Needed Tonic

Catholic program director at Faith in Public Life John Gehring reminds himself: “I buck myself up with a reminder that Catholicism is much bigger than the latest scandal or headline.” 

His reminder to himself is a much needed tonic for Catholics when “media coverage of the Catholic Church can sometimes feel like a bad weather system that settles over my soul.”

“Healing of the Earth”

On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe the Catholic Church in Canada observes a National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. This year's focus is “Healing of the Earth.”  

A message for the occasion highlights: humans form a single family dwelling on Earth; ecological conversion frees people to care more for Earth; and indigenous citizens teach attitudes and ways of Earth care. The Vatican News post links to the message.

This year's Canadian National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples focuses on the theme “Healing of the Earth”.https://t.co/xgPkPtOa6Z

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) December 11, 2020

Year of St. Joseph

St. Joseph was proclaimed Patron of the Catholic Church on 8 December 1870. To mark its 150^th anniversary Pope Francis proclaimed a Year of St. Joseph to extend until 8 December 2021. Vatican News posted about the Year; the post includes a link to the letter of Francis.

#PopeFrancis proclaims a “Year of Saint Joseph” running from today to 8 December 2021.https://t.co/5fJb8NNmwz

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) December 8, 2020

Behind the Encyclical

A

ssistant producer of audio and video at AmericaMedia Colleen Dulle interviewed Austen Ivereigh about Pope Francis’ latest and very personal book. The book personalizes his most recent encyclical. As pope Francis may not have had time to bring to light his “personal Covids." A video excerpt of her "Inside the Vatican" podcast follows.

Arson Against Nicaraguan Catholics

Pope Francis expressed his closeness to and prayers for the Catholics following the burning of the crucifix in the cathedral of the capital city.

#PopeFrancis expresses his closeness to Catholics in #Nicaragua, following an arson attack that destroyed a crucifix in Managua’s cathedral.https://t.co/reUo2NT5q0

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) August 2, 2020

Human Trafficking

Thursday was World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Pope Francis called it a “scourge” wounding the weakest. Cardinal Michael Czerny noted “that women religious ‘around the world have discovered, invented, developed the ministry to victims of human trafficking.’ Today they are also involved in prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and raising awareness, he said, which shows that ‘their ministry is more developed than at the beginning.’”

Daughters of St. Paul Sr. Bernadette Mary Reis filed her report at Vatican News. It includes an audio interview.

Cardinal Michael Czerny shares how the Church’s first responders to victims have developed their ministry over the years. #EndHumanTrafficking https://t.co/kptGbFLEAF

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 30, 2020

Once at the Margins

Today’s Feast of St. James recalls once more that Jesus chose fishermen as he began to form a network around him. Modern folk, unlike Jesus’ contemporaries, may not wonder that he did. Rachel Lu wonders and asked, Why? One of her phrases, “lives at the margins,” caused an additional wondering: Do not Christians discover their true identity “at the margins?”

Why did Christ choose a fisherman? https://t.co/3EAyY6MBiK

— America Magazine (@americamag) July 25, 2020

Step by Step

On 16 July Vatican News reported that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) published step-by-step procedures for handling cases of abuse of minors.

The  Congregation Secretary detailed the manual to Andrea Tornielli of Vatican News.

The Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explains how a new Vademecum will help Church leaders pursue the path of truth and justice in cases of abuse of minors.https://t.co/apLBeLzjsu

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 16, 2020

Jesuit and Others Recognized Venerable

" The recognition of Kino’s heroic virtue was made Saturday morning in Rome, when Pope Francis advanced the causes of five possible candidates for sainthood.”

Pope Francis yesterday recognized the heroic virtue of the life of 17th century Italian #Jesuit Eusebio Kino, a missionary who evangelized and mapped much of what is now northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. https://t.co/aJXexnhRys pic.twitter.com/5NSi8ELuUi

— Jesuit News (@jesuitnews) July 12, 2020

Return to Mosque

Early this month Turkey’s Council of State began its review of a request to return Hagia Sophia to use as a mosque. Yesterday the Council approved the change. 

This is not the first change in its use; it originally was a church, then a mosque before becoming a museum for the last 86 years. Concerns from different quarters—including Eastern Orthodox Patriarch and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch—and “grief and dismay” from the World Council of Churches have been registered.

