Catholic News
- Like Venice, people are beautiful, fragile, Pope says during journey to city (CNS)
Pope Francis made a brief apostolic journey to Venice on April 28, during which he met with prisoners, artists, and young people before preaching a homily at Mass and delivering his Sunday Regina Caeli address. “We can bring the fruits of the Gospel into the reality we inhabit: fruits of justice and peace, fruits of solidarity and mutual care; carefully-made choices to preserve our environmental and human heritage,” he preached during Mass. “We need our Christian communities, neighborhoods and cities to become welcoming, inclusive and hospitable places,” During his Regina Caeli address, he prayed for peace in Haiti and said he was thinking of “beleaguered Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, of the Rohingya and the many populations who suffer because of war and violence.” - Love makes us better, richer, and wiser, Pope tells grandparents and grandchildren (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Francis addressed some 6,000 grandparents and grandchildren at “The Caress and the Smile”, an April 27 event in Paul VI Audience Hall for grandparents and grandchildren. During his address, Pope Francis emphasized that love makes us better, richer, and wiser, as he recalled memories of one of his grandfathers, an Italian veteran who taught him that war is bad. “Please, go to see your grandparents, do not marginalize them: it is for your own good,” the Pope advised. “The marginalization of the elderly corrupts all the seasons of life, not just that of old age.” - Welcome, prayer, surrender: Pope addresses Burgos seminarians (Vatican Press Office)
For the second Saturday in a row, Pope Francis received a group of Spanish seminarians. On April 20, the Pontiff received seminarians from Seville and did not attend priestly ordinations for his own Diocese of Rome. On April 27, he received seminarians from Burgos. After quoting a passage from a Spanish epic poem, Pope Francis recalled that “I was there in the seventies; I met the archbishop at the time who was related to an uncle of mine, a politician. This is why I remember Burgos.” The Pope advised the seminarians that a good “criterion for discernment” is “Jesus wants me to be in this emptied land to fill it with God, or rather, so that I can make Him present among my brothers and sisters, in order to build communities, to build the Church, the people.” “First of all, this purpose is fulfilled if there is a heterogeneous group that recognizes welcome and mutual enrichment,” he continued. “Then, by showing absolute willingness to the Lord, ‘praying to Him’ to send us ... And after, the attitude of surrender and trust, so that the only emptiness is made in our heart in order to welcome God and our brethren—this would be the third thing—freeing us from false human securities.” - Papal tribute to the game of checkers (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Francis received members of the Italian Draughts Federation on April 26 as the organization commemorated its 100th anniversary. “The game of draughts has two beautiful characteristics: it stimulates the mind and is accessible to all,” the Pope said. “Indeed, it requires intelligence, skill and attention, but not great means or facilities. It is one of those games that, wherever you may be, you can easily create a moment of encounter and enjoyment: all you need is a chessboard and checkers, two players, and it is a nice way of being together.” “It is also a game that makes us exercise our logical capacity, and there is a need for this, because the abuse of the new media dulls it instead!” he continued. “In a world characterized by individualism, which at times risks becoming isolation, your game brings a breath of clean air, fresh air.” - 'Taking care of the elderly is taking on a legacy,' Pope tells foundation (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Francis addressed members of the Fundación Memorial Papa Francisco (Pope Francis Memorial Foundation) on April 26. “Thank you for what you do,” the Pope said. “Taking care of the elderly is taking on a legacy. And handing down this legacy. Therefore, at the other end are the children. Coming here, I appreciated the joy with which he drank from his bottle. A promise. A legacy and a promise. And we are the bridge.” - Bishop to lead British ordinariate of former Anglicans (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Msgr. Keith Newton, 72, as Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, the ecclesial structure in Great Britain that ministers to former Anglicans who have entered the Catholic Church. The Pope named Father David Waller, a former Anglican who is now the vicar general of the Ordinariate, as his successor. Father Waller will be ordained a bishop. Msgr. Newton, a former Anglican bishop, was ordained to the Catholic priesthood but was not eligible for ordination to the episcopate because he is married. He welcomed the appointment of his successor. - Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program, bishops, other Catholic leaders urge Congress (USCCB)
The chairman of two committees of the United States of Catholic Bishops, joined by the leaders of Catholic Charities USA and the Catholic Health Association, urged congressional leaders to “move swiftly to secure continued funding” for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The program “will end in the coming weeks without additional financial support, resulting in a rise in internet bills for one out of every six homes in the US; an eventuality that will making connectivity unaffordable for many,” the signatories warned in their April 26 letter. - Biden administration forbids disclosure of out-of-state abortions to law enforcement (Religion Clause)
Amending health privacy regulations, the Biden administration has prohibited disclosure of information about out-of-state abortions to law enforcement officials and others who are conducting a “criminal, civil, or administrative investigation” into acts that are illegal in their own state. - Impeached Brazilian ex-president meets with Pontiff (@dilmabr)
Pope Francis received former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached and removed from office in 2016, in an April 27 audience. Rousseff tweeted that she and the Pontiff discussed “humanity’s greatest challenges: the fight against inequality and hunger, the energy transition and the actions needed to tackle climate change.” “It is always a joy to be with Pope Francis, a friend of Brazil and a man profoundly committed to the destinies of humanity,” she added. - Pope asks lay Catholics to prepare for synod's 'prophetic' stage (CNS)
