VOLUME 1, ISSUE 13  •  MARCH 28, 2015

Table of Contents

Copyright Notice

VATICAN NEWS

Pope invites Rome’s homeless to distribute Gospels at Sunday angelus

Got plans for Holy Week? Pope Francis does

Rome’s poor receive 1,000 pounds of food from Pope Francis

Japan’s history of ‘hidden’ Christians and what the Pope said about it

20 years of Evangelium Vitae: Vatican announces prayer vigil, rosary for life

Vatican invites 150 homeless for dinner, private tour of Sistine Chapel

Pope Francis on the family synod: ‘We need prayers, not gossip’

A look at Pope Francis’ summer trip to the Shroud of Turin

Pope Francis to meet, celebrate Mass with relatives during Turin visit

Bishops’ conferences are not the Magisterium, Vatican doctrine chief reminds Cardinal Marx

Pope Francis meets relatives of aid workers murdered by Islamic State

‘This is your house’ – Pope Francis meets homeless in Sistine Chapel

Pope expected to visit Italian cities of Florence, Prato in November

WORLD NEWS

Prison bars aren’t stronger than God’s love, Pope says to inmates

Nuns watching soap operas and the ‘terrorism’ of gossip: Pope Francis and Naples’ religious

Saint’s relic with miraculous tendencies does it again for Pope Francis

A ‘spiritual oasis’ – Southern Arabian cathedral celebrates 50 years

A new hope: the Church of Naples after Pope Francis’ visit

German prelate breaks rank with Cardinal Marx, insists on fidelity to Rome

Vatican offers solidarity for victims of Alps plane crash

Protestors disrupt bishop’s installation in Chile: 5 keys to understanding the controversy

Young Vietnamese migrant workers find strength in Lenten practices

New bishop in England looks forward to proclaiming Christ ‘with God’s help’

More Jews are leaving Europe and it’s worse than you might think

Tears for Farkhunda: Catholics join fury over savage killing of Afghan woman

Catholics in England gather to pray for Richard III, one of their own

Palestinian president may visit Vatican a second time for canonization Mass

Peruvian march for life draws half a million

London Catholic school believes government order threatens its identity

Archbishop Chomali: Pope Francis was confident in appointing Chilean bishop

U.S. NEWS

Want women’s equality? Don’t downplay ‘feminine genius,’ Holy See tells UN

Reclaiming the human figure – art exhibit uses body, form to evangelize

Memorial fund honors father who gave life for child with Down syndrome

Archbishop Romero hailed for life producing ‘great harvest’

Fifty years later, remembering the civil rights march that moved a nation

A grave problem – N.J. ban on religious headstone sales could violate constitution

Pope Francis to visit White House Sept. 23

Two young religious orders look to expand to Denver this summer

Bullets or needles? Death penalty faces new scrutiny as states mull changes

No, Indiana did not just pass a law discriminating against gay people. Here’s why.

Supreme Court rules in favor of pregnancy protection in the workplace

FEATURES

New Christian movie asks filmgoers ‘Do You Believe?’

Church isn’t anti-contraception because …

And the Word became a clump of cells

Annunciations of Suffering

The Eucharist is the ‘memory bank’ of the Church

Movie review: ‘Get Hard’

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Sunday • March 29, 2015

Monday • March 30, 2015

Tuesday • March 31, 2015

Wednesday • April 1, 2015

Thursday • April 2, 2015

Friday • April 3, 2015

Saturday • April 4, 2015

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Volume 1, Issue 13 • March 28, 2015

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VATICAN NEWS

Pope invites Rome’s homeless to distribute Gospels at Sunday angelus

by Ann Schneible (CNA/EWTN News) • March 22, 2015

Msgr Guido Marini, Papal MC, assists volunteers in distributing copies of the Gospels at the Holy Father’s Angelus address, March 22, 2015. (Martha Calderon/CNA)

Vatican City — Pope Francis on Sunday invited members of Rome’s homeless community to join volunteers in handing out copies of the Gospel to pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square, a reminder of how God’s Word is found among the poorest of society.

“Even in this we see a very beautiful gesture, which pleases Jesus,” the Pope said, moments after leading the crowds in the recitation of the Angelus on March 22: “those most in need are those who give us the word of God.”

The volunteers, who included homeless persons living on the streets of Rome, handed out small copies of the Gospel in Italian to those who had braved the chilly and wet morning to come and pray with the Holy Father. Meanwhile the Roman Pontiff reiterated the importance of always carrying a copy of the Scriptures to read throughout the day.

“The word of God is light for our journey!” he said.

Opening his Angelus address to mark the fifth Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis reflected on the day’s Gospel passage, in which a group of Greeks come to Jerusalem for passover and approach the apostles wishing to see Christ.

“We wish to see Jesus.” These words, the Pope said, “reveal a desire which crosses epochs and cultures, a desire present in the heart of many persons who have heard Christ speak, but have not yet encountered him.”

Christ responds to this request “indirectly” by prophesying his own death and resurrection. “The hour of the Cross, the darkest in history, is also the source of salvation for those believe in him,” Pope Francis said.

The prophesy continues with Christ saying that unless the “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

This image, the Pope said, recalls “another aspect of the Cross of Christ: that of fertility.”

“The death of Jesus, in fact, is an inexhaustible source of new life, because it carries in itself the regenerative power of God’s love.”

Pope Francis went on to list three criteria to fulfill for those who “wish to see Jesus”: the Gospel, the Crucifix, and witness.

The Holy Father placed particular emphasis on this third element of witness, stressing the importance of aligning the life we live with that which we preach: “coherence between our faith and our life, between our words and our actions.”

After leading the crowds in the recitation of the Marian prayer, Pope Francis remarked that March 22 is International Water Day, sponsored by the United Nations. He urged the international community to work in conserving water so that no one is prevented from access to it.

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VATICAN NEWS

Got plans for Holy Week? Pope Francis does

by Elise Harris (CNA/EWTN News) • March 22, 2015

Pope Francis celebrates Palm Sunday Mass on March 24, 2013 in St. Peter’s Square. (Sabrina Fusco/CNA)

Vatican City — Pope Francis’ full slate of events for Holy Week includes plans for a traditional Stations of the Cross, Easter Masses and a universal blessing given on Easter Day.

The Vatican’s office for liturgical celebrations, headed by Archbishop Guido Marini, issued on March 20 the complete schedule of papal events for this year’s Holy Week.

The week preceding Easter begins with Palm Sunday, which recalls how the inhabitants of Jerusalem laid palms along the road where Jesus entered on a donkey, hailing him as king.

Pope Francis will preside over the liturgy, which falls on March 29, by celebrating Mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, after blessing palm and olive branches handed out to attendees.

Palm Sunday also marks the 30th World Youth Day, which was established by St. John Paul II in 1984. This year’s theme – the second in a series on the beatitudes – is “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Last year’s theme was “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” while the next year’s theme for the international gathering in Krakow, Poland, will be “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

While World Youth Day is celebrated every year, it is only marked by massive international gatherings every two to three years. This year’s celebration will be at the diocesan level, with next year’s event in Poland will be a major global gathering, with the Pope anticipated to attend.

On Holy Thursday – the day commemorating the Last Supper – Pope Francis will celebrate a Chrism Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica at 9:30 a.m., during which he will bless the holy oils to be used for the sacraments during the coming year.

Later in the day, he will visit a prison in Rome, where he will wash the feet of inmates and celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

The next day, Good Friday, the Pope will keep in line with papal tradition and celebrate a service for the Passion of Our Lord at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica before heading to the Colosseum.

Francis is set to arrive at the Colosseum around 9:15 p.m., where he will lead thousands in the traditional prayer of the Stations of the Cross. Afterward, he will give his apostolic blessing before returning to the Vatican.

The Roman tradition of holding the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum on Good Friday goes back to the pontificate of Benedict XIV, who died in 1758.

Each year a different group or individual is selected to write the reflections, and the bishop assigned with the task this year – Bishop Renato Corti – also preached the final Lenten spiritual exercises for St. John Paul II.

Bishop Corti, 79, is Bishop Emeritus of Novara; he told Vatican Radio March 7 the meditations he has prepared focus on the keyword ‘protecting.’

In 2005, Bishop Corti was called by St. John Paul II to preach to the Roman Curia for the traditional Lenten Spiritual Exercise in the Vatican. The Pope died a week later, on April 2, 2005.

On Holy Saturday, which falls on April 4, Pope Francis will preside over the Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica starting at 8:30 p.m.

After blessing the new fire and the large, beeswax candle that will burn throughout the year, known as the Easter candle, in the atrium of the basilica, the Pope will administer the sacrament of baptism to certain individuals before concelebrating Mass with the other bishops and cardinals present.

Easter morning, April 5, Francis will celebrate the Mass of Our Lord’s Resurrection in St. Peter’s Square at 10:15 a.m. before giving his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing – which goes out to the city of Rome and to the world – from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

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VATICAN NEWS

Rome’s poor receive 1,000 pounds of food from Pope Francis

by CNA/EWTN News • March 23, 2015

Francis greets pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square during his Wednesday general audience on June 18, 2014. (Daniel Ibáñez/CNA)

Vatican City — Pope Francis is sending half a ton of food to families suffering hardships in Rome’s Tor Bella Monaca neighborhood.

The food is being distributed through the Institute of Medicine Solidarity Onlus, which works to help the socially disadvantaged, reported AICA, a Catholic news publication in Argentina.

Lucia Ercoli, the association’s director, said it was “truly a surprise” when they received the phone call about the food delivery for the poorest families in the neighborhood.

The Pope was in the neighborhood on March 8 for his visit to the parish of Santa Maria Madre del Redentore. The Papal Almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, was scheduled to deliver the food March 21.

“Ten days after his visit to Tor Bella Monaca he wanted to send a sign of his closeness to those who are going through hard times,” Ercoli said, adding “the Pope has not forgotten about us.”

Ercoli said she is confident that Pope Francis, by making “these gestures of mercy,” has “given a foretaste of the extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy.”

She added: “we give him heartfelt thanks for giving hope to so many people who are suffering and marginalized.”

The most vulnerable segments of society have particularly suffered the consequences of the economic crisis in the European Union.

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VATICAN NEWS

Japan’s history of ‘hidden’ Christians and what the Pope said about it

by CNA/EWTN News • March 23, 2015

(Takayukl Miki via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0)

Vatican City — In a recent meeting with Japan’s bishops, Pope Francis discussed how the country’s brutal history of Christian persecution has given way to the survival of a small but fervent Catholic community today.

In 2015, less than one percent of Japan’s population of 127 million people identify as Christian.

Pope Francis called the group of faithful who remained after the expulsion of priests and missionaries in the 16th century the “hidden” Christians of Japan. In his view, they created a lasting legacy which began with the Jesuit missionaries – especially Saint Francis Xavier and his companions.

Many of these missionaries, along with the nation’s early Christians, were martyred, which in turn “brought many blessings to the Church, strengthening the faith of the people,” the Pope said during his March 20 address to the bishops during their ad limina visit to Rome.

Some of those counted among these martyrs were seminarian Saint Paul Miki and his companions, who were killed for their faith in the year 1597.

Sentenced to die by crucifixion and lancing, they were first marched 600 miles to the city of Nagasaki.

During the journey, they underwent public torture meant to terrorize other Japanese believers in Christ.

But all of the 26 held out courageously, even singing the hymn of praise “Te Deum” when they arrived at the hill where they would be crucified.

St. Paul Miki offered an especially strong witness to his faith during the group’s month-long march to Nagasaki. He preached to the crowds who came to mock the prisoners – still preaching even as he hung on his cross, dying.

“The embers of faith which the Holy Spirit ignited through the preaching of these evangelizers and sustained by the witness of the martyrs were kept safe,” Pope Francis said, “through the care of the lay faithful who maintained the Catholic community’s life of prayer and catechesis in the midst of great danger and persecution.”

The pontiff described what he sees as the two pillars of Japan’s Catholic history: its “missionary activity” and these “hidden Christians.”

Throughout the ages and in every nation, “the Church remains a missionary Church, seeking to evangelize and make disciples of all nations, while continually enriching the faith of the community of believers and instilling in them the responsibility to nurture this faith in the home and society.”

Pope Francis voiced his gratitude for those missionaries who continue to contribute to the nation’s dioceses, meeting the needs both of the Catholic community and “broader society.”

“I encourage you also to be attentive to their spiritual and human needs so that they do not become discouraged in their service but persevere in their labors,” he told the bishops.

Evangelization is not reserved for those who go out to preach the Gospel, he said: rather, all Christians “are called to be evangelizers and to witness to the Good news of Jesus wherever we are” by virtue of our Baptism.

“We are called to go forth, to be an evangelizing community, even if that simply means opening the front door of our homes and stepping out into our own neighborhoods.”

Pope Francis went on to commend the Christian community’s work in various areas of service to the community. This service was particularly evident following the massive earthquake and tsunami which devastated the country in 2011, causing a nuclear meltdown of the Fukushima plant, claiming the lives of nearly 16,000 people.

“If our missionary efforts are to bear fruit, the example of the ‘hidden Christians’ has much to teach us,” the Pope emphasized.

“Though small in number and daily facing persecution, these believers were able to preserve the faith by being attentive to their personal relationship with Jesus, a relationship built on a solid prayer life and a sincere commitment to the welfare of the community.”

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VATICAN NEWS

20 years of Evangelium Vitae: Vatican announces prayer vigil, rosary for life

by CNA/EWTN News • March 23, 2015

A pilgrim prays the Rosary in St. Peter’s Square before the Wednesday general audience with Pope Francis on Oct. 29, 2014. (Daniel Ibáñez/CNA)

Vatican City — An international prayer vigil prepared by the Vatican will recognize the 20th anniversary of Evangelium Vitae, the encyclical of Saint John Paul II dedicated to the value and inviolable nature of human life.

The vigil, organized by the Pontifical Council for the Family, will be held in dioceses throughout the world on March 24 with the purpose of giving thanks to God for the fruits produced by the encyclical on life, making known to the world the benefits of prayer, and recalling that eternal life is the destiny of all the faithful.

Father Jose Guillermo Gutierrez Fernandez, an official with the Pontifical Council for the Family and one of the main promoters of the event, told CNA that Evangelium Vitae, promulgated on March 25, 1995 – on the Feast of the Annunciation – has still not been applied in all of its facets and needs to be studied more deeply.

“You have to be watchful so that this struggle for life is not only applied to abortion and euthanasia, but accompanies human life in all of its stages, recognizing it above all as a gift from God,” he said.

“We have to speak of it in catechesis because it is possible that some group of lay people would direct their efforts only toward having laws consistent with the sacredness of human life, but then would abandon the continual effort to catechize and to be thankful for this gift, and that’s not good,” he explained. “You have to be pastorally committed.”

Fr. Gutierrez stated that Evangelium Vitae “was prophetic and providential, a profoundly biblical document on the gift and sacredness of human life. In the midst of this year of reflection for the synod, we would like to remember this anniversary, re-launching this pastoral letter on life.”

The vigil for worldwide prayer for life will begin the afternoon of March 24 in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major before the Marian icon to which the Pope entrusts his travels, Salus Populi Romani, which means “Help of the People of Rome.” The vigil will have an especially Marian character.

The event will be divided into three stages: At 5:00 p.m. local time in Rome, a moment of reflection on some of the artistic elements of the basilica related to life will begin; then at 6:00 p.m. the recitation of the Rosary will begin, focusing on the Gospel passages connected with life, and interspersed with brief testimonies. At 7:00 p.m. the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, will celebrate the Eucharist.

The official announcement calls for similar vigils taking place in other parts of the world, such as the Marian shrines of Fatima, Lourdes, and Guadalupe.

Additionally, the Italian Movement for Life, the Association for the Defense of Life with Mary, and the Donum Vitae (Gift of Life) Association are inviting the faithful to a Mass at noon at Saint Peter’s Basilica that will be concelebrated by Cardinal Angelo Comastri and the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Cardinal Elio Sgreccia.

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VATICAN NEWS

Vatican invites 150 homeless for dinner, private tour of Sistine Chapel

by Elise Harris (CNA/EWTN News) • March 24, 2015

Ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Oct. 29, 2014. (Bohumil Petrik/CNA)

Vatican City — In addition to food, umbrellas, sleeping bags, showers and haircuts, the Vatican is now offering Rome’s homeless the gift of beauty.

On Thursday afternoon, 150 homeless persons will receive a special ticket for the Vatican Museums given by the office for papal charities. They will then be divided into three separate groups with a guide, Vatican Insider reports.

Before heading into the museums, the homeless guests will also receive a tour of Vatican City State, where they will pass by the Pope’s residence in the St. Martha guesthouse.

After making a first stop at the Carriage Pavilion, the groups will go on to the Upper Galleries – including the Gallery of the Candelabra and the Gallery of Maps – before visiting the apartment of Pius V and finally the Sistine Chapel itself.

The chapel will be closed to the public during the day in order to prepare for their guests that evening.

The homeless will have the opportunity to see and take in Michelangelo’s famous frescoes before pausing for a moment of prayer inside the chapel, which is traditionally where new popes are elected.

Guests will then head to the Vatican Museums’ restaurant, where they will be offered dinner.

In addition to having custodians help them carry their personal belongings – including backpacks, knapsacks, carts and even dogs – the homeless persons will also be offered headphones to use throughout their guided tour.

An initiative of papal almoner Archbishop Konrad Kraiewski, the visit is designed to show the city’s homeless population not just the beauty from outside the colonnades of St. Peter’s Basilica, but also the beauty within, which belongs to everyone, including those who have met misfortune and are living in poverty.

The initiative is the latest in a string of charitable initiatives enacted by the almoner on behalf of Pope Francis since his election two years ago.

In November of last year, Archbishop Kraiewski met a homeless man who said that although a sandwich was easy to find in Rome, a way to keep clean was not. As a result, the archbishop had the public bathrooms in St. Peter’s Square remodeled to include showers and clean underclothes for those in need.

Completed in February of this year, the bathroom initiative rolled out alongside a haircut service for the homeless, who receive the free services on Mondays – when many other barbershops are closed – at the hands of volunteer stylists.

A string of other charitable events include the December distribution of sleeping bags for the homeless coinciding with the Pope’s birthday, as well as the handing-out of 300 umbrellas to those living on the streets during Rome’s rainy month of February.

Pope Francis on Sunday commissioned 400 of Rome’s homeless residents to assist him in distributing a pocket-sized book of the Gospels to faithful who had gathered for his weekly Angelus prayer, saying to receive the Word of God from their hands was a reminder that it is the poor who preach the Gospel to us.

In addition to offering lunch to the homeless who helped in the square Sunday, the Pope’s almoner also helped to deliver 1,000 pounds of food to the poor in Rome’s Tor Bella Monaca neighborhood with the help of the Institute of Medicine Solidarity Onlus.

Pope Francis had been in the neighborhood March 8 for his visit to the parish of Santa Maria Madre del Redentore. Archbishop Krajewski was scheduled to deliver the food March 21.

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VATICAN NEWS

Pope Francis on the family synod: ‘We need prayers, not gossip’

by Elise Harris (CNA/EWTN News) • March 25, 2015

Pope Francis greets pilgrims during his March 25, 2015 general audience. (Bohumil Petrik/CNA)

Vatican City — During his weekly general audience Pope Francis spoke about the gift and call of the Christian family, and urged attendees to pray for the intentions of the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family.

“The Church needs a prayer full of love for the family and for life,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in a drizzly St. Peter’s Square for his March 25 general audience.

“Because of this, I ask you to pray insistently for the next Synod of Bishops, on the family, so that the Church is increasingly more committed and unified in her witness of the love and mercy of God with all families,” he said.

Francis emphasized that ahead of the October meeting, which will gather more than 200 Bishops and representatives from all over the world, “we (the Church) need prayers, not gossip,” and asked that “those also pray who feel alienated or are not accustomed to praying.”

The Pope’s petition for prayer took place during his continued catechesis on the family – a theme he announced last fall would be the subject of every general audience leading up to this year’s synod of bishops as a means of preparation.

After last year’s Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, which explored the theme “the Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization,” set the groundwork, this year’s Ordinary Synod on the Family will wrap-up the synodal discussion.

Set to take place Oct. 4-25, this year’s ordinary synod will reflect on the theme “Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the family.” The conclusions of the gathering will be used by Pope Francis to draft his first Post-Synodal Exhortation, which can be expected in 2016.

In his audience address, Francis noted how the day marked the feast of the Annunciation, which commemorates the Archangel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would be the Mother of God.

The solemnity, he said, “invites us, in the context of the Church’s preparation for the forthcoming Synod on the Family, to consider the relationship between the Incarnation and the mission of the family.”

With Gabriel’s announcement, “the Lord illuminates and strengthens the faith of Mary, as her husband Joseph will do later, so that Jesus is born and welcomed into the warmth of a family,” the Pope explained.

He also pointed out how March 25 celebrates the Day for Life and the 20th anniversary of John Paul II’s encyclical “Evangelium Vitae,” which the saint authored in 1995 emphasizing the sacredness and value of human life.

The family plays a central role in the encyclical, Francis said, noting that from the beginning of time God blessed man and woman and entrusted them with the task of procreating and forming “a community of love to transmit life.”

In the sacrament of marriage Christian spouses commit themselves with this task for life, the Pope said, noting that it is the responsibility of the Church to accompany and support families, especially those most in need.

When a couple is married, he said, “the Church, for her part, is obliged not to abandon the new family, not even when it moves away or falls into sin, always calling it to conversion and reconciliation in the Lord.”

