catholicworld

Young Muslim prepares to greet Pope in Arezzo

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:59:12 +0100

Pope Benedict travels to the Italian region of Tuscany Sunday on Sunday 13th May where he will make a one day visit to Arezzo, La Verna and Sansepolcro, three towns with a long history of monasticism and contemplative life. The Holy Father will celebrate an outdoor Mass and pray the Regina Coeli in the "Il Prato" park in Arezzo after which he will make a private visit to the cathedral of San Donato. In the afternoon, he will visit the shrine of La Verna where St. Francis of Assisi received the st...

Pope: I have always felt supported by the prayers of the Church, especially in difficult times

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:00:02 +0100

Benedict XVI continues to devote catechesis for the general audience to prayer. He comments on the captivity and liberation of Peter. "The Apostle even in chains is clam, he does not feel alone, the community is praying for him, the Lord is near." "To pray well" means "to turn towards God and not to our own benefit."Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "From the first moment of my election as the Successor of St. Peter, I have always felt supported by the prayers of you all, by the prayer of the Church, esp...

Student massacre due to Libyan and Turkish infiltrators, says apostolic vicar in Alep

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:08:21 +0100

Mgr Giuseppe Nazaro provides background details to the army assault against the university, which left four people dead. For months, foreign militants have been trying to influence students at Alep university in order to bring violence to the city; the only one spared so far from the fight between rebels and the regime. In his view, the media are manipulated.Alep (AsiaNews) - "Alep University is full of Libyan and Turkish infiltrators who have been trying to sway young Syrians to their cause. The...

Caritas and Jordanian NGOs Assisting Thousands of Syrian Refugees

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:59:55 +0100

(Milan/e.p.) - As thousands of Syrian refugees flee into Jordan, authorities are opening makeshift 'holding facilities' to accommodate them, while Caritas Jordan is distributing food and household items. According to the Jordan Times, local NGOs and officials say they are set to complete later this month a complex of 200 furnished trailers in Ramtha, a northern Jordanian city, designed to house some 1,000 refugees. Local charities say 500 refugees are passing through the border each day and the s...

The Holy Fire Emerges from the Sepulchre of the Risen One

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:55:52 +0100

Miryam Mezzera(Jerusalem) – A fire that is kindled “by a miracle”, a multitude of the faithful anxiously waiting, from the earliest hours of the morning who then explode in cries of joy when they catch a glimpse of the light inside the edicule that contains the empty tomb of the Risen One. This is the ritual of the Holy Fire in the Basilica of the Resurrection (or of the Holy Sepulchre), the ceremony which sets a seal on a week full of events and celebrations in the Holy City, and which lea...

Communicating the Church in the Middle East: Voice of Charity

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:54:14 +0100

How does the Church communicate in a region where Christians are a minority which is sometimes “just tolerated” ? And where is there room for improvement? Well, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications is sponsoring a seminar for bishops from across the Middle East this week in Harissa, just north of Beirut, Lebanon to seek some answers to those questions.President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, says the event, part of a series of ...

UKRAINE: 36,500 RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS REGISTERED IN THE COUNTRY

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:05:17 +0100

(Sir Europe - Bratislava) - The religious network in Ukraine includes 55 religious currents represented by 36,500 religious organizations at the beginning of 2012. The Institute for Religious Freedom reports that 85 centers and 290 departments of religious associations, 35,013 religious communities (30,880 ministers), 471 monasteries (6,769 monks), 360 missions, 80 fraternities, 201 educational institutions (1,975 students) and 12,899 Sunday schools are registered in Ukraine. According to the off...

Abp. Fitzgerald: Giving peace a chance in Syria

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:25:39 +0100

“Its never too late to give up violence”, says Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, nuncio to Egypt and the Cairo based League of Arab States, referring to the Syrian crisis. On Monday Syria pledged to withdraw all military units from towns by April 10 to pave the way for a ceasefire with rebels two days later, as part of a U.N.-Arab League peace plan brokered by envoy Kofi Annan. “The mission of Kofi Annan is a sources of hope that peace can be restored in Syria, but there are conditions for ...

Coptic Christians after Shenouda

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:27:50 +0100

by Samir Khalil SamirThe late patriarch ruled his Church for 40 years. Spirituality, vocations, participation in rituals have increased, but ecumenism and lay involvement slowed. Skirmishes on intermarriage with Catholics. Nationalist and anti-Israeli, Shenouda clashed with Sadat, who imprisoned him. An alliance with Mubarak to build new churches. The urgency of the mission in society and in defense of women. Egypt caught between a military dictatorship and fundamentalism.Beirut (AsiaNews) - The ...

Cardinal Tauran to Al Jazeera:"avoid a 'clash of ignorance'"

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 20:12:11 +0100

The President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, has given an interview to the Al Jazeera television network, which first aired in its entirety Saturday morning.The wide-ranging conversation covered topics including the exodus of Christians from the Middle East, the situation in the Holy Land, discrimination against Muslims in Europe, and inter-religious dialogue. Drawing on his years of experience in the Middle East, Cardinal Rauran said, "Christi...

Indian Bishops Wrap Up Successful Visit to Holy Land

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:45:18 +0100

(Milan/e.p.) - An ecumenical delegation of Indian bishops and priests has wrapped up a visit to the Holy Land aimed at forging closer ties between the State of Israel and the Christian community in India and promoting pilgrimages and tourism. Led by Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Mumbai, and Ernakulam–Angamally Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry, the delegation’s four-day visit from February 26th-March 1st included prayers at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher and the cel...

CHURCH AND EUROPE: MGR. GIORDANO, “MORE VOICE TO SOUTH-EASTERN COUNTRIES”

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:00:54 +0100

(Sir Europe - Strasbourg) - “Despite their problems and sufferings, every people, every nation has its assets, its values, and, if any one is left out, the majority will miss it, but above all it would result in a Europe that is not faithful to the plan of its founders, who devised and imagined it as a common house where all the peoples who live in it have equal dignity, equal rights and equal duties”. Mgr. Anton Cosa, bishop of Chisinau (Moldavia), the spiritual leader of 20 thousand Catholi...

Holy See: Rising restrictions on religion affect more than 2 billion people.

