteries and convents.
The store offers a variety of products: stationery, gifts, religious figures and, at this time of the year, especially sweets. Among the monasteries that
El Torno - Seville
More specific is ElTorno, a traditional store belonging to the Cathedral of Seville, located in the Plaza del Cabildo, which was founded in 1989 to help the convents of Seville by distributing its well-known sweets.
Through the web, those who can not physically go to this store, can find products as well known as the jams made by the Jerónimas de Santa Paula, the polvorones of the convent of Santa Clara or the Monastery Santa María la Real, of Dominican nuns of Bormujos.
An initiative of a group of Spanish legal professionals, this commission aims to join forces in favor of freedom of education and to coordinate the exercise of legal actions in its defense.
The delicate situation of educational freedom in Spain has led a group of legal professionals to set up "Education by right"a nationwide Legal Commission for the freedom of education.
The professionals that make up this Commission belong to law firms with extensive experience in the defense of freedom of education in different judicial instances both nationally and internationally in Spain. Supported by a wide variety of educational entities,Education by right aims to "to coordinate all legal actions to be taken from now on at regional and national level, in order to demand the scrupulous compliance with the Constitution and International Treaties and Conventions, as well as the consolidated jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court.".
The activity of this committee is designed to "a clearly practical work in defense of the freedom of education, aimed at legal advice and to bring legal action as necessary where families, schools and educational or religious associations see their freedom in the field of education threatened"..
Defense points
The main points of defense contemplated by this commission include the following "the right of parents to choose the moral and religious formation they wish for their children and the right to choose the educational center in which to study; the right to create educational institutions, as well as the right of those who personally carry out the function of teaching, to develop it with full freedom within the constitutional framework.".
They also claim that The "concerted education is not constantly discriminated against by the permanent reduction of resources by the administrations, which, under the so-called 'publicification' of the right to education, seek to establish a single school model that violates the existence of a plural and open society". and reject "the closure of special education centers. A model that has demonstrated and accredited its efficiency".
Support from educational entities
Among the endorsements received Education by right are the CEU, the Catholic Association of Propagandiststhe educational foundation Educatio Servanda or the platform yolibre.orgwhich brings together associations, groups and educational institutions that demand the right to freedom of education in the face of the constant attack to which it has been subjected in recent months.
The Catholic University of Valencia is hosting this afternoon a symposium focused on the political, economic and spiritual dimension of the culture of unity promoted by the foundress of the Focolare, Chiara Lubich, in the year of its centenary.
The symposium will start this afternoon at 5:30 pm. Although the symposium has a face-to-face part, it is already full, so the online program will be developed as follows:
18:15 h. Preamble: "Who Is Chiara Lubich?" Ms. Lourdes Illán Ortega Psychologist. Master in Sexual and Couple Therapy, Master in Clinical Psychology.
18:30 h. 1st Presentation: "Chiara Lubich, A New Politics For New Times." Ms. Nieves Cruz Barrientos President of the Political Movement for Unity in Spain.
19:00 h. 2nd Presentation: "Economy Of Communion: A New Prophetic And Inclusive Proposal". Dr. Mª Asunción Esteso Blasco President of the Asociación Economía de Comunión España, PhD in Economics from the UCV.
19:30 h.: Break/ Coffee Break
20:00 h. 3rd Presentation: "Cities for Fraternity, Working Together for a Common Project". Maria Jose Soria Martinez Vice President of the Cities for Fraternity Association
20:30 h. 4th Presentation: "Chiara Lubich, A Charism Of Light For Humanity". Ms. Clara López Gonzalo. Industrial Engineer ICAI, MBA Universidad de Nebrija, Member of High Performance Executives of the Energy Sector Company. D. Ernesto Cubero Machín Labor Lawyer, Master in Law, Professor at CEU Colegio Abogados Madrid and Valencia.
21:00 h. Round Table and Closing Colloquium-Debate Speakers and Moderators
Chiara Lubich (1920 - 2020)
The centennial year of Chiara Lubich, founder of the movement of the Focolarebegan on December 7, 2019 and will conclude in a few weeks under the slogan. Celebrate to meet Chiara Lubich. A very special year and also different from what was expected. The pandemic has conditioned our lives and also our ways of celebrating and meeting; many of the events planned have become online.
Starting from a deep spirituality that made her experience again and again that God is Love, that He is Father of all and desires the unity of the human family, Chiara Lubich worked tirelessly to spread this ideal and to make every person she met feel that we are brothers and sisters and nothing that happens to them is indifferent. Through her and others, there are many people throughout the world who live in this way, with the aim of building universal fraternity, a fraternity that respects diversities and, even more, is enriched precisely by them.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
As I write these lines, Joe Biden is proclaimed the winner of the U.S. elections, a victory that makes him the 46th President of the United States and the second Catholic to hold the position, after John F. Kennedy.
A perfect storm
The elections, defined by analysts as "a perfect storm," unfolded in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a very high turnout and a sharply divided electorate between support for the Democratic and Republican parties.
The two candidates, aware that victory was not assured and that "every vote counts," turned their attention to a constituency that is gaining weight in American society and employed their best strategies for attract the Catholic vote.
As stated The New York Times in an article published on September 26, "Joseph Biden's supporters emphasize his catholic faith and values while President Trump, with his Supreme Court nomination, operates in the realm of the culture war that he prefers to".
The opposition of Trump, a Presbyterian, to assisted reproduction laws and abortion has won him the support of part of this electorate. Joe Biden, for his part, has no qualms about declaring himself a practicing Catholic and pointing out how his faith has helped him through the most difficult moments of his life. His position on abortion is, however, ambiguous.
A growing minority
There are about 70 million Catholics in the United States.. They are a growing minority, thanks in part to the presence of LatinosThe majority of "white" Catholics, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, have leaned Republican and Hispanic Catholics have leaned Democratic. In recent years, the majority of "white" Catholics, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, have leaned Republican and Hispanic Catholics have leaned Democratic. However, "Catholic faith-motivated voters are considered pendulum swingers because the Church's teachings on a wide range of social and economic issues do not clearly coincide with either the Republican or Democratic parties alone.", the NYT maintains.
The US bishops' conference acknowledged Joe Biden's victory in a communiqué issued on November 9. Signed by its president, the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, it recalled that "Catholics have a special duty to be peacemakersto promote fraternity and mutual trust and to pray for a renewed spirit of true patriotism.". We will have to wait for the polls to find out which way the balance of this undecided minority has tipped on this occasion. In any case, it is interesting to note that the catholic vote counts.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
We are living in difficult times. The present moment in our society is one of profound uncertainty. People's outlook is low, clinging to what is close at hand, forgetting others, with little hope. This situation is not only caused by the health, economic and, we could say, social pandemic. Something began to be glimpsed a few decades ago, when we began to talk about relativism and its immediate heir, the post-truth.
In a world where anything goes and there are no firm truths, the human being falters. In the face of this difficult reality, Pope Francis has called us all to raise our eyes, to go out to meet others, to care for our neighbor, to call everyone brothers and sisters. In this mission entrusted to us by the Pope, communication is more necessary than ever.
Last year's World Communications Day reflected on the following theme. "We are members of one another." and advocated communication at the service of the human community. The media have this obligation: to be at the service of all. But not all equally, they are more obliged to the poorest, to the most needy, to the most lonely, to those who have lost their life project. Those who dedicate themselves to communication are called to awaken hope, horizons for the future, awareness of responsibility towards others. Pope Francis recalls in Fratelli Tutti that "the mass media also have a responsibility in the field of education and training, especially in contemporary society, where access to training and communication tools is becoming more widespread" (FT 114).
It is true that the situation is not easy for the media either. The digital revolution has already had a big impact on their day-to-day work. The difficult economic situation is now added to this. However, difficulties do not free us from responsibilities: we must continue and we must serve, fulfilling an activity that dignifies communicators and society.
There are many risks in digital, but there are also many opportunities. It allows us to reach many more people. The audience, all in need of hope, becomes global, and the message here reaches more people in less time. Moreover, the message that surfs the Internet and the networks arrives in the present, but it will remain for the future, illuminating the lives of people who may not yet be born. The good that the media publishes on the Internet today will continue to do good for much longer. This increases responsibility, but also the illusion of a job well done, with an eye on the people whom communication serves, protecting them from the dangers of the digital world that the Bishop of Rome so rightly denounces in his latest encyclical (FT 42-43).
Despite all the challenges that modern communication faces today, the mission of the communicator is beautiful, necessary, grateful and essential. In these times, good communication can help us all to look ahead, to build a "we". If it is also a Christian communication, it should teach us to know how to look upwards. Because "Hope is audacious, it knows how to look beyond personal comfort, beyond the small securities and compensations that narrow the horizon, to open up to great ideals that make life more beautiful and dignified. Let us communicate in hope". (FT 55).
The authorBishop Juan del Río Martín
Archbishop of the Military Archbishopric and President of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications
Cardinal Raul Vela Chiriboga, Archbishop Emeritus of Quito, died in Quito on November 15, after a gradual deterioration of his health.
He was born in Riobamba, in the Ecuadorian highlands, on January 1, 1934. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 28, 1957. He exercised his priestly ministry in his hometown until he was appointed undersecretary of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference in 1969. On May 21, 1971, he received the Episcopal consecration and was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Guayaquil. He also worked as General Secretary of the Episcopal Conference until 1975, when he was appointed Bishop of Azogues. He served as General Secretary of the Episcopal Conference until 1975, when he was appointed Bishop of Azogues, a mission he carried out until 1989, when he was named Ordinary Military Bishop.
In March 2003, the Holy Father John Paul II appointed him Archbishop of Quito, which entails being Primate of Ecuador. In November 2010, he received from Benedict XVI the cardinal investiture. He was a man of concord, a factor of unity, he always claimed the need of prayer to face and solve problems. In the telegram of condolence of the Holy Father Francis to Archbishop Espinoza, Archbishop of Quito, he recalled the devoted pastor who, for years and with fidelity, gave his life to the service of God and the Church.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Migration crisis and education at the center of the Plenary Assembly
The migration crisis in the Canary Islands and the Education Law (LOMLOE) were two of the main topics addressed by the Spanish bishops in this Plenary Assembly, which took place between November 16 and 20 in a semi-attendance mode.
These two issues were the subject of specific notes - one on the education law and the other on the situation of overflow of migrants in the Canary Islands - in which the prelates expressed their concerns and proposals.
An Assembly marked by the pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has given rise to the least traditional of the Plenaries held so far: of the 72 bishops attending, only thirty attended in person and after undergoing, at the beginning of the week, an antigen test in which, anecdotally, the last bishop to undergo the test was positive and is now confined although asymptomatic, as the spokesman of the Spanish Episcopal Conference explained at the final press conference. In fact, the opening speech of Card. Omella, president of the EEC first intervention as President,"Reborn among all", focused on a reflection on the current situation marked by the impact of COVID. In it, he expressed "our condolences and hope" to the families of all the deceased and our solidarity and commitment to those who are suffering the health, economic and social consequences caused by this pandemic.
The bishops were able to address these consequences from two perspectives: one focused on the economic and social field, with a paper by Antonio GaramendiThe Chairman of the CEOE, on the consequences of COVID 19 from a macroeconomic perspective, which was complemented by the work of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral and Human Promotion, presented by Bishop Atilano Rodríguez Martínez The result of dialogue between the Commission's agencies and departments in order to obtain direct and accurate information on the situation of the most vulnerable people in society. "We wanted to put a face to this problem."Argüello stressed.
Concerns about the Celaá law
The implementation of the approval process of the LOMLOE or Celaá law has been one of the hot topics at this meeting of the Spanish bishops, who have expressed their concerns in the following note On the new education law.
The situation in which this law leaves the subject of Religion, and not only that, but the evident curtailment of parental freedoms and rights, the loss of jobs and the total control of education by the State are some of the main concerns The Assembly participants' comments and suggestions.
All this together with the rejection of dialogue by the State in the process of drafting a legislative text that the bishops hope can change, at least in its most controversial points, throughout the approval process.
The migration crisis
The final press conference also served to unveil the Note Regarding the situation of immigrants in the Canary Islands which is based on the communiqué issued by the dioceses of this area in view of the uncontrolled arrival of migrants to the Canary coasts and the inhuman situation in which most of them find themselves, once they have arrived on Spanish soil. In this sense, the bishops have recalled the need for countries to work to "seek the right balance between the protection of the rights of citizens and the guarantee of reception and assistance to migrants" and have encouraged the bishops to "seek the right balance between the protection of the rights of citizens and the guarantee of reception and assistance to migrants".hristian communities a "to offer a unique witness of fraternity and citizenship in the welcoming, care and promotion of those who arrive and in moral and political action against the causes of so much suffering.".
The financial issue
Among the topics discussed, the economy also played a key role in this Assembly since, in an ordinary way, in the autumn Plenary Session, the 2019 balance sheets and budget liquidation, the criteria for the constitution and distribution of the Interdiocesan Common Fund and the EEC budgets and the agencies that depend on it by 2021.
There were also no surprises in the appointments in the economic area, where Fernando Giménez Barriocanal has been renewed as vice-secretary for Economic Affairs of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) for the next five years.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Monsignor Luis Argüello, secretary of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, announced, during the final press conference of the Plenary Assembly held during these days, a note from the Spanish bishops in relation to the LOMLOE, which yesterday passed the first hurdle for its approval.
Key topic at the Plenary Assembly
The new education law that the government intends to approve has been one of the key issues in this Plenary AssemblyThe Spanish bishops wanted to make their position known, not only for the defense of Religion classes, but also for the many other points of concern included in this law. The Spanish bishops wanted to make their position known, not only because of the defense of the Religion class, but also because of the many other worrying points included in this law, which has also been the only education law that has been developed without the participation of the social and educational agents involved.
"The LOMLOE is confessional in its way of understanding education, in its way of understanding the public as merely state". said the auxiliary bishop of Valladolid when asked about this matter, referring to the practically unique role that this law grants to the public administration in any area related to the development of education - curricular content, distribution of students, teacher selection criteria, etc.
Msgr. Luis Argüello has highlighted the proposal issued by the EEC to contemplate in the law "that school religious education be integrated into a common area of knowledge for all students, in a way that does not generate comparative grievances for anyone".and recalled that "this subject should not be considered outside the educational process, but should be comparable to other fundamental subjects"..
The Secretary General of the Spanish Episcopal Conference wanted to emphasize that from the CEE "We continue to reach out for an educational pact, but we make it clear that Spanish society, through families and schools, will defend its rights if necessary.".
Argüello regretted that the government has not even agreed to initiate a dialogue with the educational agents and with the EEC itself to carry out an educational pact for the future, as the Pope wishes.
Full text of the Note
The Congress of Deputies has approved, in the first term, the new Education Law, which will continue its parliamentary procedure in the Senate, before returning to Congress for its final approval.
Education has a singular and relevant meaning for the life and future of children and young people, families and society as a whole. It is the sphere where the future of a nation and its democratic health are built. Due to the great concern generated by the formulation and the way in which the new law is being processed, it seems necessary to offer some reflections:
Before any consideration we want to show our appreciation to all teachers who in this time of pandemic are redoubling their efforts to continue educating and training new generations. It is a silent work, but we know that it is carried out with a personal and professional dedication that allows us to maintain the school task above all else.
For this reason, we particularly regret that the processing of this law has proceeded despite the difficult circumstances caused by the pandemic and with extremely accelerated rhythms. This has prevented the proper participation of the entire educational community and the different social subjects.
We consider it necessary to insist that the true subject of education is society and, first and foremost, families. It would not be acceptable for the State to try to appropriate this protagonism of the family and of society -to whose service it is called- by identifying the public character of education with its organizational dimension of State character. Not only what is state-owned is public.
With Pope Francis we want to recall the urgency of a Global Educational Pact, which the Government has applauded in an informal way, and which means to privilege the path of dialogue, listening and agreement, so that one's own ideological positions (all of them "confessional") do not become a criterion of exclusion. In the words of the president of the EEC at the beginning of this Plenary Assembly: "it would be convenient that from this educational pact a solid law could be concretized that would not be the object of debate with each change of political color in the Government".
After the road travelled during the processing of the law, we see the need to ask that this law offers greater protection of the right to education and freedom of education, as expressed in art. 27 of the Constitution and in its jurisprudential interpretation. We are concerned that this law introduces limitations to these rights and freedoms and, in the first place, to the exercise of parental responsibility in the education of their children.
We understand and support the efforts of families, platforms and social agents who have mobilized in recent days in defense of these rights, particularly those related to students with special needs.
In this same sense, we affirm, once again, that the law should include the "social demand" in all stages of the educational process: freedom to create schools, freedom to choose the center and educational proposal, equal treatment of the different types of centers, for which it is necessary to provide free education without discrimination.
We deeply regret all the obstacles and hindrances that want to impose on the action of the concerted Catholic institutions. This is not the time to confront educational entities and institutions, but to work together, in the public space, to offer an adequate education to all the children, adolescents and young people of our country.
In dialogue with the Ministry, the EEC has recalled that the education of the moral and religious dimension of the person cannot be excluded from the school environment, so that the person can grow as a responsible and free subject, open to the search for truth and committed to the common good, receiving for this purpose an integral formation. For this reason, he proposed that school religious education be integrated into a common area of knowledge for all students, in a way that does not generate comparative grievances for anyone. And he recalled that this subject should not be considered outside the educational process, but should be comparable to other fundamental subjects.
Unfortunately, the proposal made by the EEC has not received any response from the Ministry. In fact, the approved legislative text suppresses the academic value of the evaluation of the subject of Religion, and leaves students who do not take this subject without a formation with scholastic content.
We would like to recall that it is not acceptable to disqualify this subject or the work of its teachers as indoctrination. On the contrary, it respects all the requirements of its presence in the school environment, whether in terms of methodology or the status of teachers. It is chosen with good reasons by a majority of families, and is recognized for its contribution to the integral education of the person and its commitment to society. In fact, it is present in most European educational systems.
The Church has developed a great educational tradition, which has been and, we hope, will continue to be a richness of our society. Beyond the debate on a law, it is aware of the need to continue defending the scholastic and educational inclusion of school religious education as part of the necessary moral education. And, as the People of God, in all its members, it will continue to work to make possible the growth, freedom and plurality of the educational proposal to serve the good of students, families and society as a whole.
The application, promoted by the Spanish Episcopal Conference, will be available for free starting Saturday, November 28, and will be available for both Apple cell phones and Android systems.
– Supernatural Spanish Episcopal Conference has informed through its media about the launch of the first official app in Spanish for praying the Liturgy of the Hours. The new application, fruit of the collaboration of the LIBROS LITÚRGICOS publishing imprint of the Publications Service of the CEE and the Digital Development Department of the COPE Group, will be available free of charge starting Saturday, November 28, coinciding with the beginning of Advent and the new liturgical year. It can be downloaded by accessing the App Store, if you have an Apple mobile device (iPhone or iPad), or Google Play, if you use a mobile or tablet with Android operating system.
The application was born from the desire of the Spanish bishops to facilitate liturgical prayer in those situations, such as travel, in which it is not possible to have the official liturgical books. To this end, it incorporates a series of exclusive functionalities aimed at simplifying its use.
Through the official CEE app, the user will be able to access the Liturgy of the Hours daily on his or her mobile device. When accessing the application, and to facilitate the veritas horarum, the time corresponding to the moment of the day in which the user is, will always be highlighted, although it will be possible to access the rest of the Hours and even select, through a calendar, the desired day of the current liturgical year.
The new application also includes the texts for each day of the Roman Missal and the Lectionary of the Mass, as well as the Roman Martyrology, in order to commemorate the martyrs and saints every day.
Persons who wish to do so will be able to download the new app starting on Saturday, November 28thThe event took place at the beginning of the Advent season, which marks the start of the new liturgical year.
Hugo Davila-November 18, 2020-Reading time: 4minutes
No one is very amused to learn that they are feeding a large database by using their smartphone. Even less fun to know that social network notifications, advertisements and the material they suggest to you is millimetrically calculated by an artificial intelligence algorithm. We do not see what others see, we see what artificial intelligence wants us to see. This and other things are what explains the recent Netflix documentary "The dilemma of social networks". To some, this is alarming; but, on the other hand, I think it is very suggestive for who want to evangelize through social networks.
Evangelization in the networks
When talking aboutevangelization on the networksusually the first thing that we are thinking of giving more space to Catholic content.. Content that for us, as Catholics, makes sense, but which, without realizing it, for most people is nothing more than a religious-themed post. It is disconcerting to discover this.
Saturate social networks with images, memes, phrases, gospel of the day, etc. It turns out that it does not help much to evangelization. As explained in the documentary "The dilemma of social networks", the algorithms behind social networks tend to unite those who share the same interest.. If a person likes religious topics and uploads and shares this type of content, the algorithm begins to suggest friendships, pages, videos, etc. of the same subject matter. So the more religious content posted, the more the algorithm circumscribes the user to a circle of similar people, closing him, without realizing it, to the reality that needs to be evangelized. Catholics become one more gregarious tribe of the many into which society is being divided. So, how will the Church grow?
Evangelizing by lifestyle
The Church grows by attraction. But who is attracted to a Christian who is less and less visible to others? I think that we need to become a generation with a evangelizing normality. If Google and Facebook do not believe that we are normal people with an attractive lifestyle to offer, we will be left with no one to evangelize.
