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Friday, June 28, 2013

CHURCH: Need for honesty in ecumenical dialogue

Pope underlines need for honesty in ecumenical dialogue

CWN - June 28, 2013

        
       
Welcoming a delegation of Orthodox prelates to Rome, Pope Francis said that the annual visits by representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are "the sign of the profound bond that unites the Church of Constantinople with the Church of Rome."

Each year the Patriarchate of Constantinople sends a delegation to join the Pope in celebrating the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, patrons of the Rome diocese. (In exchange the Vatican sends a delegation to Constantinople for the feast of St. Andrew, the patron of the patriarchate.) Pope Francis met with the Orthodox prelates on June 28, the eve of the feast.

Commenting on the need for ecumenical progress, the Pope said: "In our world that hungers and thirsts for truth, love, hope, peace, and unity, our witness demands that we should at last be able to proclaim, with one voice, the good news of the Gospel and celebrate together the Divine Mysteries of our new life in Christ." Unity is a gift from God, he said, but while praying for that gift the faithful are also obligated to work toward the goal of full communion.

The Pope praised a mixed Catholic-Orthodox theological commission for its efforts, "starting from what we have in common without, however, concealing that which still separates us." He said that this honest but respectful approach is essential to ecumenical progress. "It comforts me," the Pope said, "knowing that Catholics and Orthodox share the same conception of dialogue that doesn't seek a theological minimalism on which to reach a compromise, but that rather is based on the deepening of the truth that Christ has given to his Church and that we, moved by the Holy Spirit, never cease to understand better."


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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

CULTURE: Pope meets with leader of Argentine indigenous tribe

Pope meets with leader of Argentine indigenous tribe

CWN - June 24, 2013

        
    
Pope Francis met on June 24 Felix Diaz, a leader of an indigenous community in Argentina. Diaz was accompanied by Adolfo Perez Esquivel, the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Diaz thanked the Pope for the granting the audience, and for taking an interest in the plight of indigenous peoples in his native countries. He spoke to the Pontiff about the challenges his people face in preserving their political rights and their cultural identity.


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LIFE: Shouting demonstrators kill legislation barring late-term abortions

Shouting demonstrators kill legislation barring late-term abortions in Texas

CWN - June 26, 2013

        
       
Shouting pro-abortion demonstrators in the Texas state capitol building prevented the enactment of a bill banning late-term abortions in the state in a late-night confrontation on June 25.

The abortion bill—which would have outlawed abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and required abortionists to have admitting privileges in a hospital within 30 miles—was passed by the Texas senate just before midnight after legislators broke a filibuster by abortion proponents. But angry protests from spectators caused chaos in the chamber, and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst was unable to sign the bill, as legally required, before the legislative session formally ended at midnight.

Dewhurst denounced the "unruly mob" that prevented enactment of a law that the legislature had approved. His opponents defended the protesters, saying that they were only making their voices heard, and blamed the Republican majority for a failure to control the legislative process.


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CHURCH: All are equal in the Church, Pope tells audience

All are equal in the Church, Pope tells audience
 

CWN - June 26, 2013

 
At his weekly public audience on June 26, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that all members of the Church are equally important. Even the Roman Pontiff is no more important than other Christians, the Pope said. "Yes, I am like each one of you. We are all equal; we are brothers and sisters."

The Pope centered his talk on the image of the Church as a temple. In the Old Testament, he observed, the Temple was built "to give God a home." In the New Covenant, "what was prefigured in the ancient Temple is carried out, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the Church."

In this Church, this new "building," every brick is equally necessary, the Pope said. "No one is secondary. No one is more important in the Church."

At the same time, the Pope continued, the importance of each brick should prod Christians to examine their own activities, since if a brick is missing the structure is damaged. He concluded his talk with an exhortation to the faithful always to act as "living stones," proclaiming the faith and providing a fitting home for God.



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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

MISSION: Pope salutes ‘everyday martyrs'

Pope salutes 'everyday martyrs'

CWN - June 24, 2013

        
       
Pope Francis paid homage to "everyday martyrs" during his Angelus audience on Sunday, June 23.

Reflecting on Christ's teaching that "whoever loses his life for my sake will save it," the Pope asked: "What does it mean to lose one's life for Jesus' cause?" He answered that the phrase can have two meanings.

First, one can be a martyr for the faith. Pope Francis reminded his audience that martyrdom remains a reality in the 21st century. "Today we have more martyrs than in the first centuries" of Christianity, he said.

However, the same willingness to sacrifice is evidence in those who "generously carry out their service for the Kingdom of God" in their daily lives, the Pope continued. He mentioned mothers and fathers who work for their children and families; priests and religious who devote their lives to the Church. These, he said, are "martyrs of everyday life."


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Pope Francis paid homage to "everyday martyrs" during his Angelus audience on Sunday, June 23.

Reflecting on Christ's teaching that "whoever loses his life for my sake will save it," the Pope asked: "What does it mean to lose one's life for Jesus' cause?" He answered that the phrase can have two meanings.

First, one can be a martyr for the faith. Pope Francis reminded his audience that martyrdom remains a reality in the 21st century. "Today we have more martyrs than in the first centuries" of Christianity, he said.

However, the same willingness to sacrifice is evidence in those who "generously carry out their service for the Kingdom of God" in their daily lives, the Pope continued. He mentioned mothers and fathers who work for their children and families; priests and religious who devote their lives to the Church. These, he said, are "martyrs of everyday life."


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MISSION: Church must eschew ideology, & claims to 'own' the Word - Pope

Church must eschew ideology, claims to 'own' the Word, Pope tells congregation

CWN - June 24, 2013

        
       
In his homily at a morning Mass on June 24, Pope Francis said that St. John the Baptist—whose birth the Church was celebrating that day—lived only to proclaim Jesus Christ.

"That is John's vocation: he negates himself," the Pope said. His life ended in darkness, imprisonment, and finally a grisly martyrdom, the Pontiff noted. In this respect, he said, St. John is a model for the Church.

