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Vatican official: Culture of silence is deadly for handling abuse claims
Rome, Italy, Feb 9, 2012 / 03:05 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican?s sex crimes prosecutor says the Church should fight against a culture of silence as it combats the ?sad phenomenon? of sexual abuse in society.
?The teaching of Blessed John Paul II that truth is at the basis of justice explains why a deadly culture of silence or 'omertà' is in itself wrong and unjust,? said Monsignor Charles J. Scicluna, Promoter of Justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on Feb 8.
?Omertà? is a term that describes the code of silence practiced by members of the Mafia.
The 52-year-old Maltese cleric was addressing the ?Towards Healing and Renewal? symposium being hosted the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome from Feb 6-9. The gathering has brought together over 140 representatives from bishops' conferences and 30 religious orders worldwide.
All such groups have until May 2012 to submit new guidelines for preventing abuse to the Vatican for approval although many already have such guidelines in place.
He explained to delegates how the best guide on the Church?s ?moral and legal duty? to seek the truth when allegations are made can found in a 1994 address given by Blessed Pope John Paul II to the Vatican?s highest appeal court, the Roman Rota. On that occasion the late Pope outlined five principles that should inform the actions of those investigating allegations of abuse.
The first was that ?justice is at times called truth,? which means that a culture of silence has to be rejected. Msgr. Scicluna said this principle requires the facts to be established ?with a spirit of fairness? to both the alleged victim and the accused as guided by the Church?s canon law.
?Other enemies of the truth are the deliberate denial of known facts and the misplaced concern that the good name of the institution should somehow enjoy absolute priority to the detriment of legitimate disclosure of crime,? he explained.
Pope John Paul?s second principle was that justice based on truth ?evokes a response from the individual?s conscience.?
?The acknowledgment and recognition of the full truth of the matter in all its sorrowful effects and consequences,? explained Mgsr. Scicluna, ?is at the source of true healing for both victim and perpetrator.?
While experts in psychology could explain how and why perpetrators develop ?coping mechanisms? such as denial, there is ?no substitute? for ?the liberating effect on a cleric?s conscience? which comes from the ?full, humble, honest and contrite acknowledgment of his sin, his crime, his responsibility for the harm he has caused to the victims, to the Church, to society.?
Similarly, there is a ?radical need? for victims to be ?heard attentively, to be understood and believed, to be treated with dignity as he or she plods on the tiresome journey of recovery and healing,? he said.
Pope John Paul II?s third maxim was that ?truth generates confidence in the rule of law, whereas disrespect for the truth generates distrust and suspicion.?
He praised the late Pope for promulgating the 2001 Motu Proprio ?Sacramentorum sanctitatis? which updated and strengthened the Church?s laws for dealing with allegations and incidents of abuse.
He explained how the document had raised clerical abuse to the level of a ?delicta graviora? or ?grave crime? in Church law and, in doing so, took the issue to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. These rules have since been revised and strengthened by Pope Benedict XVI, he said.
?The law is clear,? said Mgsr. Scicluna, but ?the faithful need to be convinced that ecclesial society is living under the governance of law.?
It is ?not good enough,? he said, for the promotion of ?peace and order in the community? that the law is simply clear but also that ?people need to know that the law is being applied.?
The fourth principle proposed by Pope John Paul in his 1994 address was the duty of the Church ?towards the common good.? In alleged cases of abuse, said Msgr. Scicluna, the Church would include the safety of children as a ?paramount concern? which is essential to any understanding of ?the common good.?
He told delegates that this included a ?duty to cooperate with state authorities.?
?Sexual abuse of minors is not just a canonical delict or a breach of a Code of Conduct internal to an institution, whether it be religious or other. It is also a crime prosecuted by civil law,? he said.
The fifth and final principle of Pope John Paul II was that respect for the Church?s guidelines should not be distorted by ?pastoral? concerns.
Mgsr. Scicluna recalled how in 1994 Pope John Paul had warned of ?the temptation to lighten the heavy demands of observing the law in the name of a mistaken idea of compassion and mercy.?
