'Old-Catholic Church' call to heal 'family conflict'

Old-Catholic Church called to healing of 'family conflict'

2014-10-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Following a historic first visit to the Vatican, the leader of the Old-Catholic Bishops' Conference, based in Utrecht, says the small world communion has a significant contribution to make to the conversation about Catholic identity, as well as to the wider ecumenical movement. At an audience with the delegation on Thursday, Pope Francis spoke of the "grave sins" on both sides which led to the break from Rome in the 18th and 19th centuries. He also urged Catholics and Old-Catholics to strengthen their desire for reconciliation in a spirit of conversion, based on mutual forgiveness and repentance.

Following that audience, Archbishop Joris Vercammen, head of the Old Catholic Church in Utrecht, talked to Philippa Hitchen about that history of division and about their goal of bringing new insights to the understanding of what it means to be part of the universal Catholic family today…

Listen 

"The history of the dialogue with the Vatican started in 1966 with the openness Rome showed to this dialogue….in the year 2000 there was a breakthrough and we organised an international dialogue commission which produced a very interesting discussion on what it means to be Catholic…

We are a part of the Catholic family …but there is a family conflict…..we are really Catholic and in, the tradition of the first church, that means being churches connected to one another…..local churches, for us, are the most important cell of the universal church. Being Catholic means the free commitment of the local church to be connected to the other local churches, that's the way we see our identity and it's these ecclesiological insights that we are trying to contribute to Catholic ecclesiology….

It's a historic moment because we were always seen as being against the Roman Catholic Church, but we were never against, we have suffered under the separation….but in every crisis there is a calling. We are celebrating this year 125 years of the bishops' declaration of Utrecht…we don't celebrate separation but we want to celebrate this calling….

Unity is not about uniformity – also within the Roman Catholic Church one becomes more and more convinced of that fact, but if you say being Catholic is accepting diversity, then you have to organise your diversity….and I think you have to organise from the bottom up....on all levels you need a primacy but you have to embed that primacy within synodality….. "

(from Vatican Radio)

Pope: The principal mission of the Church

10/30/2014

The principal mission of the Church is evangelization, bringing the Good News to everyone.

Pope meets with 'Old Catholic' Bishops

Pope meets with leaders of Old Catholic Bishops Conference

2014-10-30 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met for the first time on Thursday with a delegation of the Old Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Union of Utrecht, reflecting on the shared ecumenical journey since the group broke away from Rome in the 18th century over questions of papal authority. The group was led by the Archbishop of Utrecht Dr Joris Vercammen, president of the International Old Catholic Bishops Conference.

Philippa Hitchen reports: 

Noting that the International Dialogue Commission between Rome and the Old Catholic Church has helped build "new bridges" of mutual understanding and practical co-operation, Pope Francis said convergences and consensus have been found, and differences between the two groups have been more clearly identified. At the same time though, he said we are also saddened when we recognize "new disagreements" that have emerged on matters of ministry and ethical discernment, making the theological and ecclesiological questions harder to overcome.

The challenge for Catholics and Old Catholics, Pope Francis said, is to persevere in dialogue and to walk,  pray and work together in a deeper spirit of conversion.  Noting that there have been "grave sins" on the part of both sides, the Pope said in a spirit of mutual forgiveness and humble repentance, we need now to strengthen our desire for reconciliation and peace.  The path towards unity begins with a change of heart,  he stressed and on the spiritual journey from encounter to friendship, from friendship to brotherhood, from brotherhood to communion, change is inevitable if we are willing to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

In the meantime, the Pope said, there are many areas in which Catholics and Old Catholics can collaborate in tackling the profound spiritual crisis affecting individuals and societies, especially in Europe which is "so confused about its identity and vocation". There is an urgent need for a convincing witness to the truth and values of the Gospel, he said and in this we can support and encourage one another, especially at the level of parishes and local communities. The soul of ecumenism, Pope Francis said, lies in a "change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians." 

