The phrase is from St. Paul's famous hymn to charity and it serves me to speak today of a wonderful and exceptional love story, one of those that last forever: 75 years to be exact. The celebration of this brilliant wedding will have its culminating moment this July 1, at 6:30 p.m., during a Mass presided over by Cardinal Osoro in the Almudena.
But don't be fooled, there will be no renewal of wedding vows, no giving of rings and no prayer over the spouses, because this love story is not between two people as you may be thinking.
Allow me a parenthesis to reflect on how the abuse of the word love in our language to refer to the romantic union between two people has greatly devalued its meaning. The decline is directly proportional to the fragility of such unions. With 100,000 divorces a year and increasingly ephemeral relationships, it can be said that lifelong love is, to say the least, a rarity. And that's a shame, because most would want love to last forever. That is why the 13th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, which has served as the title of this article, is one of the most frequently proclaimed readings at religious and civil wedding ceremonies, and why Pope Francis himself, in his exhortation on love in the family Amoris Laetitia, puts it as a model of true love. It is beautiful to hear, but difficult to fulfill. Impossible, I would say, without the assistance of grace.
Only those who have experienced love can in turn be true love for others. This is what Caritas Española, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary today, has achieved.
At this time, with Corinthians 13Caritas has shown that love is patientaccompanying people in their often slow processes to move forward, if not in their chronic situations, without looking at the clock or the calendar.
Caritas has taught us that love is benignby putting themselves at the service of the poor free of charge, without asking for anything in return. The 2.6 million people accompanied last year during the pandemic can vouch for this.
With Caritas, we have learned that love is not envious, does not boast y do not get fatCaritas is an exemplary organization in the midst of society. Faced with the exhibitionism of some NGOs, the competition among them and the commercialization and politicization of poverty, the silent and humble work, always discreet, of Caritas is a light that shines in a special way. Few institutions invest less in publicity and press advisors and manage to be as relevant and valued as Caritas.
Caritas makes us understand that love is not unseemly. Its 73,661 volunteers and 5,408 contracted workers are the friendliest face of the Church for people who come to us broken, sometimes just in need of a listening ear, a welcoming shoulder, an outstretched hand.
Thanks to Caritas, we see that love is not selfish. In 2021, it invested €403 million in its various projects and resources in Spain (16 more than the previous year) while maintaining its austerity target in the Management and Administration section at 6.2%. In other words, out of every 100 euros invested, only 6.20 euros are allocated to management and administration costs. This figure has been maintained over the last 20 years.
That love is not irritated and does not bear evil accounts This is corroborated by the volunteers and workers of Caritas when they put up with the often ungrateful or excessively demanding treatment of some of the people who come to the parishes without knowing the precariousness of the means at their disposal and to whom they do not close their doors. Also for the calm response of the entity when it has had to put up with the criticism of those who have attacked it for political or ideological reasons.
The reports published by Cáritas through the FOESSA Foundation since 1967 show us how love and does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth. These prestigious sociological studies have been denouncing the unfair distribution of wealth and the truth about the levels of poverty in Spain, marking milestones in the knowledge of the social situation in Spain and allowing to refine responses and effectively accompany the recipients of its action.
Love, in Caritas, everything excusespointing out the sin of the structures and administrations, but not the sinner; all believesbelieving in the people it helps, giving them the vote of confidence that society so often denies them; everything awaitsThe company's work is a way of spreading hope to the people it serves and encouraging society to believe that a more just world is possible. everything supportsWe are facing the new challenges that the changing society presents to us, without lowering our guard but always pushing forward, even if the data always seem to be going against us.
In Caritas, as in marriages for life, love never passesbecause Deus caritas est (love is God).
Journalist. Graduate in Communication Sciences and Bachelor in Religious Sciences. He works in the Diocesan Delegation of Media in Malaga. His numerous "threads" on Twitter about faith and daily life have a great popularity.
As every month, Pope Francis invites the faithful to join in his prayer for a specific intention. In the month of June, the Pope's monthly video invites us to make the elderly more present.
This month, the Pope speaks to us in the first person to transmit his prayer intention. He is one of the seniors who have never been "so numerous in the history of mankind. To the elderly, he says, society offers "many assistance plans, but few life projects," forgetting the great contribution they can still make.
They "are the bread that nourishes our lives, they are the hidden wisdom of a people," the Pope adds. The pontiff invites us to "celebrate them" in the "day dedicated to them": the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly.
Sharing this video is a way of thanking them for all they are and do in our families.
Joaquín Paniello: "The Road to Emmaus shows God's love".
Reconstructing Jesus' conversation with the two walkers to Emmaus, tracing his words in the Acts of the Apostles, Gospels and Old Testament, could synthesize the book Why do you walk sadly? It was written by Joaquín Paniello, a priest living in Jerusalem, and presented at an Omnes Forum on the Holy Land, which was also attended by Piedad Aguilera, from the Pilgrimages Unit of Viajes El Corte Inglés.
Francisco Otamendi-June 30, 2022-Reading time: 10minutes
Religious destinations are also gaining strength during these weeks, in view of the gradual return to normality. In addition to Rome, the land of the Lord, the Holy Land, has always had a special place among them.
In this context, "Pilgrimages to the Holy Land after the pandemic" have been the subject of a Forum Omnes held in Madrid, sponsored by Banco Sabadell, the Fundación Centro Académico Romano (CARF), and Saxum Visitor Centre, a multimedia resource center that helps visitors to deepen their knowledge of the Holy Land in an interactive way, located about 18 kilometers from Jerusalem.
Among the attendees were the director of Religious Institutions and Third Sector of Banco Sabadell, Santiago Portas; the general manager of the CARFLuis Alberto Rosales, and other people related to the sector of religious institutions and religious tourism, as well as the director of Omnes, Alfonso Riobó, who moderated the event, and the editor-in-chief, María José Atienza. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, also intervened in a video with the author of the book.
Demand recovery
The first speaker was the priest Joaquín Paniello (Barcelona, 1962), doctor in Physics, Philosophy and Theology. He has been living and working in Jerusalem for fifteen years, and has just published 'Why do you walk sadly? La conversación de Jesús con los discípulos de Emaús', a book published by emmausfootprints.
Next, Piedad Aguilera, from the Pilgrimages and Religious Tourism Unit of Viajes El Corte Inglés, whom we will later quote at greater length, mentioned some data. "In 2019, the Holy Land received 4.5 million visitors, even with saturation levels in some places. Then came the covid: in March 2020 we were carrying 800,000-odd visitors, according to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. 2019 was even worse. But the sector expects, not long from now, "explosive demand." "In 2023 I think that will be the time when all the projects we have are going to be realized with that normality that we had in 2019. We are looking forward to everyone coming with that hope," said Piedad Aguilera.
A catechesis
The event was welcomed by the executive of Banco Sabadell, Santiago Portas. He pointed out that "today we are once again holding an Omnes Forum in person, or in a hybrid way, also by streaming, and it is a joy for everyone that in this return to normality the first event is with Omnes".
Santiago Portas thanked everyone for attending and told the author, Mr. Joaquín Paniello, that "once I have read your book, I have become an ambassador for it. It seems to me that reading it is a catechesis that we should all go through to find our way, our true meaning".
The director of Banco Sabadell also thanked the presence of Piedad Aguilera, from Viajes El Corte Inglés, "our partner, with whom we have formalized an agreement to assist our clients in their trips to religious destinations and pilgrimages". Finally, he thanked the Latin Patriarch of Jesusalén, Monsignor Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a member of the Franciscan order, for his intervention.
Pilgrimage, a form of prayer
The director of Omnes, Alfonso Riobó, then thanked Santiago Portas and Banco Sabadell for "the hospitality with which they are hosting this colloquium today". "The theme that brings us together, the pilgrimages in post-pandemic times," he added, "arouses many memories, at least for those of us who know and read the Gospel frequently, because in this passage [that of the disciples of Emmaus] perhaps the first of the pilgrimages, or at least the first of the Christian pilgrimages, on the very day of the Resurrection, is exposed."
"And if we think of the Holy Land, probably one of the emblematic places where memory and imagination stop is the Road to Emmaus, whether we know it or not, perhaps we will know it soon," added Don Alfonso Riobó, who recalled the words of an Italian priest, Don Giuseppe, who recently had the opportunity to be in the Holy Land, after having waited a long time for it.
Giuseppe wrote, "Returning to the Holy Land is a great gift, because here are the roots of our faith, the presence, the life of the Lord, the life of the Church. It is really a return to the sources. After such a long time, it is a precious gift at this moment to be able to give life to this form of prayer that is the pilgrimage, a form of life that allows us to enjoy the beauty of the Lord".
Reflection on Emmaus and the Luke passage
"It is not a travel book, nor a prayer guide for the pilgrim, but a reflection on that place and on that passage," said Alfonso Riobó as he introduced Joaquín Paniello, who has written the first book to present in dialogue form the conversation of Jesus with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
But he has achieved this by reconstructing in its pages more than two thousand years of history told "through direct and effective images, which reveal a profound biblical knowledge, theological-philosophical rigor and great respect for the sources," said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who prefaced the book.
"I would like to make a comment and link the theme of pilgrimages with the reason for this book on the Camino de Emáus," said Joaquín Paniello. "First I have to say that I have not made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, because I went, and I stayed. When we go to the Holy Land, we go thinking about the things of the Lord, of Jesus. But sometimes we miss a dimension of the root. Because Jesus was a Jew, he lived Judaism, he lived many things related to Judaism, and sometimes we leave many things aside, and we miss many things that are very much at the root".
"We know very little of the Old Testament."
"I have to confess that being in the Holy Land I have begun to appreciate the Old Testament and the Jewish people much more. There are many things in our liturgy, in our prayers, in the blessings, that refer to how the people of Israel, in the first century, lived Judaism, and how many of the things have been inherited to our days".
What does that have to do with this book? When we go to the Holy Land we have to see the Old Testament behind it. We Catholics know very little of the Old Testament, and we miss out on a wealth of information". "Now, we need a guide in some way. And I realized that when I was there".
"The Saxum Visitor Center was born to transmit the figure of Jesus and the Holy Places. When the project started, I had to follow it from Rome, but then I went to Jerusalem in 2010, and I was able to follow, even before starting to build, a matter linked to the permits (the land had not yet been purchased), and collaborating with what the professionals were doing, what could be the basic idea to transmit what we wanted there," explained Joaquín Paniello.
"We realized that he was on the Emmaus Road, and that being on the Emmaus Road summed up everything that was wanted at that center," the book's author reflected. "That it was, in a way, that people passing by could say, like the disciples themselves, 'Didn't our hearts burn within us when he spoke to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?' And what did Jesus say? What did he explain to them? That's when I started to get into it."
"They needed to talk about the prophecies."
"I had not studied the Old Testament in such depth. I had in theology classes, etcetera. And I noticed a couple of things that really caught my attention," added Joaquín Paniello. "One is that the early Christians needed to talk about the Old Testament, the prophecies in particular, and how they had been fulfilled in the life of Jesus, in order to present Jesus." And St. Justin, for example, in the second century, when he wrote to the emperor, it was not enough for him to present Jesus by saying that he was an extraordinary person, that he performed miracles, etc., but he begins by saying: in the Jewish people there is a figure who are the prophets, who said what was going to happen in the future. And he introduces Jesus as the one in whom the prophecies are fulfilled".
Situation similar to that of St. Justin
"Right now we are in a situation similar to that of St. Justin. We have to talk about Jesus, and many people think that Jesus was a great figure, a great man, and that's it. No, wait a minute, there is a plan of God from a thousand years before, David for example, and even before, the blessing of Jacob to his sons, where it already says that someone is going to come, that Judah is going to have a scepter, that he is going to be King -Judah at that time was only one of the sons-, and that this reign was not going to be lost until the one we were waiting for came. It was sixteen hundred years before Christ".
"There is a whole plan, and as it gets closer it intensifies, and the prophets become more and more concrete, telling us what has to happen in the life of Jesus, and how it will be fulfilled later in his life," Joaquín Paniello emphasized. "Of course, this introduction does not mean that Jesus suddenly appears, a great character, son of God, but that there is an introduction that seems to me very important for evangelization".
That was one of the things that caught the attention of this Catalan priest based in the Holy Land. But there is more. "The other has to do with sending the first version of the book to many people, who gave me comments, and I gathered a lot of things from many people. The book in the end is not only mine. One of them told me: whenever I read chapter 24 of St. Luke, I get angry, because St. Luke says that the Lord told them everything that Scripture says about Himself, and he says nothing!
The authority of Scripture
"But I realized that he does say a lot, but not there," Paniello argues in his book. "St. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. And in both the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles there are many references to prophecies (they already appeared in St. Matthew, a little earlier). And in the Acts of the Apostles there are many speeches of some of the apostles".
"Those discourses would be long," the author continues, "and St. Luke includes a prophecy in each discourse, which logically came from the conversation with Jesus. It is the only time that Jesus speaks to his apostles not from his authority but from the authority of Scripture. There is only one passage, something similar, that of the Samaritan woman, who begins to speak with him. But here he is reasoning everything from Scripture, so that they realize that everything has been fulfilled in the life of Jesus. That there is a long plan of God. There are many things that, being there, you realize more deeply".
Jesus is transforming them
"The disciples of Emmaus were deeply discouraged, saddened. Their state of mind was one of total disaster," Joaquín Paniello pointed out in the colloquium, in a moment that seemed central to his brief presentation. "From there to returning to Jerusalem at nightfall, there is a whole journey with Jesus that transforms them. The first thing Jesus had to do was to make them understand that the Cross could have a meaning. That the Cross is not really incompatible with the love of God".
"That part seems to me to be the first thing to turn our own experience around. Understanding what God is like and that God's love is also manifested there is very important. I would say that the thread of God's love is fundamental in the book, because it is about highlighting that God's whole plan is for love. Everyone who reads this book will find new things", he concluded.
Experts in the Holy Land
"The Holy Land is the Promised Land. A land of infinite paths, a whole world of surprises and sensations. A place where the sacred becomes everyday and close to be felt in its varied landscapes, in its delicate aromas, in its culture, its history..., and above all in its deep silences that invite reflection and prayer".
So begins the description made by the Pilgrimages and Religious Tourism Unit of Viajes El Corte Inglés, of which Piedad Aguilera and her team are part, of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. "A journey unlike any other, which should be made at least once in a lifetime," as Piedad Aguilera said at the Omnes conference, in which "pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a journey through the scenarios of the Old and New Testament, a journey through time, a journey through the melting pot where different and varied cultures converge, eagerly seeking a new path that leads to peaceful coexistence between the different cultures and religions that are manifested in it".
At the Omnes Forum, Piedad Aguilera began by recalling the recently signed alliance between Viajes El Corte Inglés and Banco Sabadell "to boost spiritual and cultural travel to religious destinations. It is a project that we have launched with great enthusiasm and excitement.
Regarding the book by Joaquín Paniello, Piedad Aguilera pointed out that "from a technical point of view - we are dedicated to the world of travel - this biblical journey, this historical journey, can add much value to our routes, especially starting at the Saxum Visitor Center, which we know, which provides a fantastic location for our pilgrims of what the Holy Land means. If we then also take that route, as far as we can, to Emmaus-Nicopolis, it will be fantastic".
Comply with thepilgrim's expectation
"It is true that it is a bit complex for us to synthesize our projects in seven days," acknowledged the director of Viajes El Corte Inglés. "What we are looking for is simply for the pilgrim to let himself go and not have to worry about his flight, accommodation, etc., and to synthesize that agenda."
"We like to emphasize that the pilgrimage begins when we have the meeting with our group, because there we have to detect what is the real motivation of the pilgrim. And based on that, we select the places, where we do the Eucharist, and above all, it is very important to detect the pastoral and that liturgy of faith, so that the pilgrim receives what he expects to receive, and his expectation is a success".
"What could be better than the trip to the Holy Land!"
"We are not dedicated to evangelization, but I believe that all of us who are here have the obligation, from our fields, and after the pandemic, to boost that confidence and that guarantee to the traveler, to have that desire to experience that experience. and what better than the trip to the Holy Land," encouraged Piedad Aguilera.
"Undoubtedly there are many places in the world, many places of worship, but we always say that the Holy Land is a journey unlike any other. We offer the Holy Land as a trip that you have to make at least once in your life, whatever the motivation of the visitor. We have had groups with a more cultural interest, but everyone who comes to the Holy Land arrives transformed, in one way or another. The pilgrim is the most grateful trip we have. If we add to that the pastoral care of the chaplain priest who is in charge of each pilgrimage, and the Christian guides that we always have at the destination, I think it is a success".
"They have suffered a lot."
"We try to bring the world of the great cultural heritage that we have, both in Spain and in places like the Holy Land, closer to the traveler. And with it we generate that experience that is the proof of everything that happened there in so many centuries, for any believer or non-believer," continued the expert, who wanted to emphasize the help of the Church to all Christians in the Holy Land.
During these two and a half years, "the Christian communities in the Holy Land, not only those in Israel, but also those in Palestine, have suffered a lot, because the visitor brings a wealth and a daily sustenance that in these two years have been very difficult. And it is fair to say that the entire Franciscan Order, with all that it means in the Holy Land, and other religious institutions, have carried out important actions to help these Christian communities, which are a minority in the Holy Land.
"You live together naturally."
Regarding security, sometimes political or social data are offered that create "fear of the Holy Land," added Piedad Aguilera, "but when you visit the old city of Jerusalem and see that you can live there naturally, fears dissipate. Since the last Intifada, I believe that it has been possible to travel with total normality".
Now we are putting in place all the resources, air, hotel, because we are going to face "an explosive demand". And in 2023 I think that will be the moment where we are already adapted, where all the projects we have are going to be carried out with that normality that we had in 2019. We are looking forward to everyone coming with that hope." Piedad Aguilera wished to highlight, finally, "that security that we can provide the traveler, in the structure of specialized people we have in the unit, hiring insurance at destination with comprehensive health coverage, so that the traveler can be with peace of mind in the event of an incident, which can happen to anyone. Our capacity to react to unforeseen events is guaranteed".
The subsequent discussion gave the opportunity to ask numerous questions to the speakers, about the guides, the profile of tourists and pilgrims, about pilgrimage, etc., which can be viewed on the Omnes Youtube account.
The liturgy is a true encounter with Christ. The central ideas of "Desiderio desideravi".
On June 29, 2022, the Holy Father Francis has published the Apostolic Letter Desiderio desideravi on the liturgical formation of the People of God. It is a long letter, 65 points, with which the Roman Pontiff does not intend to deal exhaustively with the liturgy, but to offer some elements of reflection to contemplate the beauty and truth of the Christian celebration.
A first point that develops the document is the Liturgy in the today of salvation history. In this first epigraph, the Pope situates us in the Paschal Mystery, the true center of the liturgical theology of the Council's Constitution on the Liturgy, the Sacrosanctum Concilium. The Last Supper, the Cross of Christ and the Resurrection, the Paschal Mystery, appear as the only true and perfect worship pleasing to the Father.
The liturgy is the means that the Lord has left us to take part in this unique and admirable event in the history of Salvation. And it is a means that we live in the Church. "From the beginning, the Church, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, has understood that what was visible in Jesus, what could be seen with the eyes and touched with the hands, his words and gestures, the concrete of the Incarnate Word, has passed into the celebration of the sacraments" (Letter, n. 9).
Encounter with Christ
Directly related to what we have said so far is the second epigraph of the Charter: The Liturgy, the place of encounter with Christ. This subtitle reminds us of a very significant expression from the Letter that John Paul II wrote 25 years after the publication of the Sacrosanctum Concilium: The liturgy is the privileged place of encounter with God and with the one He sent, Jesus Christ" (St. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "The Liturgy is the privileged place of encounter with God and with the one He sent, Jesus Christ").. Vicesimusquintus annus, n. 7). Herein lies all the powerful beauty of the liturgy, Francis will say: it is an encounter with Christ, for we cannot forget that "the Christian faith is either a living encounter with Christ or it is not" (Letter, n. 10).
The liturgy is a true encounter with Christ, not just a vague recollection. An encounter that began in Baptism, an event that marks the life of all of us. And this encounter with Christ in Baptism, true death and resurrection, makes us children of God, members of the Church and thus we experience the fullness of the worship of God. "In fact, there is only one act of worship that is perfect and pleasing to the Father, the obedience of the Son, the measure of which is his death on the cross. The only possibility of participating in his offering is to be sons in the Son. This is the gift we have received. The subject that acts in the Liturgy is always and only Christ-Church, the Mystical Body of Christ" (Letter, n. 15).
Drinking from the liturgy
The Pope then wants to remind us, as he did on the occasion of the Vatican Council and the liturgical movement that preceded it, that the liturgy is the "primary and necessary source from which the faithful must drink the truly Christian spirit" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 14). Therefore, "with this letter I would simply like to invite the whole Church to rediscover, guard and live the truth and power of the Christian celebration. I would not want the beauty of Christian celebration and its necessary consequences in the life of the Church to be disfigured by a superficial and reductive understanding of its work, or worse, to be instrumentalized in the service of some ideological vision" (Letter, n. 16). The objective of the Letter, beyond some sensationalist headlines, is clear reading these words of Francis.
Faced with the danger of Gnosticism and Pelagianism, to which the Holy Father has referred at length in his programmatic letter Evangelii gaudium, the Letter places before our eyes the value of the beauty of the truth of the Christian celebration. "The liturgy is the priesthood of Christ revealed and given to us in his Passover present and active today through sensible signs (water, oil, bread, wine, gestures, words) so that the Spirit, immersing us in the paschal mystery, may transform our whole life, conforming us ever more to Christ" (Letter, n. 21).
In this paragraph is contained all the beauty and depth of the liturgy: the mystery in which we participate, which is made present by means of sensible signs, which configures us to the dead and risen Christ, transforming us into him. Beauty which, as the Roman Pontiff reminds us, is not a simple ritual aestheticism, or the care only for the external formality of the rite or the rubrics.
Taking care of the liturgy
Logically, this is necessary so as not to "confuse the simple with banal sloppiness, the essential with ignorant superficiality, the concrete of the ritual action with an exaggerated practical functionalism" (Letter, n. 22). For this reason it is necessary to take care of all aspects of the celebration, to observe all the rubrics, but without forgetting that it is necessary to foster "wonder before the paschal mystery, an essential part of the liturgical action" (Letter, n. 24). An awe that goes beyond the expression of the meaning of the mystery. "Beauty, like truth, always generates wonder and, when it refers to the mystery of God, leads to adoration" (Letter, n. 25). Awe is an essential part of the liturgical action, because it is the attitude of one who knows that he is before the peculiarity of symbolic gestures.
After this first introductory part, the Pope asks: how can we recover the ability to live the liturgical action to the full? And the answer is clear: "The reform of the Council has this objective" (Letter, n. 27). But the Pope does not want the non-acceptance of the reform, as well as a superficial understanding of it, to distract from finding the answer to the question we asked earlier: how can we grow in the ability to live the liturgical action fully, how can we continue to be amazed at what happens before our eyes in the celebration? And Francis' clear answer: "We need a serious and vital liturgical formation" (Letter, n. 31).
Liturgical formation
Formation for the liturgy and formation from the liturgy are the two aspects that the following letter deals with. In this formation for the liturgy, study is only the first step to be able to enter into the celebrated mystery, since in order to be able to guide on the path, it is necessary to travel it first. Nor should it be forgotten that formation for the liturgy "is not something that can be conquered once and for all: since the gift of the celebrated mystery surpasses our capacity for knowledge, this commitment must certainly accompany the ongoing formation of each one, with the humility of the little ones, an attitude that opens one to wonder" (Letter, n. 38).
As far as formation from the liturgy is concerned, being formed by it entails a real existential involvement with the person of Christ. "In this sense, the liturgy is not about knowledge, and its purpose is not primarily pedagogical (although it has its pedagogical value) but is praise, thanksgiving for the Passover of the Son, whose saving power comes into our lives" (Letter, n. 41). Therefore, the celebration has to do with the "reality of being docile to the action of the Spirit, who is at work in us, until Christ is formed in us. The fullness of our liturgical formation is conformation to Christ. I repeat: it is not a matter of a mental and abstract process, but of becoming him" (Letter, n. 41).