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:28:22 +0100

The Holy See Delegation has addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on the subject of religious freedom. Archbishop Silvano M.Tomasi said in many countries “the gap is growing between widely accepted stated principles, and their daily application on the ground.” He pointed out “rising restrictions on religion affect more than 2.2 billion people.”Archbishop Tomasi also told the Council “religions are not a threat, but a resource. They contribute to the development of ...

Vatican : For the Holy Land this Lent

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:01:20 +0100

Below the text of the letter from Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches on the occasion of the collect pro Terra Sancta: The annual Lenten journey towards the Pasch of the Lord offers a propitious occasion to sensitize the Catholic Church around the world with regard to the Holy Land by promoting relevant initiatives of prayer and fraternal charity.Therefore, I am sending this cordial invitation to all ecclesial communities, asking them to place themselves at ...

Holy See follows with "great concern" events in Syria

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:53:27 +0100

The Holy See Delegation has addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on the subject of Syria. Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi expressed "solidarity with the victims of violence and appeals for urgent humanitarian and medical assistance to relieve the sufferings of all those wounded and injured."He also called on regional and multilateral organizations to be involved in the crisis, stating they "are an important instrument in promoting peace and stability in the world, an instrumen...

UKRAINE: UN DONATES $100,000 TO HELP HOMELESS AFTER A SEVERE COLD SPELL

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:29:12 +0100

(SIR Europe - Bratislava) - The United Nations (UN) has donated $100,000 to aid Ukraine’s homeless after over 150 people died during a severe cold spell. According to the UN spokesman Viktoria Andriyevska, the money will be spent on warm clothing, food and heating centers. The country was hit by temperatures plunging to minus 30 degrees Celsius earlier this month, claiming 151 lives and leaving nearly 4,000 people hospitalized with hypothermia, reports the Ukrainian Religious Information Servic...

Pope: Conquering our spiritual desert

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:03:27 +0100

Below Pope Benedict XVI’s catechesis to English speaking pilgrims present at the general audience this Wednesday:Dear Brothers and Sisters, today the Church celebrates Ash Wednesday, the beginning of her Lenten journey towards Easter. The entire Christian community is invited to live this period of forty days as a pilgrimage of repentance, conversion and renewal. In the Bible, the number forty is rich in symbolism. It recalls Israel’s journey in the desert, a time of expectation, purification...

A CALL FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:04:36 +0100

Squeezed between two extremisms – Jewish (Israel) and Islamic (Muslim countries) – and subject to religious and social discrimination, many Christians prefer to flee from their harsh reality of conflict and instability (In the Holy Land). Their woeful plight calls for our sympathy, spiritual support and solidarity.by FR. JOSÉ REBELO, MCCJ In the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East, Christians are enduring great hardships and the “little flock” they comprise is shrinking steadi...

For Catholic Church, Islamist victory scares Christians but expresses the will of the people

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:03:03 +0100

Cairo (AsiaNews) – “The victory of Islamist parties scares Christians but expresses the will of the Egyptian people,” said Fr Rafik Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church. He spoke to AsiaNews about the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists, who together won about 60 per cent of the vote. “During the election, they were guilty of some irregularities but nothing compared to the phoney elections of the Mubarak years,” the clergyman said. “In order not to lose suppo...

Death penalty always unjust, even for Mubarak, Catholic Church says

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:53:57 +0100

Cairo (AsiaNews) – “The Egyptian Catholic Church, together with all other Christian denominations, is against the death penalty for any individual,” said Fr Rafik Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church. He spoke to AsiaNews about the death penalty requested for former President Hosni Mubarak whose trial resumed last Monday after a two-week break.“No one has the right to take the life of another man even if he is guilty of terrible crimes. Only God can do that,” Fr Greiche s...

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 2012

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:01:17 +0100

Dear Brothers and Sisters! On the first day of the year, the liturgy resounds in the Church throughout the world with the ancient priestly blessing that we heard during today’s first reading: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Num 6:24-26). This blessing was entrusted by God, through Moses, to Aaron and his sons, that is, to the priests of the people of Israel. It is a...

Christians and Muslims a year since the start of the Arab spring

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:10:42 +0100

by Samir Khalil SamirThe Arab uprising spread like wildfire and every Arab country felt its effects. However, the changes must be seen against the backdrop of the Islamist rise to power. Christians are afraid but must cooperate with Muslims. Syria’s case and the bishops’ reaction are a case in point. The West is confused and Obama discredited. A year on, here is a review of what happened in the Arab world.Beirut (AsiaNews) – Everything began a year ago when a young Tunisian, Mohammed Buaziz...

BELARUS: CATHOLIC RADIO MARIA TO START BROADCASTING VIA INTERNET

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:27:28 +0100

(SIR Europe – Bratislava) - Belarus is on the way to establish broadcasting of a Catholic radio station “Radio Maria”. Progress concerning work on this project was announced by the archbishop of Minsk-Mohilev, Mons. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, on 15 December. Discussions about establishment of the new radio have been going on since the visit of the president of the Pontifical Council for social communications, Mons. Claudio Maria Celli, in May this year. The plan is to start broadcasting 24 hour...

Nuncio in Russia: this Christmas of crisis a chance to recover sense of eternity

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:40:45 +0100

by Marta Allevato Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, tells AsiaNews about his first year of ministry in Russia. The testimony of the small Russian Catholic community helps to introduce Russian society to Christmas atmosphere. Good relations with the Orthodox Church, help to proclaim the importance of religious principle for the Protection of the person and the family.Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Christmas of the global crisis as an opportunity to "understand that you can be happy even in a context of external...

A day against the persecution of Christians, but especially against religious intolerance

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:25:21 +0100

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - An annual international day to remind the world of persecution of Christians: This is the idea that for some time now has been discussed within the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and it has met with the appreciation of the Holy See, even if the Vatican seems to push more for a commitment against intolerance of all religions. At the 18th OSCE Ministerial Council, held in Vilnius (Lithuania) on December 6, Msgr. Dominique Mamberti, Vatican Secr...

Moscow: Catholic and Orthodox clerics against persecution of Christians

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 09:18:01 +0100

Moscow’s “International Conference on the Discrimination and Persecution against Christians, organised by the Patriarchate of Moscow, ended today, with a speech by Patriarch Kyrill. The message sent out, urged the world to speak out against the persecution of Christians – an international emergency that affects one million victims and causes a hundred thousand deaths each year. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, in charge of the Patriarchate of Moscow’s external relations, described it...