The 2011 investigation into lapses of child safety in the Irish Diocese of Cloyne found that the former Vicar General of the diocese had not upheld the Irish Church?s 1996 guidelines on mandatory reporting as, he felt, they compromised his ?Christian duty of pastoral care.?
Mgsr. Scicluna again quoted Pope John Paul?s advice from 1994 that ?if the rights of others are at stake, mercy cannot be shown or received without addressing the obligations that correspond to these rights.?
He concluded his address to the symposium by stating his belief that ?the honest quest for truth and justice is the best response we can provide for the sad phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors by clerics.?
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Vatican has no money or space for private plane, says priest
Rome, Italy, Feb 8, 2012 / 06:04 pm (CNA).- Contrary to popular belief, Pope Benedict does not own a private jet but instead travels on commercial airlines since the Vatican ?doesn?t have the space or the money? to maintain one, an insider said.
Mexican priest and journalist Father Gonzalo Meza told CNA on Feb. 2 that the Pope always departs Rome on Alitalia, and an airline from the country he is visiting usually brings him home.
However, he noted, the ?papal jet? is outfitted with special items, including pillows and seat covers embroidered with the papal coat of arms.
During his flight to Mexico for his March 23-25 visit, nearly one hundred people, mostly journalists, will accompany the Pope.
Security for the trip is always provided by the host country, Fr. Meza said.
After his visit to Mexico, the Pope ?will depart for Cuba on Aeromexico, and he will return to Rome either on Alitalia or on a Cuban airline,? he added.
Fr. Meza said that during his flights, Benedict XVI ?takes the opportunity to get ahead on his intellectual work or to pray. He likes to write, and he writes all of his homilies and speeches by hand, and then his translator transcribes and corrects them. He almost never uses a computer.?
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Pope's visit will encourage a Cuba founded on love
Rome, Italy, Feb 8, 2012 / 02:02 pm (CNA).- A Cuban priest believes that Pope Benedict's upcoming trip to the country will bring profound change and show that ?love is the only path possible for the present and the future of Cuba.?
?I am convinced in faith that God our Lord will bring great benefit out of the Pope?s visit and out of everything that Cuba is experiencing at this time for our people and for our Church,? Father Jorge Luis Perez Soto told CNA on Feb. 2.
The priest served as pastor of the Cathedral of Havana before relocating to Rome to study dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
He said that Pope Benedict's March 26-28 visit will serve to strengthen the bond between Cubans and the Vatican. Catholics in the country are especially called to be ?a means of reconciliation in Cuba,? in order to bring healing to the wounds of the past, he added.
They must also strive to ?participate more in the social commitment to transform society, to transform the country at this time of great change in Cuba, and to participate actively in the life of the Church,? he said.
Fr. Perez Soto referred to the beginnings of the Communist regime in Cuba, saying it ?certainly decimated the Church during those years.?
However, ?I think it also did the Church a favor,? he observed, ?because the Church stripped of all its incidentals had to seek after what was essential, what was central, and that made us a small Church, weak but united around our pastors, a Church united around the Holy Father.?
He recalled that the visit by John Paul II to Cuba in 1998 was ?a new experience? for the Church on the island, and his messages formed the basis for pastoral ministry in the country during the following 14 years. The Communist regime also slowly began to allow greater freedoms in Cuba, he said.
?I think the people?s view of the Pope changed. They knew about him before, but to see him in person, to see him preaching the Gospel, from the Gospel of his suffering and his old age had a great impact on the Cuban people.?
Because of this experience, he added, ?the Cuban people today likewise are preparing for the visit of His Holiness Benedict XVI,? who as successor to St. Peter, will come ?to confirm the pilgrim flock of Christ in Cuba.?
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Clerical abuse expert welcomes 'marked drop' in US claims
Rome, Italy, Feb 7, 2012 / 06:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- One of the Catholic Church?s leading experts on clerical abuse says he welcomes a significant drop in the number of cases being reported in the United States ? but won?t rest until that figure reaches zero.