Union of heaven and earth
This existential involvement takes place sacramentally. Through the created signs that have been assumed and placed at the service of the encounter with the Word incarnate, crucified, dead, risen, ascended to the Father. The Pope's phrase is very beautiful when he recalls that the "liturgy gives glory to God because it allows us, here on earth, to see God in the celebration of the mysteries" (Letter, n. 43). And how can we once again become capable of symbols? How can we learn to read them in order to live them? First of all, Francis will say, by recovering confidence in creation. In addition, another question will be the education necessary to acquire the interior attitude that will allow us to situate and understand the liturgical symbols.
One aspect that the Charter points out to guard and to grow in the vital understanding of the symbols of the liturgy will be the ars celebrandi: the art of celebrating. An art that entails understanding the dynamism that describes the liturgy, being in tune with the action of the Spirit, as well as knowing the dynamics of symbolic language, its peculiarity and its efficacy (cf. Letter, nn. 48-50).
Liturgical silences
Pope Francis recalls that this theme concerns all the baptized and involves a common doing (walking in procession, sitting, standing, kneeling, singing, being silent, looking, listening...), which educates each faithful to discover the authentic uniqueness of his or her personality, not with individualistic attitudes, but being aware of being one body of the Church.
A particularly important gesture is silence. It is expressly foreseen by the rubrics (in the opening rites, in the liturgy of the Word, in the Eucharistic prayer, after communion). Silence is not a refuge to hide in an intimate isolation, suffering the ritual as if it were a distraction, but it is the symbol of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit.
Ars celebrandi
While the ars celebrandi The Pope points out that ordained ministers should take special care in this regard. There are various models of presiding, but what is fundamental is to avoid exaggerated personalism in the celebratory style. For this service of presiding to be done well, with artistry, it is of fundamental importance that the presbyter be aware that he is, in himself, one of the modes of the Lord's presence.
This will lead him not to forget that the Risen One must remain the protagonist, as in the Last Supper and the Cross and Resurrection. It is a matter of showing in the celebration that the Lord, and not the celebrant, is the protagonist. "The presbyter is trained to preside by means of the words and gestures which the Liturgy places on his lips and in his hands" (Letter, n. 59). It should always be kept in mind that the words and gestures of the liturgy are an expression, matured over the centuries, of the sentiments of Christ and help to be configured to him (cf. Redemptionis sacramentum, n. 5).
Purpose of the document
Pope Francis, as St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI repeatedly did, concludes by encouraging us to rediscover the richness of the Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. At the same time, he reiterates, as he did at the beginning and at various points in the letter constituting his Leitmotiv, your filo rossoThe desire that this letter will help "to rekindle wonder at the beauty of the truth of the Christian celebration, to recall the need for authentic liturgical formation and to recognize the importance of an art of celebration that is at the service of the truth of the paschal mystery and of the participation of all the baptized, each according to the specificity of his or her vocation" (Letter, n. 62). These, and no others, are the underlying motivations of this beautiful Letter. A golden brooch to remind us of the importance of the liturgical year and of Sunday.
"Let us abandon polemics to listen together to what the Spirit is saying to the Church, let us maintain communion, let us continue to be amazed by the beauty of the Liturgy" (Letter, n. 65).
Without great pretensions, the book gathers in a succinct way, fifty short stories in which the author, taking as a model different female figures of universal literature, shells virtues, defects, attitudes of which these characters are the image. From the generous serenity of Eugenia Grandet, the purity of Catherine von Heilbronn or the virtue of Pamela to other less positive traits such as the cruelty of Electra, the obsession aroused by Rebecca or the almost unbearable superficiality of Madame Bovary.
"The Eternal Feminine" is not intended to be a book of thought but, rather, a work that serves as a guide and first approach to these more or less known figures of literature.
A very interesting work to use in educational environments when looking for examples and to make known the great works of all times as well as a starting point for conversations, especially with young people, on the great themes of the human being. A small vindication of the feminine figure, with its variety of nuances, in the history of universal literature and in the construction of archetypes that have arrived, almost unaltered, to our days.
Jesus' instructions on the mission, in Mark and Matthew are addressed to the Twelve, in Luke they are found in two discourses, the first to the Twelve (9:1) and the second to the seventy-two. The number recalls the seventy pagan nations mentioned in Genesis (seventy-two in the Greek version): which means that the mission is not limited to the people of Israel, but that it will reach "to the ends of the earth", as Jesus will say before his ascension.
It may also refer to the seventy elders that God asked Moses to choose to help him in the government of the people, to which two others were later added, underlining that their mission has a divine origin.
Jesus' actions and words define the disciple and the mission. He sends them two by two: their brotherhood is essential, they do not go alone, to support each other. He sends them ahead of him: their role is to open the way, they are forerunners, like the Baptist. The first task he entrusts to them is to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers. Nor does the master of the harvest want to act alone: he involves his workers in the call of other workers, with their prayer. He warns them that they will be like lambs in the midst of wolves.
However, he exhorts them to go without baggage. But before his passion, he will say to them: "When I sent you without purse, scrip, or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said: "Nothing.". "But now, he that hath a purse, let him carry it, and likewise the scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his cloak, and buy one." It means that that particular counsel was not valid in all circumstances. On the other hand, the exhortation to detachment is valid forever.
The first gift they bring from Jesus is peace, and he recommends them to keep it for themselves in case it is not received. Then he has to heal the sick. Only thirdly can they proclaim that the kingdom is at hand. It is good that they receive their livelihood, but they should not go from house to house as to make propaganda or to create a group of opinion or power.
Luke is very attentive to the disciples' detachment from worldly ambition: twice he writes that Jesus tells the Twelve that authority is service, and he is the only evangelist to record these words of theirs: "So likewise you also, when you have done all that you were commanded to do, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done all that we ought to do."
With this preparation, the disciples go and subdue even the demons. Jesus sees Satan fall like lightning. They return full of joy, and Jesus assures them that nothing can harm them. But he tells them not to rejoice because of the outcome, but because they have been chosen by God and are promised his eternal gratitude.
The homily on the readings of Sunday XVI
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaa small one-minute reflection for these readings.
Church mourns murder of two more priests in Nigeria
Two more priests have been murdered this week in Nigeria. Father Christopher Odia and Father Vitus Borogo, the latest victims in a long trail of blood. It is the third major attack on Catholics in the last month.
Two priests were killed this weekend in the southern state of Edo and in the north-central state of Kaduna. Just a few weeks have passed since the Pentecost Sunday massacre, with the killing of at least 40 people at St. Francis Xavier Church in Owo, in the southwestern state of Ondo.
Cold-blooded murders
Father Christopher Odia, 41, was abducted yesterday from his rectory in St. Michael's Church as he was preparing to celebrate mass. The priest was later killed by his attackers, a local church statement said. On Saturday, Father Vitus Borogo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kaduna, was killed at Prison Farm, following a raid by "terrorists", as reported by Father Alumuku, as also reported by the local press and sources of Aid to the Church in Need.
The 50-year-old priest "was there," explains the head of social communication of the archdiocese of Abuja, "with two people, his brother and another boy, who were later kidnapped" by the gunmen. "I knew Father Vitus, as he was a student of mine when he was rector of St. James Seminary in Makurdi Diocese, Benue State," recalls Father Alumuku. "He was a very kind and bright boy. I met him recently, a couple of months ago in Kaduna. As chaplain of the Kaduna State Polytechnic, he was guiding the Catholic students of that college in the faith to be positive signs in the local community."
Nigeria, country of martyrs
"As priests, we do not back down, we are not afraid: we are prepared to be martyrs, because it is with the blood of martyrdom how the Church in Nigeria will grow". These are the words of Father Patrick Alumuku, head of social communications of the Archdiocese of Abuja and director of the National Catholic Television of Nigeria, in the face of the bloodshed that is tragically striking the African country and the Catholic Church in particular.
"The Kaduna area is one of the most affected by Fulani herders," explains the priest, referring to the nomadic West African ethnic group. Their presence extends from Mauritania to Cameroon, often in bloody conflict with the settled agricultural populations. The general context of insecurity is generated by the violence of the various branches of the Islamic extremist Boko Haram.
Request for assistance to the authorities
Alumuku speaks of a "jihadist" drift in the country, Father Alumuku says that "the Catholic Church is a target to be attacked" simply "because of its Christian faith: we are not fighting against anyone, we have no weapons". On behalf of Signis Nigeria, the local branch of the World Catholic Association for Communication, of which Father Alumuku is president in Abuja, the priest urges the "security agencies at the federal and state levels to intensify their efforts to bring the killers to justice, while multiplying their efforts" to safeguard the lives of all citizens.
"The state has a duty to protect all Nigerians," says Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Kaduna. "It is a terrible thing. The Church is hurt, but not only the Church: all Nigerians are hurt by what is happening." "People don't feel safe in their homes, in the streets, anywhere," the prelate continued. "Hundreds of Nigerians are victims of kidnappers and terrorists and all this," he notes, "with impunity." "If there is peace in the country, those who have the task of announcing the Gospel, like us, have the possibility of doing so; where there is no peace and security, as is happening now, our work" is difficult, "inhibited" by the fact that "we cannot move freely." This, concludes the Archbishop of Kaduna, "is the terrible situation we are living today" in Nigeria.
A tragic month
The country has lived through a long and horrifying trail of bloodshed in the catholic world. Earlier this month, he writes CNAIn a statement, "gunmen attacked a Catholic and a Baptist church in Kaduna State, killing three people and reportedly abducting more than 30 worshippers. The heinous and cowardly attack on the Catholic church in Ondo state on June 5 was denounced.
With respect to the latest tragic episode, the news agency Fides reported the capture of two of Father Christopher's kidnappers. "Two of the murderers were captured by the community who were on the trail of the kidnappers," explained the auxiliary bishop of Minna, Monsignor Luka Gopep.
Since the beginning of the year, three priests have been killed in Nigeria alone. The first, Father Joseph Aketeh Bako, was kidnapped and then killed on April 20. Agenzia Fides also reports that 900 Christians have been killed so far in the first months of the year. The West African country is dealing with a wave of violence by armed gangs, mainly in unprotected rural communities. Since 2009, when the Boko Haram insurgency emerged, Nigeria has been living in a total state of insecurity.
On Friday, June 24, the Supreme Court annulled the sentence of Roe vs. Wadewhich had protected the "right" to abortion in the United States since 1973. Once the decision was known, thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate, while many others took to the streets in protest.
Abortion is possibly the most controversial moral issue in the West for more than fifty years.
The demands of pro-lifers seem reasonable, insofar as they believe that human lives are at stake. However, those in favor of abortion are equally convinced that it is a human right of women, since they believe that embryos or fetuses are not persons with rights.
I am personally against abortion but, in these lines, I do not want to go into the arguments of the two sides. I want to underline the fact that we clearly disagree. If we all recognize this, the next thing we can ask ourselves is how to move forward together in clarifying this issue.
It is true that one may think that it is impossible to reach an agreement on the matter. There are good reasons for this: The positions of both sides are very firm. We hardly listen to each other's reasons, there are many conflicting economic interests, it is an issue that involves us emotionally, and so on.
Now, after so many centuries of history, I wonder if it might not be possible to resolve our differences in a more rational and peaceful way. Throughout history, human beings have solved our disagreements by resorting to war, personal disqualifications and, lately, to cancellation or social condemnation. And the truth is that it makes sense to do so, because many times the forced imposition of the ideas of some over others has been effective. It has worked on many occasions, implanting a certain vision of the world.
I believe that this is the reason why we can all be tempted to impose by majorities the laws we consider just. And since violence is no longer socially acceptable, we prefer not to resort to it unless we have no other choice.
I am probably a bit naïve, but I wonder if we might not be able to have a calm dialogue on a controversial moral issue. It is obviously not easy, but if we don't try, we risk further deepening the polarization that increasingly divides our societies.
With the decision of the American court, the pro-lifers have won a great victory, overturning a sentence that seemed immovable. Tomorrow, however, it will be the pro-abortionists who will win the next battle. Now, what I think we can all agree on is that imposing laws by narrow majorities is not solving social discrepancies. On the contrary, it seems to be widening them.
So we should all accept that we have to face a complex and uncomfortable moral debate. Michael Sandel, the famous Harvard professor and Princess of Asturias Award winner, has devoted much of his work to explaining why most social debates on controversial moral issues have not actually taken place. His research shows that it makes no difference whether the issue is abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage or surrogacy: In none of these cases has there been any real dialogue. Nor is there any difference between how the decision-making processes have been managed in one country and another. In all of them we find the legislative imposition of some majorities over others.
Therefore, if we are all to respect each other and move forward as a society, both sides must seek the truth on every issue if we are to truly resolve it. And how will it be possible to overcome disagreements? Personally, I am convinced that on any of the issues on which we disagree, there are many aspects of the same issue on which we do agree. Only by starting from what we all accept, can we clarify exactly where we disagree. And, at that point, we will have to ask ourselves how we can live together.
Let's take the recently overturned abortion ruling as an example. The positions of President Joe Biden and the U.S. bishops are diametrically opposed when it comes to judging the Supreme Court's decision. However, both have stressed the importance of there not being an outbreak of violence. The fact that some states now prohibit abortion and others make it even easier does not solve the underlying problem. We are far from being able to live together peacefully and to create the conditions for a climate in which the truth about the origin of life can be clarified.
In this sense, pro-life triumphalism cannot be revanchist: It is not enough to ban abortion in some states if it does not really help all mothers who have difficulties in raising their children. And rubbing the victory in the face of pro-abortion supporters won't add up to much either (and this regardless of whether they do the same when they take the cake).
I understand the reasons of the pro-life protesters who have taken to the streets to celebrate. It is certainly a great step forward for their cause. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has been far from saying that abortion is ending a person's life. It has simply stated that it is up to the individual American states to decide whether or not to legalize it. In doing so, it is implicitly acknowledging that abortion is not killing an innocent person, for if it really thought that, American law would prohibit it nationwide.
Where am I going with all this? Well, regardless of whether abortion is legal or not in a given state (and we could say the same about any country), the real problem is how we are going to reach an agreement between the two sides. Laws are important and certainly shape culture, but what I have tried to point out in these lines is that on certain issues the establishment of a law does not end the controversy. So how can we move forward?
The road to solving these issues is not an easy one, so many think that the only thing left is the cultural battle. If we understand this concept as showing one's face in public debate in order to rationally justify one's convictions, then I agree that it is very necessary. However, if showing one's cultural battle means accepting that in society there are two sides to every controversial issue and only one of the two can remain standing, so I am not so enthusiastic about the idea. I don't want to do away with those who think differently and I don't want to impose my convictions on them either. I want a society where both sides have the opportunity to try to convince the other of their position without being cancelled for trying to do so.
Therefore, although I am pleased with the cancellation of the Roe vs WadeI do not have a triumphalist tone towards the supporters of abortion. In fact, they are now feeling attacked and more afraid, so they a priori it is not so easy for them to listen to the reasons of the opposing position. I, on the other hand, want to dialogue with them, to try to convince them, not to defeat them in a vote that today I have won and tomorrow I may lose. And of course, I am also willing to listen to their arguments without making personal disqualifications and respecting people who do not think like me. Perhaps in this way we will make real progress in the debate.
Transmitting the legacy of faith, the focus of the 24th Catholics and Public Life Congress
While last year, the CEU congress addressed political correctness, along with the analysis, for example, of the culture of cancellation and the woke movement, with a notable echo in public opinion, this year it will look positively with proposals around faith and the transmission of a legacy, advanced its director, Rafael Sanchez Saus.
Francisco Otamendi-June 28, 2022-Reading time: 3minutes
The director of the Catholics and Public Life CongressRafael Sánchez Saus, has advanced some details of the 24th edition of this congress to be held on November 18, 19 and 20, 2022, at the Moncloa campus of the CEU San Pablo University, under the title 'We propose faith. We transmit a legacy'.
As always, the congress will also analyze the events that are happening in our time, and will look at the United States, on the occasion of the recent decision of the Supreme Courtwhich has stated that the U.S. Constitution does not grant or contain a "right" to abortion, and returns the decision to "the people" and their "elected representatives", that is, to the government of each state. This is a "triumph" for the pro-life movement in the United States, and it will be analyzed, said Rafael Sánchez Saus in an informal meeting with journalists.
The congress will also look towards Eastern Europe and the Ukraine warand what is happening there, and will allocate "all proceeds from registration and masses, as has been done on previous occasions, to campaigns aimed at Ukraine, specifically Aid to the Church in Need," added Sánchez Saus.
Response to ideologies
The director of the Congress also pointed out that the November meeting summarizes the response that Catholics of our time could give to today's world in the face of ideologies. "The faith that we propose is faith in Jesus Christ, God and man, creator and redeemer, and in the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church, which has made him known to us".
In his opinion, "the legacy we must pass on is the one we received from our fathers and they from theirs, that of a civilization that was founded on radically new principles in the history of mankind".
In this sense, Sánchez Saus assured that "we have the right and the duty to receive, increase and project this immense spiritual, moral and cultural legacy, of which we are heirs, without diminution or reduction".
He also appealed to a legacy that "must certainly be updated to respond with new ideas and solutions to the problems of today and the immediate future, many of them derived from the anthropological subversion imposed on us by ideologies and their powerful terminals, from the loss of meaning and the emptying of life for the sake of hedonism and consumption".
The director of the Congress has not revealed, for the moment, the speakers for the next congress. meetingHowever, he added that there will be "a group of top-level international speakers and a group of experts in different interdisciplinary fields, from education and the family to history, economics and law, among others, who will lead the workshops in which the congress participants will be able to deepen their knowledge according to their area of interest in an atmosphere of dialogue".
The November congress will focus on "a formative and constructive experience that should strengthen our fully apostolic will to contribute to the existence of a more Christian and, therefore, more human world", emphasized Rafael Sánchez Saus.
Ideology woke
As will be recalled, in November of last year, the Catholics and Public Life Congress addressed the phenomenon of the Political correctness. Freedoms in dangerwith the analysis of the culture of cancellation and the woke movement.
Among other thinkers and specialists, the French philosopher and professor emeritus of the Sorbonne attended the congress, Rémi BragueFor him, what is at stake with the culture of cancellation is "our relationship with the past", and we must choose "between forgiveness and condemnation".
Rémi Brague, who proposed "recovering our capacity to forgive," also gave an interview to Omnes.
At today's meeting, the proceedings of the 23rd Congress, last year's, on political correctness, prepared by CEU Ediciones, were handed out. The Catholics and Public Life Congress, organized by the Catholic Association of Propagandists and its partner, the San Pablo CEU University Foundation, "aims to provide a framework for meeting and reflection for all Catholics and people of good will who are interested in ensuring that the light of the Gospel illuminates all aspects of life, both in its personal and social dimensions.
At the last Congress there were 1,063 registered participants, a figure that had never been reached before, almost 1,700 online followers, and a presence in 115 media outlets, 26 of them international, said Rafael Sánchez Saus, who highlighted the growth of the media impact in recent years.
The Priority of Grace: Theologian Karl-Heinz Menke on Opus Dei
The German theologian Karl-Heinz Menke emphasized the priority that St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, gave in his teachings to the action of divine grace, even in the ordinary life of the faithful.
Karl-Heinz Menke is professor emeritus of Dogmatic Theology at the University of Bonn, between 2014 and 2019 he was a member of the International Theological Commission and in 2017 he received the "Joseph Ratzinger" Prize for Theology. The prestigious professor has also refuted the criticisms that another renowned theologian, Swiss Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar, made of "The Way"the best-known work of Josemaría Escriváfounder of Opus Dei.
Karl-Heinz Menke acknowledges that he shared them for some time, but now perceives that von Balthasar missed "the crucial point: only if I have understood my parents, my upbringing, the blows of fate and disabilities, the limitations and talents of my life as grace; only if I have understood with my whole existence that I - precisely I! - can move mountains and be light and salt of the earth, can and must allow myself to be told, perhaps every day: 'You can do much more. Let it rest! You are not a punching bag; react! Temper your will!".
Karl-Heinz Menke said this in Cologne (Germany) on June 25, during the homily at a Mass celebrated on the occasion of the memorial of the founder of Opus Dei. In addition, he stressed the importance that St. Josemaría He also emphasized the social and charitable commitment of the people of the Work.
For its interest, we reproduce the complete text in a Spanish translation.
Homily in commemoration of St. Josemaría Escrivá in Cologne, St. Ursula
It was a long time ago, but there are things that are not forgotten. Thus, I remember a meeting to which I had invited the parents of the children who were going to receive their first confession and first Communion. As usual in this type of meeting, at the beginning everything revolved around external things: order, distribution of papers, clothing and the like. But then a mother, whom I knew well, stood up and, rather excited and red-faced, let off steam by saying what she had evidently been repressing for a long time. More or less: "You know us, me and my husband.. We go to Mass every Sunday and often during the week. We also go to confession. I go from house to house to collect funds for Caritas. And my husband is on the Kolping board. If we have to help at the parish feast, Corpus Christi or any other feast, we are there. Only people, and even our own relatives, laugh at us. Our neighbors don't have to argue with their teenage children to go to Mass on Sundays. They give their teenage daughters the pill and have no pangs of conscience when it comes time to file their tax returns. Much less do they have to explain to an eight-year-old child - as I have already done for the fourth time - what sin is and that Jesus is waiting for us every Sunday".
This woman said - decades ago now - what many people thought or felt. If I understood St. Josemaría Escrivá correctly, he himself is an answer to that question.
What fascinated me most in reading Peter Berglar's biography of Josemaría Escrivá is the saint's gift for discovering in every human being-even in those who are deeply wounded by the deviations and deviations of sin-the grace [!!!] that, discovered and deployed with coherence, can become something radiant (light of the world and salt of the earth). St. Josemaría was deeply convinced: every human being, no matter how inconspicuous his life may seem in the eyes of this world, and no matter how hindered by all kinds of adversities and limitations, is touched by grace. It is only necessary to recognize and awaken this grace, to foster it constantly and make it bear fruit.
The path marked by grace is rarely identical to a single possibility. A person who became a dentist could also have become a good teacher. Practically no one is naturally suited exclusively to a single profession. Certainly, nature must be taken into account; he who cannot speak should not become a speaker; and he who has no dexterity should not become a watchmaker. But it is always true that when one has discovered what one is destined to be, when one finally knows what the grace of one's own life is, then the rest unfolds.
St. Josemaría advises us to receive the Eucharist daily and to set aside two half hours a day to converse with our Lord. Not to add something religious to the numerous obligations of daily life. In that case, the relationship with God or with Christ would be something like a second floor above the first floor of the working day. No! It is a matter of giving primacy to the reception of grace, which should determine everything we speak, plan, think and do.
Grace is not a substitute for nature. A bad doctor does not become a good one by attending daily Mass. On the contrary, those who cover laziness, incompetence or incapacity with the cloak of piety are one of those comic figures scathingly caricatured by Friedrich Nietzsche and Heinrich Heine. Pity is no substitute for lack of competence. But, for example, a physician who understands his work as a gift from Christ to his patients will at the same time exert himself to the utmost. That is holiness: the sanctification of work.
Without grace, all is nothing. But with grace I can move mountains. St. Paul said it with an emphaticness that is hard to surpass: "Even if I speak with all the tongues of men and of angels, even if I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, even if I have all faith, a faith that can move mountains, if I do not have love [Josemaría Escrivá would say: "grace"], I am as a sounding bell or a clanging cymbal, I am nothing" (1 Cor 13:1 ff.).
Only those who have understood that their life - be it that of the mother mentioned at the beginning, that of the doctor mentioned above, that of a bricklayer or a nurse - is grace (the vessel of love), understand the imperatives that St. Josemaría wrote in "The Way": "Do you dress up? -You... of the crowd? If you can do much more, leave your mark! You are not a punching bag; react! Temper your will!"
I must admit that for a long time, unfortunately, I took on board the criticisms of Hans Urs von Balthasar. He described these imperatives as mere slogans, as if they were a kick; but in doing so-and despite being one of the greatest theologians-he missed the crucial point: only if I have understood my parents, my upbringing, the blows of fate and disabilities, the limitations and talents of my life as grace; only if I have understood with my whole existence that I-precisely I-can move mountains and be light and salt of the earth, can and must allow myself to be told, perhaps every day: "You can do much more. Let go! You are not a punching bag; react! Temper your will!".
The Gospel of the miraculous catch of fish, the Gospel for St. Josemaría's feast day, reminds us of the basic requirement for all missionary success: "Cast your catch of fish, and you will be able to catch it. your Do not envy the nets of others! Be, where you have been placed, the love, the grace of Christ". Missionary success, for many contemporaries, is a term that smacks of manipulation and appropriation. But love does not take possession of anyone; on the contrary, it liberates.
