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ZENIT
The World Seen From Rome
Daily dispatch - February 14, 2008
VATICAN DOSSIER
Ratzinger's Thesis Seen as Key to Understanding His Papacy
WORLD FEATURES
Holy See: Planet Is Everyone's Responsibility
Anti-Trafficking Efforts Need to Focus on "Beneficiaries"
NEWS BRIEFS
US Bishops: Immigration Laws Hypocritical
Carmelites Publish Dictionary of Order
INTERVIEW
A Good Samaritan for AIDS Kids
COUNTDOWN TO SYDNEY
Youth Day Romance; A Pilgrim Trial
DOCUMENTS
Pope's Q-and-A Session With Roman Clergy, Part 4
Holy See on Caring for the Environment
Holy See Address to Human Trafficking Forum
Ratzinger's Thesis Seen as Key to Understanding His Papacy
Translation of '57 Work on Bonaventure PublishedROME, FEB. 14, 2008 (<A href="http://www.zenit.org">Zenit.org</A>).- To understand the papacy of Benedict XVI, one should become familiar with his formation as a theologian, affirmed the publishers of Father Joseph Ratzinger's thesis on St. Bonaventure.
This month in the Antonian Pontifical University, an Italian translation of young Father Ratzinger's study of St. Bonaventure's theology of history, published in 1957 as part of the priest's preparation for becoming a professor, will be presented by Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.
Father Pietro Messa, director of the Antonian's faculty of medieval and Franciscan studies, which collaborated in the publication of the translation, explained to ZENIT that current interest in this study is motivated by a desire to understand the thought of the man who is now Pope.
Cardinal Ratzinger himself discussed his thesis in a Nov. 13, 2000, address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, saying his study of the 13th century theologian uncovered untold aspects about the relationship of the saint "with a new idea of history."
In that discourse, Cardinal Ratzinger explained that in the 12th century, Joachim of Flora offered a hypothesis of history "as a progression from the period of the Father -- a difficult time for human beings under the law -- to a second period, that of the Son -- with a greater freedom, more frankness, more brotherhood -- to a third, the definitive period of history, the time of the Holy Spirit."
"According to Joachim," added Cardinal Ratzinger, "this should be a time of universal reconciliation, of reconciliation between the East and the West, between Christians and Jews, a time without laws -- in the Pauline sense -- a time of true brotherhood in the world. The interesting idea I discovered was that a significant current of the Franciscans were convinced that St. Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan Order marked the beginning of this third period of history, and it was their aspiration to make it a reality. Bonaventure maintained a critical dialogue with this current."
Father Ratzinger's work, emphasized Father Messa, "has been resumed by numerous studies regarding the theology of St. Bonaventure, as the bibliographical references included at the end of this publication indicate, and this certainly shows its importance in Bonaventurian studies."
"Thanks also to this text," he added, "the research has been able to advance and some conclusions have been outdated, both because of the progress in the research and because currently we can benefit from many more critical works than those used by Ratzinger in 1957."
Then and now
Regarding the role of Father Ratzinger's thesis in Benedict XVI's pontificate, Father Messa said, "There are many elements in this study that could have a correspondence in the magisterium of the Pontiff," such as the centrality of Christ, supported by St. Bonaventure and fully present in the papal magisterium.
The priest referred further to words from well known Dominican theologian Father Yves Congar.
"Beginning from this study and the issue of the relationship between the local Churches and the universal Church, which played such a big role in postconciliar ecclesial debate, and of which one of the protagonists was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Father Congar wrote: 'Joseph Ratzinger, who has noted, we believe justly, some differences between Bonaventure and Thomas, gives a lot of importance to the role that the pope plays in Bonaventurian mysticism due to the Franciscan influence.'"
Taking that into account, Father Messa affirmed: "The question of if and in what way this Franciscan aspect characterizes his conception and exercise of the papacy is more than legitimate.
"Reading some of his writings and speeches, the hypothesis of a 'yes' answer is reinforced. Thus it is not surprising, rather it is fully understandable, that according to Benedict XVI, in order to understand the Petrine ministry, one has to return to St. Francis."
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Holy See: Planet Is Everyone's Responsibility
Archbishop Notes Pontiff's Efforts on Behalf of EnvironmentNEW YORK, FEB. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's personal commitment to safeguarding the planet, shown in part by his numerous public appeals, has inspired a change in lifestyles in favor of the environment, the Holy See noted.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, affirmed this Wednesday during the 62nd session of the U.N. General Assembly titled “Addressing Climate Change: The United Nations and the World at Work.”