?The instance of new allegations have dropped precipitously, it?s a marked drop, which is great news, although we?re not going to stop till we've stopped it completely,? Monsignor Steve Rossetti, associate professor at the Catholic University of America, told CNA Feb 7.
Msgr. Rossetti was in Rome to address an international symposium on the issue of clerical abuse at the Jesuit-run Gregorian University. The Feb. 6 - 9 gathering has brought together representatives from over 140 bishops? conferences and 30 religious orders worldwide.
Msgr. Rossetti said that recent research suggests two reasons for the sharp drop in reported cases in the U.S. First, ?society has now mandatory reporting and prison sentences,? he explained, and second,?the Church has a much stronger prevention program.?
Such prevention programs, he emphasized, ?do work.? By changing ?the culture in which people live,? he added, ?molesters realize they no longer have any safe haven in the Church or in society,? and if and when abuse does occur, ?we respond much more quickly.?
Msgr. Rossetti, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, New York and licensed psychologist, served as a psychological consultant to the U.S. Bishops? Conference in drafting the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. He is currently a consultant to the USCCB ad hoc committee on revising that Charter.
He addressed delegates today on the topic of ?Ministering to Offenders: Learning from Our Past Mistakes.?
?I was really trying to share with the bishops around the world many of the mistakes that had been made in responding to allegations with child sexual abuse, and so that they wouldn?t make the same mistakes,? he said.
His primary message was that the most important thing a bishop can do is to listen to victims as in doing so ?you understand the pain caused, the need to reach out to the victims, to listen to their stories, and to bring some healing from the Church.?
Msgr. Rossetti also explained to CNA that the vast majority of cases of clerical abuse actually took place in the 1970s. His research provides two main reasons for the spike in criminal behavior at that time.
First, ?the Church took in a cohort of men who had greater amounts of sexual deviancy for some reason, not sure why, but in that time frame, there were a number of men who had more, frankly, more sexual problems.?
He also added that statistically the 1960s and 1970s was a ?more permissive environment,? when ?crimes of all sorts, not just child abuse, spiked up during that time frame.?
?So, when you have a permissive environment, and in that permissive environment you place a group of men with deviant sexual interests, you end up with an explosion,? he concluded.
The Vatican has now given bishops conferences and religious congregations until May 2012 to submit their guidelines for dealing with clerical abuse to the Vatican for approval or revision. Many are looking towards the U.S. model as a template.
?My understanding is that the Bishops? Conference in the U.S. has been helping anyone who comes and asks for help,? said Msgr. Rossetti, ?not only other countries or bishops, but also other secular programs.?
He has seen religious and non-religious groups approach the U.S. bishops of the and say ?we have heard about your guidelines, we want to learn from them and implement them in our organization.?
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No law allowing abortion can be moral, say Spanish experts
Cordoba, Spain, Feb 3, 2012 / 01:53 pm (CNA/Europa Press).- Catholic professors from the University of Cordoba in Spain have published a study on abortion in which they argue that no law allowing abortion can be considered moral.
The study, which is included in a book published by the Diocese of Cordoba, was presented Feb. 1 by Professor Juan Luis Sevilla of the University of Cordoba and Miguel Castro, head of Campus Ministry for the diocese.
Castro said copies of the book will be distributed free of charge throughout the Spanish region of Andalusia ?to all those who want a clear understanding of the issue of abortion from a humanist and Christian perspective, but with an academic report.?
Commenting on the Spanish government?s plan to reform the 2010 law on abortion rather than returning to the 1985 law, Castro said, ?the Church does not support any law? that considers the unborn to receive less legal protection ?than other persons.?
In fact, he underscored, abortion can never be justified in any instance, not even in cases of rape or fetal deformation, as established by the 1985 law.
The Church rejects the current law but also continues to be ?in disagreement? with the 1985 one, ?because the person in the womb deserves the same protection as the person outside it,? Castro said.
Juan Luis Sevilla, the director of the study on abortion in Andalusia, said Spain?s current law is based on ?gender ideology? and is a ?legal aberration,? because it ?establishes abortion as a right? and allows minors to obtain abortions without parental consent.