Still today I correspond with a man who - he was employed in garbage collection - became a drunkard after the divorce of his marriage, homeless, etc.; you all know what downward career I am referring to. A twenty-year-old student - today a faithful member of Opus Dei with his whole family - literally picked him up off the street and accompanied him for two years with admirable fidelity, step by step and in spite of all the setbacks. Today, this man, freed from his hell, attends Holy Mass almost every evening; he collects discarded toys from the garbage, repairs them in his many free hours and donates them to various kindergartens and children's homes. He has even developed two patents; in May last year he received the German Cross of Merit.
Cardinal Schönborn speaks at The joy of being a priest of one of his priests: "For decades, he has been in the confessional every day at half past four in the morning. People from all over the region know that they can find the 'priest' there. When they go to work in Vienna or the surrounding area, many make a short detour to go to that village for confession. He is always there. He has even enlarged the confessional a bit so that he can do his morning gymnastics there. He reads, prays and waits; he is simply there. He is one of the best priests, also for the young people, by whom he is very dear. He is a priest who is grace because he lives by grace".
It is possible to live all in have mode and all in the way of love (from grace). There are scientists who work day and night to discover, for example, a vaccine that saves the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, without thinking for a second about the money they earn from it. And there are people who live even evangelical poverty in the way of having, following the motto: "Look: I have poverty; you don't have it!"
St. Josemaría called his priesthood "of the Holy Cross" because he lived by the Eucharist. Whoever lives by the Eucharist knows that grace as the perfection of nature is also its crucifixion. It is not possible to receive Christ who literally gives himself (sacrifices himself) without the will to allow oneself to be situated in this giving (sacrifice) of oneself: the more concrete, the better. Certainly: what is decisive is the indicative, not the imperative. The decisive is given to each of us in a singular way. But it is also true that we are not simply the object of grace; we are also the subject of grace.
I suppose that St. Josemaría would have replied to the mother who was venting her feelings at that parents' meeting on the eve of her children's first confession and communion: "Being a Christian has never been comfortable. But when one lives by grace, one no longer wants to do without it.
For he who gives himself becomes free. Hardly any of Opus Dei's many critics know that there is no subject on which St. Josemaría spoke more about than freedom. In one of his homilies in 1963, he confessed: "I am a great friend of freedom, and that is precisely why I love this Christian virtue [obedience] so much. We must feel that we are children of God, and live with the illusion of fulfilling the will of our Father. To do things according to God's will, because we feel like it, which is the most supernatural reason. When I decide to want what the Lord wants, then I free myself from all the chains that have shackled me to things and worries [...]. The spirit of Opus Dei, which I have tried to practice and teach for more than thirty-five years, has made me understand and love personal freedom.
This explains, it seems to me, the selection of the second reading for his commemoration (Rom 8:14-17): "Those who allow themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are children of God. You have received, not a spirit of slavery [...] but the spirit of sonship" (8:15).
The defense of life is reinforced in the streets of Madrid
In less than a year, Madrid has hosted three demonstrations in defense of life. In November 2021 it was 'Every life matters'. At the end of March, the March for Life 2022which vindicated the care of every human being from conception to natural death. Yesterday, with the leadership of the NEOS platform, tens of thousands of people shouted "yes to life" and crowded the Plaza de Colón.
Francisco Otamendi-June 27, 2022-Reading time: 2minutes
In a familiar and vindictive atmosphere, thousands of people from different parts of the Spanish geography demonstrated yesterday in defense of life and of the truth in Madrid, organized by the NEOS platform.
The harshest criticisms were directed towards the "indoctrinating educational laws", the reform of the abortion law and the current euthanasia law, which is already protecting the aid in dying of the sick by the hand of some doctors in Spain. The demonstration began at the Bilbao traffic circle and ended at the Plaza de Colón.
"The debate for life is open, and life will always win," he said. Jaime Mayor OrejaWe are mobilizing because we want to denounce not the rulers, but the inventors who generate ideas rather than laws, and who do not seek the common good. "We are mobilizing because we want to denounce not the rulers, but the inventors who generate ideas rather than laws, and who do not seek the common good, but the Spanish people against each other".
Mayor Oreja considered that the act "is a commitment, an obligation, which will mean a before and an after". "We are mobilizing in this great debate because we do not want to be part of a complicit and guilty silence." Shortly after, he appealed to the involvement of "believers and non-believers in the defense of our civilization" and requested "those of us who are believers tolet us not hide our faith.
The demonstration was called in advance, but it came two days after the Supreme Court ruled that the federal abortion "right" in the United States has been overturned. Six of the nine justices who make up the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not grant or contain a right to abortion.as reported by Omnes.
It has taken nearly half a century for the U.S. Supreme Court, in a landmark decision, to overturn its ruling Roe v. Wadewhich declared the existence of a right constitutional right to abortion, and the U.S. Court's decision, which returns jurisdiction to the states, may spell the beginning of the end of abortion in the United States, has written Rafael Palomino.
For the organizations that convened yesterday, the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court shows that "the battle for life is more alive than ever. It is a door of hope that this will also be done in Spain," said Maria San Gil, vice president of the Villacisneros Foundation and member of NEOS.
The March for Life 2022 at the end of March also took place in Madrid with an eye on the United States and Colombia. In Washington, thousands of people took to the streets in January to defend life with MarchforLifewhile Colombia decriminalized abortion up to 24 weeks.
At yesterday's event, among others, Carmen Fernández de la Cigoña, director of the CEU Institute of Family Studies, spoke at the event and asked: "Do not be afraid", recalling the first words of St. John Paul II after he was elected Pope in 1978. The CEU director criticized the passing of anti-life and anti-freedom laws. "Taking away the three days of reflection" is one more step to prevent "people from thinking," he pointed out.
Nayeli Rodriguez, national coordinator of the platform 40 days for lifeHe recalled that more than 2.5 million innocent people have died since the approval of the abortion law. "We are not talking about numbers, they are people."
Many of the marriage failures of the coming years are being forged in our days, especially because of addictions of all kinds that many times we do not want to face.
One of the advances that have taken place lately in the social field is the consideration of equality between men and women. Something that, on the other hand, is obvious, but often the obvious is the most difficult thing to discover and explain.
We must bear in mind that one thing is that they are equal as persons and as subjects of law and another is that a man is equal to a woman. It is not necessary anything more than having a son and a daughter, to realize the difference that exists.
For a couple to work, the man has to be treated as such and the woman as well.
In this last section we realize that women are bearing the brunt, there is a lot of physical and psychological violence against them. Also against men, but this is more psychological than physical. I am not going to talk here about the causes of violence, because this is not the purpose of this article and, probably, I would not know how to do it in sufficient depth.
What I would like to emphasize is the fact that, in recent years, a large segment of young people have been identifying fun with drugs, alcohol and sex. The latter distorted by pornography, by the addiction to it that is causing so much disorder in people. Young and not so young. No one will deny that these habits are having a great influence on couple relationships and on the aggressiveness that occurs in them.
You can be getting to know a person and perhaps not realize how important these lifestyle habits will be in influencing their future behavior.
How many times, in family counseling, someone comes to you saying that they married a person they didn't know was an alcoholic. Because, in fact, they drank theor that the othersl, he took lor that everyone. Come on, I was doing the norm.
What appears as "a way to have fun" as a couple, once married, these behaviors begin to appear as negative and unbearable in the relationship.
It used to be part of the fun, now it's part of life. No one is usually going to tell you, "Hey, your boyfriend, your girlfriend drinks too much, or drinks too much."
It is not politically correct. Apart from the fact that the scales are dislocated. It can be safely said that most young people who drink do so in an amount that is excessive for their health and negative for the future of a relationship.
With a person who is hooked on drugs, of whatever kind, it is impossible to live together normally.
A person with these characteristics can be said to be, in many cases, incapable of loving; it is very difficult, if not impossible, to love the other person.
Let us keep in mind that one of the components of love is will, together with intelligence and feeling. A person without will is a person who is not free to love. The more addicted he is to substances that change his way of being, thinking, behaving as he is, and the more incapable he is of freeing himself from these substances, the more difficult it will be for him to love, and therefore the more difficult it will be to live together.
Many of the marriage failures of the coming years are being forged in our days. Let there be no doubt that many of the causes are related to what we are talking about.
Let's keep in mind that what is said about men can be said about women.
When we read in Acts what the apostles suffered for their witness to Jesus, we can focus on the good: the power of faith, the crown of martyrdom or, in the case of Peter captured by Herod, that all ended well, that the Church with her unceasing prayer and the angel with his strength were able to overcome the evil of the tyrant. But it is important that we also reflect on the magnitude of the trials suffered by the apostles and martyrs of all ages. Let us think about it: "King Herod decided to arrest some members of the Church." It is not pleasant to feel persecuted, to have the uncertainty of what may happen in the street or to know that they may enter your home to imprison you. To be in danger of death. James, John's brother, is killed by the sword. He is the first of the apostles to follow Jesus to death. He had accepted it: he had told Jesus that he could drink his own cup, and Jesus had assured him: so be it.
Peter was arrested to please the Jews. Guarded by four pickets of four soldiers each. Herod feared that his brothers would take up arms to storm the prison and free him. Little did he know that the one sword Peter took on the night of the betrayal was of no use to him. The single, clumsy wound it produced in the ear of the high priest's servant was immediately healed by Jesus. Let us put ourselves in Peter's shoes to understand that it was not a pleasant moment. But thanks to the three acts of love that healed the three denials, and to the Holy Spirit who gave him strength and consolation, Peter felt the nearness of Jesus, and in fact slept peacefully in prison. He dreamed peacefully: even the angel who freed him seemed to him like a dream or a vision.
That night had gone well. Once again he had experienced the power of God. That memory must have helped him when it was not possible for him to come down from the cross, during the persecution of Nero, whose fatal outcome we celebrate today. He must have realized that the time had truly come for Jesus' prophecy to be fulfilled: "When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, another will gird you and take you where you do not want to go." Indeed, the time had come to accept that death with which, as the Gospel of John says, "I was going to give glory to God." The time had come to obey definitively the last word that Jesus said to him on the shore of the lake: "Follow me." This time no angel would come to free him. Let us ask for the intercession of Peter and Paul to obtain from God the grace to be prepared when the time comes for us to follow Jesus radically along the way of the cross. May we meet Mary's gaze.
Homily on the readings of St. Peter and St. Paul
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaa small one-minute reflection for these readings.
No one will know what the world will be like in 50 years. Therefore, the need to acquire the habits that facilitate continuous learning and a collaborative and entrepreneurial spirit is becoming increasingly clear.
Alejandro María Lino-June 26, 2022-Reading time: < 1minute
The Harvard professor Howard Gardner proposed the theory of the multiple intelligences. His contributions are celebrated around the world as a beacon of light in the uncertain world of education. In one of his latest works, The five minds of the futureanalyzes the five basic skills that will be most valued in the professional world. It opts for possess the knowledge of a discipline, the ability to synthesize, creativity, respect and ethics.
And the fact is that the new professional profiles demanded by companies do not only require knowledge of a discipline. They also require students to have self-confidence, initiative to solve unforeseen problems and a personal integrity capable of committing to the company's objectives. In order to internalize these habits, it is necessary to have a good humanistic formation and contexts to put these ideals into practice.
Making a mark
In order to achieve this objective, Villanueva University has developed the Impronta Program. It is a cross-cutting project for undergraduate degrees and has been reinforced with new content to meet the needs of careers in the fields of law and business, education, communication and psychology.
The goal of the program is to transform students to leave their mark and impact on society. To form citizens who assume their responsibilities with maturity and autonomy. To this end, there is also a tutoring program of mentoring throughout the university years and the development of a Service Learning mentality.
Some 60% of the university's students have some form of scholarship, thanks to an ambitious and varied scholarship program.
Pope Francis: "To let oneself be overcome by anger in adversity is easy; what is difficult is to master oneself".
After the closing Mass of the World Meeting of Families, the Pope addressed his reflections after the Angelus from the balcony of his office. Starting from the Gospel scene of the day, he encouraged the faithful not to let themselves be carried away by anger, despite being tempted to do so. The example of the apostles reflected in the story should serve as an encouragement to believers.
The This Sunday's Gospel shows how "the disciples, filled with an enthusiasm that is still too worldly, dream that the Master is on his way to triumph. Jesus, on the other hand, knows that rejection and death await him in Jerusalem; he knows that he will have to suffer much; and this requires a firm decision. It is the same decision that we must make if we want to be disciples of Jesus".
On the way to JerusalemIn a Samaritan village, the inhabitants refused to receive Jesus. "The apostles James and John, indignant, suggest to Jesus that he punish these people by bringing fire down from heaven. Jesus not only does not accept the proposal, but rebukes the two brothers. They want to involve Him in their desire for revenge and He does not agree. The fire that He came to bring to earth is the merciful Love of the Father.
The reaction of James and John is understandable from the human point of view, but Jesus does not justify it. "This also happens to us, when, although we do good, perhaps sacrificially, instead of welcome we find a closed door. Then anger arises: we even try to involve God himself, threatening heavenly punishments (...) Letting ourselves be overcome by anger in adversity is easy, it is instinctive. The difficult thing, instead, is to master oneself, doing as Jesus did, who - the Gospel says - set out "on the road to another village".
For this reason, Pope Francis encouraged the faithful that when they encounter the rejection of their preaching by others, "we should resort to doing good elsewhere, without recriminations. In this way, Jesus helps us to be serene people, content with the good we have done and without seeking human approval."
Gabriella GambinoIt is important not to leave families on their own".
We interviewed Gabriella Gambino, organizer of the WFM. 2,000 people from 120 countries around the world participated in the 10th World Meeting of Families in Rome. under the theme "Family love: vocation and path to holiness".
Leticia Sánchez de León-June 26, 2022-Reading time: 4minutes
The World Meeting of Families which took place in Rome (June 22-26), was an oasis of hope for the family and a glimpse of optimism for the future. Some 2,000 delegates elected by the Bishops' Conferences, the Synods of the Oriental Churches and international ecclesial realities traveled to Rome to participate in the meeting.
Formation and accompaniment seem to be the key words of this year's meeting. Pope Francis wanted it to serve as the culmination of the year. Amoris Laetitia proclaimed by the Pontiff just one year ago.
We have been hearing for some time that preparation for marriage is essential, with special insistence on the importance of remote preparation. At the same time, being born into a Christian family and having more or less established family values does not guarantee marital success. The marriages that run into difficulties and often end up breaking up are not only non-believers but also people who we could say Church.
Gabriella Gambino is the deputy secretary at the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life and main organizer of the event. She explains to Omnes some of the key aspects of the World Meeting of Families:
Is it not enough to know the theory of marriage and relationships for a marriage to last? Do you think it would be necessary to make young people more aware of the need to prepare themselves for this new adventure?
I believe that an essential point in marriage preparation is to be able to listen to the testimony of other couples who are already living married life. They know the difficulties and have also learned the strategies to achieve a better marriage. take advantage of the grace of the sacrament of marriage. The Christian sacrament marks the difference between a civil marriage and a canonical one: In one, the presence of Christ is found between the spouses. And before marriage, no one knows this presence. It is a beauty, a gift, that can only be experienced in marriage itself.
But as engaged couples, we have to form ourselves for this, placing Christ at the center of our lives. You have to know how to listen and learn to grasp precisely the signs of his presence in our concrete daily life, in the simplest things. If you do not learn to do this from an early age with a remote preparation for marriage and then a gradual preparation that leads you little by little to the sacrament, it is difficult to learn to do it later in a sudden way. Remote preparation makes it possible for young people to find faith and learn to recognize Christ already during courtship.
In this regard, the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life has recently published "Catechumenal Itineraries for Married Life". These pastoral guidelines for the particular Churches are intended precisely as a kind of preparation for marriage. However, many media have labeled the document as a "memorandum of sexual morality".
The itineraries are a fundamental tool for rethinking the entire vocation ministry in the Church. It is fundamental to accompany children in understanding the beauty of marriage and the family, which are a gift within the Church. And parents must be helped to accompany their children in this discovery because they cannot do it alone. Today, the family is facing many challenges: The smartphonesOften they propose life models that are completely different from what parents expect for their children, starting with the vision of affectivity and sexuality.
The itineraries have precisely the purpose of helping parents on a remote path. To really help them to cultivate values such as chastity, which serve precisely to protect children in their ability to prepare themselves for total love forever. And today it is very important not to leave families alone on this path.
Another of the topics discussed at the congress was precisely that of the education of young people in affectivity and sexuality. There are many parents who still approach these topics as taboo subjects, in a superficial way. Do you think there is a change of mentality? Are the new generations less afraid to discuss these topics with their children or with their friends?
The subject of sexuality is a complex one within the family. Certainly, today, young people are put to the test, challenged by so many messages they receive from a complex world. Parents need to be trained in these areas. They have to keep up with the times by developing greater relational or empathic skills, dialoguing with their children on these issues. From childhood and adolescence to adulthood.
The way we talk to our younger children about affectivity and sexuality will not be the same as when they are 16 and 17 years old. But when that time comes, it will be very important to have initiated a dialogue with them from a young age and to keep that dialogue open. This allows us to address these issues and the questions they generate later on, which otherwise can become a source of inner restlessness because, nowadays, young people are forced to have very strong early experiences that later mark their human and spiritual life.
What difference does it make to learn these things at home, in the family, by watching the example of the parents, than to learn them outsidethrough cell phones or other devices in general?
Receiving values at home is necessary to know how to make better use of what they read on the Internet or what they find around them, in their own environment. From experience, we know that, if children have reading tools, critical tools to be able to observe the reality around them, and also to evaluate it intelligently, they are able to dialogue with this reality serenely.
The certainty that God blesses marriage and gives spouses the grace to face all the difficulties they encounter along the way has been lost in a certain sense. How could the sacramental value of marriage be revitalized?
First of all, with the witness of other spouses who live this grace and who can attest to its presence. Young people need to see, they need real testimonies. Nothing is more convincing than a testimony. Secondly, we must accompany engaged couples and spouses so that they learn to pray together. It is only praying together that really makes the presence of Christ alive among them. It is different from praying separately. And very different is the effect it has on the couple, on the unitive dimension. This is an aspect on which we have to work a lot so that in the communities, in the parishes, especially the spouses are really accompanied in praying together.
Rome is eternal because it is the city of the resurrection and it makes us universal, it makes us Catholic. One leaves Rome with a resurrected personality.
One of my favorite sections in Omnes print magazine is called "Corners of Rome." The column showcases the hidden secrets of Rome, did I say hidden? No, they are not really hidden, but require attention and a certain sensitivity to find them. I am chronicling my own experiences in the corners of Rome. Time will tell the content.
I refer to the column because the other day I revisited one of those corners. June is a "hard" month in Rome. Temperatures start to rise and the humidity seems to have a multiplying effect on it, the exam period for university students is in this month, etc. The hardest part of June comes when friends who have finished their studies return to their respective countries. We try not to say goodbye, we dare to say with certainty, "see you later".
Just as my friends do not say goodbye as such, we try to say goodbye to the places we have always visited. We do not go to the Fontana Di Trevi to throw coins, hoping for a return, but we are grateful for the memories we have lived and, of course, with a tinge of desire to return.
We do not sing the famous Arrivederci Roma. We only went to visit her one last time. We were inspired by Lucia, in Manzoni's classic, The bride and groom. Lucia, leaving her village, makes a litany of things she says goodbye to. Goodbye mountains, goodbye streams, goodbye houses.... "Farewell, mountains rising from the waters, and raised to the sky; unequal summits, known to him who grew up among you, and imprinted on his mind, like the faces of our own family. Farewell! Streams, whose murmur distinguishes, as well as the sound of the domestic voices of our nearest friends. Scattered villages, that whiten on the slope, Like flocks of sheep grazing, Farewell!"
We, like Lucia, said goodbye, not to the mountains, but to the obelisks, not to the streams, but to the fountains, the houses, the roofs, the domes.
Farewell to the obelisks, which stand cheerful and firm as a trunk..., farewell to the domes that rise in the splendor of the sun, the sunrise and sunsets... Farewell to the fountains that let the water rise from below and flow upwards....
There was a place that contained in it, all our farewell wishes. It is St. Peter's Basilica. I know of a Spanish romantic who, contemplating the beauties of Rome from a rooftop, referred to [the place where the pope stays] as the most precious jewel of Rome. He wrote of Rome's splendor in these words:
"O quam luces, Roma. Quam amoeno hic rides pospectu quantis ecllis antiquitatis monumentos. Sed nobilior tua gemma atque purior Christi vicarius de quio una cive gloriaris."
"Oh, how you shine, Rome! How you shine from here, with a splendid panorama, with so many marvelous monuments of antiquity. But your noblest and purest jewel is the vicar of Christ, of whom you glory as a unique city."
The romantic was St. Josemaría Escrivá.
We went to St. Peter's Basilica to say goodbye. We saw the fountains, because Rome is the city of fountains. We saw the fountain of the Tiaras near the colonnade in St. Peter's Square, a beauty! The water of the three tiaras refreshes many pilgrims in these days of high temperatures. We didn't stop here to say goodbye, but went to a perhaps lesser known fountain. It has an inscription that I like:
"Quid miraris apem, quæ mel de floribus haurit? Si tibi mellitam gutture fundit aquam."
"why are you surprised by the bee that extracts honey from flowers, if [when] it pours sweet water for you from its throat?"
Sources are what Chesterton would call the "lungs of Rome". The fountain is a paradox. Water flows upward and not downward. The water is in a state of resurrection here, the water is propelled upward and rises. The same is true of the obelisk in the square before entering the basilica. They look like pillars that have planted their roots in the earth. A large, firm trunk, without branches. It seemed alive.
We bid farewell to the saints in the basilica, both those in the stone and those in the tomb. I remember the Brazilian boy named Zezé in "My lime orange plant". The boy was not sure if it was good to be a saint because he thought that saints were always static and calm in their place on the stones. As much as he wanted to do his own thing, standing still was not an option for the young man. What he didn't know was that they were more alive than static. Unlike Zezé, the stone saints were the companions of Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell-ringer of Notre Dame in Victor Hugo's novel.
We went to the tomb, to the crypt, recited the Creed and felt every word alive.
Rome is a city of tombs, catacombs and crypts. One has the impression that the tombs are full of life. The dead are alive. The past comes to the present. Rome is eternal because it knows how to come out of the tomb.
Then, the dome of the basilica. It was like being on top of the world, or rather, on top of the capital of the world. When you look down from the top of the world, everything seems different, everything takes on a different meaning. Esmeralda marveled at the view of Paris from the top of the basilica of Notre Dame when Quasimodo offered her that moment, which she considered priceless.
It is from this peak that one begins to say goodbye. One begins to see with the eyes of the birds, a wide vision. It is here that one begins to see again what Rome is. Rome is the eternal city because it is the city of resurrection. Fountains that let the water rise, stone saints that seem majestic and alive, tombs that fill with life. The tomb is not the last place. The dome is just above it. Everything speaks of life. Everything is alive.
Rome is the city of resurrection. This is what we felt from the top of the dome and could see in retrospect. Rome makes us eternal because it does away with narrow-mindedness, a closed mentality and resurrects us with a greater soul - the magna anima. Rome is eternal because it is the city of resurrection and makes us universal, makes us Catholic. One leaves Rome with a resurrected personality.
Saints in family life, a central teaching of St. Josemaría Escrivá's message
Opus Dei, founded by St. Josemaría Escrivá, has its roots in the need to live contemplation in the midst of the world. As a consequence, the vocation and the mission of marriage are sanctified. At the conclusion of the Year of the Family Amoris LaetitiaThe book, which coincides with the feast of this saint, contains the key points of this core teaching of St. Josemaría.
Rafael de Mosteyrín Gordillo-June 26, 2022-Reading time: 2minutes
With regard to this curiosity, which we can understand as casual or providential, we would like to recall some of St. Josemaría's advice on marriage and family life.
The example of the Holy Family
The path of holiness, specific to marriage, has different parts in which the Christian's response develops. St. Josemaría Escrivá explains by what means identification with Christ is attained. The absolute answer, how to travel the path and reach the goal, is Christ.
The most important and continuous reference is that of the imitation of Christ in ordinary life. The example of the Holy Family, so that God may be found uninterruptedly.
St. Josemaría explains in this way the need to live contemplation in the midst of the world. As a consequence, the vocation and mission of marriage are sanctified.