Vatican News recently posted the change. However, the Orthodox Times considered “unjustified silence of the Holy See and personally of Pope Francis [to be] causes [for] concern and sadness in the Christian world.”

Turkish President Recep Erdogan decrees that #HagiaSophia will become a mosque once again, leading Orthodox leaders to express regret.https://t.co/VSPJvNvZf4

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 11, 2020

Wisdom for All

The church remembers St. Benedict, the founder of Western Monasticism. His graced insight and wisdom exceeds the monastery. Benedictine monk and priest Eric Hollas, OSB, observed:

“Benedict reminds us that God is not absent from our world. God regularly appears in the poor and the sick, and in the faces of our family and friends. And perhaps God even shines forth in our own faces when we serve others.

   “When it comes to a balanced life, Benedict is equally pointed in his critique.”

Read this inspiring reflection on the life of #SaintBenedict in honour of his Feast Day! #Prayforus https://t.co/vMFE3kiGX9

— saltandlighttv (@saltandlighttv) July 11, 2020

For the World

The world is in the human imagination in ways it was not before it was seen for the first time from space. The current pandemic has made humans more aware of the earth’s fragility as well as its resilience. The word world evokes predicaments to its peace, health, economy, justice, relationships—to name a few.

At a press conference Cardinal Peter Turkson highlighted peace, harmony and security to which the Vatican’s COVID-19 Commission attends. Member of the Commission and economic professor Sister Alessandra Smerilli remarked about the perils to the global economy.

A #Vatican cardinal has said that the world is facing a “tsunami of humanitarian crises.” https://t.co/ItlOQCSHSE

— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) July 7, 2020

July Prayer Intention from Pope Francis

Families.

pic.twitter.com/8QN3ZZlcMs

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 2, 2020

Vatican Continues Diplomacy

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, meets with US and Israeli Ambassadors, expressing the Holy See's concern "regarding possible unilateral actions."https://t.co/rGP7WU3xY4

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 1, 2020

Civility Is Part of Spiritual Maturity

Francis has mentioned this previously.

"What would happen if we prayed more and complained less? Giving our tongues a rest."https://t.co/aj3BZPSBBP

— Catholic News Service (@CatholicNewsSvc) June 29, 2020

Some Numbers Not Promising

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection has released its 2019 Annual Report.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection releases its 2019 Annual Report, showing that 4,220 adults came forward with 4,434 allegations of abuse.https://t.co/xpymOD7wzL

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) June 26, 2020

1971—1997—2020

In the years above the Vatican published a catechetical directory. Today the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization published the long awaited, updated Directory for Catechesis. 

“The new Directory seeks to highlight the close link between evangelization and catechesis. It underlines that every baptized person is a missionary called to find new ways of communicating the faith… [and] proposes three major principles of action: Witnessing, Mercy and Dialogue.”

In addition to formation of catechists, the Directory includes family, the poor, migrating people, prisoners, parishes, Catholic schools, ecumenism.

The Vatican releases a new Directory for Catechesis, providing guidelines for the Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel through catechesis and evangelization.https://t.co/GOovfUNWui

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) June 25, 2020

Path Opened

"Catholicism’s approach toward non-Christian religions…significantly changed” with the Second Vatican Council. Many continue to oppose the Council and its fruits. Andrea Tornielli, Vatican News Editorial Director, considered the declaration that changed the Church’s trajectory, Nostrae aetate. Mr. Tornielli also considered papal involvement from St. Paul VI to Francis.

Our Editorial Director looks back at the Second Vatican Council's declaration, Nostrae aetate, and how it has left its mark on the history of the Church. https://t.co/YkTXlMjqSw

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) June 19, 2020

Sacred Heart: Entering the Solemnity

T hinking Faith just posted an archived item by Jesuit James Hanvey. In it he “explains why this devotion will always be central to the life of the Church and why it is the foundation of our intimacy with Christ.”

The devotion to the #SacredHeart is the foundation of our intimacy with Christ. ‘Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, has a heart… With him it is always personal.’ https://t.co/Jr4WlJPpn2

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) June 19, 2020

Lamb and Francis

On the “Inside the Vatican” podcast Colleen Dulle conversed with Christopher Lamb. Mr. Lamb’s recent book explores the opposition Pope Francis receives as he reforms the church. On the podcast: Neither liberal nor conservative, the pope is radical, said Mr. Lamb.

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Wiki-image Coat of Arms of Francis by “SajoR | CC BY-SA 2.5"