For this reason, he said, the 1985 law ?can never be good? as it ?opened the door to death for innocent persons.?
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English and Welsh Catholics encouraged to carry ?faith cards?
London, England, Feb 3, 2012 / 02:51 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Catholic Church in England and Wales plans to distribute one million ?faith cards? to every parish in the country in a bid to help all baptized Catholics to know, live and share their faith.
?We all carry a variety of cards in our purses and wallets which reflect something of our identity and the things that are important to us,? explained Bishop Kieran Conry, Chairman of the Bishops? Department for Evangelization and Catechesis.
?The faith card for Catholics aims to offer a daily reminder of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We can?t summarize the whole of our faith in bullet points, but we hope that the card simply inspires people to do, read and learn more.?
The new document is the size of a credit card. On one side it lists six things that a Catholic is called to do: ?Share with others the joy of knowing Jesus Christ, Pray, Celebrate the sacraments regularly, Love my neighbor as myself, Use the gifts that I?ve been given wisely, and Forgive as I have been forgiven.?
There is also a space for the owner to sign their name, with the additional request that ?in the event of an emergency please contact a Catholic priest.?
On the reverse side is a quote from the 19th-century English cleric Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, taken from his 1848 ?Meditations on Christian Doctrine.? In it Cardinal Newman explains that ?God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.?
Bishop Conry explained that the card is ?also designed to give Catholics confidence to share their faith ? often people need help knowing what to say. Faith is a not a private matter.?
The Catholic Church in England and Wales hopes that the card will help prepare the way for the Pope Benedict?s Year of Faith, which begins in October 2012. The Pope hopes the year will spur a ?new evangelization? of those traditionally Christian countries which are currently experiencing the rise of radical secularism.
?Carrying a faith card takes courage, it signals to others, every time you use your wallet or purse, that you believe in God, that your life has a purpose, that you are trying to love and serve your neighbor,? explained Bishop Conry.
?We hope that Catholics will use it to witness to their faith. If someone asks a question about Catholicism, a starting point could be to show the card and to take it from there.?
The cards are free and will be distributed to 24 dioceses, including the Bishopric of the Forces and the new Anglican Ordinariate, during February and March.
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Religious leaders remind Europe of Christianity?s social good
Rome, Italy, Feb 2, 2012 / 06:02 pm (CNA).- The Council of Bishops? Conferences of Europe and the Conference of European Churches are encouraging Christians to demonstrate the positive influence Christianity can have in the public sphere.
The churches ?have the opportunity to participate in the intellectual debate and to show that the Christian faith is a force for good in society,? the councils said following their Jan. 26-28 meeting in Geneva Switzerland.
The committee discussed the situation facing Christians in a ?secular and atheist? Europe, where religion ?is seen as a private affair that should have not have an impact on the public sphere,? and where the secular position ?is erroneously considered a neutral position.?
The leaders said the source of the spiritual crisis affecting Europe needs to be found. They encouraged Christians ?to resist the temptation to diminish their presence in the public sphere, because the credibility of their testimony in the eyes of public opinion is at stake.?
On the other hand, they warned that the family in Europe is deteriorating and that the number of children born out of wedlock is increasing.
A new ?internal evangelization? is urgently needed to strengthen the faith of Christians and reinforce ?external evangelization,? they said.
The Council of Bishops? Conferences of Europe and the Conference of European Churches have met each year since 1972 for ecumenical dialogue and discussion on the work of evangelization.
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London designer?s style classes encourage God-given potential
London, England, Feb 2, 2012 / 03:32 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A London fashion designer is teaching young women to dress virtuously, after her brother's death made her rethink her life and career.
?I want to invest some time and love into the next generation,? said Helena Machin, who also works with high-profile clients as the creative director for a French milliner. Through her ?Style Masterclasses,? she is showing women how to be ?well-dressed? in every sense of the word.
?I want to have them embrace their femininity by modest and attractive dress and in doing so, fulfill their God-given potential,? Machin recently told CNA.