"The ongoing debate on climate change has helped put into focus the inescapable responsibility of one and all to care for the environment, thereby building consensus around the common objective of promoting a healthy environment for present and future generations," he noted.
In this effort, he affirmed, "the Holy See assures of its collaboration."
In particular, Archbishop Migliore noted the work done personally by the Holy Father.
"The personal commitment and numerous public appeals of Pope Benedict XVI have generated awareness campaigns for a renewed sense of respect for and the need to safeguard God’s creation," he stated. "Individuals and communities have started to change their lifestyles, aware that personal and collective behavior impacts climate and the overall health of the environment.
"While such lifestyle changes at times may seem irrelevant, every small initiative to reduce or offset one’s carbon footprint, be it the avoidance of the unnecessary use of transport or the daily effort to reduce energy consumption, contributes to mitigating environmental decay and concretely shows commitment to environmental care."
The prelate also noted the Holy See's practical steps to participate in safeguarding the environment. He mentioned the solar panels scheduled to be installed at Vatican City State. One project will be finished this year and will provide all the energy needed for Paul VI hall. Surplus will be used at other locations.
And the archbishop noted participation in a tree planting project in Hungary, which will "will provide environmental benefits to the host country, assist in the recovery of an environmentally degraded tract of land, and provide local jobs."
Archbishop Migliore highlighted the shared responsibility of individuals and nations in protecting the planet.
"It is incumbent upon every individual and nation to seriously assume one’s share of the responsibility to find and implement the most balanced approach possible to this challenge," he said. "Sustainable development provides the key to a strategy that harmoniously takes into account the demands of environmental preservation, climate change, economic development and basic human needs."
Clean and green
The Holy See representative encouraged the use of "clean technologies," saying they are an "important component of sustainable development."
And he recommended that developing countries be helped to learn from the mistakes made by their highly-industrialized counterparts.
"The pooling of resources makes initiatives of mitigation and adaptation economically accessible to most, thus assisting those less equipped to pursue development while safeguarding the environment," he said.
Archbishop Migliore further urged that markets patronize "green economies" and not to "sustain demand for goods whose very production causes environmental degradation."
"Consumers must be aware that their consumption patterns have direct impact on the health of the environment," he stated. "Thus through interdependence, solidarity and accountability, individuals and nations together will be more able to balance the needs of sustainable development with those of good stewardship at every level.
"Indeed, the challenge of climate change is at once individual, local, national and global. Accordingly, it urges a multilevel coordinated response, with mitigation and adaptation programs simultaneously individual, local, national and global in their vision and scope."
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Anti-Trafficking Efforts Need to Focus on "Beneficiaries"
Vatican Urges Keeping Human Rights at Center of StrategiesVIENNA, Austria, FEB. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).-To combat human trafficking, attention needs to be given to those who demand or benefit from it, said a Vatican official.
Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, affirmed this at the Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking, which ends Friday.
"The Holy See appreciates the efforts undertaken at various levels to combat human trafficking, which is a multidimensional problem, and one of the most shameful phenomena of our era," he said. "It is well known that poverty, as well as the lack of opportunities and of social cohesion, push people to look for a better future despite the related risks, making them extremely vulnerable to trafficking. Moreover, it should be emphasized that, nowadays, several factors contribute to the spread of this crime, namely, the absence of specific rules in some countries, the victims’ ignorance of their own rights, the sociocultural structure and armed conflicts."
The archbishop said that all strategies to combat human trafficking and to protect victims should but human rights at the center.
The prelate also stressed that "the demand side" of human trafficking needs to be addressed, that is, in sexual exploitation, "'customers’ -- ordinary men: young men, husbands and fathers"; and in other forms of trafficking, "for example, illicit forms of subcontracting activities that profit from exploitative labor conditions."
Archbishop Marchetto noted how local bishops' conferences have taken up the problem of trafficking in their respective geographical areas.
"This has resulted in a direct involvement of Catholic organizations and institutions in various countries in assisting the victims, which includes listening to them, providing them with necessary assistance and support to escape from sexual violence, creating safe houses, promoting counseling geared towards reintegration into society or helping them to return in a sustainable way to their homelands and sponsoring prevention and awareness raising activities," he noted.
Complex issues
Archbishop Marchetto acknowledged that "easy solutions do not exist" for the problem of human trafficking.
"Addressing these particular human rights’ abuses requires a coherent and integral approach," he said.