Prophet Muhammad's invitation to Christians to pray in mosques

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:36:03 +0100

Giorgio Bernardelli"Even the prophet Muhammad invited Christians to pray in a mosque before meeting with them.” Among the many words spoken during the three days of the second Catholic Muslim Forum – gathered in recent days in Jordan at the Site of the Baptism of Jesus (a Christian holy site re-launched in these years by a Muslim government) – this phrase spoken by the Jordanian prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, was probably the most surprising. The quote refers to an episode narrated by...

The Bishops on Iraq

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:37:26 +0100

by Joan Frawley DesmondWhen President Bush first signaled his intention to approve the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Pope John Paul II strongly opposed the action. The U.S. bishops followed the Holy Father’s lead and lobbied against it. Eight years later, President Obama has announced the withdrawal of all troops from Iraq by the end of the year, and the bishops are scrambling to address an increasingly urgent problem: the plight of Iraq’s already diminished Christian minority, which has bee...

CHURCHES IN EUROPE: CATHOLIC AND ORTHODOX DELEGATION RECEIVED IN AUDIENCE BY THE POPE

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:47:40 +0100

“The meeting with the Holy Father confirms the mutual respect and desire of the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches in Europe to continue the work in unison to witness together to the Gospel of Christ and promote awareness of and respect for the values of which Christianity is the bearer in a Europe marked by secularisation and in search of its identity”. Cardinal Péter Erdö, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and president of Ccee, comments on the meeting held in the Vatican toda...

Eastern Catholic Patriarchs invite Christians to remain in their own countries

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:39:57 +0100

Beirut (AsiaNews) - The Eastern Catholic Patriarchs are asking Christians to remain in their homeland and to engage in politics to be messengers of peace. This is what emerges from the 20th assembly of the prelates of the Eastern Churches held November 14 to 17 in Bkerke, the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate in Lebanon. At the meeting, the bishops launched a series of resolutions on the situation which define the future of Christians in the Middle East. They are determined to move forward on the...

BELARUS: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ORTHODOX-CATHOLIC DIALOG IN MINSK

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:56:03 +0100

President of the Pontifical council for promoting Christian unity, cardinal Kurt Koch, is the main guest at the international conference taking place on 13-15 November in Minsk, Belarus. It focuses on the topic “Orthodox-Catholic dialog: Christian ethical values as a contribution to the life of societies in Europe”. The event is organised by the Institut for religious dialog and interconfessional communication of the Synod of Orthodox Church in Belarus, Pontifical council for promoting Christ...

Islam and paedophilia in Great Britain

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:44:23 +0100

Marco TosattiIslamic schools in Britain, known as “madrasas” are faced with more than 400 allegations of sexual abuse over the past three years, according to a survey performed by the BBC, but only a very small number of these led to a successful formal legal inquiry. The situation brought about the need for a statute to formally regulate the activities of these schools, which greet approximately 250 thousand Muslim children every day for lessons on the Koran. The situation is so serious that...

HOLY LAND: THE NATIVITY, A UNESCO HERIATGE SITE, DOUBTS IN THE CHURCHES OF BETHLEHEM

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:04:57 +0100

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, a Unesco Heritage site as early as 2012? This is the hope of the Palestinian population since, on 31st October, Palestine has become a full member of Unesco, the UN agency for Culture, Science and Education. Palestinians will actually be in a position to ratify the 1972 world heritage convention, which will enable them to ask that some of their sites be included in Unesco heritage sites. However, as reported to SIR today by the Custodian of the Holy Land, ...

BENEDICT XVI: IN ASSISI, VIOLENCE “IS NOT THE TRUE NATURE OF RELIGION”

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:43:21 +0100

(From our correspondents in Assisi) – That “religion actually drives violence is something that, as religious people, must deeply concern us”, pointed out Benedict XVI as he spoke in the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli to the delegations of different religions that have been convened to Assisi. The Pope spoke of terrorism, often “religiously motivated”, thus bringing religion not “to serve peace, but is used as justification for violence”. “The religious delegates who were as...

ASSISI 2011-MUZADI (ISLAM): DISTORSIONS DUE TO “RELIGIOUS MISUNDERSTANDINGS”

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:41:24 +0100

(From our correspondents in Assisi) – “Giving to all believers the freedom to truly comprehend one’s fate” and “reducing the misunderstandings of religions that lead to social conflict amongst humanity”. “It’s our duty as religious communities”, said the Secretary General of the International Conference of Islamic Scholars, Kyai Haji Asyim Muzadi, as “evidence of peace” within the inter-religious meeting that is taking place in Assisi. In addition, the Islamic Representative...

Fr. Lombardi: The death of Gaddafi closes the long and bloody war against the regime

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:22:43 +0100

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - " The news of the death of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi marks the end of a much too long and tragic phase of a brutal struggle to bring down a harsh and oppressive regime”, says Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, on the death of Muammar Gaddafi in Sirte, killed together with his son Moutassin yesterday by rebel fighters of the National Council Transitional. For Fr Lombardi the end of the war against Gaddafi “obliges us yet again to reflec...

ASSISI 2011: CARD. ETCHEGARAY, “MAKING PEACE IS HARDER THAN MAKING WAR”

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:12:01 +0100

“Making peace is harder than making war. And prayer is the only way to make peace”. This was said by card. Roger Etchegaray, Deputy Dean of the College of Cardinals, in an interview with SIR (click here), where he tells about the months of work, 25 years ago, in preparation to the Day of Prayer for Peace, launched by John Paul II on 27th October 1986. “It was something completely new – the cardinal recalls –: there had never been such an initiative before. At the time, one would have to...

HOLY LAND: TAYBEH, PALESTINIAN "OKTOBERFEST" TO GIVE WORK TO CHRISTIANS

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:42:47 +0100

The 7th Palestinian Oktoberfest, sponsored by the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Palestinian Authority, took place in the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh last weekend. Taybeh, located 35 kilometres northeast of Jerusalem, and its 1,300 inhabitants, gave to the thousands of visitors who arrived from the West Bank a taste of their traditional local beer - 100,000 litres in two days - exported all around the world together with other local products such as honey, oil, candles, em...