Helena came up with the masterclass idea after her twin brother James passed away from a terminal illness three years ago.
?He spent his life serving others, showing them the way to Christ through his heroic example, despite being unwell for a lot of the time,? she recalled. ?Through his good humor and good example he brought many people back to their faith.?
Around the same time Machin discovered Opus Dei, and its emphasis on the spiritual dimension of work and everyday life. Through the teachings of the organization's founder Saint Josemaria Escriva, she grew determined to sanctify her work in the fashion industry.
In a talk given at a charity foundation on Jan. 26, the designer discussed different body types and gave tips on dressing accordingly.
Art-criticism student Amy Mulvenna, 23, said Machin teaches women to reflect their true femininity and personalities ? a welcome change from the approach of magazines that can encourage ?presenting yourself without respect.?
Emily Green, a 19-year-old business student at King's College in London, said the Style Masterclass ?redefines the roles and distinction between men and women.?
?Women have become too manly in order to fit in the workplace,? Green observed. ?This confuses the men and reasserts their position in a violent way, yet women don't expect or desire that.?
?I love Helena's approach to design,? said Green. ?She has perfect terminology so you can tell she knows what she's talking about and she's on top of it, and this just captivates the audience. She believes dressing is a language, and it's so true.?
?We all want social recognition, and sometimes girls may dress just to fit in. But they don't realize they're just attracting less respect. If you don't respect yourself, others can't respect you.?
Medical student Vicky Weissmann told CNA she considered it ?polite and a courtesy to others to dress well.?
According to Machin, this message of decorum works both ways.
The designer offered a tip to all young women: ?If you want to be treated like a lady, dress like a lady.?
While continuing her professional work in the world of women's hats, Machin will also be giving presentations in schools and university chaplaincies. She will bring her Style Masterclass to London's Baytree Centre during the Easter season, in an intensive short course for 14 to 18-year-olds.
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Spanish government ends controversial Education for the Citizenry course
Madrid, Spain, Feb 1, 2012 / 06:02 pm (CNA).- Spain?s Minister of Education, Jose Ignacio Wert, announced on Jan. 31 that the government will eliminate the controversial course Education for the Citizenry from required school curriculum and replace it with a course on civics ?free of controversial issues and ideological indoctrination.?
Beginning in 2006, the Socialist government began requiring all students to take Education for the Citizenry, which promoted secularism, gender ideology and abortion. The mandatory nature and the content of the course cause parents to strongly object to it as a violation of their right to educate their children according to their own convictions.
?Education for the Citizenry has been controversial from the outset and has created serious divisions in society and in the field of education,? Wert told a congressional committee on education.
He said the Socialist government course ?went beyond what true civics education should be according to the directives of the Council of Europe.?
For this reason, a new course will replace it that will teach students about the Spanish constitution and about the values that make up a democratic and pluralistic society, as well as the history of the European Union and Spain?s place in it.
Numerous organizations have praised the decision. The president of the group Professionals for Ethics, Jaime Urcelay, said ?It is a great joy that makes up for years of effort and struggle for freedom in the face of educational indoctrination imposed by the government.?
He noted that families have been protesting the course for years and that over 3,400 lawsuits were filed against the Spanish government and before the European Court in Strasburg.
Urcelay said a new course on civics and the democratic system would be in complete contrast with Education for the Citizenry and a welcome change ?if it does not interfere in the values of the students and is not intended to shape their consciences and thinking against the will of their parents.?
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Abortion law reform must be more than 'cosmetic,' says Spanish bishop
San Sebastian, Spain, Jan 31, 2012 / 02:00 pm (CNA/Europa Press).- Bishop Jose Ignacio Munilla of San Sebastian, Spain said he is hopeful that the reforms of the country?s abortion law will not be ?merely cosmetic? but will ?take into serious consideration? the 1985 ruling of the country?s Constitutional Court that ?recognizes the right to life.?