(from Vatican Radio)

Pope Francis: Marriage never been more attacked

Pope Francis to Schoenstatt movement: Marriage never been attacked so much as now

2014-10-26 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis said the institution of Christian marriage has never been attacked so much as nowadays where a temporary or throw-away culture has become widespread. He said marriage should not be seen just a social rite and urged priests to stay close to couples and especially children experiencing the trauma of a family break-up. The Pope was replying to questions put to him on a range of topics during an audience with more than 7000 pilgrims belonging to the Schoenstatt movement, an international Marian and apostolic organization that is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding in Germany.  The movement now embraces members, both lay and clerics, from dozens of nations around the world.

Listen to this report by Susy Hodges:   

Mistaken views about marriage and its true meaning, our temporary or throw-away culture, the need to be courageous and daring, Mary's missionary role, the disunity of the Devil and why the concept of solidarity is under attack.  These were just some of the wide-ranging issues which Pope Francis spoke about in his off-the-cuff remarks during the question and answer session with the Schoenstatt pilgrims held in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall on Saturday.

Asked about marriage and what advice he can offer to those who don't feel welcome in the Church, Pope Francis stressed the need for priests to stay close to each one of their flock without becoming scandalized over what takes place within the family.   He said a bishop during the recent Synod on the family asked whether priests are aware of what children feel and the psychological damage caused when their parents separate? The Pope noted how sometimes in these cases the parent who is separating ends up living at home only part-time with the children which he described as a "new and totally destructive" form of co-habitation.  

He said the Christian family and marriage have never been so attacked as they are nowadays because of growing relativism over the concept of the sacrament of marriage.  When it comes to preparing for marriage, Pope Francis said all too often there is a misunderstanding over the difference between the sacrament of marriage and the social rite. Marriage is for ever, he said, but in our present society there is a temporary or throw-away culture that has become widespread.  

Turning to the missionary role of Mary, the Pope reminded people that nobody can search for faith without the help of Mary, the Mother of God, saying a Church without Mary is like an orphanage. When questioned as to how he maintains a sense of joy and hope despite the many problems and wars in our world, Pope Francis replied that he uses prayer, trust, courage and daring. To dare is a grace, he said, and a prayer without courage or daring is a prayer that doesn't work.   

Asked about reform of the Church, the Pope said people describe him as a revolutionary but went on to point out that the Church has always been that way and is constantly reforming itself.  He stressed that the first revolution or way of renewing the Church is through inner holiness and that counts far more than more external ways such as reforming the Curia and the Vatican bank. Pope Francis also spoke about the importance of having a freedom of spirit and warned against closing ourselves up in a mass of rules and regulations, thus becoming a caricature of the doctors of law.  

The theme of our throw-away society was also touched on again by the Pope in another reply when he said our present-day culture is one that destroys the human bonds that bind us together. And in this context, he continued, one word that is at risk of dying in our society is 'solidarity' and this is also a symptom of our inability to forge alliances. Pope Francis also warned about the Devil, stressing that he exists and that his first weapon is disunity.

(from Vatican Radio)

Pope Francis meets Orientale Lumen Foundation

Pope Francis greets members of Orientale Lumen Foundation on ecumenical pilgrimaget

2014-10-25 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis said on Friday there is no authentic ecumenical dialogue without being ready "for an interior renewal" and the quest for a greater fidelity to Christ and his wishes.  His remarks came in an address at the Vatican to delegates taking part in an ecumenical pilgrimage, promoted by the Orientale Lumen Foundation and led by the Orthodox Metropolitan, Kallistos of Diokleia. 

The Pope said this journey towards an interior renewal is "absolutely essential" in order to make progress along the road leading to reconciliation and full communion between all believers in Christ. 

He expressed joy that the Foundation's ecumenical pilgrimage had chosen to commemorate the figures of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II and said this underlines the two Popes' great contribution towards developing closer relations between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches. "The example of these two saints," he continued, "always bore witness to a strong passion for Christian unity."