HOLY LAND: OFTAL, CALL TO PILGRIMS “DO NOT BE AFRAID TO COME, THERE IS NO RISK”

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:40:45 +0100

“Do not be afraid to come to the Holy Land; there is no risk for pilgrims”: this is the call made by Maurizio Soffientini, technical director of Sogevi Tour, the travel agency which gives operational support to OFTAL, the Catholic Organisation that has been promoting trips to the Holy Land for years. Religious tourism was badly affected by the crisis in the Middle East and experienced a sharp decrease in the number of pilgrims. According to Soffientini “summer departures to Israel and Jorda...

Russia’s biggest Catholic Church celebrates 100 years

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:05:34 +0100

Moscow (AsiaNews) – Russia’s biggest Catholic church, Moscow’s Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, will mark its first 100 years on 23-25 September. Many bishops will arrive in the Russian capital from Poland, the United States, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Lithuania, guests of the archbishop of the Mother of God, Mgr. Paolo Pezzi. The Pope, whose visit to Russia continues to be a sensitive issue in the ecumenical dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church, will be symbolically join Russia’s Ca...

Mgr Sako: Middle East Christians, between State Islam and Fundamentalism

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:27:16 +0100

Luis SakoKirkuk (AsiaNews) – The changes in Middle East countries in recent years threaten to foment fundamentalism. Mgr. Louis Sako, Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Kirkuk, says the Christian minority there, accustomed to living under state Islam, should dialogue with its Muslim fellow citizens and explain that it is possible to live side by side with reciprocal respect and dignity. With regard to the Arab springtime and attempts on the part of the West to export its own model of democracy, th...

11 SEPTEMBER: ST.EGIDIO. CARD. POUPARD, ARAB SPRING “A PLACE ALSO FOR CHRISTIANS”

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:11:18 +0100

(From our correspondents in Munich, Bavaria) – The so-called Arab Spring “fills us with joy. We were impressed to see that the peoples have mobilised, despite the apparent freezing. This fact gives us hope”, Card. Paul Poupard, president Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture, told SIR, on the margins of the meeting “Arab Spring” which took place in the framework of the interreligious meeting “Bound to live together” organised by the Sant’Egidio Community in Munich, B...

Message to Muslims for end of Ramadan

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:03:33 +0100

In a traditional message sent to mark the end of the Muslim period of Ramadan, the head of the Vatican’s Council for Interreligious Dialogue says Christians and Muslims must denounce all forms of fanaticism, intimidation and discrimination which believers of both faiths sometimes suffer. The message, which is published in 15 languages, focuses on the spiritual dimension of life and stresses the importance for both faiths of teaching moral values to the younger generations.Read the full text of ...

Christians and Muslims: Working together for mankind’s spiritual dimension

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:44:58 +0100

Dear Muslim friends, 1. The end of the month of Ramadan offers the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue a welcome occasion for sending you our most cordial wishes, hoping that the efforts you have so generously made during this month will bring all the desired spiritual fruits. 2. This year, we have thought to give priority to the theme of the spiritual dimension of the human person. This concerns a reality which Christians and Muslims consider to be of prime importance, faced as we are...

Pope: I have come here to meet the young people committed to Christ searching for the truth

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:08:56 +0100

Madrid (AsiaNews) - " I have come here to meet thousands of young people from all over the world, Catholics committed to Christ searching for the truth that will give real meaning to their existence": Benedict XVI immediately clarified the reasons for his trip to Spain in his first speech to the Spanish authorities. King Juan Carlos, leaning on a crutch, and his wife Queen Sofia were there to welcome their guest just below the aircraft steps....

Pope Benedict XVI says "silence" helps us listen to God

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:55:57 +0100

Pope Benedict on Wednesday said that “silence” is what best promotes meditation and listening to God. He was speaking during his weekly general audience at the Papal Summer Residence in Castel Gandolfo. The Holy Father said monastic groups, and others who have devoted their lives to prayer, have established communities in secluded places, like the countryside, hills, valleys, mountains, or along waterfronts – even on islands – which combines silence with the beauty of creation, which is ...

A common voice to combat fear and frustration

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:36:29 +0100

An international conference of Anglican and Catholic Church leaders in London aims to provide a fresh hope to Palestinian and Israeli Christians suffering from the ongoing conflict in their homeland. The conference, which opened at Lambeth Palace on Monday, has been jointly organised by the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols.Amongst a significant number of American particpants at the conference is the former Archbishop of Wa...

Vatican to publish documents on the Armenian genocide

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:20:51 +0100

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The Vatican will co-publish a book with documents and information about the Armenian genocide. The papers are from the Vatican Secret Archives, and, to quote Mgr Sergio Pagano, the clergyman who runs the archives, “they make me feel ashamed to be a man. Without faith, they’d make me see only darkness.” Mgr Pagano’s announcement(pictured) was made today during the presentation of the 'Lux in arcane' exhibition, which opens next February in Rome to show one of t...

SYRIA: RAMBALDI (CARITAS TURKEY), “ONLY WOMEN, CHILDREN, OLD PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS”

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:35:04 +0100

Caritas Turkey is busy providing material and psychological aids at the borders between Turkey and Syria, where over 10,100 refugees from Syria are crammed up in five camps. “Most of them are women, children and old people, plus hundreds of injured people – as told today to SIR by Chiara Rambaldi, a humanitarian worker on the team of Caritas Turkey -. Access to the camps is forbidden, but we have inside contacts who tell us what they need most: they need sanitary kits, toys, food and clothes....

R.O.A.C.O Assembly takes place in Vatican

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:09:53 +0100

The 84th Meeting of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO) began Tuesday in the Vatican. R.O.A.C.O. is a committee which unites funding agencies from various countries around the world for the sake of providing assistance in different areas of Church life from worship buildings to scholarships, from houses of study and formation to social and health care facilities. Founded in 1968 by the Congregation for Eastern Churches, R.O.A.C.O has as its President the Prefect of the C...