According to Europa Press, in an interview with Radio Euskadi on Jan. 30, Bishop Munilla said the scope of the proposed reforms is not yet known, but that the abortion law passed by the previous administration ?is incompatible with current Spanish law as it enshrines abortion as a personal right.?
?We have the duty to fight for the day in which abortion will be a nightmare of the past, like the slavery of those from Africa,? the bishop said. He noted that women, and not just the unborn, are also the victims of abortion. ?We are seeing more and more women who have had abortions come to us for psychological help, because abortion is always a tragedy,? he said.
In the same interview, Bishop Munilla commented on the decline in the number of Church weddings in Spain, blaming the drop on the high rates of divorce and remarriage outside of the Church. ?This has a great impact on the statistics,? he said.
He also encouraged parents to keep their children in religious education classes and said attempts to expel religion from the public school ?can only be understood as crisis of identity.?
?It seems like we are embarrassed of our roots,? he said, adding that it is ?impossible? to understand Spanish culture apart from its ?religious roots.?
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New Patriarch of Venice approaches job with trepidation and trust
Vatican City, Jan 31, 2012 / 01:55 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Bishop Francesco Moraglia was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to the important post of Patriarch of Venice on Jan. 31. Despite the enormity of the job, he trusts God will help him succeed.
Bishop Moraglia, 59, told Vatican Radio that when the Pope asked him to move to Venice his ?mood at the time was one of trepidation.?
But that quickly changed after he ?went to the chapel and talked to the Lord in the tabernacle, saying, ?In the end you are there, and so I trust in you.??
During the 20th century, three former Patriarchs of Venice have gone on to occupy the papacy ? Pope Pius X, Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul I.
The new patriarch hails from Genoa, Italy and was ordained to the priesthood in 1977. Since being ordained he has taught dogmatic theology at various Catholic institutions in northwestern Italy. He has also served as an assistant pastor in a Genoese parish. He was ordained as Bishop of La Spezia-Sarzana-Brugnato in 2008.
The veteran Italian religious commentator Sandro Magister describes Bishop Moraglia as ?without a shadow of a doubt a ?Ratzingerian? in both theology and liturgy.? He also calls him a ?man of culture,? who is also keen to advocate the plight of the most vulnerable in society including, at present, those families facing economic difficulties.
Bishop Moraglia said the unemployment data in Italy alone makes him ?shudder? because ?we are talking about a 30 per cent of young people between 14 and 25 who have no work.? That, in turn, creates serious insecurity for young people as they contemplate the future, he said.
Bishop Moraglia sees his role as primarily to ?love his people? and to ?make people understand that there is this feeling of love, of nearness: standing in their midst.? After that, he said, a bishop must speak and give directions to his people while never losing sight of the fact that he is one of them.
During his four years as head of the La Spezia diocese, Bishop Moraglia has presided over a rise in seminary numbers and championed devotional practices like perpetual Eucharistic adoration.
He is now looking forward to shepherding the Archdiocese of Venice during the Year of Faith which begins October 2012.
His ?deepest hope? is to be ?in the midst of the people,? whom he seeks to serve. He said he does not want to be their ?master of the faith? but rather a ?collaborator in the joy of these people.?
The Patriarchate of Venice includes the Archdiocese of Venice along with nine suffragan dioceses. The patriarch?s cathedral is St. Mark?s Basilica in Venice.
Bishop Moraglia succeeds Cardinal Angelo Scola who became Archbishop of Milan last year after nine years as Venice?s patriarch.
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Pro-life supporters take a stand in Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain, Jan 30, 2012 / 06:07 pm (CNA).- Hundreds of pro-life supporters gathered in Barcelona, Spain on Jan. 25 to protest the abortion services offered at hospitals linked to the Catholic Church in the Spanish region of Catalonia.
According to Tania Fernandez of the Right to Life in Barcelona, the march took place amid ?the shouts of 100 radical and furious supporters of abortion, who were continuously hurling shouts and insults.?
?Sensing their powerlessness in the face of our peace, joy and calm despite their shouts, blasphemies, idiocy, spitting and more, the abortion supporters began throwing ?rocks? and trash at us. This was all caught on video and the police have been informed,? Fernandez said.