"The Church exists to proclaim, to be the voice of a Word, her husband, who is the Word. The Church exists to proclaim this Word until martyrdom," the Pope explained. Like John the Baptist, the Church should always serve the Word, never claiming ownership of the Word, never indulging in ideology, only bringing people to Christ.


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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Calgary floods: Some neighbourhoods to reopen

Calgary floods: Some neighbourhoods to reopen as waters recede

Calgary floods: Some neighbourhoods to reopen as waters recede

ANDY CLARK / REUTERS

A resident walks along a flooded street with the downtown rising in the background, in Calgary. Some 1,300 troops were deployed to help with rescues and the mandatory evacuations that forced 100,000 people from their homes in Calgary and thousands more in the small towns surrounding the city.

CALGARY—Much of Calgary remained soaked by flood water Saturday, but there was some good news — the sun was out, rivers were receding and at least some evacuees were being allowed to return home.
Still, flood officials were warning that nothing would happen quickly and they were urging displaced people to stay away from their neighbourhoods until the city said it was safe.
"Folks, we've turned a corner," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
"However, the No. 1 thing that I need to share with all of you is that we're still in a state of emergency. It's sunny out, it's nice out, but we are still in a state of emergency."
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An estimated 75,000 people have been forced from their homes in more than two dozen neighbourhoods along the Bow and Elbow Rivers in the city.
Residents in a section of one of those neighbourhoods — the high ground in Discovery Ridge — have been allowed back.
Officials were hoping to be able to open up portions of six more neighbourhoods that didn't flood. The names of those neighbourhoods will be posted on the city's website.
Officials said it would probably be mid-week at the earliest before access to the city's downtown core is fully restored.
The flood has hit some of the city's iconic structures hard. The 19,000-seat Saddledome, home to the NHL's Calgary Flames, was flooded up to the 10th row, while water lapped at the roof of the chuckwagon barns at the grounds of the Calgary Stampede, which is scheduled to start in two weeks.
Nenshi has said the city will do everything it can to make sure that the world-renowned party goes ahead.
The federal Conservatives were to hold their convention in the city next weekend, but announced Saturday that it would be postponed to a later date.
"After being in discussions with various authorities regarding the situation, it became clear that holding the national convention at this time would not be in the best interests of the people of Calgary," said Conservative Party president John Walsh.
Flows on the smaller Elbow River were expected to decrease by 60 per cent over the next 48 hours. Flows on the larger Bow were forecast to go down by 25 per cent over the same period.
Even with the improvement, Nenshi noted that the flow rates were still higher than the last big flood in Calgary eight years ago.
"Remember that these numbers are still four times higher than they were in the floods of 2005, so we're still dealing with very, very high numbers," he said.
While the news was promising in Calgary, communities downstream were bracing for their own crisis.
Water levels were rising in Medicine Hat, while officials with Saskatchewan's Water Security Agency were preparing for the possibility of an evacuation order for Cumberland House by Monday.
Medicine Hat declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon, saying it was expecting its river to crest Saturday night. Ten thousand residents in low-lying areas were told to get out of their homes by Saturday morning.
"We're planning for the worst," Mayor Norm Boucher told the Medicine Hat News.
"We have to make sure that people are safe, and if we can protect some properties we will do that, but water and electricity are so important. People have to live and people will come back … we'll come through this."
Lethbridge was also preparing for high waters, but no evacuations were ordered and radio station CJOC reported that a local state of emergency was lifted Saturday morning.
The Alberta government has estimated that roughly 100,000 people have been affected by flooding across the southern part of the province.
High River, southwest of Calgary, was one of the hardest-hit areas.
Mounties confirmed Friday that three bodies had been found in the Highwood River near the community. The bodies of a man and a woman were recovered Friday.
The third body — a woman — was located Friday but couldn't be recovered. RCMP Insp. Garrett Woolsey says that happened Saturday morning near Turner Valley. It was believed to be the body of a woman who disappeared after her mobile home was swept away on Thursday.
Woolsey said they've received reports of a fourth body being swept down the river, but police have not been able to confirm that.
It is estimated that half the people in the town of 13,000 experienced flooding in their homes. Roads and bridges have been swamped, police have cut off access to most of the town and helicopters have been circling overhead. Cars lie submerged in water, abandoned, while backhoes work in vain to push water back from houses.
Town spokeswoman Joan Botkin said the public is no longer allowed to enter the community. She said the lockdown was to ensure property is safe from looters.
"The town is closed off to all public ... everybody," said Botkin.
"That is mainly for security purposes. We have to ensure that people's properties are safe because they had to leave in a hurry. We need to know that their property and the property of business owners are safe."
Only emergency personnel are allowed in High River and about 390 soldiers were joining Mounties in a door-to-door search of residences.
Botkin said she realizes that is frustrating for people.
"Residents can't get into town and they're worried, they're anxious, many people are worried about their pets right now."
Botkin said a number of animals have been rescued and taken to a local kennel. A plan is being formulated so people will know their pets are there and they can find out if they are safe.
The search of homes has been focused primarily on the town's northwest. Botkin said searchers can't get into all areas.
"The water is still too high."
There are residents who are refusing to leave and have decided to wait things out until the mandatory evacuation is lifted.
"We have strenuously urged them to please go. They have no water, no sewer, they're going to be running out of food soon," she said.
There is still a serious problem with High River's waste water system. The main pump station is under water. The water treatment plant is OK, but the wells have been compromised and a boil-water advisory is in place.
The mountain town of Canmore was also hit hard.
Resident Wade Graham was in one of the flood-stricken areas and painted a bleak picture Friday evening.
"The water's not running anymore. We don't have gas. It's kind of like life has become pretty basic now. You know, how do you find food, are you sleeping well and are you warm?" he said.
"We've got supplies here, but depending on how long this lasts, it could be entertaining for sure."