Doubts persist about the moderation of the grand imam of Al-Azhar

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:58:12 +0100

Cairo (AsiaNews) – Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar Mosque, has spoken about the future of Egypt. In his view, Islam is not in contradiction with a secular state. In a recently released paper, deemed historical by government media, the religious leader said that Islam does not require a state led by religious leaders. For the grand imam, Islam will help Egypt become a pluralist nation, open to religious minorities. Statements in favour of pluralism and secularism by Al-Azhar and the M...

CCEE: FINAL RELEASE ON ISLAM MEETING - June 2011

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:13:19 +0100

Yes to an “appropriate” formation of imams by creating Chairs of Islamic theology in the European universities and yet to the teaching of the Islamic religion as well in public schools. This was stated by the delegates of the Bishops Conferences for Relations with Muslims in Europe, in a final press release disclosed today, at the end of a work meeting which, on the initiative of Ccee (Council of European Bishops Conferences), took place in Turin from May 31st to June 2nd. “The Church follo...

CCEE: ISLAM. MGR. LAHHAM (TUNISIA), “FEAR IS A BAD ADVISOR”

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:48:03 +0100

“Fear is a bad advisor”. This was said by the archbishop of Tunis, mgr. Maroun Lahham, who, speaking this afternoon in Turin, at the meeting of Ccee for the European delegates of relations with Muslims, spoke of Islam-Christian relations in the Middle East and North Africa. “I see, a bit all over Europe – the archbishop said –, some distress and some fear that could lead to reject Islam”. “Relations between Christians and Muslims – he then added – will never completely lack shad...

Sts. Cyril and Methodius: evangelizing civilization

Tue, 24 May 2011 16:21:09 +0100

Pope Benedict XVI delivered a pair of addresses Monday morning, one to a delegation from Bulgaria and another to a delegation from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The delegations are in Rome on pilgrimage, to mark the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. The theme uniting the Holy Father’s two speeches was the need to recover the Christian roots of Europe.Sts. Cyril and Methodius were brothers born into a Byzantine noble family of Senatorial rank in Thesalonika in the early 9th century...

Evangelization, youth, dialogue in the continent under examination of the Jesuits

Fri, 20 May 2011 16:32:44 +0100

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - A special meeting of the Council of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials (CEP) to put into action a strategic plan for the next three to four years was recently held. According to information sent to Fides by the General Curia, the Chairman of the meeting, Fr John Dardis, summarized in these terms the main points discussed: "First we looked at evangelization and its importance throughout Europe, in a very important period of secularization. The charisma of the Jesu...

SantEgidio holds conference on African AIDS programme

Mon, 16 May 2011 10:23:07 +0100

The Community of Sant’Egidio on Friday hosted the 7th International Conference of the DREAM programme. Launched in 2002, the programme is based on a holistic approach to treating HIV/AIDS in ten sub-Saharan African countries.One of the countries where DREAM has been particularly successful is Malawi. Known as Project Malawi, the government has integrated DREAM into its national HIV/AIDS response and collaborates with an array of international NGOs and faith-based groups.“The Malawi approach i...

John Paul II and the Muslims

Thu, 05 May 2011 15:42:19 +0100

Untitled document by Samir Khalil Samir S.J. Beirut (AsiaNews) - The examination of the relationship between Islam and the Catholic Church during the pontificate of John Paul. The first part of the study by Fr. Samir Khalil Samir S.J. appeared on April 30. 5. Apostolic Exhortation on Lebanon (May 10, 1997)[1] The Apostolic Exhortation on Lebanon, titled by the pope "A New Hope for Lebanon", launched in 1995 after 15 years of civil war, proposed a hope, based on conviviality, solidari...

ECUMENISM: CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX MEETING ON OLD AGE OPENED IN ROME

Wed, 04 May 2011 15:21:26 +0100

Untitled document “Christians, Catholics and Orthodox share love for the poor”. This morning, with those words, Card. Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the promotion of Christian unity, opened the meeting named “The gift of old age. Orthodox and Catholics on the path to charity” in Rome, at the Trastevere seat of the Community of Sant’Egidio”. The Peace Room was crowded with the delegations of the Orthodox Patriarchates of Moscow, Ukraine and Romania, and the amb...

Fr Lombardi's response to killing of bin Laden

Mon, 02 May 2011 08:10:49 +0100

Untitled document Vatican Press Office Director Fr Federico Lombardi’s response to journalists’ questions on the killing of Osama bin Laden: Osama bin Laden - as we all know – was gravely responsible for promoting division and hatred between peoples and of exploiting religions to this end.Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of each and every one of us before God and before man, and hopes and commits himself so that no e...

Easter Sunday Urbi et Orbi

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:44:43 +0100

Untitled document “In resurrectione tua, Christe, coeli et terra laetentur!In your resurrection, O Christ, let heaven and earth rejoice!” (Liturgy of the Hours). Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and across the world, Easter morning brings us news that is ancient yet ever new: Christ is risen! The echo of this event, which issued forth from Jerusalem twenty centuries ago, continues to resound in the Church, deep in whose heart lives the vibrant faith of Mary, Mother of Jesus, the fait...

Egypt, Al-Azhar reaffirms opposition to dialogue with Vatican

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:12:01 +0100

Cairo (AsiaNews) - Al-Azhar will only resume talks with the Holy See after an apology from the Pope, who was accused of criticizing Islam following an attack against the Coptic Cathedral in Alexandria last January 3. As much was revealed in an informal meeting between Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and Michael Fitzgerald, Vatican ambassador to Cairo. In the meeting, which took place yesterday in Cairo, the Muslim leader said that relations between the two religions are normal, but demand...

The essential thing is prayer

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:03:00 +0100

by Ramzi Garmou, Archbishop of Tehran of the Chaldees What issues are important for the future of our Churches in the Middle East? During the recent Synod of Bishops, I emphasized two in particular that I now want to repeat. I first called attention to the risk to our churches of being ethnic and nationalist, of withdrawing into themselves in order to preserve their own culture, language and customs and of losing their sense of mission. The second point concerne...

The Catholic Church in Iran

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:12:12 +0100

by Giovanni Cubeddu The Islamic Republic of Iran currently numbers 77 million inhabitants, with an average age of 26. The Christian presence, which amounted to 300,000 faithful, has long been in decline due to emigration to the United States, Canada and Europe. The vast majority of Christians belong to the Armenian Gregorian Apostolic Church. Then there is the Assyrian Church of the East, and various small Protestant denominations (including local churches for Muslim converts, officially ...