The 67-year-old prelate continued: "This should take into account not only the best interests of the victim, but also the just punishment of those who benefit from it, and the introduction of preventive measures such as, on the one hand, awareness- and consciousness-raising and, on the other, addressing the root causes of the phenomenon, among which the macroeconomic situation certainly should not be overlooked.
"Among other things, a coherent and integral approach should also promote the integration of the victims, especially those who collaborate against the traffickers, which includes medical care and psychosocial counseling, accommodation, residence permits and access to employment. It also means the return to the homeland, which may be accompanied by micro projects and/or loans, thus ensuring that victims do not return to the same harmful environment.
"In addition, measures could be introduced for the creation of compensation schemes. These could be financed by the confiscation of the profits and the assets gained by the traffickers through their criminal activities.
In any case, Archbishop Marchetto concluded, efforts to combat human trafficking are key for the whole of society. "As Pope Benedict XVI stated in his recent encyclical on hope," he said, "'The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer. This holds true both for the individual and for society.'"
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US Bishops: Immigration Laws Hypocritical
Say System Perpetuates Class of Workers Without RightsWASHINGTON, D.C., FEB. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- U.S. bishops are telling the government that its immigration laws are hypocritical because they do not protect the rights of workers.
Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the episcopal conference's Committee on Migration, criticized immigration laws in a Feb. 7 statement sent after both houses of Congress approved an economic and stimulus package that included language to prohibit undocumented immigrants from receiving tax rebates.
"The decision to prohibit undocumented immigrants from receiving tax rebates in the stimulus bill highlights the injustice in our immigration system," he wrote. "It proves that these workers pay into the tax system and help support our economy. It also reveals the hypocrisy of our laws. With one hand our government attempts to deport these workers, but with the other it holds tight the taxes they pay into the system. This perpetuates an underclass of workers without full rights.
"We should not accept the fruits of the labor of these workers at the same time we refuse to provide them the protection of our laws. As a democratic and free nation protective of human rights, we cannot have it both ways. Congress must mend a broken system and show the courage to enact comprehensive immigration reform."
Bishop Wester and Bishop Jaime Soto, coadjutor bishop of Sacramento and chairman of Catholic Legal Immigration Network also sent a letter Feb. 11 to Michael Chertoff, secretary of Homeland Security, expressing concern regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement's intensified enforcement activities and the protocols followed for such actions.
"Although ICE has recently issued guidance regarding worksite enforcement operations, we believe that the guidance falls short of what is necessary," said the bishops in the letter.
They urged the enforcement agency to adopt further measures, including refraining from conducting enforcement activities in certain areas, such as at or near churches, hospitals, community health centers, schools, food banks, or other community-based organizations that provide charitable social services; suspending immigration enforcement activities in the wake of natural or man-made disasters; facilitating access to legal counsel and avoiding the transfer of individuals outside the community; and implementing mechanisms for locating family members detained as a result of enforcement actions.
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Carmelites Publish Dictionary of Order
ROME, FEB. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- After 10 years of preparatory work, a dictionary of Carmel was released, considered "one of the most practical books that Carmel has produced in recent years."This is how a statement from the Carmelite community described "A Carmelite Dictionary," presented Monday at the Teresianum College in Rome.
The dictionary was compiled by Fathers Emmanuel Boaga and Louis Borriello.
Currently only available in Italian, the 1,031-page dictionary covers themes ranging from Carmelite apostolate and doctrine, names, authors, books, history, theology, science, spirituality, art, various concepts that refer to Carmel, and juridical matters.
The communiqué said it "offers a lot of help for someone doing initial research, looking for a quick reference, or developing a theme. It offers a good insight into many Carmelite issues, furthermore it provides material for specialists, sometimes with fascinating details. The information is well researched and with a bibliography on many Carmelite themes."
It is published in Rome by Citta Nuova and costs €90.
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A Good Samaritan for AIDS Kids
Interview With Cardinal Javier Lozano BarragánBy Marta Lago
ROME, FEB. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Throughout the world, 2.5 million children suffering from AIDS are hoping for a chance to survive. The Good Samaritan Foundation is the bridge for the help they need.
The foundation, headquartered in the Vatican and founded by Pope John Paul II in 2004, is entrusted to the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry. The foundation focuses on getting medicine to the neediest.
In this interview with ZENIT, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, president of the pontifical council and of the foundation, talks about how Good Samaritan began and the work it does.