Pope Francis described the concluding October 2024 session of the synod on synodality as the synod’s “prophetic” stage and its “most challenging and important” stage. “Now it is a matter of translating the work of the previous stages into choices that will give impetus and new life to the mission of the Church in our time,” he said. “The most important thing of this synod is synodality, the subjects and topics are there to advance this expression of the Church that is synodality.” “For this, there is a need for people forged in the Spirit, for ‘pilgrims of hope’ ... men and women capable of charting and walking new and challenging paths,” the Pope added. The Pontiff made his remarks about the synod at the conclusion of an address to members of Italian Catholic Action. During the address, he proposed a “culture of embrace” to the members of the lay apostolate. - Vatican diplomat calls for debt restructuring and forgiveness for poor nations (Holy See Mission)
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said that a “significant shift in the approach to debt is necessary to promote integral human development, social inclusion, and equity.” FfD4, an upcoming forum on global finance, is “an opportune moment to implement new forms of solidarity in the actions to reverse growing economic imbalances,” Archbishop Caccia said at an April 24 UN meeting. “Through debt forgiveness and debt restructuring, developing countries are released from unsustainable debt, enabling them to make critical investments in healthcare, education, job creation, and social protection.” - 'The gift of peace begins in our hearts,' Pope tells Hungarian pilgrims (Vatican News)
Pope Francis received pilgrims from Hungary in Paul VI Audience Hall on April 25, a year after his apostolic journey there. In his address, the Pope recalled the different events of his three-day visit there. He concluded by thanking the pilgrims for their “fidelity to Christ, manifested in the testimony of faith and in lived ecumenism, in relationships with your neighbors, in welcoming charity even for those who are different, in respect for every human life and in responsible care for the environment.” The Pontiff also received Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok in a private audience. - Global hunger on the rise (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Citing the 2024 Global Report on Food Crises, the Vatican newspaper reported that over 281 million people in 59 countries suffered from high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023—up from 105 million people in 48 countries in 2016. “In addition to the dramatic situation in Gaza, where 81% of families do not have access to safe and clean water, Sudan has also suffered the greatest deterioration in its condition” because of the civil war there, L’Osservatore Romano reported. “Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Yemen also suffer from food crises.” - USCCB committee chairman presents Congress with detailed requests for migration-relation budget increases (USCCB)
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, the chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Migration, urged members of Congress to increase funding for migration-related government programs. Bishop Seitz presented members of Congress with detailed requests for funding for nearly 20 different programs. For example, he requested $150 million for the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Legal Representation Grant Program, and $432,161,000 for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services operations and support. “We strongly hold that the protection of unborn lives cannot be separated from any work that aims at ensuring justice and flourishing for every human being,” he added. “The USCCB will oppose any bill that expands taxpayer funding of abortion, including any appropriations bill.” Bishop Seitz’s April 25 letter followed a similar letter calling for increased spending on foreign-aid programs. - State police search New Orleans archdiocesan files on sex abuse (CNA)
State police in Louisiana have obtained a warrant to search for documents in the files of the New Orleans archdiocese pertaining to the handling of sex-abuse complaints. A police spokesman said that the search is part of an investigation begun in 2022, prompted by “numerous complaints of child sexual abuse.” The archdiocese is cooperating with the search, the police spokesman said. - Wisconsin clergy abuse probe enters 4th year (Wisconsin Department of Justice)
The attorney general of Wisconsin has published an update on the state’s clergy abuse probe as it enters its fourth year. Attorney General Josh Kaul said that his department has received 274 abuse reports, 66 of which were previously unreported, and 76 of which were previously reported only to a religious authority. Kaul pledged to issue a final report, though he said that the timing of its release is uncertain. - University urged to revoke degree earned by notorious priest (KUOW-FM)
A chemistry professor in California has urged the University of Washington to revoke a Ph.D. degree earned in 1978 by Patrick O’Donnell, a onetime Spokane priest (now laicized) who has been accused of abusing over 65 boys. The chemistry professor, Dan O’Leary, said he almost became one of O’Donnell’s victims as an altar boy and that O’Donnell’s dissertation, “Evoking Trustworthy Behavior of Children and Adults in A Prisoner’s Dilemma Game,” might have involved “sexually abusive behavior under the pretext of conducting doctoral research.” The University of Washington said that O’Donnell’s actions were “heinous and reprehensible,” but that the university was “unable to obtain evidence that in the course of his graduate work, Mr. O’Donnell met the standard for degree revocation.” - Irish priest unharmed after attempted stabbing (GRIPT)
Father Ademire Marques “sustained only a superficial injury” when he was stabbed in the head while serving as a homeless center in Dublin. Police arrested a man, who was described as cognitively impaired, in connection with the attack. Father Marques was expected to resume his ministry immediately after medical treatment. - Tajikistan's president meets with Pontiff (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Francis received Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan’s president since 1994, in an April 26 audience. Rahmon also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The parties discussed “the good relations between the Holy See and Tajikistan,” “some aspects of the country’s political and socio-economic situation,” and “the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures for the promotion of peace and stability,” according to a Vatican statement. The Central Asian nation of 9.3 million (map) is 98% Muslim, but is known for its repression of all public religiosity. - Episcopal bishop rips collar off female priest (Daily Mail)
In a truly bizarre incident during an Easter Vigil ceremony, an Episcopalian bishop ripped the clerical collar off a female priest who had evidently forgotten her part in the liturgy. Bishop Alan Gates of Boston has apologized for taking the collar from Rev. Tamra Tucker; she has not issued any public comment on the incident, which caused a shocked silence from the congregation. The confrontation occurred during what a spokesman for the Episcopal diocese described as a “non-traditional” ceremony that included other Protestant communities and made a special point of welcoming homosexuals. - More...