The small steps leading to Tehran

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 07:59:23 +0100

by Cardinal Jean-Louis TauranOur meetings in Tehran have become a regular occurrence, and the theme of the most recent one was Muslim and Christian prospects on coexistence between religions and societies. Already in the days before my departure, the interest of many people had been kindled when they learned that I would meet, as happened, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and that I would personally deliver a letter in which the Pope responded to a previous one received from the President in...

CCEE: BISHOPS OF SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE, MESSAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE. “DON’T LOSE HEART!”

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:50:49 +0100

“Dear young Catholics, even if you are a minority in your countries, don’t lose heart!”. This are the first words of the message (click here) that the Presidents of the Bishops Conferences of South-Eastern Europe, who met from 3rd to 6th March in Nicosia, Cyprus, sent to the young Catholics of their countries. “You are not the only ones – the bishops write – who believe and hope in Christ. A huge sea of young people hope in Christ, love Christ and confide in Christ”. In Nicosia, the...

NEW EVANGELISATION: MGR. ETEROVIC (HOLY SEE), “DOING MORE, DOING BETTER”

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:57:15 +0100

“While evangelisation is, let’s say, the ‘everyday’ business of the Church, proselytism consists in using illegal means to promote faith. The Church does not do proselytism, and, when it speaks of new evangelisation, it means to go different directions, even that of people who have already been baptised but who have maybe gone astray”: this was said by mgr. Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod, today in the Vatican, at the press conference for presentation of the “Lineament...

HOLY SEE-EU: BUZEK (EU PARLIAMENT), “CHRISTIAN MINORITIES” AND “RELIGIOUS FREEDOM”

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:55:06 +0100

“A very moving visit”: interviewed by the journalists, who waited for him in Piazza del Sant’Uffizio in Rome, Jerzy Buzek, the president of the European Parliament, described in these words the private audience he had this morning with Benedict XVI. “In these difficult times of crisis – he said – it is very important for me to meet a man of deep faith and great wisdom, even for what he, as a Pope, can do for the entire community of peoples, within and outside Europe”. Among the topi...

Europe’s stuttering timidity in denouncing the persecution of Christians

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:12:55 +0100

by Bernardo CervelleraAfter nearly three weeks, finally a European text condemns the violations of religious freedom of Christians. The statement suffers from "excessive" balance and distance. The EU's inability to understand what is happening in North Africa and the Middle East is a result of its ignoring its Christian roots. Without a sense of identity the ability to read the situation or offer a way forward. The teaching of Benedict XVI. Rome (AsiaNews) - After more than three weeks of debate,...

CCEE/KEK: CARD. ERDÖ, THE CHRISTIANS’ ECUMENICAL TESTIMONY IN EUROPE IS “URGENT”

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:36:17 +0100

“We are living through moments in history in which our ecumenical consultation, reflection and prayer are really urgent”. This is the realisation that opened in Belgrade, this morning, the yearly meeting of the joint committee of the Conference of European Churches (KEK) and the Council of European Bishops Conferences (CCEE). The meeting, which is due to end on February 220th, is attended by the delegations of the two European bodies, led by the Metropolitan bishop Emmanuel of France, Preside...

CCEE/KEK: INTROVIGNE (OSCE), “WE CAN DO MORE” AGAINST DISCRIMINATION OF CHRISTIANS

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:31:43 +0100

A workshop in Rome and the celebration of a “Day of the Christian Martyrs of our time”, because “we can do more to raise awareness of the discrimination of Christians”. The two ideas were put forward by Massimo Introvigne, OSCE delegate (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) for the fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination of Christians and members of other religions, as he spoke today in Belgrade at the Ccee/Kek Joint Committee meeting. At the end of his speech,...

Egypt’s revolution belongs to the young people, not the Muslim Brotherhood

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:05:36 +0100

by H. Boulad - S. ChafikThe real protagonists of change are young Christians and Muslims. Muslim Brotherhood trying to highjack transition. Fear and silence of Church authorities. Accounts of real "national unity". The analysis of a noted political analyst and director of the Jesuit Cultural Centre of Alexandria.Cairo (AsiaNews) - Fr Henry Boulad, Director of the Jesuit Cultural Centre of Alexandria, and Soliman Chafik, journalist and political analyst, sent us this reading of recent events in Eg...

Pope: Ecumenism, close to the Churches of Jerusalem

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:45:36 +0100

Benedict XVI recalls the trials faced by Christians in the Holy Land and the Middle East, even to the sacrifice of life. Every division is "an offense to Christ." This requires a process of conversion of the Church. Appointments for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: the meeting of the Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Ancient Oriental Churches, Vespers in the basilica of St. Paul, on 25 January. Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The Week of Prayer for Christian...

Fundamentalism and relativism, enemies of religious freedom and peace

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:43:32 +0100

by Bernardo CervelleraIn his message for World Day of Peace 2011, Benedict XVI shows solidarity with the many persecuted Christians (Iraq, the Holy Land, ...), but also highlights that persecution does not only come from Islamic terrorism, but also secular Western society that stifles the religious dimension, eliminating an important element for human life and coexistence between peoples. Rome (AsiaNews)-Freedom of religion, path to peace ", the Message for World Day of Peace in 2011, made...

MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE: THE GEOGRAPHY OF PERSECUTION

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:30:11 +0100

From Maghreb to Sub-Saharan Africa passing through Europe. The “geography” of persecution – this was the focus of the Press Conference held today at the Vatican for the presentation of the Message for the 44th World Day of Peace to be celebrated on 1st January 2011 on the theme “Religious freedom, the path to peace”. Journalists were reminded that according to several international and governmental sources (such as the OSCE), 75% of religious persecutions in the world are against ...

FREEDOM OF RELIGION: REPORT ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN EUROPE

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:10:01 +0100

A 40-page report setting out the facts and figures related to intolerance and discrimination against Christians in different European countries: France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, as well as Turkey, Greece and Albania. The report, drafted by the “Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe”, was presented today in Vienna on the occasion of the Meeting on religious freedom promoted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in...