However, in order to carry out this mission, the Church needs loving prayers in support of both life and the family, Francis noted, particularly for the Synod of Bishops on the Family.

“I ask you to continue praying for the Synod, so that it will reflect the compassion of the Good Shepherd for his flock and help the Church to be ever more committed and clear in her witness to the truth of God’s merciful love for all families,” he said.

Francis closed his speech with this appeal for prayer, and went on to greet groups of pilgrims present from various countries around the world.

Among those in attendance at the Pope’s audience was Mike Haines, the brother of British aid-worker David Haines, who was murdered by ISIS after being kidnapped while working near the Syrian border with Turkey in 2013.

In a news conference ahead of Wednesday’s audience, British Ambassador to the Holy See Nigel Baker said that Mike Haines “will be bringing to the Vatican his message of interreligious understanding.”

“Pope Francis has called for a common commitment to end fighting, hatred and violence. Mike Haines is living that commitment in an extraordinary way.”

Haines was accompanied to the papal audience by Imam Shahnawaz Haque, from East London.

Archbishop Joseph Coutts of Karachi, Pakistan, was also present during the audience, and exchanged a long handshake and several words the Pope after the event was over.

Numerous attacks against Christians have taken place in Pakistan in recent months, the most recent being a suicide bombing on two Christian churches March 15.

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VATICAN NEWS

A look at Pope Francis’ summer trip to the Shroud of Turin

by Ann Schneible (CNA/EWTN News) • March 26, 2015

Shroud of Turin negative. (CNA)

Vatican City — The Vatican has released the schedule for Pope Francis’ upcoming pilgrimage to Turin – home to what is believed to be the burial shroud of Jesus – with a program that largely centers on young people.

The pontiff’s June 21-22 visit to the northern Italian city also marks the bicentenary of the birth of Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesian order and patron saint of youth.

According to the Vatican, which released the schedule during a March 25 press briefing, the Pope will venerate the shroud in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist shortly after his arrival in Turin, before pausing for a brief moment of prayer at the tomb of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, another patron of the youth, who is buried in a nearby altar.

This year’s papal visit coincides with a rare exposition of the shroud, which will be on display to the public from April 19 to June 24, having been most recently on display in 2010.

One of the highlights of the pilgrimage will be an encounter with young people in Piazza Vittorio, located in Turin’s historic center.

The program also includes a stop at a juvenile prison, where the Holy Father will have lunch with the young detainees, a group of immigrants and homeless persons.

Saint John Bosco (1815-1888), popularly known as “Don Bosco,” was known for his work with the young people, particularly disadvantaged youth such as street children and juvenile delinquents. Canonized April 1, 1934, he is buried in Turin’s Our Lady Help of Christians basilica, which had served as part of a home for poor boys founded by the saint.

During Wednesday’s press briefing, Turin Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia, pontifical guardian of the shroud, addressed some of the themes of the forthcoming visit.

Owing to the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth, the visit to Blessed Pier Giorgio’s tomb, and encounter with young people, Archbishop Nosiglia said the pilgrimage is being proposed as a “mini” World Youth Day in the lead-up to WYD 2016 in Krakow.

The archbishop also noted one change during this year’s exposition of the shroud, which is that all donations made by pilgrims after their visit to the relic will be given to Pope Francis. While tickets to view the shroud are free, pilgrims have been in the past invited to leave an offering.

Other highlights of the trip will include Sunday morning Mass in Piazza Vittorio, followed by a meeting with the sick and disabled in the afternoon at the Church of Cottolengo. On Monday, the Pope will take part in an ecumenical meeting at the Tempio Valdese (Waldensian Temple), followed by Mass at the archbishop’s palace. He will depart for Rome by plane at 5 p.m.

The Shroud of Turin is among the most well-known relics believed to be connected with Christ’s Passion. A little more than 14 ft. long and 3-and-a-half feet wide, the cloth is stained with the postmortem image of a man – front and back – who has been brutally tortured and crucified. Venerated for centuries by Christians as the burial shroud of Jesus, it has been subject to intense scientific study to ascertain its authenticity, and the origins of the image.

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VATICAN NEWS

Pope Francis to meet, celebrate Mass with relatives during Turin visit

by Elise Harris (CNA/EWTN News) • March 26, 2015

Pope Francis greets faithful before mass outside of Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. (Daniel Ibañez/CNA)

Vatican City — A son of Italian immigrants, Argentinian native Pope Francis will have the opportunity to meet with distant relatives during his visit to Turin for the first time since coming to Italy after his election.

The family members Francis will meet during his trip “are cousins. Different cousins and various other family members. I don’t know them, I only know that there are some from Turin,” Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia told journalists March 25.

The archbishop, who oversees the Turin diocese, spoke with journalists during a press briefing announcing the details of the Pope’s June 21-22 visit this summer.

Pope Francis will meet with his relatives on the 22nd, and will be with them from 10:15 in the morning until 4:30 that afternoon. During that time, he will celebrate Mass and have lunch with them at the archbishop’s residence.

Archbishop Nosiglia said that the request for the encounter essentially made “by the Holy Father, because the Holy Father has always expressed the idea of going to Turin and meeting in some way with his family.”

Francis’ relatives have also contacted him, expressing their interest in meeting, the archbishop said, so “they found an occasion” in the Pope’s Turin visit, which he referred to as “a meeting point” of the desire for such an encounter on both sides.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Pope is the first of five children born to Mario José Bergoglio and Regina María Sívori, who were both originally from Italy’s Piedmont region, which is located roughly 27 miles southeast of Turin.

The Pope will travel to Turin to visit what is believed to be the burial shroud of Jesus, which will be on display to the public during a rare exposition lasting from April 19 to June 24. The last time the Shroud was on display was 2010.

The Shroud of Turin is among the most well-known relics believed to be connected with Christ’s Passion and death.

A little more than 14 ft. long and 3-and-a-half feet wide, the cloth is stained with the image of a dead man – front and back – who had been brutally tortured and crucified.

Venerated for centuries by Christians as the burial shroud of Jesus, the relic has been subject to intense scientific study to ascertain its authenticity, and the origins of the image. Evidence suggests that the image had been burned onto the cloth.

Pope Francis’ visit to Turin also coincides with the bicentenary of the birth of Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesian order and patron saint of youth.

After his arrival, Francis will make his way to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, where he will venerate the shroud and pause for a short prayer at the tomb of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, another patron of the youth, who is buried in the cathedral.

In addition to the meeting with the Pope’s relatives, other highlights of his trip include Mass, a meeting with prisoners – some of whom are immigrants or homeless, a visit with sick disabled persons.

Francis will also hold an encounter with the area’s youth, and will have lunch with some of them on the 21st, during which he will respond to questions they ask ahead of time.

During the press briefing Archbishop Nosiglia said that due to the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth, as well as the Pope’s encounter with young people and his visit to Bl. Pier Giorgio’s tomb, the visit is being treated as a “mini” World Youth Day, leading up to the 2016 international gathering in Krakow.

The archbishop also noted how all donations made by pilgrims after their visit to the shroud during this year’s exposition will be given to Pope Francis. While tickets to view the shroud are free, pilgrims are invited to leave an offering.

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VATICAN NEWS

Bishops’ conferences are not the Magisterium, Vatican doctrine chief reminds Cardinal Marx

by Carl Bunderson (CNA/EWTN News) • March 26, 2015

Cardinal Gerhard Mueller in St. Peter’s Basilica at the installation Mass of Bishop Maurizio Malvestiti on Oct. 12, 2014. (Lauren Cater/CNA)

Vatican City — Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has told a French paper that doctrinal, or even disciplinary, decisions regarding marriage and family are not up for determination by national bishops’ conferences.

“It is an absolutely anti-Catholic idea that does not respect the Catholicity of the Church,” Cardinal Mueller said when asked, “Could certain doctrinal or disciplinary decisions on marriage and family be delegated to the episcopal conferences?”

“Episcopal conferences have authority on certain matters, but they are not a magisterium beside the Magisterium, without the Pope and without communion with all the bishops,” he continued.

The Famille Chretienne interview of Cardinal Mueller – whose office is tasked with promoting and safeguarding doctrine on faith and morals – was published March 26, and was translated into English by Rorate Caeli.

The cardinal was asked directly about comments made last month by Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, who is president of the German bishops’ conference. Cardinal Marx told reporters, “We are not a branch of Rome. Each conference of bishops is responsible for pastoral care in its cultural context and must preach the Gospel in its own, original way. We cannot wait for a synod to tell us how we have to shape pastoral care for marriage and family here.”

Cardinal Marx’s statements come amid proposals by some in the Church to permit a wider access to Communion for the divorced and remarried. The subject was raised by some German bishops in the past, and has been a topic of discussion surrounding the Synod on the Family gatherings last year and this coming fall.

Church teaching holds that marriage is a permanent sacrament that does not come to an end if spouses obtain a civil divorce. An annulment process exists within the Church to examine whether the marriage was invalid in the first place. But without an annulment, individuals may not enter into a second marriage while the first marriage is still binding. Doing so bars one from receiving Communion.

Responding to the assertions of the president of the German bishops’ conference, Cardinal Mueller, who was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Mainz, remarked that “an episcopal conference is not a particular council, much less an ecumenical council. The president of an episcopal conference is nothing more than a technical moderator, and he does not have any particular magisterial authority due to this title.”

“Hearing that an episcopal conference is not a ‘branch of Rome’ gives me the occasion to recall that dioceses are not the branches of the secretariat of a bishops’ conference either, nor of the diocese whose bishop presides over the episcopal conference.”

Such an attitude, he said, “risks in fact the reawakening of a certain polarization between the local Churches and the universal Church, out of date since Vatican I and Vatican II. The Church is not a sum of national churches, whose presidents would vote to elect their chief on the universal level.”

Cardinal Mueller also reflected on the nature of the Church, recalling that it “is not a philanthopic organization. To say that we respect the opinions of all, that we wish for the good of all, is not enough.”

“To present the Gospel as a simple therapeutic message is not very hard, but it does not respond to the demands of Jesus. ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me,’ Jesus says. The first apostles, the Fathers of the Church, the great bishops in the history of the Church, very often sailed against opposing winds. How could it be any different for us?”

Cardinal Marx – whom the German bishops have chosen as one of their three delegates at the upcoming Synod on the Family – had also said there are “certain expectations” of Germany in helping the Church to open doors and “go down new paths,” and that “in doctrine, we also learn from life.”

Cardinal Marx’ comments have also been countered by another Vatican prelate of German origins.

Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, who was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Paderborn and is president emeritus of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, published a strenuous objection to the media statements of his fellow German bishop in the form of a March 7 letter to the editor of Die Tagespost.

Discussing Cardinal Marx’ statements on bishops’ conferences and ecclesiology, he wrote that his “theological blurriness makes you wonder,” adding that statements like “we are not a branch of Rome” are more suited “to the counter of a bar.”

“The head of the German bishop’s conference certainly has some competence when it comes to a second edition of the hymnal or the changing of the pilgrim route to Altötting,” Cardinal Cordes stated. “But the president argues something entirely different.”

“The president argues about the drama of the divorced and remarried! This matter reaches far beyond regional particularities of a pragmatic nature, of a given mentality and cultural background. This matter is bound to the very center of theology. In this field not even a cardinal can loosen such a complex Gordian knot in a single swordstroke … A responsible shepherd cannot be guided by a blurred ‘mercy.’ And while the president repeats that regarding the Magisterium, he wants to ‘stay within the community of the Church,’ he either ignores the limits that this Magisterium gives to pastoral care, or he is carefree in making a statement to make himself sound good.”

Like Cardinal Mueller, Cardinal Cordes lamented that in Cardinal Marx’ comments, the idea of communion – among bishops, and with the Bishop of Rome – was sorely lacking, “even though the bishops expressly promised ‘unity with the College of Bishops under the Successor of Peter’ during their episcopal consecration. The sentence: ‘We cannot wait for a synod to tell us how we have to shape pastoral care for marriage and family here’ is not imbued with a spirit of ‘Communio’.”

He charged that the message sent by Cardinal Marx “seems to be the result of an ‘obedience that goes ahead’, a deeply political strategy which creates ‘facts’ in order to dominate the process of decision-making and to put pressure on their colleagues.”

“Particularly deplorable are the statements during the press conference that the ‘new solutions’ – everyone knows what is meant – can be theologically justified,” Cardinal Cordes wrote. “Does he want to say that the dogma of the inseparability of marriage becomes intolerable because of the life situations of remarried people?”

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VATICAN NEWS

Pope Francis meets relatives of aid workers murdered by Islamic State

by CNA/EWTN News • March 27, 2015

Pope Francis meets with Mike Haines and Barbara Henning, relatives of aid workers killed by the Islamic State. (L’Osservatore Romano)

Vatican City — The brother and widow of two British aid workers killed by Islamic State militants last autumn were among the participants in yesterday’s General Audience, during which they briefly met with Pope Francis and received his blessing.

“Pope Francis has called for a common commitment to end fighting, hatred and violence. Mike Haines is living that commitment in an extraordinary way,” Nigel Baker, the British ambassador to the Holy See, said in a March 24 statement a day before the audience.

Mike Haines is the brother of former aid worker David Haines, who was murdered by the Islamic State in September after being kidnapped while working near the Syrian-Turkish border in 2013.

David Haines was 44, and the father of two. He had joined relief agency Acted in the delivery of clean water, food and tents in Syria amid the growing humanitarian crisis in refugee camps near Atme, 35 miles west of Aleppo on the Turkish border.

In the statement issued by the British Embassy to the Holy See, it was emphasized that since his brother’s death, Haines has dedicated both his time and effort to spreading a message of tolerance among all religions, urging them to unite against extremism.

Mike Haines “will be bringing to the Vatican his message of interreligious understanding,” Baker said.

Haines was accompanied to the papal audience by Shahnawaz Haque, and imam from East London.

Also present at the audience with Haines was Barbara Henning, the widow of British taxi driver Alan Henning, who was killed by the Islamic State in October, one month after Haines was beheaded by the extremists.

Henning was 47 and was also a father of two when he was killed. He had been helping to deliver aid to Syria during a fourth aid mission to the country when he was kidnapped within minutes of arriving last December.

The statement also notes that in October 2014, Mike Haines and Barbara Henning signed a joint letter calling for the “unity of people of all faiths in our society,” and urging “churches, mosques, synagogues to open their doors and welcome people of all faiths.”

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VATICAN NEWS

‘This is your house’ – Pope Francis meets homeless in Sistine Chapel

by Elise Harris (CNA/EWTN News) • March 27, 2015

Pope Francis greets pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square before the Wednesday general audience on Oct. 29, 2014. (Daniel Ibáñez/ CNA)

Vatican City — Pope Francis stopped by to visit with 150 of Rome’s homeless in the Sistine Chapel after they were invited for dinner and a private tour by the Vatican.

“Welcome. This is everyone’s house, and your house. The doors are always open for all,” the Pope told his homeless guests during their March 26 visit to the Vatican Museums. He said that their visit was like a tender caress from God.

The group was invited by Papal Almoner Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, who oversees the office of papal charities.

In the course of the visit, the homeless guests received a tour of the Vatican City State, passing by the Santa Martha guesthouse where the Pope lives, as well as several galleries in the Vatican Museums, culminating with the Sistine Chapel.

Although cameras and photographers were prohibited, the Vatican’s press office said that the Pope was with the group for at least 20 minutes, and greeted each person individually with a handshake.

Francis thanked Archbishop Krajewski for putting the initiative together. He told the group, “Pray for me. I’m in need of prayers by people like you,” and asked that the Lord would “protect and help you in the path of life and make you feel His tender love of a Father.”

After their meeting with the Pope, the homeless were invited to dinner in the restaurant of the Vatican Museums.

Before going to the Sistine Chapel, the group’s tour of the Vatican Museums first included a stop at the Carriage Pavilion and then went on to the Upper Galleries – including the Gallery of the Candelabra and the Gallery of Maps – before visiting the apartment of Pius V and finally the Sistine Chapel itself.

Their tour of the museums was guided, and included headphones as well as custodians who helped them carry their personal belongings, which many homeless individuals carry with them at all times.

The initiative is the latest in a string of charitable initiatives enacted by Archbishop Krajewski on behalf of Pope Francis since his election two years ago.

In November of last year, Archbishop Krajewski met a homeless man who said that although a sandwich was easy to find in Rome, a way to keep clean was not. As a result, the archbishop had the public bathrooms in St. Peter’s Square remodeled to include showers and clean underclothes for those in need.

Completed in February of this year, the bathroom initiative rolled out alongside a haircut service for the homeless, who receive the free services on Mondays – when many other barbershops are closed – at the hands of volunteer stylists.

Other acts of charity include the December distribution of sleeping bags for the homeless coinciding with the Pope’s birthday, as well as the handing-out of 300 umbrellas to those living on the streets during Rome’s rainy month of February.

Pope Francis on Sunday commissioned 400 of Rome’s homeless residents to assist him in distributing a pocket-sized book of the Gospels to faithful who had gathered for his weekly Angelus prayer, saying to receive the Word of God from their hands was a reminder that it is the poor who preach the Gospel to us.

In addition to offering lunch to the homeless who helped in the square Sunday, the Pope’s almoner also helped to deliver 1,000 pounds of food to the poor in Rome’s Tor Bella Monaca neighborhood with the help of the Institute of Medicine Solidarity Onlus.

Pope Francis had been in the neighborhood March 8 for his visit to the parish of Santa Maria Madre del Redentore. Archbishop Krajewski was scheduled to deliver the food March 21.

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VATICAN NEWS

Pope expected to visit Italian cities of Florence, Prato in November

by Angela Ambrogetti and Elise Harris (CNA/EWTN News) • March 27, 2015

Florence, as seen from the Piazzale Michelangelo. (Trikelef via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0)

Vatican City — An informal announcement was made on Friday at the close of the Italian bishops conference’s spring meeting in Rome revealing that Pope Francis will visit the two Tuscan cities Nov. 10.

“We welcome the news that the Holy Father will be in Prato with great joy,” Bishop Franco Agostinelli of Prato said March 27.

The bishop explained that “our whole diocese is celebrating this event, which will mark our history: Peter will truly visit out Church and confirm us in the faith.”

Simultaneously announced in Rome, Prato, and Florence, the news of the Pope’s visit came at the end of a gathering of the permanent council of the Italian bishops conference at the Vatican.

Francis’s November trip will be his first time traveling to both Florence and Prato, which are both located in Italy’s northern Tuscan region and sit about 15 miles apart.

St. John Paul II visited Prato in 1986, meeting with various people from the diocese, primarily workers.

In Rome the announcement of Francis’ daytrip was given by the secretary of the Italian bishops conferenc, Bishop Nunzio Galantino.

The purpose of the Pope’s trip, which coincides with the Fifth National Ecclesial Convention of the Italian Church, is to give special attention to the Church in Italy, Bishop Galantino explained.

Cardinal Giuseppe Betori of Florence made the announcement in his archdiocese, saying, “it is a great joy” to welcome Pope Francis.

Although the details are still being finalized, a rough sketch of what the Pope’s schedule will be was included in the announcement.

It begins with his arrival to Prato by helicopter around 8 am, where he will be welcomed by Bishop Agostinelli as well as the city’s mayor, Matthew Biffoni. Francis will then go to the cathedral to meet with workers.

Then around 9 am the Pope will transfer to Florence, where he will meet with participants in the National Ecclesial Convention in the city’s cathedral.

Roughly half an hour later he will make his way to the Basilica of the Holy Annunciation for an encounter with the sick, and at 1 pm is scheduled to have lunch with the poor in the soup kitchen Poor Saint Francis, located in Florence’s Holy Annunciation Square.

At 3:30 pm Francis is expected to say Mass in the municipal stadium “Luigi Franchi,” and afterward return to the Vatican.

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WORLD NEWS

Prison bars aren’t stronger than God’s love, Pope says to inmates

by CNA/EWTN News • March 21, 2015

Pope Francis greets pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square during the Wednesday general audience on April 16, 2014. (Daniel Ibanez/CNA)

Rome, Italy — During his one-day trip to Naples, Pope Francis made a stop at the local prison where he reminded inmates that God is rich in mercy and that nothing – even incarceration – can keep them from his love.

After spending the morning on March 21 celebrating Mass and issuing tough words on the city’s notorious struggle with corruption, Pope Francis in the afternoon visited the “Giuseppe Salvia” prison of Poggioreale.

The Pope greeted the board of directors and the prison’s police and employees along the corridor leading to the chapel.

He then greeted inmates in the square in front of the church and had lunch with a group of them, answering two questions that they asked.

Below is the full text of Pope Francis’ remarks:

This encounter allows me to express my closeness to you, and I do it bringing you the word and love of Jesus, who came to the earth to make our hope full and died on the cross to save each one of us.

Sometimes it happens that you feel disappointed, discouraged, abandoned by all: but God does not forget his children, he never abandons them! He is always at our side, especially in times of trial; he is a father “rich in mercy” who always turns his serene and benevolent gaze on us, always waits for us with open arms. This is a certainty which instills consolation and hope, especially in moments of difficulty and sadness. Even if we have done wrong in life, the Lord does not tire of showing us the path of return and encounter with him. The love of Jesus for each one of us is a source of consolation and hope. It’s a fundamental certainty for us: nothing can ever separate us from the love of God! Not even the bars of a prison. The only thing that can separate us from him is our sin; but if we acknowledge and confess it with sincere repentance, even that sin becomes a place of encounter with him, because he is mercy.