We need people who evangelize by their lifestyle on social networksThe cost of the products, both in terms of what they raise and what they consume. People who are cheerful, pleasant to look at, and who live a lifestyle consistent with their principles..
Let the message reach everyone
Benedict XVI spoke back in 2013 on this topic: "the culture of social networks and the changes in the forms and styles of communication represent a whole new challenge. challenge for those who wish to speak of truth and values". (Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization, 12.5.2013) It is not only a matter of keeping up with the times, but also of to allow the message of Christ to reach every heart.
When experts in personal image advise someone, one of the first things they recommend is to remove from social networks everything that does not communicate the brand (personal style) and not to post anything that is not related to it. Then come a series of other recommendations, among which communication protocols or policies stand out. That is, what I talk about, how I say it, and what I consume on the Internet. All Christians who want to evangelize through the networks should be clear about this. I evangelize with my image.
"It is no longer just a matter of "use"communication tools, but rather of living in a largely digitalized cultureIt has a profound effect on the notion of time and space, on the perception of oneself, of others and of the world, on the way of communicating, of learning, of getting information, of entering into relationships with others. A way of approaching reality that tends to privilege the image over listening"(Cristus vivit, n. 86).
A genuine image
This brings us to a big issue: how do I forge the image of a believer; how do I do so that I do not have to "pretend to be a Christian" but rather to convey a genuine image. The answer is simpler than it seems: sacraments and prayer life. This marks a style, a way of being. It makes me a person of solidarity, kind to others, enterprising for the good of others, of society, willing to dialogue and listen; and in turn, this coherence is transferred to the image that is transmitted in social networks and what is consumed in them.
A person with ideals, noble hobbies, clean friendships, healthy relationships, will necessarily consume one type of content and produce as much in that direction. So, social network algorithms will bring us into contact with other types of peoplewith people thirsty for God. They will take us to the common places where universal values are promoted (life, family, person, etc.), which the Church has always promoted. They will not take us out of the world, but will place us in the digital world with a very concrete image: an apostle who lives and makes the Christian message attractive: an evangelizing normality.
The authorHugo Davila
Chaplain of the Citalá School (El Salvador)
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Encuentro Madrid will reopen its doors on November 19th in a virtual way. Three days to rethink about trust from different perspectives and fields.
Although the pandemic has eliminated from the program the meetings and gatherings characteristic elements of the Madrid MeetingThis year, its leaders decided to go ahead with this cultural, popular and Catholic initiative, which this year focuses on trust, one of the great values in crisis in our society and which, at the same time, is irreplaceably necessary for the development of any area of life.
"This situation we live in has given rise to two paradoxical realities: a greater distrust of citizens with respect to the political class and, at the same time, the need to trust those around us, our family, our doctor or whoever sells us food."states Rafael Gerez, President of Encuentro Madridwhich this year will be held virtually from November 19 to 22.
Who can we trust? This is the motto of the Madrid 2020 Meeting, a theme decided before the pandemic "since we saw that, at least in Spanish society, it is an issue that is clearly in crisis, especially with respect to the socio-political sphere."
And yet, without trust, we cannot live. It is a logical statement, trust is the basis of a healthy social construction. Beyond ideologies or positions, all the guests invited to the presentations, lectures, round tables or even shows that make up this year's lineup of Encuentro Madrid, agree on the importance of trust in work or personal relationships.
Despite the impossibility of holding an open and popular meeting, as the Madrid Meetings have always been, there are many fields in which the theme of trust will have a space for reflection, debate and exhibition: culture, economy, work, politics or pandemics.
A meeting with Catholic roots
Encuentro Madrid is not a typical academic congress, like other initiatives of Church groups. This project was born from people linked to Communion and Liberation who shared a concern implicit in the DNA of Communion and Liberation: the cultural dimension of the life of faith.
Encuentro Madrid, as its name suggests, was born with the vocation of being a point of union between different people, with different life experiences and orientations. As Rafael Gerez points out "Culture lived in faith has meaning to the extent that it generates possibilities for encounters between concrete people".
This year's speakers at Encuentro Madrid include people as diverse as the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, the Regional Minister of Economy, Employment and Competitiveness of the Community of Madrid, Manuel Giménez, the priest Ignacio Carbajosa, author of the book: Testigo de excepción. Diario de un cura en un hospital del COVID or Remedios Orrantia, director of human resources and real estate of Vodafone.
All the programmed events can be followed online through the Meeting's website
The Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ is celebrating, as far as possible due to the particular circumstances caused by the pandemic, its 300 years of life, since its foundation in 1720. On Sunday, November 22, the Jubilee Year will be inaugurated and will last until January 1, 2022.
The opening ceremony will take place in the Basilica of Saints John and Paul in Rome, with the opening of the Holy Door, followed by the celebration of the Eucharist. The ceremony will be presided over by the Vatican's Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin. As is customary in this type of event, the ceremony will be broadcasted on streaming through the Facebook and Youtube channels "Passiochristi"and on the web page of the chain of Italian television TV2000.
"Renewing our mission: gratitude, prophecy and hope"
This will be the theme of the Passionist Jubilee: "Renewing our mission: gratitude, prophecy and hope". The Superior General, P. Joachim Regoexplains the spirit of the Jubilee celebrations as follows: ".They should aim to deepen our commitment to keep alive the Memory of the Passion of Jesus as the ultimate expression of God's love for all people and all creation and seek new ways to promote the Memory of the Lord's Passion." (Passionis Memory).
In November next year (November 21-24, 2021), Rome will be the venue for the International Congress "The wisdom of the cross in a pluralistic world"at the Lateran University. Apart from this, no other major events are planned.
The founder, moved to "to proclaim the love of the Crucified"
The starting date of the Jubilee, November 22, 1720, refers to the day on which the Jubilee began. Pablo Daneia young man of 26, abandoned his commercial activity and began a 40-day retreat in a cell in the Church of St. Charles in Castellazzo (Alessandria). During this time he wrote the rules of the future Congregation. He felt inspired to "to bring together partners to share and announce to the world the love of the Crucified One". The retreat ended on January 1, 1721. Hence the dates of the Passionist Jubilee: November 22, 1720 to January 1, 2022..
A few months later, in October, Paul went to Rome to present the Rules for the Pope's approval. But, having made a mess of things and without any official presentation, he was sent away from the papal palace. He seeks consolation before the image of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani(Salvation of the Roman people) in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. There he promises to make and help people to make Memory of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Twenty years later, he will have the joy of hearing the Pope say to him: "This Congregation is the last to be born, but it should have been the first.".
Paul was both a mystic and a man of action, a preacher and an exceptional spiritual father. He died in Rome in 1775.
A Jubilee with a mask
In the official communiqué, the Passionists state that ".will be a Jubilee with a mask, although we hope it will be only at the beginning. Although the virus has blocked or postponed pilgrimages and meetings of the Passionist family, the Jubilee keeps intact its value as an inner commitment to renew one's own life. In fact, the grace of the Jubilee is to enable a new beginning, a new opportunity for a full and fulfilled life. If the COVID-19 explosion has caused us to say that ".nothing will ever be the same"The Jubilee offers the energy for "nothing is the same as before"because everything will be renewed at the personal and social level, as Pope Francis wishes.".
The celebration of this Passionist Jubilee encourages all of us to reflecting on the Passion of Christas the ultimate expression of God's love for all humanity and the whole of creation.
About the Passionists
The Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ was founded in 1720 by Paul Danei, today St. Paul of the Crossa man inspired to heal the ills of the world by bearing witness and proclaiming that "....The Passion of Jesus is the greatest and most stupendous work of divine love.". The Passionists are a Missionary congregation. St. Paul of the Cross also founded the Passionist Nuns Congregation (contemplatives). Five other women's institutes and many lay movements are inspired by the charism of St. Paul of the Cross. Together they form the Passionist Family. In three centuries of life, the Congregation has given the Church many saints. Among them, in addition to the founder, the best known is the young San Gabriel de la Dolorosatogether with a large number of Blessed and Venerables. At present, the Passionists number 1903 religious, present in 63 countries on five continents.
The Holy Father Francis delivered an address on the occasion of the 2018 General Chapter of the Congregation. The Pope underlined something that can well apply to all of us:"in this time of change, which is more like a change of era, you are called to be attentive to the presence and the action of the Holy Spiritreading the signs of the times. New situations require new answers"as did the founder, St. Paul of the Cross.
Pope Francis will preside at Holy Mass on Sunday, November 15 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter's Basilica on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor. Established by Pope Francis four years ago, it is intended as a call to react to the throwaway culture, especially with the most disadvantaged.
This IV World Day of the Poor, The theme of the celebration of the Day of the Poor, which will be celebrated in the Church next Sunday, is "Reach out your hand to the poor" - an idea that already appeared in the First Message written by the Holy Father on the occasion of this day: "we are called, therefore, to reach out to the poor, to meet them, to look them in the eye, to embrace them, to make them feel the warmth of love that breaks the circle of loneliness. His hand extended to us is also a call to come out of our certainties and comforts, and to recognize the value of poverty in itself.".
IV World Day of the Poor
In the Message for the Day the Pope wanted to emphasize that reaching out to the poor also means to discover that "Prayer to God and solidarity with the poor and suffering are inseparable. In order to celebrate a worship that is pleasing to the Lord, it is necessary to recognize that every person, even the most destitute and despised, bears the image of God imprinted on him or her.".
In relation to the question of how to mitigate the different situations of moral and material poverty that we encounter daily, the Pope appeals to a special commitment on the part of Christians: "the silent cry of so many poor people must find the people of God in the front line, always and everywhere, to give them a voice, to defend them and to stand in solidarity with them in the face of so much hypocrisy and so many unfulfilled promises, and to invite them to participate in the life of the community"..
The pandemic shows our poverty
The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic are also echoed in the Holy Father's message when he emphasizes that "this moment we are living has put in crisis many certainties. We feel poorer and weaker because we have experienced the sense of limit and the restriction of freedom.". A test amount for the whole society, which can be an occasion of "to feel again that we need each other, that we have a responsibility for each other and for the world." for this reason, "Reach out to the poor" is, therefore, an invitation to responsibility and a direct commitment of all those who feel part of the same destiny."
The Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Basilica, to be presided over by Pope Francis next Sunday, will be attended by only 100 people, symbolically representing all the poor of the world who, on this day, are in special need of the attention and solidarity of the Christian community. Volunteers and Benefactors will also participate; and the readings will be proclaimed by some people who are assisted every day by different charitable Associations.
The Spanish Bishops' Conference (CEE) has created ABSIDE MEDIA, the Church's new communication platformwith the incorporation of COPE and TRECE. With this decision, the Bishops' Conference is seeking to to better meet the challenges that it poses to the social and evangelizing work of the Church. in a context such as the current one, characterized by the formation of multimedia groups and integrated management models.
The incorporation of ABSIDE MEDIA S.L. was agreed upon during the Plenary Assembly of the CEE held last March. At that time, the bishops gathered at their biannual meeting approved the creation of this company as an entity that would bring together the different media of the Church in Spain. Its foundation and formal registration took place during the summer, with the contribution of the shares of COPE and TRECE owned by the Episcopal Conference, which will soon be joined by those of most of the dioceses and Church organizations. In this way, ABSIDE MEDIA will be the owner of COPE's 75% and TRECE's 99%..
Despite the constitution of this entity, both Radio Popular S.A. and Trece Televisión S.L. continue to exist independently. and maintain their respective governing and administrative bodies. ABSIDE MEDIA aims to continue advancing in the process of operational integration of both companies, which began more than two years ago and has already resulted in significant synergies between the two companies.
In addition, the new platform is born with the vocation of integrating various Church projects in the field of communicationThe digitalization process and changes in the habits of communication and social interaction make it advisable to evolve towards an integrated and coordinated management model. The digitalization process and the changes in the habits of communication and social interaction make it advisable to evolve towards an integrated and coordinated management model.
New organizational structure
At the same time that ABSIDE MEDIA is presented to the market, a remodeling of the structure of COPE and TRECE has been agreed. Ignacio Armenteros Menéndez, until now General Manager and with a long professional career in the COPE group, will be appointed CEO of both companies, as of the beginning of next year. He replaces Julián Velasco Mielgo, who has requested his voluntary resignation for personal reasons, effective at the end of 2020. Fernando Giménez Barriocanal continues as executive chairman and takes on the challenge of leading, with his management team, the new project with which the Church brings together its media.
After more than twenty-five years at COPE and more recently also at the head of TRECE, Julián Velasco leaves the Group after placing it at its best levels of audience and profitability.. At the next Plenary Assembly of the bishops, as on previous occasions, Julian Velasco will give an account of the group's progress over the past six months. The CEE thanked Julián Velasco for the generous work done by at the service of COPE and TRECE, in coherence with the values that inspire these media and always in the search for legitimate growth and evolution, with independence, truth and responsibility.
According to the latest EGM, published in April, COPE is the general radio station with the best audience growth.Also THIRTEEN now in its tenth year as a consolidated a service and reference television for family audiences who sits in front of the screen to be informed, to be entertained with values and to live their faith and social commitment. The capacity restrictions in churches due to the pandemic have multiplied the audience of the Holy Mass. Digital content will be another characteristic feature of the new group.The results achieved and the public's response to the project show that the COPE group's products have been successful in this field. The results achieved and the public's response to the project show that the opportunity and the need for an audiovisual model such as the one proposed by ABSIDE MEDIA.
Source: Spanish Episcopal Conference
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
The priest Luis de Moya passed away on Monday, November 9, in Pamplona. "Don Luis", as he was familiarly known, had suffered a serious accident in 1991 that left him a quadriplegic. With his physical limitations he multiplied his pastoral work and, above all, he brought to life that response to mail "it is worth the effort until the end".
Many people have felt as their own the departure to heaven of the priest of Opus Dei, Luis de Moyaknown all over the world for the testimony he collected in his book On the flyin which he recounts his experiences and reflections following his accident: at least six editions of this book have been published and it has been translated into several languages. Among those who bid him farewell, with sorrow but with the certainty that he is in heaven, stand out those who have lived with him, especially since 1991 and in his last moments: his family, the rector and the residents of the Colegio Mayor Aralar, where he lived, friends... all remember Don Luis. his joy, his hard-working patience and his example he gave, even while unconscious in his last moments.
In fact, when he was admitted to the Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, still unconscious, his example touched many people, especially doctors and nurses. One of the nurses who attended him in his last moments described those days as "a very special time". "an oasis in the midst of what I have suffered this year because of the pandemic.".
Joy in small things
José María Mora, is one of the students who was part of the team of 6 people who, together with, took care of Don Luis in these last years. Revista Palabra has been able to talk to this resident of Aralar who says goodbye these days to Don Luis and emphasizes his way of enjoying the little things. "An enjoyer of life." so describes it. What most admired those of us who were with him was that, despite his limitations, he enjoyed himself with small joys, for example, sunbathing when Real Madrid won, or eating the things he liked, such as mushrooms, salmon, etc.," he said.".
This Costa Rican recalls a little anecdote related to this hobby: "He was very fond of cooking and watching cooking shows. One day, I was feeding him, something very normal, a soup or some lentils, and the TV chef showed a delicious salmon on the screen and his reaction was a slight startle, saying, 'Wow, it's so good!
Passionate about soccer, Luis de Moya was a staunch madridista, so he enjoyed watching Real Madrid, but not only his team, sometimes he watched games from other seasons or other teams to see plays and goals even if it was "insignificant" or even contrary to his soccer colors.
A caring family
After the accident that left him practically immobile, the question arose as to whether he could be cared for at home. Blessed Álvaro del PortilloThe answer was affirmative, and after consulting with the doctors, the prelate of Opus Dei at that time, who, once the answer was affirmative, decided that Don Luis would continue to live and be cared for in his home, even if renovations and refurbishments had to be carried out. Mariano Amores, Luis, and remembers how he got an adapted van with which he was able to go to see his mother, who was already very ill at the time: "A tiring trip, he had to go to Madrid by plane and from there, with the new van, to Granada, with many stops because he had to change his posture frequently."to avoid sores.
The care of Don Luis was not easy and it was necessary to learn how to do it; something in which the priest collaborated with a lot of patience, since the group of caregivers, except Juan Carlos, his nurse, changed from time to time, since the passage through the Colegio Mayor is temporary. Those who have cared for him during this time remember the priest's small gestures, such as how he would make someone who was more serious smile with a comment or a joke, or how he would make it easier to learn the protocols.
On one occasion, one of these students was somewhat reluctant because of his inexperience and Don Luis asked him to be in charge of preparing him that day, even if it meant arriving later to morning prayer, or having to start several times.... "Impressed." continues Jose Maria, "Their surrender and obedience, because in the end it is a surrender of intimacy, when they have to do everything for you: dress you, clean you...".
For the priest, it was an effort and for those who cared for him, a test of maturity: "I think" continues Jose Maria. "that part of the vocation God was asking of him in his situation was to help polish the character of those of us who cared for him.". In fact, Don Luis was a man of few words, straightforward and direct "when he had to correct or say something, he would say it very clearly and without anger, if you did something wrong you knew it, because he would point it out, without being sour"
Priest on wheels
Every day until October 27, when he was hospitalized at the University Clinic of Navarra, he concelebrated Holy Mass with another priest. "He didn't like to flaunt piety." highlights Michelangelo MarcoHe was the director of the Colegio Mayor Aralar, something that his fellow priests and the residents of the Colegio Mayor also emphasize. He prepared himself beforehand in the oratory with a long time of prayer.he "deep and long silence he made in the memento. It could be seen that he was really commending the people he had in mind, and there were many of them.".
Your pastoral work had a privileged channel in the Fluvium through which he formed and provided faith resources to thousands of people. He received hundreds of e-mails asking him to pray for intentions, or telling him about issues concerning his life..... And he would answer them personally thanks to an electronic device. At times he had to ask for help in writing because of a device failure or because, "in the last year due to a corneal ulcer in the left eye he was losing the sight of that eye".
The Rosary was her powerful weapon; she prayed all four parts every day, and often looked at the Virgin of Guadalupe from her room.
Squeeze to the end
Jose Maria Mora recalls that one of those emails they had to help him answer was from a young man who asked for prayers because he was about to take an important step in his life. Don Luis replied "with a lot of respect and encouragement and told him that it was worth squeezing every last drop out of every moment of his life. I remember that email now and I see that it is just what he has done until his death.".
Mariano Amores recalls something similar when he points out "If I could summarize his life in a few words, I would choose his response to an interview he gave in which the journalist reminded him of the phrase that appears in the book Sobre la marcha - I feel like a millionaire who has lost only 1,000 pesetas. Don Luis answered something like yes, but let it be clear, those 1,000 pesetas must be forgotten. That was his life: he forgot about what he had lost, about those 1,000 pesetas, and lived on"..
Through the motu proprio Authenticum charismatisPope Francis has modified can. 579 of the Code of Canon Law, which regulates the creation of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life by the diocesan bishop.
Prior to this modification, it was sufficient for the diocesan bishop to consult the Apostolic See. to be able to institute a new institute, instead, as of November 10, 2020, a license or authorization from the Apostolic See is required..
A true charisma
The motu proprio points out that "discernment of the ecclesiality and reliability of the charisms is an ecclesial responsibility of the Pastors of the particular Churches"i.e., of the diocesan bishops. This is necessary as a to distinguish when we are in the presence of a true charisma.which is what originates and nourishes institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life. In this sense, the motu proprio follows the criteria given by the decree Perfectae caritatis: "In the foundation of new Institutes, the need for a new institute must be carefully considered.The main objective of the project is to ensure that it is useful, or at least very useful, as well as the possibility of development, so that no useless or insufficiently vigorous institutes are created unwisely." (Conc. Ecum. Vat. II, Decree Perfectae caritatis, 19).
Can. 579 prescribed that "Diocesan bishops may, by formal decree, establish institutes of consecrated life in their own territory, provided that the Apostolic See has been consulted beforehand.". This was already a way of applying n. 19 of the above-mentioned decree, only that such weighting involved consultation with RomeIt is considered that the Apostolic See is the appropriate body to make this evaluation, even if the institute was established in the territory of a diocese.
Approved by the Holy See
Thus, for the valid erection of an institute of consecrated life, consultation alone was sufficient and not a license.otherwise he would have said so expressly. However, Pope Francis has gone further and has chosen to require a license for the validity of the act.: "In their own territory, diocesan bishops may validly erect institutes of consecrated life by formal decree, with the prior written permission of the Apostolic See.".
This requirement, which at first glance might seem excessive, is based on the fact that the the creation of a new institute in the diocese will have effects beyond the boundaries of the circumscription. y "makes it relevant to the broader horizon of the universal Church.". That is, institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, although they can be born in a diocese, belong to the universal Church: "Indeed, natura suaevery Institute of Consecrated Life or Society of Apostolic Life, even if it has arisen in the context of a particular Church, "...".as a gift to the Church, it is not an isolated or marginal reality, but belongs intimately to her, it is at the heart of the Church as a decisive element of her mission."(Letter to Consecrated Persons, III, 5).".
It is hoped that this measure will help new institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life to "to integrate harmoniously into the life of God's holy and faithful people for the good of all." (Exhortation. Ap. Evangelii gaudium130), while also complying with all the necessary elements of discernment and justice foreseen by Church law.