Saturday, June 22, 2013

THE VOICE UK: Competitor Andrea B from Northern Ireland :)

AMAZING VOICE !  :)    -    VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_xTrKStQ8k

MISSION: Bishops should serve, not 'lord over people'

Bishops should serve, not lord it over their people, Pope tells nuncios

CWN - June 21, 2013



In a June 21 address to apostolic nuncios, Pope Francis stressed the importance of finding bishops who will be good pastors and servants of the faithful in their dioceses.
The nuncios are diplomatic representatives of the Holy See, but in his talk the Pope downplayed their work as ambassadors and laid the heaviest emphasis on their role in identifying candidates for episcopal office. He urged them to be sure that "the candidates are pastors who are close to the people: fathers and brothers."
"Be attentive that they aren't ambitious, that they don't seek the episcopate," the Pope said. Candidates to become bishops should be poor in spirit, he said; he warned sternly against those who have "the mindset of princes."
The Pope warned the nuncios against the same sort of "spiritual worldliness" in their own lives. "Giving in to the spirit of the world, which leads one to act for personal realization and not for the glory of God, is that kind of 'bourgeoisie of spirit and life' that urges one to get comfortable, to seek a calm and easy life," he said.
Pope Francis acknowledged the hardships involved in service in the Vatican diplomatic corps. "Your lives are nomadic," he observed, since nuncios typically move from one country to another every few years. Accepting that sort of life, he said, is a "mortification, the sacrifice of stripping yourselves of things, friends, ties, and always beginning anew." However, he suggested that it may be a means of spiritual growth, since "the goods and perspectives of this world end up disappointing, they push and are never satisfied. The Lord is the good that does not disappoint."
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THEOLOGY: Anglican cleric, German laymen to receive Ratzinger Prize

Anglican cleric, German laymen to receive Ratzinger Prizes for theological work

CWN - June 21, 2013



An Anglican cleric and a German lay theologian have been named the 2013 recipients of the Ratzinger Prize, established in 2010 to honor scholars whose academic work addresses the fundamental theological issues explored in the work of Pope Benedict XVI.
Rev. Richard Burridge, the dean of King's College in London, will be the first non-Catholic to receive the Ratzinger Prize. In announcing the award Cardinal Camillo Ruini said that Burridge is "definitely an eminent figure in the field of Biblical studies" whose work places Jesus of Nazareth as clearly the central figure in the Gospels.
Christian Schaller, the other recipient, is deputy director of the Pope Benedict XVI Institute in Regensburg, Germany. Cardinal Ruini said that he is being honored "not only for his contribution to theological studies but also in recognition of the role he is carrying out in the publication of Joseph Ratzinger's complete works."
The Ratzinger Prizes will be formally awarded during a symposium sponsored by the Ratzinger Foundation, to be held in October at the Pontifical Lateran University.
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Friday, June 21, 2013

FAITH, Beauty, & Reason - BXVI

Reason Needs Beauty, Says Pontiff

Calls Saints and Art Great Defenders of the Faith

| 823 hits

BRESSANONE, Italy, AUG. 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Apologetics has two great pillars, says Benedict XVI: beauty and the saints.
 
The Pope affirmed this Aug. 6 when he met with priests, deacons and seminarians of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone and answered in German six questions they asked him. The Holy Father was on vacation in the Dolomites, where he stayed at the major seminary of Bressanone.

Responding to a question from a Franciscan priest, the Holy Father spoke about the complementary importance of beauty and reason.

He said that only when reason and beauty are united do they form a whole, "and precisely for faith, this union is important."

"Faith must continuously face the challenges of thought in this epoch, so that it does not seem a sort of irrational legend that we keep alive, but that which really is a response to the great questions, not merely a habit but the truth," the Pontiff clarified.

Recalling St. Peter's exhortation to "always be prepared to give reason for the hope that is in you," the Pope said the saint was convinced that faith is reasonable, not a "wonderful concoction, a fruit of our thought. And this is why it is universal and for this reason can be communicated to all."

Still, Benedict XVI continued, though the importance of reason cannot be undermined, "I did once say that to me, art and the saints are the greatest apologetic for our faith."

He explained: "The arguments contributed by reason are unquestionably important and indispensable, but then there is always dissent somewhere.

"On the other hand, if we look at the saints, this great luminous trail on which God passed through history, we see that there truly is a force of good that resists the millennia. […] Likewise, if we contemplate the beauties created by faith, they are simply, I would say, the living proof of faith."

Epiphanies

The Pope pointed to the example of the cathedral where he was meeting with the priests. "It is a living proclamation," he said. "It speaks to us itself, and on the basis of the cathedral's beauty, we succeed in visibly proclaiming God, Christ and all his mysteries: Here they have acquired a form and look at us."

The Holy Father said great works of art "are all a luminous sign of God and therefore truly a manifestation, an epiphany of God."

"I think the great music born in the Church makes the truth of our faith audible and perceivable," he continued. "In listening to all these works […] we suddenly understand: It is true! Wherever such things are born, the Truth is there. Without an intuition that discovers the true creative center of the world, such beauty cannot be born."

Benedict XVI affirmed that reason must be open to the beautiful.

"When, in our epoch, we discuss the reasonableness of faith, we discuss precisely the fact that reason does not end where experimental discoveries end -- it does not finish in positivism," the Pope explained. "The theory of evolution sees the truth but sees only half the truth: It does not see that behind it is the Spirit of the Creation. We are fighting to expand reason, and hence for a reason which, precisely, is also open to the beautiful and does not have to set it aside as something quite different and unreasonable."

"Christian art is a rational art," the Holy Father went on. "[I]t is the artistic expression of a greatly expanded reason, in which heart and reason encounter each other. This is the point. I believe that in a certain way this is proof of the truth of Christianity: Heart and reason encounter one another, beauty and truth converge, and the more that we ourselves succeed in living in the beauty of truth, the more that faith will be able to return to being creative in our time too, and to express itself in a convincing form of art."
(August 19, 2008) © Innovative Media Inc

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Buckquoy spindle-whorl : OLD IRISH BLESSING in the ORKNEYS :)

CHURCH: Pope warns against latter-day Pharisees, hypocrites

Pope warns against latter-day Pharisees, hypocrites

CWN - June 19, 2013

        
        
In a homily commenting on a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees, Pope Francis said that there are always people within the Church who live by rules rather than by love.