In his writings, the sanctification of temporal activities, the sanctification of ordinary work, and the sanctification through family lifeThe vocation of the lay person is thus fulfilled in accordance with the Christian spirit of the professional, social or marital tasks that make up his or her life. The vocation of the lay person is thus realized in accordance with the Christian spirit of the professional, social or marital tasks that make up his or her life.
Sanctifying and sanctifying in the family
Based on the grace of the sacrament of marriage, St. Josemaría Escrivá explains the education of children, the sanctification of the home, attention to the family, dedication to one's profession, etc.
These are areas in which supernatural help is simultaneously required, which comes from prayer and the sacraments. Both in the home and in the different places in which it is carried out, the Christian family can gradually find the specific vocation foreseen by God for each member.
Care for the good of the spouse and children is a necessary element for the sanctification of each spouse in marriage.
The main challenge proposed by St. Josemaría to parents is to form authentic Christians, people who strive to attain and transmit holiness.
The path of every ordinary Christian is, therefore, the sanctification of professional work and of family and social relationships; with the means of sanctification and apostolate provided by the Church. By these means we have referred to participation in the sacraments, prayer and Christian formation.
Married and family life are paths to happiness and holiness through sacrificial and generous dedication to God's will and to others.
St. Josemaría saw the teachings of Revelation on the vocation to marriage in a new light. This light, derived from the charism God granted him, is, in our opinion, his greatest originality.
It is now up to each baptized person to recognize the dignity of the marriage vocation and to cooperate, each one from his or her place, in the world.
St. Josemaría's teaching, and his correspondence to God's grace, has been enhanced by the Church, also with his canonization in Rome on October 6, 2002.
After analyzing his preaching, we can conclude that the divine call to strive to be saints, through marriage and family life, is a central teaching of St. Josemaría Escrivá's message.
Propaganda Fide turns 400 years old and takes the name of Dicastery for Evangelization
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples has been transformed into the Dicastery for Evangelization. This is what Pope Francis has wanted in the reform of the Roman Curia contained in his Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium enacted on March 19, 2006, which came into force on the Solemnity of Pentecost.
The new Dicastery merges the former Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. It is a new evolution, following the reform carried out by Paul VI and the intervention of John Paul II. The famous institution known as Propaganda Fide has played an important role in the history of the Church throughout the centuries.
A bit of history
It was on January 6, 1622 when Pope Gregory XV founded this Congregation as the coordinating body of the Holy See for all the initiatives that were being carried out in the different continents to proclaim the Gospel and structure the presence of the Church through new missions and dioceses, which then took the form of prefectures and apostolic vicariates. The Pope assigned him a twofold purpose. On the one hand, to promote the reunification of Christians and, on the other, to spread the faith among non-Christians. Especially in those countries and continents that, through explorations and discoveries, had come into contact with Europe and the Catholic Church.
Propaganda Fide since its beginnings, has carried out the task of supporting missionary activity throughout the world. Its foundation constituted an important moment for the Church, which came to deepen its awareness of its inalienable vocation to proclaim Christ, the Savior of the world. It therefore had to direct, stimulate and organize all the forces at its disposal so that this saving proclamation might reach all peoples.
From then until today, from a beautiful palace in the Spanish Steps, designed by Borromini, the activities of the missionaries are coordinated. A formidable network, active in every corner of the planet, provides a continuous flow of information to the Vatican.
An open door to the world
In 1627, Pope Urban VIII founded the Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide. The objective was to train the secular clergy for the missions. It also had the Polyglot Printing Press, to print documents and texts in the different languages of the people.
Propaganda Fide has canonical jurisdiction over all territories in which the ecclesiastical structures are still at a level that does not permit the creation of a diocese. Or when a territory is divided into apostolic vicariates, apostolic prefectures or missions sui iuris. In addition, there are also countries where the Christian presence is more recent and less deeply rooted. For example, practically all of Asia, with the exception of the Philippines; Africa, with the exception of Egypt and Tunisia; and Oceania, with the exception of Australia. Alaska, the West Indies and even parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania are also dependent on the Christian faith. Propaganda Fide.
Propaganda Fide in detail
According to the most recent statistics, there are 1,117 ecclesiastical circumscriptions that continue to depend on the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The majority of these are in Africa (517) and Asia (483), followed by America (71) and Oceania (46). By ecclesiastical circumscriptions are understood archdioceses, dioceses, apostolic vicariates, apostolic prefectures and missions in the jurisdictional area.
From the Headquarters of Propaganda Fide It is responsible for the practices for the appointment of bishops and more than sixty Episcopal Conferences. It is endowed with its own budget, has a very important real estate patrimony that allows it to maintain universities, humanitarian activities and health facilities in different parts of the world. The cardinal who presides over it has always been called the Red Potato.
The present of Propaganda Fide
At the present time, the Apostolic Constitution of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium marks an important milestone in the pontificate of Pope Francis. It is the concretization of a process of reform, intended to affirm that the most important task of the Church is evangelization. The missionary dimension becomes an important part of the service structures of the Roman Curia. Structures that, even if they change their name, their partially operative profile and residual competencies, must necessarily be more missionary.
Of all the Congregations, which have now become Dicasteries or even Curial Institutions, it is not by chance that the Dicastery for Evangelization occupies the first place. It precisely marks the perspective with which this reform is being carried out.
The evangelizing mission of the Church in recent centuries is inextricably linked to the action of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith; 400 years after its foundation, it remains the point of reference for the entire pontifical missionary system.
Pontifical Mission Societies
The scope of action of the Pontifical Mission Societies, even though they have arisen in different nations in different historical and geographical contexts, has the purpose of sustaining the missionary responsibility together with the charitable dimension, in order to extend the sense of mission to the whole Church.
The Second Vatican Council taught that the principal initiatives by which the spreaders of the Gospel, going throughout the world, carry out the task of preaching the Gospel and establishing the Church in the midst of unevangelized peoples, are called missions.
In the new Constitution, the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches responds to this by adding the need to promote cooperation and the exchange of experiences among the new Particular Churches and to awaken missionary vocations.
The Pope's presidency
Another fundamental aspect of the new Constitution is that the Dicastery for Evangelization is the only one presided over directly by the Roman Pontiff.
The historical titles attributed to the Pope are: Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Servant of the Servants of God. It is not expressly stated in the Constitution that the Pope also assumes the title of prefect, but it can be inferred in relation to the other Dicasteries. The fact of being at the head of them underlines the centrality of the Dicastery for Evangelization. And at the same time it gives the Pope a task that until now has never been the competence of a pontiff.
The Dicastery for Evangelization, it can be read in numbers 53 and 54 of the Praedicate Evangeliumis at the service of the work of evangelization so that Christ, the light of the Gentiles, may be known and witnessed to in word and deed and that his Mystical Body, which is the Church, may be built up". The Dicastery is competent for "the fundamental questions of evangelization in the world and for the establishment, accompaniment and support of the new particular Churches, without prejudice to the competence of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches".
The Congregation erects and divides missionary circumscriptions in its territories according to need; presides over the government of the missions; examines questions and reports sent by Ordinaries, Nuncios and Episcopal Conferences; supervises the Christian life of the faithful, the discipline of the clergy, charitable associations and Catholic Action; oversees the direction of Catholic schools and seminaries.
The current Prefect of the Congregation, appointed on December 8, 2019 by Pope Francis, is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a Filipino national.
Families "take over" Rome at the Tenth World Meeting
The Pope plays with a child at the opening festival of the World Meeting of Families in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on June 22, 2022. The festival of families opens the 5 days of the meeting.
In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today overturned the judgment of the U.S. Supreme Court that Roe v Wade 1973 that established legal protections for performing abortions at the federal level, which was interpreted as a "constitutional right".
Therefore, the Roe v. Wade ruling is vacated as of today. This verdict is part of the Dobss v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, which addressed whether or not a Mississippi state law prohibiting pregnancy after fifteen weeks was constitutional.
From now on, "The power to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives," the ruling states. This ruling will be one of the most important in several decades as the regulation of abortion will be left in the hands of each of the fifty states of the American Union. Thus, more than half of them are expected to implement restrictions or even ban abortion. Many of them already do so.
The arguments presented today and endorsed by six of nine justices in the 213-page ruling state that the Constitution does not establish abortion as a right.
The Constitution does not give anyone the right to destroy one life in the interest of another.
Such a prerogative, say the judges, is neither part of nor supported by the history and tradition of the American nation. The pro-abortion laws implemented at the federal level in recent decades have upset the balance between the interests of the woman seeking an abortion and the interests of the unborn human being.
Abortion essentially destroys a potential life, the opinion states. However, the Constitution does not give anyone the right to undermine or destroy one life in the interest of another. Roe v Wade and other laws, the justices say, disregarded the rights of an unborn life for fifty years.
Justice Samuel Alito writes in his opinion that abortion represents a moral issue that provokes divergent opinions, for example, when it initiates a human life. In a democracy, such sensitive issues "should be resolved by the citizens of each state. Therefore, it is time to return this matter to the people and their elected representatives," the magistrate states.
For those in favor of abortion, including U.S. President Joe Biden, this ruling was a "tragic mistake" and today was a somber day in U.S. history.
The President indicated that he will use everything in his power to defend "a woman's right to decide", including making birth control drugs available to women and promoting the transfer of women who wish to have an abortion to states where they can have the procedure performed.
A historic day
For those who have defended life from the moment Roe V Wade was passed in 1973, today is a day of joy, a historic day, as Jose Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, points out: "For fifty years an unjust law was imposed. America was founded on the fundamental truth that all men and women are created equal, with God-given rights. However, that principle was seriously undermined by Roe v. Wade, which legalized the destruction of a human life".
The U.S. prelates recognize the work of thousands of people and pro-life organizations because it is thanks to their tireless work in favor of the rights of the unborn that it was possible to reach this ruling. These groups, according to the Episcopal Conference, should be considered as part of the social movements that have fought for civil rights in our nation.
Given that this verdict will provoke violent reactions, both President Biden and the U.S. Bishops have called for peace.
To take this post-Roe v. Wade time as an opportunity to heal wounds and repair social divisions through dialogue and reflection. The outlook indicates that this will not be an easy task.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the American Constitution does not grant the "right" to abortion and returns the decision to "the people" and their "elected representatives," i.e., the government of each state.
It has taken almost half a century for the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse its ruling Roe v. Wadewhich declared the existence of a right constitutional right to abortion.
Almost 50 years to reach this new sentence, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health OrganizationThe "abortion of the unborn," a major victory for unborn human beings, leaves behind slightly more than sixty million abortions.
As will be recalled, the new ruling Dobbs had its controversial pre-announcement with the leak to the press a few months ago (it has not yet been determined who leaked the draft), and with the subsequent reaction of the public against and in favor of it.
Dobbs is a major legal milestone, with undeniable symbolic value. However, it does not actually mean that abortion has been abolished in the United States of America.
In fact, the Mississippi state law from which the ruling stems did not abolish abortion, it limited it in time limits and indications: "Except in a medical emergency or in the case of severe fetal abnormality, a person shall not intentionally perform or induce an abortion of an unborn human being if it has been determined that the probable gestational age of the unborn human being is greater than 15 weeks." So where does the significance of this new decision lie? In many things, of which I now select three.
First, in debunking the myth (and legal inaccuracy) that the U.S. Constitution contains a right to abortion. There is no such right. That alleged right was constructed from judicial activism, which turns judges into legislators.
Secondly, to refer the question to the legislative chambers of the fifty states that make up the United States. Here, pro-life efforts will multiply in very different versions in terms of limiting abortion (prior ultrasound, prohibition of abortion if the baby's heart is already beating, systems of indications, obligation to anesthetize the baby before killing it...) but, above all, it will make it possible to promote positive protection standards (assistance to mothers, pregnancy support centers...).
Thirdly, these fifty years have meant the patient, constant consecration of the pro-life movement. This movement has meant, among other things, a transverse and ecumenical inter-religious current that has brought together people of good will under the banner of the common cause of human life.
Finally, as of today, we are witnessing the beginning of the end of abortion in the United States.
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This week we talk about the synod in Spain, the projects of Aid to the Church in Need, the violence suffered by Christians in various parts of the world and other current news.
Alex is a parrotfish who makes a living as a janitor in the beautiful and populated coral reefs, where all kinds of marine creatures live in a habitat that the protagonist himself keeps neat and multicolored.
The lives of all the inhabitants of the community will be threatened by a strange black spot, at first nondescript, but which will begin to affect their lives more and more. Faced with the king's refusal to even consider it a problem, and on his mission to clean up the coral reefs, Alex embarks on an adventure that will take him beyond the unknown (of course, the black spot will be nothing more than oil leaks from a refinery).
Clearly intended to raise awareness, the story is told in the purest environmental newsletter style. A humble fish wants to make things right, while humans drill for oil that is leaking into the rest of the sea. There's a mission, an adventure, and plenty of jokes and characters to keep the little ones entertained.
For those asking for more than this, the rest of the film's factors don't quite gel. It tiptoes over the whys and wherefores of the story and the animation is less than most film releases. It is the feature debut of its director, writer and producer, and this is palpable in the overall result of the work, perhaps more comparable to animated TV shows.
In short, Go Fish: Save the sea is an epic film whose great virtues will be most appreciated by children. They consist of being colorful, bright, starring a large cast of fish of all kinds and conditions, from sharks to eels, having a moral and lasting only an hour and a quarter. The whole production is a fable in the purest bedtime story style. And therefore, it is an amusement for families and their children. A journey of discovery of the different sea creatures and their way of life.
Popes for peace in times of war. From Benedict XV and Pius XII to Francis. is the title of the meeting, promoted by the Pope Pacelli Committee - Pius XII Association, which took place at the Maria Santissima Bambina Institute in Rome. The aim of the session was to reflect on the magisterium of the Popes in armed conflicts.
The meeting, chaired by Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, was attended by Massimo de Leonardis, Professor of History of International Relations (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan); Johan Ickx, Director of the Historical Archives of the Vatican Secretariat of State (Section for Relations with States); and Andrea Tornielli, Editorial Director of Vatican Media. The magisterium of the Popes in armed conflicts is not a minor issue born out of the war in Ukraine.
New book by the Pope
The reflections of Pope Francis contained in his recent publication Against war. The courage to build peace. (published by Solferino), show the need for fraternity and denounce the absurdity of war. These pages are impregnated with the suffering of the victims in Ukraine, the faces of those who suffered the conflict in Iraq, the historical events of Hiroshima and the legacy of the two world wars of the 20th century.
Francis identifies in the greed for power, in international relations dominated by military force, in the ostentation of military arsenals, the deep motivations of the wars that even today stain the planet with blood. Confrontations that sow death, destruction and resentment and that bring new deaths and new destruction, in a spiral that only the conversion of hearts can put an end to.
The Papal Magisterium on War
Dialogue as a political art, the artisanal construction of peace that starts from the heart and extends to the world, the prohibition of atomic weapons and disarmament as a strategic choice are the concrete indications that Francis entrusts to us so that peace may truly become the shared horizon on which to build our future. For nothing truly human can be born of war.
The pontiff follows in the wake of the magisterium of his predecessors: the plea with which in 1962 St. John XXIII asked the powerful of his time to stop an escalation of war that could have dragged the world into the abyss of nuclear conflict; the force with which St. Paul VI, speaking in 1965 at the General Assembly of the United Nations, said: "Never again war! Never again war!"; the numerous appeals for peace of St. John Paul II, who in 1991 called war "an adventure of no return."
"From the beginning of my service as Bishop of Rome," reads the introduction to the volume, "I have spoken of the Third World War, saying that we are already living it, although still in pieces. Those pieces have become larger and larger, welding together. At this moment there are many wars in the world, causing immense pain, innocent victims, especially children. Wars that provoke the flight of millions of people, forced to abandon their land, their homes, their destroyed cities to save their lives. These are the many forgotten wars that reappear before our inattentive eyes from time to time".
The madness of war
Far from being the solution to conflicts, for Francis war "is madness, war is a monster, war is a cancer that feeds on itself, engulfing everything". Moreover, war is a sacrilege, which "wreaks havoc on the most precious thing on our earth, human life, the innocence of the little ones, the beauty of creation".
The solution is rather the one proposed by the encyclical Fratelli tutti: to use the money spent on arms and other military expenditures to create a World Fund aimed at eliminating hunger once and for all and promoting the development of the poorest countries, in order to avoid violent or deceitful shortcuts. A proposal that the Holy Father feels the need to renew "even today, especially today". Because "wars must be stopped, and they will only stop if we stop feeding them".
Pius XII and the Jews
Another book -Pius XII and the Jews (Rizzoli 2021)-will likely offer the opportunity to shed light on the work of Pius XII, with reference to the interventions desired by the Pontiff, coordinated by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Luigi Maglione, and carried out by high prelates such as Domenico Tardini and Giovanni Battista Montini (the future Paul VI). "The unpublished documents of Pius XII," Ickx writes, "counter the false narrative previously accepted by many."
The Pope, in fact, "organized a network of escape routes for people in danger and supervised a network of priests operating throughout Europe with a single goal: to save lives wherever possible." This is the so-called Pius XII list, the "Jewish series" of the historical archives of the Secretariat of State. A particular series, right from its name (the others are named after specific countries), which contains some 2,800 requests for intervention or aid and testifies to the extent to which the fate of these poor people was close to the Pope's heart. The series shows the fate of more than 4,000 Jews, some of them baptized as Catholics but of Jewish origin (but after a certain point not even baptism prevented the deportations).
The requests covered the period from 1938 to 1944 and intensified during the crucial years of the war. It was not always possible to save everyone, but the "Jewish series" "proves beyond reasonable doubt," says Icks, "that Pius XII and his staff did everything possible to offer assistance also to those who professed the Jewish faith."
Next Tuesday, June 28th at 6:00 p.m., we will have an exceptional Omnes Forum on the subject of Pilgrimages to the Holy Land after the pandemic.
We will have as guests Joaquin Panielloauthor of the book Why do you walk in sadness? Jesus' conversation with the disciples at Emmaus; y Piedad AguileraPilgrimages and Religious Tourism Unit, Viajes El Corte Inglés. It will be moderated by Alfonso Riobódirector of Omnes.
As a follower and reader of Omnes, we invite you to attend. If you would like to attend, please confirm your attendance by sending an email to [email protected].
Subscribe to Omnes magazine and enjoy exclusive content for subscribers. You will have access to all Omnes
Bishop Argüello: "What everyone spoke about at the synod was the Eucharist".
Neither the ordination of women nor optional celibacy were the most important topics in the total number of summaries sent by the different dioceses and groups in the first phase of the synodal journey in Spain.
Although these topics have certainly appeared and have become an easy media resource, the request to know better the Magisterium of the Church (also to understand the reasons for the aforementioned topics) and, above all, the importance of the EucharistTheir participation and care have been the common demands in the summaries received by the EEC in the first phase of the synod in Spain.
Luis Argüello, Secretary General of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Spanish Episcopal Conference at the press conference to report on the work of the 259th meeting of the Standing Commission of the Spanish bishops. Evidently, the path followed by the Spanish dioceses in the first local phase of the Synod of Bishops has focused part of the work of these days.
The bishops took stock of the meeting held on June 11 which they described as joyful. An appendix has been added to the conclusions presented that day, which includes the underlined points and some gaps that the participants in the Assembly found after reviewing, in groups, the synthesis that was initially presented.
The Eucharist, the central theme
In this regard, Bishop Argüello pointed out that the president of the Spanish bishops has personally taken these documents to the General Secretariat of the Synod together with all materials and attachments received.
The bishops, emphasized the secretary of the EEC, have expressed their desire to "continue on this path while awaiting the proposals of the General Secretariat of the Synod", the first Instrumentum Laboris that is expected to be received around next autumn.
The need to overcome clericalism and, above all, as Argüello wanted to emphasize, "the issue that was unanimously discussed was the EucharistThe languages, the homily, the participation...". The Secretary General of the Spanish Bishops pointed out that "the Church is an interweaving of the road and the table" and "on this road, above all, the faithful want to speak of the table".
Prevention and the work carried out by the Diocesan Offices for the Protection of Minors was another of the topics discussed at this conference. In this area, the work plan for the coming months was presented. In October, a new two-day meeting of these diocesan offices and religious congregations is planned, and a framework protocol is being drawn up for the prevention of abuse of minors and how to act in the event of such abuse. The protocol includes the main aspects contained in some of the protocols already existing in the Spanish dioceses, as well as the documents of the Holy See regarding this problem.
Only 9 cases of abuse in the 21st century in the Spanish Church
The performance and development of the various research projects in the field of abuses committed by members of the Churchas usual, have been the focus of much of the media's subsequent questioning.
In this sense, Bishop Argüello wanted to point out that, effectively, the Church will not participate institutionally in the commission of investigation set up by the Ombudsman of the Spanish government, which focuses solely on sexual abuse committed in the Church environment.
Argüello pointed out that, although there are Catholics in a personal capacity who do participate in this commission, from the Episcopal Conference, "we think it is good that this type of commission has its independence". Likewise, he did not avoid pointing out that "it does not seem very correct to us to focus only on cases of abuse in the Church" when most of these abuses occur in other areas.
Bishop Argüello wanted to emphasize that the collaboration of the Church is always a priority in "any investigation that wants to emphasize the reception of victims and prevention, this collaboration is a priority".
Prescribed cases
In addition, he explained how "an unreal expectation has been generated in the question of the archives. With our data, those presented by the newspaper El País and all the others, 80% of the cases are prior to the year 80, from the civil criminal point of view, many of them have prescribed, many of the accused persons are deceased and the superiors or bishops responsible at that time are no longer there".
The spokesman for the Spanish bishops has also recalled that "in our protocols of action is to communicate to the Prosecutor's Office all cases that are received and this has been done".
Regarding the second report prepared by the newspaper El País, Argüello explained that it has been sent "to each congregation and each diocese what corresponds to it, to Rome and to the public prosecutor's office. And we have written to El País asking the management, to the extent that they have wanted us to act as "mediators" so that the people who have made these accusations can contact the offices and even, if necessary, act as mediators between these people and the dioceses".
Argüello stated that "at the end of the year we are expected to give a report on the new developments received in each office" and pointed out that "there are only 9 cases in the 21st century", which gives him "peace of mind that things are not being done badly".
More adult baptisms
One of the topics that has been discussed these days by the members of the Standing Commission is related to a growing reality in Spain in recent years: the reception of the sacraments of Christian Initiation by adults, that is, those over 14 years of age.
In this line, the bishops have discussed the new catechism for adults "It is the Lord! A catechism that follows to a large extent, the ritual of Christian Initiation of Adults and to which will be added the proposals presented by the bishops these days in order to culminate this new document, aimed at the adult catechumenate and those who are reinitiated in the Christian life.
Support for pro-life demonstrations
The pro-life demonstration called for June 26 by numerous civil groups together with some Christian-inspired groups has also formed part of the list of questions addressed to the Secretary of the Spanish Bishops.
Luis Argüello confirmed the support of all the bishops for the note recently published by the Episcopal Subcommission for the Family and the Defense of Life, which encourages "everyone to promote the yes to life and we express our support for those who have the right to be born and to be welcomed by their parents with love; for mothers, who have the right to receive the necessary social and state support to avoid becoming victims of abortion.
In favor of the freedom of parents and of the schools that collaborate with them to give their children an integral formation, which gives the necessary importance today to affective and sexual education, in accordance with moral convictions that truly prepare them to be parents and to welcome the gift of life; in favor of palliative care and freedom of conscience; denouncing situations in which it is threatened, as is still found in various forms of slavery, in human trafficking or in abusive working conditions".
For the spokesman of the EEC "the mobilizations in the street are genuine of the lay vocation" and he also wanted to emphasize that, beyond the demonstrations, "the challenge is greater: it calls for a cultural change, a way of living in favor of life".
Argüello also wanted to point out that "The question of abortion is not specific to Catholics. The pro-life culture can be shared with believers of other religions as well as with men and women, agnostics, who see that the care of life is a red line that must not be crossed."
Does the Synod want changes in doctrine on issues such as celibacy or the priestly ordination of women? As the Secretary General of the Synod, Cardinal Mario Grech, has pointed out, Pope Francis wants a more synodal Church.
And what does this mean? Above all, it means that not only religious should have a voice in permanent forums. It can be at the parish, diocesan or national level, but he also wants the laity to be heard when decisions have to be made.
AhNow you can enjoy a 20% discount on your subscription to Rome Reports Premiumthe international news agency specializing in the activities of the Pope and the Vatican.