Referring to his upcoming meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, during his visit to Turkey at the end of November, Pope Francis described this meeting as "a sign of the profound ties uniting the Sees of Rome and Constantinople"  and the desire "to overcome, through love and truth, the obstacles that still divide us."   

(from Vatican Radio)

German Catholics wary about 2017 Luther festivities

Germany Catholics wary about major Luther festivities

Wed, Oct 31 2012

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

PARIS (Reuters) - It's rare to be invited to an event five years off and even rarer to bicker about its details, but Germany's Catholic Church finds itself in that delicate situation thanks to an overture from its Protestant neighbors.

German Protestants are planning jubilee celebrations in 2017 to mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's launching of the Reformation, a major event in the history of Christianity, of Europe and of the German nation, language and culture.

The Protestants have invited the Catholics to join in, a gesture in harmony with the good relations the two halves of German Christianity enjoy and the closeness many believers feel across the denominational divide.

But even after five centuries, being asked to commemorate a divorce that split western Christianity and led to many bloody religious wars is still hard for some Catholics to swallow.

"It's not impossible in principle, but it depends on the character of the events planned," Bishop Gerhard Feige, the top Catholic official dealing with Protestants, said in a statement for the Protestant Reformation Day holiday on Wednesday.

"Catholic Christians consider the division of the western Church as a tragedy and - at least until now - do not think they can celebrate this merrily," he wrote in the text outlining Catholic doubts about the event.

LUTHER, A GERMAN GIANT

The Reformation began in 1517 when German monk Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a church door to denounce corruption in the Catholic Church, especially the sale of indulgences to help build the lavish new Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Excommunicated by Rome, he won support from German princes who soon battled others who remained Catholic. The ensuing wars of religion killed about a third of Germany's population over the next century and spread to neighboring countries as well.

After Luther's break with Rome, dissent spread and thousands of new denominations eventually emerged, the largest being the Presbyterians, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists and Lutherans.

Luther is also a major cultural figure in Germany thanks to his pioneering translation of the Bible, which shaped the German language as much as Shakespeare's plays influenced English.

Commemorative church services, concerts and conferences leading up to 2017 are already underway around Germany. There are also cultural events, such as a show of 800 plastic statues of Luther that filled the main square in Wittenberg in 2010.

This mix of religious, cultural and commercial activities led Feige to ask what the Catholics were being invited to join.

"Many initiatives and plans may well be justified, but it's not always easy to find out what 2017 will be all about," he wrote in what he called his "Ten Catholic Theses".

"It would be good if the Protestants would work out some points more clearly," he said.

Catholic-Protestant cooperation is a public issue in Germany, where the churches are equal in size and active in public life. Both run many schools and social services.

Intermarriage between Catholics and Protestants is common.

Prominent politicians from right and left recently issued a manifesto urging more progress towards overcoming their split.

TOWARDS A COMMON UNDERSTANDING?

While many Germans stress the similarities between the two, the churches remain quite distinct.

Catholicism is centralized under the Vatican in Rome and its teachings tend to be more conservative, while the Protestants are split into many local churches that range from conservative to liberal but value their freedom to govern themselves.

Feige said Catholics and Protestants had come closer to each other since the 16th century, especially since the reforms of the 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council opened the Catholic Church to more contact with other faiths.

But there were still major differences between them on issues such as the office of the pope, the meaning of the eucharist and the role of the priest that could not be ignored.

Feige also found some Protestant depictions of the Reformation too positive, playing down the suffering and divisions it caused over the following centuries.

"It would be very helpful if both denominations could come to a common understanding of what happened," he said, suggesting they could find some way to "cleanse their memories".

Margot Kaessmann, a former Lutheran bishop who heads the preparations for the 2017 events, has said she wants Catholics to join in but turned down a Vatican suggestion both sides work out a common admission of guilt for the separation.