Dear brothers, I know your painful situations: many letters arrive to me - some very moving - from penitentiaries all over the world. The prisoners too often are kept in conditions unworthy of the human person, and later they fail to reintegrate into society. But thanks to God there also directors, chaplains, educators, pastoral workers who know how to be close to you in the right way. And there are some good and meaningful experiences of inclusion. We have to work on this, develop these positive experiences, which make a different attitude grow in civil society and also the community of the Church. At the base of this commitment there is the conviction that love can always transform the human person. And so a place of marginalization, as a prison can be in the negative sense, can become a place of inclusion and of stimulus for the whole of society, because it is more just, more attentive to the people.

I invite you to live each day, each moment in the presence of God, to whom belongs the future of the world and of man. This is the Christian hope: the future is in the hands of God! History makes sense because it is inhabited by the goodness of God. Therefore, even in the midst of so many problems, even serious, let’s not lose hope in the infinite mercy of God and his providence. With this sure hope, let us prepare ourselves for Easter, now approaching, (by) decisively orienting our lives to the Lord and keeping alive in ourselves the flame of his love.

The above text is published as Pope Francis’ full, prepared remarks issued by the Holy See press office.

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WORLD NEWS

Nuns watching soap operas and the ‘terrorism’ of gossip: Pope Francis and Naples’ religious

by Elise Harris (CNA/EWTN News) • March 21, 2015

Pope Francis meets with religious from Naples, March 21, 2015. (CTV)

Rome, Italy — In a wide-ranging, off-the-cuff speech to priests and religious in Naples, Pope Francis addressed various challenges of consecrated life, emphasizing above all the importance of poverty and resisting gossip.

“For me there is a sign that there is no fraternity in the presbyterate or in religious communities. The sign is gossip … the terrorism of gossip,” the Pope told priests, religious and seminarians of Naples during his March 21 daytrip.

“The person who gossips is a terrorist who drops a bomb, destroys, and they are outside – at (the) least they did a kamikaze … they destroy others.”

Although living in community “is not easy,” rather that gossiping about someone you don’t like or get along with, tell the person “face to face” if there is a problem, go to the bishop or whichever authority can mediate in the situation, the Pope said.

Pope Francis’ harsh condemnation against gossip came in comments made regarding the dangers to fraternal life among priests and religious communities, which he noted is a key aspect of consecrated life.

His meeting with Naples’ priests, religious and seminarians took place in the city’s cathedral following a meeting with persons from various social backgrounds, including immigrants and workers, and a Mass during which he condemned mafia activity in the area and urged the criminals to convert.

In addition to challenges regarding fraternal living, Francis also spoke to the priests and religious of the need to practice the works of mercy.

“We have forgotten the works of mercy,” he said, and asked those present how many of them have forgotten to put both corporal and spiritual works of mercy into practice.

The works of mercy aren’t just the deeds that “the old ladies in the neighborhoods do,” the Pope continued, and gave the example of someone who knows of a sick person in their area and wants to help them, but it’s time for the soap opera, and “between the soap opera and the work of mercy I choose the soap opera.”

Francis said that this example reminded him of some sisters he knew in first diocese he was assigned to who were good and worked hard, but lived in a house that was old and needed repaired.

However, when the sisters redid their house they didn’t just do it well, but “they did it too well, even luxurious, because they put a television in every room.”

And when the time for the soap opera came, “you couldn’t find a single sister in the convent!” he said, explaining that “these are the things which bring the spirit of worldliness.”

To live with a worldly spirit is not what Jesus wanted, Francis said, and recalled how in his prayer to God the Father before his arrest, Jesus said “I don’t ask you to take me out of the world, but to defend me from the spirit of the world.”

When a consecrated person lives in the “spirit of prayer,” they give a witness that people can see, the Pope said, explaining that even with a lack of vocations this witness is enough to make a person say “I want to be like that priest, or I want to be like this sister.”

Pope Francis also spoke of the importance of consecrated persons to live the “spirit of poverty,” even for those who haven’t made a vow to do it.

When the Church isn’t living this spirit and when the desire for profit creeps into the hearts of priests and religious, “it’s ugly,” he said, and called to mind the story of another religious woman he knew who a good person and was “thrifty” in her work, but was too attached to money.

Even though this sister was unaware of this and did her work well, “her heart was so attached to money and (she selected people) based off of the money they had.”

This woman’s “final humiliation” came when she was around 70 years-old and suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed in a living room full of professors while on a coffee break between classes at her school, the Pope said.

Francis recalled that while people were slapping her face trying to revive her, one professor came and said “but put a bill for 100 pesos in front of her and let’s see if she responds then.”

“The poor thing was already dead, but this was the last word that was spoken when they still didn’t know whether she was dead or not. It’s a terrible witness,” he said.

“Consecrated men or women religious who are businessmen, no! The spirit of poverty is not the spirit of misery!” Francis said, explaining that those priests who haven’t made a vow of poverty can still have their savings, but in an “honest and reasonable way.”

Poverty is the first beatitude, he said, and asked each person present to do an examination of conscience, asking themselves “how is my life of poverty?”

Francis also touched on the importance of praying to and confiding in Mary as our mother, who brings Jesus to us, as well as the joy and that consecrated life should emit.

He concluded by underlining the importance of not only praying to the Lord, but adoring him, of loving Jesus’ spouse, the Church and of having the apostolic zeal to go out of oneself and bear witness to the Gospel and revelation of Jesus.

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WORLD NEWS

Saint’s relic with miraculous tendencies does it again for Pope Francis

by Alvaro de Juana (CNA/EWTN News) • March 21, 2015

Pope Francis and Cardinal Sepe hold relic of St. Januarius’ blood in Naples cathedral on March 21, 2015. (CTV)

Rome, Italy — While Pope Francis was giving some advice to the religious, priests and seminarians of Naples on Saturday, a miracle occurred: a vial of dried blood from a fourth century saint liquefied.

This stunning but locally known and accepted phenomenon is said to happen three times a year: May 1, Sept. 19, which is the saint’s feast day, and Dec. 16.

The last time this occured with a Pope was in 1848 with Pius IX. It didn’t happen when St. John Paul II visited the city in October of 1979, or when Benedict XVI went in October of 2007.

The blood belongs to St. Januarius, Patron of Naples and former bishop and martyr of the city, whose bones are also preserved in the cathedral. He’s believed to have been martyred during the infamous persecution of Christians during the rule of the Roman emperor Diocletian, who retired in 305.

On March 21, at the end of the meeting with priests, religious and seminarians in the cathedral of Naples, the Pope gave a blessing with the relic. When received by the cardinal of the diocese, Crescenzio Sepe, the blood was still solid on one side of the vial.

When Pope Francis returned the reliquary, the cardinal told him: “It seems that St. Januarius loves the Pope, because the blood is already half liquefied.”

For the miracle to occur, it’s necessary to wait several minutes before the dried, red-colored mass confined to one side of the reliquary becomes blood that covers the entire glass.

Francis quipped in response: “you can see that the saint only loves us a little. We have to convert more,” drawing laughter from those within earshot.

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WORLD NEWS

A ‘spiritual oasis’ – Southern Arabian cathedral celebrates 50 years

by Antonio Anup Gonsalves (CNA/EWTN News) • March 23, 2015

St. Joseph’s Cathedral, mother Church of the Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia, decorated for its 50th parish anniversary, March 19, 2015. (St. Joseph’s Cathedral Abu Dhabi)

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — The Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia, which serves the more than 2 million Catholics in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen, last week celebrated the 50th anniversary of its cathedral parish.

On March 19, Bishop Paul Hinder, Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia, said a Mass of thanksgiving to mark the anniversary of the founding of St. Joseph’s Cathedral, located in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. St. Joseph’s is the oldest Catholic church in the emirates.

Bishop Hinder was joined by more than 30 priests, nuns, and over 5,000 laity for the Mass.

“We are extremely happy in celebrating this golden jubilee, that over the years grew from a small pastoral ministry to today serving a large Catholic community in UAE,” Fr. Anthony Swamy Savarimuthu, a priest at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, told CNA March 20.

Fr. Savarimuthu explained that the parish was blessed on Feb. 19, 1965, “thus fulfilling the providential hand of Almighty God, through the generosity of the Rulers of Abu Dhabi and the hard work of the Franciscan friars and some staunch Catholic immigrants.”

Fifty years ago, Sheikh Shakhbut, ruler of Abu Dhabi, granted 11 acres of land on the Corniche, a beachside road in the city, to the Catholic Church as a sign of his patronage to the many Catholics who were committed to the development of the emirates.

In 1981 his successor, Sheikh Zayed II, decided to move St. Joseph’s to a new location, and the present church building was inaugurated in 1983. Beginning in 2013, it underwent major renevations to provide for a new parish hall, as well as priests’ offices and residence.

“On this occasion it is fitting that we unfurl the history and remember the virtuous people who strived to ‘make a way in the desert’,” John E. John, communications director for the vicariate apostolic, told CNA March 19.

Bishop Hinder in his homily asked the faithful to imitate the virtue of St. Joseph. saying, “We are called today to be instruments of peace, and I hope we can all learn from St Joseph.”

Bishop Hinder underlined the virtuous qualities of St Joseph. who is known for his “humility, chastity, obedience, prudence, and love for his family.”

The prelate further said, “I believe that we are called to give Jesus a home in our hearts, in our families, in the community of this country and to be instruments of peace … I hope we can continue to live among different Christian denominations and Islam, being the dominant religion, with mutual understanding and peace.”

Bishop Hinder in particular urged the faithful that, “it’s an occasion for us to express our gratitude to God Almighty, to Sheikh Shakhbut, Sheikh Zayed, and now Sheikh Khalifa, and to the people of the UAE, who have accepted that we can live here with this freedom of worship.”

Bishop Hinder also reiterated the commitment of the members of the Catholic Church in the country to the progress of the nation, and special prayers were invoked for Sheikh Khalifa and the country’s other rulers, who have shown religious tolerance and who permit the construction of churches in the country.

Around 76 percent of the population of the United Arab Emirates is Muslim, while Christians constitute around nine percent. There are also sizeable minorities of Hindus and Buddhists.

Bishop Hinder also prayed peace in the conflicted areas of the Arabian peninsula, and expressed his confidence and hope that the region will remain an “island of peace.”

Christopher Alexander, a member of the parish, told CNA that “it is a blessed occasion to thank God for the blessing that the Catholic community can receive the sacraments.”

The vicariate apostolic tweeted March 19: “Amazing golden jubilee of St Josephs Parish.. gratitude to God and also the rulers.. may God bless this country!”

St. Joseph’s Cathedral parish serves some 100,000 expatriates from around the world, many of them Indians, who work and live in Abu Dhabi.

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WORLD NEWS

A new hope: the Church of Naples after Pope Francis’ visit

by Andrea Gagliarducci (CNA/EWTN News) • March 24, 2015

Crowds in Naple’s Scampia neighborhood await a meeting with Pope Francis, March 21, 2015. (Daniel Ibanez/CNA)

Naples, Italy — Pope Francis’ visit to Naples on Saturday fostered the commitment of the local Church to combat corruption and to continue work on the ground that has already born much fruits in the city’s peripheries, according to an official.

“Our plan now is the most challenging one: being able to reach a sort of normality in our territories,” Fr. Tonino Palmese, vicar of charity for the Archdiocese of Naples, told CNA March 23.

Fr. Palmese underscored the huge work on the ground carried forward over the course of the years by the local Church, adding, “we cannot say anymore that Scampia is the place where organized crime is rooted.”

Visiting Naples’ northern neighborhood of Scampia, Pope Francis slammed corruption and unemployment in a land sadly known for the pervasive presence of Camorra, the local organized crime group, and as the main Italian center for international drug trafficking.

However, thanks to the commitment of the local Church, the situation in Scampia has improved in the course of recent years.

Fr. Palmese explained that “during these days, I called to memory the moments of St. John Paul II’s visit to Scampia in 1990, and I found that St. John Paul II and Pope Francis may have viewed Scampia in a different way, because the scenario has changed.”

“When St. John Paul II visited Scampia, the block was fully under the control of organized crime, while Pope Francis met with an active workshop of citizens who work for the territory, so that Scampia is not a land of Camorra anymore,” Fr. Palmese stressed.

He then added that “in Scampia, parishes have worked in harmony; there is a nice communion and friendship among parish priests, and this may be of example to civil society.”

Emanuela Febbraio, 25, a practicing lawyer, was among the people who went to see the Pope in Scampia March 21.

She said that “addressing corruption and slamming unemployment, Pope Francis fully met the needs of the territory of Naples, and particularly of Scampia.”

Febbraio stressed that “Pope Francis called each of us to be responsible for the good of our city.”

As part of Renewal with the Spirit, she and a group of other Catholic young people started “a path of renewal for the city, trying to reach out to every part of the city in order to announce the Gospel, since the commitment of everyone must be rooted in Gospel.”

This is a story of ordinary life in Naples, where parishes are active to relieve the population from social exclusion and to build networks of faith and social commitment.

Fr. Marco Beltratti is the parish priest of the huge parish of Sacro Cuore in Vomero, a central Neapolitan neighborhood inhabited by diverse income groups.

“I am entrusted with a flock of 30,000 people … what I try to do is to favor the encounter among people of every social class … I try to reach out to every part of the parish, and to foster young people’s need to network among themselves … and I desire that this network be built upon the personal encounter with God, so every activity is accompanied by moments of catechesis.”

Such ordinary stories of the Archdiocese of Naples are often overshadowed by the description of Naples as a crime-addicted town where there is no hope left for anyone.

Despite the difficulties, Fr. Tonino Palmese made an appeal to media.

“If we want Pope Francis’ visit to be successful, we should start to describe the good things in the territory of Naples, and quit being blinded by the problems and difficulties.”

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German prelate breaks rank with Cardinal Marx, insists on fidelity to Rome

by CNA/EWTN News • March 24, 2015

Cardinals talk after the consistory on November 24, 2012 in St. Peter’s Basilica. (CNA)

Munich, Germany — A German cardinal has publicly opposed the words of two other German bishops who have suggested that the nation’s Church can form its own policies without direction from Rome.

Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes published a letter earlier this month objecting to the pronouncements of prominent leaders of the Church in Germany that the nation’s bishops’ conference will pursue its own program of pastoral care for marriages and family regardless of the outcome of October’s Synod on the Family.

At a Feb. 25 press conference following the German bishops’ plenary assembly, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, who is president of the conference, stated, “We are not a branch of Rome. Each conference of bishops is responsible for pastoral care in its cultural context and must preach the Gospel in its own, original way. We cannot wait for a synod to tell us how we have to shape pastoral care for marriage and family here.”

Cardinal Marx, whom the German bishops have chosen as one of their three delegates at the upcoming Synod on the Family, added that there are “certain expectations” of Germany in helping the Church to open doors and “go down new paths,” and that “in doctrine, we also learn from life.”

He was echoed by Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabruck – a fellow synod delegate – who called the Synod on the Family a “historically important” moment and a “paradigm shift,” urging that “the reality of men and the world” be a source for theological understanding.

Cardinal Cordes – who was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Paderborn and is president emeritus of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum – published a strenuous objection to the media statements of his fellow German bishops in the form of a March 7 letter to the editor of Die Tagespost, a prominent German language Catholic newspaper.

“Since the words of the highest representative of Catholics in Germany have a guideline-like character, and create substantial waves in the media, it makes sense to object publicly to some of the utterances, in order to limit the confusion which they have caused,” Cardinal Cordes wrote.

The cardinal noted that the February press conference was focused on the Synod on the Family, and on particular of the proposal by Cardinal Walter Kasper – another German – to admit some among the divorced and civilly remarried to Communion.

“The problem was addressed with the beautiful words of ‘new solutions’ and ‘opening doors’,” Cardinal Cordes wrote.

He responded to Cardinal Marx’ characterization of the Church in Germany as an exemplar by saying that “if he wanted to express that Germany is example in leading the faithful to a giving oneself up to Christ, then I think the bishop is fooled by wishful thinking. The existing German ecclesial apparatus is completely unfit to work against growing secularism.”

“It was not without reason,” Cardinal Cordes wrote, that Benedict XVI strongly urged the Church in Germany to become less worldly during his 2011 visit there.

“In themes of faith, realism counts above all,” the cardinal reflected. “Therefore one has to consider the facts.” He noted that a recent survey shows that among Catholics in western Germany, only 16 percent believe God to be personal: “all other Catholics see in God a faceless providence, an anonymous fate along the lines of a primordial power. Or they simply deny his existence flat out. What do they think of when they pray the Our Father? So there is no reason to pride ourselves on our faith if we stand in comparison to other countries.”

Cardinal Cordes then commented on Cardinal Marx’ ecclesiological statements, saying his “theological blurriness makes you wonder,” adding that statements like “we are not a branch of Rome” are more suited “to the counter of a bar.”

“The head of the German bishop’s conference certainly has some competence when it comes to a second edition of the hymnal or the changing of the pilgrim route to Altötting,” Cardinal Cordes stated. “But the president argues something entirely different.”

“The president argues about the drama of the divorced and remarried! This matter reaches far beyond regional particularities of a pragmatic nature, of a given mentality and cultural background. This matter is bound to the very center of theology. In this field not even a cardinal can loosen such a complex Gordian knot in a single swordstroke. He has the sacramental theology of the Council of Trent. He has also the words of Benedict XVI, who only recently (January 21, 2012) told the Roman Rota, the ordinary court of the Apostolic See, that no-one can simply brush over binding legislation of the Church when it comes to pastoral matters. A responsible shepherd cannot be guided by a blurred ‘mercy.’ And while the president repeats that regarding the Magisterium, he wants to ‘stay within the community of the Church,’ he either ignores the limits that this Magisterium gives to pastoral care, or he is carefree in making a statement to make himself sound good.”

Cardinal Cordes lamented that in Cardinal Marx’ comments, the idea of communion – among bishops, and with the Bishop of Rome – was sorely lacking, “even though the bishops expressly promised ‘unity with the College of Bishops under the Successor of Peter’ during their episcopal consecration. The sentence: ‘We cannot wait for a synod to tell us how we have to shape pastoral care for marriage and family here’ is not imbued with a spirit of ‘Communio’.”

He charged that the message sent by Cardinal Marx “seems to be the result of an ‘obedience that goes ahead’, a deeply political strategy which creates ‘facts’ in order to dominate the process of decision-making and to put pressure on their colleagues.”

“Particularly deplorable are the statements during the press conference that the ‘new solutions’ – everyone knows what is meant – can be theologically justified,” Cardinal Cordes wrote. “Does he want to say that the dogma of the inseparability of marriage becomes intolerable because of the life situations of remarried people?

Cardinal Cordes then turned to the comments made by Bishop Bode, who had cited Gaudium et spes, Vatican II’s pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world, as a support for his conclusion that “not only does the Christian message have to find resonance with men, but also men must find resonance with us.”

Cardinal Cordes responded, saying that while Gaudium et spes does state that “nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in the hearts of Christ’s followers,” the fathers of Vatican II “came to the conclusion that it would be erroneous to see the ‘signs of the times’ in the life of men simply as a ‘source of faith’ … and formally excluded the embarrassing fallacy that any challenge of the Church as such would be a source of faith.”

In contrast, he noted, the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution on divine revelation, Dei verbum, “leaves no doubt that faith in the Catholic Church feeds solely from Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium.”

“Independent of this unambiguous direction, it would be paradoxical to ascribe to a small part of the Church, who live in spiritually regrettable but objectively still irregular situation, the function of a source of faith,” Cardinal Cordes noted.

He concluded, writing that “May the shepherds who gather in Rome this autumn also give guidance to the majority of practicing members of the Church, on how to ever deepen their marriage and to root it in Jesus Christ, so they may be testimonies of God’s power in the life of man for their contemporaries.”

“May the synod fathers come to the conclusion to pronounce deep respect for those who never married a second time – who due to their faithfulness to their first marriage commitment, did not enter a second union. Those cases also exist.”

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Vatican offers solidarity for victims of Alps plane crash

by CNA/EWTN News • March 24, 2015

Rescuers set out for the Airbus A320 crash in the French Alps, March 24, 2015. (Patrick Aventurier/Getty Images News/Getty Images)

Digne, France — After a Germanwings Airbus carrying 150 people crashed Tuesday in the French Alps, the Holy See has assured the Pope’s prayers for the departed and has offered solidarity with the victims’ families.

“Having learned of the tragic plane crash in the Digne region, which has claimed numerous victims, including several children, His Holiness Pope Francis joins in their families mourning, showing his closeness to their pain,” read a March 24 message sent from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, to Bishop Jean-Philippe Nault of Digne.

“He prays for the repose of the deceased, trusting in the mercy of God to welcome them into his home in peace and light. He expresses his prfound sympathy for those touched by this tragedy, as well as for the rescuers who work in difficult conditions. The Holy Father asks the Lord to provide strength and consolation, and, in a pledge of comfort, invokes upon them an abundance of divine blessings.”

The Airbus A320 airliner, Germanwings Flight 9525, went down in the French Alps between Digne and Barcelonnette while on its way from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. Germanwings is a low-cost airline owned by Lufthansa; it has no previously reported accidents.

Reports state that the plane – which had been carrying 144 passengers and six crew – hit the ground after an eight minute descent. Officials have said there are no survivors.

Several German newspapers have reported that a German school class on its way back from an exchange trip were among the passengers; two babies are also reported to have been on board.

According to France’s aviation authority, the airliner never sent out a distress signal and lost radio contact before crashing. The cause of the crash is unknown, and the aircraft lost contact with French air traffic control at 10:53 am.

According to the BBC, search-and-rescue teams are currently headed to the crash site at Meolans-Revels.

The Spanish bishops conference expressed their “grief for the loss of human life” and offered their condolences “to the families of the victims, while entrusting to God the eternal repose of the deceased.”