Q: How did the Good Samaritan Foundation begin?
Cardinal Lozano Barragán: Some time back, Pope John Paul II was asked: "What is the Church doing to help AIDS patients?" Then John Paul II said to me: "You see to answering that question."
There is a world fund, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; at that time, the president was a Catholic, Thomas Thompson. He told me they were promoting a worldwide campaign, that they had about $15 billion to deal with these problems, and he suggested that we help each other. This I found satisfactory. Two years later -- in fact, the president had already been changed -- I realized the Global Fund's intentions were far from helping the Catholic Church.
I observed that 27% of the institutions concerned with AIDS patients throughout the world are Catholic -- operating with charity money; 44% are government related -- institutions financed with taxes; 11% are nongovernmental organizations, and eight percent relate to other religions.
Catholic institutions constitute what we might call the main "partner," but this is not acknowledged, among other reasons, because the Church is said to be an AIDS "promoter" -- a trivial accusation -- because it does not accept contraception. I wasted two years pursuing the Global Fund and I was getting absolutely nowhere, despite Thompson's good will.
After that, I received another proposal, from the Leadership Fund, of the United States, which was also prepared to destine $15 billion to help AIDS patients in the world. When I went to New York for the final arrangements, I realized the intention was, to a certain extent, to subordinate the Holy See to this fund, not so much to help the patients, but to gain some degree of control over that 27% of Catholic institutions. This was a distortion of what had been proposed to me originally. So that was as far as we got.
With Cardinal Angelo Sodano, at the time secretary of state, we pondered: If there are about 1.2 billion Catholics in the world, why go begging assistance where it is not forthcoming? Why don't we found an institution specifically intended to help the AIDS patients most in need? We presented John Paul II with the idea, which he approved; that is how The Good Samaritan Foundation arose. We chose that name because it assists the sick who are most vulnerable, who, in the end, are Christ himself.
Q: Does the Good Samaritan Foundation channel all the Church's help toward AIDS patients?
Cardinal Lozano Barragán: Not at all. The Good Samaritan Foundation promotes, orients, and coordinates -- up to a point -- the help from the whole Church, which is provided by various institutions. Such is the case of Mozambique, for instance, where the Community of Sant'Egidio is working; we do not intervene there. We act where nobody else does. That is why we encourage the organizations that help AIDS patients; we urge them to get in motion, even if this makes the Good Samaritan inoperative. And if organizations covered the entire objective, it would be wonderful. Our role is merely subsidiary. Where institutions do not reach, the Holy See moves in with the Good Samaritan Foundation.
Q: How does the foundation make its objectives concrete? How does it detect the most urgent needs?
Cardinal Lozano Barragán: We have a particular way of detecting the existing needs in the world. On the one hand, we have the statistics, and we know the countries with most AIDS patients and their resources, even on a government level. Like that, we can approach the poorest countries. In these, our interlocutors are the bishops, the episcopal conference. We offer them our help and they confirm what are the most urgent needs.
As our funds are limited, we must administrate them cautiously. When a bishop, for example, suggests a specific case, we ask him to apply to the nuncio. The latter must approve the request and contact us. This facilitates the assistance process considerably, as there is no bureaucracy. We deposit the funds in the Institute for Works of Religion. In turn, the nuncios keep their funds in the institute. If Ghana sends in a request for a specific amount, we simply make a transfer from the account of the Good Samaritan to that of the nuncio in Ghana. A simple phone call is enough to let him know that the amount has been sent, to meet the aforementioned need.
Likewise, because we do not have a vast amount of funds, we supply antiretrovirals, that is, medicine. We have sometimes been criticized on the grounds that prevention is more important. And I agree. But if, for example, I find someone dying on the highway, I am not going to start reading out the traffic laws to that person; what I must do is take him or her to the hospital immediately. That is our endeavor: to give attention to those who are dying; that is the main priority. In the logical order, prevention is priority. In the real order, it is to help people in urgent need. That is why we focus on antiretrovirals. If the time comes when we have enough funds to build centers for AIDS patients, for orphans, it will be wonderful; but, for the moment, our funds are insufficient to cover those needs.
Q: Where do contributions to the Good Samaritan come from?
Cardinal Lozano Barragán: The source is the entire Catholic Church; we ask all countries, all episcopates, all the faithful, to help us. And we provide the necessary data for donations to be sent to us.