"The loss of the meaning of life underlies all the issues we see today that attack this fundamental right," says the director of the Catholics and Public Life Congress, Rafael Sanchez Saus, before the next edition of this meeting that will take place on November 13, 14 and 15.
For more than 20 years, theCatholics and Public Life Congress is one of the most important events of Catholic thought in our country. Many editions have dealt with topics such as religious freedom, the family, Christian political commitment or culture. This year, it is the lifefrom start to finish, which will serve as the axis of the 22nd edition of the meeting, online, and which brings together all the reflections and proposals under the slogan 'Time to defend life!'
Rafael Sánchez Saus
As the congress director points out, Rafael Sánchez Saus, a Palabra magazine "This edition does not deal with a specific aspect, such as euthanasia, abortion or maternity, although they will be present. We would like it to be a general, comprehensive reflection on the meaning of life in today's society and why, at the same time, a range of problems and debates can occur that have as their background, in reality, the loss of the meaning of life".
The issue of life was the one chosen in October 2019 by the Catholic Association of Propagandists for its annual work of study, reflection and action. A few months later, in December 2019, with an eye on this congress, it was decided to link the theme of the meeting to this idea. The outbreak of the pandemic, in the first quarter of 2020, only reinforced the idea that it was necessary to "The problem of the loss of the meaning of life and its consequences in today's societies, especially in the West, is a reflection on the problem of the loss of the meaning of life. That sense of life that has been contrasted with the loss of thousands of lives in such a short time, has been a kind of revulsive for society" as Sánchez Saus points out, "without having intended it, we have linked with a reality: life linked to death. Something that has moved us deeply and that should make us think more intensely about what life means in all its aspects"..
The loss of the meaning of life
The idea of global reflection proposed by the congress also aims to make people understand that life-related issues cannot be approached separately when, in the end, everything underlies a great debate, emphasizes historian Rafael Sánchez Saus. "That, at the same time, the very serious demographic crisis has arisen in the West; that at the same time, for decades now, abortion has become an element of daily life and even wants to be sold as a right; that euthanasia is bursting with force in Western societies, that the question of transhumanism is being raised and at the same time motherhood has been devalued, that the crisis of the family is worsening to the limits we see... these are not isolated elements but respond to a key: the loss of the very meaning of life".
The Catholics and Public Life Congress
The 22nd Congress on Catholics and Public Life will be held online on November 13, 14 and 15 and can be followed through its website: www.congreso.ceu.es. Throughout the three days, several plenary conferences will be held, which will address aspects such as European policies on life and family; the current demographic panorama and forecasts in Spain; the defense of the right to life; and the protection of human life. Likewise, eight simultaneous workshops will be held to analyze the Spanish demographic abyss; motherhood and its promotion; the family and family policies; euthanasia and palliative care; the defense of life in the media; the protection of the weakest in the Church; and the defense of life and young people.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Published after two years of work, the Report on the institutional knowledge and decision-making process of the Holy See regarding former Cardinal Theodore Edgar Cardinal McCarrick (from 1930 to 2017)., initiated at the behest of Pope Francis on October 6, 2018.
It spans some 87 years, from 1930 to 2017.and does not skimp on the details of what the Holy See was able to learn, at the institutional level, about the former Cardinal Theodore Edgar Cardinal McCarrickreduced to the lay state by Pope Francis in February 2019. It is the Report circulating today in the Vatican, in which broad elements of the decision-making process that in July 2018 had already led the Holy Father to expel from the College of Cardinals the American prelate accused of repeated sexual abuse of seminarians, albeit dating back some fifty years.
How did it all start?
It was the Archdiocese of New York, in 2018.which revealed an investigation that had established a McCarrick's initial abuse of an altar boy and at the same time had made it known that, on the instructions of Pope Francis, the accused had been asked to "no longer publicly exercising his priestly ministry".
Born on July 7, 1930, McCarrick was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of New York in 1977, under the pontificate of Paul VI, and later Bishop of Metuchen in 1981, under John Paul II. He then became Archbishop of Newark in 1986 and Archbishop of Washington in 2000, becoming a Cardinal the following year. Benedict XVI had accepted his resignation for reasons of age in 2006.
But let us turn to the Report being circulated by the Holy See at this moment, when in Washington it is 8 o'clock in the morning. Published after two years of workstarted at the request of Pope Francis October 6, 2018, anticipated by a statement from Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
The Reportin-depth research
It is undoubtedly a complex researchThe report, which has gathered material from the Holy See, the Nunciature in Washington and the Dioceses of the United States that have been involved in various ways in the matter, including information obtained from interviews with witnesses and persons informed of the facts.
"The invitation I would like to extend to all those who are looking for answers - declares Parolin - is to read the document in its entirety and not to think that you will find the truth in one part rather than another. Only from the global vision and knowledge, in its totality, of what has been reconstructed of the decision-making processes concerning former Cardinal McCarrick, will it be possible to understand what has happened.".
But it is no coincidence that the beginning of the presentation of the Report refers to what Pope Francis wrote in 2018 on the abuse of children in the Letter to the People of God: "With shame and arrogance, as an ecclesial community, we assumed that we did not know where we had to be, that we did not act in time to recognize the magnitude and seriousness of the damage that was being caused in so many lives.".
Evidently, what is clear from the Report is that something went wrong and it is not so much due to "procedures, including the appointment of bishops", but "the commitment and honesty of the persons concernedParolin explains, "involving their consciences in particular. Probably, and this is the hope of the Secretary of State, this initiative will help all those who participate in this type of election in the future to be "more aware of the weight of their decisions and omissions"learning "of the painful experiences of the past".
Transparency and rigor
Going into the points of the substantive document, which will take some time to read in full, what emerges in extreme synthesis is that in the McCarrick affair the Holy See has often acted on the basis of partial and incomplete information and that many choices that later turned out to be wrong were also the result of omissions and understatements even on the part of various persons.
On the other hand, reveals a very high dose of transparency - The result of a long road of commitment in this regard that began several years ago. It also states that does not want to leave any aspect of the matter aside and confirms the commitment of Pope Francis of wanting to go all the way even in this sad case that has stained and wounded the American Church.
Until 2017, meanwhile, there were no substantiated allegations of child abuse committed by McCarrick, despite the fact that some twenty years earlier (in the 1990s) anonymous letters had reached the Nunciature in Washington hinting at the case but that, for lack of clues, names or circumstances were unfortunately not considered credible.
The Report also shows that at all stages of the former Cardinal's ecclesiastical career, from his first candidacy for the episcopate in 1977 until the mid-1990s, none of the persons consulted had given negative indications about his moral conduct. Also on the occasion of St. John Paul II's trip to the U.S. in 1995, there were no "negative indications" about his moral conduct.impediments"by the bishops consulted by then Archbishop O'Connor of New York, to see if it was appropriate for the Pope to visit the city of which McCarrick was pastor (Newark), given that rumors had circulated about his deplorable behavior. among the seminarians and priests of his diocese.
Only caveats
Its own Cardinal O'Connor was the only one who in 1999 addressed a letter to the Apostolic Nuncio, before several other authoritative positive opinions, warning of the risk of scandal from a possible McCarrick appointment to the Washington office. Although he had no direct information, the then Archbishop of New York warned about rumors that the former cardinal had in the past shared a bed with young adults in the rectory and seminarians in a beach house.
John Paul II initially accepted the proposal of the then Nuncio to the USA. Gabriel Montalvo and the then Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops, Giovanni Battista Reto withdraw his candidacy. In August 2000, McCarrick, aware of the reservations about his candidacy, wrote to the Secretary of the Polish Pontiff, Stanislaw Dziwiszswearing that he had never had sexual relations with any person. John Paul II considered these declarations to be sincere and instructed the then Secretary of State Angelo Sodano to put McCarrick back on the list of candidates for the Washington post and choose him later.
The Report, which in its original English version is 449 pages long, is divided into 30 chapters, with the last chapters containing all the information and testimonies collected in the last two years, starting in 2018.
The research
In the meantime, up to the time of his appointment in Washington in 2000, no victim, adult or minor, had contacted the Holy See or the Nuncio to the United States. to expressly denounce the Archbishop. Nor did any report arrive during his episcopate there, until 2005, when accusations of harassment and Benedict XVI promptly asked him to resign from the episcopate. The Report confirms the remarks of the then Delegate of the Pontifical Representations to the Secretariat of State. Carlo Maria ViganòThe then Secretary of State of the United States, however, was unable to provide evidence. The then Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone presented the matter to the Pontiff and, since he was now a cardinal who had resigned his office and since there were no appeals from minor victims, it was decided not to open a formal canonical trial to investigate the former archbishop of Washington, but instead to make "recommendations"to avoid travel and carry out representative activities, which McCarrick continued to do in various countries and also in Rome.
The surprising thing that emerges from the Report is that even the one who later became Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Viganò himself - who then made a scandal in August 2018 accusing Pope Francis of omission in the case and even asking for his resignation - at the express request of the then Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, did not perform all the checks about a new complaint against the former cardinal that was brought to his attention in 2012 and did nothing to limit the activities and domestic travel of the same prelate.
The same happened even after he was elected Pope Francis, who was not given documents or testimony that would make him aware of the seriousness of the allegations, but only reported that there had been "rumors" and accusations of immoral behavior with adults at the time of his appointment in Washington.
Therefore, Francis did not feel the need to change "what their predecessors had established", although he began an immediate response as soon as a first accusation of abuse of a minor arose, and was then expelled from the College of Cardinals and finally dismissed from the clerical state, at the end of a due canonical trial.
The Holy See has published, today, Tuesday, November 10, the report that the Secretariat of State has drawn up on the once Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The Vatican investigation confirmed in 2019 rumors of sexual abuse committed by McCarrick over the years, which led Pope Francis to expel him from the clerical state.
The McCarrick case prompted the Vatican and Pope Francis to take steps to expand the investigation of bishops accused of abuse by approving new procedures to put an end to this trend.
The background
On June 20, 2018, the Archdiocese of New York announced that it had determined as "credible and well-founded" an accusation of sexual abuse of a minor by Cardinal McCarrick. The allegation was brought by a former altar boy who claimed that McCarrick had fondled him as a teenager during preparations for Christmas Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1971 and 1972. It was first indictment against McCarrick involving a minorand the one that triggered the investigation.
Same day, the former Dioceses of Newark and Metuchen in New JerseyThe FBI's investigation into McCarrick's sexual misconduct, the FBI said it had resolved two of McCarrick's three allegations of sexual misconduct, involving adults between 2005 and 2007. Subsequently, James Grein came forward detailing abuse he also suffered since he was 11 years old by McCarrick, who was a family friend. These revelations have since led to other former seminarians describing the harassment and abuse they suffered when McCarrick, as his bishop in New Jersey, forced them to sleep in his bed during weekend trips to his beach house.
Holy See investigation
Pope Francis ordered the investigation carried out by the Archdiocese of New York, which is transmitted to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in June 2018.. Then, the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, following the Pope's instructions communicates the prohibition of the exercise of public ministry and the obligation to lead a life of prayer and penance. July 28, 2018, Pope Accepts McCarrick's Resignation from College of Cardinals.
October 6, 2018, a communiqué from the Holy See firmly declares: "Both abuse and its cover-up can no longer be tolerated and different treatment for bishops who have committed or covered them represents a form of clericalism that should not be accepted.". And reiterates the "urgent invitation"of Pope Francis".a joining forces to combat the serious scourge of abuse within and outside the Church and to prevent these crimes from being committed against the most innocent and vulnerable members of society.". In view of the meeting held at the Vatican with the presidents of the Bishops' Conferences from around the world from February 21 to 24, 2019, he finally underlined the words of the Pope in the Letter to the People of God: "The only way we have to respond to this evil that takes so many lives is to live it as a task that involves and affects us all as the People of God. This awareness of feeling part of a common people and a common history will allow us to recognize our sins and errors of the past with a penitential openness capable of allowing ourselves to be renewed from within.".
McCarrick's reaction
The former Cardinal McCarrick declared his innocence of the accusation of caresses, but accepted the Pope's sanctions.
"Although I have absolutely no recollection of this abuse being reported, and I believe in my innocence, I regret the pain that the person who filed the charges has suffered, as well as the scandal. that such charges cause to our people" he said in a statement on June 20, 2018, after initial allegations of fondling were corroborated.
In a 2008 email McCarrick sent to the Vatican, he denied having had sexual relations with anyone, but said he had shown a "unfortunate lack of judgment"for having shared his bed with seminarians.
"On January 11, 2019, the Congress of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the final decree of the criminal proceedings against Theodore Edgar McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington DC, for which the accused was convicted of the following crimes perpetrated as a clericsolicitations in confession and violations of the sixth commandment of the Decalogue with minors and adults, with the circumstance of aggravating circumstance of abuse of powerThe penalty of resignation from the clerical state was imposed on him. On February 13, 2019, the ordinary session (Fair IV) of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith examined the arguments presented in the appeal by the appellant and decided to confirm the decree of the Congress. This decision was communicated to Theodore McCarrick on February 15, 2019. The Holy Father has recognized the definitive nature of this decision, according to the norm of law, which makes the case res iudicata, that is, not subject to further appeal.".
Today we already know the "Report on the institutional knowledge and decision-making process of the Holy See regarding former Cardinal Theodore Edgar Cardinal McCarrick (from 1930 to 2017).The "The World Council of Churches", prepared by the Secretariat of State under the mandate of Pope Francis.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona hosted this past weekend the Beatification Ceremony of Joan Roig i Diggle, a 19 year old martyr student and worker who gave his own life in martyrdom for his Christian commitment.
The beatification of this young man, as highlighted by the Ferran Blasi, correspondent for Palabra magazine in Barcelona, Roig's call to "be a friend to all". Not surprisingly, as Blasi underlines "This boy belonged to the so-called Federació de Joves Cristians, founded in the style of the Belgian JOC, by Canon Albert Bonet, the physician Blessed Dr. Pere Tarrés and by Fèlix Millet i Maristany and whose members, known as Fejocistes, were persecuted mainly by extremist revolutionary militants for the fact of being Catholics, and considered, on the other side, as Catalanists".. A characteristic also underlined by the Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella Omella, in the homily of the Beatification where he referred to the life of Joan Roig as "Joan is for everyone, but especially for the youngest, a witness of love for Christ and for our brothers and sisters."
Joan Roig Diggle was born in Barcelona in 1917 to a Catalan father and an English mother. His years as a young apostle took place in the town of El Masnou, where he moved with his family at the age of 17, where Joan began to live his faith and his relationship with God. There he teaches catechism to the children of the parish of San Pere and becomes a member of the Federació from Young Christians of Cataloniawhere he finds a community and a mission: to bring Jesus to others.
Of this young Blessed we can highlight his love of the Eucharist and his life of prayerthat led him to an outstanding social sensitivity. Studies, lives and spreads the social doctrine of the Church, convinced that it is the only valid way to combat inequalities and promote the dignity of all people.
"God is with me!"
The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 unleashed the persecution of Christians of all ages. In a few months, on the night of September 11, Joan was arrested. He received communion before being taken from his home, as he was hiding some holy forms with the permission of his Spiritual Director. Then he went to his mother and told her serenely: "Leave them for me. Don't worry. God is with me!
He died forgiving those who executed him, with five shots and one in the temple to certify his death, for the mere fact of being a Catholic. So much so that one of the militiamen who participated in his death would recall it years later "That blond young man was a brave one...he died preaching, saying that he forgave me and that he would pray to God to forgive me too. I was almost touched."
Pope Francis has referred to this young Blessed as "witness of Jesus in the workplace." and highlights his example so that young people will be inspired by it. "the desire to live the Christian vocation to the full".
On November 8, the Basilica of the Holy Family hosted the ceremony of his beatification with strict security measures and a capacity of less than 25%. The Mass was presided over by Cardinal Omella and concelebrated by Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach and the Apostolic Nuncio, Bishop Bernardito Auza.
The traditional Christmas tree of the Marian sanctuary will be decorated, this year, with transparent balls where the intentions of the collaborators will be inserted. The purchase of each ball will help families in the area through Caritas Barbastro - Monzón.
Each year, the Torreciudad sanctuary Among its Christmas decorations, it places a decorated tree. This year, in addition to decorating the sacral spaceThe tree will be the result of small gestures of solidarity, because from their branches will hang transparent Christmas balls that will contain inside them written intentions of those who buy the balls. Part of the proceeds from these balls will be donated to needy families in the area, especially those affected pandemic through Diocesan Caritas of Barbastro-Monzón, which will be the entity that will receive this financial aid.
Each solidarity Christmas ball has a price of 5 euros and can be purchased through the Sanctuary page until November 29.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez Salinasa priest from Ciudad Real, is responsible for the support of the Church in the Spanish Episcopal Conference. At the gates of the celebration of the Diocesan Church Day, he affirms that the future that is drawn in Spain, also for the support of the parish communities, is complicated and trusts in the joint help of the faithful to overcome this moment.
The Spanish Church celebrates this coming Sunday, November 8, the Day of the Diocesan Church. A day with which they want to remind the faithful that we are all responsible for moving forward our great family that is the Church, with the economic contribution, yes, but also through our solidarity activity, evangelization, etc.. Miguel Angel Jimenez Salinas, responsible for the support of the Church, recalls, in this interview with Palabra magazine, that this campaign "...is a campaign of solidarity and solidarity".does not demand anything from anyone, we ask for cooperation, each according to his or her possibilities"..
P-This year's campaign is, like everything else, clearly marked by the situation we are going through due to the pandemic. At this time there are many people who cannot physically go to their parish and the question arises, how can they continue to help?
At the service of the parishes, we have an important instrument which is the donation portal. donoamiiglesia.es. From it you can make a donation, of the amount and frequency you want, to any parish in Spain, large or small, near or far. Ehis portal is intended to be a fundamental help for them, especially in these times when physical assistance is very limited, but that the Church continues to reach out to many people, offering comfort, hope and also all the material help that is needed.. It already existed before the pandemic, but it has proven to be a very effective tool to help because anyone can make a donation, at any time, in any place, and, in addition, not only to the parish of their choice, but they can also specify whether they want their donation to go to Caritas or any other of the actions that they know are being carried out.
P-There are people who have not been able to set foot in their parish, or in their Caritas center for months, how can they not lose their sense of parish, of family, in these circumstances?
M.A.J.- That is perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind. When we make our profession of faith at Mass we respond, "Yes, I believe," but we respond together. Faith is a personal matter that we respond to in community with others. That is why we want to stress and emphasize so much that we are a family. Our parishes must be places of encounter, where we get used to being, and above all, where we discover that we belong to the Church, It is in her that we have received our faith and it is in her that we find the best environment for its growth.
Just like our Christian life, we must discover in the parish our most concrete reference point so that, from there, we may know that we are living members of the Church, it is a task, a journey.
The Church in pandemic
P-During the whole time of the pandemic, the Church has been working in many ways; first of all pastorally, but also in the field of assistance or education, many initiatives have gone ahead or arisen, how has this activity been sustained? And in a certain way, how do you foresee the future?
M.A.J.- What is foreseen for the future, even if it costs us, is difficulty and suffering, but together we will be able to face it. That will be our best support.
In the portal iglesiasolidaria.esBecause sometimes you have to make things concrete, we have discovered all that the Church was doing during the spring months of this year, in March, April and June, and also what it continues to do now: a work that looks at the person in all its dimensions. It is true that there are many associations and NGOs that provide constant help, but we are not the only ones to be involved in this work. the Church looks at the whole person. Feeding, distributing food, helping to pay the electricity bill or looking for a job, despite the difficulties that this may entail, because resources are needed for everything, is a task that many are offering. The Church's holistic view of man also speaks of his dignity, offering comfort and hope. Accompanying in so many situations of pain and difficulty.
Diocesan Church Day
P-The Diocesan Church Day campaign has been running for several years with the same line "we are one big family with you". Why has this idea been chosen as the axis of communication?
M.A.J.- We said it a little earlier. This message wants to transmit what the Church is, what we are in it. That is why we also accompany this message with "we are what you help us to be and what you help us to be. "SomosIglesia24Siete". It is all part of the same idea. If we look inside the Church we discover that God is our Father, that we are all his children and therefore brothers and sisters among us. In a family we do not disregard one another, but we all collaborate, we all help, we all offer what we are and what we have because the important thing is that together we continue to walk. But that Church which is a family, in which we are all children, depends on the contribution of each one, on his or her co-responsible dedication. Also, of course, the Church looks outside itself because it is committed to society and, therefore, "We areChurch24Seven". Permanently open and ready to help, that is what 24Siete means, 24 hours a day, seven days a week: always ready to give for others everything we have.
Collaboration beyond economics
P-At a time when the economic crisis is not a threat but a reality, is it not asking too much to ask for help for the Church? does this help really pay back?
M.A.J.- Of course, what the Church is and does, its mission and task, is lived by looking at the world. Pope St. John Paul II has already said that this Church looks at the concrete and real man and seeks his good, his salvation. We do not demand anything from anyone, we ask everyone to collaborate according to his or her possibilities. We speak of sharing, of giving, of collaborating with time, with qualities, with prayer, with economic support and, if we look at each of these dimensions as a whole, what we see is that a person can collaborate in different ways. There will be people who, because of their profession or their occupations, will not have time to share, but they will be able to help with some of their qualities because they will put them not only at the service of the Church but, through it, sharing them with the world. Others, perhaps, will be able to pray, it is a sometimes forgotten task that we can offer for others: to pray for others. Of course, the economic collaboration, because without money and without support we could not help in so many needs as many times there are. Also with time. Giving time to others is tremendously valuable.
