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Priests condemn city's move banning bishop from events
Madrid, Spain, May 18, 2012 / 04:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Priests in Spain voiced support for a local bishop after a city council adopted a motion banning him from official city events over his remarks criticizing dangerous behaviors within the gay community.
On May 15 the Alaca city council passed the motion, which also called for Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla to be moved to another diocese.
?In response to these very grave acts, we express our adherence to the Catholic doctrine taught by our father and pastor, Bishop Reig, as well as our support for him and his apostolic ministry, and we invite all to pray for religious freedom, for our Bishop and for those who persecute the Catholic Church,? the priests said in a statement Tuesday.
The motion to transfer the bishop was presented by the group Union, Progress and Democracy and was backed by other left-leaning organizations as well as the Spanish Socialist Party. The ruling People?s Party, however, has opposed the motion.
Bishop Reig Pla has faced intense criticism after remarks given in a Good Friday sermon in which he condemned sexual practices he believes to be harmful.
As part of a larger cultural critique of sexual behavior in modern society, he lamented how some with same-sex attraction ?corrupt and prostitute themselves or go to gay night clubs? in order to ?validate? their struggle.
?I assure you what they encounter is pure hell,? he said on April 6.
In response to the bishop, Socialist Party spokesman Javier Rodriguez said his comments have put him as well as the diocese ?on the homophobic map.?
Bishop Reig Pla, however, has gained the support of the Spanish bishops' conference, whose secretary general, Auxiliary Bishop Juan Antonio Martinez Camino of Madrid, called the controversy caused by his sermon ?unjust.?
The International Federation of Associations of Catholic Doctors has also voiced support for Bishop Reig Pla as well as more than 20 locals struggling with same-sex attraction who personally wrote the bishop to thank him for his remarks.
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Italian journalist publishes book of Vatican leaks
Rome, Italy, May 18, 2012 / 09:39 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi reveals private Vatican correspondence in a new book containing a collection of letters titled, ?Sua Santita (His Holiness).?
Nuzzi, whose coverage of Vatican affairs is scant, was responsible for leaking two private letters in January that the Pope sent to the current Apostolic Nuncio to the United States and former secretary of the Vatican City Government, Archbishop Claudio Maria Vigano.
He also leaked other private letters from the Holy See, contributing to a series of confidentiality breaches dubbed ?Vatileaks? by the media.
The journalist is also known as the host of the television program ?The Untouchables,? and has been a collaborator with various Italian newspapers, including Espansione, Il Corriere della Sera, Il Giornale and Panorama. He is the author of the books ?Vatican S.p.A.? and ?Metastasis.?
Last month, Pope Benedict XVI launched an investigation to determine the source of the internal leaks by creating a special commission of cardinals.
The group includes Cardinal Julian Herranz, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts; Cardinal Josef Tomko, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, Archbishop emeritus of Palermo in Italy.
According to the publisher Chiarelettere, the book was titled ?His Holiness? since ?that is how the letters that are addressed to Pope Benedict XVI begin.? The publishing house noted that apart from an introduction by the author, the new book only features the leaked letters, most of which have already been published or refer to past events.
One leaked memo that emerged over the last few months concerns a cardinal?s complaint about another cardinal who reputedly spoke of a possible assassination attempt against the Pope within 12 months and speculated upon his successor.
In January, an Italian television show broadcast private letters to Pope Benedict XVI and Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former deputy governor of Vatican City, who is currently the apostolic nuncio to the U.S. The archbishop contended that other Vatican officials have conducted a smear campaign against him because of his changes to purchasing procedures.
Other leaks center on the Vatican?s financial institution, the Institute of Works of Religion, which is also trying to reform and comply with international norms.
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Legion leaders regret not acting sooner in Fr. Williams case
Rome, Italy, May 17, 2012 / 04:15 pm (CNA).- Leaders of the Legionaries of Christ have apologized for not acting more quickly in the case of Father Thomas Williams, who acknowledged on May 15 that he fathered a child several years ago.
In a statement published on its website, the Legionaries said the priest's superiors ?suggested to Fr. Thomas to act in an appropriate way and to withdraw himself from public appearances ? Nevertheless, it would have been better to act faster and more forcefully.?
?The General Director and his council are deeply sorry for not having acted earlier and more firmly, and they assume the responsibility and ask pardon for not having done everything possible to limit the scandal,? the order said.