The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the main Protestant federation, plans to discuss the preparations for 2017 at its annual synod meeting next week.

(Editing by Jon Boyle)

© Thomson Reuters 2012. All rights reserved

'Adopt a Christian from Iraq' campaign

"Adopt a Christian from Mosul": Archbishops' thanks as first aid arrives
by Amel Nona
Msgr. Amel Nona, the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, who is also a refugee himself, thanks all the donors to the AsiaNews campaign. The situation is increasingly difficult given the huge number of refugees and the arrival of winter and snow, making outdoor shelters and tents impossible. The crisis, an occasion that activates the faith of Christians. 

 
Rome (AsiaNews) - Msgr. Amel Nona, the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, who is currently a refugee in Kurdistan, has written us a letter thanking us for the first consignment of aid, which he accepted as President of the Bishop's Committee for aid distribution . The letter is addressed to AsiaNews, but the Archbishop thanks "every single donor" - and there are thousands - who have witness solidarity with their situation. This solidarity is important not only in economic terms, but also spiritually, because it means people understand the importance "that the Christians of this country have the right to live like other men, with dignity and in freedom".
The situation on the ground is still very dramatic and is becoming increasingly difficult: from the abject poverty to the dwindling of meagre resources, from the lack of housing for tens of thousands of people, to the onset of winter, with plummeting temperatures and snows which make any outdoor shelter or temporary tents uninhabitable.
Msgr. Nona and the Church in Kurdistan are making a huge effort to meet these needs, stretching themselves beyond all means given that the Church "is not a powerful international humanitarian organization." The Archbishop is hoping that a solution for the refugees may soon be found that will allow them to return to their homes taken over by the Islamic State militia. But he is particularly aware that prayer can transform "our crisis" into "an opportunity to unite all Christians, making us active in our faith".
Faced with the continuation of this emergency, we feel we must continue our campaign "Adopt a Christian from Mosul".  To help us help them all you have to do is click here and follow the instructions. Below, please find the text of Msgr. Amel Nona's letter: 


Fr. Bernardo Cervellera
Editor
AsiaNews
                                         


"I want to let you know that September 9, 2014 I received the sum of 279,219 Euros sent by you through the "Adopt a Christian from Mosul" campaign to help our Christians in Mosul and the Nineveh plain who are now refugees in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. 

As head of the bishops' committee that organizes humanitarian aid to Christians refugees, on my own behalf and on behalf of all the bishops who are members of this committee - Catholics and non-Catholics - I thank you and all the donors who have witnessed the reality of the Christian faith towards the human person, through the gift that you have offered to support the Christians of Iraq, in their dignity, in their lives. 

Our situation is really dramatic, because all of these people, our faithful have been stripped of everything: houses, property, jobs, churches, .. And have arrived in Kurdistan with nothing. 

Such a situation can be endured for a short period, but with the passage of time, without a solution to the area controlled by ISIS, many problems and difficulties emerge. 

People have lost confidence in the nation, in their own land, in their neighbors, in the authorities ... 
Humanitarian aid is dwindling with each passing day and the refugees feel increasingly in need. It is no longer possible to go on living in tents, or in public parks, or in schools because the season is changing and winter is knocking at the door. We have a lot of homeless people and not even a roof to cover them. 

We are trying to find a solution to the housing problem, but we cannot accommodate everyone because the numbers are huge: we are not a powerful international humanitarian organization, although all our Christians insistently ask us to help them. 

Our possibilities are limited because the whole country is going through a difficult phase of religious and ethnic division, accompanied by a real civil war and mutual distrust among the political and social parties. 

Ever since the first day of the crisis the Church has been doing everything possible to find a true and worthy response for her children. And we thank God that despite many difficulties we have organized at least for a while 'aid for our people, trying to give them the minimum to live as human beings, always hoping for a quick and just solution for our land. 