She thanked those ?defenders? of life who participated in the march, including ?mothers, fathers, children, aunts and uncles, grandparents, brothers and sisters, grandchildren, friends, etc., who once again were there to bear witness to life.?
Fernandez also thanked police for helping to protect the crowd from the attack. She noted the testimony of Father Custodio Ballester, who attended the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. on Jan. 23.
Fr. Ballester has frequently protested the abortions performed at several hospitals in Catalonia that have ties to the Catholic Church.
?Seeing the massive pro-life crowd in Washington, I thought: Barcelona is not alone! We are not alone! We have a vast world at our side,? the priest said.
?This war against death is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our city and our country. This war was not ended on the day the abortion laws were passed,? he added.
?This war was not ended on the day abortions began to be performed at San Pablo Hospital, at San Juan de Dios Hospital, at Granollers or Sant Celoni,? Fr. Ballester said. ?This war was not ended on the day church leaders decided to remain silent ? This war is worldwide.?
Pro-life forces ?can triumph in the future with the superior strength that the Lord of hosts will give us. The destiny of the world is at stake. No matter what happens, the flame of resistance will not and must not be extinguished,? he said.
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English seminary in Rome celebrates its 650th birthday
Rome, Italy, Jan 27, 2012 / 06:10 pm (CNA).- The Catholic seminary in Rome where young Englishmen are trained for the priesthood turned 650 years-old on Jan. 27.
It was on that day in 1362 that the forerunner of the Venerable English College, a house for English and Welsh pilgrims to Rome, was founded. In the 16th century it became a seminary.
?It is right in the heart of Rome. It is a wonderful location,? said vice rector Fr. Mark Harold, as he gave a tour of the college to CNA.
The English College ?is a really historic place and we believe it is the oldest English institution in the world outside England,? he explained.
The pilgrim house, which is tucked away on Rome?s Via di Monserrato, was in operation for about 200 years and enjoyed royal patronage.
Beginning in 1412 its front wall was emblazoned with the English Royal Coat of Arms ? a crest that is still there today. During the reign of Henry VII it was known as the ?King?s Hospice,? while Henry VIII described it as ?Our Hospice.?
But that all changed in the 16th century when the English monarchy turned against the Catholic faith, fueling a Protestant Reformation in England.
?Then, Pope Gregory XIII met with Cardinal William Allen who was resident here in the hospice,? explained Fr. Harold. Pope Gregory said, ??why don?t you found your seminary for the English here in this place on the Via Mosserato??? Portraits of the two founders still claim pride of place in the seminary?s dining room.
Since its foundation in 1579 the English College has produced numerous martyrs who were killed for their Catholic faith upon return to England. The roll of honor in the college?s grand entrance hall is a litany of 10 former students who have been declared canonized saints, 28 who have been declared beatified, and four others who are venerable.
The impressive list of martyrs led to the college being bestowed with the title ?Venerable? in 1818.
?It is very much part of the tradition of this college, a tradition of mission for the Catholic Church, a mission showing witness, showing martyrdom for Christ by giving their life,? said Fr. Harold.
He related how the college?s first martyr, St. Ralph Sherwin, was executed at Tyburn in central London in 1581, only two years after the seminary was founded.
His fellow students quickly developed a tradition that whenever an alumnus was martyred they would assemble in front of the college chapel?s altar piece to sing a ?Te Deum Laudemus? in thanksgiving. That tradition will be repeated after Mass on Jan. 27.
Over the past 650 years the college has hosted many distinguished guests ? from the poet John Milton to Cardinal John Henry Newman to Blessed John Paul II in 1979.
?It is also reported that William Shakespeare, who was a recusant Catholic ? so many people say ? visited Italy and the college. He certainly wrote widely about Italy in his plays,? claimed Fr. Harold.
This weekend many alumni will return to the college to celebrate the 650th anniversary, including Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O?Connor, who was also rector for six years in the 1970s.