It was out of concern for ?the legitimate interests of all concerned, especially the privacy of the mother and child,? that the facts were not made public earlier, according to the statement.
Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, the papal delegate appointed to oversee the order's reform efforts in 2010, told Reuters he ?only heard about it this year,? when he was informed several months ago.
In its statement, the Legionaries said the papal delegate had helped them to ?sort out difficult issues like this.? They also stated that future cases of a similar kind will be handled ?with canonical firmness.?
In the case of Fr. Williams, the order says it knows of ?no other inappropriate relationships.?
Known for his numerous books and frequent television appearances, Fr. Williams apologized on Tuesday for the events that took place ?a number of years ago.? He has withdrawn from public ministry for a year ?to reflect on the wrong I have done and my commitments as a priest.?
Citing ?respect for the privacy of the mother and child,? his order said it had no further details to provide regarding the time frame of Fr. Williams' relationship with the woman, nor about the age of their child, or how long the priest's superiors knew of the situation before taking action.
Fr. Williams, who was ordained in 1994, is also a professor at the Legionaries' Regina Apostolorum University. In Tuesday's clarification notice, the order said the woman was not one of his students. Their relationship, according to the Legion, involved no ?abuse of authority.?
?Despite the moral seriousness of this transgression against the priestly vows, it is not a case of abuse or a criminal action,? the order stated, explaining that the case had been reported to a representative of the Pope but not to civil authorities.
The child, meanwhile, ?is being cared for, as required by natural law.? No further details were disclosed.
Canon law does not provide a single set procedure for cases in which a priest fathers a child with an adult woman. Priests may be released from their vows in some cases, though they may also choose to continue serving as clergy after appropriate repentance and other steps to address the situation.
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Spain would save $72 million by axing abortion funding
Madrid, Spain, May 17, 2012 / 04:09 pm (CNA).- The spokesman for the organization Right to Life in Spain, Gador Joya, said eliminating abortion funding from the federal budget would save Spain nearly $72 million.
According to Europa Press, Joya suggested the funds be used for a comprehensive maternity program, with special emphasis on women with ?unexpected pregnancies.?
She criticized the government for continuing to provide funding for abortion, while at the same time arguing that the health care system is too poor to pay for treatments such as hip replacements.
?At times we have the sensation that the government does not want to confront the harsh reality. Abortion is the cruel and violent death of a human being. It does not cure or prevent an illness, and therefore it cannot be recognized as a health care benefit,? she added.
Joya said the Spanish government needs to take action quickly ?because each day 300 children are dying, and since the new government has taken office, more than 40,000 lives have been lost.
Right to Life, together with the Forum on the Family, have issued an ?urgent? appeal to the government to cut funding for abortion, after the country?s Health Minister, Ana Mato, said Spain?s national health care system would continue to cover the procedure.
The president of the Forum on the Family, Benigno Blanco, underscored that many Spaniards find it ?totally unacceptable? that their tax dollars are being used to pay for abortions, and he said the laws that force public hospitals to cover abortions should be struck down ?as soon as possible.?
Blanco said it was particularly incongruous that the law itself has separated abortion for any issue related to health and has turned it into a right that can be exercised by a woman without any medical reason whatsoever.
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Diocese rejects transfer of Spanish bishop over gay remarks
Madrid, Spain, May 16, 2012 / 04:04 pm (CNA).- A Spanish diocese has rejected a request by the city government to have Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla transferred due to a controversial Good Friday sermon that critics have labeled as ?homophobic.?
?Our father and pastor, Juan Antonio Reig Pla, the Bishop of Alcala de Henares, has always taught Catholic doctrine with charity and truth, and he will continue to do so with the grace of God,? the diocese said in a statement.
The motion to transfer the bishop was presented by the group Union, Progress and Democracy and was backed by other left-leaning organizations as well as the Spanish Socialist Party. The ruling People?s Party, however, has opposed the motion, which demands that the bishop be transferred to another diocese and that he not be invited to any official event in the city.
Bishop Reig Pla has faced intense criticism after remarks given in a Good Friday sermon in which he condemned sexual practices he believes to be harmful.
As part of a larger cultural critique of sexual behavior in modern society, he lamented how some with same-sex attraction ?corrupt and prostitute themselves or go to gay night clubs? in order to ?validate? their struggle.