"They are ethicists without goodness," the Pope told the congregation at a June 19 Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. "They have no sense of beauty. They achieve only the beauty of a museum."

In addition to the Pharisees who focus on rules and exterior behavior, there is another category of hypocrites, the Pope said: the "holy rollers" who make a show of their piety. In their case, the Pope warned, hypocrisy is "coming very close to the sin against the Holy Spirit.

The proper prayer for a Christian, the Pope said, should always be like the prayer of the publican: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, a sinner." Pope Francis said that this "is the prayer we should say every day, knowing that we are sinners."


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FAITH: Reason Needs Beauty

Reason Needs Beauty, Says Pontiff

Calls Saints and Art Great Defenders of the Faith

| 823 hits

BRESSANONE, Italy, AUG. 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Apologetics has two great pillars, says Benedict XVI: beauty and the saints.
 
The Pope affirmed this Aug. 6 when he met with priests, deacons and seminarians of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone and answered in German six questions they asked him. The Holy Father was on vacation in the Dolomites, where he stayed at the major seminary of Bressanone.

Responding to a question from a Franciscan priest, the Holy Father spoke about the complementary importance of beauty and reason.

He said that only when reason and beauty are united do they form a whole, "and precisely for faith, this union is important."

"Faith must continuously face the challenges of thought in this epoch, so that it does not seem a sort of irrational legend that we keep alive, but that which really is a response to the great questions, not merely a habit but the truth," the Pontiff clarified.

Recalling St. Peter's exhortation to "always be prepared to give reason for the hope that is in you," the Pope said the saint was convinced that faith is reasonable, not a "wonderful concoction, a fruit of our thought. And this is why it is universal and for this reason can be communicated to all."

Still, Benedict XVI continued, though the importance of reason cannot be undermined, "I did once say that to me, art and the saints are the greatest apologetic for our faith."

He explained: "The arguments contributed by reason are unquestionably important and indispensable, but then there is always dissent somewhere.

"On the other hand, if we look at the saints, this great luminous trail on which God passed through history, we see that there truly is a force of good that resists the millennia. […] Likewise, if we contemplate the beauties created by faith, they are simply, I would say, the living proof of faith."

Epiphanies

The Pope pointed to the example of the cathedral where he was meeting with the priests. "It is a living proclamation," he said. "It speaks to us itself, and on the basis of the cathedral's beauty, we succeed in visibly proclaiming God, Christ and all his mysteries: Here they have acquired a form and look at us."

The Holy Father said great works of art "are all a luminous sign of God and therefore truly a manifestation, an epiphany of God."

"I think the great music born in the Church makes the truth of our faith audible and perceivable," he continued. "In listening to all these works […] we suddenly understand: It is true! Wherever such things are born, the Truth is there. Without an intuition that discovers the true creative center of the world, such beauty cannot be born."

Benedict XVI affirmed that reason must be open to the beautiful.

"When, in our epoch, we discuss the reasonableness of faith, we discuss precisely the fact that reason does not end where experimental discoveries end -- it does not finish in positivism," the Pope explained. "The theory of evolution sees the truth but sees only half the truth: It does not see that behind it is the Spirit of the Creation. We are fighting to expand reason, and hence for a reason which, precisely, is also open to the beautiful and does not have to set it aside as something quite different and unreasonable."

"Christian art is a rational art," the Holy Father went on. "[I]t is the artistic expression of a greatly expanded reason, in which heart and reason encounter each other. This is the point. I believe that in a certain way this is proof of the truth of Christianity: Heart and reason encounter one another, beauty and truth converge, and the more that we ourselves succeed in living in the beauty of truth, the more that faith will be able to return to being creative in our time too, and to express itself in a convincing form of art."
(August 19, 2008) © Innovative Media Inc

The Ascension of Christ, Jaume Ferrer II


The Ascension of Christ,
by Jaume Ferrer II, (ca. 1400-1434)

Scottish Gaelic / English New Testament - RARE and Available in short issue

Dear Lover of Scotland and Scottish Gaelic!!!  ;)
Be advised that you can order the New Testament in Scottish Gaelic with side by side English parallel text for a temporary period of time
due to a limited issue of the translation !!!  I ordered a copy while I've been in the UK and got it and it's Beautiful !!!  :) 
It is about $18 plus postage to order; see below !
Peace in JESUS !  :)
JC

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ORDER FROM: http://www.eden.co.uk/shop/gaelic_english_new_testament__blue__vinyl__an_tiomnadh_nuadh_2470.html
   

Gaelic/English New Testament: Blue, Vinyl, An Tiomnadh Nuadh

The New Testament

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'Ascension of Christ' - Dali


'Ascension of Christ' - Salvador Dali

SOCIETY: Secular & Devout regions of Europe, Divided by the Cross

A More Secular Europe, Divided by the Cross

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Stanislav Zvolensky, the Roman Catholic archbishop of the Slovak capital here, was thrilled when he was invited to Brussels three years ago to discuss the fight against poverty with the insistently secular bureaucracy of the European Union.

"They let me in wearing my cross," the archbishop recalled.

It therefore came as a rude surprise when, late last year, the National Bank of Slovakia announced that the European Commission, the union's executive arm, had ordered it to remove halos and crosses from special commemorative euro coins due to be minted this summer.

The coins, designed by a local artist, were intended to celebrate the 1,150th anniversary of Christianity's arrival in Slovak lands but have instead become tokens of the faith's retreat from contemporary Europe. They featured two evangelizing Byzantine monks, Cyril and Methodius, their heads crowned by halos and one's robe decorated with crosses, which fell foul of European diversity rules that ban any tilt toward a single faith.