The demographic issue must be at the center of the European agenda
In a Europe that no longer has children, the question of the birth rate is once again at the center of public debate. On numerous occasions, including recent ones, Pope Francis has reiterated the need to rediscover the beauty of the family as a contribution to the development of society.
OMNES has interviewed the president of the European Federation of Catholic Family Associations (FAFCE), lawyer Vincenzo Bassi, who explains some of the most pressing issues related to the demographic question.
The Federation of Catholic Family Associations of Europe is 25 years old. Can you explain to our readers how this organization came into being and what initiatives it carries out?
FAFCE is a federation of associations representing 18 European countries. FAFCE's members are 23 associations and its objective is twofold. On the one hand, it presents the requests and needs of families and national associations to the European institutions. This includes not only those of the European Union but also those of the Council of Europe. On the other hand, it develops and promotes, in agreement with the local bishops' conferences, Catholic family associations in countries where they are less developed.
In view of the upcoming World Meeting of Families, FAFCE organized a conference to "celebrate the beauty of the family". How important is it to rediscover this beauty in a Europe that no longer has children?
Today, starting a family is increasingly seen as a heroic act rather than an act of generosity. Celebrating the beauty of the family serves precisely to present the usual family generosityThe family is not only a private institution, it also has public relevance. The family is not only a private institution, it also has public relevance. It is a gift to society and should not be taken for granted, but should be rewarded.
In this respect, we believe that the demographic question must become a more European issue. Our experience teaches us that it is necessary to involve and bring together the national States on this issue, and then to make the promotion of the birth rate a central point on the European agenda. On the other hand, we see that not even in the Recovery Plan for Europe We are thinking about birth rate policies. We must remember that families also initiate economic development processes. The family is the fuel that ignites the engine of society, in demographic terms, but also in terms of sustainable development.
An important occasion of this anniversary was the meeting with the Holy Father a few days ago. How did you experience those moments?
With great emotion, knowing that the Pope always encourages us to improve and make our commitment more effective. Associations and family networks must be more and more homes open to the community and not floors in which to take refuge for fear of confrontation with society.
In his speech, Pope Francis praised his contribution to the networking of families, from which flows a service to the whole society... Is that so?
Family networks are an instrument not only at the service of society but also of the Church, because through them it is easier to approach fragile people and families in difficulty. We are convinced that our contribution to the service of society will be all the more effective the more we can contribute to the service of the Church. In this sense, family networks can help, and be a tool for our pastors to stay close to the flock.
It has recently signed a Resolution reaffirming the importance of having children as an indispensable resource for the future also in ecological keyCan you explain it better?
It is all very simple and real: there will never be sustainable development without an intergenerational balance guaranteed precisely by children. That is why the real enemy of society and its sustainable development is consumerism and individualism, while families optimize resources for their own good and that of their children, and therefore for the future of society, which they will want to leave as an inheritance to their children.
The Pontiff also denounced the scourge of pornography and the inhumane practice of surrogacy. As a Federation, how do you plan to help eradicate these social scourges?
Both are a consequence of loneliness, of people and families. In loneliness, everything is a commodity, even a child or sex. In the family, one learns and experiences the gift. The more one lives the joy of the gift offered and received, the more one sees pornography and surrogacy as an aberration.
However, it must be said that behind these practices there are more or less serious existential frailties, and our task always remains that of welcoming the fragile and helping them to overcome their weakness. The Pope calls us not only to condemn the acts but also to welcome the persons, because our families are not models of perfection. Our families must bear witness that they are on a journey, generous and responsible; a journey that is sometimes difficult, but one that is traveled knowing that they are not alone, like a flock with its shepherd.
The Catholic table addresses, in a simple but astonishingly profound way, essential questions for the Catholic. Considering that God becomes food is not a trivial matter; it assumes that we need God to live.
TitleThe Catholic Table. The joy and dignity of food from the faith.
Author: Emily Stimpson Chapman
Pages: 210
Editorial: CEU Ediciones
City: Madrid
Year: 2021
Emily Stimpson Chapman has, for years, been writing with simplicity and astonishing depth about the relationship between food and her Catholic faith. Her blog "The Catholic table". has been the alma mater of this highly recommended book on the same subject.
The author enters into essential questions for the man and woman of today, and especially the Catholic. Considering that God becomes food is not a trivial matter. It assumes that, beyond a simple question of physical survival, we need God to live and it is not the same thing, for example, to eat or not to eat as a family.
Stimpson walks through, without giving in to extremes, what she calls the "spiritual damage that occurs when we don't see food correctly and live according to what we see," a problem that includes all the extreme food-related disorders ranging from guilt, wastefulness or self-obsession that eliminates even God....
Also with all that a God made food implies: the sense of fasting, the hunger for God, solidarity with others....
And he does it with a hopeful and balanced vision of things that makes this book (which he "dresses" with great recipes), a more than successful reading choice.
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New and exciting book by Rafael Navarro-Valls. As an expert in American political history and the Catholic Church, he has already written three books analyzing the presidencies from F. D. Roosevelt to Obama and the popes from St. John Paul II to the beginnings of Francis' pontificate.
In this new work, he analyzes President J. F. Kennedy and his brothers Bob and Ted from the perspective of the attacks and scandals they lived through; he refers to new data on Nixon (Watergate); Obama's visits to Cuba and Spain during his last year in power; the failed candidacy of Hillary R. Clinton and her duels with Obama and Trump; Trump's four years in the White House, including his remarkable clinging to power and the dramatic duel with the blond president that marked the election of Joe Biden, until his inauguration.
On the other hand, Navarro-Valls analyzes new and interesting data on St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, as well as the pontificate of Pope Francis so far. Finally, the author adds some historical anecdotes about his brother Joaquín, the first lay spokesman of the Holy See. In short, a book that reads with great pleasure and provides relevant novelties.
Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, central to Luke's Gospel, begins. In the Greek, Luke mentions the face of Jesus three times. "The firm decision" to go to Jerusalem is expressed in this way: "He hardened his face to walk toward Jerusalem."The sending of the couriers: "He sent messengers before his face."and the cause of the Samaritans' rejection: "For his face was on the way to Jerusalem."
Luke shows us the face of Jesus that reveals the face of the Father. Jesus' face seems hard, but in reality he is firm in his loving decision to give his life for all in Jerusalem, tenacious in tenderness and mercy. He wants to resist those who oppose the plan of salvation that will be fulfilled there.
The Jews avoided Samaria on their way to Jerusalem because the Samaritans were unfaithful, but Jesus passes through there on purpose. He has sent messengers, perhaps James and John themselves, who, annoyed by his refusal, ask Jesus for permission to ask fire from heaven to consume them. Jesus turns and shows his face, determined to remain merciful, even to those who reject him. To rebuke James and John, he uses the same verb with which he expels the demons. Those who want to prevent them from walking in the logic of God are considered by him as "Satan", like Peter.
Luke relates in Acts: that Samaria is the first destination, after Judea, indicated by Jesus to the apostles for their testimony; that during the persecution of Saul the Christians fled to Samaria, where they carried the word of God; that Peter and John were sent there, and laid hands on the Samaritans who received the Holy Spirit: that was the fire from heaven that Jesus wanted for Samaria.
Go, walk, follow, are frequent words in this passage. Jesus teaches three aspiring disciples what to keep in mind in order to follow him. If we want to follow him everywhere, Jesus warns us that he is not a refuge, a solution to all problems, a place protected from the difficulties of life, but quite the opposite. If, upon hearing his call, we tell him that before following him we have bodies to bury, wounds, stories and misunderstandings from the past to resolve, he tells us to set aside those burdens and launch out with him on mission.
Thirdly, it encourages us to free ourselves from the conditioning of the people we love and who love us, but who can be an obstacle to following Jesus. The peasants who put their hands to the plow looked forward because that was the way to straighten the furrow. Those who follow the Master must also look ahead, towards the future, towards the newness of life that He is always capable of proposing and realizing.
The homily on the readings of Sunday XIII
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaa small one-minute reflection for these readings.
The general audience of Wednesday, June 22, continued the series of catechesis on old age initiated, a few weeks ago, by Pope Francis. A catechesis followed attentively by hundreds of people who joined the Holy Father on this summer morning.
Taking the passage of the dialogue between the risen Jesus and Peter at the end of the Gospel of John, the Pope reflected on the witness that, in itself, contains the surrender and physical weakness of the last years of life.
In this regard, the Pope pointed out that "in the course of Jesus' discussion with Peter, we find two passages that refer precisely to old age and the length of time. The first of these "when you were young, you girded yourself and went where you wanted to go; when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, another will gird you and take you where he does not want you to go" alludes to this handing over of the witness to the younger ones and to yielding one's place.
At this point, affably, the Pope commented: "Tell me about it, I have to go in a wheelchair! But life is like that. With old age comes illness and we must accept it as it comes" and he recalled a quote from St. Ignatius of Loyola that says 'In life as in death we must bear witness as disciples of Jesus' The end of our life must be the end of the life of a disciple of Jesus. Besides, the footprint of Jesus is always ahead of us. In good or bad health. The important thing, the Pope stressed, "is to follow Jesus always, walking on foot or in a wheelchair".
Francis shared with those present how much he enjoys "talking to the people and the seniors looking into their eyes; those bright eyes, that speak to you without words, that are the testimony of a life. It is something beautiful that we must preserve.
Ceding the limelight
Another of the themes treated in this catechesis revolved around the insistence that we have, on many occasions, to know and "direct", in a certain way, the lives of others. In this regard, the Pope wanted to ask, especially older people, if they are really capable, on many occasions, of trusting younger people, of "handing over the leading role" to them.
"Walking away from the limelight of life is not easy" said the Pope FrancisThis new time is also a time of trial, certainly. Beginning with the temptation to keep our protagonism. In old age, our protagonism must be lowered.
Therefore, the Pope continued, when Peter asks Jesus about John, "Does he really have to be in 'my' sequel? Does he perhaps have to occupy 'my' space? Does he have to outlast me and take my place? Jesus' answer is frank and even harsh: 'What do you care? You, follow me. This is what Christ does with us, the Pope pointed out, "when we enter into the life of others, Jesus says to us, 'What do you care? You follow me'".
Álvaro MedinaA society without grandparents is not viable".
– Supernatural Pope Francis' catechesis on the elderly and older people has been abundant, as you can see in Omnes. Today, on the occasion of the X World Meeting of Families (EMF 2022), which begins in Rome this Wednesday, Omnes has interviewed Alvaro Medina, president of the Ascending Life Movement, who will speak on Thursday 23 with his wife, Rosario Garcia, in the EMF.
Francisco Otamendi-June 22, 2022-Reading time: 8minutes
The Pope's catechesis on the elderly is so relevant that the Holy Father decided to celebrate the first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly last year. This year it will be on July 24, near the feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, in order not to forget 'the richness of guarding roots and transmitting’ to young people the experience of life and faith that only they can give.
It is an initiative of the 'Amoris laetitia Family Year', coordinated by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, which organizes this EMF 2022, and has invited the couple Álvaro Medina and Rosario García to present their testimony in Rome.
It was precisely Álvaro Medina, as president of the Ascending Life Movement, who presented a month ago in Madrid, together with the bishop of the Canary Islands, Bishop José Mazuelos, president of the Episcopal Subcommission for the Family and the Defense of Life, the document Old age, richness of fruits and blessings', at the headquarters of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE). A presentation of which reported with Omnes breadth.
We now talk to him on the eve of his speech at the Meeting of Families. Álvaro Medina, a member of the Diocese of Getafe Without revealing his stories, he says: "We must never lose heart in the apostolate. We will tell it in Rome.
Is your wife part of the Ascending Life Movement?
̶ My wife, Maria del Rosario, is in charge of my house, she has no position in the Movement, although she will talk to me in Rome.
What would you like to comment on first? Maybe something about EMF 2022 in Rome, or in Spain.
̶ My wife and I have been invited by the Vatican to give a testimony at the X World Meeting of Families, in Rome, and we will do so on the 23rd of this month of June. I know that there is another couple from Spain, but we are not going together. Maybe we will see each other on the plane.
It was directly the Vatican who contacted us, perhaps through the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life in Rome, with which we have a logical relationship through Vida Ascendente. That is where our name must have come from, and the call to us came directly from the organizers of the meeting. We will speak, if there are no changes, from 12:30 to 13:30 in the morning.
Is it possible to get a small preview?
̶ The topic we are going to talk about revolves around a latent concern in older people, which is when some of our children or grandchildren do not follow the path of faith. And there is a bit of despair and disappointment when you see that happening.
We have a couple of stories in our family where it is clear that we have the obligation to put the seed, but the one who makes it grow in due time is the Lord.
We are going to tell two stories, one my wife and the other me, about two events that have happened in the family, and which show that we must never lose heart in our eagerness to do the apostolate inside or outside the family, but especially inside the family.
We will tell about it in Rome.
You have two children, right?
̶ Yes, we have a son and a daughter. My son is married, has 4 children, and now the rest is taking care of his sister's youngest child. My daughter is divorced, has four children, the two oldest are quite old, the third lives with his father, and the youngest lives with my son.
On August 12, 4 years ago, my daughter suffered an aneurysm in her head, which has generated important psychological and physical sequelae, although thank God she is overcoming certain difficulties, but she is very limited. She lives at home, we take care of her, and we take her every day to rehabilitation, but logically the care of her day and night corresponds to us.
Guidelines for the pastoral care of the elderly
Can you recall any features of the document on old age that you have presented to the EEC?
̶ As the document indicates, it is a set of guidelines for the pastoral care of the elderly. The most relevant, in my opinion, is the need in the Church and in society to recognize the elderly as they really are. Because they are being stigmatized, they are being considered something that almost becomes a nuisance, and this is a very serious mistake, because growing old is not a disgrace, it is a grace.
Becoming a major is a gift from God, and it has its fruits. If one stops for two seconds to reflect, one realizes it without needing to have much knowledge.
Tell us about this reflection and the spiritual part.
̶ The condition of the human being is basically composed of three parts. One part, the physical: another part, the intellectual; and a third, the spiritual. In both the physical and the intellectual, the body grows stronger with the passage of time, and reaches its peak, according to each person at a certain age.
The same happens with the brain, knowledge is acquired over time, intelligence is exercised, and there comes a time when the body and the brain, the intelligence, decline, decay.
However, the spiritual part never declines. On the contrary, as time goes by, one has more occasions to be aware that the Lord is with us, the spirit is strengthened, the faith is strengthened, and at an advanced age, what you have is a spirit with a proven faith. And this richness has to be seen from the reality of life.
If the reality of life is that we are born of God's love and our destiny is to reach the arms of the Lord, the path of life is the path of faith. If the path of faith, when it is at its fullness, is precisely when it is many years old, the older person should be looked at from that point of view.
You strongly emphasize the path of faith.
̶ Yes, it seems that we elders are considered as something left behind. However, in the way of faith, it is the opposite. Those of us who are ahead, simply because we were born earlier and have lived more years, those of us who are ahead, the future of the path of faith, are carried by the older ones.
From time to time, when I look at my great-granddaughter, because I have a great-granddaughter, I see in her the future of tomorrow. But if she, when she has enough knowledge, wants to see the future of her life in faith, she will have to look at her great-grandparents. So the future of the reality of life, of the authentic reason for living, is the path of faith.
If we look at the elderly in this way, we will never be able to see them as waste material, as Pope Francis so often reminds us, and as society insists on discarding the elderly. It is quite the opposite. Then, in this argument of pastoral care, the first thing is to make visible the reality of the elderly. Yes, they will have physical or psychological problems, but they are typical of their age. That is part of the reality of the elderly.
Then there is the fact that the elderly should be pastoral agents, that is, they should participate in the development of society and of the Church, with their activity, and in other cases they will be the recipients of this pastoral care, due to their own natural needs.
Making the elderly visible, ourselves first
Then the first objective of the document is to make the elder visible. First with the elder. Because when we speak ourselves, the elders, we speak of the elder as if he were a third person: nobody is an elder... In the Ascending Path we are all elders, but when an elder speaks, he refers to them in the third person. We have become infected in this defenestration of the image of the elder, unfortunately. Then the elder must also be helped to see himself.
I remember many meetings, when I go to visits, assemblies, etc., in Spain, and when I refer to the elders, they look at me as if to say: Are they really talking about us? Of course they are. In those gestures of affection that you have with your loved ones, with your children, with your grandchildren, where you do not hesitate at any moment to leave whatever is necessary for the affection that you have for them, that is an example of the strength of your spirit.
Children, grandchildren, neighbors, friends, these simple gestures of love are the faithful testimony that this miracle of life is taking place generously among you.
But because you do it so naturally, you don't give it the value it has. And it does. Well, that is the first objective of the document. To make the elderly visible.
The simple examples of the Gospel
The major is a treasure, not a burden. That is what you said.
̶ There is an army of elders who have remained on the path of faith. But it is that we are waiting for the miracle of the heavens opening in two and the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove.
The Lord in the Gospels reminds us of those simple people, that little woman in the temple who threw in her last coin, and set her as an example; the one who considered himself unworthy to stand before the Lord, in his humility, next to the Pharisee, who was giving thanks for the good fortune he had to be as he was... The Lord puts them in front of us. That heaven is on earth, represented clearly and simply by those simple loves of the saint next door, as our beloved Pope says.
The data indicate that around 20 % or more of the Spanish population is over 65 years of age.
̶ The trend is to continue to grow. Life expectancy is getting longer and longer, and the birth rate, unfortunately, is increasingly scarce. Therefore, the percentage participation of the elderly in our country is growing and is becoming more important every day. These are statistics that are within anyone's reach.
Along with this issue, the document refers to loneliness. In some cases it is chosen, but in others it is supervening. Have we left our elders alone at all, during the pandemic, for example?
̶ Loneliness has many themes, but it is true that sometimes it gains ground step by step. When you finish your working life, you face a new life. Where you were accompanied by a particular activity, you have lost it and face a new stage, in which almost everything is new.
First company you have. Second company, traveling companions, wife, husband, relatives, friends, are left on the road, and loneliness becomes more and more pressing. What happens is that it is not perceived all at once. It eats up ground little by little.
Another is the advance of science and modern technologies in society. At the rate they are going, we older people are falling by the wayside, and we are seeing it with everything that has to do with the digitalization of things. You are moving away from the normal dynamics of the previous life, and of today's society. Then loneliness has all these nuances. In addition, when it becomes profound, that is, when your physical capacity does not allow you to fend for yourself, you have to end up in the hands of a caregiver, or in a nursing home, then it is much more acute. Loneliness is perhaps the worst of the evils in today's society.
Two words on an uncomfortable subject, the residences...
̶ Nursing homes are centers where they can care for the elderly in a way that we cannot, for various reasons and circumstances. I think they should be considered the anteroom to glory. And therefore they should be the best possible place for whoever gets there. It is not an easy task, but if you do not have that awareness, it is an impossible task. Then we must encourage family members who find themselves in that need, to take a loved one to a nursing home, to look for those centers where their loved ones are treated with consideration. They should not take them just anywhere, either because it is close by or for whatever reason. That they have the consideration to demand of themselves in the selection of places, and to demand of the place where they take care of that person as he/she deserves, as a person worthy of all the respect and a person who is in the anteroom of glory.
Grandparents, the elderly, have been and are a social network in crises, for children, grandchildren, siblings... Caring for them should be a duty of the whole society. What can you tell me?
̶ You don't have to go very far. Ask anyone if it would be possible to sustain the dynamics of society in our country without grandparents. Who takes care of the grandchildren? Who takes care of the children when they are out of work? Who looks after them? There is no need to do a lot of math. It is not feasible.
The truth is that many times the Lord makes us look at heaven through tears. But how beautiful it is when, in the midst of this hardness, one sees the company of the Lord. Without Him, life will have no meaning. Everything we are talking about, if we take the Lord out of the stage of reasoning, we are incapable of reasoning. We lose ourselves. Reason does not reason if it does not take into account all the factors that make up reality, and the main factor is the presence of God.
Álvaro Medina is going through daily struggles, the rehabilitation of his daughter, etc., but listening to him is a pleasure that gives wings. We have not been able to get anything out of his intervention in Rome, with his wife, at the EMF, so we will have to listen to him. It is Thursday 23rd, mid-morning.
Juan Ignacio Izquierdo continues the series of stories to commemorate various saints on their feast days. You can read more by clicking on the story label.
Juan Ignacio Izquierdo Hübner-June 22, 2022-Reading time: 8minutes
On the fourth floor of a classic building, inside a spacious office with tables divided by gray partitions, one types half-heartedly, others look at their cell phones slouching from their seats, two come in laughing with glasses of coffee in their hands while discussing something about Osasuna. But the young afternoon light coming through the window focuses on Isabel, who tries to put her things away in the drawers with thief-like stealth. Suddenly, the boss leaves her office, the analysts in the café fall silent, Isabel shrinks back in her seat and listens to the footsteps of the law behind her.
- How, are you leaving?
Isabel kept her attention on the process of turning off the computer and did not respond. Her colleagues at the Consultancy, three women and three men, did not approve of her habit either, but Manuela, her boss, loved to verbalize criticism in public. This time she had dropped the question from her mouth like an airplane releases a missile, and flew nimbly down the hallway, not pausing to check for any damage she might have done to her subordinate, leaving behind a trail of tobacco-scented irony. Why does she do it - envy, contempt, rivalry? After all, Isabel and Manuela are the same 32 years old, they coincided at the University and, although they dress in very different styles, they are both beautiful.
Isabel froze her movements for a few seconds, waited for Manuela to return to her dismissal to finish putting her things away, glanced at her watch and, before another joker could hold her back, bolted for the elevator. She wanted to pick up her daughter from school. "There are two kinds of young professionals," she thought as she pressed the button on the wall, "those who live to work and those who work to live.
As soon as she walked out the door of the building and the warm Pamplona air inflated her long red hair, her mood calmed down. At that hour there was hardly anyone on Carlos III Avenue. She finished closing her purse and started walking to the free parking lot where she had left her car. She was still not adjusting to the company, she felt like she was fighting against the absurd: "What's the problem with leaving early if you started work early! -Manuela SAID we can leave early as long as we cover the hours of the workday, she said, but then she stays until late at night and the rest of the sole suckers are proud to compete for who can last the longest in the office... It's ridiculous!
He got into the car, a Volkswagen Golf five years old, and looked at the photo of his daughter hanging in the rearview mirror. He smiled. They had only been able to have one daughter, Sara. She is now 7 years old, bright-eyed and has cancer. Her illness is well treated at the University Clinic and the doctors are optimistic, but boy, has the poor thing suffered. "I need my job. I have to adapt better, to survive," Isabel said to herself. At that moment her cell phone rang and, as she started the car to go to school, she activated the handsfree.
- Hello, sweetheart," said her husband's deep, affectionate voice.
- You know, the boss messed with me again... Sorry to complain again, you're going to think I'm obsessed. I'll go shopping with Sara for the appetizer tonight, do you want something?
Since they got married, almost every day Isabel has a drink with her husband on the balcony of the apartment, before or after dinner. They discuss the issues of the day, she on the yellow sofa with a lemonade, he on the wicker chair with a beer. When an economic or labor problem comes up, he takes a slightly longer drink and then, looking at the balconies of the building in front of them, sighs, saying, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world if he loses his soul?", a phrase that had stuck in his memory since they had seen the Thomas More movie. Thereupon, he usually leaves the glass on the glass table and pounces on his wife to trap her against the yellow sofa and tickle her. In the end he steals a kiss and they continue chatting. But now the husband's voice sounded different, more nasal.
- No, Isa, thanks, I don't feel like it. I'm calling about something else. Forgive me for saying it like this, but my father has just gone to heaven.
Isabel stopped the car at the side of the road. She wanted to answer, but first she took a handkerchief out of her purse to wipe her tears, held her hair, looked in the mirror. The orange freckles on her white face had lit up and seemed to form a constellation.
- Are you still there, honey?
- I'm so sorry. Are you with him?
- Yes, we are with the brothers at the Clinic. The funeral will be tomorrow at 11:00 am.
- I'm going with Sara then. How do you feel?
- Shattered. Talk to you later. I send you a kiss.
Isabel realized she needed to get things organized. She took a breath, dialed her boss's number and started the car again with awkward movements. Manuela answered on the fifth ring.
- Sorry to bother you, Manuela, I wanted to ask you a question.
- Are you still working? I thought you had gone to rest.