In their statement, the Spanish bishops invited Catholics and all believers to include the victims and their families in both their personal and communal prayers.

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Protestors disrupt bishop’s installation in Chile: 5 keys to understanding the controversy

by CNA/EWTN News • March 24, 2015

Mons. Juan Barros, Bishop of Osorno, Chile. (Chile Bishops Conference Iglesia.cl)

Santiago, Chile — A group of protesters attempted to stop the installation of Bishop Juan Barros Madrid as the new bishop of Osorno in southern Chile, pushing the bishop and throwing objects at him during the March 21 Mass.

The protestors accuse Bishop Barros of covering up sexual abuse committed by Fr. Fernando Karadima. The bishop has repeatedly denied it. The story was picked up this weekend by international news media.

Here are some keys to understanding what has happened since Jan. 10 of this year, when Pope Francis named Bishop Juan Barros as the new bishop of Osorno:

1. Who is Fernando Karadima Farina?

Fr. Karadima fostered the vocation of some 40 priests, including Bishop Juan Barros, who decades ago belonged to Karadima’s closest circle of friends. When reports of sexual abuse and other scandal surrounding Karadima surfaced, Bishop Barros, like a number of other prelates, at first did not believe the accusations.

The judge in the civil case dismissed the charges because the alleged abuse was too far in the past. Nevertheless, in February 2011, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican completed its own investigation and declared 84-year-old Karadima guilty. He was sent to a life of solitude and prayer.

The news of the sentence surprised bishops, priests and lay people who viewed the priest as a role model and considered the initial accusations as an attack on the Church.

2. Juan Carolos Cruz and the accusers

Three of Karadima’s reported victims are accusing Bishop Barros of covering up the priest’s abuses. The accusations do not agree with the investigation carried out by the Vatican. Juan Carlos Cruz is the most well known of the accusers. He lives in the United States and is often asked by national and international news media for comments on what is happening in the Chilean Church.

After Bishop Juan Barros was appointed as Bishop of Orsono, Cruz told CNN Chile that the Chilean Episcopal Conference and Pope Francis were giving Karadima’s victims “a slap in the face.” This has created international media attention.

3. Bishop Barros’ Defense

Bishop Juan Barros and three other bishops close to Karadima supported the decision of the Holy See in April of 2011 and denied having known about his double life. They declared in a statement that “with great sorrow we have accepted the sentence declaring him guilty of serious offences condemned by the Church. Like so many, we learned about this situation and its diverse and multiple effects with deep astonishment and pain.”

In a letter addressed to the faithful of the Osorno diocese days before his installation, Bishop Barros reiterated that “I never had any knowledge of any accusation concerning Father Karadima when I was the Secretary for Cardinal Juan Francisco Fresno and I never had any knowledge nor did I even imagine such grave abuses as this priest committed against his victims. I neither approved nor participated in those actions.”

“The deep pain that continues to affect the victims for long years profoundly hurts me. And I reiterate along with the whole Church that there is no place in the priesthood for those that commit those abuses,” he added.

Before taking up his responsibility as the Bishop of Osorno on March 21, 2015, the prelate reiterated that he was not linked to the priest’s abuses.

“I am telling you, before God who is listening to us, it did not cross my mind that these things were going on. I would not have accepted it for any reason, and I am not a friend of Fernando Karadima,” he stated.

He added that before the Vatican convicted him in 2011, “I was already becoming distant from him. Of course I had been close, but I was already becoming distant from him, not because I knew about these questions of the accusations but because he became ill tempered. I never knew about these very tragic things. The pain of the victims hurts me enormously, I pray for those that carry this pain with them today.”

Before being the bishop of Osorno, Bishop Barros was the bishop for the Chilean military for almost 11 years, Bishop of Iquique for four years and Auxiliary Bishop of Valparaiso for five years. During all this time, his ministry had not been questioned.

4. The Protests in Osorno

On the day Bishop Barros was installed, dozens of people, including non-Catholics, entered the Cathedral of Osorno with banners and black balloons to protest against the prelate. Large groups inside the church held white balloons and banners in support of the bishop.

The media has publicized a letter signed by priests and deacons, as well as a letter from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart signed by their provincial Father Alex Vigueras, demanding the resignation of the prelate.

In response, the Permanent Committee of the Chilean Episcopal Conference issued a March 18 statement expressing their “support, in a spirit of faith and obedience, for Pope Francis who has nominated Bishop Barros as bishop of the Diocese of Osorno.”

5. Other interests?

The media coverage on Bishop Barros’ appointment as Bishop of Oserno is taking place in the midst of the debate on legalizing abortion as well as bills on euthanasia and homosexual unions in Chile. The Church is one of the few voices that is speaking out against these proposals.

In this context, 51 congressional representatives sent a letter to the Vatican questioning the appointment, some of whom are close to Cruz. This has led to some speculation that those advocating legal and social changes are using the Karadima case and his former friendship with Bishop Barro to discredit the Church in this debate.

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Young Vietnamese migrant workers find strength in Lenten practices

by Antonio Anup Gonsalves (CNA/EWTN News) • March 25, 2015

Vietnamese Youth Leaders annual Lenten retreat in Thailand on Mar 17-18, 2015. (Fr. Anthony Le Duc, SVD)

Bangkok, Thailand — Young Vietnamese Catholics living in Thailand came together for a Lenten retreat focused on spiritual nourishment for the challenges of life as migrant workers in a foreign country.

About 40 youth leaders came to the Cristina Retreat Center in Nonthaburi province, located about 13 miles northwest of Bangkok, for a March 17-18 retreat with the theme “Service in Love.”

“This annual retreat takes place during Lent because we find that it is the best time in the liturgical year to encourage the youth leaders to set out time for spiritual renewal,” said Fr. Anthony Le Duc SVD, secretary of the Pastoral Committee for Vietnamese Migrants in Bangkok.

“This annual retreat is an opportunity for the group leaders to not only come together to experience the great love and mercy that God has for each of them, but also an opportunity for them to develop friendships, to find joy and comfort in sharing their experiences with one another, and to see that they are not alone in their service,” Fr. Le Duc told CNA March 19.

Fr. Le Duc was joined by Fr. Michael Nguyen Bac OP and Fr. Joseph Nguyen Manh Ha OP in giving talks on the Christian love and service. Time for reflection and small group discussion was also offered.

However, the major focus of the retreat was drawing spiritual strength from the celebration of the Mass in participants’ native language, Eucharistic adoration and a traditional celebration of the Station of the Cross.

Fr. Le Duc explained that the retreat aims “to give support emotionally and spiritually to youth leaders as they serve in their respective groups, finding joy and peace in their sacrifices despite all the difficulties and challenges that come their way.”

The migrant workers face many challenges as they work and live out their faith. Most of them come from north central Vietnam and are placed in the garment or restaurant industries in Thailand.

The Pastoral Committee for Vietnamese Migrants in Bangkok works to minister to these migrants, publicizing Masses and other activities under the direction of chaplain Fr. Joseph Nguyen Manh Ha OP.

“Thanks to social networking, it has become much easier in recent years to minister to Vietnamese migrant workers living in diaspora,” Fr. Le Duc explained.

“They have friends who are sharing in the mission and above all, they have God who are blessing and guiding them on the way.”

Concluding the retreat, the youth leaders pledged to learn and grow spiritually, as well as to continue movie forward in evangelization and service as they returned to their respective regions of Thailand.

The participants of the retreat hail from different groups, including the Bangkok archdiocese and the Ratchaburi and Chonburi provinces. Each of these cell groups contain 50-250 members who come together throughout each month for Mass, spiritual reflections and other activities.

The local groups are intended to foster community and support the young migrant workers as they face the challenges of day-to-day life in a foreign country. The annual Lenten retreat offers an opportunity for broader community. Many of the participants said they draw spiritual strength from the experience.

“I almost was not able to attend this retreat because I could not leave my job at night, but by God’s grace, I was able to find someone to replace me and that’s how I was able to come,” Long Nguyen from Ayutthaya group told CNA.

“I am so thankful to God and to the priests for this experience as I have learned so many things, especially how to have a personal relationship with God and the kind of attitude I ought to have in service.”

Another participant, Phuong Thi Nguyen, from the Bangbuathong group, added, “I am so grateful to God for all the blessings that I have received in these two days which have been very meaningful to me and I am already looking to the next opportunity to attend such a retreat again.”

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New bishop in England looks forward to proclaiming Christ ‘with God’s help’

by CNA/EWTN News • March 25, 2015

Richard Moth, who was appointed Bishop of Arundel and Brighton on March 21, says Mass. (Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Brighton, England — On Saturday, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Richard Moth of the British military diocese as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, where he looks forward to serving the Church and sharing the Gospel.

“It is a great privilege to have been appointed by Pope Francis as the new Bishop of Arundel and Brighton and I am very conscious of the trust that has been placed in me,” Bishop Moth said March 21.

“In these last fifty years since the foundation of the Diocese, so much has been done to build up the Church and in the proclamation of the Gospel and, with God’s help, I look to guide and serve the Diocese to that same end.”

The Arundel and Brighton diocese had been vacant since September, when its previous shepherd, Bishop Kieran Conry, resigned after revealing he had been unfaithful to his promises as a priest. According to The Daily Mail, he had had an affair six years ago and had more recently been involved with a married woman.

Since Bishop Conry’s resignation, Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark has served as Arundel and Brighton’s apostolic administrator.

“I am especially grateful to Archbishop Peter Smith for all he has done in recent months to support and guide the Diocese,” Bishop Moth noted.

For his part, Archbishop Smith stated his great joy at the appointment.

“I was so pleased when I heard the news that he had accepted the appointment from the Holy Father,” he said. “I have known Bishop Richard for many years, firstly when I taught him as a student at St John’s Seminary, then as a fellow priest of the Archdiocese and most recently as a brother bishop. I know that he will work tirelessly to serve all the people of the diocese, and I have no doubt that he will prove to be a true pastor to the clergy, Religious and people of the Diocese.”

Bishop Moth was born in Zambia in 1958, and was raised in Kent, a county in southeast England. He then attended St. John’s Seminary, and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Southwark in 1982.

He served in several parishes, as well as serving as private secretary to the archbishop, vocations director, vicar general, and chancellor. While in Lewisham, he was a Territorial Army Chaplain for the Royal Army Medical Corps. He is also a Benedictine oblate, and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

Bishop Moth studied canon law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, and subsequently served as president of Southwark’s interdiocesan tribunal of second instance.

In 2009 he was appointed Bishop of the Armed Forces, where he served until his transfer to the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.

“It has been wonderful, over these past five and half years, to work with the chaplains and so many people from the Armed Forces community and all those who serve as members of the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force will always have a special place in my thoughts and prayers,” Bishop Moth reflected.

Archbishop Smith told the people of Arundel and Brighton that their new shepherd “ will bring with him his wide pastoral and administrative experience over 27 years.”

Bishop Moth’s Mass of Installation will be said May 28, “ a most appropriate date as it is the actual anniversary of the creation of the Diocese.”

“As we will all be remembering with joy all the gifts that the Lord has given to the diocese over the past fifty years, it will also be the time to take the first steps on the journey of the next fifty years,” Archbishop Smith said. “Let us continue to pray for one another as we prepare for the Jubilee celebrations, and let us pray for Bishop Richard as he prepares to begin his new ministry with you.”

Bishop Moth will then celebrate a Jubilee Mass of Thanksgiving for his new local Church on July 5. The diocese has a weekly Mass attendance of 40,000, and a Catholic population of 198,000, or six percent of the total population. There are 83 parishes, served by 136 diocesan and 97 religious preists. The diocese also has five seminarians.

Bishop Moth concluded his statement saying, “I ask for the prayers of the People and Clergy of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton as I prepare for the years that lie ahead that together we be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in the service of Christ and his Church.”

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More Jews are leaving Europe and it’s worse than you might think

by Matt Hadro (CNA/EWTN News) • March 25, 2015

Shield of David. (Michal Kasprzak via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Washington, D.C. — It may not be 1941, but Hitler’s dream of a “Jew-free Europe” is taking shape, and it’s time for the world to take notice, say human rights advocates.

A “virulent, open, and increasingly violent anti-Semitism” is rearing its ugly head across the European continent, according to Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, president and CEO of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The matter is a deeply personal one for Swett – her father, Tom Lantos, was the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress.

Europe has long been seen as a haven for democracy and human rights, but that face is changing rapidly for Jews there, many of whom question if their children will even be able to live there.

“Jews are being physically threatened. Their institutions are being physically attacked. They are being killed because they’re Jews,” Swett told CNA. “And the only reason many, many more haven’t been killed is because of security measures.”

Describing her recent solidarity visit to France’s Jewish communities, she noted that many parents “don’t see a Jewish future” for their children in Europe. Emigration from the continent is rising and will likely continue, with popular destinations being Israel, the United States, and Canada.

Just how dramatic will the shift in immigration numbers and demographics be? That remains to be seen.

Anti-Semitism has a centuries-old tradition on the continent, but it went underground after World War II, and for decades Jews lived there peacefully, Swett stated.

“You now have things that would have been almost inconceivable,” she said, referencing “thousands of people marching down boulevards in main streets of major European capitals with signs saying ‘Hitler was right’,” as well as vandalism and destruction of Jewish synagogues and businesses.

The attacks have gotten so bad that the French government is providing security for Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centers. Earlier this year, 10,000 military personnel were deployed to protect potentially sensitive locations.

The Jewish community is generally thankful for what they view as a “sincere” action on the part of the government, she added, but “no one believes that that sort of incredibly forceful response is sustainable ad infinitum.” The community already asking the question of what happens once the security leaves.

In some cases, Jews also risk their personal safety walking around major French cities while wearing public displays of their religion. “This is a pretty disturbing and chilling development, the notion that people have to sort of hide their identity in order to be safe in their own country,” Swett stated.

Many of these attacks are coming from immigrant Muslim communities, who have not assimilated or been accepted into society and are “themselves the victims of discrimination,” she said.

Meanwhile, while the French government may be actively protecting Jews, political parties in other countries are openly hostile and anti-Semitic. In Hungary and Greece in particular, far-right parties with an anti-Semitic agenda have gained a political foothold.

“You find in both virulently anti-Semitic rhetoric being spouted by their members and their leaders,” said Tad Stahnke of the organization Human Rights First.

Stahnke has authored a report on anti-Semite politics in the two countries, “We’re Not Nazis, But …” He explained to CNA how the rise of such far-right parties is a recent and troubling phenomenon, and that “anti-Semitic rhetoric has become a part of the political mainstream.”

The Jobbik party is the second-biggest “political force” in Hungary, Stahnke said. He recorded in his report instances of party officials promoting bigotry, authoritarianism, and Holocaust denial, adding that some have already “told Jews to start looking for a place to hide.”

According to one recent report, a Jobbik member of parliament spat on a Holocaust memorial in Budapest.

Meanwhile, Greece’s Golden Dawn party is openly violent and has deep Nazi roots. It won 10 percent of the vote in European Parliament elections in Greece last May – the third most out of all the parties. It won about 6-7 percent in national elections in January.

“Most of their leadership is under indictment, so they seem to be a stubbornly resistant force in Greek politics, despite the fact that there’s a major criminal case being brought against them for engaging in violent activity, mostly targeting dark-skinned migrants in Greece,” Stahnke explained.

The party indeed has a Nazi “background,” “orientation,” and “ideology,” he insisted.

In some cases, Europe’s Jews are also publicly being pressured to criticize the state of Israel – something they are extremely reticent to do even if they may disagree with the country’s policies.

“With a growing open hostility towards the state of Israel, many Jews also find themselves in the extremely awkward position of sort of only being able to pass muster as a ‘good Jew’ if they are themselves openly hostile or highly critical of Israel,” Swett said, a country they “respect” and “feel certainly a degree of affinity” for, whatever their own political beliefs may be.

The U.S. can help with European anti-Semitism, she said, but “we have to confront the dangers in a very clear-eyed way.”

This would include “encouraging inter-faith dialogue,” and especially empowering Muslims to speak out against all religious violence, she explained. In addition, positive stories must be circulated, such as the group of Norwegian Muslims who stood together outside a synagogue to protect it in a show of solidarity.

In addition, the U.S. and other governments must be more aware of anti-Semitic terror threats and “act pre-emptively” when a threat is predicted, she continued. For instance, with the individuals who attacked the Charlie Hebdo Paris bureau, “the French government knew these guys were trouble” and yet “they weren’t being closely watched.”

The question right now is ultimately not if Europe’s Jews will leave the continent, but how many and how soon. They do not want to leave, but soon may not have a choice.

“This is not a community that wants to leave a country they love, a country that they have felt themselves to be very much a part of,” Swett said of France’s Jews.

“But they also are not kidding themselves and are not prepared to be in any way naïve about the circumstances they face.”

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Tears for Farkhunda: Catholics join fury over savage killing of Afghan woman

by Adelaide Mena and Matt Hadro (CNA/EWTN News) • March 25, 2015

Women praying Jamaah. (Danumurthi Mahendra via Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Kabul, Afghanistan — After last week’s horrific mob killing of a young woman in Afghanistan, Catholics are calling for a re-dedication to religious liberty and human rights worldwide.

A U.S. bishops conference representative told CNA on Tuesday that “the bishops have concerns” about “blasphemy laws that contribute to incidents of this nature.”

The 28 year-old victim, Farkhunda, was lynched March 19 by a mob after an accusation that she burned a Quran.

A policeman told the AP the incident began when Farkhunda argued with a mullah at a shrine over being encouraged to buy amulets that she thought were superstitious. Bystanders overheard an accusation that she burned a Quran, and retaliated against her based on that accusation.

The accusation was never verified, and the head of the country’s criminal investigative agency declared her innocent on Sunday, according to Reuters.

The mob beat her with bats, ran her over and dragged her with a car, and then burned her body. Police say they have arrested more than 19 people over the incident. Thousands protested her killing in the streets of Kabul on Tuesday.

Afghanistan is notorious for its abuses of human rights and religious freedom.

In its most recent report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom highlighted Afghanistan as a “Tier 2” country to monitor for its abuses against religious freedom. “Tier 2” countries are just below “Tier 1 Countries of Particular Concern” who are the worst offenders of human rights and religious freedom.

Afghanistan has a legal system where “a restrictive interpretation of Islamic law is prioritized over human rights guarantees,” the report notes, which results in human rights abuses. In one example given, the report said “the United Kingdom gave asylum to an atheist from Afghanistan over fears he would be prosecuted for apostasy and could face a death sentence.”

Women in the country also face particular violence and discrimination, USCIRF details, “due in part to the Taliban’s resurgence and the strong influence of religious traditionalists.”

Research by the United Nations shows that Afghanistan experienced “a 20% increase in violence against women” during 2012, they noted. Additionally, women in public life “are condemned as ‘immoral’ and targeted for intimidation, harassment, or violence,” and were not able to gain legal protections in the legislature.

In the report, the organization also drew attention to the enforcement of blasphemy laws, particularly in neighboring Pakistan. Blasphemy laws there are punishable by death or life in prison, and accusations presented do not require evidence after the fact. Additionally, in a separate March 2014 briefing on blasphemy laws around the globe, USCIRF noted that it in Pakistan, many “individuals accused of blasphemy have been murdered in associated vigilante violence.”

USCIRF also cited UN Human Rights Commission statements criticizing the punishment of blasphemy, saying that blasphemy laws “ have a stifling impact on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief and healthy dialogue and debate about religion.”

In recent weeks, the Holy See has also drawn attention both to violence against women and the need for respect for religious freedom.

On March 13, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, told the international body that the Middle East is facing destabilization and violence augmented, in part, by the persecution and violence against Christian communities in the region.

“A future without the different communities in the Middle East will run a high risk of new forms of violence, exclusion, and the absence of peace and development,” he warned.

Women face injustice around the world and this must be eradicated, the archbishop insisted.

Despite many advancements, he said, “too many women continue to face discrimination and many forms of violence just for being women.” He suggested the U.N. promote respect for the family and education for girls, calling the latter “an indispensable component in the fight for the advancement of women.”

Catholics everywhere can help to address offenses against human rights and religious freedom, Grazie Christie of The Catholic Association told CNA March 24: “The first thing that Catholics can do is to pray for religious liberty and human dignity all over the world.”

However, she continued, “keep in mind that as Catholics we are salt of the earth and we have to make our voices heard right where we are,” encouraging Catholics to to speak up “where similar abuses are being committed” against religious communities at home, as well as abroad.

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Catholics in England gather to pray for Richard III, one of their own

by CNA/EWTN News • March 25, 2015

Water is sprinkled on the coffin of Richard III at a Compline service at Leicester Cathedral on March 23, 2015. (CNA)

Nottingham, England — In preparation for the reinternment of the remains of Richard III, a 15th century English king whose body was only recently rediscovered, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster has offered Compline and a Requiem Mass for the late monarch.

“This evening we fulfill a profound and essential Christian duty: that of praying for the dead, for the repose of their eternal souls,” Cardinal Nichols preached during a March 23 Requiem Mass said at Holy Cross Priory in Leicester.

“The prayer we offer for him this evening is the best prayer there is: the offering of the Holy Mass, the prayer of Jesus himself, made complete in the oblation of his body and blood on the altar of the cross, present here for us on this altar.”

Richard III was born in 1452, and reigned over England from 1483-1485, when he died in the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York; he was succeeded by Henry VII, founder of the House of Tudor.

His corpse was buried without pomp, and subsequently lost. It was found in 2012 under a parking lot in Leicester, 30 miles south of Nottingham, on the site of Greyfriars, a Franciscan friary dissolved during the English Reformation.