"There is a movement in the European Union that wants total religious neutrality and can't accept our Christian traditions," said Archbishop Zvolensky, bemoaning what he sees as rising a tide of militant secularism at a time when Europe is struggling to forge a common identity.

In a continent divided by many languages, vast differences of culture and economic gaps, the archbishop said that centuries of Christianity provide a rare element shared by all of the soon-to-be 28 members of the fractious union. Croatia, a mostly Catholic nation like Slovakia, joins next month.

Yet at a time when Europe needs solidarity and a unified sense of purpose to grapple with its seemingly endless economic crisis, religion has instead become yet another a source of discord. It divides mostly secular Western Europe from profoundly religious nations in the east like Poland and those in between both in geography and in faith like Slovakia.

In nearly all of Europe, assertive secularists and beleaguered believers battle to make their voices heard. All of which leaves the European Commission, in charge of shaping Europe's common aspirations, under attack from all sides, denounced by atheists for even its timid engagement with religion and by nationalist Christian fundamentalists as an agent of Satan.

Asked about such criticism, Katharina von Schnurbein, the commission official responsible for outreach to both religious and secular groups, smiled and said, "I can assure you that the European Commission is not the Antichrist."

Europe is suffused with Christianity, or at least memories of its past influence. The landscape is dotted with churches, now mostly empty, and monasteries, its ancient universities are rooted in medieval religious scholarship, and many of its national crests and anthems pay homage to God.

Even the European Union's flag — a circle of 12 yellow stars on a blue background — has a coded Christian message. Arsène Heitz, a French Catholic who designed the flag in 1955, drew inspiration from Christian iconography of the Virgin Mary wearing a crown with 12 stars. The same 12 stars appear on all euro coins.

The very idea that Europe should unite began with efforts to rally Christendom in the ninth century by Charlemagne, the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.

Throughout its modern history, however, the "European project," as the Continent's current faltering push for unity is known, has sought to keep religion and the unruly passions it can stir at arm's length. The 1957 Treaty of Rome and other founding texts of what is today the European Union make no mention of God or Christianity. The Brussels bureaucracy, in its official account of Mr. Heitz's religion-tinged flag, ignores the Virgin Mary, stating instead that the 12 stars "symbolize the ideal of unity, solidarity and harmony among the people of Europe."

"There is a general suspicion of anything religious, a view that faith should be kept out of the public sphere," said Gudrun Kugler, director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, a Vienna-based research and lobbying group. "There is a very strong current of radical secularism," she said, adding that this affects all religions but is particularly strong against Christianity because of a view that "Christianity dominated unfairly for centuries" and needs to be put in its place.

Ms. von Schnurbein dismissed accusations of an anti-Christian agenda. The European Union, she said, "is often seen as trying to eliminate religion, but that is really not the case." She added, "We deal with people of faith and also people of no faith."

Obliged by treaty to consult with religious and secular groups, the European Commission, said Ms. von Schnurbein, attaches "great importance" to this dialogue, which she described as "unique" for an international body.

The commission's monetary and economic affairs department that ordered Slovakia to redesign its commemorative euro coins says it had no real problem itself with halos and crosses and demanded that they be deleted in the interest of "religious diversity" because of complaints from countries that also use the euro.

Leading the charge was France, which enforces a rigid division of church and state at home, and objected to Christian symbols appearing on Slovak money that would also be legal tender in France. Greece, where church and state are closely intertwined, also protested, apparently because it considers the Greek-born monks Cyril and Methodius as part of its own heritage.

For the European Union's most strident critics, the dispute has been a godsend, buttressing their argument that Brussels is an alien, meddling and sinister force. "I need to voice a serious and disturbing suspicion: that the E.U. is under the control of Satan or Satanism," said Rafael Rafaj of the Slovak National Party, a far-right nationalist party.

The view that the European Union serves Satan has become a popular theme for some extreme Christian fundamentalists, who cite the Bible's Book of Revelation as proof that dissolving national boundaries signals an approaching apocalypse.

Yet, several of the union's most senior figures are themselves Catholics, as were most of its founding fathers, including Germany's first postwar chancellor, Konrad Adenauer. Germany's current leader, Angela Merkel, the daughter of a pastor, has been outspoken in defending Christianity, telling supporters worried about the increasing number of Muslims that "we don't have too much Islam, we have too little Christianity."

The Brussels bureaucratic apparatus, however, is "uncomfortable with religion," said Lucian Leustean, a scholar at Aston University in Britain and the editor of a 2012 book, "Representing Religion in the European Union: Does God Matter?"

This is partly due to the rise of well-organized secular groups that pounce on any hint that Christians are being favored over other religions or nonbelievers. But a bigger reason, said Mr. Leustean, is a shift in demography and public attitudes.

Church attendance is falling across Europe as belief in God wanes and even cultural attachments wither. The Continent's fastest-growing faith is now Islam. In Britain, according to a poll last year, more people believe in extraterrestrials than in God. In the European Union as a whole, according to a 2010 survey, around half the population believes in God, compared with over 90 percent in the United States.

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe slowed the secular tide somewhat as the European Union began to admit new and sometimes deeply religious countries like Poland and Romania. Jacques Delors, the president of the European Commission in the 1990s, kicked off a debate on the "soul of Europe" and held informal meetings with church and other religious leaders.

But when Europe set about drafting a constitution in the early years of the last decade, demands that Europe's Christian heritage be mentioned ran into bitter resistance and were eventually dropped. The religious question resurfaced again with the 2007 Treaty of Lisbon, which skipped any reference to Christianity and instead paid tribute to the "cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe."

It mandated dialogue with religious groups. But it also ordered equal treatment for "philosophical and non-confessional organizations," which include groups whose principal philosophy is hostility to organized religion.

Archbishop Zvolensky of Bratislava predicted that efforts at European unity are doomed unless the union gives a bigger place to God. "Religion should be the inner strength of the union," he said.