They return to an institution that seems to be in good health with numbers of seminarians on the up and up. When Fr. Harold joined the staff three-and-a-half years ago the college had 25 students. Today it has 45. The majority come from England and Wales, while four hail from Scandinavia.
A former student himself, Fr. Harold says it is ?a real privilege? to be a seminarian in Rome because it gives young men six years at the heart of the Church to develop both intellectually and spiritually.
?That spiritual development is particularly important ? your life with Christ in prayer, to make it become part of you. Seminary life is not just about acquiring knowledge and skills. It is about growing in Christ,? he said.
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Spanish government seeks to add parental consent to abortion law
Madrid, Spain, Jan 26, 2012 / 03:31 pm (CNA/Europa Press).- Spain?s Minister of Justice, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, announced on Jan. 25 that the government will work to change the country?s abortion law to require parental consent for minors who wish to undergo the procedure.
Gallardon, a member of the People?s Party, said the reform would ?change the model of current abortion regulations to reinforce protection of the right to life and of minors.?
In 2010 the People?s Party filed a petition before the Constitutional Court questioning eight articles of Spain?s abortion law, arguing that it should be reformed in accord with the court?s 1985 ruling that established that the state has the duty to protect developing human life.
Gallardon criticized the law, which went into effect July 2010, for allowing abortion on demand up until the 14th week of pregnancy. He said the provision violates article 15 of the Spanish Constitution, which recognizes that ?everyone has the right to life.?
He also questioned why the limit was set at 14 weeks and not 12 or 16. He said there was no explanation as why the unborn should be protected after the limit but not before.
In cases of abortion up until the 22nd week that are allowed for the health of the mother, the People?s Party noted that this exception is broad enough to justify almost any reason for an abortion.
The party said the justification for abortion in cases of ?risk of grave fetal anomalies, which would appear to include blindness or deafness, missing arms or limbs, or Down syndrome,? bring to mind the ?eugenic theories? of the 20th century that deemed some people ?unworthy of living? or ?burdensome.?
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Crisis gives reason to reflect on human existence, says Spanish archbishop
Toledo, Spain, Jan 25, 2012 / 07:58 pm (CNA/Europa Press).- Archbishop Braulio Rodriguez of Toledo, Spain recently spoke of the impact a crisis can have on humanity.
?The crisis can and should be an incentive to reflect on human existence and the importance of its ethical dimension,? the archbishop said during a Jan. 23 Mass honoring St. Ildefonso, the patron of Toledo.
Orthodox Archbishop Policarpo Stravropoulos of Spain and Portugal also attended the Mass.
?When we recite the prayer for peace, we confidently pray that those who are suffering hunger, tribulation or illness, those who are going through difficulties or are burdened with debt or sadness, be liberated by the generous mercy of the Lord,? said Archbishop Rodriguez. He added that the prayer for peace is beautiful for the ?complex? times in which we live because we can be ?gripped by fear.?
?Christians cannot fall into this fear. Yes, the present moment is characterized unfortunately by a deep uneasiness and by various crises in economic, political and social life,? and that this is affecting not only families but also companies in the most economically advanced countries.
?It also affects the developing countries as well,? he added.
?We should not be discouraged?the Holy Father said in his discourse to diplomats on Jan. 9?but rather begin our journey again with determination, with new forms of commitment. The crisis can and should be an incentive to reflect on human existence and on the importance of its ethical dimension,? the archbishop said.
?St. Ildelfonso must intercede for us before Jesus Christ so that we can trust in the help of our faith and in the possibilities that are always opening before us, if we are open to the Gospel and to its liberating force, if we proclaim Christ and his Gospel to those who do not know it and if we deepen in the grace of our Christian initiation,? he explained.
?Perhaps we have thought or still think that only the things around us can save us and give us happiness. Is that so? Isn?t there more, brothers and sisters? We know we need temporal things but without forgetting those that are eternal,? the archbishop said.
?We wish the economy was better, but is this not a chance to open our hearts in ways that do not draw us away from God and from love of neighbor, from the common good, justice and the healthy and good things that life has to offer?? he asked.
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