?I assure you what they encounter is pure hell,? he said on April 6.
In response to the bishop, Socialist Party spokesman Javier Rodriguez said his comments have put him as well as the diocese ?on the homophobic map.?
In its statement, however, the Diocese of Alcala de Henares underscored its respect for all persons, regardless of their condition, and for legitimately constituted authorities.
But it also stressed the need for the right to religious freedom and that ?no human institution has the authority to judge, and much less, prevent the teaching of Catholic doctrine.?
When such an effort is made formally by a political institution, the diocese said, ?The result is a sad and intolerable violation of human rights and of the principle of the separation of Church and state.?
Bishop Reig Pla has gained the support of the Bishops? Conference of Spain, whose secretary general, Auxiliary Bishop Juan Antonio Martinez Camino of Madrid called the controversy caused by his sermon ?unjust.?
The International Federation of Associations of Catholic Doctors has also voiced support for Bishop Reig Pla as well as more than 20 locals struggling with same-sex attraction who personally wrote the bishop to thank him for his remarks.
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FOCUS considers expanding mission to Europe
Rome, Italy, May 16, 2012 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- FOCUS campus ministry is considering taking their successful brand of youth apostolate to Europe in order to meet the challenge of evangelizing formerly Christian societies.
Founder and president Curtis Martin called the potential task ?unique? in that ?you are proclaiming the Gospel to people who already know parts of the Gospel.?
?I think there is tremendous opportunity, especially in the Americas, but also in Western Europe because we have such a deep, Catholic Christian culture, but people are drifting away,? he told CNA in Rome May 9.
Launched only 14 years ago, FOCUS ? the Fellowship of Catholic University Students ? has grown from four missionaries serving one campus in Kansas to over 260 missionaries serving nearly 60 campuses in 28 states across the U.S.
Martin identifies the ?FOCUS effect? as the infectious enthusiasm of young people after they have their ?lives changed by Jesus Christ? and recognize that ?the Catholic Church is the home that all Christians are called to.?
?When they go on to college campuses and they?re living a life of joy and friendship, it radiates,? he said.
?Everybody desires to have joy and friendship but our world offers very little of that, so when they go on campus they stand out like a star in the middle of a dark night.?
Speaking beneath the shadow of the dome of St. Peter?s basilica, Martin said he recognizes that most young people in Europe ?typically know that Jesus Christ is a historical figure? and are even aware that ?he died on a cross and even that he rose from the dead.?
?But they don't know how to make those realities, the reality of what Christ did, have any impact on their lives.?
Because of this, he believes that the young people of the old world are now ripe for ?a bold, energetic, zealous and joyful proclamation of the Gospel that invites them to think again what their life is all about.?
The organization is no stranger to the European continent. Last year Martin and his team hosted an evangelization summit in the Spain prior to World Youth Day in Madrid. Next month they will be present at the 50th Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, Ireland. They?ve also had missionaries serve temporarily at the European campuses of American universities.
?We?re just begging God that when the time is right, if it?s something that the Church calls for, that we'll be ready to respond. We?re eager to go wherever the Holy Spirit leads us,? said Martin.
The FOCUS team will be back in Rome this October for the Synod of Bishops when up to 100 campus leaders will pray and fast ?begging God to send grace upon the Church.? In the evenings they also hope to meet with many of the participating bishops to discuss Blessed John Paul II's vision of the New Evangelization and, perhaps, the expansion of FOCUS into Europe.
?Right now, there's plenty of work to do in the United States but if the Holy Spirit calls us to go elsewhere, we'll do everything we can to meet that call.?
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Virgin Mary 'greatest source of hope' for Europe's crisis
Valencia, Spain, May 15, 2012 / 04:05 pm (CNA).- A top Vatican official called the Virgin Mary the ?greatest source of hope? during the economic crisis now facing Spain and most of the countries of Europe.
Cardinal Antonio Canizares, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, made his remarks during the traditional ?Missa d?Infants? (Children?s Mass) in Valencia.
The outdoor Mass at Virgin Mary Square is the largest celebration in honor of the Blessed Mother under the patronage of ?Our Lady of Abandoned Children.? Dozens of children?s choirs participate in the Mass each year.
During his homily, the cardinal said devotion to Mary is especially important ?during the difficult times of our life, amidst the great difficulties we are experiencing? and as society faces a ?critical hour? in history.