The most important thing is that each one of us can feel called to collaborate in a certain way without excluding others, that is, perhaps many of us can collaborate in these four dimensions: with our time, with our qualities, with our prayer and with our economic support, that is, with all that we are.
Finally, do we now collaborate more with our parish? Perhaps we always focus our attention on financial collaboration, but are all ways of helping equally praiseworthy?
M.A.J.- Often, because it is also the most immediate thing, when someone asks us for help, we reach into our pockets. Indeed, there are times when, if this commitment does not reach the pocketbook, as Pope Francis says, it is not as serious and radical as it could be. Nevertheless, no type of collaboration is exclusive and, in our parishes, the collaboration of all is needed. That is the call that we are all receiving and that we are called to answer: to collaborate with our parish, in whatever way we can; that we get involved because we belong to the Church, which is our mother. In a family, in a community, each one contributes according to his way of being, according to his circumstances, his qualities, sharing everything, offering everything. In our parish it must also be like this.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
For the past three months, a image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is appearing on houses and fences of the streets of Monterrey (Mexico) and neighboring municipalities. The initiative arose from a graphic arts expert which has a great love for the Virgin Mary and appreciation for good urban planning taste. Together with a friend, they decided to unite both ideals and let Ella do the most important things: to unite the family, the neighbors, to become a friend to her children, to beautify the city....
The project is called #TheVirginAllSides. It offers something that is not very common: giving more than you receive. Le they give an image of Our Lady to the person who wants it for his or her home. and, at the same time commit to remodeling a wall or fence in poor condition to place another image of the Virgin there. They have no financial losses; there are donors who collaborate to cover the costs of beautifying the streets and fences.
The before and after of one of his works.
The initiative is successful. To date 420 images of the Virgin have been placed; 210 in houses and another 210 on the walls of the city.of a neighborhood or village. The promoters of this initiative are more than well paid; in addition to a change of land to the sun of the urban visual improvement of a space and the effect of unity that the Virgin achievesThe means and permits are provided for the installation of the images, family members who had not done so for 20 years are reunited, some citizens stop in the middle of a public street. to pray or sing to the Virgin…
The authorAlejandro Zubieta
Puerto Rico
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Only 38 people will attend in person at the House of the Church in Madrid: the members of the Permanent Commission, the presidents of the Subcommissions and the president of the Episcopal Commission for Juridical Affairs. The rest of the bishops will be able to follow the sessions in person. online.
The situation of the different communities in Spain as a result of the pandemic, together with the high number of attendees at a regular plenary Assembly of the Spanish Episcopal Conference118, has led to a new format for the next few days (November 16 - 20), during which the meeting of the highest executive body of the EEC.
The Assembly will officially begin on Monday afternoon, starting at 4:30 p.m., so that, that morning, attending bishops will undergo antigen testing to ensure your safety.
No visits or events
The opening ceremony can be followed through the Youtube channel of the Cee since neither this ceremony nor the final press conference will be, in any case, in person. The daily Holy Mass will continue to be celebrated in the Chapel of the Apostolic Succession (whose usual capacity is about 115 people) although, during the Plenary, it will not be possible to receive external visitors and the meetings of the Commissions will be held virtually.
The topics to be discussed at this Plenary Assembly have not yet been defined, as highlighted by the secretary of the Media Commission, Jose Gabriel Vera, who has been in charge of communicating these news to the journalists.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
A letter from Pope Francis dated August 25 to Cardinal Parolin anticipates the handover to the APSA that became operative on the afternoon of November 4 in the presence of the Pope.
"I have reflected and prayed". This is how the Pope Francis in the letter that on August 25, 2008, he delivered to the Cardinal Pietro Parolin. It states that the Secretariat of State no longer independently administers or manages financial and real estate assets.but that the transfers to APSAThe Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, a sort of central bank of the Vatican City State.
Within the framework of the reform
The Secretary of State, Card. Pietro Parolin
In addition to the financial scandals that have recently affected part of the management of the "..." (see below).Third Loggia"- as they refer to it in the jargon of the apparatus of the Secretariat of State, due to the location of the offices in the Vatican Apostolic Palace - this decision of the Pope has matured in the general framework of the reform of the Roman Curia, which for several years now, starting in 2014, has already implemented reforms in the management of the economy.
We recall, as an example, the the creation of the Council for the Economy, the Ministry of the Economy - initially entrusted as Prefect to Cardinal Pell and now to Cardinal directed by the Jesuit Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves - and the figure of the Auditor General (motu proprio February 24, 2014), with subsequent approval of the Bylaws the following year.
More evangelical, transparent and efficient management
The Holy Father's decision has come to maturity - after several other changes initiated in various Bodies and Dicasteries - to ensure a management of the resources donated by the faithful that is still "more evangelical, transparent and effective"also surpassing "unnecessary and harmful overlaps, fragmentations or duplicationsThe "Curia offices" are now in operation.
The explicit concern expressed by the Pontiff, specifically with regard to the Secretariat of State - that "is undoubtedly the Dicastery that most closely and directly supports the Holy Father's action in his mission."- is avoid duplication of functions already attributed to other Vatican bodies, but it is undeniable that current events have had an enormous effect in accelerating this reflection.
We refer to the famous, and somewhat unpleasant, history of the real estate investment in London (Sloan Avenue) which dates back to 2014 and the uses of the Maltese fund CenturionThe investigation by the Vatican authorities is ongoing and has recently led to the resignation of the former replacement of the Secretary of State, the Card. Angelo Becciuwith all that has resulted.
The Pope in his letter to Parolin expressly asked, already on August 25, "leave as soon as possible"of this investment, "or, at least, dispose of it in such a way as to eliminate all reputational risks.".
An end to discretionary funds
On the practical level, the Pontiff also states that. all funds administered by the Secretariat of State must be incorporated into the consolidated budget of the Holy See.This will put an end to the "discretionary funds" for the use of the various Substitutes, as was the case in the past, and the Secretariat itself will be provided with a budget approved through the usual mechanisms as has been the case -for some time now, since the Pell administration- for any other Department.
Control and supervision in administrative matters should also be exercised, as in other cases, by the Ministry of Economy; and the Secretary of State's Office will no longer have oversight responsibility and control in this area over any entity, even if related to it.
Clarity, transparency and order
Father Juan Guerrero, Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy
The news communicated today is that finally - at a meeting chaired yesterday afternoon by Pope Francis himself - the long-awaited "Passage and control commission". desired by the Holy Father in his letter of August 25, will become operative with immediate effect. This commission will be responsible for carrying out, in the next three months, what had been ordered. The Commission is made up of all the heads of the offices concerned, namely, the Bishop Edgar Peña Parrathe Secretary of State, the Secretary of State's alternate, the Bishop Nunzio GalantinoPresident of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, to whom the financial management of the patrimony will be passed on, and the Father Juan Antonio Guerrero AlvesPrefect of the Secretariat of Economy, who will exercise the control functions.
It was precisely the latter, in a interview granted to Vatican News on October 1 of this year, who anticipated these measures, appreciating the work carried out by in the previous months by the Secretary of State in the line of ".clarity, transparency and order".
On October 25 the Plebiscite was held in Chile in November 2019. by the government of Sebastián Piñera and most of the political parties, with the exception of the Communist Party and the Frente Amplio (extreme left). Chileans over 18 years of age were asked whether they wanted a new Constitution for the Republic and, if so, whether they wanted the constituents to be half parliamentarians and half other citizens or only citizens elected by ballot. The day passed peacefully and that same night the results were conclusive. Nearly 51 % of Chileans participated. For the I Approve voted 78 % and by Reject 22%. Also the vast majority (79 %) was in favor of electing the constituents as citizensThis is a reflection of the poor prestige of politicians.
Delivery in 2022
– Supernatural constituent election to be held in April 2021 by popular vote. Visit February and May 2022 should deliver the Magna Carta. And during the first half of that year, a second plebiscite would be held with a mandatory vote to approve or reject the Constitution.
Promoting Christian values
Archbishop Celestino Aos, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile
– Supernatural Episcopal Conference of Chile in the previous months, he made several calls on citizens to participate in the Plebiscite.without taking sides on any one option. Some bishops made a training plan in the Social Doctrine of the Church in their dioceses. Subsequent to this process, the Standing Committee of the Chilean Episcopal Conference (CECH) pointed out that "it is necessary to promote in the new fundamental Charter the essential Christian values on which the life of our nation has been founded.".
On October 25, the Pope announced the 13 new Cardinals created at November Consistory. Celestino Aós, Archbishop of Santiago. (OFM Cap), who has served as Apostolic Administrator since March 2019 and as Bishop since last December. Since 1946, the archbishops of Santiago have received the cardinal's capelet; he would be the eighth Cardinal of the Church in Chile.. In April, Bishop Aós turned 75 years old and has already submitted his letter of resignation to the Pope, but he will surely continue in this pastoral position for a few more years. Since the crisis of the Church in this country in 2018, the dioceses that were without a bishop have been slowly being supplied. At present, there are four dioceses that still have had an Apostolic Administrator for the last two years: Valparaíso, Talca, Rancagua and Valdivia.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
The opening of the Holy Door will mark the beginning of the Jubilee Year of the Cathedral of Burgos next Saturday. The farewell of Msgr. Fidel Herráez Vegas and the arrival of the new archbishop, Msgr. Mario Iceta Gavicagogeascoa, make this Jubilee time in the archdiocese especially memorable.
The apostolic administrator, Bishop Fidel Herráez, will be in charge of opening the Holy Door of the Burgos Cathedral during this Jubilee Year granted by the daddy Francisco This year marks the VIII Centenary of the laying of the foundation stone of the headquarters in Burgos.
The opening ceremony of this Holy Year, evidently marked by the coronavirus epidemic, has also been the framework chosen by Fidel Herráez to say goodbye to the archdiocese, which he has pastored since 2015 until the acceptance of his resignation for reasons of age and the appointment of the hitherto bishop of Bilbao for the Castilian see.
A meaningful and diocesan celebration
As those responsible for the archdiocese of Burgos pointed out at the press conference for the opening of this Jubilee Year, all the archpriests of the diocese will attend next Saturday's celebration "with some of the most popular processional crosses. Their bearers will be given a luminary to travel to each of the territories and illuminate their celebrations around this Jubilee Year, making the diocese visible as one community of the faithful". A way to bring closer this celebration that has been greatly affected by the COVID19 pandemic.
The pandemic has caused the modification of the public entrance procession, which initially started from the Salesian monastery, and has been replaced by a small route from the Chapel of the Holy Christ, "A very significant gesture at this time, since it is attributed to the image his miraculous intervention against the plague that ravaged Burgos in 1405 and killed half the population. The epidemic ceased and the City Council vowed to go corporately every year, in thanksgiving, on September 14, a vow that was repeated in 1629 and is still fulfilled today.".
One of the initiatives that will take shape next Saturday will be the antiphonal composed by canon José Inocencio Fernándezorganist of the Cathedral, entitled I am the door. The Eucharist will also include the Jubilee Year hymn, composed by the Burgos native Pedro María de la Iglesia on the handwriting of the priest from Burgos Donato Miguel Gómez.
You are God's temple
The Jubilee Year of the Cathedral of Burgos was scheduled to begin on July 20, 2020, a date that had to be postponed due to the restrictions of the pandemic. However, the archdiocese has not abandoned the project of this Jubilee Year that "is an invitation to feel ourselves as living stones and temples of God in the midst of the world.". The motto is taken from the text of St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians in which he reminds them: "You are God's temple and the Holy Spirit dwells in you" (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
– Supernatural Vatican Secretariat of State has sent a communicated to the Apostolic Nunciatures of all countrieswith clarifications regarding the Pope Francis' statements on civil unions for homosexual personsrecently published in the documentary "Francesco".to be disseminated among the bishops.
On October 21, the documentary "Francesco", directed by the Russian filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky. In the film, the Pope makes some statements about homosexual unions, which are offered out of context, since they are excerpts from an interview given a year ago.
The media have echoed the communiqué of the Secretariat of State, made public by several bishops, which clarifies the words of the pontiff. Declarations that had generated different reactions and interpretations, since were issued as a stand-alone statementwithout the context of the conversation and the interviewer's questions.
Statements out of context
During the interview, Pope Francis answered two different questions at two different times. In the documentary were edited and published as a single response without proper contextualization.. The Holy Father, at first, had made a pastoral reference to a need within the family, the son or daughter with homosexual orientation is never discriminated against. This is what he means when he states that "Homosexual persons have the right to be in a family; they are children of God, they have the right to a family. No one can be thrown out of the family or make life impossible for that reason.".
The communiqué made public, among others, by the Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico, Msgr. Franco Coppola, on his social media profile, refers to the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family. Amoris laetitiawhich can shed light on some of the expressions we refer to: "Together with the Synod Fathers, I have taken into consideration the situation of families who live the experience of having in their midst persons with homosexual tendencies, an experience that is not easy either for the parents or for their children. For this reason, we wish first of all to reiterate that every person, regardless of his or her sexual orientation, must be respected in his or her dignity and be received with respectand to avoid "...any sign of unfair discrimination"and particularly any form of aggression and violence. As far as families are concerned, it is a question of to ensure a respectful accompanimentThe purpose of the project is to help those who manifest a homosexual tendency to fully understand and carry out God's will in their lives.".
The full interview with Pope Francis granted to Valentina Alazraki, from the Televisa network, from which the Pope's words were extracted for the documentary.
References to local regulations
The interview continues with a question in relation to a ten year old local law in Argentina on the "equal marriages of same-sex couples". and the opposition of the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires in this regard. In this sense, Pope Francis affirmed that "it is incongruous to talk about same-sex marriage"adding that, in the same context, he had spoken of the right of these persons to have certain legal coverage: "what we have to do is a civil cohabitation law; they have the right to be legally covered. I defended that".
Finally, the communiqué brings up some words of the Pope in an interview granted in 2014:"Marriage is between a man and a woman. The secular States want to justify civil unions to regulate various situations of cohabitation, driven by the need to regulate economic aspects between people, such as ensuring health care. These are cohabitation pacts of different nature, of which I would not be able to give a list of the various forms. It is necessary to see the different cases and to evaluate them in their variety.".
Therefore, it is noted that Pope Francis in no way changes the doctrine of the Magisterium on this point, but rather has referred to certain state provisions, not to Church doctrine.This has been reaffirmed on numerous occasions in recent years.
Reactions to the recent terrorist attack in Vienna. Cardinal Schönborn asks the Viennese people for solidarity and charity in the face of the hatred of Islamic fundamentalism. The president of the Bishops' Conference and the director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Austria expressed themselves along the same lines.
In view of the consternation caused by the recent terrorist attack in the Austrian capitalthe Archbishop of Vienna, the Cardinal Christoph Schönbornasks the Viennese people to continue "by the road of solidarity, community and consideration".
No one should now let panic fool them into responding to hate with hate. "We will not give you our hatred!"Cardinal Schönborn exclaimed. "Even if we now have to keep our distance because of the pandemic, we cannot keep our distance in our hearts. As long as in our society the heat is stronger than the cold of hatred, we need not lose heart.".
Religious and political authorities united for peace
Cardinal Cristoph Schonborn
In the great liturgical celebration in suffrage and commemoration on Tuesday evening at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, representatives of all religious communities and numerous politicians expressed their condolences for the victims and their families.
"We ask for blessings and peace for the deceased, the wounded, those who mourn and for the whole country".Cardinal Schönborn explained at the beginning of the celebration. "Concord among religions must not be compromised by individual acts caused by hatred.". And he recalled that peace is never a finished product, but always consists of a network of many individual attentions.
The Archbishop of Salzburg Franz Lackner
During the great ecumenical prayer for peace in Salzburg CathedralIn the evening, many of the faithful prayed with the President of the Austrian Bishops' Conference, the Archbishop of Salzburg Franz LacknerThe Archbishop said that he is committed to peace and reconciliation between hostile peoples and ethnic groups. Archbishop Lackner encouraged everyone to oppose the act of terror "inwardly with all his strength of spirit and faith.".
Church prays for Austria
The National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Austria, Fr. Karl WallnerThe The only Christian response to the hatred of Islamic fundamentalism is the love that Jesus Christ exemplified.. "I write because it is very important to me that we encourage one another and remain united as a Church. I am happy to share with you a wonderful experience of solidarity: in the last few hours, many of our project partners, bishops, priests, religious, missionaries, lay people from Africa and the South have written to me: the universal Church prays for us in Austria, the universal Church prays for you!!".
The authorDominik Hartig
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Three themes can represent the Pope's teachings in these weeks that prepare us for Christmas: the poor, prayer and Mary. Francis' preaching is inserted in the events we are living and nourishes the Christian life with what we need most.
On Sunday, November 15, the Pope celebrated the IV World Day of the Poor, which this year had as its theme: Stretch out your hand to the poor (cf. Si 7:32).
An everlasting return
His preaching centered on the parable of the talents (cf. Mt 25 14ff.). Each talent corresponded to the wages of about twenty years of work, then enough for a lifetime. All of us," Francis pointed out, "have above all great wealth: what we areWe have it to serve and to "do good" to others, and not so much to "be good" for ourselves. And we have him to serve and to "do good" to others, and not so much to "be good" ourselves.
Secondly, he observed that the servants who "served" are called "faithful" four times, because risked. Loyalty implies taking risks, not playing defensively, perhaps merely clinging to norms or rules that guarantee not to make mistakes. So thought the idler who was called "bad" by his master, simply for having taken refuge in his passivity.
Third point: at least that servant should have given the talent to the lenders, to recover it later with interest. And for us, the Pope observes, the lenders are the poor. And so he synthesizes the Christian message on this point in a pedagogical way: showing that, if we attend to them, we gain: "The poor are at the center of the Gospel; the Gospel cannot be understood without the poor. The poor have the same personality as Jesus, who, being rich, stripped himself of everything, became poor, became sin, the ugliest poverty. The poor guarantee us an eternal income and already now allow us to enrich ourselves in love. [The greatest poverty to fight against is our poverty of love"..
As Christmas approaches, it invites us not to ask ourselves "what can I buy or have"but "what can I give to others"to be like Jesus and thus serve the will of God. In the end, it seems as if Francis wanted to take another metaphor appropriate to our pandemic situation, which forces us to wear a mask. He takes the phrase of St. John Chrysostom when he says that after death "all take off the mask of wealth and poverty and leave this world. And they are judged only by their works, some truly rich, others poor.". That will be our true reality then, we will be rich for what we have served; and, if not, we will be very poor. Poor in true humanity and in true love.
The need for and strength of prayer
In his Wednesday catechesis, Francis reflected on the psalms on two days. First (cfr. 14-X-2020) he presented them as a school of prayer, because they are the word of God that shows us how we can speak to him. The psalms spring from the daily life of believers, from their joys and sorrows, doubts, hopes and bitterness. And from there - by telling the Lord what we are and what happens to us - they teach us to refer all things to him, as Jesus did with God the Father.
At the same time (cf. 21-X-2020), by praying the psalms we learn to respect God and others. They teach us that prayer is not a painkiller, but a great school of personal responsibility. Both when we pray them individually and when we pray them in the temple, the psalms are a great school of personal responsibility. "open the horizon to God's gaze on history.". And they also take up the cry of the needy, of the humble, of the poor. This, he adds, is important because it is necessary to reject the practical atheism that hides behind indifference or hatred of others, because it is tantamount to not recognizing the human person as the image of God.
Later the Pope presented Jesus as man of prayer (cf. October 28, 2020), who leads our prayer and includes us in his mission. He is also our prayer teacher (4-XI-2020), because prayer is the rudder of the road, it is listening and meeting with God. "Prayer has the power to transform into good what in life would otherwise be condemnation; prayer has the power to open a great horizon to the mind and to enlarge the heart.". Personal prayer is "an art" in solitude, which helps us to abandon ourselves into God's hands.
We need prayer because it gives us strength and oxygen for our life, which come to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Like that of Jesus, our prayer must be persevering and continuous, tenacious, courageous and humble (cf. 11-XI-2020); even when we feel nothing, even, as it happened in the lives of many saints, in the midst of "the night of faith and the silence of God"..
The prayer of Jesus, always accompanied by the action of the Holy Spirit, is the living foundation of our prayer. Jesus, as St. Augustine says and as the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "He prays for us as our priest; He prays in us as our head; to Him our prayer is addressed as to our God. Let us, therefore, recognize in Him our voices; and His voice in us." (n. 2616). A subject that was very dear to Benedict XVI.
Maria, on the other hand, is woman of prayer (cfr. 18-XI-2020). She has been praying since she was young, without wanting to be autonomous: "She waits for God to take the reins of her path and guide her where He wills. She is docile, and with her availability she predisposes the great events that involve God in the world.". She, with her fiat (let it be done), manifests its permanent openness to God's will. Our prayer should also be like this: simple, trusting, available: "Lord, whatever You will, whenever You will, and however You will." She does so until the cross and after the cross, as Mother of the nascent Church. It is her silent presence as mother and disciple. Everything that happens passes through the "sieve" of prayer in her heart, which is, therefore, like a pearl of incomparable splendor.
