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

In Memoriam

Composer Ennio Morricone died in Rome today. Vatican News tweeted that the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture recalled that the composer had been “‘able to express the ineffable and the invisible at the same time.’” The Associated Press [AP] contributed this look at the Oscar-winning composer.

The President of the Pontifical Council for Culture shares his memories of Oscar-winning Italian composer #EnnioMorricone, who died Monday in Rome at the age of 91.https://t.co/cv73d0DjiO

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 6, 2020

Global Ceasefire

Pope Francis has supported a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for a global ceasefire. “The resolution calls on parties to armed conflicts to immediately in a ‘durable humanitarian phase’ provide aid to countries to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”

#PopeFrancis expresses support for a UN Security Council resolution calling for a global #ceasefire, to provide aid for peoples suffering the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. #coronavirus https://t.co/Xtw50Je08U

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 5, 2020

In Memoriam

Georg Ratzinger, the brother of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died. Pope Francis wrote Benedict. Gerard O'Connell at America Magazine had written about the brothers and Benedict's surprise trip last month to visit Georg.

#PopeFrancis writes a letter to his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, following the death of his brother Georg, assuring him of his spiritual closeness and prayers.https://t.co/6GhiyAFGmV

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) 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

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

No “turning a blind eye to racism and exclusion”

So Pope Francis addressed the people of the United States at the Wednesday General Audience.

The tweet contains a video of the pope’s remark and an audio report from Vatican News.

#PopeFrancis comments on the protests in the United States following the killing of #GeorgeFloyd, saying we cannot claim to defend the sacredness of every human life while turning a blind eye to racism and exclusion.https://t.co/OcOubWRLF7

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) June 3, 2020

Systemic Racism Killed George Floyd

On 31 May the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) included in his "Statement…on George Floyd and the Protests in American Cities,“ “Racism has been tolerated for far too long in our way of life.”

Today U.S. Bishop Shelton Fabre, Chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, was interviewed by Vatican News. He reiterated the the earlier presidential statement of the U.S. bishops: destruction of property and harm to others do not address the racism in a way that helps. Bishop Fabre noted that “the roots of the current situation do not lie only in the pandemic. They are deep, historical roots that are part of the disregard for life in this country and our inability or unwillingness to address the issue of race and racism.” Its tweet includes audio of that conversation.

Following the murder of #GeorgeFloyd, Bishop Shelton Fabre speaks denounces the systematic racism the US faces today.https://t.co/1RB8LaPA51

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) June 2, 2020