CATHOLICS AND MUSLIMS: COLLOQUIUM IN TEHRAN, “RESPECT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM”

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:20:36 +0100

Six points to reaffirm, among others, the specific role of believers and religious communities in society and the obligation for the State to respect religious freedom and the social dimension of religion, which cannot be confined to private sphere. This is the outcome of the 7th Colloquium between the Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation in Tehran and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue....

ECUMENISM: “COMMUNION AND SOLITUDE”, CONGRESS ON ORTHODOX SPIRITUALITY IN BOSE

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:12:20 +0100

“Communion and solitude” is the theme of the 18th International Ecumenical Congress on Orthodox Spirituality, which will be held at the Monastery of Bose (Italy) from tomorrow to 11 September 2010. The event is organised in collaboration with the Orthodox Churches. “The contraposition between individual and collectivity – reads a statement issued by the organisers - can find in the Christian, and in particular in the Orthodox tradition a way of humanization in the vital tension between co...

SAKINEH: FATHER LOMBARDI, THE HOLY SEE TAKING ACTION “THROUGH ITS OWN DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS”

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:50:27 +0100

“The Holy See is monitoring” Sakineh’s case “with attention and involvement”. It was stated yesterday, Sunday 5th September, by the director of the Vatican Newsroom, father Federico Lombardi, as he answered the journalists’ questions about the case of the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning, after hearing about her son’s appeal to the international community and the Vatican. “The position of the Church, which is against death penalty, is well known, and stoning is a partic...

HOLY SEE: MESSAGE TO MUSLIMS FOR THE END OF RAMADAN, “PUT AN END TO VIOLENCE”

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:06:10 +0100

May the religious and civil authorities “offer their contributions” in order to put an end to violence among followers of different religions “for the sake of the common good of all society! May the civil authorities safeguard the primacy of the law by ensuring true justice to put a stop to the authors and promoters of violence!”

Orthodox-Catholic Consultation Examines Steps to Unity

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:28:29 +0100

WASHINGTON—The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation continued work on a new agreed statement during its meeting at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, June 1-3. The meeting was co-chaired by Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh and Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans.

L'incontro con l'Arcivescovo ortodosso di Cipro

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:04:46 +0100

A conclusione della mattinata, Benedetto XVI si è recato a mezzogiorno di sabato 5 giugno in visita di cortesia dall'Arcivescovo ortodosso di Cipro, Sua Beatitudine Chrysostomos II . Dopo il colloquio privato nell'arcivescovato ortodosso a Nicosia, nella cattedrale ha avuto luogo l'incontro pubblico. Al saluto rivoltogli da Chrysostomos II il Papa ha risposto con il seguente discorso. Your Beatitude, [I greet you with fraternal affection in the Risen Lord and I...

L'incontro con le autorità civili e il corpo diplomatico nel palazzo presidenziale di Nicosia

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:02:44 +0100

Mr President, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am grateful that, as part of my Apostolic Journey to Cyprus, I have this opportunity to meet with the political and civil authorities of the Republic, as well as the members of the diplomatic community. I thank President Christofias for the gracious words of greeting which he expressed in your name and I willingly reciprocate with my own respectful good wishes for your important work, recalling in particular the happy occasion of the ...

BENEDICT XVI: “DEEP GRATITUDE” TO PATRIARCH KIRILL

Thu, 20 May 2010 17:56:58 +0100

“Deep gratitude” to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was expressed by the Pope in a speech delivered at the end of the concert of Russian music, called by the Holy Father “a time of meeting and friendship with our beloved brothers of the Moscow Patriarchate”, as well as “an extraordinary moment of music”. It was offered to Benedict XVI – this afternoon in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican - by Metropolitan Hilarion, president of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Relations...

BELOVED BROTHER IN CHRIST

Thu, 20 May 2010 17:51:31 +0100

“Beloved brother in Christ”. These are the words with which His Holiness Kirill I, patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, speaks to Benedict XVI, in a message – read by the metropolitan bishop Hilarion – sent to the Pope on the occasion of the Russian music concert that is taking place in the Vatican this afternoon. Kirill defines such initiative “a very important event in the history of the cultural exchanges between our Churches” and explains: “Music is a unique language that enables...

THE POPE IN CYPRUS: MGR. Soueif (MARONITE), “IT WILL MAKE THE CYPRIOT SOCIETY STRONGER”

Thu, 20 May 2010 17:50:07 +0100

“Let’s give a warm welcome to the Pope. Let’s live his arrival deeply. He is a man of dialogue, of peace and justice. His visit to our island will strengthen all these values our society needs”. About two weeks before Benedict XVI’s apostolic journey to Cyprus (4-6 June), this appeal is made by the Maronite archbishop of Cyprus, Youssef Soueif, who is the general coordinator of the visit for the Cypriot Catholic community. Today, from the pages of “O Typos ton Maroniton”, the archbi...

ECUMENISM: ROME, THE ITALIAN-RUSSIAN ACADEMY “SAPIENTIA ET SCIENTIA” UNVEILED TODAY

Thu, 20 May 2010 17:48:30 +0100

The Italian-Russian Academy “Sapientia et scientia” will open in Rome. The international association “Sofia: idea russa, idea d’Europa” opens the doors of a new Academy, the first of its kind in Italy, in cooperation with the State University for International Relations of Moscow, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Foro di dialogo Italia-Russia delle Società Civili. The project was welcomed by the Holy See and the Patriarchate of Moscow and was officially app...

CARDINAL SPIDLIK, A GREAT MAN OF FAITH

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:49:22 +0100

VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2010 (VIS) - This morning Benedict XVI delivered the eulogy at the end of the funeral of Cardinal Tomas Spidlik S.J., who died on 16 April at the age of 90. The funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals. "The will of Jesus coincides with the will of God the Father and, along with the action of the Holy Spirit, represents a kind of secure, strong and sweet 'embrace' of man, leading him to eternal life"...

Pope Notes Contributions of Cardinal Spidlik

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:14:20 +0100

Czech Cardinal Dies at Age 90 VATICAN CITY, APRIL 18, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI sent a telegram of condolence to Father Adolfo Nicolás Pachón, superior general of the Society of Jesus, on the occasion of the death of Cardinal Tomas Spidlik, who died in Rome on Friday. He was 90.The Czech cardinal, a Jesuit, was a specialist in Eastern theology and spirituality and founded the Aletti Center, which is attached to the Pontifical Oriental Institute."The pious demise of Cardinal Tomas Spidl...