His body has been kept at the University of Leicester, and was processed to Leicester Cathedral, an Anglican church, on Sunday.

That evening, Cardinal Nichols led a Compline service at the cathedral, during which Richard’s coffin was sprinkled with holy water, and incensed.

“This sprinkling with holy water is a reminder that King Richard, at the beginning of his life, was baptised,” the cardinal reflected. “He was thereby called to live as a follower of Jesus Christ.”

“The deepest intentions of Richard have always been hard to fathom. Yet that is often true for many of us. Within the depth of his heart, amidst all his fears and ambitions, there surely lay a strong desire to provide his people with stability and improvement.”

Cardinal Nichols noted Richard’s achievements, including a development of the presumption of innocence, the concept of blind justice, the practice of granting bail, and translating laws into the vernacular, while adding that “nevertheless his reign was marked by unrest and the fatal seepage of loyalty and support.”

“All of this reminds us, if we need reminding, that baptism does not guarantee holiness of life or saintliness of nature. But it gives a fundamental and enduring shape to a journey through life, in all its struggles and failures.”

He recalled Richard as a man of prayer and “anxious devotion,” who composed a surviving prayer and established chapels.

“We pray that, being brought into the presence of that Divine majesty, Richard may be embraced by God’s merciful love, there to await the final resurrection of all things in the fullness of time.”

Until its reburial, Richard III’s body will remain at Leicester Cathedral. More than 20,000 visited the cathedral to view the coffin. The reinternment will be held at the cathedral on Thursday, led by Justin Welby, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury.

On Monday, March 23, Cardinal Nichols said a Requiem Mass at Holy Cross Priory, a Dominican parish in Leicester. He wore a chasuble known as the “Westminster Vestment,” which is believed to be from Richard III’s own wardrobe. The chasuble’s embroidery matches that described from his inventories, and has been dated to the third quarter of the 15th century.

The Mass was attended by several bishops from across England and Wales, as well as by Tim Stevens, the Anglican Bishop of Leicester.

Msgr. Thomas McGovern, administrator of the Diocese of Nottingham – which includes Leicester – commented that “it is fitting that, after 530 years, Richard III’s mortal remains are once again laid to rest, this time in Leicester Cathedral, the mediaeval Catholic parish church of Leicester, not far from where they were first buried by the Franciscan friars after the Battle of Bosworth.”

“Just as Mass would have been offered for the repose of his soul by the priests who buried him, we do him the same service tonight, asking Almighty God to receive him into the kingdom of heaven with his sins forgiven. May he rest in peace.”

Cardinal Nichols remarked during his homily that “during this week, Mass is being offered in many Catholic Churches for the repose of the soul of King Richard III. Rightly so. That is exactly what he would have wished, having himself set up at least one chantry chapel for Masses to be celebrated for the dead of both sides of the Battle of Towton in 1461.”

“This evening we pray that the merciful judgement of our loving God is extended to him in every degree, for we know that it is only the gift of God’s mercy that protects us from the demands of God’s justice … We offer this holy Mass that even while his remains are lying in the Cathedral nearby, his soul is united with God in the glory of heaven there to await the final resurrection of all things in Christ.”

“This was the hope he held in his heart. This is the hope we hold for ourselves and our loved ones too. We share this one hope and the faith and love which accompany it. In this grace we pray for this dead King and we pray that the kingship in Christ, given to us all, may truly guide our lives and make us builders of that eternal Kingdom here in our world today.”

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Palestinian president may visit Vatican a second time for canonization Mass

by Andrea Gagliarducci (CNA/EWTN News) • March 26, 2015

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas addresses the World Economic Forum, May 2013. (World Economic Forum/Benedikt von Loebell via Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Jerusalem, Israel — Nearly a year since taking part in a prayer for Middle East peace in the Vatican Gardens, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has been invited to the Vatican a second time, for the canonization Mass of two Palestinians.

Bl. Marie-Alphonsine Ghattas and Bl. Mariam Baouardy were both Palestinians born in the 19th century, and foundresses of religious orders. They are to be canonized at a Mass celebrated in the Vatican May 17.

The news site abouna.org, run by a priest of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, announced March 22 that Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem invited Abbas to the Mass while visiting his headquarters in Ramallah, in the West Bank of Palestine.

Patriarch Twal “noted that preparations are in full swing to celebrate the canonization of the two nuns, stressing that it is a historic and qualitative event at the religious, ecclesiastical and national levels,” according to the site.

Bl. Marie-Alphonsine (1843-1927) was a Turco-British Palestinian and co-foundress of the Congregation of the Rosary Sisters. She was born in Palestine and spent much of her life in Bethlehem and its environs, assisting the poor and establishing schools and orphanages.

A mystic and stigmatist, Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified (Mariam Baouardy) was a Turkish Palestinian and foundress of the Discalced Carmelites of Bethlehem. She lived 1846-1878. Her family were of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and in the religious life she spent time in France and India before helping to found a Carmel in Bethlehem in 1875.

Patriarch Twal released a pastoral letter, “Along the path to holiness,” on March 23 to celebrate the upcoming canonization of the two religious sisters, which he called “a blessing from heaven on our land, devastated by violence yet persevering in our longing for peace and justice.”

“This long-awaited announcement of the double canonization, restores in us our trust and hope in Christ. The Lord wants to comfort our country, torn apart by conflicts and wars, and our people who continue to suffer and endure through injustices.”

He reflected that “the tribulations which we endure encourage us to become saints, through the example of our two holy women. This is not something impossible to do.”

Patriarch Twal noted Bl. Marie-Alphonsine’s humility, and Bl. Mary of Jesus Crucified as “a living symbol of God’s love.”

He recounted the miracles performed through the blesseds’ intercession: Emile Mounir Salim Elias was a surveyor who was eloctrocuted in Bayt Dajan, and became comatose for two days. He awoke healthy, and “learned that many of the faithful prayed for the intercession of Mother Marie-Alphonsine for his deliverance from death.”

And Emmanuele Lo Zitto was an Italian child born in 2009 with severe congenital heart failure, who was healed after a couple who new him asked for Sr. Mary of Jesus Crucified’s intercession, having visited the Carmel she founded in Bethlehem.

Patriarch Twal then noted the importance of veneration, intercession, and imitation in our devotion to the saints, writing that “we worship the Lord alone, but we venerate the Saints because they are the vessels of His gifts and regarded worthy to enter into eternal life. They reign with God in the heavenly homeland as the chosen beloved. Through the Saints we glorify God, the source of every grace and every gift.”

“This message on the occasion of this two-fold celebration invites you to perfection and to a renewal of spiritual life,” wrote the Patriarch. “Each and every one of us is called to holiness following the example of Blessed Marie-Alphonsine and Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified. Both are models of self-giving, dedication, service, patience, silence and generosity. The Lord calls us to holiness – each one according to one’s state in life. Just as he did for our two saints, God also gives us graces. If we follow their example in love and purity, in selflessness and generosity, we will obtain the glory with which they have been crowned.”

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WORLD NEWS

Peruvian march for life draws half a million

by CNA/EWTN News • March 26, 2015

March for Life Peru 2015. (Eduardo Berdejo/CNA)

Lima, Peru — More than half a million Peruvians participated in the historic March for Life 2015, held March 21 in Lima, rejecting abortion and speaking out in defense of life from conception to natural death.

In Peru, the right to life from conception is protected by the Constitution of Peru, the Civil Code, the Code of Children and Adolescents, and the American Convention on Human Rights. March 25 is celebrated in the country’s Day of the Unborn, according to law.

Young people played a leading role in the march, as both volunteers and participants.

The massive demonstration doubled last year’s figures, when 250,000 people marched for life.

During the first stage of the march, participants walked one mile along one of the main streets of the Peruvian capital.

At the end of the avenue, hundreds of thousands of participants continued the journey to the Costa Verde, an open seaside area of the city.

Among those who attended the march were Congress members Juan José Diaz Dios, Juan Carlos Eguren and Julio Rosas. The latter attended leading to a large number of participants from evangelical churches who decided to join the March for Life.

On the main stage of the event, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani of Lima announced the official numbers for the gathering: more than half a million people.

“This is the strong generation and the future of the country. We are a Peru that defends life, marriage and the family,” the cardinal said.

Pope Francis also sent a message of encouragement to the participants of the event, encouraging them to “bear witness with courage and always proclaim the sanctity of every human being.”

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London Catholic school believes government order threatens its identity

by CNA/EWTN News • March 26, 2015

The Brompton Oratory in London, with which the London Oratory School is associated. (James Grey via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

London, England — A prestigious Catholic school in London fears that altering its admissions criteria – as it was ordered to do by an English government agency following a complaint from the British Humanist Association – will damage its Christian identity.

The London Oratory School came under review by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) after a complaint from the British Humanist Association said its faith-based admissions policy unfairly favored Catholics over other prospective students, and less well-off Catholics.

The OSA helps clarify the legal position on admissions policies in schools in England, and its members are appointed by the Secretary of State for Education.

The state-funded school has responded to the OSA by appealing the High Court for a judicial review, arguing that the ruling threatens their “strongly Catholic ethos.”

Representing the school is Charles Béar, who said, “the school view is that altering the faith-based criteria will alter the composition of the (pupil) intake and damage the school ethos.”

He added that the adjudicator’s investigation is badly flawed and misinterpreted the school’s admissions policy to reach “logically unsustainable” findings, The Guardian reported.

He said the most concerning accusation from the report was that less wealthy Catholic families were “unfairly disadvantaged” by the admission criteria.

Bear said the school’s strong Catholic ethos seeks to serve children from all over London, not just wealthy areas.

Because of its high academic standards, the school is a highly sought-after choice of school, with at least 800 prospective students applying for only 160 spots each year.

The school changed its 2015 admissions policies in response to the adjudicator’s findings, but aims to receive clarification in hopes of changing it back in time for its September 2016 school year.

The school was founded in 1863 by the Fathers of the Oratory and aims “to develop young men and women of faith, good character, strong intellect and generous spirit” and “at all times the school serves as a witness to the Catholic faith,” according to its website. The secondary school admits boys aged 7-18, and girls aged 16-18.

Students include the children of former prime minister Tony Blair, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, and member of parliament Harriet Harman.

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WORLD NEWS

Archbishop Chomali: Pope Francis was confident in appointing Chilean bishop

by CNA/EWTN News • March 27, 2015

Archbishop Chomali of Conception meets with Pope Francis. (Conferencia Episcopal de Chile)

Concepcion, Chile — Both the Archbishop of Concepcion and the apostolic nuncio to Chile have maintained that Pope Francis understood all the facts in the case when he made a bishop appointment in the country earlier this year which has met with protests.

The Chilean Archbishop Fernando Chomali Garib of Concepcion said Thursday that Pope Francis “told me he had analyzed all the past records and that there was no objective reason at all” that Bishop Juan de la Cruz Barros Madrid “should not be installed as the diocesan bishop.”

In an interview with the Chilean newspaper El Sur published March 26, the Archbishop of Concepcion disclosed the details of a meeting he had with Pope Francis March 6, shortly before Bishop Barros was to be installed as head of the Diocese of Osorno.

Bishop Barros’ installation was marred by a group of protesters who are accusing him of having covered up sexual abuses committed by Father Fernando Karadima, a charge the prelate denied numerous times. Bishop Barros’ vocation was fostered by Fr. Karadima, and he was among his closest circle of friends decades ago.

Archbishop Chomali explained that he gave Pope Francis a “document with detailed information on the consequences of the appointment he had made. All the documentation that I cited came to him, whether through the nunciature or the Chilean embassy to the Holy See. He was very much up to date on Bishop Barros’ situation, and in fact a few days prior he had spoken with him.”

“With firmness and much conviction he told me that he had analyzed all the past records and that there was no objective reason that Bishop Barros should not be installed as diocesan bishop,” Archbishop Chomali explained.

Concerning the violent incidents inside the cathedral the day of the installation Mass, Archbishop Chomali said, “we never even imagined that. It was absolutely surprising. It had a deep impact on us.”

“It is certainly a sad episode … clearly those who profaned the church and the Mass and attacked are not Catholics.” In fact, only 52 percent of the population of the Diocese of Osorno is Catholic, making it one of Chile’s least-Catholic regions.

The violence at the Mass, the archbishop said, “is a symptom more of the level of violence that there is in the country, and it demonstrates that we are far from an authentic democracy and mutual respect.”

Reflecting on the larger context of the case of Fr. Karadima, Archbishop Chomali said it “profoundly affected individuals and society. What happened is a wake up call for the whole Church concerning the consequences of abuse, which lasts for years and inflict wounds that need to be healed.”

The judge in Fr. Karadima’s civil case dismissed the abuse charges, as they were from too far in the past. Nevertheless, in February 2011, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith completed its own investigation and declared 84-year-old Fr. Karadima guilty. He was sent to a life of solitude and prayer.

When reports of sexual abuse and other scandal surrounding Fr. Karadima surfaced, Bishop Barros, like a number of other prelates, at first did not believe the accusations. Once the reports were confirmed in 2011, Bishop Barros said he “learned about this situation and its diverse and multiple effects with deep astonishment and pain.”

Archbishop Chomali explained that he had a telephone conversation with Juan Carlos Cruz, one of the victims, and moreover he will meet with him soon. “What’s most important is that once and for all Karadima ask the victims for forgiveness and wishes to repair the evil he caused before he dies,” the archbishop said.

The prelate then asked those that rejected Bishop Barros’ arrival as Osorno’s new bishop to “give him an opportunity, that they can get to know one another and that they help him in his pastoral ministry. Bishop Barros has hope in the future.”

In an interview with La Tercera newspaper the same day Archbishop Chomali made his comments, the Apostolic Nuncio to Chile, Archbishop Ivo Scapolo, stated, “everything that was said in the letter that the congressional representatives delivered to the nunciature was given to the Holy Father. Everything was passed on to him. Nothing was hidden from the Holy See.”

Regarding the violence at the installation ceremony, Archbishop Scapolo said, “the great majority of those who were in the church had white balloons (while the protesters had black balloons). They were people who love their bishop.”

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U.S. NEWS

Want women’s equality? Don’t downplay ‘feminine genius,’ Holy See tells UN

by Adelaide Mena (CNA/EWTN News) • March 23, 2015

(Unsplash)

New York City, N.Y. — The recognition of women’s special and integral role in human progress cannot overlook the dignity of women as wives, mothers and a voice for the vulnerable, a Vatican official told the United Nations this month.

“Women’s essential contributions to the development of society through their dedication to their family and to raising the next generation is inadequately acknowledged,” said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. “Sometimes their invisible and often heroic service is even disparaged as an antiquated and unwholesome model of feminine life.”

“Such criticism does not come from a genuine appreciation of woman in her totality and her true equality, in complementarity and reciprocity, with man,” the archbishop added, rejecting the idea that women’s equality requires that women perform all the same roles as men.

“True respect for woman starts with accepting her according to all aspects of her humanity. It involves creating the conditions for her to live freely and fully.”

Archbishop Auza addressed the international community on March 13 and 18 during two presentations on the dignity of women. March is celebrated as Women’s History Month in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and contains the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8.

In promoting women’s rights and equality, the role of family must not be forgotten, the archbishop said.

He emphasized that women have a great number of gifts and talents to offer society, including “not just the aspects she shares in common with man, but also the unique gifts that pertain to her as woman,” such as the capacity of motherhood.

This capacity, he continued, is not just a physical capability. Rather, it also encompasses the capacity for “a spiritual, educational, affective, nurturing and cultural way of life,” whether or not a woman is a physical mother.

This “special wisdom in caring for the intrinsic dignity of everyone, in nurturing life and love and in developing others’ gifts” is referred to by Saint Pope John Paul II as the “feminine genius,” Archbishop Auza explained.

By downplaying the role of family and motherhood, societies risk denying the human dignity of women as an entire class, he warned, cautioning that “the unique value and dignity of motherhood in some societies is insufficiently defended, appreciated and advanced, leaving women culturally and legally in a position to choose between their intellectual and professional development and their personal growth as wives and mothers.”

When the family “is ignored or attacked, we must stand and speak up for it candidly and with respect for all, and courageously advocate for better structures and policies that support working women who desire to have children or who want to dedicate themselves, partially or fully, to the care of their family,” Archbishop Auza stated.

He also noted that motherhood and family are affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Speaking on March 18, Archbishop Auza expanded on these themes, discussing the role of women in human development. He praised a number of women – including Dr. Carolyn Woo, the President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services; Magalie Dresse, owner of Caribbean Craft Haiti; and Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Catholics of the Rio Grande Valley – along with female saints and blesseds for their role in aiding the development of persons.

The feminine genius, Archbishop Auza said, is linked deeply to “solidarity in caring for the vulnerable and in creating a better world.” While governments are tasked with ensuring a just society and the respect of all persons’ rights, “some members of our human family fall into cracks, or have disabilities and other risk factors that even well-ordered and just societies may overlook or pay less attention to.”

In cases like these, “they need people who care, who treat them with the love that accords with the fullness of their human dignity,” a task to which women are uniquely attuned, he explained.

This care for persons, he continued, has had a profound impact on human history and development. All of civilization, he said, “owes an unpayable debt of gratitude to the less chronicled or even unknown contributions of women that have shaped civilizations, like the silent but constant flow of deep waters that shape rivers.”

Human development starts “in the relations human beings have with one another and the way human beings care for one another,” a realm influenced greatly by women’s feminine genius, he said.

Humanity can “learn from it and resolve to do what we can to see this genius expand and assume a greater influence, for the good of individuals and society today and for the betterment of persons and nations tomorrow.”

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U.S. NEWS

Reclaiming the human figure – art exhibit uses body, form to evangelize

by Matt Hadro (CNA/EWTN News) • March 24, 2015

Head Study of an Apostle by Clemens Fuchs. (One Faith Exhibition)

Washington, D.C. — Can a portrait of a human face evangelize? Curators of a brand-new traveling art exhibit answer a resounding “Yes.”

“There is really great Christian art being made today and we need to promote and support it,” stated Terrence McKeegan, an organizer of the “One Faith: East and West” exhibit featuring contemporary Christian artists from three continents.

“Figurative art has been a common denominator across all cultures, pagan or Christian, until very recently, and the attack on figurative art is really an attack on humanity itself,” he added.

The exhibit seeks to recover a classical, Christian view of the human person made in God’s image, rather than a “bizarre” or “grotesque” view of man in the artist’s image, seen all too often in the 20th century, say organizers.

The exhibit debuted March 19 in Beijing’s Wangfujing Cathedral, and will travel to Moscow’s Pokrovsky Cultural Center in mid-April, followed by two weeks at New York University’s Catholic Center in June. The tour is global and so is the art, an “innovative and ambitious” undertaking, said McKeegan.

East meets West in the exhibit, with artists hailing from nine countries on three continents. They are Roman and Byzantine Catholic, Russian and Romanian Orthodox. The art varies from oil figure paintings to icons to sculpture, yet the different pieces share the common goal of recovering the traditional sense of the human figure.

Art, understood through the lens of St. John Paul II, shows the human person as a figure made in God’s image, to which the only response is love, explained Carl Fougerousse, one of the featured artists, at a private preview for the exhibit on Mar. 4.

As society advanced technologically, men sought to control and manipulate nature, he explained, citing C.S. Lewis’ work, The Abolition of Man.

Artists reflected this change by moving from an objective, traditional portrayal of the human person to manipulating and distorting the human figure as they saw fit, experimenting with the “bizarre” and the “grotesque.”

The exhibit seeks to recover the lost sense of the human figure as portrayed by classical and Renaissance artists. It is organized by the Language and Catechetical Institute in Gaming, Austria, the mission of which is to spiritually form young men and women to rebuild Christian civilization in countries lost to secularism or Communism.

In this sense of evangelism, McKeegan hopes the art will “bring people into an encounter with the faith and Christ through beauty.”

“[A]rt has the ability to convey in a powerful way the truth about what it means to be human, what it means that we are created and redeemed by God,” stated the exhibit’s curator Jennifer Healy.

Some of the art is overtly religious – icons of Jesus, Mary, and different saints, and paintings of Scripture like the parable of Prodigal Son and Jesus forgiving the adulterous woman. Some of the art simply shows the human figure. Yet it is all rooted in the view of man as made in the image and likeness of God, Healy said.

“The idea behind the theme of the exhibition is that whether you were born in Shanghai or New York, whether you speak Russian or English, whether you use oil paint or egg tempera, it is the same Jesus Christ who is Lord, the same Jesus who each artist here believes in.”

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Memorial fund honors father who gave life for child with Down syndrome

by CNA/EWTN News • March 24, 2015

Thomas Vander Woude. (Christendom College at christendom.edu)

Philadelphia, PA — When his son fell eight feet into a septic tank while working on their family farm in Virginia, Thomas S. Vander Woude didn’t think twice about trying to save him.

A former Vietnam fighter pilot and retired commercial airline pilot, Vander Woude jumped in the septic tank after his son Joseph, pushing from below to save his life. In the process, Vander Woude himself died, giving his life for his son on Sept. 8, 2008.

Joseph, who has Down syndrome, was rushed to the hospital, where he recovered from a coma and pneumonia. He is the youngest of seven Vander Woude sons.

Seven years later, the Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA announced this month that it would launch the Thomas S. Vander Woude Memorial Fund for Down Syndrome Research.

After receiving initial funds from the national charity Angels in Disguise, the foundation is honoring Vander Woude’s ultimate sacrifice by creating the special research fund with the hopes of improving the lives of those living with the condition.

The Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA was founded in 2011 and named after the doctor who in 1958 discovered that Down syndrome was caused by an extra copy of the 21st chromosome.