Isabel could imagine that sour smile on the other end of the phone and felt a shiver. Oh, Manuela. For her, "making the most of her time" means an inordinate love of her own excellence. She supervises the analyst team, but wants to move up more. She goes to the gym three times a week, visits the hairdresser's first thing on Mondays, spends her Saturday mornings doing online courses on management and is always the last to leave the office. She knows the power of her thick black hair on the move, she likes midnight blue dresses and with her smile she captivates clients or company directors. Her husband is a lawyer and they both come home late. They don't have much time for their 4-year-old daughter, but for the moment that doesn't worry them too much. They will take care of her more personally when she grows up. In the meantime, they had hired Maria, an elderly lady of Ecuadorian origin with kind features, to cook for them, take care of the house cleaning and take the little girl for a walk in the park from time to time.
- My husband's father passed away. Tomorrow is the funeral.
- How sorry I am. How old was he?
- 70. A magnificent man... He had been ill for quite some time.
- Ah," she said with disconcerting frivolity, "I see, it was your father-in-law's turn to rest. Well, that's life. I suppose you want to ask my permission to go to the funeral, but you know that you can distribute your working hours as you wish, so....
- That's right, but I'd like to be gone all day," she said, leaving a cautious silence. My husband needs me and I want to accompany him.
- Hmm. No wonder... Clearly our firm is not a priority in your life. Do what you want, but if you're gone all day the firm will no longer need your services. Do you understand what I'm saying? And I need you to tell me now, can I count on you?
- Please, don't be like this...
- Hurry, I must attend to other matters.
The traffic light turned red, Isabel spotted her daughter's school and saw mothers meeting their little ones. She didn't need more than a second to make up her mind.
- Okay. I'm not going. My husband is more important than my job. I'll still go to work on Wednesday, just in case you come to your senses," she hung up, her heart beating fast. She asked St. Thomas More to help her out of this one and parked.
The next day, Tuesday, the boss did not see Isabel at her desk and was irritated. She spent the day avoiding looking at that post and thinking about how to fire her more formally the next day. She made some mistakes that led her to repeat tasks and ended up arriving home particularly late, where she encountered other problems that ended up upsetting her.
On Wednesday, as soon as Manuela arrived at the office and saw that Isabel was the only person working, she called her with a sharp cry to accompany her to her office. They crossed the corridor as an executioner drags a prisoner, by a chain tied around his neck, towards the guillotine. Manuela ushered her subordinate into her second home, an air-conditioned gray room, somewhat cluttered with an oversized wooden table and black leather chairs with high backs, decorated with graphics on the wall and illuminated by a small window. As soon as they entered, the boss slammed the door, which shook the glass separating them from the large analyst room. Still standing facing each other by the door, the fight broke out:
- Isabel, it seems that you did not understand me.
- Well, yes, but...
- Unfortunately, as I told you two days ago," he crossed his arms, "if you lose interest in the company, we don't need you either. I'm very sorry.
- But my father-in-law, my husband needed me! -Her freckles lit up like car brake lights, her hair grew like a bonfire on the beach and tears welled up in her eyes, "How can you be so inhuman?
- Stop it, calm down! Manuela gave a blow on the table that made the computer and the folders and the basket with pens and a box of pills that were leaning out of a half-open drawer tremble now - There is another job I can offer you.
A fragile truce enveloped them. Manuela's hermetic face had broken and Isabel, bewildered, managed to stammer:
- Which one?
- Mine.
- How?" asked Isabel, lowering her voice, confused, ready to make the final assault in case they were pulling her leg for the last time.
Suddenly, Isabel saw her boss crying. Manuela sat down with some violence in her black leather chair, leaned her forehead on the table so that her black hair looked like a plate of spaghetti in octopus sauce. Isabel was petrified, looked through the glass to confirm that no one had arrived yet and after a few seconds of uneasy indecision she approached her boss to put her arm around her, very cautiously.
- What's the matter? -asked Isabel in a whisper.
- Yesterday I was very upset with you, you know? When I got home, my husband was in the back of the living room, in the semi-darkness, his tie half-loosened, his face lit up by the iPad. He did not greet me. I turned on the lights and raised my voice to tell him I had arrived, that I came in tired, to which he raised his head and indicated with his lips for me to check the dining room table. I turned and saw the meringue pie that Maria (an Ecuadorian lady we hired years ago) had prepared. The cake was untouched, with its five candles blown out. Fuck. I had forgotten my daughter's birthday.
- And what did you do?
- It was after 10 o'clock. Almost 11, actually. The girl must have been sleeping, but I went to her room. I found her curled up in her bed, hiding under the covers. When I sat down next to her, she stuck her head out to rest it on the pillow. She had a desperate expression, as if she had been underwater for a long time. I felt terrible. I tried to stroke her, but she slapped my hand and then pulled the sheet back over herself. I was perplexed, and then I got angry: at her, at you, and at me. I told her we would eat the cake for breakfast, didn't wait for her to respond, and went to the kitchen. There I found Maria. I asked her what she was doing there at that hour. She had been waiting for me, she said, because she was worried that something had happened to me. I told her not to be naive and sent her home. The good woman nodded, gathered her things with the same submissiveness with which you gather yours and prepared to leave. Suddenly, as I was returning to the living room, I heard my daughter shouting something to Maria from her room. She wanted to say goodbye. The woman approached and I followed her from some distance. What I heard still hurts in my stomach.
- What did he say?
- "Thank you for the cake, mom".
- Wow... -Isabel didn't know what to say and gave Manuela another handkerchief.
- Thank you. That's what my daughter said to that woman, my daughter, to that woman! Can you believe it? The lady gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and went out. I hurried to open the front door for her and asked her what my daughter had said to her. I just couldn't believe my ears. "Thank you for the cake, Maria. That's what you told me, ma'am." But I had heard the other thing. I let her go. I wanted to talk to my husband, but he had put on his headphones to watch YouTube videos. I sat at the dining room table, defeated, and tasted the cake with my finger. So, little by little and without realizing it, I ate a piece of a size equivalent to what the three of us would have eaten together if I had been on time. I've been stupid, I realize now, all these years... But you... You, Isabel, shit, you've known how to live! I'm going to take a vacation. I need to reflect, to spend more time with my daughter, to put my life in order. I don't know how much time I'll need and I'm asking you to replace me while I'm away... when I get back we'll talk about your promotion, okay? -Her eyes became innocent, the muscles in her jaw relaxed. Suddenly, Isabel remembered the Manuela she knew in college. I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but what's the point of winning and winning positions in the company if you miss out on the best in life?
Aid to the Church in Need breaks records in 2021, thanks to legacies
The generosity of the benefactors of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) with the most persecuted and poorest Church in the world continues to grow. In 2021 the pontifical foundation raised €18.68 million in Spain, of which 30 % came from bequests, and its total income grew by 37.3 %.
Francisco Otamendi-June 21, 2022-Reading time: 3minutes
The benefactors of ACN supported with €13.03 million in donations in 2021, an increase of 10.3 % over what was achieved in 2020 (€11.81 million). And at the wish of these benefactors, 11.2 % of the total donations went to defray Mass stipends for priests in need, with €1.45 million.
In the past year, a total of 21,592 benefactors have supported Christians suffering the greatest hardship in the world, despite the inconvenience of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We thank God for a year of many fruits and we hope to reach more projects and more people who need our help," said Javier Menéndez Ros, director of ACN Spain.
"Last year, the ratio of expenses over income in keeping with the mission of this institution was 8.4 %, so that 91.6 % of the funds obtained were destined to the organization's purposes: information, dissemination and to be a bridge of charity and prayer between our donors and the poor and persecuted churches.
In total, ACN worldwide has supported 5,298 projects in 132 countries, with 347,000 benefactors in the world, almost 5,300 pastoral and emergency projects funded, and 1,181 dioceses helped, one in three dioceses, and one in eight priests worldwide, reported Antonio Sainz de Vicuña, president of ACN Spain.
All the financial income that comes in is thanks to private donations from individuals and/or institutions that have placed their trust in ACN's work, since the foundation does not receive any public aid or subsidies, recalled Javier Menéndez Ros. ACN's financial statements are audited by Crowe, which has expressed a favorable opinion.
Africa, Asia and Oceania, Middle East...
By region, Africa ("where jihadism is advancing") stands out, receiving 30.7% of project aid, followed by Asia and Oceania, with 22.3%.
In the Middle East (16.9%), ACN continued to support especially Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, where it has financed projects aimed at helping Christians to remain in their homelands despite persecution, war and economic crises. This was followed by Eastern Europe, with 15.2%, and Latin America, with 13.8%.
In keeping with ACN's pastoral mission, funding included the training of future priests and religious, means of locomotion - for example, off-road cars or boats for remote parishes - and the construction and renovation of churches. Last year, ACN financed the purchase of 1,338 vehicles and supported 949 construction and reconstruction projects for churches, convents, pastoral centers and seminaries.
Support for one in eight priests
Another significant source of assistance is for priests serving in communities without financial means. Thus, a total of 52,879 priests from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East received assistance in the form of Mass stipends.
This means that one in eight priests worldwide benefited from this aid, but also that every 15 seconds a Mass was celebrated somewhere in the world for the intentions of ACN's benefactors.
In addition, ACN financed the formation of 13,381 future priests. Since 2004, the pontifical foundation has supported 237,353 seminarians, and has carried out projects, as reported, in a total of 1,181 dioceses.
"From Albania to Zimbabwe, ACN continues to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of Christians around the world. These communities are a source of inspiration to us in the way they live their faith despite the economic poverty, hardship and often persecution they face. Thanks to the enormous generosity and help of our benefactors, we are able to support and sustain them materially," explained Antonio Sainz de Vicuña.
"Last year we were deeply conscious of the action of Divine Providence, which, in the midst of growing global uncertainty, opened the hearts of our benefactors even more," said Sainz de Vicuña.
The effects of the pandemic in many developing countries demanded "a forceful response" from ACN International, according to ACN officials.
9.7 million euros were invested in Covid-related projects from the 2021 budget. India, which has been particularly hard hit by the virus, tops the list with more than 12 million euros in terms of the total amount of projects financed. The Asian country is followed by UkraineLebanon, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Brazil, Iraq and Nigeria, among others.
Javier Menéndez Ros gave special thanks to ACN's 200 volunteers in 32 Spanish cities, 22 of which have physical delegations, and to the employees.
Finally, he referred to the "spiritual part", to the prayer vigils, which have given a voice to people from persecuted countries, and to the thanksgiving for the 75th anniversary of the founding of ACN in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, a Dutch Premonstratensian monk.
ACN is currently headquartered in Königstein, Germany.
The 10th International Meeting of Families, entitled "The Beauty of the Family," begins tomorrow, Wednesday, June 22, with the theme "Family Love: Vocation and Path to Holiness." It will conclude on Sunday, June 26, with the Angelus of Pope Francis.
An information session was held at the St. Pius X Hall, a stone's throw from St. Peter's, during which the artists who will be performing were introduced and the names of the families who will be giving testimonies during the inaugural evening were announced.
Speakers included Monsignor Walter Insero, director of the Social Communications Office of the Diocese of Rome; Monsignor Marco Frisina, author of the World Meeting hymn, "We Believe in Love," and director of the Choir of the Diocese of Rome; Paolo Pinamonti, artistic director of the Macerata Opera Festival; Piero Barone, Gianluca Ginoble and Ignazio Boschetto, artists of Il Volo.
The beauty of the family
Presenting "The Beauty of the Family" tomorrow in the Paul VI Hall will be Amadeus Amadeus, accompanied by his wife. He will begin with the testimony of a priest from Kiev who remained close to the nuclei of his community during the war. It is an unusual choice to begin an event with a moment of celebration, which normally takes place at the end. Why? "We wanted to anticipate the Festival to launch the themes that will be addressed during the Pastoral Theological Congress on Thursday, Friday and Saturday," explained the director of the Office of Social Communication of the Diocese of Rome.
In the Angelus last SundayRecalling the imminent opening of the event, Pope Francis thanked "the bishops, pastors and family pastoral workers who have called families to moments of reflection, celebration and feast. Especially spouses and families, who will bear witness to family love as a vocation and a path to holiness. The Feast of Families will be attended tomorrow by the Holy Father.
The main events
On the 23rd a panel on "Husbands and priests together to build the Church" and a conference on "Accompanying the first years of marriage" are on the agenda. Friday, June 24, will focus on "The Marriage Catechumenate" and "Vocation and Mission in the existential peripheries". The following day, Saturday, June 25, there will be a conference dedicated to the Beltrame Quattrocchi family. The awarding of the subsidy to the Holy Couples will then precede the Holy Mass presided by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. The meeting ends on Sunday, June 26 with the "Mandate to Families".
The wide variety of venues in Rome where events will be held is one of the peculiarities of this meeting. An innovative formula, as we had the opportunity to tell you during the introductory conferenceThe meeting was held on May 31. Rome is, in fact, the main venue, but during the same days each diocese will be able to promote a local meeting for its own families and communities. Therefore, all the families of the world can participate in this appointment, scheduled on the sixth anniversary of Amoris Laetitia and four years after Gaudete et Exsultate. The Holy Father himself emphasized this in the presentation video message. "This time it will be an opportunity of Providence to hold a worldwide event capable of involving all families who want to feel part of the ecclesial community."
"Excuse me, thank you and sorry."
Basically, the importance of the catechesis on the family is condensed in three words dear to the Pope's heart: "Permission, thanks, pardon". "By making these three words his own," we read in the catechesis, "each member of the family puts himself in a position to recognize his own limitations. Recognizing one's own weakness leads each one not to prevail over the other, to respect him or her and not to claim to possess him or her. Allowing, thanking and excusing are three very simple words that guide us to take very concrete steps on the path of holiness and growth in love. (...) Accepting that one is not enough for oneself and making room for the other is the way to live not only love in the family, but also the experience of faith. These three words, guide and support for a multitude of homes in all latitudes, are the most authentic expression of the inherent beauty of each family.
"Without the sacraments no authentic reform of the Church is possible."
The IV Study Day of the initiative has been held on Neuer Anfang ("New Beginnings"). For the renewal of the Catholic Church, he proposed to turn to Scripture, Tradition and the interior renewal of each believer, especially through the sacraments.
"Every form of self-referentiality is fatal". And a church that does not evangelize, that is not missionary, is a self-referential church. These were the words of Martin Brüske, professor of ethics at the Aarau School of Theology, in his lecture "Reformation without schism". This was the start of the fourth online study day of the initiative "A Reformation without Schism. Neuer Anfang ("New Beginnings"). Six speakers from Germany and Austria addressed various aspects of a "structural, cultural and spiritual" renewal of the Catholic Church, according to moderator Dominik Klenk.
These study days are due to this initiative, a group of German-speaking laymen, anthropologists, philosophers, theologians and publicists. They have proposed to communicate theological and philosophical points of view as an alternative to the "Theology of the World".synodal journeyThe "Reform Manifesto", with blogs, analysis, videoconferences and study days. After the plenary assembly of the synodal journey in February 2022, the initiators drafted a "Reform Manifesto". It was signed by more than 5,000 faithful and delivered to Pope Francis.
The real reform
In relation to the "criteria for a true reform that can lead to an authentic renewal because it brings the Church to the source of its life", Martin Brüske reread the book by Yves Congar Real and false reform in the Church ("False and True Reforms in the Church") of 1950. According to Brüske, this book - which both John XIII and Paul VI "read intensely" - is not a theoretical program of reform, but a response to the realization that France had become a "mission country". As such, it offers answers for pastoral work. The question of how a reform can succeed without breaking ecclesial unity is highly topical. Congar's answer: rediscover tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Fathers of the Church.
From this, Martin Brüske comes to the conclusion that the Church must be reformed in such a way that it retains its unity of structure and life. Fidelity to the future implies fidelity to principles, to tradition. For the Church, reform means strengthening the presence of the Gospel, the relationship of people to Christ. For this, the "conversion of hearts" is essential, which he called "the dimension of the subjective": true reform consists in the "living relationship of each person with Jesus Christ".
Looking to tradition
About true and false reforms The Dominican nun Theresia Mende, who directed the Institute for the New Evangelization of the Diocese of Augsburg from 2018 to 2021, also spoke. In doing so, she drew on the messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor recorded in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
In the Church there is a need for reform from the beginning. From the reproach to the church of Ephesus: "I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember, therefore, from whence you have fallen, and repent," he concludes: "a Church without the fire of first love will not endure." From those words, he said, a clear directive is inferred: "who can deny that this, precisely this, is what is lacking in our Church today?" Outwardly, it seems to be going well: "we have beautiful buildings, a centuries-old tradition, we have sufficient financial resources, we have an impressive administrative apparatus, schools, social institutions, projects and even synods...". The question, however, is: "what about the first love, aren't our communities often tired inside, little on fire for Christ? They often maintain an apparatus, but they are no longer full of life".
The Church in Germany
For a true reform of the Church in Germany, Sr. Theresia recommends that the admonition to the church in Ephesus be taken seriously. It should devote all its energy to the renewal of the inner spiritual life of every believer, to a personal encounter with the Lord. The most important thing the synodal journey should do would be to renew the personal relationship with Jesus. "This is what the last Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and also Francis call new evangelization." Rhetorically, she asks: "but is spiritual renewal, the new evangelization, really the main theme of the synodal journey?". According to her, this calls rather for a structural reform of the Church with the usual political-ecclesiastical questions. "Where is the call to return to our first love? Only prayer and above all Eucharistic adoration "face to face with the Lord" lead to renewal.
The true reform of the Church
Referring to the third epistle, to the community of Pergamum, in the Apocalypse and to the warning it contains against "the doctrine of the Nicolaitans," who wanted to adapt to society in order to avoid difficulties and disadvantages. Sister Theresia asks herself: "Where is adaptation to secular society necessary and possible, where is the limit" to renounce one's own identity? A true reform of the Church must consist in a clear commitment to Jesus Christ and an "uncompromising adherence to the teachings of the Catholic Church".
On the contrary, the synodal path deliberately abandons the terrain of Catholic teaching in the belief that "the universal Church will join German progress." The sexual morality reforms The reforms advocated by the synodal path are not biblical, a true reform, but "a dissolution of morality".
The present church resembles above all the church of Laodicea, outwardly rich and inwardly empty and poor. The seventh epistle of Revelation addressed to this community deals with lukewarmness in love and spiritual life. "How is reformation in a lukewarm church, in a self-indulgent church that has become blind to its own poverty?" True reformation, he said, consists not only in returning to Christ, but also in a willingness to "be purified and cleansed by him."
Use of the sacraments to reform the Church
Purification is given in the sacrament of baptism and is given again in the sacrament of penance. "For a true reform of the Church, we must rediscover the sacraments of Baptism and Penance. For the sacraments are places of direct encounter with the Lord. No reform of the Church is possible without the rebirth of these sacraments."
The other conferences of the IV Online Study Day also dealt with the reform of the Church by going to the sources. From Sacred Scripture (Thomas Schumacher), from the Fathers of the Church (Manuel Schlögl) and from prophecy (Marianne Schlosser). The conference offered approaches for a renewal of the Church from Scripture and Tradition, especially from the inner renewal of each believer.
The aim of several statements produced in recent months seems to be to help channel, variously orient or reformulate the objectives and methods of the so-called "Synodal Way" of the Church in Germany.
A few days ago, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, a highly respected figure with great weight in the Church in Central Europe, granted a interview with Communio magazine in which, from the theological foundations, he confronts the theoretical bases that inspire this process. Among other things, he underlines the "diachronic dimension" of the Church, which does not reinvent itself in every time, because it is inserted in a long historical process, in which in a certain sense it depends on what it has received, at the same time that it proposes it in its own epoch and for the future. Schönborn affirms that "the Church is a living organism in time (8...).
It is the Church of those who have believed before us and of those who will believe after us. And we are not at liberty to pretend that the Church's history of faith, the history of holiness and naturally also of the sinfulness of the members of the Church in diachronic consideration, does not exist". He also alludes to a defining element of the Church's unity: her fidelity to the deposit of faith in which she herself has her origin.
A few days before this interview, the Italian theologian Marco Vanzini had written in Omnes also on this dimension. For him, precisely because of her synodal character, the Church follows a path in which she advances by listening: first of all, to the inheritance that has been deposited in her; and secondly, by exercising the necessary renewal in every age. If she did not listen to those voices that precede her, and at the same time bring them up to date, the Church would run the risk of becoming stagnant or of abandoning "the way which is Christ in order to follow fallacious directions".
For Vanzini, "listening to and dialogue with tradition and in tradition" are a guarantee that it offers the world not a solution of human wisdom, but an incarnation of the divine word. In this sense, the synodality of the Church is above all historical: today's Christians walk with those of yesterday and prepare the way for those of tomorrow. "Trusting in the assistance of the Spirit of truth, the Church knows that Tradition is the place where God continues to speak to her, enabling her to offer the world a doctrine that is always living and relevant."
At the plenary assembly from February 3 to 5, the German Synodal Way approved for the first time a series of proposals calling for changes in priestly celibacy, the ordination of women, the formulation of the Church's sexual morality or the conception of the Church as the foundation of power. From the theological perspective mentioned above, their approval would introduce a breakdown in the listening to what has been received, and in the faithful transmission of the deposit to successive generations; this, regardless of the motivation that inspires the proponents, which is the desire to put a solution to the causes of sexual abuse, but also, for many observers such as Cardinal Schönborn himself, also the "instrumentalization" of abuses to introduce reforms that belong to a separate agenda.
Schönborn offers an example: "When at the third synodal assembly in Germany a vote was taken on the question of whether the very necessity of ordained ministry in the future should be discussed, and this motion received 95 votes in favor and 94 against, something has gone wrong here. Plain and simple. Because such a question cannot be negotiated synodically (...). This question is not negotiable. (...) Imagine a synodal path without the depositum fidei. That is no longer synodality, it is another way, but certainly not synodality in the sense of the Church". On the true nature of synodality, which inspires the process of the Synod of the Bishops of the universal Church, you can read here the complete explanation by Luis Marínone of its Undersecretaries.
Since the plenary assembly in February, there has been a succession of signals directed towards Germany, calling on the promoters of the Synodal Way to reconsider their approach. From the Conference of the Bishops of Northern Europe The letter was balanced and fraternal, but also unequivocal. Likewise, the President of the Polish Bishops' Conference wrote to the President of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing, explaining the reasons why the method and objectives of the Synodal Way seem unacceptable to him. The same has been done by French, American and other bishops, individually or collectively. Now it has been Schönborn, who belongs to the Germanic linguistic and cultural world, who has made his disagreement public.
Almost at the same time as the publication of the interview with the Austrian Cardinal, on June 14, Catholic Civilization has published an interview granted by the Pope to the Jesuit magazines of Europe. When asked about the situation in Germany, Francis recalls that he made this comment to the president of the German bishops: "In Germany there is a very good evangelical Church. There is no need for two". In this expression and in the Pope's letter to German Catholics June 2019 is almost all said and done.
Within Germany, the positions of various bishops, reticent or critical of the Synodal Way, were known, such as the Cardinal Rainer Woelkiof Cologne, and several others. Rudolf Voderholzer, Bishop of Regensburg, is promoting a web page with reflections and alternative texts to those used by the Synodal Way. Also the respected theologian and Cardinal Walter Kasper has declared his skepticism. And various groups of the faithful, especially lay people, have organized themselves to redirect the process. One example is the initiative "Neuer Anfang"which promotes a manifesto with alternative proposals for reform. These movements do not act in the manner of those who seek confrontation or rupture, but rather encounter and dialogue on serious theological bases. This is the effort of people like the philosopher and winner of the Ratzinger Prize 2021 Hannah-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz, who spoke in Madrid at a convocation of our Forum Omnes.
It is difficult to know how things will develop, but it does not seem that we can now dispense with the references that mark these signs to Germany: perhaps they indicate the clues for the redirection of the Synodal Way.
Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz. Doctor honoris causa by the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wroclaw.
On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wroclaw, the distant heir of the ancient Leopoldina University, awarded Fernando Ocáriz, Prelate of Opus Dei, a Doctorate Honoris Causa.
It is a good opportunity to rediscover a little of the history of this city and its university. Also to briefly explain what an honorary doctorate consists of and what are the theological reasons that have led the senate of this university to grant it an honorary doctorate. Faculty Polish to give Monsignor Ocáriz that title. I would also like to comment briefly on the theological contribution of Professor Ocáriz.