He went on to say that at the root of the massive crisis facing the country, and the real problem facing mankind, ?is the breakdown of humanity, the lack of a true vision of man, who is inseparable from God.?
Citing the words of Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Canizares stressed that when God disappears, ?man is unable to achieve greatness.?
?He loses his dignity and becomes the mere product of blind evolution, to be used and abused.? Only in God and with God, who loves man unconditionally, ?as we feel in Mary, will the change that the earth needs come to pass,? he said.
The cardinal?s homily was met with a standing ovation by the thousands of people gathered for the Mass.
At the conclusion of the Mass, Archbishop Carlos Osoro of Valencia thanked the cardinal for his words and asked him to convey to Pope Benedict XVI ?our sincere affection and communion and the prayer of all the Christians of the pilgrim Church of Valencia.?
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Leaked SSPX letters reveal internal discord over Vatican negotiations
Rome, Italy, May 14, 2012 / 12:03 pm (CNA).- Recently leaked documents reveal the correspondence between four bishops of the Society of St. Pius X, which show disagreement over reconciliation efforts with the Vatican.
The breakaway society gave its assent on April 13 to a statement of doctrinal belief presented to it by the Holy See but with some suggested amendments to the text.
It will now be for Pope Benedict XVI to decide whether the traditionalist group's response is sufficient to permit them back into full communion with the Catholic Church.
Newly leaked correspondence from early April, however, shows discord among the bishops shortly before the superior of the society, Bernard Fellay, delivered his response Vatican's doctrinal Preamble which was issued to the group in 2011.
The documents consist of a first letter sent by three bishops ? including Richard Williamson, known for his downplaying of the Holocaust ? to Fellay dated April 7. The group claims that a ?doctrinal agreement with present-day Rome is impossible,? and that they therefore formally oppose ?a practical agreement? with the Church.
Addressing the stance of some of the society's top leaders, who are more favorable to an agreement with the Holy See, the bishops said they are ?leading the Society to the point of no return, to an irreversible profound division.?
In a subsequent letter responding to the group, Fellay condemned ?the lack of supernatural vision and of realism? of those criticizing him.
After affirming that Benedict XVI is the legitimate Pope and saying that that God speaks through the pontiff's words, Fellay asked, ?If he expresses legitimate will towards us, which is good, and that is not against God?s commandments, do we have the right to ignore or reject that extended hand??
?The Pope has told us that the concern for fixing our situation for the good of the Church was at the heart of his Pontificate, and likewise that he was aware that for him and for us it would have been easier to maintain the status quo.?
Fellay said that the society in general ?would much prefer the status quo for now, but it is obvious that Rome no longer accepts that.?
?There is a change in the attitude of the Church, backed by the gestures and the acts of Benedict XVI towards Tradition,? he added.
In his letter, Fellay expressed regret that he did not have the support and advice of the bishops who wrote him ?in order to endure such a delicate time of our history.?
The Society has had a strained relationship with the Vatican since its founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebrve, consecrated four bishops against the orders of Pope John Paul II in 1988.
Archbishop Lefebrve founded the Society in 1970 as a response to what he described as errors that had crept into the Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council.
In 2009, Pope Benedict remitted the excommunications of the Society?s bishops and set talks in motion aimed at restoring ?full communion.? The Pope said at the time that to achieve full communion the members of the Society would have to show ?true recognition of the Magisterium and the authority of the Pope and of the Second Vatican Council.?
Society headquarters reacted to the leaking of the documents in May 11 statement, calling the move a ?grave sin.?
The full text of the letters can be found at:
http://www.riposte-catholique.fr/summorum-pontificum-blog/documents-summorum/lettre-de-mgr-fellay-aux-eveques-de-la-fraternite-saint-pie-x#.T62R3J_SpEy
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Youth turnout for Rome's first-ever March for Life
Rome, Italy, May 13, 2012 / 06:19 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Nearly 7,000 pro-life advocates marched from Rome's Colosseum to St. Peter's Square on Sunday for the city's inaugural March for Life.
"We've never seen anything like this in Rome, capital of Christianity, city of the Pope, city to which all Catholics in the world look," march co-organizer Juan Miguel Montes said of the event.
American Cardinal Raymond L. Burke led a group of priests in the march. He said it brought back memories for him of "so many marches" in America.