The contributions of Dr. Jerome Lejeune, known as the “Father of Modern Genetics,” helped reinforce the dignity of each human life, including those with any genetic condition, the foundation stated.

It recalled Dr. Lejeune often saying that “we must love the patient and hate the disease.”

Today, the Jerome Lejeune Foundation in the USA aims to provide research, care, and advocacy for people with genetic intellectual disabilities. On par with their mission, the foundation is hopeful that Vander Woude’s story will inspire people throughout the world to learn more about the value of life - especially those living with Down syndrome.

Mark Bradford, president of the foundation, said that Vander Woude’s story of fatherly and heroic sacrifice demonstrates how deep a parent’s love can be for a child with a disability – an example to many parents, especially those tempted to abort a child who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome.

“There is no better place to memorialize the heroic sacrifice of Thomas Vander Woude than in this special fund,” Blackford stated.

“He was a remarkable man and his sacrifice has now provided a foundation upon which much good will be done to improve the lives of those living with Down syndrome.”

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Archbishop Romero hailed for life producing ‘great harvest’

by CNA/EWTN News • March 25, 2015

Archbishop Oscar Romero with young people in El Salvador in this undated file photo. (Arzobispado de San Salvador/Oficina de la Causa de Canonizacion)

Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles Catholics gave thanks for Archbishop Oscar Romero’s upcoming beatification and prayed that his “shining example” of sacrificial love and solidarity with the poor and oppressed will continue to be fruitful.

“Archbishop Romero preached nonviolence and reconciliation in a time of hate and vengeance. He spoke out against every form of violence, every violation of the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person,” Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles said in a March 22 homily, noting that this included “the violence of abortion.”

“Like the grain of wheat that dies, his life has produced a great harvest — fruits of love,” the Los Angeles archbishop continued. “As he did, let us live for the love of Jesus and give ourselves to the service of others. May our lives produce much fruit — in this world and for eternal life.”

On Sunday, over 3,000 people gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels for a Spanish-language Mass in honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who will be beatified in San Salvador May 23.

The Mass marked the 35th anniversary of Archbishop Romero’s March 24, 1980 assassination during his celebration of Mass at a hospital chapel.

Archbishop Gomez concelebrated the Los Angeles Mass with Salvadoran priests who had worked closely with the martyred archbishop. Attendees at the Mass included California Gov. Jerry Brown and diplomatic leaders from Central and South America.

Oscar Romero y Galdamez was archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 until his murder. No one has been prosecuted for his assassination, but right-wing death squads are suspected.

The archbishop was a vocal critic of the human rights abuses of the repressive Salvadoran government, which sponsored death squads and conducted forced “disappearances” of its opponents.

Romero spoke out on behalf of the poor and the victims of repression. The Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints ruled that he was murdered as an act of hatred for the faith.

Archbishop Gomez said Romero pastored people who lived in “desperate poverty” and “radical inequality.”

“He walked with his people during this dark time of sorrow and fear — living and working alongside this people, sharing in their struggles.”

He said Romero was “most certainly a martyr” who died for his witness to the Christian faith.

The Los Angeles archbishop reflected on Archbishop Romero’s final homily, which was based on a reading from the Gospel of John: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”

In his final homily, Archbishop Romero said: “whoever out of love for Christ gives themselves to the service of others will live, like the grain of wheat that dies … Whoever offers their life out of love for Christ, and in service to others, will live like the seed that dies.”

Archbishop Gomez gave thanks for Romero’s upcoming beatification.

He said the slain archbishop is “a shining example to all of us,” showing humility and courage, love for the poor, and his “witness of solidarity and service to others, even to the point of laying down his life.”

“May the seeds he planted with his life continue to bear fruit in our hearts and in the Church,” Archbishop Gomez. He added that every Christian must “follow Jesus in our own way” through reaching out to neighbors, seeking the face of God in the poor, the immigrant, the prisoner, the sick, the hungry and the lonely.

Archbishop Gomez prayed that Our Lady of Peace, the patron saint of El Salvador, watch over Salvadorans and “guide them to know the freedom, justice and peace that Blessed Oscar Romero gave his life for.”

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Fifty years later, remembering the civil rights march that moved a nation

by Kevin Jones (CNA/EWTN News) • March 24, 2015

Dr. Martin Luther King speaks at the St. Paul Campus. (Minnesota Historical Society via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0)

Montgomery, AL — Catholic leaders marked the 50th anniversary of the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. with praise for those who advanced racial progress, calling on others to “march on” toward unity of hearts and minds.

“What we beheld in the Selma to Montgomery March shed needed light on the toll of racism, and, for many, put a human face on those impacted by its evils,” U.S. bishops’ conference president Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz said March 24. “The perseverance, sacrifice and peaceful witness against violence we recall today moved a nation to earnestly seek to heal divisions within the human family.”

The voting rights march concluded on March 25, 1965. On that day, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech on the steps of the Alabama state capitol asking how long racial injustice and racial prejudice would continue.

“How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” the civil rights leader said.

King had chosen Selma as the beginning of the voting rights campaign due to the vast underrepresentation of African-Americans among registered voters, even though the town was majority black. Decades-old legal obstacles set up by white legislators severely restricted blacks’ ability to register to vote. The march also came soon after the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson, a black Baptist deacon beaten and shot by Alabama state troopers during a demonstration against the arrest of civil rights workers.

The 54-mile march initially began in Selma with 600 people on March 7. However, their effort was blocked at the Edmund Pettus Bridge by local and state law enforcement who attacked them with clubs and tear gas, causing some severe injuries among the non-violent marchers.

Archbishop Kurtz reflected on the anniversary in Montgomery at a service at St. Jude parish on Tuesday.

“We must never forget the images associated with this historic march,” said the Archbishop of Louisville. “They are pictures of men and women standing as still as stone against a coming rush of violent resistance during the first attempt to march. They are images of solidarity, of complete strangers coming together all along the way for a noble purpose, at times literally binding up one another’s wounds.”

After the violent attack on the first march, King led a symbolic march to the bridge on March 9, 1965, the same day President Lyndon Johnson called for the passage of the federal Voting Rights Act. Later that day, a white Unitarian Universalist minister involved in the march was attacked and beaten severely by a group of white men in Selma. He died two days later.

The marchers secured a legal ruling in their favor and President Johnson nationalized the Alabama National Guard to provide security. The march resumed on March 21 with about 3,200 marchers. Their numbers grew to 25,000 by the time it ended March 25.

Archbishop Kurtz said the anniversary observance honored the sacrifice of “many brave and unnamed heroes,” most of whom were of “deep faith,” and included a number of Catholics. These people “worked for years to ensure equal access to the benefits of democracy, benefits that include the right to vote and fully participate in the processes that safeguard the common good.”

The day before the 1965 march concluded, marchers rested on Montgomery’s outskirts at City of St. Jude, a Catholic parish and social services center with a hospital and school which pastor Father Harold Purcell had founded to help minister to African-Americans. Marchers built a makeshift stage and held a concert whose performers included Sammy Davis, Jr., Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul and Mary, according to the Alabama news site AL.com.

The City of St. Jude’s hospital, which was the first in the region to serve all races, treated Viola Lizzo, a white marcher from Detroit who was shot by Ku Klux Klan members. However, her wounds ultimately proved fatal.

Some local Alabamans reacted with hostility to the City of St. Jude’s involvement in the march. Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile told AL.com the organization suffered a “considerable” drop in donations and some medical personnel quit.

Archbishop Rodi also celebrated Mass at the City of St. Jude on March 24.

The archbishop told CNA that the anniversary of the march “reminds us how far we have come as a Church and a nation.”

“We remember that the basis of the Civil Rights movement was a spiritual one: we are all created in the image and likeness of God,” he said Tuesday. “This anniversary also serves to remind us of how far we have to go until the dignity of all God’s children, from any background and from conception throughout life, is respected.”

Archbishop Kurtz said there has been “significant progress” against racism since 1965, including “real and lasting change.”

“There is still much to be done in fully transforming hearts and minds; let us use the energy of this anniversary to finish the work of healing divisions that remain and ending the cycles of violence that grip too many of our communities,” the archbishop concluded. “With firm faith and trust in a gracious and loving God, we must march on.”

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A grave problem – N.J. ban on religious headstone sales could violate constitution

by Kevin J. Jones (CNA/EWTN News) • March 26, 2015

(Peter Griffin CC0 1.0)

Trenton, N.J. — A New Jersey law crafted to ban the Archdiocese of Newark from selling cemetery headstones might not pass muster under judicial review, according to a constitutional law expert.

Matthew Franck said the law “may well be violating the freedom of religion” guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution because it “singles out religious organizations for disfavored treatment.”

Franck directs the Simon Center on Religion and the Constitution at the Princeton, N.J.-based Witherspoon Institute. He characterized the law as “a direct assault on the freedom of churches to offer services to the bereaved in their own congregations.”

In a March 16 article at the news site NJ.com, Mark Mueller wrote that “the measure, while applied broadly to all religious institutions, is designed to counter a move by the Archdiocese of Newark in 2013 to enter the headstone business at its Catholic cemeteries.”

The law bars any “religious corporation, association, organization or society” that owns, controls or manages a cemetery from selling memorials, vaults, or mausoleums. Under the law, such religious groups also may not own or manage funeral homes or mortuaries.

The bill was signed into law March 23 by New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

Until 2013, private companies had exclusively sold headstones and family crypts in the state. Their trade association, the Monument Builders of New Jersey, said the tax-exempt Newark archdiocese had an unfair competitive advantage that could drive them out of business. The trade association engaged in a lobbying campaign against the Newark archdiocese’s move into their market.

John Burns, president of the trade association, said the archdiocese’s market share in headstone sales had grown to 36 percent in two years, and that the archdiocese would be selling over half of all headstones within 10 years.

Franck, however, was skeptical.

“If the archdiocese owns one or more cemeteries, as it surely does, I cannot see how it can constitutionally be prevented from undertaking to sell headstones, let alone crypts, to the families who bury their loved ones there,” he told CNA.

Franck compared the case to a Louisiana regulation that restricted casket sales to registered morticians. The rule barred Benedictine monks from selling inexpensive caskets to support themselves.

He noted that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the rule because it “lacked any rational basis” and was “sheer protectionism for the Louisiana funeral homes cartel.”

The court wrote that the Louisiana rule puts coffin customers at a greater risk of abuse and “exploitative prices,” striking down the protectionist law as violating the monks’ rights to equal protection and due process.

Robert Destro, a law professor at Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, told CNA he thought the law was “certainly bad public policy,” though he would need further research to answer whether the law violates religious freedom or other constitutional law.

He said there is nothing inconsistent with an organization having a religious status and conducting a business to support its activities.

“Monasteries and convents have long produced breads, cheeses, wines, and other commodities. Retreat houses provide lodging as well as spiritual guidance. Schools provide educational services. What’s the problem?” Destro asked.

He told CNA the Church must maintain cemeteries “in perpetuity” and must find new sources of revenue for maintenance. Failure to do so could mean raising the costs of burial or limiting the duration of burials in order to reuse the graves.

Archbishop John Myers of Newark wrote a column in the Star-Ledger in December, remarking that the bill “is a drastic change in the law solely for the financial benefit of the funeral directors and monument builders, at the expense of families. The bill also is extremely negative and anti-consumer, eliminating fair competition, along with removing the religious exemption and independence Catholic Cemeteries currently possess.”

The New Jersey State Assembly passed the headstone legislation by a vote of 68-7 earlier this month, adding a recommendation that it take effect one year after becoming law. The State Senate passed the legislation on March 16 by a vote of 31-2.

Christie had conditionally vetoed an earlier version of the bill in February, saying he did not want the law to take effect immediately.

Jim Goodness, communications director for the Newark archdiocese, told CNA March 18 the archdiocese is disappointed in the legislature’s action but “thankful, at least, that there is a year’s delay until it is implemented.”

While the law also bars religious groups from operating funeral homes and mortuaries, Pat Brannigan, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference, told CNA that no Catholic dioceses in the state operates funeral homes.

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Pope Francis to visit White House Sept. 23

by CNA/EWTN News • March 26, 2015

President Barack Obama meets with Pope Francis for a private audience at the Vatican, March 27, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Washington D.C. — U.S. officials has confirmed that Pope Francis will make a stop at the White House to meet with President Barack Obama on Sept. 23, during his trip to the United States for the World Meeting of Families.

“The President and the First Lady will welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to the White House on Wednesday, September 23,” said a March 26 statement from the White House press secretary.

“During the visit, the President and the Pope will continue the dialogue, which they began during the President’s visit to the Vatican in March 2014, on their shared values and commitments on a wide range of issues, including caring for the marginalized and the poor; advancing economic opportunity for all; serving as good stewards of the environment; protecting religious minorities and promoting religious freedom around the world; and welcoming and integrating immigrants and refugees into our communities.”

“The President looks forward to continuing this conversation with the Holy Father during his first visit to the United States as Pope,” the statement said.

Late last year, Pope Francis officially confirmed that he would be coming to the U.S. for the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia this September.

A global Catholic event, the world meeting seeks to support and strengthen families. St. John Paul II founded the event in 1994, and it takes place every three years. The Philadelphia gathering this year will take place Sept. 22-27. The papal events during the final days of the meeting are expected to draw crowds as large as 1 million.

Archbishop Bernardito Auza – a member of the organizing committee for Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the U.S. – had told CNA in January that the proposed papal schedule included a projected arrival to Washington, D.C. on the evening of Sept. 22, and a proposed visit to the White House the following morning, where the official welcoming ceremony would take place.

Other details of the proposed itinerary included a Mass at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, an address to a joint session of Congress on Sept. 24 and a papal address at the United Nations general assembly in New York on Sept. 25, before heading to Philadelphia to spend Sept. 26-27 at the World Meeting of Families.

Organizers have stressed that the official schedule during his trip to the U.S. in September has yet to be finalized, although individual items on the itinerary – such as the address to Congress and now the White House visit – are gradually being confirmed by U.S. officials.

The Pope has also announced that he will canonize the founder of California’s first missions, Blessed Junipero Serra, during his U.S. trip.

The announcement of the Pope’s visit to the White House comes at a time of mixed relations between President Obama and U.S. Church leaders.

U.S. bishops have voiced support for some of Obama’s initiatives, including immigration reform policies, while strongly opposing others, including a redefinition of marriage and the federal contraception mandate, which has drawn religious freedom lawsuits from several hundred plaintiffs.

The World Meeting of Families will take place shortly before the October 2015 meeting of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, which will discuss the mission of the family in the Church and in the world.

Focusing on the theme, “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” the world meeting will include many speakers and breakout sessions. Keynote speakers include Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, Cardinal Robert Sarah, professor Helen Alvare, and Dr. Juan Francisco de la Guardia Brin and Gabriela N. de la Guardia.

The Philadelphia meeting will mark the first time that the event will be held in the United States.

Registration for the 2015 World Meeting of Families began on Nov. 10.

The World Meeting of Families website is worldmeeting2015.org. It is on Facebook at facebook.com/WorldMeeting2015 and on Twitter at twitter.com/WMF2015.

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Two young religious orders look to expand to Denver this summer

by CNA/EWTN News • March 27, 2015

Sisters of Life at a 2010 benefit dinner. (Aid for Women Chicago via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Denver, CO — Two rather new orders of religious sisters looking to expand their missions have set their sights on the Archdiocese of Denver.

The New York-based Sisters of Life and the Rome-based Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo will establish houses and begin their missions in the archdiocese by August of this year.

In their first expansion to the western United States, the Sisters of Life will send four sisters to begin their mission in Denver. Besides the traditional religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Sisters of Life take a fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of every human life.

The order is a contemplative and active community of women whose apostolate includes ministering to pregnant women in need, providing healing for post-abortive women, and fostering the “Culture of Life”.

Founded just over 20 years ago in 1991 by Cardinal John O’Connor, the community currently has 88 members, 23 of whom are in some initial stage of formation.

When considering where to expand the mission, Mother Agnes Mary, Superior General of the Sisters of Life, said the sisters asked themselves: “Where will the charism of life flourish to [the] greatest benefit of a local Church?”

“While there is great vibrancy within the Church in Denver, we believe that we are prepared to offer the unique gift of being a visible witness to the Church’s proclamation of the dignity and mystery of every human life,” she told the Archdiocese.

The sisters plan on starting their mission with evangelization efforts that focus on young adults and college students on campuses including the University of Colorado, Boulder; Colorado State University, Fort Collins; and the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley.

The Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo are a fruit of the Communion and Liberation Movement, which has a large U.S. base in the Archdiocese of Denver. The order will send two sisters, Sister Elena Rondelli and Sister Maria Anna Sangiorgio, to Nativity parish in Broomfield to assist with various aspects of parish life.

“They gave a lot of thought to where they’d open this next house,” said Father Michael Carvill, pastor of Nativity. “I’m very honored to have them.”

Fr. Carvill is a priest of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo, whose community inspired the founding of the order of religious sisters in the early 2000s. Both the fraternity and the religious sisters follow the charism of Msgr. Luigi Guissani, who founded the Communion and Liberation movement in 1954.

The movement is currently present in more than 80 countries, though the Denver foundation will be the order’s first in the US. According to their website, the goal of the movement is “forming its members in Christianity in order to make them coworkers in the Church’s mission in all areas of society.”

The sisters’ duties at Nativity parish will include assisting with Eucharistic adoration, youth groups, and visiting the sick and homebound.

“They’re going to start their mission by serving Nativity Parish,” Father Carvill said. “Then they’ll do what the Lord will open up to them.”

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Bullets or needles? Death penalty faces new scrutiny as states mull changes

by Mary Rezac (CNA/EWTN News) • March 27, 2015

(Nicholas Erwin via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Washington, D.C. — Firing squads, gas chambers and the electric chair – these types of execution may seem like methods of the past, but some states in the U.S. are bringing them back, prompting a debate about the most humane form of the death penalty, or whether the very idea is a contradiction in terms.

“I think we’re at a critical point right now where the myth that lethal injection was swift, effective and painless has been destroyed,” said Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Information Center.

“And there’s kind of an irony here, because lethal injection was the choice when states were moving away from other more extreme, more overtly violent forms of execution.”

On Monday, Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R) signed a bill to legalize a five-person firing squad as the official back-up method of execution for the state, should it be unable to obtain the three drugs necessary for lethal injection.

Utah is not alone in rethinking its death penalty. Recent botched executions in states including Ohio, Oklahoma and Arizona, coupled with a shortage of the necessary drugs have several other states reconsidering the lethal injection method as well.

Alabama is looking to revive the electric chair, which became the back-up method of execution in Tennessee last year. In four states – Wyoming, Arizona, California, and Missouri – gas chambers are the legal back-up method of execution after lethal injection. And in New Hampshire and Washington, hanging is a legal option.

The shift to more violent means of execution in some states is forcing society to confront the uncomfortable reality of the death penalty, Dunham told CNA.

“Here’s the bottom line: executions are by their very nature a violent act,” he said. “When you are terminating the life of a person against their will, that’s a violent act, and people are uncomfortable with sanctioning violence.”

“They were less uncomfortable with lethal injection when it had the appearance of being peaceful. That is no longer tenable.”

Rep. Paul Ray (R), who sponsored the firing squad legislation in Utah, told the Los Angeles Times that he was aware of complaints about the firing squad being less humane.

“We could argue all day about what is more humane,” he said. “I think any time you have to take a human life, there may be a way to dress it up and make it look nice, but my concern is make sure that there is justice for the victim.”

But while some states are arguing over which methods of execution are most humane, others are looking at moving away from the death penalty altogether.

The death penalty has been trending down in the country for some time. There are 26 U.S. states and jurisdictions with no executions carried out in at least 10 years. Just last year, the country executed 35 inmates, a two-decade low. Fewer states carried out executions and there were fewer people sentenced to death in the first place, according to the Death Penalty Information Center’s 2014 end of the year report.

Some of the shift away from capital punishment has been the result of botched executions. Last year, inmates in at least three different states were observed gasping for breath, choking, convulsing, and clenching their fists. In one case, an inmate took nearly two hours to die. In another, an inmate died of a massive heart attack half an hour being administered the lethal drugs.

Lethal injection is generally performed using a three-drug cocktail. The first drug is an anesthetic, the second is a paralytic, and the third is the killing agent. The paralytic, Dunham said, is not present for any medical purpose, but rather to give the appearance of a peaceful passing, regardless of what may be going on interiorly in the person. But when some of all of the drugs fail in some way, it shatters the illusion of a non-violent death.

“These latest botched executions have destroyed the myth that lethal injection is peaceful; and lethal injection was preferred because it was less disturbing to the public,” he said.

Further driving states away from lethal injection is the inaccessibility of the lethal drugs. Dunham said many pharmaceutical companies do not want to be associated with the taking of life, and have therefore stopped providing the lethal drugs. This causes states to look for companies abroad, but since the European Union holds the death penalty as a violation of human rights, it is illegal for European pharmaceutical companies to sell the drugs to the United States.

Some states obtain the drugs through what are known as compounding pharmacies, which are less regulated. Dunham voiced concern over the lack of quality assurance with these pharmacies, adding that they have been known to distribute contaminated drugs in the past.

Furthermore, many doctors refuse to participate in executions, as they violate the Hippocratic Oath. This means whoever is administering the lethal injections may have sub-par medical training. Combine this with the questionable drugs, and the margin for error and botched executions is pretty significant, Dunham said.

Given all of these problems, many states are struggling with what to do next. Three states – Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania – have already put a temporary halt to the death penalty. And while state returning to firing squads and electric chairs make good headlines, there are at least 13 states where bills have been introduced to abolish the punishment altogether.

Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, Utah, expressed his dismay at his state’s return to the firing squad in a statement released Tuesday, March 24. The real issue, he said, is not the method of killing but the death penalty itself.

“Only God can give and take life,” he said. “By taking a life, in whatever form the death penalty is carried out, the state is usurping the role of God. Execution does violence to God’s time, eliminating the opportunity for God’s redemptive and forgiving grace to work in the life of a prisoner.”

Bishop Wester encouraged Utah’s governor and legislature to pass a moratorium on the death penalty, and to look at moving away from the “state-sanctioned destruction of human life” altogether before the next execution occurs.

Pope Francis has also addressed the issue of the death penalty on several occasions, most recently in a letter last week to Federico Mayor, president of the International Commission against the Death Penalty.

“There is discussion in some quarters about the method of killing, as if it were possible to find ways of ‘getting it right’ … But there is no humane way of killing another person,” the Pope said, emphasizing, “Nowadays the death penalty is inadmissible, no matter how serious the crime committed.”

Under Catholic teaching, the death penalty is a matter of prudential judgement, but the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers guidance in how to think about its application. The Catechism teaches that the death penalty is acceptable “if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.” However, it adds, such cases today “are very rare, if not practically nonexistent,” wording that was added from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Evangelium vitae.

Anthony Granado, who serves as a policy advisor for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ domestic social development office, told CNA he believes that United States definitely falls under the category of countries in which the death penalty should be “practically nonexistent.”

“The issue about violent criminals killing prison guards or other prisoners is not an argument for further use of the death penalty, but for reforming prisons,” he said, “and the bishops here in the United States are very much in favor of criminal justice reform.”

The Church does not teach against life in prison without parole, Granado noted, but these cases should be decided very carefully and on an individual basis.

Dunham agreed that the death penalty is generally speaking not necessary in to protect the public in the U.S. He pointed to studies indicating that a country is no safer when the death penalty is in place.

“We’re not dealing with the Wild West and whether a dangerous criminal can be safely held in a small-town sheriff’s lock-up,” he said, “we’re dealing with super maxes.”

Part of the problem, Dunham argued, is that most people in the United States have not thought seriously about the death penalty. Europeans, who experienced more immediately the horrors of World War II, were quicker to abolish the death penalty because taking life had become “unpalatable,” he said.

Once people become more informed, they tend to favor abolition of the death penalty, Dunham said.

“I think as each of these different issues comes to light, the public becomes more informed. And as the public becomes more informed, its views change. And its views have been changing consistently in the same direction.”

The issue may soon take the national stage, as U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments next months in Glossip vs. Gross, a botched execution case out of Oklahoma. The court is expected to rule later this year whether lethal injection amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

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No, Indiana did not just pass a law discriminating against gay people. Here’s why.

by Kevin Jones (CNA/EWTN News) • March 27, 2015

Mike Pence. (House GOP via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Indianapolis, IN — Despite media hype, a new Indiana law is not based on anti-gay discrimination, but on a 20-year legal precedent of protecting the rights of religious individuals and charitable organizations, say religious liberty advocates.

“It’s both unfortunate and incredibly dishonest to say the things that they are saying about these bills,” said Kellie Fiedorek, litigation counsel with the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom.

“The evidence of the past 20 years provides the strongest truth that what they’re saying is fundamentally false. Until yesterday, 19 states and the federal government have these exact same laws on the books, and none of these terrible things that are being said might happen have happened,” Fiedorek told CNA March 27.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law March 26, saying it ensures that religious liberty is “fully protected under Indiana law.”

“The Constitution of the United States and the Indiana Constitution both provide strong recognition of the freedom of religion, but today, many people of faith feel their religious liberty is under attack by government action,” Pence said.

The legislation declares that state and local governments may not “substantially burden” a person’s right to the exercise of religion, unless it is demonstrated that doing so is “essential to further a compelling governmental interest” and uses “the least restrictive” means to further that interest.

The Indiana bill reflects the 1993 federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, passed by a nearly unanimous Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

While that law was originally intended to apply to both federal and state government actions, the Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that is applied only federally. Subsequently, 19 states passed their own versions of the law, explicitly applying it at the state level as well. President Barack Obama, who was at that time a state senator, voted in favor of the Illinois Religious Freedom Act in 1998.

The Indiana bill, however, triggered an intense reaction as it was signed into law, with news reports depicting it as “anti-gay” and critics claiming it would enable discrimination.

Wealthy business interests threatened consequences for the state. The CEO of Yelp said the company would not expand in Indiana. Marc Benioff, CEO of the software company Salesforce, canceled company events in Indiana. Apple CEO Tim Cook criticized the legislation, while the president of the NCAA, which will host the Final Four college basketball tournament in Indianapolis, warned that the legislation might affect future events.

Several celebrities also criticized the bill and a hacker briefly took down the State of Indiana’s website in apparent retaliation for the signing of the bill into law, the Indiana NBC affiliate WTHR reported.

But backers of the bill say critics are just plain wrong about its application. Nearly identical laws are already in place at the federal level and in more than one-third of states nationwide, they say, and the last two decades have shown that these laws have been used not to discriminate against gay individuals, but to protect religious rights.

Fiedorek pointed to numerous examples of Religious Freedom Restoration Acts in place. In one case, a Texas Native American boy appealed to a similar law when his school dress code barred him from wearing his hair longer than the other students.

In Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia allowed commercial food trucks to sell food in a park, but prevented charitable organizations from feeding the homeless for free. The charitable groups used the state Religious Freedom Restoration Act “to defend their ability to feed the homeless and prevent the government from making distinctions on who may exercise their constitutional freedoms and who cannot.”

Fiedorek said such legislation might have saved the life of one Jehovah’s Witness woman with religious objections to blood transfusions.

In 2012, suffering from liver failure, the woman sought a bloodless liver transplant operation. Her doctors found someone to perform the procedure in the neighboring state of Nebraska that was cheaper than a normal liver transplant.

However, Medicaid and the state of Kansas refused to pay for it because it ruled that the procedure required by her religious beliefs “did not constitute medical necessity.”

Fiedorek said the woman “would likely be alive today” had Kansas passed a religious freedom restoration act like Indiana’s.

She added that the Indiana law has no bearing on disputes between private parties unless government actions are involved.

Glenn Tebbe, executive director of the Indiana Catholic Conference, said he was “a little surprised” by the controversy. “It seems to have no relationship to what the law actually said.”

“The law does not authorize or promote or in any way encourage discrimination towards anyone. The law is there to determine when rights conflict with one another and the best way to resolve that conflict.”

If the bill had encouraged unjust discrimination, Tebbe told CNA March 27, “the Catholic Conference and the Church would not be supportive of it.”

He called on the law’s critics to “take more time to look at what the law actually says, to listen to what constitutional and legal scholars have said about it and also take a look at where this law is already in place and in practice.”

Fiedorek noted that the religious freedom restoration acts date back 25 years.

“For most of our country’s history, religious freedom had always been protected by a very heightened standard of review by courts,” she said.

It was in the 1990s that a Supreme Court decision removed the heightened review for religious freedom that courts otherwise grant to freedom of speech and freedom of association. It was in response to this decision that Congress acted in 1993 with the first Religious Freedom Restoration Act to restore a legal test applying a decades-old standard of heightened scrutiny to government burdens on religious freedom.

“At the end of the day, every citizen should be free to live and work according to their convictions, without fear that the government will come in and force them to do something contrary to their sincerely held beliefs,” Fiedorek said.

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Supreme Court rules in favor of pregnancy protection in the workplace

by Adelaide Mena (CNA/EWTN News) • March 28, 2015

(Tatiana Vdb via Flickr CC BY 2.0)

Washington, D.C. — A recent ruling from the Supreme Court to clarify workplace protections for pregnant women will help remedy some of the pressure placed on working women to abort rather than continue pregnancies, pro-life legal experts say.

“We’re very pleased to see the outcome here,” Clarke Forsythe, chief counsel for Americans United For Life, told CNA.

“There needs to be strong protection against pregnancy discrimination because women are discriminated against, because we have legalized abortion. Unfortunately, people think that because women have a right to abort, they should abort in some circumstances, especially when there may be workplace conflicts.”

On March 25, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Young v. UPS that Peggy Young should get another chance to argue before a lower court that her former employer, United Parcel Service, treated her unfairly by forcing her to take unpaid leave when a doctor advised that she take lighter duty while pregnant. In addition to refusing to reassign Young, UPS also revoked Young’s medical coverage during her unpaid leave period. She later left the company.

The Fourth Circuit earlier ruled that UPS had not violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, because the employer treated pregnant workers similarly to those injured off-the-job. At the time, UPS offered accommodations only to persons in specific categories, such as those who had been injured on the job, those with conditions covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act or those who lost a license to drive a commercial vehicle.

Young argued that since the company does have accommodations for other persons with temporary work restrictions, the refusal to accommodate her limitations during pregnancy was illegal discrimination, under the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

In the majority opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer questioned both lines of argument, creating a decision that compromised between the arguments of UPS and Young. If employers do accommodate some temporary physical limitations and disabilities, the court ruled, it must also accommodate pregnancy, as well as other temporary conditions.

Employers can still deny accommodation of pregnancy-related limitations for some non-discriminatory reasons, but not for the reason that “it is more expensive or less convenient” to extend these accommodations to pregnant women. The court did not clarify what these non-discriminatory reasons could be.

The court also ruled that women would be able “to show disparate treatment through indirect evidence,” meaning that they do not need to prove that they themselves were discriminated against so long as there is a clear pattern of unequal treatment of pregnant employees.

The majority opinion required that Young’s case be brought back to the Fourth Circuit to be decided under these guidelines because of a “genuine dispute as to whether UPS provided more favorable treatment to at least some employees whose situation cannot reasonably be distinguished from Young’s.”

In a concurring opinion, Justice Samuel Alito echoed the majority opinion’s points, commenting that UPS did not show it had “any neutral business ground for treating pregnant drivers less favorably than at least some of its nonpregnant drivers who were reassigned to other jobs that they were physically capable of performing.”

However, not all of the justices agreed with the court’s majority opinion. Justice Antonin Scalia, joined by Justices Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas, penned a dissent that questioned the method by which the court reached its compromise.

The dissenting justices did not disagree with the idea that pregnant women should be accommodated, but rather objected to what they saw as the majority’s failure to perform its job of upholding the current law of the land, regardless of how desirable the court may find it.

The majority ruling, Scalia wrote, creates a “new law that is splendidly unconnected with the text and even the legislative history of the act.” Instead of ruling on existing laws, he critiqued, the majority opinion of the court “seems to think our task is to craft a policy-driven compromise between the possible readings of the law, like a congressional conference committee reconciling House and Senate versions of a bill.”

Likening the crafting of the majority’s compromise to using a “Supreme Wand to produce the desired result. Poof!” the justice harshly criticized the decision. “Inventiveness posing as scholarship – which gives us an interpretation that is as dubious in principle as it is senseless in practice,” he wrote.

In a concurring dissent, Justice Kennedy reinforced his disagreement over the legal reasoning for the ruling while noting his concern for the treatment of pregnancy as a workplace-equality issue. While the case only dealt with one aspect of protections surrounding pregnancy, Kennedy wrote, the “difficulties pregnant women face in the workplace are and do remain an issue of national importance.”

Sharon Gustafson, who has served as counsel for Peggy Young for eight years, told CNA that the issue of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace “still happens, and it still happens a lot.”

“I believe that no woman should have to choose between continuing her pregnancy and continuing her job, especially in a situation where the employer makes all sorts of accommodations for non-pregnant employees,” she said, adding that while “we still have a lot of work to do on this case,” overall, she was happy with the decision.

“What it means is that employers are no longer going to be able to discriminate against pregnant women and feel safe doing so.”

Forsythe commented that this ruling could help to reverse pressures put on pregnant women to abort their children if they wish to remain in the workplace.

“Pregnancy discrimination is one of the unfortunate consequences of the Supreme Court’s abortion decision in Roe v. Wade,” he explained. “Roe taught that abortion is a quick, easy, less-expensive choice,” which, Forsythe continued, “resulted in considerable pressure on some pregnant women to abort.”

This pressure and discrimination, he explained, is felt in the workplace, and particularly among poor women who are confronted with free, taxpayer-funded abortion in addition to other pressures from employers or uncommitted partners.

This ruling, he said, should “strengthen pregnant women’s hands in the workplace by enabling them to ask for accommodations that are given to others.” He commended the court for recognizing the “problem of pregnancy discrimination and the need for strong protection against pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.”

Before the case was argued before the Supreme Court in December 2014, Americans United for Life and 22 other pro-life organizations filed a brief to the court supporting Young’s case. The brief argued, among other points, for the court to respect the Pregnancy Discrimination Act’s recognition of the “important a role pregnancy plays in women’s lives” and in society, as well as the unique and “fundamental right to bear children” that women have.

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New Christian movie asks filmgoers ‘Do You Believe?’

by Carl Kozlowski • March 23, 2015

There’s been an interesting movement going on in Hollywood over the past couple of years, one which could almost be called a revolution. Movies with strong Christian or Biblical messages are coming out at a pretty fast pace, ranging from movies like “Son of God” and “Noah” to “Heaven Is For Real” and “Unbroken.”

But one movie in particular seemed to capture the zeitgeist of that wave of films more than most: a little $2 million movie called “God’s Not Dead,” which rode a smart social-media plan all the way to $60 million at the box office. Its only recognizable actor was Kevin Sorbo, who was a worldwide TV star in the “Hercules” TV series before turning largely to making Christian movies, but “GND” still resonated because its mostly fundamentalist-Christian fan base was inspired to support a movie that strongly supported their faith.

As a result, the writer-producers of “GND” are back with a new movie called “Do You Believe?”, which opened this past weekend nationwide. It’s a far more ambitious and compelling movie than their prior one, weaving together the stories of 12 people in Chicago who are all facing crises of faith while being far less heavy-handed about its message.

But more impressively, it has a cast that is filled with veteran actors who bring the stories greater depth and power than anything “GND” attempted to achieve. Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino plays a struggling mother with a sick daughter, while Sean Astin of “The Lord of the Rings” and “Rudy” fame plays a doctor who thinks science holds all the answers to life’s questions. Lee Majors (“The Six Million Dollar Man,” “The Fall Guy”) and Delroy Lindo (a leading African-American actor from literally dozens of prime movies) also play key parts.

But at the core of it all are two veteran actors, Cybill Shepherd and Ted McGinley, who lead the way as a woman struggling with the loss of her child years before, and the pastor whose sermon asking people if they believe in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the key to bringing all the stories together. The movie does approach Christianity from a fundamentalist, born-again point of view, but it’s a big step in the right direction for faith-based films and the success of these kinds of movies bodes well for ambitious Catholic filmmakers to get their feet in the door with something besides exorcism thrillers as well.

“You don’t get a chance to do that kind of movie very often,” says Shepherd, speaking at a press event recently at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills. “I was very moved by the script. I had started talking to Jesus again the past couple of years, asking help me be more healthy and live in a way that makes me feel better about myself, and then two weeks later I got this role.

“I wish people would take away the idea that we should help each other and go the extra mile,” continues Shepherd, who has re-embraced the Episcopalian faith of her childhood. “Do unto each other as you would have done to you, the Golden Rule.”

Asked about whether she would pursue more roles in Christian-themed films, Shepherd said she would be certain to if the scripts were as good as “Do You Believe?” She feels that the swarm of name actors who jumped on the new movie was a sincere attempt to do meaningful work in a compelling story.

“I just want to say what appealed to me about the story wasn’t just being Christian, but it being a great dramatic part for me,” says Shepherd. “I didn’t think about the other one being a hit. After crying at the script, I did the happy dance over getting to do it. Even with six straight weeks of Michigan nights in winter. I’d tell any actor, if you get a great part to play what are you going to do, turn it down? Do it!”

For McGinley, the opportunity to star in “Do You Believe?” was the perfect culmination to his life and career, as he has mostly gained fame in secular roles on sitcoms like “Married with Children” and “Happy Days,” in addition to movies like “Revenge of the Nerds,” but has always harbored a strong Christian faith personally.

“I might have played a pastor once or twice in the past – right before I killed someone in the role,” says McGinley. “But this is a great guy, a good husband, he loves his wife, but being unable to have kids is their bump in the road. I related to this guy who was trying to do a good thing and helps a pregnant teenager.

“At the start, he has this encounter with a street preacher carrying a 12 foot cross in an intersection, who could be seen as crazy,” McGinley continues. “He thinks he’s doing all he can as a pastor, but the preacher says ‘Do you believe?’ and then has an encounter with a group of thugs . My character realizes that this is life and death, does he have that courage? He writes the sermon the next morning that brings all these people’s stories together, asking everyone, ‘Do you believe?’”

McGinley says he has watched pastors and priests his entire life, and has admired their ability to command an audience with a meaningful message during sermons and homilies. He himself contemplated being a pastor before turning to acting, but he believes his new role shows the impact that a great sermon can have on a life.

“I’m hoping that people on the edge, that it will allow them to see what a real message of giving is like,” says McGinley. “This is about man, humanity, struggling with the perils of their life. Overcoming what is there, they can be faithful.”

“Do You Believe?” Is playing in theatres nationwide.

Carl Kozlowski has been a professional film critic and essayist for the past five years at Pasadena Weekly, in addition to the Christian movie site Movieguide.org, the conservative pop culture site Breitbart.coms Big Hollywood, the Christian pop culture magazine Relevant and New City newspaper in Chicago. He also writes in-depth celebrity interviews for Esquire.com and The Progressive. He is owner of the podcasting site radiotitans.com, which was named one of the Frontier Fifty in 2013 as one of the 50 best talk-radio outlets in the nation by talkers.com and will be relaunching it in January 2014 after a five-month sabbatical. He lives in Los Angeles.

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Church isn’t anti-contraception because …

by Jenny Uebbing • March 24, 2015

One of the most difficult Catholic teachings to accept - for believers and non believers alike - is the Church’s position on contraception.

I imagine (actually no, it’s not imagined. I get these questions all the time.) that people are confused primarily about the motives behind the teaching, while simultaneously reeling in disbelief that anyone could - or would - choose to live without artificial birth control in the modern world.

First, let’s start with a couple reasons why the Church doesn’t forbid contraception.

It’s not because:

- The Pope is attempting to raise a standing army of believers.

- Catholic women are being imprisoned by the productivity of their own uteruses and prevented by perpetual morning sickness from running for office or owning small businesses.

- The Church doesn’t want sex to be enjoyable.

Whether or not you agree with the Church’s teaching on this matter, know that it has NOTHING to do with the above reasons, promise. And know also that you’re not being particularly funny or original when you insist otherwise at a cocktail party or in the com box.

Now how about some of the reasons why Catholics are forbidden from using contraception?

- Many forms of hormonal contraception are abortifacient (capable of causing abortion) in addition to being contraceptive.

- The introduction of contraception into the marital relationship opens a pathway for mutual use of the other and makes truly selfless love really, really hard … and unlikely.

- Contraception is fundamentally anti-woman and anti-child. It says, in effect, that the female body is broken/in need of suppressing/better off poisoned than functional, and that the child is disposable.

- It makes a woman “on” 24/7. And if you’re available for sex 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you’d better be ready to perform ladies, lest he start looking elsewhere. So empowering.

This last point is worth expanding on, because in the oft-maligned and eerily prescient bombshell of a papal encyclical, Humanae Vitae, Bl. Pope Paul VI warned about 3 very specific things which would result from the introduction of widespread contraception:

1. A decline in the moral standards of the young leading to greater marital infidelity in entire generations (more premarital sex, more promiscuity, more teen pregnancy, more divorce.)

2. A lowering of respect for women as men see them more and more as tools to to use to serve their own desires. (more spousal abuse, more domestic violence, rise in sex trafficking and sex slavery)

3. Contraception will become a tool in the hands of amoral or immoral states seeking to control populations and repress entire classes. (Aid dollars tied to contraception and sterilization campaigns, “benevolent” foreign governments seeking to sterilize poor, indigenous populations “for their own good,”Western-style contraceptive campaigns undermining traditional values in non-Western countries)

So basically, check, check, check.

Every single thing the Church warned about has happened.

And every single time the culture tries to fix the above issues by calling for “better access to women’s healthcare (aka suppressing or mutilating the female body), better access to condoms and birth control for those poor, indigenous populations who just don’t know any better and who there really should be fewer of, anyway (aka eugenics), and younger and more aggressive introductions to the Pill for adolescent girls … the problems get worse.

You can’t fix all the things contraception has helped to bring about with more contraception.

The Church understands that, has always understood that, from the very beginning.

Now to get about the business of bringing the culture up to speed.

Jenny Uebbing is the content director of our marriage and family life channel, where her blog Mama Needs Coffee will be permanently hosted. She lives in Denver, CO with her family, where she writes and speaks on Church teachings on marriage, contraception, NFP and bioethics.

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And the Word became a clump of cells

by Jenny Uebbing • March 25, 2015

And dwelt among us.

As I sit here halfway cooked with this latest addition to our little family, feeling the effects of pregnancy with every fiber of my being, I’m also thinking about Mary.

I’m thinking about how her life changed radically with a message from an angel, a shocking invitation into something so far beyond her own plans that all she could manage was calm and reasonable “Yes, but how can this be?” - going straight for the logical inquiry over the more obvious “why is there a terrifying angel appearing in my room,” or the more nuanced “God wants to have a baby with me?!” route.

One thing that didn’t seem to have occurred to her?