CYPRUS: MARONITE AND LATIN CATHOLICS WELCOME BENEDICT XVI’S ARRIVAL

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:32:58 +0100

“A great opportunity to promote human and Christian principles and values based on freedom, forgiveness, peace and reconciliation”. This was stated in a joint notice by the Maronite and Latin Catholic Churches of Cyprus, about Benedict XVI’s visit to the island, from 4th to 6th June 2010. “The Pope – it states – will walk in Saint Paul’s footsteps, and in a spirit of brotherhood he will meet the Orthodox Church, the other denominations and all people of good will.

LETTER TO THE CATHOLIC HIERARCHY ON THE OCCASION OF THE "COLLECTION FOR THE HOLY LAND"

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:08:35 +0100

LENT 2010 Your Excellency, The preparation for Easter once again launches the appeal to the Pastors of the universal Church to support the Holy Land by offering prayers, attentive participation and practical generosity. Sensitivity to the needs of the Church in Jerusalem and in the Middle East finds its motivation in the "we" of the Church. This sensitivity becomes help, like the relief sent to the brethren who lived in Judea (Acts 11:29-30); remembrance, like St Paul’s in...

ITALY: PUBLISHES A VADEMECUM FOR A “GOOD RELATIONSHIP” WITH THE ORTHODOX

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:34:00 +0100

A Vademecum (handbook) “for the pastoral care provided by Catholic parishes to non-Catholic Orientals”, that is, to the Orthodox present in Italy. The Vademecum edited by two Offices of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), namely the offices for ecumenism and dialogue, directed by Fr. Gino Battaglia, and for judicial affairs, guided by Mgr Adolfo Zambon, was published today at www.chiesacattolica.it. Principally aimed at parish priests, pastoral workers, and people in charge of Catholic e...

HOLY SEE: CARD. KASPER’S WISHES TO PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW FOR HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:37:59 +0100

A “heart-felt” thank-you for the “apostolic work” carried out over these years. It was expressed by card. Walter Kasper, president of the Papal Council for the Promotion of the Unity of Christians, in a birthday message sent to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, who will turn 70 on February 29th....

HOW CAN THE UNBELIEVING WELCOME THE GOSPEL IF CHRISTIANS ARE DIVIDED?

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:10:20 +0100

How can “the unbelieving welcome the proclamation of the Gospel if Christians disagree among themselves, even though they all appeal to the same Christ”? The question was put forward this afternoon during the celebration of the Vespers at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls for the solemnity of the Conversion of St. Paul at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Pope Benedict XVI asked it as he recalled in his speech that this year, during the Week of Prayer, Christi...

HE CREATED A CLANDESTINE NETWORK TO HELP THE JEWS

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:11:52 +0100

Today, H2onews, H2onews.org, will publish an exclusive interview with don Giancarlo Centioni, the last surviving witness who was part of the clandestine network created by Pius XII during the Second World War to help the Jews escape the Nazi persecution. “This network gave passports and money to the Jewish families so they could escape”, explains don Centioni, who worked as a military chaplain in Rome from 1940 to 1945, pointing out that “the money and passports were given by father Anton W...

Moving towards a united Christianity

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:41:07 +0100

In the past two months, relations between the three main Christian churches have moved in more promising directions than perhaps during the past 50 years of uninspiring liberal dialogue. By opening a new chapter of theological engagement and concrete co-operation with Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, Pope Benedict XVI is changing the terms of debate about church reunification. In time, we might witness the end of the Great Schism between east and west and a union of the main episcopally-based churches....

BENEDICT XVI: TO PATRIARCH BATHOLOMAIOS I, PETRINE MINISTRY “SERVICE OF LOVE NOT OF POWER”

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:28:26 +0100

In his address to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomaios I, Benedict XVI, quoting the words of his predecessor John Paul II in his encyclical “Ut unum sint”, reiterated his offer to study the “forms” in which “the ministry of the Bishop of Rome may accomplish a service of love recognized by one and all”. The Pope’s message was delivered today, on the Feast of St. Andrew, to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomaios I by Cardinal Walter Kasper.

SMALL STEPS AHEAD

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:23:40 +0100

Catholic and Orthodox leaders met in Cyprus recently to discuss the thorny issue of papal primacy during the first millennium - hear an evaluation from Cardinal Walter Kasper...

© Vatican Radio - nov 6th, 2009

CRUCIFIX AT SCHOOL: PADOVESE (TURKISH BISHOPS), "PERPLEXED AND ANNOYED”

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:22:46 +0100

“Perplexed and annoyed”: this is how mgr. Luigi Padovese, president of the Turkish Bishops Conference (Cet), receives the decree with which yesterday the European Court for Human Rights defined the presence of a Crucifix in a classroom as a “violation of the parents’ right to raise their children according to their own beliefs”. “Removing crucifixes – the prelate says to SIR – is against culture. I wonder why they want to enforce a law that discriminates against the majority, cons...

SWEDEN: CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOXES COMPLAIN ABOUT APPROVAL OF GAY MARRIAGES

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:20:17 +0100

The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches of Sweden complain about yesterday's decision by the General Synod of the Swedish Lutheran Church to grant homosexual weddings in churches starting from November 1st. Through a joint note, Father Fredrik Emanuelson, in charge of the ecumenism of the Swedish Catholic Church, and Father Misha Jaksic, representative of the Orthodox Churches, wrote that they learnt the decision “with sadness”, and added: It is a swing away not only from Christian trad...

Pope Benedict XVI to Visit Cyprus in 2010

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:42:27 +0100

(RV 01 Oct 09 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI shall visit the Republic of Cyprus in 2010. Pope Benedict XVI, accepted the invitation extended to him by the President of the Republic, Mr. Demetris Christofias, during his visit to the Vatican, last March (27 March 2009).He will be the first Pope in modern history to set foot on the island. The Delegate to the Holy See of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, Franciscan Father David Maria Jaeger placed the visit in the broader context of the upcoming Spe...