Rediscovering Mary's heart
The Lord gave us Mary as our mother from the cross (cf. Jn 19:27), when he was giving us his life and his Spirit (cf. Address at the Pontifical Theological Faculty "Marianum" in Rome, 24-XI-2020). "And he did not let his work be accomplished without giving us Our Lady, because he wants us to walk in life with a mother, even more, with the best of mothers." (cf. Evangelii gaudium, 285).
This is why the Church and also our Earth, says Francis, need to rediscover the maternal heart of Mary. All of us "We need motherhood, that which generates and regenerates life with tenderness, because only gift, care and sharing keep the human family together. Let us think of the world without mothers: it has no future." (cf. encyclical Fratelli tutti, 278).
It is interesting to know that perhaps the most ancient Mariological datum in the New Testament is the statement that the Savior "born of woman" (Gal 4:4). "In the Gospel." -The Pope remarked. "Mary is the woman, the new Eve, who from Cana to Calvary intervenes for our salvation (cf. Jn 2:4; 19:26)." Finally, she is also the woman clothed with the sun who takes care of Jesus' offspring (cfr. Rev.12,17). And Francis deduces: "Just as the mother makes of the Church a family, the woman makes of us a people.". Francis underlined the role of women, essential to the history of salvation, and therefore essential for the Church and the world. Nevertheless, he exclaimed, "how many women do not receive the dignity due to them!".
That is why the Church, the world and also theology need his wit and his style. And as far as Mariology, that "can contribute to bring to culture, also through art and poetry, the beauty that humanizes and instills hope."also "is called to seek more dignified spaces for women in the Church, starting from the common baptismal dignity.".
Giovanni Tridente analyzes the communication challenges facing the Vatican today.
November 1, 2020-Reading time: 2minutes
One of the most recent transformations from the point of view of the media that has interested the Roman Curia - the set of bodies that collaborate with the Pope in the spiritual and material government of the Catholic Church - is certainly the one carried out by the Dicastery for Communication.
It was instituted by Pope Francis on June 27, 2015 - initially under the name "Secretariat" - with the. motu proprio entitled The current communication contextwhich, as we know, is characterized by the presence and the development of the digital mediain a totally convergent and interactive panorama. This dicastery has absorbed the historic Pontifical Council for Social Communications (1948, Pope Pius XII) and assumes all the other structures that over the decades have dealt with Vatican communications: Stampa RoomCTV, Vatican Radio, Typography, L'Osservatore Romanoetc.
The most visible aspect of this reform has probably taken place on the website. Vatican News, inaugurated on the day of Pope Francis' 81st birthday, December 17, 2017.
The new information system of the Holy See offers all types of multimedia content in the four thematic information areas chosen by the management, aimed at replacing all web pages and channels. social for information purposes previously used.
"Moving beyond the concept of simple digital convergencecan be read on the website of Vatican News-, aims to respond to, and in a certain sense anticipate, the constant changes in the place and form of communication.". The supervision was entrusted to an editorial director, an assignment covered by the long-time Vaticanist Andrea Tornielli, already founder and director of Vatican Insider.
The marks now related to the information history of the Holy See are primarily the Holy See itself. Vatican Newswhich also identifies the channels social of each linguistic wording; the framework Vatican Mediawhich identifies everything that has to do with multimedia production, regardless of the transmission medium; Vatican Radio Italythe national radio stream available on DAB+, digital terrestrial and FM in the area of the city and province of Rome; the Libreria Editrice Vaticanaspecializing in the publication of books and L'Osservatore RomanoThe daily history is offered both in print and digital format through a website and a app. A further section of the Dicastery is entitled Media Projectswhich is responsible for evaluating possible documentary projects related to video footage and photographic archives of the ceremonies and various sites directly under the Holy See.
Pope Francis had spoken, in connection with the Vatican MediaThe "irreversible reform," inviting us to take as a guiding criterion the element "...".with a special focus on situations of need, and with a special attention to the"and carrying out a "great team play to better respond to challenges"that today's communication requires.
The poet from Granada can be described as open to joy, understood above all as a gift and as the direct consequence of having been created by God and the acceptance of pain as part of life.
There are many aspects of Luis Rosales' literary work that have always attracted my attention, among others his persistence in the correct use of language, understood as a means of communication and as a system of vital installation, or his intelligent capacity to transform reality into evocative poetic words, brilliantly perceptible, and a copious flow of inspiration. However, none more attractive to me than his enormous ease in bringing out the best face of reality, that of joy.
From that verse of his: "life is a free miracle", one knows that his poetry is reliable, that, from the certainty of what is real, one can achieve surprising and memorable texts, like the ones he writes.
Titles such as The lighted house, The heart's content o Diary of a resurrection already outlines the master lines of his creative approach, which always springs from the light provided by life itself. Any event, any minute detail, any approach to his own existence is poetizable material for him, especially when, as he himself has said, "it only illuminates the best in us".
If we trace his poetic work, we can say of Rosales that is a poet open to joy, understood above all as a gift and as the direct consequence of having been created by God. It could not be otherwise for him: man, made in the image and likeness of his Maker, must reflect not only his goodness, or his beauty, or his truth, or his uniqueness, but his joy. God is in himself joy to the fullest degree. But this joy is not something isolated, but rather, as St. Josemaría Escrivá would say, "has its roots in the form of a cross".
Thus, in any approach to the lyrical trajectory of the poet from Granada, it is essential to delve into the pain-joy interaction, which is the solid basis of his thought and metaphysics, without insisting on one aspect more than the other because both reflect the same inner fire. Many of his micropoems -those are quite a few of his verses: aphorisms or sparks with their own autonomy- show it. In fact, Rosales himself states that "people who do not know pain are like unblessed churches/ like a bit of sand that dreamed of being a beach/ like a bit of sea" because "pain is the law of gravity of the soul,/ it comes to us illuminating us, spelling our bones.". He was the protagonist of this experience following the death of three of his siblings, after his mother - the starting point for the writing of The lighted house- and, finally, of his father, apart from the one he also experienced after the death of some indisputable close friends (Juan Panero, among others).
"Every pain" -he insists. "it makes us know the world anew, each new pain is a dazzling of the truth". And it is in that enclave where the importance of joy becomes apparent, he says: "Watch over your joy, and the rest will be given to you as well. Watch your joy, but do not go in search of it. It is not necessary. When the vital impulse is slowing down with the years, it is necessary to learn to live."This is an indispensable requisite for maintaining the state of peace and serenity of mind that the passage of time demands. If the supernatural sense of suffering is lost -it is often expressed in one way or another- joy ceases to bear fruit. The two, I say, go hand in hand. In fact, the two go hand in hand, "when they hit rock bottom, they always confuse sorrow and joy".
What Rosales sometimes calls "the circles of weeping". is what clarifies, without a doubt, the mystery of human existence and, therefore, that of joy. But, at this point, what is pain? It says it very clearly: "is the flame of Your Visitation"In other words, a manifestation of God, of his nearness, of his presence; a realization that we are in his hands and that we are a faithful reflection of his will, in other words: "a long journey, / is a long journey that always brings us closer, / that leads us to the country where all men are equal; / just like the word God, its happening has no birth, / but revelation, / just like the word God, it makes us of wood to burn us.".
For sure, at this point, one gets the feeling that that firm and coherent Catholicism that Rosales always showed, now emerges more eloquently than ever before.On the one hand, it gives meaning to the equalization or fraternity of human beings, which will be so important in his ultimate poetry, of cosmopolitan character, with a common father, God; on the other, it reflects what we have traditionally understood as "conversion of the heart" (the latter, by the way, a very Rosales word): man needs to allow himself to be cauterized by the divine word. If the poet demands something of himself, it is his own inner transformation, under the protection of divine mercy, of which all individuals are in need. In a long poem "confessional and orational at the same time, a poem of existential recapitulation."as described by Luis Felipe Vivanco, titled ".Mercy"He develops this ascensional path to the love of God the Father, and he undertakes it from tears, from the skin of astonishment that reflects suffering, with the full confidence that its fruit is jubilation and joy.Today that begins / this ascension silenced by the fever of astonishment; / tell me, tell me, Lord, what is this joy of mine, / why does my voice taste like wood when I name you, / [...] / what kind of burning vision do we call love, / hasn't the night arrived where everything comes together, / may your will be done in me, my God".
Undoubtedly, light and all the possible vocabulary within the semantic field of luminescence (lit, fire, burning...) will serve our poet as a guiding thread to unravel the course of his poetic discourse: that joy is the direct consequence of the acceptance of pain:"it should only matter to you / to distinguish clearly between having satisfactions and having joys / this is the key to living."The learning process, which is acquired over the years but has its origins in "the filial memory we still have of God", that is to say, in the proclamation of knowing that we are his children. To assume it, nothing more necessary than to exercise patience, as he announces in one of his compositions: "waiting is part of the joy"and ends up qualifying: "of that sober joy that does not disturb or offend". If in a celebrated sonnet, José Hierro, a poet close in time to Rosales, says, without room for qualification, that he arrived at joy through pain, our author does not fall short in this sense: for him, the world that surrounds him bears the implicit imprint of pain, but this, instead of being an obstacle, is the enriching sap of the human being, a joyful song that generates optimism, an evident proof that, just as the house of his long poem ends illuminated, so does his spirit, in full readiness to welcome whatever comes his way, leaving us proof that his poetry, as a whole, is a genuine reference of the most fertile and radiant religious poetry of the 20th century.
The limitations imposed by a civil government must be "proportionate to the end pursued" and, in no case, can the pandemic legitimize "the suppression of the fundamental right to religious freedom," says Rafael Palomino, professor of State Ecclesiastical Law.
March 13, 2020, Spain. A State of Alarm was declared due to the COVID19 health crisis; the unthinkable had become real and Catholics witnessed the closure of churches and the cancellation of public worship, something that had not been known since the 1930's. Although there were a series of practically "universal" measures in the case of the Spanish dioceses regarding the total closure of churches and the limitation of public worship, not all of them opted for the same solution. Although there was a series of practically "universal" measures in the case of the Spanish dioceses, regarding the total closure of temples and limitation of public worship, not all opted for the same solution: there were places where the closure of parishes was advised and others where, following the required sanitary measures, it continued to be possible to attend Holy Mass, for example.
https://youtu.be/winHqNQmc_k
A conjuncture that combines two instances: the civil and the religious one.
and that has led to a certain bewilderment on the part of some of the faithful who have wondered how far, in a free and democratic society, a civil authority can
the extent to which, in a free and democratic society, a civil authority can decide on religious practice.
can decide on religious practice.
The pandemic continues to be present in our lives and, as a consequence, we continue to experience partial confinements, area closures, etc., which leads us to ask ourselves, will we see churches closed again? With these questions on the table, we spoke with Professor of Ecclesiastical Law at the Complutense University of Madrid, Rafael Palomino, Professor of Ecclesiastical Law at the Complutense University of Madrid. to know what can be demanded and what cannot, in conditions that, in themselves, alter and condition the normal parameters on which our social and, therefore, religious life is based.
P- Some people claim that the pandemic has been a "perfect excuse" to limit freedom of worship or even prohibit attendance to churches by the civil government. To what extent is this claim true? Can a civil government establish limits in areas such as churches? Has religious freedom been violated at any time with a health "excuse"?
R.P. -A statement such as the pandemic has been an excuse to limit freedom of worship needs to be contrasted or proven with certain data. I do not have data that allow me to say that this affirmation is true or false. Yes, I have been able to verify that, inside and outside Spain, there have been punctual actions of the public authority that have supposed an illegal limitation of the fundamental right of religious freedom. These actions must be denounced. It is equally true that the public authority may limit fundamental rights: there are no unlimited rights. But limitations must be proportionate, necessary for the purpose pursued. In this case, proportionate to the purpose of preserving public health. And of course, what does not legitimize the pandemic is the suppression of the fundamental right to religious freedom, not even under the declaration of a state of alarm.
The attitude of citizens
P- In the case of Spain, especially in the early stages of the pandemic, the decisions of the bishops regarding the total closure of the churches were not the same in all the dioceses: some closed completely, others maintained worship with the established limitations if the parish priests so decided... etc. This led to certain confusions between what could and could not be "demanded" in the field of attendance to religious worship. What can and cannot be carried out? Is it always better, for the faithful, to abide by the decisions of a civil government even if they consider them unjust or disproportionate?
R.P. -It is normal that the decisions of the Spanish bishops have not been exactly the same, uniform. The incidence of the virus is not identical throughout the national territory, the situation of the Community of Madrid is not the same as that of Cantabria or Melilla, to give a few well-known examples. What can be demanded or not from the ecclesiastical authorities, from the bishops, from the parish priests? It seems to me that the starting point is similar to the one that arises in the secular sphere. Let us look at it. According to canon 213 of the Code of Canon Law - the basic and supreme norm governing the Catholic Church - thehe Christian faithful have the right to receive spiritual goods, principally the word of God and the sacraments. This is a truly fundamental right, not a toast to the sun, something necessary for the faithful. Remember that, as we said before, there are no unlimited rights: neither is this one. But the limitation (not suppression, which would be very serious) of the right to the reception of spiritual goods must be adopted with the prudence proper to good authorityThe company's actions must be proportionate, suitable and necessary, complying with the regulatory requirements of the civil authority, of course, but not guided solely by criteria of convenience or opportunity.
We cannot reduce God to the phone or TV screen: The Word of God became flesh, not a screen, you know what I mean: as far as possible, with prudence, the goods of salvation must reach people and people must also reach the house of God in body, because we are not only spirit, much less are we an image on a screen.
On the other hand, the faithful must comply with all legitimate prescriptions of the civil authority. (even if we do not like the people who at a given moment occupy public office) even when they disagree or consider - we all have an alternative ruler inside us - that things can be done better, much better. And if it is seriously considered that the decisions of the authority are unjust or disproportionate, what corresponds to the conduct of a faithful Christian who, being a Christian, is a good citizen (or wants to be one) is to challenge those administrative decisions before the courts of justice.
P- In this so-called "second wave", in which the measures are somewhat less restrictive, we observe, however, situations such as that of last September in Ibiza, where the civil government decreed "the suppression of the activity of worship", while at the same time allowing the opening and attendance to places of greater concurrence. Legally, can this type of attitudes be sustained or, on the contrary, is it necessary, and consequently, to appeal them?
R.P. - The suppression of worship activities by the public authority is a contradiction in terms, it is a nonsense, it is a paradigm of arbitrariness. The civil authority cannot, by reason of states of alarm, suppress acts of worship. It is totally out of its competence. What it can do is to limit proportionally the capacity of places of worship or to establish measures for public safety or public health. It is true that the public authority has reasoned, more often than not, with materialistic criteria, which has led it to consider that "essential services" for the population can only be, practically, two things: shopping in a supermarket and being cured in a hospital. And this is a mistake that ignores the root of the fundamental rights of the person and the spiritual nature of the human being. Legally, these decisions, norms or administrative resolutions are contrary to law: they must be appealed, but not only for their own benefit, as the expression goes, but also to remind the public authorities that the fundamental rights of the person limit their arbitrariness.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
With creativity and courage, promoters of a path of hope
A year and a half after the first appeal, Pope Francis has returned to relaunch the Global Education Pact, to rebuild a more welcoming, just and supportive world, starting from the foundations of the education of the new generations.
To accept the challenge presented to us by history and to sign together a global educational pact, which aims to "look beyond" the immediate situation of individual and specific social emergencies, to put the person back at the center and thus build a sustainable future for every member of the human family. In these few lines we can summarize the great future perspective, undoubtedly prophetic, which rests on the educational necessity, initiated by Pope Francis more than a year ago. On September 12, 2019, the Holy Father appealed with a. Message to all representatives of the earthWe are committed to the goal of making everyone do his or her part in an area as central to future generations as education.
In retrospect, one notices that this theme represents a vision already expressed many times throughout the pontificate, in particular in the structure of the apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium and in the encyclical Laudato si'which, for obvious reasons, refer to the orientations of the Council and the post-Council.
Benedict XVI...
How not to recall, in this line, also the great contribution already made by Benedict XVI in his Magisterium. In 2008, the famous Letter to the Diocese and City of Rome "on the urgent task of education", in which he listed closeness and trust arising from love as the keys to initiate an authentic education, starting from the fundamental experience in the family. Ratzinger did not skimp in saying that even if the responsibility is primarily personal, it is "a responsibility that we share together, as citizens of the same city and the same nation, as members of the human family and, if we are believers, as children of the one God and members of the Church".
Francisco...
Returning to the programmatic document of Pope Francis' pontificate, Evangelii gaudium, it is evident that the task of missionary outreach, which calls everyone to carry the proclamation of the Gospel, is evident "in all places, on all occasions, without delay, without disgust and without fear."to discover and transmit the "mystique" of living together and experiencing true fraternity. In Laudato si' the reference to education is very precise and it is necessary to create inclusive communities that know how to listen and dialogue constructively, initiating processes of exchange and transformation to guarantee future generations a future of hope and peace.
All these aspects resurfaced in a more evident way in the third encyclical of a few weeks ago, Fratelli tutti, where, drawing from the rich tradition of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the complexity of human affairs, with its dark points and its dramas, is projected with a light of hope, dreaming of a better future for all the inhabitants of the earth, children of the same Father and, therefore, brothers and sisters.
The Global Compact
The Message with which in 2019 the Pope invited to a global educational pact does not make explicit a concrete action per se, nor does it define a program, but we could say that it initiates a process, calls for a commitment, invites to an alliance. In short, he summons all people of good will who feel called to do so, even with reciprocal differences, to place their forces at the service of a common project. The Pope does speak explicitly of a Village of education, in which "The commitment to generate a network of human and open relationships is shared in diversity", after having first prepared the ground "of discrimination with the introduction of fraternity".
Still in this village -"to educate a child it takes an entire village".It will be possible to adapt education to all the components of the person: study and life, in teachers, students, families and civil society, with all the intellectual, artistic, sporting, political and entrepreneurial expressions....
The impetus launched by the Pontiff more than a year ago finally recalled in short "the courage to place the person at the center", "the courage to invest the best energies with creativity and responsibility" and "the courage to form people available to put themselves at the service of the community".
A new impetus
The idea was to bring together in Rome public personalities who, at the global level, have positions of responsibility and concern for the future of young people, to reflect together on how to initiate "processes of transformation" and find solutions that lead to "a humanism of solidarity, which responds to the hopes of man and the design of God".
This event was to take place on May 14 of this year but was postponed for reasons related to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, on October 15, with an event at the Pontifical Lateran University coordinated by the Congregation for Catholic Education, the idea of the Global Education Pact has been relaunched even more explicitly and urgently, also thanks to the experience of the health emergency.
The initiative included a video-message from UNESCO's Director General Audrey Azoulay, who, referring to the pandemic, underlined how it has "revealed all the existing social inequalities", a crisis that especially affects the most vulnerable and "has triggered what can be defined as the globalization of indifference, especially towards the most fragile".
It was a long awaited Pope Francis' message. This second intervention, this "relaunch" a year and a half later, could not fail to take into account Covid-19, and that the opening words of the Holy Father began right here: the health emergency "has accelerated and amplified many of the emergencies and emergencies that we had noted, and has manifested many others".
But the Pope immediately warns: health measures may help, but they must be accompanied by "a new cultural model" that cannot fail to put the dignity of the human person first.
Education, on this point, represents - and the Pope reiterates it - "one of the most effective ways of humanizing the world and history", "a natural antidote to individualistic culture".
Therefore, Francis calls it an "integral itinerary," a "shared journey" that leads to overcoming loneliness and mistrust, but also indifference to forms of violence, abuse and slavery, including exploitation of the planet.
Seven specific objectives
The call for the urgency of signing an educational pact is also dictated by the current health crisis, so the Pope's final appeal is to involve everyone in a "plural and multifaceted process" with seven concrete objectives: to put the person, his or her dignity and uniqueness at the center; to listen to the voice of children, boys and young people; to promote the full participation of girls and young women in education; to consider the family as the first and indispensable educating subject; to educate one another to welcome the marginalized and vulnerable; to reform the economy and politics in favor of the common good and integral ecology; finally, to protect the common home from the exploitation of resources, demanding more sober lifestyles and developing a true circular economy. A call to courage, to creativity, to be promoters of a path of hope.
Preserving the Christian cultural heritage, a service to the Church and society
Joao Carlos Nara Jr.-November 1, 2020-Reading time: 6minutes
The academic tradition on cultural heritage is long in Brazil. Early on, the nationalist policy of the Republic established a National Historical and Artistic Heritage Service, which has pointed to the baroque architecture of colonial times as a fundamental artistic reference of the Brazilian soul, similar to the French option for the Middle Ages as the historical cradle of France.
This is often the way intellectual elites think when they propose the monuments of the past as a banner of historical legitimization for emerging nations. However, with the passage of time, the patrimonialization of memory has reinforced the awareness of the expiration of the preservation criteria themselves, which needs constant study and updating. Of course, in Brazilian legislation the focus has migrated from the cultural asset to the cultural reference, i.e., from mere materiality to the attribution of value by society.
In any case, both the preservation and the appropriation of emblematic artifacts require a collective commitment, which is often difficult to achieve.
of emblematic artifacts require a collective commitment, often difficult to achieve.
often difficult to achieve.