Your participation in solidarity, gives us strength not only because it helps us physically - and this is important - but also because we feel that we have Christian brothers and sisters close to us, who comprehend just how important it is that Christians in this country have the right to live like other men, with dignity and freedom. 

Once again I thank you all, praying to the Lord that our crisis is an opportunity to unite all Christians, making us active in our faith. 


May the Lord bless you 

  
+ Amel NONA 

Archbishop of Mosul of the Chaldeans 

September 14, 2014

ICELAND Church History / Þjóðkirkjan - Kirkjan.is

History

From the very beginning of human habitation in Iceland, Christianity was there. In that respect, Iceland is unique, at least in European context. The first people setting foot on Icelandic soil were Celtic hermits, seeking refuge on these remote shores to worship Christ.

Later, Norse settlers drove them out. Some of the settlers were Christians, although the majority were heathen, worshipping the old Norse gods. When Iceland was constituted as a republic in year 930, it was based on the heathen religion. In the late 900s missionaries from the continent sought to spread Christianity among the population.

Adoption of Christianity

Soon the nation was deeply divided between the adherents of the different religions that would not tolerate each other. At the legislative assembly, the Alþingi at Þingvellir, in the year 1000, the country was on the brink of civil war. The leaders of the two groups realized the danger and found a solution. They chose a person that everybody respected for his wisdom, the heathen priest and chieftain, Þorgeir of Ljósavatn, to decide which way the people should go. Þorgeir retired to his dwelling and lay there all day meditating. The next day he called the assembly together and made his decision known. "If we put asunder the law, we will put asunder the peace," he said. "Let it be the foundation of our law that everyone in this land shall be Christian and believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit." The people agreed and many were subsequently baptized. This remarkable story marks the beginning of the church in Iceland. Ever since it has been an important part of the Icelandic culture and identity.

Through the centuries

At the inauguration of Christianity in Iceland, the church was undivided. Missonary bishops and priests from Germany, England and Eastern Europe worked among the population until the church was organized under the Roman Catholic church order. The first Icelandic bishop, Ísleifur, was consecrated in Bremen in 1056, and he made Skálholt the episcopal see. Thereafter, Skálholt was the center of Christian learning and spirituality in the country through the 18th century.

In spite of all the upheavals of history there is a marked continuity within the church of Iceland. For the first five centuries the Icelandic church was Roman Catholic. In the beginning, it was part of the province of 1056 in Bremen. Later, the Icelandic church came under the archbishops of Lund and in 1153 it became a part of the province of Nidaros. Iceland was divided into two dioceses, Skálholt, established 1056, and Holar in 1106. These continued until 1801, when Iceland became one diocese under one bishop of Iceland, residing in Reykjavík.

The country was an independent republic from 930 until 1262. Then Iceland, having suffered civil war and anarchy, came under the rule of the Norwegian king and in 1380 with Norway under the Danish crown. In 1944 Iceland regained its independence as a republic.

Holy men and venerable books

Three Icelandic churchmen were revered as saints, even though none of them actually canonized. The most famous of them is Þorlákur, St. Thorlac of Skálholt (1133-1193). He was educated in Lincoln, England, and in Paris. Returning to Iceland Þorlákur became an abbot of the monastery of Þykkvibær, soon gaining a reputation for his sanctity. As a bishop of Skálholt, he sought to enforce the decrees of Rome regarding the ownership of church property and morality of the clergy. The Icelandic calendar has two days dedicated to Þorlákur, July 20th and December 23rd. The other two saintly bishops are Jón Ögmundsson (1106-1121) and Guðmundur Arason (1203-1237).

There was great literary activity during the 12th and 13th centuries producing extensive religious literature in the Icelandic language as well as the well known sagas. Clergy doubtless wrote most of them. Parts of the Bible were already translated into Icelandic in the 13th century. This powerful and enduring literary tradition with its strong national character has shaped the Icelandic language and inspired literary activity. Icelandic has had a continuity that makes it the oldest living language in Europe. Every child in Iceland can read texts dating from the 13th century. The Icelandic hymnal contains hymns from the 12th century and the 14th centuries in their original linguistic forms.