He does see one encouraging sign: Slovakia's national bank has decided to stick with its original coin design and abandon plans for a halo-free minting in honor of Cyril and Methodius.

The European Commission has gone along with this, and the commemorative coins will finally be minted next month — two months later than originally planned — but with halos and crosses.

      

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: June 19, 2013

An article on Tuesday about religion as a source of discord among the mostly secular Western European nations of the European Union and those profoundly religious nations in the east misstated the year of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, one of the union's founding texts, which makes no mention of God or Christianity. It was 1957, not 1951.

Love of the Cross

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942), Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe

«Love of the Cross», meditation of 24/11/1934 (©Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, 2002)

"He must take up his cross daily and follow me"

The burden of the cross that Christ assumed is that of corrupted human nature, with all its consequences in sin and suffering to which fallen humanity is subject. The meaning of the way of the cross is to carry this burden out of the world... But because being one with Christ is our sanctity, and progressively becoming one with him our happiness on earth, the love of the cross in no way contradicts being a joyful child of God. Helping Christ carry his cross fills one with a strong and pure joy, and those who may and can do so, the builders of God's kingdom, are the most authentic children of God. And so those who have a predilection for the way of the cross by no means deny that Good Friday is past and that the work of salvation has been accomplished. Only those who are saved, only children of grace, can in fact be bearers of Christ's cross. Only in union with the divine Head does human suffering take on expiatory power...

To have one's feet on the earth, to walk on the dirty and rough paths of this earth and yet to be enthroned with Christ at the Father's right hand, to laugh and cry with the children of this world and ceaselessly to sing the praises of God with the choirs of angels, this is the life of the Christian until the morning of eternity breaks forth.

MISSION: Pope takes teen with Down syndrome on Popemobile

Pope Francis takes teen with Down syndrome for a spin on the Popemobile

June 19, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – During his usual drive around St. Peter's Square following his Wednesday general audience today, Pope Francis stopped to embrace a teen with Down syndrome.
But when the teen then pointed up to the Popemobile, Pope Francis invited him to join him on the famous vehicle. 
The teen sat in the pope's white seat while the Popemobile continued to wade through the crowds of tens of thousands, and the pontiff greeted the faithful. 
The teen's father told the Associated Press that he choked up when he saw the pope approaching. "The pope saw him, embraced him. Then Alberto pointed to the car, and so he brought him up!" he said. 
Since his election, Pope Francis has repeatedly shown special attention to those with disabilities, often descending from the Popemobile to greet and embrace them. 
Photos of the pontiff embracing Dominic Gondreau, who has cerebral palsy, following his Easter Sunday Mass this year quickly rocketed around the globe. 
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LIFE: Maternal mortality rate in ‘abortion-averse’ Ireland half that of UK

Maternal mortality rate in 'abortion-averse' Ireland half that of Britain: study

DUBLIN, June 19, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Researchers at West Virginia University-Charleston and the University of North Carolina have found that "abortion-averse" Ireland has a better record on maternal health than near neighbor Britain, which has de facto abortion on demand.
Since 1968, maternal mortality has declined much more steeply in Ireland than in Great Britain, the study found. Both Irish jurisdictions were also ahead of Britain on stillbirth and live birth rates.
"Legal elective abortion is associated with higher rates of maternal mortality rates, stillbirth rates, and preterm birth. Cerebral palsy rates in Northern Ireland, at a prevalence rate for birth years 1981-2007 of 2.3 per 1,000 live births …are low," the study said. 
Maternal mortality in the UK is double that of Ireland: 6 per 100,000 in England and Wales compared to 3 in the Republic. 
"Both Irish jurisdictions show more favorable data than the British," said the study. 
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The Republic of Ireland has a stillbirth rate in 2010 of 3.8 per 1,000 live births compared 5.1 per 1,000 live births in Great Britain; and a preterm (less than 37 weeks) birth rate in 2010 of 42.7 per 1,000 live births compared with 48 per 1,000 in England and Wales and 72 per 1,000 in Scotland. 
The study was published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons by Dr. Byron C. Calhoun, Dr. John M. Thorp and Patrick Carroll, M.A., of Britain's Pension and Population Research Institute (PAPRI). It found that one-third of English women are likely to "experience an abortion," compared with less than one-tenth of Irish women. 
The authors calculated total abortion rates (TARs) for 2011 of 0.13 for the Irish Republic, and 0.09 for Northern Ireland, where abortion remains illegal, compared with 0.52 for England and Wales, 0.36 for Scotland, and 0.6 for Sweden. 
They also noted the numbers of nulliparous abortions in Ireland – abortions before the woman has ever carried a pregnancy to term – which have a greater impact on the mother's health, are also lower in Ireland than in Britain. "In both Irish jurisdictions the nulliparous abortion rate is less than half the English rate in the 1980s." 
In both Irish jurisdictions, they found a relationship between the decline in marriage rates and the increase of parous abortions – those of second or later children – saying that increases in recent years "can be linked to the growth in single parenting". 
"This reflects the continuing Irish tendencies toward late marriage, late childbearing, and higher Irish birth rates." 
The higher abortion rate in Britain was put down to the greater numbers of married couples in Ireland compared to Britain, saying a "high proportion" of married couples "corresponds to the especially low rate of nulliparous abortions". 
"The very low Northern Irish rate for nulliparous abortions can be linked to the higher proportion of women married in the age group 25-29." 
As well, "Single parents choose in Northern Ireland to have additional children when their contemporaries in Great Britain tend more often to have abortions. And in [the Republic of] Ireland expecting couples often choose to marry while their British contemporaries are more prone to have abortions." 
They note that while the law allows Irish women to travel to Britain for abortions, the rate in Ireland continues to be low, particularly compared to Britain's more than 200,000 abortions per year. 
In Britain, the 1967 Abortion Act allowed abortions to be carried out on mental health grounds – and, according to British statistics, some 98% of all abortions are now carried out on those grounds. 
Meanwhile, Ireland stands ready to implement a similar abortion regime to Britain's. The coalition government is expected to call a vote any day on the proposed abortion bill, titled "Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act," that will allow abortion up to the point of birth for mothers who threaten suicide. After months of controversy, the largest public demonstrations in Ireland's history and a near-rebellion in his party, Edna Kenny, the Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister), is pressing ahead with a whipped vote. 
The committee examining the bill was repeatedly told by medical experts that abortion cannot be considered a legitimate treatment for suicidal ideation. Recently, the British peer who ushered in that country's 1967 Abortion Act commented that he regretted having allowed abortion into the country on "mental health" grounds, similar to those being proposed for Ireland. 
Lord David Steele admitted, "I never envisioned there would be so many abortions" and "… it would be a mistake to try and legislate for abortion in categories." 
Recent statistics have shown that about 600 abortions are committed every day in Britain.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Faith & Hope: Christian minority must bring hope to society - Pope