To question whether or not there was, in fact, a baby involved.

God’s proposal to humanity, sealed in the flesh through Mary’s fiat, was - and is - a Person.

Not a potential person. Not an eventual person.

A real person. From the moment of His conception, miraculous (note: NOT immaculate, wrong feast day.) thought it was, He was both fully divine and fully human, and Mary became fully a mother that day when she gave her consent and conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Which is why the argument against the personhood of the unborn has always struck me as so profoundly stupid in light of the Incarnation.

He was there, from the beginning. His little cousin John the Baptist knew as much, and he leapt in recognition at 12-week-old embryonic Jesus from his own uterine perspective.

Any woman who has ever been pregnant can attest to the incredible other-ness of being with child.

From the very earliest days following conception, that baby is there, growing and changing and developing as humans continue to do over their entire lifespan, but undeniably and irreversibly there. You can kill the baby at any point, of course, but you can’t undo what has already been done: the creation of an entirely new human person.

And that’s what makes today so special. That’s why if you count forward in time 9 months from today in the Church calendar you land on the embodiment of the Incarnation: Christmas.

He arrives today in a real sense, tucked safely away in the womb of His Mother and ours, and while He remains hidden for another 9 months of growth and development, history is forever altered because He now exists in human flesh.

So happy feast day, Mama Mary, from one gestating mother to another. Thanks for changing the course of salvation history and loosing the bonds of Eve’s disobedience by your generous and unreserved “yes.”

We owe you - quite simply - everything.

Jenny Uebbing is the content director of our marriage and family life channel, where her blog Mama Needs Coffee will be permanently hosted. She lives in Denver, CO with her family, where she writes and speaks on Church teachings on marriage, contraception, NFP and bioethics.

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Annunciations of Suffering

by Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, C.S.J. • March 25, 2015

When Jesus began his ministry, he chose to make us men and women his cherished followers. Wanting us to be his companions, he expressed it in the words, “I call you friends, for I have made known to you everything I have learned from my Father” (Jn 15:15). In calling us in to his friendship, Jesus wanted us to share his divine life. This raising up to a godlike stature is best expressed by the Psalmist: “You have made them a little lower than gods” (Ps 8:5).

The Eastern Fathers never tired of proclaiming this sentiment in the words: God became man that we might become God-like. The Son’s descent in the form of a human person would be completed in humanity’s ascent to God. This is the point of today’s solemnity, the Annunciation of the Lord.

The Incarnation at the Annunciation

When Mary of Nazareth accepted the angel’s message, she was chosen as the first of the Lord’s disciples in the New Covenant. As mother of the Messiah, she shared his life and suffering as well as his victory. Her total trust was so unconditional that she accepted the mandate: “You shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Emmanuel, God-is-with-us.” As Mary placed herself in the hands of Providence, so must we if we wish to be the Lord’s companions.

First Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Today’s feast falls during the most solemn part of Lent when the liturgies ask us to focus intently on the Lord’s sufferings. The universal Church will surely do this in the next week, the holiest of the year. The entire emphasis will be on the Suffering Servant. And so in preparation for Holy Week, we begin with a reflection on suffering itself.

Suffering

No one likes thinking about suffering, least of all one’s own. Jesus too feared it though he accepted it as part of the divine plan. In the Agony in the Garden, he prayed to be delivered from it and then added, “But not my will but yours be done.” He submitted to suffering and death out of love for all sinful humanity. No masochist here: he knew that only a crucified God could carry out the plan.

None of us escapes adversity. Suffering does violence to a person both singly and in groups. Suffering has no favorites and spares no one. Without warning, it rudely interrupts the rhythm of human thought and action. Its suddenness feels electric like a shock surging through the body. It often immobilizes until reality settles in.

Adversity takes the form of sudden death in a family, sudden loss of a job, sudden betrayal, or a sudden bad diagnosis from the doctor. Then there’s the suffering we inflict on ourselves through bad choices or unfulfilled expectations. We seek like prosecuting lawyers to blame others for the pain.

Why good people suffer amounts to a mystery. Who of us dares to unravel it with satisfaction? To whom do we go for consolation? Who can explain why suffering is clustered so unevenly over the world? Christians, branded as infidels, have been put to death by fanatics in one country after the other. Still, the Psalmist reminds us all that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18).

Questioning God

Questions about suffering lead to questioning God. Where is God in suffering? Surely an omnipotent and loving God does not permit suffering to happen. Such questions haunt persons of faith and those of no faith because suffering affects us all. Even in the darkest hours, the light of hope may break through the darkness. Adversity often holds within it an opportunity for something greater. Beethoven composed his most profound works after he had completely lost his hearing.

If when all has been done to alleviate suffering, it still persists, a person either copes creatively or suffers it more intensely. Grave suffering re-arranges one’s whole life. Accepting the struggle leads to maturity and to an integrated life.

The Human Condition of Jesus

Adversity invites us to grow in compassion, wisdom and love. Despite disappointment and even despair, we cling to Christian hope. Jesus is the forerunner of redemptive suffering. As the Second Adam, he suffers in solidarity with us all, not as a passive victim; nor does he seek it for its own sake. Human malice did him in even making his life an appalling failure. True, he suffered and died, but if that were the final story, we would celebrate a tragic hero: someone good but powerless. On the contrary, he triumphed over death and was raised to resurrection glory by his Father.

God’s Foolishness

The Book of Exodus initiates us into God’s “foolishness.” The Lord God commanded Moses to seek the release of his people from Pharaoh. But God makes Pharaoh obstinate so that he refuses the request. Isn’t this madness? When Pharaoh refuses, all seems lost. How can this be? God has master-minded the situation. Moses is profoundly shaken. But God’s Providence saves the Jews in the miraculous Passover-Exodus event. God’s foolishness proves wiser than Moses’ doubt. The lesson is clear. Like the Jews, we do not save ourselves in the way we choose. We are saved by God’s power with our cooperation.

In Psalm 22, faithful persons suffering before a silent God place themselves in the Lord’s hands that will deliver them. The Psalm closes with someone afflicted praising the Lord. Likewise on the cross, Jesus enacted the meaning of Psalm 22 in his prayer to his silent Father. He had already foretold his last hours: “If I be lifted up, I will draw all things to myself” (Jn 12:32). In the same manner, Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. counsels the Christian not to swoon in the Cross’s shadow but to climb the Cross in its light (The Divine Milieu, Harper Perennial, 73).

Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY, holds degrees in philosophy (Ph.L), musicology (Ph.D.), theology (M.A.), and liturgical studies (Ph.D). She has taught at all levels of Catholic education and writes with a particular focus on a theology of beauty and the sacred arts. Her e-mail address is jroccasalvo@optonline.net.

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The Eucharist is the ‘memory bank’ of the Church

by Msgr. M. Francis Mannion • March 26, 2015

When we celebrate the origin of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, we cast our minds back to the Last Supper which Jesus shared with his disciples on the night before he died. However, the sacrament of the Eucharist is related not only to the Last Supper, but to every Mass celebrated through the centuries.

The Eucharist is imprinted with the life of the Church from its beginning and is the “memory bank” of God’s people.

The great Anglican Benedictine Gregory Dix, at the end of his monumental book, The Shape of the Liturgy, describes the historical career of the Eucharist as beautifully as any writer ever has.

Dix writes: “Men have found no better thing than this to do for kings at their crowning and for criminals going to the scaffold; for armies in triumph or for a bride and bridegroom in a little country church; for the proclamation of a dogma or for a good crop of wheat; for the wisdom of a parliament of a mighty nation or for a sick old woman afraid to die; for a school boy sitting for an examination, or for Columbus setting out to discover America; for the famine of whole provinces or for the soul of a dead lover.”

The Eucharist, Dix says, has been celebrated in thankfulness “because my father did not die of pneumonia; for a village headman much tempted to return to fetish because the yams had failed; because the Turk was at the gates of Vienna; for the repentance of Margaret; for the settlement of a strike; for a son for a barren women; for Captain so-and-so, wounded and prisoner of war; while the lions roared in the nearby amphitheatre; on the beach at Dunkirk; while the hiss of scythes in the thick June grass came faintly through the windows of the church; tremulously, by an old monk on the fiftieth anniversary of his vows; furtively, by an exiled bishop who had hewn timber all day in a prison camp near Murmansk; gorgeously, for the canonization of S. Joan of Arc.”

The holy sacrament, writes Dix, has been celebrated “in every conceivable human circumstance,” and “for every conceivable human need,” in every century, every country, every continent. The Eucharist has been woven into the history of the Christian people over the centuries, and in turn, it carries that history within itself.

Accordingly, when we approach the Eucharist, we are at one with all who have celebrated this blessed sacrament across the ages.

Fr. Dix’s litany could be expanded in inexhaustible directions. There are the barely-remembered Masses celebrated for the first time in the newly discovered regions of the world. Every diocese of the New World has (or wishes to have) such an event in its annals.

Millions of Americans still remember the funeral Mass of John F. Kennedy. The final Mass of Archbishop Oscar Romero continues to inspire and unify a whole region of the Church.

We can all add our personal lists: The Mass on the day of our marriage or ordination; the funeral Mass for a parent, spouse, child, or friend; the Mass at the close of a great pilgrimage which marked a personal turning point; a Mass attended in great pain during a severe personal crisis.

The tragic and glorious history of the Christian people lives on in the Eucharist, which will reach its completion only at the heavenly banquet. This rite is the greatest which history can ever know, and is yet, in Fr. Dix’s words, “a thing of absolutely simplicity.”

Msgr. Mannion is pastor emeritus of St. Vincent de Paul parish in Salt Lake City. He holds a Ph.D. in sacramental theology from The Catholic University of America. He was founding president of The Society for Catholic Liturgy in 1995 and the founding editor of the Society’s journal, Antiphon. At the invitation of Cardinal Francis George of Chicago he founded the Mundelein Liturgical Institute in 2000.

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Movie review: ‘Get Hard’

by Carl Kozlowski • March 27, 2015

There are some comedies that walk the line so precariously between being raunchily funny and patently offensive that one has to wonder throughout, which types of people are going to love it and which people are going to be thoroughly disgusted? The new movie “Get Hard,” starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart in a storyline that utterly destroys any sense of political correctness or decency while often being raucously funny, is a prime example.

“Get Hard” stars Will Ferrell as James King, a blueblood investments kingpin who gets charged with fraud, and Kevin Hart as Darrell, the deluxe car wash owner who KIng hires to teach him how to survive prison despite the fact he’s never been there. Along the way, the movie sets new records for scenarios involving humorous racial paranoia and homosexual panic – but just as I wondered how offensive this movie would be, I ran into and sat with a gay male friend and two extremely conservative Catholic women friends.

Like the rest of the crowd, my friends exploded in laughter throughout the movie, although they also spent good chunks of the movie with their jaws dropped and looking at each other with stares that said, “I can’t believe I just saw that!” But the fact that those highly disparate friends all guffawed from start to finish – aside from one particularly offensive scene, mentioned below - is a good indication that a good number of adult moviegoers will handle and enjoy the movie.

The film’s opening credits offer a savvy, fast-paced contrast between the daily lives and experiences of King and Darrell, and by extension the wealthiest in LA and those who have to hustle to survive. Darrell needs $30,000 for the down payment on a new house in a better neighborhood so he can send his young daughter to a safer, better school, while King makes $28 million in a day for his investment firm.

King is also engaged to the money-chasing daughter of his boss, Marty (Craig T. Nelson), and has the world on a string until federal agents crash his engagement party and charge him with over 40 counts of fraud and embezzlement. When he refuses to cop a plea, maintaining his innocence, King is sentenced to 10 years in maximum security prison and given 30 days to get his affairs in order.

Knowing nothing about prison other than he’s guaranteed to get raped by fellow inmates, King turns to Darrell to teach him how prepare to be tough – or “get hard” – for prison. His reason for selecting Darrell is simply that he’s the one black guy he knows, and he’s so casually racist that he assumes Darrell has been to prison simply because of his race.

With King agreeing to Darrell’s request for the $30,000 he needs for his down payment, the lessons begin. These at first focus on getting King ready to take any kind of sexual assault thrown at him, but when Darrell can’t manage to bring himself to try performing bathroom-stall oral sex on a gay man Darrell introduces him to at a brunch hotspot, Darrell decides to toughen up, or “get hard,” once and for all.

And thus begins a series of outrageous training sequences, from ridiculous exercises to locking King into a fake prison cell in his own lavish mansion, to teaching him how to trash talk. He also tries to get various street gangs to agree to protect him, with disastrous results. Along the way, he also has to figure out who framed him and try to clear his name.

The stereotypes and outrageous behavior are constant, and the bathroom-stall scene goes completely over the line of bad taste, including a quick shot of male genitalia. This movie is certain to offend for those couple of minutes, and offend varying groups at other points. And there is a lot of foul language, though it kind of blends in on a movie that’s satirizing prison and the gang world.

But aside from that scene, “Get Hard” is undeniably funny in spite of itself, especially when the story broadens out to mock racial conventions and stereotypes, as well as ideas of what makes a real man, macho culture and the prison system. While it has its definite moments of offending moral conservatives, it’s already receiving a huge liberal backlash from the left for daring to mock the gay lifestyle and hip-hop/gangster rap culture.

How many movies dare to take on those liberal sacred cows of homosexuality and rap? Perhaps the true point of the movie is that all the crasser aspects of our American culture deserve to be poked fun at and taken down a peg.

Ferrell and Hart make an ace comic team that calls to mind the best team-ups of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, in “Silver Streak “ and especially “Stir Crazy.” It’s clear that Ferrell has been re-energized by working with Hart, the hottest standup comic on the planet right now and a fast-rising movie star to boot.

So if you can handle being shocked from time to time yet laughing in spite of yourself, “Get Hard” will make you laugh – even if you feel kind of ashamed when it’s over.

Carl Kozlowski has been a professional film critic and essayist for the past five years at Pasadena Weekly, in addition to the Christian movie site Movieguide.org, the conservative pop culture site Breitbart.coms Big Hollywood, the Christian pop culture magazine Relevant and New City newspaper in Chicago. He also writes in-depth celebrity interviews for Esquire.com and The Progressive. He is owner of the podcasting site radiotitans.com, which was named one of the Frontier Fifty in 2013 as one of the 50 best talk-radio outlets in the nation by talkers.com and will be relaunching it in January 2014 after a five-month sabbatical. He lives in Los Angeles.

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SUNDAY • MARCH 29, 2015

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Processional Reading (Mk 11:1-10; NRSVCE)

When Jesus and his disciples were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

First Reading (Is 50:4-7; NRSVCE)

The Lord God has given me

the tongue of a teacher,

that I may know how to sustain

the weary with a word.

Morning by morning he wakens —

wakens my ear

to listen as those who are taught.

The Lord God has opened my ear,

and I was not rebellious,

I did not turn backward.

I gave my back to those who struck me,

and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;

I did not hide my face

from insult and spitting.

The Lord God helps me;

therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like flint,

and I know that I shall not be put to shame.

Second Reading (Phil 2:6-11; NRSVCE)

Jesus Christ, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death —

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel Reading (Mk 14:1 — 15:47; NRSVCE)

It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”

While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

When it was evening, he came with the twelve. And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though all become deserters, I will not.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And all of them said the same.

They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.” All of them deserted him and fled.

A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.

They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” But even on this point their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him over and beat him.

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about.” And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.” But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about.” At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

MONDAY • MARCH 30, 2015

Monday of Holy Week

First Reading (Is 42:1-7; NRSVCE)

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be crushed

until he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the Lord,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

a light to the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Gospel Reading (Jn 12:1-11; NRSVCE)

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

TUESDAY • MARCH 31, 2015

Tuesday of Holy Week

First Reading (Is 49:1-6; NRSVCE)

Listen to me, O coastlands,

pay attention, you peoples from far away!

The Lord called me before I was born,

while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword,

in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me a polished arrow,

in his quiver he hid me away.

And he said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

But I said, “I have labored in vain,

I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

yet surely my cause is with the Lord,

and my reward with my God.”

And now the Lord says,

who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,

and that Israel might be gathered to him,

for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,

and my God has become my strength —

he says,

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

to raise up the tribes of Jacob

and to restore the survivors of Israel;

I will give you as a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Gospel Reading (Jn 13:21-33, 36-38; NRSVCE)

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples — the one whom Jesus loved — was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’”

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.”

WEDNESDAY • APRIL 1, 2015

Wednesday of Holy Week

First Reading (Is 50:4-9a; NRSVCE)

The Lord God has given me

the tongue of a teacher,

that I may know how to sustain

the weary with a word.

Morning by morning he wakens —

wakens my ear

to listen as those who are taught.

The Lord God has opened my ear,

and I was not rebellious,

I did not turn backward.

I gave my back to those who struck me,

and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;

I did not hide my face

from insult and spitting.

The Lord God helps me;

therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like flint,

and I know that I shall not be put to shame;

he who vindicates me is near.

Who will contend with me?

Let us stand up together.

Who are my adversaries?

Let them confront me.

It is the Lord God who helps me;

who will declare me guilty?

Gospel Reading (Mt 26:14-25; NRSVCE)

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.”

THURSDAY • APRIL 2, 2015

Holy Thursday

First Reading (Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; NRSVCE)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Second Reading (1 Cor 11:23-26; NRSVCE)

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Gospel Reading (Jn 13:1-15; NRSVCE)

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”

FRIDAY • APRIL 3, 2015

Good Friday

First Reading (Is 52:13 — 53:12; NRSVCE)

See, my servant shall prosper;

he shall be exalted and lifted up,

and shall be very high.

Just as there were many who were astonished at him

— so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of mortals —

so he shall startle many nations;

kings shall shut their mouths because of him;

for that which had not been told them they shall see,

and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

Who has believed what we have heard?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by others;

a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Surely he has borne our infirmities

and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have all turned to our own way,

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

By a perversion of justice he was taken away.

Who could have imagined his future?

For he was cut off from the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people.

They made his grave with the wicked

and his tomb with the rich,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.

When you make his life an offering for sin,

he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;

through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.

Out of his anguish he shall see light;

he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.

The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

because he poured out himself to death,

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

Second Reading (Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; NRSVCE)

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Gospel Reading (Jn 18:1 — 19:42; NRSVCE)

After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.

Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”

Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.”

When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says,

“They divided my clothes among themselves,

and for my clothing they cast lots.”

And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

SATURDAY • APRIL 4, 2015

Holy Saturday • Easter Vigil

First Reading (Gn 1:1 — 2:2; NRSVCE)

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights — the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night — and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.

Second Reading (Gn 22:1-18; NRSVCE)

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Third Reading (Ex 14:15 — 15:1; NRSVCE)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.”

The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Fourth Reading (Is 54:5-14; NRSVCE)

For your Maker is your husband,

the Lord of hosts is his name;

the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,

the God of the whole earth he is called.

For the Lord has called you

like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,

like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,

says your God.

For a brief moment I abandoned you,

but with great compassion I will gather you.

In overflowing wrath for a moment

I hid my face from you,

but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,

says the Lord, your Redeemer.

This is like the days of Noah to me:

Just as I swore that the waters of Noah

would never again go over the earth,

so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you

and will not rebuke you.

For the mountains may depart

and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,

says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,

I am about to set your stones in antimony,

and lay your foundations with sapphires.

I will make your pinnacles of rubies,

your gates of jewels,

and all your wall of precious stones.

All your children shall be taught by the Lord,

and great shall be the prosperity of your children.

In righteousness you shall be established;

you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;

and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

Fifth Reading (Is 55:1-11; NRSVCE)

Ho, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and you that have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

listen, so that you may live.

I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

my steadfast, sure love for David.

See, I made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander for the peoples.

See, you shall call nations that you do not know,

and nations that do not know you shall run to you,

because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,

for he has glorified you.

Seek the Lord while he may be found,

call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake their way,

and the unrighteous their thoughts;

let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return there until they have watered the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Sixth Reading (Bar 3:9-15, 32 — 4:4; NRSVCE)

Hear the commandments of life, O Israel;

give ear, and learn wisdom!

Why is it, O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies,

that you are growing old in a foreign country,

that you are defiled with the dead,

that you are counted among those in Hades?

You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.

If you had walked in the way of God,

you would be living in peace forever.

Learn where there is wisdom,

where there is strength,

where there is understanding,

so that you may at the same time discern

where there is length of days, and life,

where there is light for the eyes, and peace.

Who has found her place?

And who has entered her storehouses?

But the one who knows all things knows her,

he found her by his understanding.

The one who prepared the earth for all time

filled it with four-footed creatures;

the one who sends forth the light, and it goes;

he called it, and it obeyed him, trembling;

the stars shone in their watches, and were glad;

he called them, and they said, “Here we are!”

They shone with gladness for him who made them.

This is our God;

no other can be compared to him.

He found the whole way to knowledge,

and gave her to his servant Jacob

and to Israel, whom he loved.

Afterward she appeared on earth

and lived with humankind.

She is the book of the commandments of God,

the law that endures forever.

All who hold her fast will live,

and those who forsake her will die.

Turn, O Jacob, and take her;

walk toward the shining of her light.

Do not give your glory to another,

or your advantages to an alien people.

Happy are we, O Israel,

for we know what is pleasing to God.

Seventh Reading (Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28; NRSVCE)

The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, when the house of Israel lived on their own soil, they defiled it with their ways and their deeds. So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for the idols with which they had defiled it. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries; in accordance with their conduct and their deeds I judged them. But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that it was said of them, “These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.” But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came.

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Eighth Reading (Rom 6:3-11; NRSVCE)

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Reading (Mk 16:1-7; NRSVCE)

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint the body of Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”