Brazil: heritage preservation
The heritage of the Catholic Church in Brazil -historical, artistic, cultural and documentary assets-is abundant and represents about 50 % of the country's total cultural heritage.. For this reason, when the Agreement between the Holy See and the Brazilian State concerning the Legal Status of the Catholic Church in Brazil was concluded in Vatican City on November 13, 2008, two of its articles dealt specifically with the cultural goods of the Church, their protection and preservation. By the Agreement, the Church recognizes that these goods, although belonging to it, also belong to the Brazilian people; therefore, it undertakes to make them available to the people. The State, in turn, safeguarding the original purposes of these assets, undertakes to cooperate with the Church to value, conserve and promote the enjoyment of the Church's cultural assets.
Following the Agreement, the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB)
National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) has created a Special Commission to study the matter.
Commission to study the matter. It is now a permanent part of the Episcopal Pastoral Commission for Culture and Education. Meanwhile, many ecclesiastical provinces and dioceses in
and dioceses in Brazil have also created their own commissions to assist and guide preservation and promotion policies.
to assist and guide heritage preservation and promotion policies.
and promotion of heritage.
The Rio de Janeiro Commission
This is the case, for example, of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, where the Cardinal Orani João Tempesta formed, on October 18, 2018, the "Comissão de Preservação do Patrimônio Histórico e Cultural da Arquidiocese do Rio de Janeiro e seu Interesse".. This Commission is already carrying out several projects in the city: inventories, conservation plans, restoration projects, etc. A very important task is the investigation of the properties, since many of the classified buildings belong to one of the many secular brotherhoods of Rio de Janeiro and are not under the direct responsibility and administration of the archdiocese.
Bishop Orani Tempesta .
According to Cardinal Tempesta, "it is important that every diocese should have a commission in charge of conservation and restoration.of the cultural property of the Churchand to carry out a prior analysis of the construction, modification and restoration projects of the buildings and their collections".
It is well known that the work of cultural heritage management requires specialized knowledge. In the Brazilian case, it is also necessary to know how to dialogue with the various heritage protection bodies. In this sense, the cardinal summarized: "Another fundamental role of the Heritage Preservation Commission is integrating the Church with the other actors involved in the preservation of cultural heritageThe main challenges for the preservation and maintenance of cultural property are many, and only with the participation of all can more positive results be achieved".
Iconoclasm and cultural legacy
The initiative has come at a good time. On the one hand, a new iconoclasm
of the world is echoing a new iconoclasm, which aims to tear down or vilify monuments.
vilify monuments. Even in a small Brazilian town, founded by the "Apostle of Brazil", the
the "Apostle of Brazil", St. Joseph of Anchieta, a city that bears his name and where the National Sanctuary of the
the National Sanctuary of the country's patron saint, the bronze statue of the saint, located in the
the bronze statue of the saint, located in the square, has been covered with red graffiti. At
the destruction of the National Museum of Brazil, which was consumed by fire in 2018, has
in 2018, has thrown those working in preservation into uncertainty about the future of cultural heritage.
about the future of cultural heritage.
Commenting on these sad episodes, the curator of the Archdiocesan
the curator of the Archdiocesan Commission, Fr. Silmar Alves Fernandes: "Whether because of economic crises that restrict funding, or because of a lack of interest in the
whether it is due to a lack of interest resulting from a lack of awareness of the importance of so many works, or even to the imprudence of relegating
of the importance of so many works, or even the imprudence of relegating cultural priorities to the background, the
cultural priorities on the back burner, the fact is that several foreseeable and avoidable accidents are to be
and avoidable accidents that, unfortunately, leave behind losses of incalculable value.
incalculable losses. In the face of so many situations, the preservation of our historical and cultural heritage is a task that must be carried out with the utmost care.
cultural heritage is a task that we must fulfill if we want to leave future generations the legacy of our heritage.
leave to future generations the legacy of our identity as a people and a nation.
nation.".
However, care for heritage goes beyond mere cultural or civic interest. As Pe. Silmar himself points out: "As for religious collections, like ours, the task also involves a commitment to the transmission of faithwhich is conferred on us as a mission, as followers of Jesus Christ"..
An international seminar
In order to make the Commission's mission known to the diocesan clergy, to the owners of classified property, and to professionals involved in preservation efforts, the Commission promoted as its first act the International Seminar on Catholic Historical and Cultural Heritagefrom June 3 to 7, 2019, at the National Historical Museum of Rio de Janeiro. The event was attended by its 200 registered participants, including priests, religious and seminarians, professionals in engineering, architecture, conservation and restoration, students and artists. Before the beginning of the sections, Mr. Orani Tempesta presided over a solemn Eucharistic concelebration in the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the former cathedral of Rio.
International Seminar. June 2019
After the welcome from the curator of the commission, Pe. Silmar Alves Fernandesthe inaugural lecture of the seminar was given by Monsignor José Roberto Devellard, specialist in Sacred Art.
The event was followed by presentations by Brazilian and Portuguese experts, distributed
Portuguese experts, divided into four sections: faith and religiosity; heritage protection; conservation and restoration
conservation and restoration; collections, resources and investments.
investments. In addition to the researchers, presentations were also made by ecclesiastical authorities and staff from
authorities and important personalities of the Brazilian political and cultural scene.
Brazilian political and cultural scene.
The seminar concluded with two guided visits, the first to the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art, located in the basement of the Cathedral of St. Paul.
Museum of Sacred Art, located in the basement of the Cathedral of San Sebastian.
Sebastian Cathedral. Among the exhibits on display is the Golden Rose, a gift from Leo XIII to Princess Isabella
to Princess Isabella for the abolition of slavery, the throne on which the Emperor Don
Peter II attended Mass, some relics, sacred vessels and a series of works of art and jewelry.
a series of works of art and jewelry.
Delivery of the works
The second was a guided visit to the chapel of Our Lady of Victory, inside the church of the Third Order of the Minims of St. Francis of Paola. The reason was special: the delivery of the completed restoration works to the population. The eighteenth century chapel, in rococo style, is one of the treasures of the city. It was made by the master Valentim da Fonseca e Silva, a brown man, son of a freed slave, who died in 1813, one of the most important artists of the Brazilian colonial period. The chapel houses paintings by Manuel da Cunha, a freed slave. Due to the action of time, the varnishes of the works darkened and hid the particularities of the pieces.
The restoration was done in a very short time, counting on the contribution of devotees and donors. The Cardinal thanked the commitment of the people with the sacred patrimony and the creativity for the economic measures adopted. "Even in times of scarce resources, I congratulate the Commission for the search for ways, for the first achievements, for the concern with the restoration of the Catholic patrimony. Preserving memory and thinking about future generations are part of our responsibility."said Don Orani.
Sacred art and upcoming commemorations
The same cardinal is encouraging the celebration of the upcoming jubilees, which are being organized by the Canon Cláudio dos SantosPastoral Coordinator of the Archdiocese and pastor of the Metropolitan Cathedral. The first commemoration is the 90th anniversary of Christ the Redeemer on October 12 next year, feast of Our Lady of the Conception Aparecida, patroness of Brazil. The iconic statue is the largest monument in Brazil. Art deco of the world.
Then, the main historical milestones will be: the bicentennial of the Independence of Brazil in 2022, the 450th anniversary of the creation of the territorial Prelature of Rio de Janeiro by Gregory XIII in 2025, and the 350th anniversary of its elevation to a diocese by Innocent XI in 2026. The Heritage Preservation Commission will play an important role in all these commemorations. The curator of the Commission, Fr. Silmar, has summarized in the three theological virtues the whole effort of preserving the Christian heritage: "This is the world we wish to echo in the sacred spaces preserved, with living faith, unwavering hope and love unfolding on earth. It is precisely there that the human creature recognizes his Creator, who intermittently blows all his creative ingenuity upon his ear, so that the world may not seem a desolate desert, but that there may be many oases for the thirsty pilgrims of Eternal Beauty.".
The authorJoao Carlos Nara Jr.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
The statement Dignitatis humanaeof the Second Vatican Council confronted one of the great themes of the Church's dialogue with modernity, provoked the Lefebvrian schism and was the object of a precise discernment by Benedict XVI.
In 1972 Zhou Enlai, China's premier under Mao, managed to arrange a visit by U.S. President Richard Nixon. In an informal conversation, past and present revolutions were discussed and Zhou Enlai, who had been educated in Paris, was asked what he thought of the French revolution. He replied that "it was too early to tell". The anecdote, reported by the Financial Times, went around the world and became enshrined as an icon of the tempus lento of Chinese wisdom. Only much later did a diplomat acting as interpreter at the time clarify that Zhou Enlai was not referring to the revolution of 1789, but to that of May 1968.
With that, the anecdote lost its charm, but not its truth: both the revolution of 1789 and that of 1968 still operate on our culture and Christian life. The processes of individuals can last for decades, but those of culture can last for centuries.
Centuries lasted the process by which the Roman Empire was Christianized, and centuries by which the medieval European "nations" were constituted with the conversion and development of the barbarian, Germanic and Slavic peoples. Then, in two or three centuries, the nations were transformed into monarchical states, with borders fixed by wars and royal marriages. And since the 17th century, due to the ups and downs of the wars of religion, the desire grew for governments to be founded on rational bases and to better protect the rights of the people against the arbitrariness of the rulers: electing the rulers and dividing and limiting their powers.
Two stories and two separations
What was a utopia of parlor talk became policy with the independence of the United States (1775). Having to invent themselves, they chose to put it into practice. Precisely because a significant part of the American population came from dissidents who had fled or been expelled from confessional (Protestant) countries such as England and Germany, they agreed to honor God and respect their neighbors, but also that the state should not interfere at all in religious matters.
In France (1789), the process was completely different: at a time of economic and institutional crisis, enlightened and audacious minorities took over the state and brought about a transformation from above, overthrowing the monarchy and its supporters: the nobility and the Church with the traditional strata.
The United States was born with the churches voluntarily separated from the State. In France, the Church was part of the old national order, and the separation was an enormous tear in the national conscience forged over the centuries: the nation became a theoretically separate state, but practically aggressive, because it wanted to diminish the power of the Church, considered as a retrograde force opposed to progress. The same scheme, although less violent, would be followed in Spain, Italy and the American nations with independence.
Major objections
The Church, as an institution, was left wounded and on the defensive. It was very difficult to believe in the sincerity and honesty of a project where there seemed to be no room. And it was very difficult to believe that we were working for human rights when they were so easily violated for reasons of state.
Moreover, that the people constituted themselves as the source of all law and gave themselves the laws was hurtful to Christian ears. For God is the source of morality. Although it was no more than a rhetorical exaggeration, because in reality, most of the rights are not created, but are actually recognized. And it also hurt to impose freedom of worship where the Catholic unity of nations was broken, preferring the opinion or the whim of each one, and giving the same rights to all. This was considered an unacceptable relativism: truth does not have the same rights as error. This is how the great Popes of the 19th century expressed themselves.
Delayed effects of Modernity
In the Catholic conscience, the certainty of preserving the essence of the Christian nations has survived, with the consequent hurt and sadness for the losses and the nostalgia for the past. That is why it took a long time to enter the political game and, in a way, it never fully entered. The same nostalgia seemed to keep alive another impossible alternative.
This would have two negative effects: one, that traditional Catholics are accustomed to criticize or make moral judgments, but not to operate and defend themselves effectively in the democratic political game. The other is that they are not accustomed to evangelizing. For centuries they have worked in the instruction (catechism) and maintenance of worship, but there are hardly any channels, institutions or custom to evangelize in European countries. Preaching is done inside the churches, but not outside the churches. In the past, nations were constitutively Christian, and the state was expected to settle difficulties as a matter of law and order.
The purpose of the Council
Since he proposed it John XXIIIThe Council wanted to resituate the Church in the modern world and relaunch evangelization. It would also be an operation of centuries. The calmer and more conciliatory atmosphere of the post-war period (double post-war) facilitated dialogue, although an important part of the Church had remained under communist domination, where there was no dialogue at all.
The great efforts of the Council led to a renewal of the image of the Church as mystery (Lumen gentium), overcoming a historical, sociological or canonical vision that it also has. This was already very important to situate the Church in the modern world by elevation. The other great document Gaudium et spes However, the very history of the document's preparation led us to see that what the Church can say in the opinionated fields of family, economy, politics, education and culture is based on her revealed knowledge of the human being. An approach that the pontificate of St. John Paul II would insist on.
The tension of Dignitatis humanae
In this context, it is understandable that the effort to position the Church in the modern world also led to the discernment of conflicting issues, such as the acceptance of religious pluralism or freedom of conscience in the face of religious truth, and the separation of Church and State. This implied the acceptance of democracy as a valid system of political coexistence. And, incidentally, the renunciation of the aspiration for national religious unity as an objective of Christian action. If this were to happen, it would have to be by conviction, but not by imposition.
This change of aspirations and strategy had already been proposed by Jacques Maritain in Integral Humanism. And it was assumed by Christian politicians who had thought and entered the democratic game (Don Luigi Sturzo and the Italian and German Christian democracy).
The statements of Dignitatis humanae
The decree Dignitatis humanae begins by acknowledging the growing modern concern for freedom, also in the religious sphere. Then, he expresses the uniqueness of the Christian faith as revealed truth, and insists that "all men are obliged to seek the truth", but also "truth imposes itself only by the force of truth itself".. This means that the civil authority has to protect this process of religious freedom, granting a free exercise and without proscribing any legitimate exercise, as long as it does not disturb the social order.
Precisely because it is based on the moral principles of the person, it can affirm that "leaves intact the traditional Catholic doctrine concerning the moral duty of men and societies towards the true religion and the one Church of Christ.".
Photo: LotharWolleh
The document is very nuanced, but it was evident that there was, at least, a change of approach. Thus, and more severely, it was judged by several bishops and mainly by Marcel Lefebvre, who would write at length on the subject and would come to the conclusion that the doctrine of the Council departed from the established teaching of the Church and the Council had to be considered invalid. In the end, this would provoke a schism, and an echo that has not ceased to be heard and that also reaches many non schismatic Catholics.
Different experiences of the Church
It should be noted that in Dignitatis humane very different experiences converged
a) that of the bishops of the United States, where separation is one of the foundations of the State and the Catholic Church has enjoyed freedom from the beginning;
b) that of the bishops of the confessional Protestant states (Holland, German states, Scotland, Sweden, Norway, Finland...) and of England, where the division of Church and State allowed, since the middle of the 19th century, the normal development of the Catholic Church, previously forbidden and punished;
c) that of the bishops of the countries under communist domination, who saw in that declaration a defense of the Church based on fundamental rights of the person; among them, Karol Wojtyła;
d) could hardly speak (and today neither) those under Muslim rule, who would gain a lot if religious freedom were recognized in their countries;
e) in reality, the Catholic confessional countries were very few (and in regime of exception), above all, Spain, Portugal and some American nations to varying degrees. The rest lived with greater or lesser comfort and recognition in democratic regimes with religious freedom and separation.
Benedict XVI's Address to the Curia (2005)
On December 22, 2005, in his first year as pope, Benedict XVI addressed a very special Christmas greeting to the Roman Curia. He took advantage of the occasion to address the most important issues of the pontificate: the judgement on the interpretation of the Council, going beyond the rupturist adventures and at the same time the fundamentalist criticisms. It is a brilliant text.
At the beginning, Benedict XVI acknowledges that there has been a reform, but not a rupture. Without renouncing any of its principles, there has been a change of doctrinal approach. He refers, evidently, to the nuances required by the judgments of the Popes of the 19th century on liberalism, the separation of Church and State, and religious freedom.
Here are some phrases: "It was necessary to learn to recognize that, in these decisions, only the principles express the lasting aspect, remaining in the background and motivating the decision from within. On the other hand, the concrete forms are not equally permanent, since they depend on the historical situation and can therefore undergo changes. Thus, substantive decisions may remain valid, while the forms of their application to new contexts may change. For example, if freedom of religion is considered as an expression of man's inability to find the truth and is thus transformed into a canonization of relativism, then it is improperly shifted from social and historical necessity to the metaphysical level, and is thus deprived of its true meaning, with the consequence that it cannot be accepted by those who believe that man is capable of knowing the truth of God and is bound to that knowledge on the basis of the inner dignity of truth. On the contrary, something totally different is to consider freedom of religion as a necessity that derives from human coexistence, indeed, as an intrinsic consequence of the truth that cannot be imposed from outside, but that man must make it his own only through a process of conviction. The Second Vatican Council, recognizing and making its own, with the decree on religious freedom, an essential principle of the modern State, took up once again the deepest patrimony of the Church.". Remember also that, in the beginning, the Church, while recognizing the authority of the emperors and praying for them, defended its religious freedom against the pretensions of the Roman state. That is why so many martyrs died: "They also died for freedom of conscience and for the freedom to profess one's faith, a profession that no State can impose, but which can only be made one's own with the grace of God, in freedom of conscience." He concludes: "A missionary Church, aware that it has the duty to proclaim its message to all peoples, must necessarily be committed to the freedom of faith.".
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Rafael Palomino: "A State can limit the capacity of churches, but not suppress the activity of worship".
The limitations imposed by a civil government must be "proportionate to the end pursued" and, in no case, can the pandemic legitimize "the suppression of the fundamental right to religious freedom," says this professor of law.
March 13, 2020, Spain. A State of Alarm was declared due to the COVID19 health crisis; the unthinkable had become real and Catholics witnessed the closure of churches and the cancellation of public worship, something that had not been known since the 1930's. Although there was a series of practically "universal" measures in the case of the Spanish dioceses, regarding the total closure of churches and the limitation of public worship, not all of them opted for a total closure of churches and the limitation of public worship. Although there was a series of practically "universal" measures in the case of the Spanish dioceses, regarding the total closure of temples and limitation of public worship, not all opted for the same solution: there were places where the closure of parishes was advised and others where, following the required sanitary measures, it continued to be possible to attend Holy Mass, for example.
A conjuncture that combines two instances: the civil and the religious and that has led to some bewilderment on the part of some of the faithful who have wondered to what extent, in a free and democratic society, a civil authority can decide on religious practice.
The pandemic continues to be present in our lives and, as a consequence, we continue to experience partial confinements, area closures, etc. This leads us to ask ourselves, will we see churches closed again? With these questions on the table, we spoke with Rafael Palomino, Professor of Ecclesiastical Law at the Complutense University of Madrid, to find out what can and cannot be demanded in conditions that already alter and condition the normal parameters on which our social and, therefore, religious life is based.
Some people claim that the pandemic has been a "perfect excuse" to limit freedom of worship or even prohibit attendance to churches by the civil government. To what extent is this claim true? Can a civil government establish limits in areas such as churches? Has religious freedom been violated at any time with a health "excuse"?
-A statement such as the pandemic has been an excuse to limit freedom of worship needs to be contrasted or proven with certain data. I do not have data that allow me to say that this statement is true or false. Yes, I have been able to verify that, inside and outside Spain, there have been punctual actions of the public authority that have supposed an illegal limitation of the fundamental right of religious freedom. These actions must be denounced. It is equally true that the public authority can limit fundamental rights: there are no unlimited rights. But limitations must be proportionate, suitable, necessary to the end pursued. In this case, proportionate to the purpose of preserving public health. And of course, what does not legitimize the pandemic is the suppression of the fundamental right to religious freedom, not even under the declaration of a state of alarm.
In the case of Spain, especially in the early stages of the pandemic, the decisions of the bishops regarding the total closure of the churches were not the same in all the dioceses: some closed completely, others maintained worship with the established limitations if the parish priests so decided... etc. This led to certain confusions between what could and could not be "demanded" in the field of attendance to religious worship. What can and cannot be carried out? Is it always better, for the faithful, to abide by the decisions of a civil government even if they consider them unjust or disproportionate?
-It is normal that the decisions of the Spanish bishops have not been exactly the same, uniform. The incidence of the virus is not identical throughout the national territory, the situation of the Community of Madrid is not the same as that of Cantabria or Melilla, to give a few well-known examples. What can be demanded or not from the ecclesiastical authorities, from the bishops, from the parish priests? It seems to me that the starting point is similar to the one that arises in the secular sphere. Let us look at it. According to canon 213 of the Code of Canon Law - the basic and supreme norm governing the Catholic Church - the Christian faithful have the right to receive spiritual goods, principally the word of God and the sacraments. This is a true fundamental right, not a toast to the sun, something necessary for the faithful. Let us remember that, as we said before, there are no unlimited rights: neither is this one. But the limitation (not suppression, which would be very serious) of the right to the reception of spiritual goods must be adopted with the prudence proper to good authority, that is, in a proportionate, suitable and necessary manner, complying with the normative requirements of civil authority, of course, but not guided only by criteria of convenience or opportunity.
We cannot reduce God to a telephone or television screen: the Word of God became flesh, not a screen, you know what I mean: as far as possible, with prudence, the goods of salvation must reach people and people must reach the house of God also in body, because we are not only spirit, much less are we an image on a screen.
On the other hand, the faithful must comply with all the legitimate prescriptions of the civil authority (even if we do not like the persons who at a given moment occupy public office) even when they disagree or consider - we all have an alternative ruler inside us - that things can be done better, much better. And if it is seriously considered that the decisions of the authority are unjust or disproportionate, what corresponds to the conduct of a faithful Christian who, being a Christian, is a good citizen (or wants to be one) is to challenge those administrative decisions before the courts of justice.