A bit of history
One of the earliest documents we have of Wroclaw (Wrocław in Polish and Breslau in German) dates back to the 10th century. The Czech prince Vratislav erected a castle that gave the city of Vratislavia its name.
In the year 1112 the Polish Chronicle of Galla the Anonymous writes that the main seats of the kingdom of Poland are Krakow, Sandomierz and Vratislavia.
In the year 1335 after three hundred years of belonging to Polish princes and kings, Wrocław fell under the rule of the Czech kings and later under the Habsburg dynasty. In 1741, during the Silesian Wars, Frederick II annexed this city to Prussia.
Its university was founded in 1702 by Emperor Leopold I of Habsburg as a School of Catholic Philosophy and Theology under the name 'Leopoldina'. This Catholic institute in Protestant Breslau was an important instrument of the counter-reformation in Silesia. In 1811, with the reorganization of the Prussian state, this university was merged with other universities and renamed the Friedrich Wilhelms University of Silesia.
Five new faculties were created: philosophy, law, medicine, Protestant theology and Catholic theology. Half a century later it was still growing with chemistry, technology, physics, veterinary medicine, etc. Ten students of this university have received the Nobel Prize, among them we mention Max Born and Erwin Schrödinger.
The new university in Wrocław
At the end of the Second World War, with the change of many borders and inhabitants, Breslau became Wrocław, with a complete change of inhabitants and institutions. The present University of Wrocław was established with professors coming from Eastern Poland (from Lviv and Vilnius).
Today, its faculties of mathematics, physics and the polytechnic school are distinguished. The famous mathematical school of Lviv (Lwów in Polish, Lviv in Ukrainian), with such distinguished figures as Stefan Banach or Hugo Steinhaus, passed to this University of Wrocław.
In the new University of Wroclaw there was no place for the Protestant and Catholic theological faculties that existed at the former Frederick William University of Silesia. In 1968 the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wroclaw - Pontificia Facultas Theologica Wratislaviensis, which does not belong to the University of Wrocław, was established.
Among her students, Edith Stein
It is also worth mentioning Edith SteinEdith Stein studied German studies, history and psychology at the University of Breslau (1911 - 1918) under the tutelage of Professor William Stern, a pioneer in the field of personality and intelligence psychology. Edith Stein obtained her doctoral degree and habilitation at this university.
Her studies took her to the University of Göttingen, where she collaborated with Edmund Husserl, founder of phenomenology. She also had academic contacts with Max Scheler and Martin Heidegger, exposing a proper anthropology in which she highlights some of man's own characteristics such as freedom, consciousness and reflective capacity.
The future Carmelite martyr saint, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, patroness of Europe, was the eleventh child of a well-to-do Jewish family from Breslau. He converted to Catholicism in a process where grace, studies and his intellectual restlessness led him to the discovery of the Truth. It is worth quoting two sentences from his religious experience.
The first, when entering a Catholic church: "For me it was something quite new. In the synagogues and temples I knew, we went there for the celebration of a service. Here, in the midst of daily business, someone entered a church as if for a confidential exchange. This I will never forget.
The second, when he read for a whole night the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, a book that he had taken at random from the library in the house of a married friend, converted to Catholicism: "When I closed the book, I said to myself: this is the Truth". Later she would write: "My longing for the truth was already a prayer".
The city of Wrocław
Wroclaw had a great urban, industrial and cultural development in the nineteenth century and early twenties. During World War II it was seventy percent destroyed. It was the last city to capitulate after Berlin, on May 6, 1945. Months before the Nazis had made Breslau a Festung, an impregnable fortress, and to better defend themselves they built an airport in the center of the city, in the largest square.
After the war Wroclaw became a Polish city, under the name of Wrocław. It was rebuilt and renovated, especially in the last thirty years of democracy. This city of one eight hundred thousand inhabitants is worth a visit. It still retains much of its grandeur.
In a special way, the oldest part, the Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski), has always through the centuries preserved its Catholic identity and respect for the Polish minority. In fact, the last German Catholic bishop of Breslau, Adolf Bertram (1945), required the German priests of his diocese who lived in Polish-speaking Silesia to learn Polish in order to explain the faith in the original language of the faithful.
Honorary Doctorate
Let us now talk a little about what an honorary doctorate is. It is an honorary degree awarded by a university or academic institution to eminent persons.
The Latin name honoris causa -for cause of honor- , refers to a quality that leads a person to the fulfillment of his duties, respect for his fellow men and himself, it is the good reputation that follows virtue, merit or actions of service, which transcend families, individuals, institutions and the actions themselves that are recognized.
The awarding, in the ritual ceremony of investiture, of various objects related to the classical university contains a whole exaltation of teaching and wisdom.
As a knight of learning, the doctoral candidate is imposed, in succession: the biretta - "...so that you may not only dazzle the people, but also, as with the helmet of Minerva, be prepared for the fight"; the ring - "Wisdom with this ring offers herself to you voluntarily as a spouse in perpetual alliance"; the gloves - "These white gloves, symbol of the purity that your hands must preserve in your work and in your writing, are also a sign of your singular honor and worth"; the book - "Here is the open book so that you may discover the secrets of Science (....) here is the closed book so that you may keep these secrets, as appropriate, deep in your heart".) and here is the book closed so that you may keep these secrets in the depths of your heart".
After the ceremony, and with the concession to the new doctor of the faculties of reading, understanding and interpretation, he is instructed: "Take a seat in the chair of Wisdom, and from it, standing out for your science, teach, guide, judge and show your magnificence in the university, in the forum and in society".
The Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wrocław has awarded honorary doctorates to renowned theologians, among others, Cardinals Joachim Meisner (born in Breslau), Joseph RatzingerMarian Jaworski or Gerhard Ludwig Müller
Academic profile of Bishop Ocáriz
To better understand the reasons that led the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wroclaw to award Professor Ocáriz this title, it is good to know a little of the biography of the man honored. Physicist, theologian and university professor.
Consultor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (since 1986) and to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization (since 2011). He was a consultor to the Congregation for the Clergy from 2003 to 2017.
In 1989 he joined the Pontifical Theological Academy. In the eighties, he was one of the professors who initiated the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome), where he was ordinary professor (now emeritus) of Fundamental Theology.
His numerous articles and books revolve around Christology, Ecclesiology and the understanding of the world from the perspective of faith and the philosophy of being. His theological publications include books on Christology, such as "The Mystery of Jesus Christ"; "Children of God in Christ. Introduction to a theology of supernatural participation".
It is also worth mentioning his Thomistic philosophical formation, which can be seen in his book "Nature, Grace and Glory", and his critique of Marxism from the philosophy of being in his study: "Marxism: Theory and Practice of a Revolution". He also has ascetic theological books such as "To love with works: to God and to men".
There are three points that Professor Ocáriz expressly comments on in his master class. In the first place, the centrality of Christ. In relation to Christology, it is worth recalling the words of St. Augustine in his commentary on the Gospel of John: Qui enim tam tuum quam tu? Et quid tam non tuum quam tu? - What is so much yours as your own you? And what is so not yours as your own you? The reality of the person as relationship already speaks to us of a mystery that only the Redeeming Incarnation in its filial relationship with the Father can shed some light on.
Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz
Professor Ocáriz tells us: "The union between humanity and divinity in Christ demands that, in some way, there be something in common between the divine Person and human nature; otherwise, instead of incarnation, we would have to speak simply of the indwelling of God in man. This something in common is precisely the Being of the Word which, however, does not become part of human nature, since it does not belong to the formal level: it is the energy (act) that makes it exist (...) for this reason we can affirm with foundation that the humanity of Jesus Christ is a way of being of God: the non-divine way of being that the Son of God has assumed in Himself. It is God's way of being human, which is the fullness of the revelation of God himself, so that "every work of Christ has a transcendent value: it makes known to us God's way of being" (St. Josemaría Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, no. 109).
Secondly, Professor Ocáriz is credited with important ecclesiological contributions, especially in relation to two documents of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the first place, the "Communionis notio"which is a letter to the bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects of the Church considered as communion (1992). Secondly, the declaration "Dominus Iesus"on the uniqueness and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and his Church (2000).
The new Doctor honoris causa of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wroclaw writes: "In his work, the theologian proceeds rationally, entering into dialogue with the most diverse forms of knowledge and, therefore, with intellectual rigor, freedom and creativity. At the same time, with the conviction that the truth he studies does not belong to him; indeed, that he is in communion with this truth only through the Church and in the Church. Bearing in mind that being in communion with the Church also entails communion with those who have the function of Magisterium".
New Marxism, gender ideology and scientific atheism
Finally, his vision of today's world from a theological and philosophical perspective is suggestive and precise. Specifically three interrelated topics: the new Marxism, gender ideology and scientific atheism.
The new Marxism returns to the continuous temptation of man to reduce everything to the material, it is "historical and dialectical materialism as the ultimate explanation of the nature of man and the world, and, on the other hand, the denial of the existence of God and of any transcendent reality, a necessary implication of materialism".
As far as gender ideology is concerned, Professor Ocáriz understands it as "a derivation, perhaps the ultimate derivation, of the philosophical conception, especially formulated by Hegel, according to which truth is not a presupposition but a result of action".
And the new scientific atheism "arises in a complex cultural and social situation, in which the method of the physical-mathematical sciences is often presented as the only properly scientific method".
In the granting of an honorary degree of Doctor honoris causa there must be affinities of thought and closeness in the field of research between the institution and the person named. This is the case with the academic lines of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wroclaw.
Logically, in addition to the scientific merit, there is always the human factor that is so important when making decisions. The professor of systematic theology Włodzimierz Wołyniecthe rector of the Pontifical Theological Faculty in Wrocław from 2014 to 2022, proposed this appointment to the Senate of the Faculty on his own initiative.
Włodzimierz Wołyniec had Professor Ocáriz as the promoter of his doctoral thesis. And from there arose a continuity in the theological field of Christology under the light of the metaphysics of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Włodzimierz WołyniecOcáriz combines the study of theology with contemplation".
Interview with Włodzimierz Wołyniec, professor at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wrocław, on the occasion of the investiture of Bishop Fernando Ocáriz, prelate of Opus Dei, as Doctor Honoris Causa by this academic center.
On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, Msgr. Fernando OcárizThe prelate of Opus Dei, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Wrocław. One of the promoters of this recognition was its rector until a few weeks ago, Włodzimierz Wołyniec, whom Omnes interviewed on this occasion.
A native of Oława and a Doctor of Theology, Wołyniec has carried out his priestly work as rector and spiritual director of the Metropolitan Higher Theological Seminary in Wrocław. From 2014 to 2022 he has been the rector of this Faculty.
The Pontifical Theological Faculty in Wrocław, whose history dates back to 1565 with the establishment of one of the first seminaries of the Church on Polish soil, has Archbishop Dr. Józef Kupny as its Grand Chancellor and is one of the leading centers of theological studies in Eastern Europe.
Professor Wołyniec, you have been the main promoter of the appointment. Honorary Doctorate of Professor Ocáriz. I would like to ask him first of all about the meaning and importance of awarding a doctorate. Honoris Causa.
Priest-teacher Fernando Ocáriz is the twenty-fifth Honorary Doctorate of the Pontifical Theological Faculty in Wrocław.
I would like to mention that this group already includes Cardinal Joseph Ratzingerwho received this title in 2000, and recently also Cardinal Gerhard Ludwik Müller (2015).
The Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wroclaw, Archbishop Józef Kupny, notes that many generations of students benefited from the theological knowledge and wisdom of Prelate Ocáriz, including numerous Polish students.
Taking advantage of this occasion, the Church of Wrocław would like to thank the new Doctor Honoris Causa and the. Prelature of Opus Dei the assistance given to students of the Archdiocese of Wrocław to pursue specialized theological studies abroad, in the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and in the University of Navarra in Pamplona.
The studies carried out in these universities founded or planned by St. Josemaría Escrivá enjoy worldwide fame and bear very good fruit in the higher education of graduates with adequate spiritual attention.
From the new Doctor, what aspects of his theological work would you highlight? What lines of research at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Wrocław are in line with the thinking of Professor Ocáriz?
- Prelate Ocáriz emphasizes in his theology the supernatural dimension of Christianity and Christian humanism. In his publications he shows that man is introduced by Christ into the Trinitarian life of God and participates in the communion of life and love with the divine Persons. A very important theological theme for him is divine filiation, which is the full transcendence of man and the summit of his personal development.
The theological reflection of the Reverend Professor is profound. It is not only a description of reality, but a discovery of the truth and meaning of reality in the light of the word of God. His theology is characterized by a metaphysical thinking that asks the question of the causa et ratio of all that exists.
However, metaphysical thinking does not distract him from everyday life. On the contrary, it allows you to find answers to the ultimate and deepest questions of contemporary man. At our University, we also want to practice a theology that is close to life and help people find the meaning of life.
In your opinion, what theological aspects should be highlighted in the figure of Professor Ocáriz?
- I would especially like to emphasize one: the contemplative dimension of the theology of our new theology. Honorary Doctorate. It combines the scientific study of theology with the contemplation of the Word of God incarnate.
The Professor wants to know with his mind and heart the mystery of God in Jesus Christ, so that in this way he can "comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and know the love of Christ" (Eph 3:17-19). Therefore, its scientific study is always linked to the mystery of Christ in prayer.
Could you tell us some anecdote or personal memory of your meetings with Professor Ocáriz.
- During my studies at the Ateneo Romano della Santa Croce in Rome in 1987-1992, Professor Ocáriz helped me write my doctoral thesis and was my doctoral supervisor during the first years.
Years later, when I came to Rome to invite him to the honorary doctorate ceremony, he said to me, "Look, I gave you a doctorate in theology and now you are giving me a doctorate in your faculty."
The war in Ukraine has clearly shown the problem of surrogacy in France and the fraudulent nature of the law behind this practice. More and more voices call for an international treaty to prohibit such cases.
Bernard Larraín-June 20, 2022-Reading time: 4minutes
Wars produce unsuspected effects. This is why John Paul II said that war is "a road of no return" and "a spiral of mourning and violence. As is well known, in situations of humanitarian crisis, it is the most vulnerable people who are most affected, especially children. On the occasion of International Children's Day Vatican News stated that "the toll of 98 days of war in Ukraine is dramatic. 700 minors have been killed or wounded". The case of surrogate mothers of Ukrainian nationality, who have given birth in France to the children of French couples, could be placed along the same lines. This situation was widely covered by the press.
The technique of "surrogacy" is forbidden by French law, but some jurists note a tendency of judges to legitimize this practice. A respected voice on children's rights issues is that of law professor Aude Mirkovic. Founder and spokesperson of the NGO Jurists for childrenProfessor Mirkovic explains this delicate situation that occurred in France a few weeks ago and which her NGO brought to the attention of the authorities.
How was your vocation to be a voice for children's rights born?
I think that the vocation of every jurist is to seek justice and the common good. This is common to all areas of law. In my case, I chose the specialty of family law and in particular child protection. I see the importance of these issues in my country and in the world in general. Sometimes we think that many unfair situations regarding children are over: exploitation, mistreatment, abuse, etc. However, these continue to sadly affect the lives of many children not only in developing countries. In Europe, too, there is reproductive and sexual exploitation of surrogate mothers; genetic manipulation and embryo selection; the freezing of embryos for many years, etc.
Our NGO, which has observer status at the UN, brings together legal experts to constantly analyze current affairs. In particular, we focus on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We seek to collaborate, from our air, in the public debate on issues related to children, a topic of constant topicality: not for nothing, President Macron, re-elected a few weeks ago, has announced that it will be the priority of his new government. In this regard, we must be vigilant to ensure that the political discourse becomes a reality in all areas of children's lives. Often, broad aspects of respect for their dignity are not only ignored, but attacked.
¿Why the situation that has arisen in France with the mothers of children born in France is worrisome? replacementUkrainian?
We pointed out to the authorities that during the war in Ukraine, French couples had brought to our country Ukrainian women hired to gestate children for these couples under a "surrogate mother" contract. Somewhat unexpectedly for us, our action was widely reported in the national and international media. It is a very delicate situation because our law prohibits this practice by virtue of numerous principles and express norms.
These women come from a country at war and this painful situation should not lead us to close our eyes to the reality of this technique, which is contrary to our law, to the human dignity of the mother and the child. This type of contract is contrary to the dignity of the human person because it exploits, on the one hand, the vulnerable situation of the surrogate mothers and, on the other hand, the legitimate desire of these couples to have children.
The intermediaries and agents who organize this market should be pursued with more determination by the authorities. We are concerned that these agents act with great freedom in our country: every year in Paris, a trade fair is organized for Désir d'enfant ("desire for a child") in which various companies promote these surrogacy contracts (we have already pointed this out to the authorities without really getting a response). Also law firms explain on their websites the legal assistance to conclude these contracts, etc. We see with sadness that the legal principles of our country are not respected because of the pressure that this multi-billion euro market imposes.
It seems to be a problem with no solution. Is there a way out?
The problem itself is not the fact of bringing these women to give birth in France in order to get the children back. The problem is the request and delivery of a child, and the use of a woman for this purpose. The fact that the birth and delivery of the child take place on French territory, while the surrogate mother has sometimes left her own children in Ukraine, makes the terrible reality of surrogacy more visible, but the war only displaces what the contract says, in any case, war or no war.
We should anticipate this problem, so that it is not possible to establish such contracts. This means a commitment on the part of the States to draft and sign an international treaty prohibiting the surrogacy technique. This is what the French National Ethics Committee has recommended. We are working in this direction with a group of international legal experts with whom we will meet in Casablanca in 2023.
To put ethics exclusively as a reference would lead to a kind of stoic indifference. To let oneself be carried away only by emotion leads to a pietistic sentimentalism. Brotherhoods have to combine both: head and heart.
It is a recurring theme to discuss whether popular religiosity, directed mainly to the heart, should prevail in the brotherhoods, or whether the direction should be given to the intelligence, to the doctrinal aspects, so as not to fall into pure sentimentalism without foundation.
I would like to participate in this discussion from experience, based on two real anecdotes taken from the day to day life of the brotherhoods.
A man in his thirties, accompanied by his wife and two little girls, came to the brotherhood to tell his story: in his childhood he had been a brother, his father, also a brother, had registered him at birth. Life had led him down a complicated path of crime and drugs. Little by little he was sinking. He had hit rock bottom. It came to him then when he approached the brotherhood of his early years, as a last resort, for help. The person in charge of charity who attended to him listened to him with all the affection he could muster, without reproach or sermons, asked him for certain documentation and assured him of the help he needed. They were scheduled for the following week.
On the day they had arranged to meet, he did not show up. Two days later the woman arrived alone, with her two daughters:
-My husband died of a heart attack the same day we had arranged to meet; but I want to tell him that the six days that have passed since we were here have been the happiest of his life. For the first time in many years he felt loved and he repeated to me: "In spite of everything, Our Lady has not grown tired of waiting for me".
A true story that touches the heart and feeling; but there is also some that goes to the head and intelligence.
In the brotherhood there is a group of volunteers who visit and accompany elderly and lonely brothers. One of these volunteers was telling me about his experience after one of these visits.
-I don't know how to explain it to you, his life seems routine and lonely, but he has learned to live on the inside. He always has an old picture of our Titulars nearby. I took him the one that was handed out at the last Main Function, but he prefers the usual one, worn out with kisses. That picture is like a mirror, the wrinkles of his face have their replica in the face of the Lord, carved by the same gouge, and his eyes retain the same intensity as those of the Virgin.
In her hands she always carries a rosary with worn beads. I assure you that his prayer is pure contemplative prayer that, at times, runs through that spiritual infancy that some call Alzheimer's disease. Any day now, with the same discretion as always, he will begin to pray the Rosary and his soul will leave unnoticed as her body is already calmto enter into the intimacy of Christ, exchanging eternal confidences with Him. I am convinced that this is how he will reach Heaven, with his old prayer-card in his hand as a safe-conduct. Pure contemplation.
Two true-to-life anecdotes that have their precedent in the Gospel.
St. Luke recounts (cf. 7:11-17) that on one occasion, as Jesus approachedto a city called Naim, he saw howThey were bringing out to bury a dead man, the only son of his mother, who was a widow, accompanied by many people. When the Lord saw her, took pity on herAnd he said to him, "Do not weep. And he came and touched the bier and said to the young man, "Get up! The dead man sat up, and his mother handed him over to him.
The Lord felt compassion, moved by the mother's pain, a foretaste of the pain that His mother would suffer. The miracle unleashes the emotion of those who accompanied her, who burst out in a demonstration of popular devotion.
St. John tells us of a different situation (Ch. 3): the conversation between Nicodemus, a learned man, and the Lord. We can imagine the scene, the two of them alone, barely illuminated by a candle, chatting until late at night, exchanging confidences in a low voice while Christ is opening the intelligence of Nicodemus until he leads him to the Truth.
The two situations reinforce and complement each other. To place ethics exclusively as a reference point would lead to a kind of stoic indifference, centered on the fulfillment of duty for duty's sake, without any affection contaminating it. On the contrary, allowing oneself to be carried away only by emotion leads to a pietistic sentimentalism, in which there is the danger that sentiment becomes the criterion of truth, invading the areas of understanding and will. Objective truth disappears when it is reduced to sentiment.
Head and heart complementing each other in a dynamic harmony, this is how the sororities.
D. in Business Administration. Director of the Instituto de Investigación Aplicada a la Pyme.
Eldest Brother (2017-2020) of the Brotherhood of the Soledad de San Lorenzo, in Seville.
He has published several books, monographs and articles on brotherhoods.
On June 14, the World Observatory on Women, an initiative promoted by the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO), was publicly launched in Rome. Its aim is to give visibility to situations of vulnerability and suffering, inspiring pastoral strategies and public policies.
"The Church is born of the side of Christ, so that she as a woman also proceeds from his substance and is always in him as a feminine element. On June 14, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, presented with these words the World Observatory of Women (OMM) promoted by the Pontifical Council for Women. World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO).
It is an initiative that involves all kinds of women in the world, including many of those who normally "have no voice" and "are not seen," WUCWO explains. The aim is to inspire and generate pastoral strategies, but also to renew public policies in support of the integral human development of women, their families, communities and entire peoples.
"We must look in order to recognize. But we must also allow ourselves to be looked at so that our own self may acquire its true dimension," Cardinal Ouellet added. All these gazes, in some way, are gathered in the gaze of Mary, who sees us with tenderness and compassion, for having sinned so many times of omission, so many times of having been traitors. Mary transforms all this complaint into a call to conversion. Conversion of heart that we all need".
Impact of Covid-19
One of the first fruits of this Observatory was the preparation of the first report on the Covid-19 impact on women in Latin America and the Caribbeancarried out by the WMO in alliance with the Pastoral Socio-Anthropological Observatory of the Center for Knowledge Management of the Episcopal Conference of Latin America (CELAM), represented by its President, Msgr. Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, OFM.
Commenting on this report, Monica Santamarina de Robles, WUCWO's Treasurer, explained how this first work has succeeded in gathering examples of women's strength and resilience that helped to cope with the crisis. It has also served to highlight the main proposals made by Latin American and Caribbean women.
Among the effects of the pandemic recorded by the report are the increase in reports of gender violence with the relative assistance of the State in safeguarding against these crimes; the deterioration of women's economic autonomy due to quarantine measures; the deterioration of physical and mental health (fear, depression, etc.); difficulties in education; the increase in organized crime and human trafficking; experiences of grief and loneliness due to the sudden disappearance of family members.
Care as an essential dimension
Sister Alessandra Smerilli, Secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development and delegate of the Vatican's Covid-19 Commission, also spoke at the presentation. She added: "We dream of a world in which, when we meet a person for the first time, we ask 'who do you care for' and not just 'what do you do'.
Founded in 1910
The World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations was born in 1910 and today it gathers almost 100 organizations from all over the world. It is active in more than 50 countries, counting about 8 million women in all stages of life. In 2006 the Holy See established it as an International Public Association of the Faithful and maintains its consultative status at the United Nations with the Economic and Social Council, the Human Rights Council, the FAO, the Council of Europe and is an Official Partner of UNESCO.
Among the main areas of its activity is the promotion of women's training to meet the challenges of the contemporary world, awareness of respect for cultural diversity, promotion and coordination of the activities of member organizations.
On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi the Holy Father has focused his words in emphasizing how "in the Eucharist everyone can experience this loving and concrete attention of the Lord. Whoever receives in faith the Body and Blood of Christ not only eats, but is satiated. Eating and being satiated: these are two fundamental needs that are satisfied in the Eucharist".