Reformation

In 1540 the Lutheran Reformation was established in Iceland, enforced by the Danish crown. Monasteries were dissolved and much of the property of the episcopal sees confiscated by the King of Denmark who became the supreme head of the church. A dark spot in the history of the reformation is the lawless execution in 1550 of the last Roman Catholic bishop of Hólar, Jón Arason and his two sons. Most of the Roman priests continued in their parishes even under the Lutheran church ordinance. The reformation unleashed a renewed literary activity in the country. The publication of the Icelandic translation of the New testament in 1540 and the entire Bible in 1584 marks important milestones in the history of our language and is a major factor in its preservation. The "Hymns of the Passion," 50 meditations on the cross by the 17th century poet and minister Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614-1674), were for generations the most important school of prayer and wisdom. The same can be said of "The Postil", the sermons of Jón Vídalin, bishop of Skálholt (1698-1720). His eloquent and dynamic sermons were read in every home for generations.

The Icelandic Bible Society was founded in 1815. Its foundation was the fruit of the visit of the Scottish clergyman, Ebenezer Henderson, who travelled around the country distributing Bibles and New testaments.

The nineteenth century witnessed the beginning of a national revival in Iceland and a movement towards a political independence. Many churchmen played an important part in that movement.

The Modern Era

The constitution of 1874 guarantees religious freedom. But the constitution also specifies that the "Evangelical Lutheran Church is a national church and as such it is protected and supported by the State." This provision is still in the constitution of the Republic of Iceland of 1944. Around the turn of the last century the church legislation was reformed, parish councils were established and the congregations gained the right to elect their pastors. A new translation of the Bible was printed in 1912, and revised in 1981. A new translation will be published in 2007. In the early 1900s liberal theology was introduced in Iceland, causing great theological strife between liberal and conservative adherents. Textual criticism of the Scriptures and radical theological liberalism was quite influential in the Department of Theology within the newly founded University of Iceland. Spiritism and theosophical writings were also influential in intellectual circles. Opposed to this were the inner mission, the YMCA/YWCA, and missionary societies with a pietistic leadership. This conflict marred church life in the country well into the 1960s.

At the turn of the century two Lutheran free churches were founded, based on the same confessions as the national church and using the same liturgy and hymnal, but structurally and financially independent. Earlier Roman Catholic priests and nuns established missions and founded hospitals. In the early decades of the 20th century Seventh Day Adventist and Pentecostal missions were quite successful.

Until this century the population of the country was predominately rural, farmers and fishermen, whose lifestyle was traditional. The church was a part of this way of life, prayers and devotions in every home and religious customs surrounding everyday life and work of the people taken for granted. Modern social upheavals have brought with them problems for the church in Iceland. Iceland is a modern and highly urbanized society, highly secularized with increasing pluralism of belief.

Even though Iceland is becoming increasingly multicultural with a variety of faiths, 82% of the population belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland and over 90% of the popular belong to Christian churches. Nine out of 10 children are baptized in their first year, more than 90% of adolescents are confirmed, 85% are married in the church and 99% of funerals take place in the church. Regular Sunday morning worshipers are a much lower percentage of the population, even though church festivals and special events frequently draw large crowds. A recent Gallup poll shows that 10% of adults in Iceland attend church service at least once a month. Most children are taught evening prayers in their homes. The primary schools teach Bible stories and children services are an important part of the worship life of every parish. The National radio transmits church services every Sunday morning, and daily devotions morning and evening.

St. Longinus the Centurion

The Hermits, by Charles Kingsley FULL TEXT

Here´s the link  :)  http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8733/8733-h/8733-h.htm

Image: http://hermits.ex.ac.uk/