"They serve a very important function," he told CNA, "first to give a witness in our whole country to the inviolable dignity of human life but second, to awake consciences to what is happening."
The cardinal was "pleased" that such an event has finally reached Rome.
"I can only imagine that it will grow and increase every year and that it will be an important part in Italy, as it is in America, for the restoration of the respect for the dignity of human life," he said.
The march was officially the second annual Italian national March for Life. The 2011 event was held in northern city of Desenzano, on Lake Garda.
This year's initiative brought together 150 associations and a colorful mix of all ages and nationalities.
Seminarian Garrett Nelson, 23, of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana was on hand with a group of peers from Rome's Pontifical North American College. For him, it was like the March for Life in the U.S., but with an extra quality.
"It's been on a more universal level," said Nelson. "You see the world coming together to defend the dignity of human life and how important that is. It's really exciting to see the young and the youth movement of the Church growing up and defending the dignity of human life."
Minnesota-born Sister Compassionis from the Servants of the Lord religious family joined around 50 of her fellow sisters for the march. "It's fantastic to be here in Italy for the first national march for life in Rome," she told CNA. "To be a part of it as the Church and to be a testimony for life - especially on Mother's Day - to be here to stand for the unborn and the women who have been hurt by abortion."
In addition to a strong American presence, the Italian core was joined by Germans, French and Hungarians. With enormous flags in hand, a Polish delegation brought up the rear of the more than half-mile long string of marchers. Tibetan Buddhists even turned out to protest forced abortions in their homeland.
"What we've seen here is that there are always more young people in favor of life," said the co-organizer Montes, a representative of the group Voglio Vivere (I Want to Live). He put the average age of marchers at "well under 40." He noted that around four decades ago, laws allowing abortion started being passed by Western governments.
"It's the generation that should be ?pro-abortion for education and culture," he said of the youthful turnout. "In reality, it is ?anti-abortion? and it is expressing itself in occasions like this one."
The march was just a part of activities this weekend in Rome. A day earlier, the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum university hosted a day-long congress under the theme "Whoever saves one life, saves the entire world." Following the congress, Cardinal Burke led Eucharistic Adoration at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
As the capital city of Italy, protests are commonplace in Rome. For many, a pro-life march was a long time coming.
Famiglia Domani (Family Tomorrow) leader Prof. Roberto De Mattei said the march is "very important" because "it is the first time in Italy that there has been such an important demonstration for life and against abortion" since the abortion law of 1978.
At least five million abortions have been carried out since Italy's Law no. 194 was passed.
A man who identified himself as Vito of Vicenza, Italy's Con Cristo per la Vita (With Christ for Life) group was among the day's marchers. Along with other members of the association, he leads weekly prayers in front of 50 abortion hospitals across the country. The nation, he said, needs to be more aware of the problem of abortion.
"In Europe, it is said that this is a 'social achievement,'" said Vito. "It's actually its greatest shame. I give a big welcome to these protests. Let's do everything we can to give testimony to life, to give a future to Italy and Europe."
Organizers told CNA that they hope to make the Rome edition of the March for Life an annual event. In the future, however, it could be held on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas, when Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation.
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Pope meets United States' newest and tallest bishop
Rome, Italy, May 13, 2012 / 04:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict recently welcomed Bishop-designate Gregory L. Parkes of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida ? the newest and the tallest member of the U.S. episcopate.
?I?m 6 feet 8 inches and I believe from what I?ve heard from the other bishops that I will be the tallest bishop in the United States,? Bishop-designate Parkes told CNA in Rome prior to his papal audience May 11.
?As far as the gift that it is, I suppose people remember you first of all and you tend to draw attention to yourself, so I try to use that in a very good way and very positive way to serve God?s people.?
The towering cleric will be installed at bishop of Pensacola Tallahassee on June 5. This week he is making his first ever ?ad limina? pilgrimage to Rome and his first ever papal audience at bishop-designate.
?I want to assure the Holy Father that I will be faithful to him and to the teaching of our Church and to let him know that there is great hope in the United States,? Bishop Parkes said.
Originally from New York?s Long Island, the 48-year-old bishop moved to Florida in his teens to attend college at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Interestingly, his alma mater is now in his new diocese. He was ordained for the Diocese of Orlando in 1999.
He described this week in Rome as a ?great blessing? as well as an opportunity to grasp how the administration of the Vatican operates.