God is not a distant being who does not care about human beings. "He calls us to be citizens of Heaven, but in the meantime He takes into account the path we must face here on earth. If I have little bread in the bag, He knows it and cares."
Eucharist and charity
"At times we run the risk of confining the Eucharist to a vague dimension, perhaps luminous and perfumed with incense, but far removed from the difficult situations of daily life. In reality, the Lord takes our needs seriously, beginning with the most elementary. And he wants to give an example to his disciples, saying: "You give them something to eat" (v. 13). Our Eucharistic adoration finds its verification when we care for our neighbor, as Jesus does: all around us there is a hunger for food, but also for companionship, comfort, friendship, good humor and attention. This is what we find in the Eucharistic Bread: Christ's attention to our needs, and the invitation to do the same for those who are close to us. It is necessary to eat and to give food".
The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the true driving force of the Christian life. "In the Body and Blood of Christ we find his presence, his life given for each of us. He does not give us only the help to go forward, but he gives himself: he becomes our traveling companion, he enters into our stories, he visits our loneliness, giving new meaning and enthusiasm. It satiates us, it gives us that more that we all seek: the presence of the Lord! For in the warmth of his presence our life changes: without him it would be truly gray. Adoring the Body and Blood of Christ, let us ask him with our hearts: "Lord, give me the daily bread to go forward and satisfy me with your presence!
At the end of the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father dedicated a few words to the Dominican martyrs beatified yesterday in Seville, Spain.a. He also asked for prayers for Myanmar and Ukraine. He even encouraged the faithful to examine themselves to see how much each one is doing to pray for the end of the war.
Liège, 1209. An Augustinian nun of the convent of Mont-Cornillon, located in this city of French-speaking Belgium, 16 years old, later known as Saint Julienne de Liège (or de Cornillon), has a vision during a Eucharistic adoration: a dark stripe crosses the moon in full splendor; Julienne understands that the moon signifies the life of the Church on earth; the dark stripe, the absence of a liturgical feast dedicated to Corpus Christi.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the feast of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist The celebration of the feast began in Liège, in the basilica of St. Martin. In 1247, once the bishop of this city, Robert de Thourotte, welcomed Julienne's proposal, after transmitting to her this vision that had been kept secret for decades.
However, in the development of Eucharistic doctrine - and, consequently, of Eucharistic devotion - the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, convoked by Pope Innocent III, played a very important role; it was the main council of the Middle Ages and, together with the Council of Trent (1545-1563), the most important in the field of the sacraments.
Extension of devotion
For the extension of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ to the universal Church, a Eucharistic miracle occurred in 1263 in Bolsena (Italy). According to tradition, while a priest was celebrating Mass, blood flowed from the consecrated Host. The spread of this miracle led Pope Urban IV (1261-1264), who had previously been archdeacon in Liege, to institute the "Feast of the Body of Christ" (in Latin, festum corporis Christi, festum corpus domini) through the encyclical Transiturus de hoc mundopromulgated on August 11, 1264.
In this encyclical, Urban IV ordered: "That every year, therefore, a special and solemn feast of so great a sacrament be celebrated, in addition to the daily commemoration which the Church makes of it, and We establish a fixed day for it, the first Thursday after the octave of Pentecost. We also establish that on the same day devout crowds of the faithful shall assemble for this purpose in the churches, with generosity of affection, and all the clergy, and the people, joyfully sing songs of praise, that lips and hearts may be filled with holy joy; Let faith sing, hope tremble, charity exult; let devotion throb, let purity exult; let hearts be sincere; let all be united with diligent spirit and prompt will, busy in preparing and celebrating this feast".
The role of Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) had participated very actively in the elaboration of the encyclical. He was also commissioned to prepare the texts for the Office and Mass proper of the day, which includes hymns y sequencesas Pange Lingua, Lauda Sion, Panis angelicus y Adoro te devote.
Very soon processions with the Blessed Sacrament began to be organized; in 1273 it was celebrated in Benediktbeuren, in Bavaria; in Cologne the first Corpus Christi procession was held for the first time in 1274; it is still celebrated today, with one of the most numerous participations in Central Europe. The norms for regulating the procession were established by Clement V at the Council of Vienne in 1311. In Rome, the first procession, presided over by Pope Nicholas V, dates back to 1447.
Luther's rejection
While Luther, in 1530, showed a strong rejection of Corpus Christi: "there is no other feast of which he is more inimical, for it is the most ignominious feast. In no other feast is God and his Christ more blasphemed; it is a disgrace to the Blessed Sacrament, because it is only used as a spectacle and for vain idolatry", the Council of Trent declares: "Very piously and religiously was introduced in the Church of God the custom that every year, on a certain feast day, this exalted and venerable sacrament is celebrated with singular veneration and solemnity; and reverently and honorably it is carried in procession through the streets and public places".
Just as these statements of the Council of Trent can be seen as a reaction to the Protestant Reformation - not for nothing is there talk of "Counter-Reformation" - so too as a response to the criticisms of the Enlightenment and to the Prussian policy of the Kulturkampf ("cultural combat") against the Catholics, in the 19th century new Corpus Christi processions arose, such as the "Great Procession" in Münster or in Spandau - at that time still an independent city; since 1920 it has been part of "Greater Berlin" - which attracted large numbers of Catholics from the Prussian capital, although the Protestant population called it a "great procession". provocation by the Catholic minority.
During National Socialism, the Corpus Christi procession is seen as a manifestation of faith that expresses the rejection of the Nazi pagan worldview; it is not surprising that, from 1936 onwards, the Nazis forbid the mass participation of schools in Cologne.
Processions today
Today, the Corpus Christi procession is considered to be the greatest manifestation of faith, not only in cities with a Catholic majority, but also precisely where, as in Berlin, the Catholic population does not even reach ten percent. Although it is a working day in the German capital - as in nine other nine of the 16 federal states - the procession traditionally takes place on Thursday evening in the city center, while a good number of Berlin parishes organize processions on the following Sunday.
In addition to the conventional -In Austria and Germany, for example, there is a tradition of boat processions in Austria and Germany, including that of Sipplingen on Lake Constance, with a floral carpet 800 meters long. For example, on Lake Traunsee in Upper Austria, the procession starts at the church in Traunstein and heads out onto the lake, where a boat with a particularly rich canopy transports the Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by other boats, to the various stations of the procession. This tradition has existed since 1632.
Other ancient processions
And since 1623 another procession has been held on a nearby lake, the Hallstatt Lake. Not quite as old, dating back to 1935, is the procession on Lake Staffelsee in Bavaria. Here, however, the procession does not only cross the lake, but goes from Seehausen to the island of Wörth, where the roots of the Seehausen parish are located.
In Cologne there is a long-standing tradition of a river procession, the so-called Mülheimer Gottestracht The procession is held in Mülheim, the most populous district of Cologne. The boat procession on the Rhine probably dates back to the 14th century.
After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, this year the traditional processions were held again, both the conventional ones and the ones that take place by boat.
Freedom Day commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.
On June 19, the United States celebrates a major civic event, known in slang as a "civic holiday". June nineteenth. On this day in 1865, Unionist General Gordon Granger, in Galveston, Texas, declared that all slaves were free.
States introduced a federal holiday in 2021 under Joe Biden, who called it "one of the greatest honors as president." The event is called "Freedom Day" or "Liberation Day." The anniversary, celebrated especially in the African-American community, was felt especially keenly in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police.
Slavery is part of human history and has very ancient roots. One of the first breaks with this tradition occurred in the person of Jesus and the subsequent spread of his teachings. St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians writes: "For you are all children of God. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:26-28).
It took several centuries of Christian life to spread opposition to this practice. From the earliest times it seemed to be in profound antithesis to the message of love, freedom and equality of Christianity.
In the Middle Ages
Medieval Europe was the only civilization that showed itself capable of first mitigating and then abolishing the buying and selling of human beings, by virtue of its Christian theological and anthropological values. The Council of London of 1102 represents the first explicit condemnation of slavery en bloc: "let no one enter into the nefarious trade, which was in use here in Anglia, whereby men were sold as if they were brute animals."
At the end of the 12th century, the Frenchman Jean de Matha founded the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. This project of religious life united the cult of the Trinity with the work of liberation from slavery, in particular the rescue of Christians who had fallen prisoner to the Moors. The order strove for the redemption of the captives because he knew that freedom was offered to them if they renounced their faith. Recently, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity has performed the service of liberation in various ways: by attending to new forms of slavery (prostitution, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.) or by participating in the liberation of the destitute from poverty.
Modern Era
At the time of the discovery of the American continent, the thinking of the various popes had matured into a convinced opposition to the practice of slavery, which became widespread with the populations of Indians, blacks, etc. On the part of the Church, from the 15th to the 19th centuries, papal bulls and excommunications against slave traders were commonplace.
In 1492, the year of the discovery of America, Pope Pius II reminded a bishop of Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea Bissau) that the enslavement of blacks was "magnum scelus", a great crime. Subsequently, popes used excommunication to show their rejection of this practice. For example, Pope Urban VIII in 1639 and Pope Benedict XIV in 1741.
Contemporary Age
At the time the Congress of Vienna in 1815 decided how to divide up the African continent, Pope Pius VII called for a ban on the slave trade. And in 1839 Pope Gregory XVI summarized the condemnatory pronouncements of his predecessors in a bull in which he "admonishes and entreats" Christians to cease being guilty of the "so great an infamy" of slavery, "that inhuman trade by which Negroes...are bought, sold and sometimes forced to perform very hard labor."
Between the 19th and 20th centuries, the Church's opposition became increasingly severe, to the point that the 1917 Code of Canon Law punished slavery by including it among the crimes "against life, liberty, property, good reputation and morals." Laymen who had been legitimately condemned for murder, "kidnapping of children of both sexes, selling men as slaves" and other evil acts, "should be automatically excluded from any ecclesiastical action and from any salary, if they had it in the Church, with the obligation to repair the damage".
The Second Vatican Council mentions slavery in a long list of "shameful" practices that offend human dignity. Finally, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) condemns slavery in the section of the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not steal."
Current projects
In recent years, an initiative originating in women's religious life has taken root under the name of Talitha Kum. The project has awakened the deep desire for dignity and life that has been latent and wounded by so many forms of exploitation. Human trafficking is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon, wounding tens of millions of people and the whole of human society. The activities of Talitha Kum are addressed to all persons deprived of their dignity and freedom. And this regardless of their lifestyle, race, religion, economic situation or sexual orientation.
Evidently, in the 21st century, the phenomenon of slavery has not yet been overcome, and its forms of expression have evolved over time. Throughout the history of the Church we find abundant theological arguments from patristic times to condemn this practice. For example, it is stressed that God is the creator of all men, who enjoy equal capacity and dignity; the dominion of some men over others is a consequence of man's sin; the sacrifice of Christ has freed all men equally from the slavery of evil; all men, even non-believers, are capable of having faith in Christ; slavery is an obstacle to conversion to God because of the negative witness offered by Christians.
Direction and screenplay: Rosalind Ross United States 2022
Rarely can we see a film with a religious -or spiritual- theme that does not skate when it comes to promoting its particular cause in a way that is disrespectful to the viewer. It proclaims this one with the stick and baton of an omnipresent sentimentality and drowns any reasoning with cloying. Father stu, o Father Stu's miracletranslated into Spanish, is different.
Emerging from an asteroid field of mixed reviews (some of them belligerently rabid), the more than respectable debut of its director, Rosalind Ross, arrives on our screens: a film that contributes, whose vision of suffering is not one of evasion, but of encounter, and which can produce The film is a little flicker in the brain of a viewer whose problems are solved with pills, the weekend as a vital purpose and living it all among hashtags. We must make an exercise to leave prejudices -and hashtags- out and enjoy the simplicity of the story and the possibility that it is, as it is, based on a real event, which makes everything more controversial -and relevant-.
Mark Wahlberg is Stu, a man whose aspirations go no further than survival and, after boxing and jail, decides to try his luck in the city of Los Angeles as an actor. Exuding confidence and self-destruction, he will try to make his way in a life he never trusted. This is how he meets Carmen (Teresa Cruz), a devout parishioner who will kick-start a process of conversion. This will go beyond their relationship and will put him at the doors of the seminary, with its more or less funny problems and clashes.
However, everything takes a more dramatic step when he is diagnosed with a degenerative muscle disease. It is then that the journey towards death but also redemption truly begins. Avoiding the whining, underpinned by the carefree attitude of the protagonist, and with two great supporting actors (always huge Mel Gibson and the eternally tender Jacki Weaver), plus a tertiary who is always a pleasure to watch (Malcolm McDowell). We have in our hands a conveyor belt, tribute, that avoids the conventions of sanctity and tells a true story with simplicity, agile script, awake and unpretentiousness. A stimulating, correct and pleasant work, which lets the emotions breathe and whose dialogues often arouse laughter in the theater. A personal project of Wahlberg himself that is easy to get attached to.
The new blessed Dominican martyrs. Evangelical radicalism and fidelity.
The Cathedral of Seville, the city where the remains of many of these martyrs rest, is hosting the beatification ceremony of 27 martyrs of the order of preachers who gave their lives for Christ between 1936 and 1937 in Spain.
27 dominican martyrs of the 20th century in Spain become part of the Blessed of the Catholic Church on June 18. Among them are 25 friars, a lay Dominican and a Dominican nun.
They suffered martyrdom in three places: Almería, Huéscar and Almagro (Ciudad Real) and many of them had not even reached 30 years of age when they gave their lives for not denying Christ.
A youth that shows that "even today there are young people capable of giving their lives for a great cause, and undoubtedly for the Gospel of Jesus Christ", as Friar Emilio Garcia, prior of the friary of St. Thomas Aquinas in Seville, points out.
"His example speaks to us of evangelical radicalism"
The approval of the beatification of this group of Dominicans has also served to learn, even within their order, about the life and martyrdom of these friars.
Emilio García, who explains that "it is a matter of martyrs of one of the three Provinces that existed in Spain until 2016, the Province of Betica or Andalusia. This means that those of us who belonged to one of the other two Provinces had less knowledge of the friars of Almagro, Almeria or Huescar and their concrete history. For that reason, we believe that for us this beatification does not awaken the same resonance that for those who belonged to that Province and even were related to them or lived where they lived. But, evidently, they are our brothers and their example is very stimulating for all of us and speaks to us of evangelical radicalism and fidelity to one's own vocation, as well as an attitude of great Christian generosity in forgiving those who took their lives".
In fact, the arrival to the altars of these 27 Dominicans has led "the most veteran friars of that ancient Province to show their emotion and affection for the history and the remains that have come down to us from these witnesses of Christ".
Martyr, layman and journalist
The example of Fructuoso Pérez Márquez, a Dominican layman, is, because of his characteristics, the most different of this group of new Blesseds.
Born in Almería, married and father of four children, he started working at the age of 24 in the Almería newspaper "La Independencia", of which he would become director. He also collaborated with other media such as El Correo Español, El Universo or El Debate.
In his articles he clearly exposed the doctrine of the Church, especially in social matters. This experience of the preachers' charism in the world of the media is still present today.
Beatification Poster
"The fact that, also in our Order, there are today many lay people who collaborate in this world, for professional reasons and simultaneously linked to our spirituality, makes us think that, when the time comes, they too would be willing to give witness to their faith by exercising this noble profession," says Friar Emilio Perez.
Those who knew him remembered Fructuoso as a fervent Catholic, a courageous defender of the truth, affable and charitable, he was denounced, prosecuted and even imprisoned.
On July 26, 1936, Fructuoso was arrested at his home and transferred to the improvised prison in the convent of the Adorers. On August 3 he was transferred to the ship "Segarra". On that ship, along with other comrades, he was executed and his body was thrown into the sea.
His head was crushed between two stones
Especially hard is the testimony of the martyrdom of the only woman of this group of martyrs. Sister Ascensión de San José died in Huéscar, where she was born in 1861 after a bloody trial.
This Dominican nun began her novitiate in the Dominican convent of Huéscar around May 1884. Her life was marked by illness, which she bore with patience and peace.
She was, for many years, the nunnery's turner. On August 4, 1936, the nuns were forced to leave the convent, taking refuge in the homes of relatives and charitable persons.
The new Blessed was taken in by a niece until February 1937 when she was arrested for wearing a crucifix around her neck. At nearly 76 years of age, she was beaten and beaten for refusing to blaspheme. The cruelty was such that the old woman ended up lying on the floor in her blood.
The next day, February 17, she was loaded onto a truck along with other prisoners to the gates of the cemetery. There they shot the prisoners, among them her nephew Florencio. When he again refused to blaspheme, they placed his head on a stone and crushed his skull with another stone.
The martyrs of Almagro
Among the new Blesseds, a large group, 13 of them, were part of the friary of Almagro. At the beginning of July 1936, several students, cooperator brothers and parents were in the convent. Shortly after the outbreak of war, the local mayor urged them to leave the convent. That same night several men searched the convent for weapons.
In the following days, the threats intensified and on July 25 the friars began to evacuate the convent. At the request of the Ateneo Libertario, which argued that the dispersion of the religious was a difficulty in keeping them under control, the mayor ordered the friars to be confined in an uninhabited house. On July 30, the mayor began to issue safe-conducts to the religious.
The measure was useless, the members of the Ateneo Libertario got off the trains those who had been leaving, very young, and executed them in various places. The rest of the religious followed the path of martyrdom on August 13. They were taken to the outskirts of Almagro, where they were shot while the Blessed were praying.
The new Blessed Martyrs
Ángel Marina Álvarez, priest
Manuel Fernández (Herba), priest
Natalio Camazón Junquera, priest
Antonio Trancho Andrés, priest
Luis Suárez Velasco, priest
Eduardo Sainz Lantarón, priest
Pedro López Delgado, priest
Francisco Santos Cadierno, student religious
Sebastián Sáinz López, student religious
Arsenio de la Viuda Solla, cooperating brother
Ovidio Bravo Porras, cooperating brother
Dionisio Perez Garcia, cooperating brother
Fernando García de Dios, novice to cooperator brother
Antolín Martínez-Santos Ysern, novice to the clerical profession
Paulino Reoyo García, student teacher
Santiago Aparicio López, student teacher
Ricardo Manuel López y López, professed student
José Garrido Francés, priest
Justo Vicente Martínez, professed student
Mateo (Santiago) de Prado Fernández, cooperator brother
Juan Aguilar Donis, priest
Tomás Morales Morales, priest
Fernando Grund Jiménez, priest
Fernando de Pablos Fernández, cooperating brother
Luis María (Ceferino) Fernández Martínez, cooperating brother
Fructuoso Pérez Márquez, Dominican layman
Sister Ascensión de San José (Isabel Ascensión Sánchez Romero), Dominican nun
What has the St. Peter's Obligation money been spent on?
Every year, on June 29, the offerings of the faithful are collected in parishes and donated to the Pope's mission. This is the Obolo di San Pietro (Offering of St. Peter), a very ancient institution of support from the faithful for the work of the Church.
Andrea Gagliarducci-June 17, 2022-Reading time: 5minutes
The St. Peter's Obligation has become a real support for the Holy See since the 19th century, when the Pope lost the Papal States and Catholics around the world organized to finance his mission. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of the Oblates' funds are dedicated to the activities of the Holy See: covering the budget of the Curia, the expenses of the nunciatures and other institutional expenses. Only a small part of the St. Peter's obolus goes to charitable works, with specific projects.
The figures were published on June 16, in the annual statement that started to be made last year, as the last figures were from 2015. To understand what the Óbolo is and how it is used, let's start with the numbers and go into the history.
The numbers
In 2021, 55.5 million went to support activities promoted by the Holy See in the fulfillment of the Holy Father's apostolic mission. Another 9.8 million went to projects of direct assistance to the needy.
The total of 65.3 million euros did not come out of the collection, since last year the collection amounted to 46.9 million. The Obolo is, in short, in the red. However, the figures say that it has done better than expected.
Father Antonio Guerrero Alves, Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, speaking of the "mission budget" of the Roman Curia for 2021, had expressed precisely his concern about the collection of the Obligation.
"Broadly speaking - emphasized the prefect of the Ministry of Economy-, I can say that in 2021 there was again a drop compared to the previous year, which I would dare to quantify at no less than 15%. If in 2020 the total Óbolo collection was 44 million euros, in 2021 I do not think it will be 37 million. The decline in 2021 is on top of the 23% decline between 2015 and 2019 and the 18% decline in 2020, the first year of the pandemic.
How was the hole covered?
The Holy See donated more than 35 million euros, with which some needs were covered. In this way, the Oblates directly provided funds to 157 different projects in 67 different countries. In total, 9.8 million, which should be included in the 35 million mentioned. Of these projects, 41.8% were financed in Africa, 23.5% in the Americas, 25.5% in Asia, 8.2% in Europe and 1% in Oceania.
Among the projects funded are the construction of a building for young people in Saint Bertin (Haiti); a contribution to the construction of a school in Zimbabwe; a project in the Philippines to help end sexual exploitation and trafficking of children; dormitories in South Sudan and Indonesia; the reconstruction of a monastery in Ecuador; and the construction of a parish in India.
Added to this is support for the Pope's mission, i.e., spending to maintain the dicasteries. The 55 million given by the Obligation helped finance the 237.7 million in expenses of the dicasteries last year.
The countries that contribute most to the Óbolo are Germany, the United States, Italy, France, Spain, the Philippines, Latin America and Poland.
How the Óbolo works
The Óbolo has a website where you can find all the information about the projects it supports. However, it should not be forgotten that the main objective is to help the Holy See in its mission. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is used for institutional purposes.
The issue of the Obolo has come to the forefront in the Vatican process on the management of the funds of the Secretariat of State. It was alleged that the Secretariat of State had invested money from the Obligation by taking it away from the poor.
The reality, as the trial revealed, is very different. Until the 1990s, it was the Secretariat of State that managed the flow of donations from the St. Peter's Obligation. To do so, the Secretariat of State had opened a Onbolo AccountThe Vatican bank alone, in the mid-1990s, had some 80 accounts open for specific needs.
It was then decided to rationalize expenses and control, closing the accounts and transferring the management of the Óbolo to the Secretariat of State. However, the Secretariat of State kept the "Óbolo" account. However, this account had only the name of the Óbolo, while other resources of the Secretariat of State had been directed to it. That is where the money for the Secretary of State's investments had been taken from. If it had used the Óbolo, it would have done so in any case in accordance with its mission. And in fact, he has not touched the patrimony of the St. Peter's Obligation.
The history of the St. Peter's obolus
The practice of the obolus has very ancient origins, since from the beginning Christians have supported the works of the Apostles.
At the end of the 8th century, the Anglo-Saxons, after their conversion, felt so close to the Bishop of Rome that they decided to send an annual contribution to the Holy Father. The initiative took the name of Denarius Sancti Petri (the Alms to St. Peter), and soon spread to European countries. Pope Pius IX, with the Encyclical Saepe venerabilis of August 5, 1871, institutionalized the practice following a movement of the faithful in its favor.
In fact, it seems that Charles Forbes René, Count of Montalembert, annoyed by Pius IX's flight to Gaeta in November 1848 in Garibaldi's time, created a committee to come to the aid of the fugitive Pope, and to support the Vatican State which, as Vatican Secretary of State Giacomo Antonelli said, was shrinking into "a child's body with increasingly asthmatic breath."
In 1870, Rome, no longer protected by the French who were participating in the Franco-Prussian war, was taken and annexed by the Kingdom of Italy. Pius IX took refuge in the Vatican, refused the Italian State's offer of an annual indemnity, because the law was unilateral, giving the territory in use and not in ownership.
Isolated, with no more territory, the Holy See depended more and more on the offerings of the faithful. And these offerings continued even after a territorial state was reconstituted following the Lateran Pacts in 1929.
The Obolus with the last Popes
The offerings depend as much on the economic situation in the different regions as on the Pope's sympathy. In the 1980s, a series of scandals - among them that of the Institute for the Works of Religion - nearly caused the collapse of the obolus, which plummeted to $17 million in 1985.
The deficit, however, was also caused by the numerous expenses, in particular those of the nunciatures, so John Paul II carried out a drastic containment of expenses. He also began greater transparency by making budgets public and established the Council of 15 Cardinals for the organizational and economic problems of the Holy See.
With Benedict XVI and Francis, the Vatican's finances aspire to greater transparency. Starting in 2016, the Holy See decides to make the Obolus more accessible and establishes a dialogue with the faithful around the world on the need and the effects of charity towards those most in need. This is why the website is created to provide more information.
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