In this so-called "second wave", in which the measures are somewhat less restrictive, we observe, however, situations such as that of last September in Ibiza, where the civil government decreed "the suppression of the activity of worship", while at the same time allowing the opening and attendance to places of greater concurrence. Legally, can this type of attitudes be sustained or, on the contrary, is it necessary, and consequently, to appeal them?
-The suppression of worship activities by the public authority is a contradiction in terms, it is a nonsense, it is a paradigm of arbitrariness. The civil authority cannot, because of states of alarm, suppress acts of worship. It is totally out of its competence. What it can do is to limit proportionally the capacity of places of worship or to establish measures in favor of public safety or health.
It is true that the public authority has reasoned, more often than not, with materialistic criteria, which has led it to consider that "essential services" for the population can only be, practically, two things: shopping in a supermarket and being cured in a hospital. And this is a mistake that ignores the root of the fundamental rights of the person and the spiritual nature of the human being. Legally, these decisions, norms or administrative resolutions are contrary to law: they must be appealed, but not only for their own benefit, as the expression goes, but also to remind the public authorities that the fundamental rights of the person limit their arbitrariness.
Vincenzo Buonomo: "Education as part of a universal solidarity".
On October 15, the Global Compact on Education at the Pontifical Lateran University. Palabra has interviewed the Rector of the University, Vincenzo Buonomo, Vatican advisor.
The rector of the Lateran University, Vincenzo Buonomo, offered us some reflections on this initiative for education, which is so important to Pope Francis and which we have presented in the previous pages.
Rector Buonomo, as an educator, what challenges you most about the Global Compact?
-The Pope's desire is to build a "global village of education" capable above all of constituting a network of relationships and dialogue between the various educational bodies: the family, the school, the Church, the university, politics and institutions.
As educators, the Pact requires us to develop a vision that sees education as part of a universal solidarity and to assume a dual responsibility: to make training places capable of educating, and not just providing concepts, and to build a culture of integral education that overcomes the fragmentation and counterpointing of knowledge, restoring full confidence in research as the basis of teaching.
Professor, the Pope speaks of an "educational catastrophe" also as a consequence of the pandemic. How to face this growing scenario of social gap and cultural inequality?
-I will borrow the image evoked by the Pope in the recent Encyclical Brothers AllThe stranger in the street. Everyone avoids him, out of convenience, distrust or indifference. The Samaritan - who, curiously enough, is also a "stranger" because of his context - stops and does his part, that is, acts. It would be easy to say that it is a matter of lived charity or philanthropy or compassion, when, in fact, we are dealing with a choice, that of acting in a concrete situation, without a motivation: it is the idea of gratuitousness, which is the continuation of solidarity.
In this way, the educational instances must operate by "taking charge" of reality, following effective therapies for each diagnosis. In this path, the University assumes an important responsibility.
Despite covid19, the planning of initiatives linked to the Pact has not been interrupted; the theme of peace and citizenship has been entrusted to the Lateranense. How do you plan to develop it?
-First of all, as an institution of the Holy See, we initiated a collaboration, following the indications of the Congregation for Catholic Education, with the United Nations University for PeaceThe UN is a UN agency for the training of personnel in the service of peace missions and conflict prevention and resolution activities.
Following the signing of an agreement between the two university institutions on October 31, 2019, a first research path on the themes of the "diplomacy of art" was launched. Subsequently, the deepening and study of the positions of the Church's magisterium on peace, one hundred years after the first encyclical on the subject, began, Pacem dei munus of Benedict XV. A research oriented to understand the comparison, the sequel and the effects of the studies and teachings on peace, on the juridical-political processes at the international level and on the process of institutionalization of the international community for the prevention, regulation and resolution of conflicts.
Since 2018, a Cycle of studies on these fields has been taught at your University. Who is it aimed at and what are the perspectives from a pastoral and professional point of view?
-The training course (diploma and degree) was established in 2018 by Pope Francis with the aim of training international officials and mediators, future diplomats, peacemaking experts, operators in post-conflict scenarios, those responsible for the Third Sector, pastors and religious who live their ministry in war scenarios.
On the academic side, this means the study of theories and intervention tools to ensure the affirmation of a culture of peace that is the result of the convergence of means, elements, methods, notions and theories to prevent and resolve conflicts.
We believe that this academic proposal, which is structured on the so-called peace sciencescan help the younger generations to understand that peace is not only or the opposite of the absence of war, but the fruit of effective processes, of "artisanal transformations carried out by villages". (you remember Brothers All), in which everyone is called to give proof of selfless love, responsibility and efficiency.
To be "weavers of fraternity", to have the ability to "mend" relationships without damaging the seams of the soul is key to any Christian vocation.
November 1, 2020-Reading time: < 1minute
For the World Mission Sunday celebrated on October 18, Pope Francis stressed the importance of being "fraternity weavers".. At the Angelus that day he said: "It is a beautiful word, 'weavers'. All Christians are called to be weavers of fraternity. In a special way, missionaries - priests, consecrated men and women and lay people - who sow the Gospel in the great field of the world. Let us pray for them and give them our concrete support".
Entire civilizations have based their way on the ability to know how to weave, in the sense of knowing how to mend, repair or readjust objects to prolong their functioning or to build others. New bronze statues from the casting of other statues, Christian churches from pagan temples, new cities from old cities. Today this is no longer the case because, from an economic point of view, it is often not convenient: how many times have we been told that the cost of the repair is higher than the cost of the new object.
The relationship, however, often requires the art of knowing how to weave by mending. This is true for everyone, not only for missionaries. If we do not know the value of restoring and mending a broken one, we are condemned to affective isolation.
It is important to understand that, in the process of breaking and mending, of crisis and overcoming, which concern a vocation, whatever it may be, mending does not spoil but improves. Mending a tear is like making a beautiful embroidery, precious, attentive, tidy, but which, unlike embroidery, will be appreciated not when it is seen, but precisely because no one will see it. Some tailors carry the inscription: "We make invisible patches", and place their pride precisely in knowing how to repair with a light hand so that no one notices. This is something that each of us must learn for our lives.
This time we leave Spain and look beyond our country, to approach the music and Catholic worship musicians internationally. We have a great journey to share and a great adventure, aware that there are many Catholic singers and we will not be able to mention them all.
The Beloved produces love-November 1, 2020-Reading time: 5minutes
We have a great journey to share and a great adventure, aware that there are so many Catholic singers that we will not be able to mention them all.
Great people
have paved the way in this genre, enlightened by the Spirit, with a special anointing.
anointing. We reconnect here with King David, with the Lord's anointed.
Dominican Republic
In this line we would like to open this journey with Jon Carlo, from Dominican Republic. It is said of Jon that "his parents didn't know what to do with their son." when he went to jail in the early 90s. Based in New York, they did not imagine in 1993 that, after a charismatic retreat, he would come out in love with Jesus Christ. In 2013 he made his presentation at the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, and in some moments, such as the Vigil with the Pope, also at the WYD in Panama (2019).
Singer, songwriter and producer, Jon has 2 albums in his career: My greatest passion y You are strongerHe is also involved in other productions. Jon is very active in the Latino culture. He lives in Mc Allen, Texas.
Worship and praise have a woman's voice: Celines,also dominicanShe leaves us captivated with her soft voice.
We are moved by his own words: "To give the best to God is not to give much, but to give with much love all that you have, even if it is little. When God inspired me with this Word, I was thinking of the offering of the poor widow (Mark 12:41-44). It seemed that this humble woman had given very little. However, Jesus knew that she had given with great love and generosity, ALL that she had. This was what touched his heart. Surely her offering went unnoticed by many, but not by Jesus. For, as the Word says, God does not look at what is seen. God looks at the heart (1 Samuel, 16-7)".
Celinés gives us Jesus in her voice, with her capacity to welcome Him and give Him to us live with her charisma of adoration and praise. We would like to mention her presence in Open sky, one of the most important worship gatherings, which brings together a multitude of singers in Mexico.
Continuing in this line, we do not want to leave out other women such as Esther Hernández, Dominican composeror guitarists such as Liana PolancoThe "The Worship and Praise" program, which accompanies many of them in their moments of adoration and praise or in their productions.
Lately it stands out Kairy Marquez, who resides in Atlanta, USA. As a youth, she was part of the Youth Ministry at the Catholic Charismatic Center in the Bronx, serving as a youth retreat server. Her album Fly was produced by Jon Carlo, who gave her wings as Director of Praise on tour: "I bring music from God.".
Argentina
We continue traveling and on this route we stop in Argentina, where we are from. Kiki Troiasinger, composer and producer. Many know him for having traveled thousands of stages and moments of prayer with the well known catholic singer-songwriter. Martin Valverde. We see them intertwined in a long history of mission, Argentina-Mexico.
Kiki Troia's solo adventure has also been going on for many years, but recently he has delighted us with an album through his Facebook livewhere he gave us wonderful songs that bring us closer to God. Kiki is also known as a producer or pianist of some projects of Spanish catholic singers, such as Friar Nacho in their first albums, or Nico Montero, o Mary's Candlewho chose the piano of this arranger for the song From Mary: The Embrace; which closes the recording of the missionary project on the Rosary.
As for Martin Valverde, we have seen him travel to hundreds of countries with his testimony and his songs, which have helped us to grow, worship and pray; you will remember that mythical song: No one loves you like I do, or his first verses: "How long I've waited for this moment, how long I've waited for you to be like this...". We thank them both for their joint ministry.
From Argentina comes another woman, Athenasproduced by Jonatán Narváez, who has directed the projects of many Catholic musicians in Spain: Marcelo Olima based in Almería, Roberto Vega, Luis Alfredo Díaz, Migueli, Beatriz Elamado, and artists from other countries such as Querubines, Cristina Plancher, Daniel Poli, Carlos Seoane, Father Juan Andrés Barrera, Marcela Gael, etc. We invite you to approach all these Catholic singers, to dive into their melodies and experiences of God.
Athenas has 3 albums in its musical career: Christ Queen, Your grace is sufficient for me and everything is yours.. Together with her husband Tobias Buteler at the piano, are the visible face of a group of brothers who put their faith and talent at the service of evangelization, to bring young people to Jesus through their simple songs.
Peru, Canada, United States...
And in this journey, we came across a surprising fact, the musical group of Servants of Perua congregation of young people of Marian spirituality born in 1998 with young people from several Latin American countries. Their habits attract attention on stage or in videos. In this line of religious life began the well-known Chilean singer Hermana Glendaof which we know its mythical songs, such as Because I am afraid, and so many more. She has given thousands of prayer concerts all over the world. But we have talked about her in the first article about worship music in Spain, where she currently resides.
From Canada we received Matt Maher, although he moved to Arizona with his mother. He started in music and received a scholarship from the Arizona State University Jazz Department; he majored in jazz piano. He began attending St. Timothy Catholic Community in Mesa, Arizona. The meeting with Rich Mullins and Ivorya hotel pianist, helped him focus on making music for Christ.
When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States in April 2008, Maher led the musical worship before crowds of thousands of people at the Youth Rallyin Yonkers, New York. We saw him kneeling with his guitar at the Copacabana Vigil at WYD 2013 in Rio, presided over by Pope Francis.
The song that took everyone's breath away was Lord I Need YouThe only thing we need is a guitar and a voice to get us into the heart of Christ, poor, humble, crucified and resurrected. Since he signed with Essential Records has a long series of recorded Cd's.
We continue to meet people who take us with the talent of music to the service of prayer and worship; we meet with John Michael Talbot, Franciscan, a U.S. national and founder of the monastic community The Brothers and Sisters of Charity in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. With a discography of more than 40 cd's, his music is peculiar and undoubtedly brings us closer to Jesus from other perspectives.
We mention a few more singers who preach with their voice, their music, the Word of God and the God of Life, the only one who has the last word.
music, the Word of God and the God of Life, the only one who has the last Word on the
Word on each person's life story: Alonso Sanabria (Costa Rica), Marco Lopez (Chile), Saily (Cuba), Alonso Sanabria (Costa Rica)
Marco Lopez (Chile), Saily (Cuba),
the group Alfareros (Dominican Republic), Pablo Martínez (Argentina) and so many others
who at the international level continue to kneel before our Jesus,
companion of the road and fatigues, of joys and consolations. Undoubtedly, He is the
the driving force.
As St. Francis of Assisi used to say: "Therefore
Therefore withhold nothing of yourselves, that he who is offered to you may receive you whole.
all whole who is offered to you all whole"..
May it be so in every heart of international and national Catholic musicians!
national!
Reading the text of the encyclical Fratelli tutti Pope Francis, I was struck by three words in particular.
The first is the complexityThe Pope Francis enters into this concept: not understood in a mechanical sense, but as a series of phenomena that concern mankind. complexity that characterizes man by examining all the issues and implications that have to do with the life of each one of us and our relationship with the life of others.
The second word is actionWe must take care of it! Each one of us, with our competences and according to our responsibilities, must try to to give light to this world full of situations that need to be reviewed and updated. This actionin my opinion, is about community (governments and nations must do this) and individual responsibility. to which every individual of good will is called. On the other hand, this is the meaning of the encyclical: a circular letter that is not only for the Church, but is addressed to all those who look at the world with perspective.
The third word is dreamDream with hope, we can do it!
Common good
This encyclical is an excellent vademecum that sums up the Church's vision of the common good. It is no coincidence that it is labeled "social", because summarizes the Social Doctrine of the Church with references also to earlier Magisterium (Deus caritas est of Benedict XVI and Centesimus Annus of John Paul II) and in continuity with the latter. I would advise everyone, both heads of state and government and all citizens, to read it; not so much as a matter of adherence to the principles of faith, but rather by the desire to build a better society.
Communication and dialogue
To quote John Paul II, if I had to summarize in one title the Fratelli Tutti, would use his famous expression addressed to Roman citizens: Damose da fa' ("Let's get going" in Roman dialect). It is a call to action, because the world is succumbing to so many situations and it is up to us to change it: let's get moving!
Already in the Christus vivitdedicated to young people, Pope Francis invites us not to reduce communication to a tool, but rather to make ourselves communicationbecause deep down we are.
This encyclical outlines, in my view, the element of the dialogue. There is a revolution of intention with respect to this word: dialogue also takes into account what the other has to say and what can help me to better understand the world. This is a fundamental aspect, which should encourage us to to initiate these paths of relationship with others and at the same time overcome all the bad uses of the network: avoid monologues by seeking from the other something useful for me and for society as a whole.
The Gospel proposes a key word: love. Love, not understood as pure sentimentality, but as a to be a neighbor to those close to us as well as to those who live in situations far from our comfort zone. This is the key to changing the world: the Church has been teaching this for 2000 years and in this encyclical the method is offered in the second chapter with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
We must care for those to whom we would not give credit in the first place.This is what the Good Samaritan does.
(You can also read here the analysis by Ramiro Pellitero of the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti that we offered on the day of its publication).
At noon today, Friday, October 30, 2020, the Holy See has made public the appointment of Fernando Valera Sánchez as bishop of Zamora . Pope Francis has appointed this 60-year-old priest from Murcia, until now the spiritual director of the major seminary of San Fulgencio and the minor seminary of San José in the diocese of Cartagena.
The see of Zamora was vacant after the death of Msgr. Gregorio Martínez SacristánSeptember 20, 2019. He is at the head of the diocese, as diocesan administrator, José Francisco Matías Sampedro.
Fernando Valera Sánchez
A native of Bullas, a town in Murcia where he was born on March 7, 1960. In 1977, he entered the San Fulgencio Seminary of the Diocese of Cartagena, then in Granada, and completed his ecclesiastical studies at the Faculty of Theology in Granada. On April 3, 1983, he was ordained deacon in the city of Murcia and received priestly ordination on September 18, 1983, in his hometown.
In 1987 he obtained a degree in Philosophy from the University of Murcia, where he also completed a doctorate program. Reason, discourse and history in contemporary philosophy.. In 1995 he obtained a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical University of Comillas and in 2001 a Doctorate in Theology from the same university.
He has several published works: In the midst of the world. Secular spirituality of the diocesan priest. y The Holy Spirit and the life of the presbyter as well as other collaborations in congresses and various articles in specialized magazines. In his 37 years of priestly life he has carried out various pastoral and academic assignments and activities. In his teaching work he has been Professor of Scientific Methodology and has taught the subjects of Sacraments at the service of the community y Pneumatology. Since 2007 he was Professor of Pneumatology as a key to understanding Fundamental Theology of the Theological Institute of Murcia OFM, a center attached to the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University Antonianum of Rome. Professor of Spiritual Theology, Sacrament of Holy Orders and Matrimony at the Instituto Superior de Ciencias Religiosas San Dámaso, in its distance learning section in Murcia.
His pastoral assignments have been numerous and he also spent a year in the Highlands of Bolivia as a missionary priest. fidei donum.
At present, he was Spiritual Director of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family, of diocesan right, Spiritual Director of the Major Seminary of San Fulgencio and the Minor Seminary of San José. Member of the College of Consultors of the Diocese of Cartagena and Canon of the Holy Church Cathedral of Murcia.
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Pope Francis has sent a letter to Secretary of State Card. Parolin on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the European Union and the 50th anniversary of the Holy See's presence as Permanent Observer to the Council of Europe.
Three anniversaries that coincide in time and are the basis of the current situation of the Holy See in Europe. On this triple occasion, the Pope Francis wanted to reflect on the Europe's significance in the world and the importance of its historyThe company's roots and, above all, the work for the future at a time of uncertainty such as the one the whole world is going through.
Europe's Christian roots
The Pope has defended Christian identity undeniable, including in the shaping of the various initiatives of European unity and wanted to take up the words that "St. John Paul II spoke at the European Act in Santiago de Compostela: Europa, "find yourself again. Be yourself"." because, as the Holy Father wanted to emphasize, "In a time of sudden change, there is a risk of losing one's identity, especially when the shared values on which society is founded disappear"..
Pope Francis has made specific reference to these values by appealing to the "millenary history, which is an open window to the future."and has launched an appeal not to betray "your longing for truth, which since ancient Greece embraced the earth, bringing to light the deepest questions of every human being; of your thirst for justice, which developed with Roman law and, with the passage of time, became respect for every human being and for his rights; of your desire for eternity, enriched by the encounter with the Judeo-Christian tradition, which is reflected in your heritage of faith, art and culture.".
Defense of life
The Pope has been very clear on the Europe that he "dreams" for the future by launching a meridian defense of life in all its stagesfor Europe to be . "A land where the dignity of all is respected, where the person is a value in itself and not the object of an economic calculation or a commodity. A land that cares for life in all its stages, from the moment it emerges invisible in the womb to its natural end". Nor has he left behind the importance of the family, close and common, in the sense of a community: a "family of peoples, distinct from one another, but nevertheless united by a common history and a common destiny.". In this line, as he has been doing repeatedly in his last interventions, he reminded that "the pandemic, have shown that no one can make it on their own.".
Land of hospitality and solidarity
This concept of a common family, the Pope emphasized, is to be reflected in solidarity as "fundamental expression of every community "that "demands that each take care of the other". individualism that often prevails. In a special way he wanted to emphasize "the many fears that are present in our societies today, among which I cannot hide the mistrust of migrants". recalling that "the necessary reception of migrants cannot be limited to simple operations of assistance to those who arrive, often escaping from conflicts, famine or natural disasters, but must allow their integration so that they can "know, respect and also assimilate the culture and traditions of the nation that welcomes them.".
Secularism, not secularism
Starting from this pluralistic understanding of European society, Pope Francis has taken up the idea of his predecessors with one of the clearest statements of recent years in this regard: the hope that Europe will be a land of "a healthy secularity, where God and Caesar are distinct but not opposed to each other. A land open to transcendence, where believers are free to publicly profess their faith and to propose their own point of view in society. The times of confessionalism are over, but - it is hoped - also that of a certain secularism that closes the doors to others and above all to God, because it is clear that a culture or a political system that does not respect openness to transcendence, does not adequately respect the human person.".
Pope Francis announced, at the end of this Sunday's Angelus, the creation of 13 new cardinals at the Consistory to be held on November 28, among them 4 over 80 years of age. This is the seventh Consistory since he was elected. The The number of cardinals he has created will thus rise to 101, of whom 79 are electors and 22 are non-electors, from almost 60 different nations.
The new cardinals will be, in order:
Mario Grech (Malta), Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops;
Marcello Semeraro (Italy), Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints;
Antoine Kambanda (Rwanda), Archbishop of Kigali;
Wilton Daniel Gregory (United States), Archbishop of Washington;
José Fuerte Advincula (Philippines), Archbishop of Capiz;
Celestino Aós (Chile), Archbishop of Santiago de Chile;
Cornelius Sim (Brunei), Vicar Apostolic;
Augusto Paolo Logiudice (Italy), Archbishop of Siena-Colle Val d'Elsa-Montelcino;
Mauro Gambetti (Italy), Guardian of the Franciscan Community of Assisi.
Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel (Mexico), bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas;
Silvano Maria Tommasi (Italy), Apostolic Nuncio;
Friar Raniero Cantalamessa (Italy), Preacher of the Pontifical Household;
Enrico Feroci (Italy), parish priest of Santa Maria del Divino Amore in Castel di Leva.