?I had the privilege of studying here in Rome for four years from 1996 to 2000 here at the North American College,? he said, ?but I never really had a chance to visit the various congregations and councils that help the Church to function.?
He was particularly inspired by a visit to the new Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization which was founded by Pope Benedict in 2010 and is led by the Italian Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella.
?We had a very good discussion there with the Archbishop Fisichella,? Bishop-designate Parkes added.
He summed up his idea of what the new evangelization is as ?finding modern ways to communicate the lasting truths of our faith? by using ?the current social media that people are looking to for information to spread the good news and to evangelize about our Catholic faith.?
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Families reject 'academy of prostitution' in Spain
Valencia, Spain, May 11, 2012 / 04:07 pm (CNA).- The World Congress of Families condemned a ?heartless? group which they believe is taking advantage of Spain's economic crisis in creating an ?academy of prostitution? in Valencia.
The so-called ?Academy of Pleasure,? founded by Brandon Morales, teaches its students how to be prostitutes and promises a job to those who graduate. The course costs $129 and last ten days.
Local officials in Valencia have called for the operation to be shut down and for its promotional ads to be discarded.
In a statement sent to CNA on May 10, the World Congress of Families called prostitution ?an activity that denigrates and enslaves the human person and has negative consequences for society, from the social exclusion in which it takes place, to the health and psychological problems that it entails.?
?Undoubtedly prostitution, and in general everything related to sexual experiences that do not correspond to human nature, are a modern form of slavery that is not in accord with human nature and poses a threat to the traditional family,? the statement said.
The organizers of the World Congress of Families, which will take place May 25-27 in Madrid, said the event this year would include ?politically incorrect round-table discussions and seminars on sex.?
Among the topics to be discussed include ?The social cost of pornography,? ?Promiscuity and infidelity: collateral damage,? ?Solutions to homosexual behavior,? ?Purity and abstinence,? and ?Love, intimacy and sexuality in marriage.?
The list of invited speakers features Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla of Alcala de Henares, psychotherapist Richard Cohen, Venezuelan model Vivian Sleiman, author of the bestseller ?Virgin at 30,? and Christine de Vollmer, president of the Latin American Alliance for the Family.
More information on the congress can be found at: http://congresomundial.es/
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Pope troubled over Mexican drug trafficking violence
Rome, Italy, May 11, 2012 / 12:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The former head of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, said Pope Benedict is very concerned about the violence in Mexico caused by the drug trade.
In an interview with CNA, Cardinal Lozano Barragan said the pontiff ?is calling on all Mexicans, especially those involved in drug trafficking, to understand and realize that life does not end here, but that another life that never ends comes after this one, and that it will depend on what we do in this world.?
The cardinal lamented that it ?is often believed that the end to which our entire existence must be directed is the possession of power and money, in order to have limitless pleasure, even if one dies immediately or lives a short life.?
Mexican officials estimate that over 34,000 have been killed in the country due to drug-related violence since 2006.
Cardinal Lozano Barragan joined the Pope in voicing dire concern over the current situation in Mexico, stressing that perpetrators are ?going to be judged for eternal life according to how we live now.?
?Those who kill others are guilty of death and will be judged by God, and afterwards will come what is called eternal death,? he said.
Cardinal Lozano Barragan noted that God is merciful and that no sin is beyond his forgiveness ?in this life.? But after death, he said, comes justice.
The cardinal said Pope Benedict XVI?s March 23-25 visit to Mexico fulfilled its objectives, as the Pope ?united all Mexicans in order to strengthen our Catholic Church.?
?One can sense in Mexico an enthusiasm, a dedication and a total commitment to the Holy Father,? he said. The Pope has fond memories of his stay in the country, ?and he is very happy because everything happened just as he hoped.?
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MLK should inspire response to 'gay marriage,' Miami archbishop says
Rome, Italy, May 10, 2012 / 05:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the American civil rights movement of the 1960s should inspire Catholics in their response to President Obama?s endorsement of same-sex marriage, says Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami.
?Martin Luther King Jr. and others did not impose their views on racial justice but they made a proposal and through nonviolent protest they were able to touch the conscience of a nation and change unjust laws,? Archbishop Wenski told CNA in Rome on May 10.
He described the civil right campaign led by King as ?in essence a religious movement.?