Christian minority must bring hope to a suffering society

CWN - June 18, 2013

        
      
Faithful Christians today must reach out to a society in desperate need, Pope Francis told the people of the Rome diocese on June 18.

Speaking at the opening of an Ecclesial Congress for the Rome diocese, the Pope spoke about the urgent spiritual need of many people living in the city:

Even in Rome there are people who live without hope and who are immersed in deep sadness that they try to get out of, believing to have found happiness in alcohol, in drugs, in gambling, in the power of money, in sex without rules. But they find themselves still more dejected and sometimes vent their anger towards life with violent acts that are unworthy of the human person.

Christians cannot "stand idly by" in the face of this suffering, the Pope insisted. Stressing the urgency of the problem, he acknowledged that it would take courage to preach the Gospel in a heavily secularized society. But evangelization is necessary, he said, precisely because society has lost hope.

Recalling the parable of the Good Shepherd who seeks the one lost sheep, the Pope said that the situation in modern society is much more dire. "It's the 99 who we're missing!" he said. "In this culture, let's face it, we have only 1. We are the minority!"

Adding occasional extemporaneous comments to his prepared address, the Pope said that the Gospel should be preached especially to the poor, who need encouragement. But he reminded his listeners that "the Gospel is for everyone—even experts." He added: "The Church has always been present in the places where culture develops."

Reforming society will require a revolution in attitudes, the Pope said. But Christianity is the greatest revolutionary force, he observed, because while other forces have changed political and economic systems, Christianity can change the human heart. "Only Jesus Christ accomplished the true revolution, the one that radically transforms life," he said. "Love is the greatest force for transforming reality because it breaks down the walls of selfishness and fills the chasms that keep us apart from one another."


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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

St. Joseph to be included in Eucharistic Prayers

St. Joseph to be included in Eucharistic Prayers

CWN - June 18, 2013

        
        
The name of St. Joseph will soon be included in all of the Eucharistic Prayers regularly used in the Latin rite.

The Congregation for Divine Worship has issued a decree calling for the inclusion of St. Joseph in Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV. St. Joseph is already mentioned in Eucharistic Prayer I, the Roman Canon, as mandated by Blessed John XXIII.

The decree from the Congregation for Divine Worship, formally dated May 1 (the feast of St. Joseph the Worker), provides the Latin wording for references to St. Joseph, which will follow immediately after mention of the Virgin Mary in the Eucharistic Prayers. The Vatican will soon provide official translations in other languages.

The Vatican decree--signed by Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera and Archbishop Arthur Roche, the prefect and secretary of the Congregation, respectively— notes that after Pope John XXIII added the name of St. Joseph to the Roman Canon, there were petitions from the faithful asking that St. Joseph also be named in the other Eucharistic prayers. These petitions, the decree said, had the support of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis; the latter approved the new mandate.


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EUROPE: 'No' to minting of Slovakian euro bearing images of saints

European Commission holds minting of Slovakian euro bearing images of saints

CWN - June 18, 2013

        
      
The European Commission has ordered the National Bank of Slovakia not to mint new euros that would feature images of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the New York Times reports.

Each member-state within the European Union has the authority to mint its own versions of the euro, incorporating its own national designs. But the European Commission ruled that the Slovakian design, hailing the 1,150th anniversary of Christianity in Slovakia, violated the principle of religious neutrality.

The controversy over the Slovakian coins is the latest in a series of disputes over the role of Christianity in the European identity. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI frequently observed that the shared Christian culture is the foundation of European identity, and without that common culture the European Union will be bound only by shifting economic interests.


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Monday, June 17, 2013

IRISH Christian Radio online :)

Here you go !  http://www.ucbirelandradio.com/  :) !!!           
                       

Saturday, June 15, 2013

3 lots of good news for those of us who pray for Christian unity

1 - Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, noted that lately the Orthodox have substantially reduced their accusations of proselytism by Greek-Catholics in Western Ukraine.

He stated this on June 10th in Lviv while visiting UCU, in answer to a question by RISU journalist, whether Vatican can make an agreement with Moscow that it refrain from accusing Greek-Catholics of proselytism, since UOC (MP) itself does not consider its relations with Greek-Catholics to be conflictive. "Such accusations are not heard as often right now as they were in the past," stated the guest of UCU.

Cardinal Kurt Koch emphasized that the issue of proselytism is in itself a very complicated one because not every accusation of proselytism has real grounds.

"Behind this issue stands the issue of the freedom of choice of every individual.  Each person has a right to choose that confession and Church to which one wants to belong.  Therefore such issues should maximally grant the individual their freedom of choice," he said.

UGCC Head Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), who accompanied the Honored Guest during his visit to UCU, expressed his own expectations that all accusations from the side of the Russian Orthodox Church against the Greek-Catholics will finally totally become history.