On this occasion too, Pope Francis' election confirms the "logic of the peripheries" that has always characterized previous consistories, favoring nations of the world that are often "not news". which has always characterized previous consistories, favoring nations of the world that often "are not news". On this occasion the "fiduciary choices" are also striking, we could say, which refer to personalities who have given their lives for the Church in their ministry, such as the preacher Friar Raniero Cantalamessa, Nuncio Tommasi and the pastor of the Marian shrine in the outskirts of Rome to whom the Romans are so devoted, Enrico Feroci.
Finally, it is worth noting the "Franciscan option": three of the thirteen elected belong to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and Conventual Friars of St. Francis of Assisi: Aós, Cantalamessa and Gambetti.
This decree states that plenary indulgences for the faithful departed will be extended for the entire month of November, with a series of modifications in the usual way of obtaining this indulgence in order to safeguard the security measures of the faithful at all times.
A large number of requests
The Decree alludes to the numerous requests from priests and pastors to the Apostolic Penitentiary that this year, because of the "covid-19" epidemic, pious works be commuted in order to obtain the plenary indulgences applicable to the souls in purgatory.
For this reason, the Apostolic Penitentiary, by special mandate of His Holiness Pope Francis, has established a series of facilities to obtain these indulgences and avoid crowds in cemeteries and other places of worship:
Plenary indulgence for those who visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased even if only mentally, established as a rule only on specific days from November 1 to 8, may be moved to other days of the same month until the end of the month.. These days, freely chosen by the faithful, can also be independent of each other.
The plenary indulgence of November 2, established on the occasion of the commemoration of All the Faithful Departed for those who piously visit a church or oratory and recite there the "Our Father" and the "Creed", can be transferred not only to the preceding or following Sunday or to the day of the Solemnity of All Saints, but also to another day of the month of November, freely chosen by each of the faithful.
Spiritual union for those who cannot leave
The elderly, the sick and all those who for serious reasons cannot leave their homefor example because of restrictions imposed by the competent authority for the time of the pandemic, may obtain the plenary indulgence provided they are spiritually united with all the other faithful, completely detached from sin and with the intention of fulfilling as soon as possible the three usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father), before an image of Jesus or of the Blessed Virgin Mary, say the following prayers The pious prayers for the deceased, for example, lauds and vespers of the Office of the Dead, the Marian rosary, the crown of Divine Mercy, other prayers for the deceased that are dearer to the faithful, or the devote themselves to a meditative reading of one of the Gospel passages proposed by the liturgy of the dead, or perform a work of mercy by offering to God the pains and difficulties of their own lives.
Facilitate Confession and Holy Mass
The decree further calls on priests with appropriate faculties to "to offer themselves with particular generosity to the celebration of the sacrament of Penance and to administer Holy Communion to the sick and recalls that with regard to the spiritual conditions for the full attainment of the indulgence it is necessary to have recourse to the indications already given in the note "On the sacrament of penance in the current pandemic situation", issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary on March 19, 2020″.
Finally, the document signed on October 22, 2020, the memorial of St. John Paul II, is noteworthy "since the souls in Purgatory are helped by the suffrages of the faithful and especially by the sacrifice of the altar pleasing to God (cf. Conc. Tr. Sess. XXV, Decr. De Purgatorio), all priests are earnestly invited to celebrate Holy Mass three times on the day of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution "Incruentum Altaris", promulgated by Pope Benedict XV, of venerable memory, on August 10, 1915″.
The Spanish bishops propose the possibility of an itinerary, in primary and secondary education, related to the personal dimension that includes, in a dignified manner, the learning of Catholic Religion.
Include an educational itinerary related to the most personal, human and transcendental dimension. of the person in which the subject of Catholic Religion has its place.. This is the proposal that, from the Episcopal Commission for Education and Culture of the Spanish Episcopal Conference The aim is to initiate a dialogue, so far unsuccessful, in order to provide a dignified and necessary framework for Catholic religious education in the educational legislation.
This was explained by the Secretary General of the EEC, Msgr. Luis Argüello, together with the president of the Episcopal Commission for Education and Culture, Bishop Alfonso Carrasco, at a press conference with media professionals this morning.
In the wake of Pope Francis
The Global Education Pact Pope Francis has been the framework in which this proposal has been launched to those responsible for education in the Spanish Government whose Organic Law for the modification of the LOE (LOMLOE) does not include, among its proposals, a comprehensive, real and fair vision of the Catholic religion subject, freedom of choice of the educational model for families or equal conditions for the creation of private and public schools.
In this regard, Bishop Argüello recalled that "The CEE and its teaching commission are responsible for everything that has to do with the Religion class in the school, but not only that, but also for everything that has to do with humanization, the promotion of human values, everything that means putting the person at the center".. In relation to the positive assessment of various politicians in relation to the encyclical Fratelli TuttiArgüello recalled that in this text, the Pope "insists that all the dimensions of the person express his dignity: also the transcendent dimension. To be able to teach in school to students and families who so desire the doctrine of the Church, the biblical tradition or the Gospel of Jesus where fraternal love is spoken of, seems to us something valuable.".
A specific itinerary that includes religion
For its part, Bishop Alfonso Carrasco Rouco, has directly referred to the proposal they want to put on the table for dialogue with the government. "we propose to integrate a field in primary and secondary education, related to the personal, transcendent dimension... just as there is a field of natural sciences". In this line, he has defended that this space is "necessary for an integral education. There is no sense in a purely utilitarian education"..
The Bishop of Lugo has specified that the idea is not exclusive, it is not a question of eliminating one or another subject of Civic Values or similar, but to frame, within a single space, the subject of Civic Values. "education in moral values, in respect for the conscience, identity and tradition of children".. This underlies the right of parents to decide on the education of their children, since this tradition and identity is generally given by the family environment.
"The child has the right to know his world", Carrasco pointed out, that is why there must be different ways, "there can be no single format that forces everyone to be educated as the authority thinks.". For this reason, he has pointed out at various times "The modalities can be varied, appropriate to the identity of the people and one of them must be Catholic", to which he added the need for shared guidelines "referring to the elementary human values on which our society is built: the relationship with nature, the treatment of others, equality between men and women, justice, openness to the needy"?
With this proposal, the bishops intend to resume the dialogue in order to open ways to place the learning of Catholic Religion and the knowledge of the transcendental dimension of the human being within the educational curriculum.
Civil cohabitation between homosexuals: what the Pope said and what he did not say
The media all over the world have broadcast some phrases of the Pope that have been understood as an approval of marriages between homosexual persons, or of comparable civil unions. Is this so? As in other similar situations, to find out, it is necessary to go beyond the headlines and the brief information that does not add nuances or mention the exact tenor of his words.
Juan Portela-October 22, 2020-Reading time: 3minutes
This information refers to a documentary on Francis that collects opinions of the Pope on several very disparate topics, many of them taken from previous occasions. This is the case with the interview the Pope gave in May 2019 to Valentina Alazraki, Televisa's correspondent in Rome, and his question on "whether a homosexual couple can bring their children to church". The version offered by the documentary some fragments of Pope Francis' answer is: "Homosexual people have the right to be in the family, they are children of God, they have the right to a family. No one can be kicked out of the family, nor make life impossible for them because of that. What we have to do is a law of civil cohabitation. They have the right to be legally covered"..
These sentences seem to contain a tight allusion to the question raised, but also to the possibility of homosexual children in a family (with their right not to be thrown out of the family because of their homosexual condition)... and an opinion about the convenience of a civil legislation guaranteeing certain rights to those in a homosexual union.
Now, as it has been learned, the documentary at this point does not respond to the answer given by Televisa, but has "edited" it, as, by the way, it was already edited at the time by the Holy See. The result is that what the Pope answered about the way to treat a possible homosexual child appears as the claim of a family and a legal union (some may have understood that also "matrimonial") for people of the same sex. The sequence of the argument has been disrupted.
Regarding the proposal that they be granted certain forms of civil protection, the Pope's last sentence then adds: "I defended that.". This was precisely the case when in his country he opposed the law for gay marriage, asking for the introduction of certain legal protection as an alternative. Therefore, there is no equivalence between marriage and same-sex unions.
Change of doctrine?
So, has there been a change in the Church's doctrine on homosexuality? We solve it by reading two brief but decisive texts.
The first is point 2358 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, regarding the treatment of homosexual persons: "An appreciable number of men and women present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies. This inclination, objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a real trial. They must be received with respect, compassion and gentleness. All signs of unjust discrimination should be avoided in their regard. These people are called to carry out the will of God in their lives, and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the cross of the Lord the difficulties they may encounter because of their condition". Therefore, they must be treated with respect for their dignity.
The second is number 251of Amoris laetitia, Pope Francis does not intend to approve homosexual unions: "There is no basis for assimilating or drawing even remote analogies between homosexual unions and God's design for marriage and the family [...] It is unacceptable that local churches are under pressure in this matter and that international agencies make financial aid to poor countries conditional on the introduction of laws instituting same-sex "marriage"."
Pointing out the need for legal coverage of certain aspects does not imply approving these unions or considering them morally good; the Pope thus does not speak of "marriage", but of a law of "cohabitation", which is on another level. Already in 2014, an interviewer asked the Pope this question: "Many countries regulated civil union. It is a path that the Church can understand, but to what extent?". The Pope's answer was: "Marriage is between a man and a woman. The secular States want to justify the civil union to regulate various situations of cohabitation, driven by the need to regulate economic aspects between people, such as, for example, social work. It is necessary to look at each case and evaluate them in their diversity"..
For 27 years, Caritas has been highlighting the reality of homelessness during these days. A situation that affects more than 40,000 people and against which we are invited to raise our voices because, as this year's slogan highlights: "Homelessness kills. And what do you say? Say enough. Nobody Homeless".
They are called Ana y Jorge Ivan... but also Manuela, Pepe, Rosa or Yaiza... because each person living on the street has a name, a story, a process, sometimes unexpected, that has led them to be left without the most basic elements of a dignified life: a roof under which to shelter, a place to return to, a home.
This year, the homelessness campaign powered by Spanish Caritas is marked by the coronavirus pandemic in two ways: the impossibility of carrying out the actions of the campaign and the very serious impact that the pandemic has on the economy and that is taking its toll, in a particularly cruel way, on the people who have the least. "Homelessness kills".This year's motto states that homelessness leads to the death of people in extreme cases, but always kills the dignity, hopes and dreams of all those who suffer from it.
How does a person come to live on the street?
The answer is not unique but, as Jorge Ivanone of the homeless people Caritas serves, "ending up on the street is easy"simpler than we may think at first. "I saw myself on the street overnight".he adds. He is right, according to data from the VIII Foessa Report on Social Exclusion and Development in Spain, 2.1 million people suffer from insecure housing situations
The story of this almost 53-year-old Colombian is marked by the successive labor and economic crises in our country, where he arrived in 2003, fleeing the social and economic situation in Colombia. Although at the beginning, he recognizes, "had a hard time finding work"After a while, he began to run several call shops, owned by a friend. The problems started around 2010, with the closure of these call shops. From time to time he would get some work, but it was already very difficult for him so that, little by little, these small jobs disappeared. Then, unable to meet the expenses, Jorge Iván went to live with some friends. "I was very well with them, for about two or three years, until they were also very bad, they became unemployed and had to give up the apartment. I was left with no place to go.". Through a friend, she contacted Cáritas, where she was "I was very well taken care of and was welcomed the next day.". Between one thing and the other, he spent more than two weeks on the street "it is difficult" he stresses. "I had never lived that experience before. You don't know what to do or where to go. All I could think about was getting out of that situation..
Hit by the pandemic
This mental block was also suffered by Anawho found himself without a house to live in, "for trusting the wrong people" as she says, and whose situation became untenable in March, with the outbreak of the coronavirus. Although she earns a minimal rent (less than 400 €), she has also known the harshness of the street. For a time she lived in a rented room at an acquaintance's house, "But I had a problem with the person with whom she had a relationship and she threw me out and took my things; from then on everything went downhill, I asked for help, but there was always a problem: either my age, or that I was not eligible for another one because I had a minimum income or because of my dog".. Slept in bus and train stations, "but with the coronavirus they wouldn't let us sleep inside anymore and they kicked us all out." She was lucky enough to be hosted from March to July in the shelter of an NGO, but that ended and she found herself on the street where she had to live for the rest of her life. "you can't go to the bathroom, eating is complicated because they don't let you... and even less with a puppy...".
A roof and a future
Both Jorge Iván and Ana have found a way out and a hope thanks to the homeless programs of Caritas Madrid. They, and many others who have benefited from these programs, do not hide their gratitude. "Forever grateful to those who have given me this opportunity." underlines Jorge Iván, "Now I am renewing my papers to be able to find a job and study Business Administration, which has been my great desire and now I am looking forward to it"..
Ana emphasizes that "the fact that you can take a shower, sleep in a bed with sheets, eat... you can't pay for that with money." currently lives in the Juan Luis Vives municipal shelter, "very happy"but adds "I want to apply for a supervised apartment so that I can live with my puppy.".
Jorge Iván and Ana are just two samples of those 40,000 stories of the people that Caritas Spain is currently serving in its various programs for the homeless. Very different people and stories that are united by homelessness and of which, one more year, Caritas makes us aware in this campaign. "Homelessness kills. AND WHAT DO YOU SAY? Say enough. No One Homeless" that calls us to a necessary implication to put an end to this reality..
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
What is happening in Chile? At the gates of a constituent referendum
Marco Gambino-October 21, 2020-Reading time: 3minutes
"A shadow fell over the honor of the police. All its members knew that they were forbidden to use their weapons, but that weapons could be used against them. They knew that several of them had been badly wounded at various points in the capital. And they were expected to stand at isolated points, targets for all kinds of projectiles, while the troops stood aside and the masses became aware of the absence of the state.". Any Chilean reading this might think that it is a description of the violence unleashed on Sunday, October 18, 2020, in the so-called "Ground Zero" of Santiago. But no: they are the words with which Alexander Solzhenitsyn describes what happened in Russia, in March 1917 (cfr. "The Red Wheel"). A mere coincidence?
Pain and perplexity
Pain, perplexity, impotence: these are the feelings that the vast majority of the inhabitants of Chile experienced this Sunday, when they saw two Catholic churches desecrated and burned. The same feelings that exactly one year ago shook us when, simultaneously, several Metro stations and some temples burned, while the lumpen looted supermarkets in the outskirts of the capital. In the following days, these images were replicated in the main cities. The trigger was the increase of 30 pesos (4 cents on the dollar) in public transportation and the call of students, the extreme left and some unions to evade payment. When we were able to recover from the knock outThe phenomenon was called a "social outburst" and, according to some media reports, was due to the accumulated rage of a sense of abuse and inequality of the most dispossessed sectors of society.
We were again surprised when, in the following days, massive demonstrations -some close to or exceeding one million people- took place, of a predominantly peaceful nature. They reflected a generalized but somewhat confused discontent. Posters were raised against politicians, the pension system, male chauvinism, animal abuse, environmental pollution, highway fees... and in favor of free abortion, sex education without taboos, vegan food, homosexual marriage... Periodically, violent attacks on private and public property, looting of supermarkets, burning of university campuses... returned.
Spontaneous?
The explanation of a "spontaneous outburst" did not seem credible. Citizens began to demand that the authorities impose order. The head of the Investigative Police went so far as to declare that he had a lot of information about what happened on October 18 and that it would soon be made public. We are still waiting. A state of siege was decreed, the military took to the streets and there were intervals of calm. But the military were stationed at strategic points, without intervening, while the Carabineros police bore the brunt of the situation, confronting violent groups with an urban guerrilla organization with bare hands.
In mid-November violence broke out again, while in Parliament the political center practically disappeared. The left demanded the resignation of President Piñera. When the specter of civil war began to loom, a glimmer of hope emerged: on November 15, 2019, the political forces - excluding the Communist Party and another extreme left-wing party - signed the "Agreement for Social Peace and the New Constitution".
It was then that the silent majority learned that the first priority was a Constitution to re-found Chile. A plebiscite was set for April 2020, but Covid forced it to be postponed to October 25.
Climate of polarization
2020 has been a surrealist nightmare: pandemic, quarantine, deconfinement, return of violent demonstrations on Fridays in Plaza Baquedano. Anniversary of the "social explosion". For that day, the Teachers' College, which refused to resume classes for fear of coronavirus outbreaks, called for a march... Of course, with a mask.
And so we are: with a level of polarization not seen since the October 1988 plebiscite, which decided the end of Pinochet's military regime. With a minority, but very virulent, cocktail of anarchists-riotous gangs-narco-traffickers who are out to destroy everything in their path. Two of them became sadly famous because they put a bomb in the Basilica del Pilar in Zaragoza (they have already served their sentence in Spain and are back). On the other hand, the public forces are overwhelmed: internal and international human rights organizations do not allow them to act.
It does not seem the best climate to start a constituent process. But the Virgin of Carmen, Patroness of Chile, has taken us out of worse situations.
The authorMarco Gambino
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Pope Francis took part in the International Meeting of Prayer for Peace "No One is Saved Alone - Peace and Fraternity" promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio The event, which took place on the afternoon of October 20, brought together representatives of the world's major faiths in Rome.
The meeting, which began after 4:00 p.m., was divided into two parts. The first part focused on the prayer for peace of the various confessions. The Basilica of Santa Maria d'Aracoeli hosted the prayer of Pope Francis together with the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and representatives of the various Orthodox and Protestant churches; while Jews gathered in the Synagogue and finally, Muslims and representatives of Buddhist and Eastern religions in the Capitoline Museums.
During this prayer meeting, the pope glossed the passage from Matthew in which he narrates the crucifixion of Christ and how the evil thief throws him that challenge Save yourself!a temptation, which Francis wanted to point out "is the temptation to think only of protecting oneself or one's own group, to have only one's own problems and interests in mind, while everything else does not matter."
The Pope also wanted to warn that this selfishness of the soul ends up creating a God to suit us. "How often we want a god to our measure, rather than to become the measure of God; a god like us, rather than to become like Him. But thus, instead of the adoration of God we prefer the cult of self". On Calvary, the Holy Father pointed out, ".the great duel took place between God who came to save us and man who wants to save himself; (...) The arms of Jesus, open on the cross, mark a turning point, because God does not point the finger at anyone, but embraces everyone".
Prayer, the root of peace
After the prayer service, the various religious leaders went to Piazza del Campidoglio in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic and the Mayoress of Rome. In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Andrea Riccardi emphasized that "today we have prayed with one another because prayer is the root of peace.". Pope Francis' latest encyclical, Fratelli Tuttiand its central theme: fraternity and social friendship, was repeatedly recalled by the attendees, as Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, who wished to recall how he "The spirit of Assisi is being renewed today in Rome in a difficult time when the pandemic has highlighted our common fragility."and praised the role of religions in working for peace and solutions to crises. "the testimony of religions can help the world to emerge from resignation with confidence".
Also Bartholomew Ithe Patriarch of Constantinople, wished to emphasize, recalling the Fratelli Tutti y Laudato Si' how "to build the fraternity that leads to peace and justice, to feel familiar, we have to start by taking care of our common home in which we all find ourselves and everything created by God" (...)the great religions and their sacred texts show us a picture in which man is part of creation with all that it contains, the common home is a mirror in which our image is reflected".
The Muslim also took the floor, Mohamed Abdelsalam Abdellatif, General Secretary of the Superior Committee of the Human Fraternity, Haïm Korsia, Chief Rabbi of France, Shoten Minegishi, mBuddhist monk and a Sikh representative.
Peace, a primary task in politics
In his closing remarks in the square, Pope Francis recalled the spirit of Assisi that gave rise to this meeting of dialogue and prayer for peace among representatives of the Community of Sant'Egidio. In this sense, he recalled that that meeting enclosed "a prophetic seed" that has been maturing in encounters and ideas". and, although the current conflicts and tensions are evident, the Pope emphasized that "we must recognize the steps that have been taken in the encounter between religions and what has been worked on as brothers". which has led to developments such as the "Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Common Coexistence".
As the Pope wanted to remind us, "the commandment of peace is inscribed in the depths of religions, the diversity of religions does not justify enmity but religions are at the service of peace."for all these reasons, he emphasized "I urge believers to pray for peace, not to resign themselves to war. To put an end to war is the duty of political leaders before God. God will call to account those who have not sought peace and have fomented tensions and war.".
No one is saved alone
¿How to prevent conflicts, how to pacify warlords, how to prevent conflicts and how to pacify warlords.asked the Pope "No people can achieve peace on its own. The lesson of the pandemic is to be a community that sails a common boat where the evil of one harms all, no one is saved alone."concluded the Holy Father.
After the Pope's words, those present observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the pandemic and of all wars, followed by the reading of the manifesto for peace. A manifesto that the religious leaders symbolically gave to a group of children of various nationalities and religions and they gave it to others present. The meeting ended with the symbolic gesture of lighting the candelabra of peace and the signing of the manifesto by the various religious representatives.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies such as cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting, or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The storage or technical access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The storage or technical access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
Technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.Storage or technical access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a request, voluntary compliance by your Internet service provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved solely for this purpose cannot be used to identify you.
Marketing
The storage or technical access is necessary to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or multiple websites for similar marketing purposes.
Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957): 75 years after receiving the Nobel Prize