The Archbishop of Miami is in Rome this week on his ?ad limina? visit to the Vatican. He watched from afar yesterday, however, as President Obama told ABC News that it was ?important? for him to ?go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.?
Archbishop Wenski said he was not surprised by President Obama?s statement as ?his administration seemed to be moving in that direction.? He also believes that as a ?shrewd politician,? the President must calculate that his stance ?is not going to hurt him politically,? although the archbishop said ?that remains to be seen.?
He noted that although in the 2008 U.S. General Election Florida was ?carried easily? by Barack Obama, on the same day Floridians voted to uphold a traditional definition of marriage. Earlier this week votes in North Carolina also approved a constitutional amendment effectively banning same-sex marriage or civil unions by a margin of almost two to one.
Archbishop Wenski now hopes that the people of the United States will continue to recognize that marriage ?is necessary for the flourishing of human society? and that to move away from that ?without understanding fully the consequences? seems ?to be very foolish.?
?So we have the President of the United States urging the nation to embark in a foolish direction,? concluded Archbishop Wenski.
?Oftentimes people tend to want to bend with the wind rather than to face down a gale, whether or not this recent decision of the President is gale at this point I?m not sure, but certainly it might be in the near future and so we do need to stand strong.?
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Nine years later, widow still praying for husband's killers
Rome, Italy, May 9, 2012 / 04:04 pm (CNA).- Margherita Coletta, whose husband Giuseppe ? a brigade general of the Italian police ? was murdered in an Iraqi suicide attack in 2003, continues to pray that his killers will receive God's mercy.
?True justice will come from God,? Margherita told Italian daily Avvenire on May 8.
In an interview with the paper, she recalled the tragic date of Nov. 12, 2003, when a suicide attack on the Italian base in Nassiriyah left 19 soldiers and nine civilians dead. Seven accomplices were arrested shortly afterward.
Margherita, a mother of a nine-year girl, emphasized that said she does not want vengeance, because ?when someone commits these kinds of actions, we are all victims.?
Those ?who died succumbing to the violence of others and those who committed the crime, as sooner or later the executioner will pay; he will carry the burden of guilt his entire life.?
?The innocent victim returns to God?s house,? she added. ?The one who remains in this life has to render an account for what he has done, and therefore, he will be worse off?at least until he encounters God?s mercy.?
Margherita said that for this reason, she has always prayed for her husband's murderers.
?I would like to know who they are, if they are children, parents or spouses. It?s one thing to know there were seven, but that is only a number,? she reflected.
?It?s another to look them in the eyes and by looking at them they can understand that there is hope, that the abyss of the evil committed should not destroy them and lead them to despair. Because redemption can come even to the worst of criminals.?
The widow said that on a human level she would probably feel rage if she met with the killers as it would bring back memories of his burned body.
?But with the help of Christ I am sure that I would see them as brothers and I would trust in the acceptance of Christ who sees everyone as his sons and daughters,? she said.
She noted that her nine-year-old daughter is happy and does not ?hold any resentment that could someday turn her into a negative person. She only feels gratitude for her father.?
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Swiss Guard seeking new recruits on Facebook
Rome, Italy, May 8, 2012 / 12:03 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Swiss Guard, a group of soldiers founded in the 14th century and charged with protecting the Pope, has opened an account on Facebook to seek out new recruits.
The new effort at recruitment is aimed at increasing the number of men who volunteer to serve in what's known as the ?world?s smallest army.?
At the swearing-in of new recruits on Sunday, Colonel Daniel Rudlf Anrig, commander of the Swiss Guard, said, ?As free men we provide a voluntary service to the Holy Church, to which less and less people from our homeland are committed.?
He told the new members that they must ?faithfully, loyally and honorably serve the Supreme Pontiff,? and should understand that membership in the Swiss Guard is not an ordinary job and that they must have service-oriented mindset.
This year the number of new recruits dropped from 34 to 26. They include 16 Germans, five French and five Italians. The total number of Swiss Guard is usually around 110.
The solemn ceremony on May 6 commemorates the 147 soldiers of the Swiss Army who gave their lives heroically in defense of Pope Clement VII in 1527, during the sack of Rome by German mercenaries.
Members of the Pope?s army must be Swiss citizens, Catholics of upright moral standing, single and between the ages of 19 and 30.
The Swiss Guard?s Facebook page can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/gsp1506
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