"During 20 years we have heard accusations, yet problems remain only when there is no desire to have unity.  Metropolitan Antoniy's words are significant and we hope that finally all the accusations of the Greek-Catholics which we hear from representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church will remain in the past.  We expect that this information which comes from the representative of UOC (MP) will be heard in Moscow in the Russian Orthodox Church.  As for us, Greek-Catholics, we will always speak the truth, no matter how bitter it may be," emphasized His Beatitude Sviatoslav

As is known, the issue of "proselytism by UGCC" and conflicts between Greek-Catholics and Orthodox (Moscow Patriarchate) in Western Ukraine are raised by the Eparchy of Russian Orthodox Church before the Vatican, whenever talk turns towards settlement of the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue and the possibility of a meeting between the Roman Pope and the Moscow Patriarch.  One of the favorite topics among ROC clergy is "the forced liquidation" of three Orthodox eparchies in Galicia at the beginning of the 90s.

In fact, on May 27th during The VII Festival of the Orthodox Media in Lviv, the Manager of UOC (MP) Issues, Borispil Metropolitan Antoniy  (Pakanych) assured all that in Galicia there are no misunderstandings between Orthodox and Greek-Catholics and that the relations between the two Churches in this region are stable.

2 - POPE RECEIVES ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: PATH TOWARD UNITY, PRAYING AND WORKING TOGETHER

Vatican City, 14 June 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Vatican, Pope Francis received the Primate of all England and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, England, with the same words that Paul VI greeted his predecessor, Michael Ramsey, during his historic visit to the Vatican in 1966: "Your steps have not brought you to a foreign dwelling ... we are pleased to open the doors to you, and with the doors, our heart, pleased and honoured as we are ... to welcome you 'not as a guest or a stranger, but as a fellow citizen of the Saints and the Family of God'." He also recalled that, at the ceremony of his taking possession of the Cathedral of Canterbury, the archbishop prayed for the new Bishop of Rome, a gesture that the Pope was deeply grateful for. He added: "Since we began our respective ministries within days of each other, I think we will always have a particular reason to support one another in prayer."

"The history of relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church," the Pope continued, "is long and complex, and not without pain. Recent decades, however, have been marked by a journey of rapprochement and fraternity, and for this we give heartfelt thanks to God. This journey has been brought about both via theological dialogue, through the work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, and via the growth of cordial relations at every level through shared daily lives in a spirit of profound mutual respect and sincere cooperation. In this regard, I am very pleased to welcome alongside you Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster. These firm bonds of friendship have enabled us to remain on course even when difficulties have arisen in our theological dialogue that were greater than we could have foreseen at the start of our journey."

Francis expressed his gratitude to the archbishop for "the sincere efforts that the Church of England has made to understand the reasons that led ... Pope Benedict XVI, to provide a canonical structure able to respond to the wishes of those groups of Anglicans who have asked to be received collectively into the Catholic Church." He stated that the structure "will enable the spiritual, liturgical, and pastoral traditions that form the Anglican patrimony to be better known and appreciated in the Catholic world."

The pontiff then noted that their meeting is an opportunity to recall that "the search for unity among Christians is prompted not by practical considerations, but by the will of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who made us his brothers and sisters, children of the One Father. Hence the prayer that we make today is of fundamental importance."

Their praying together "gives a fresh impulse to our daily efforts to grow towards unity, which are concretely expressed in our cooperation in various areas of daily life. Particularly important among these is our witness to the reference to God and the promotion of Christian values in a world that seems at times to call into question some of the foundations of society, such as respect for the sacredness of human life or the importance of the institution of the family built on marriage. … Then there is the effort to achieve greater social justice, to build an economic system that is at the service of man and promotes the common good. Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor, so that they are not abandoned to the laws of an economy that seems at times to treat people as mere consumers."

"I know that Your Grace," the Holy Father asserted, "is especially sensitive to all these questions, in which we share many ideas, and I am also aware of your commitment to foster reconciliation and resolution of conflicts between nations. In this regard, together with Archbishop Nichols [the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, England], you have urged the authorities to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict such as would guarantee the security of the entire population, including the minorities, not least among whom are the ancient local Christian communities. As you yourself have observed, we Christians bring peace and grace as a treasure to be offered to the world, but these gifts can bear fruit only when Christians live and work together in harmony. This makes it easier to contribute to building relations of respect and peaceful coexistence with those who belong to other religious traditions, and with non-believers."

"The unity we so earnestly long for," concluded the Pope, "is a gift that comes from above and it is rooted in our communion of love with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. … May the merciful Father hear and grant the prayers that we make to him together."

3- CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN RELATIONS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND HOLY SEE

Vatican City, 14 June 2013 (VIS) – The Working Group Meeting between the Holy See and Vietnam met for the fourth time from 13 to 14 June, in the Vatican. The meeting was co-chaired by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for Relations with States, and by Mr. Bui Thanh Son, Vietnam's vice-minister of Foreign Affairs.

As reported in a press release, the two sides informed each other about their respective situation and reviewed and discussed Vietnam – Holy See relations and other issues related to the Catholic Church in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese side stressed the consistent implementation and continuous improvements in policies by the Party and State of Vietnam related to the respect and assurance of freedom of religion and religious beliefs, as well as continued encouragement of different religions, and the Vietnam Catholic Church in particular, in taking active part in the national construction and socio-economic development process. The Holy See side expressed appreciation and gratitude for the attention given by various levels of Government to the activities of the Vietnam Catholic Church, particularly the 10th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences held in Xuan Loc and Ho Chi Minh City in December 2012, as well as the pastoral visits of the non-resident Papal Representative, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli. The Holy See stressed the desire to develop further Vietnam – Holy See relations and underlined the need to have as soon as possible a Papal Representative resident in the country, for the benefit of all concerned.

The two sides believe that Vietnam – Holy See relations have progressed in a spirit of goodwill, constructive exchange and respect for principles in the relationship. In this spirit, and in view of the commitment to develop further mutual relations, the work of the non-resident Papal Representative will be facilitated in order to allow him to carry out his mission even more fruitfully. The two sides agreed to meet for the 5th Round of the Joint Working Group between Vietnam and the Holy See in Hanoi. The time of the meeting will be arranged through diplomatic channels.