The foundation operates as a bridge. Using the lowest laboratory price we have been able to obtain -- I omit the name of the laboratory for commercial reasons -- $217 per patient a year. A person sends a donation to our account in the Institute for Works of Religion or we transfer it there. When we receive a request from a specific place -- especially from Africa -- we send that amount to cover the particular need through the nuncio; in that way, the contribution is used for medicine immediately. The laboratory I referred to has offices in many parts of the world and the commitment to provide us with the yearly treatment per patient. In the place in question, we send the interested party to the appointed laboratory or pharmacy. We ask the beneficiaries for the receipt and confirm the appropriate use of the funds.
Q: Broadly speaking, what do antiretrovirals mean for the patient?
Cardinal Lozano Barragán: The prolongation of life. The nuncio in Ghana was telling us, a few months ago, of a small hospital in which there were 50 deaths a month; now, with the the Good Samaritan's antiretroviral assistance, there are only two deaths a month. Antiretrovirals strengthen the body's defenses and extend life insofar as medical progress allows.
Q: Instead of a special day or fund raising campaign, the Good Samaritan simply uses Advent and Christmas time to raise awareness. This year, it has focused its warning particularly on children. Are they the great neglected number in the AIDS tragedy?
Cardinal Lozano Barragán: We are devoting our attention to the most needy AIDS patients, and those most needy are children. The tragedy of orphans or of children already infected with AIDS is tremendous. Some time back, I met with an enormous number of people suffering from AIDS in Uganda, in Kilongo, on the border with Sudan. The mission superior of the Kilongo hospital introduced me to 50 children -- all under 10 years of age, all AIDS orphans -- for me to talk to them, to give them confidence, for us to send them medicine, and thus make it possible for them to go to school and lead a relatively normal life.
The problem of orphans is horrendous: The young parents of these new generations have died; now the children move on to their grandparents houses, and these do not have the physical nor emotional capacity to attend to all their needs. It is not unheard of to come across a family of 10 or 15 children, at least. And the grandparents give up the task of attending to more than two or three. "And what do the others do?" I asked; "Out into the jungle?" That's it: just like little animals, and time will tell what becomes of them.
We are in the face of an imminent tragedy: There are almost 2.5 million AIDS orphans suffering from AIDS in Africa at the moment.
The donations we receive come from Catholics and other people of good will. We do not ask patients about their religious beliefs before helping them.
This is not a matter of campaigns that run for a set time. Just as, unfortunately, there is no deadline to become infected with AIDS, there is no deadline to receive help. Becoming infected is chronic, permanent; therefore, assistance should also be chronic, permanent.
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Contributions can be made by bank transfer or draft in dollars or euros and sent to the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), Vatican City 00120.
International checks can be made out to "Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, President of the Good Samaritan Foundation, Palazzo S. Paolo, Vatican City, 00120."
For more information, visit the Good Samaritan Web site.
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Youth Day Romance; A Pilgrim Trial
Highlighting the Vocation to MarriageBy Catherine Smibert
SYDNEY, Australia, FEB. 14, 2008 (<A href="http://www.zenit.org">Zenit.org</A>).- When two young Catholics of the Parramatta Diocese set out as pilgrims to the World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada, the only love they were expecting to experience was that of God. But God seemed to have a few more plans for them.
Though having grown up in the same diocese, Anthony and Sonia Holmes had never met. Yet, after forming a bond at the 2002 World Youth Day, they were married in 2004 and now have two gorgeous children -- 2-year-old Jessica and 5-month-old Catherine.
Romantic? Yes. Uncommon? Not really, as far as international World Youth Days go.
The Holmes attribute this to the open, safe and spiritual nature of such an event.
Anthony, originally from Plumpton, noted, "When you meet someone in a regular, secular environment, it takes you a while to understand their values and beliefs.
His wife Sonia, of Greystanes, added that the World Youth Day pilgrimage "made it easier as we were able to open up more readily with the automatic acknowledgement that we shared a common belief system from our families and we regularly practiced our faith. It also helped for our future because there was no question of how we were going to raise our own family."
The Holmes' love story supports the significance of the move by the Sydney World Youth Day organizers to include the vocation of marriage to the Vocations Expo, to be held July 15-20 in the Sydney Exhibition Center.
"In today's society a lot of people have lost an understanding of marriage within the Catholic faith," Sonia observes. "So it is important that marriage is highlighted as a vocation that is a lifelong commitment as expressed so well in Catholic teaching, and not a short-term arrangement."
Her husband agrees.
"I think it is a very significant move," says Anthony. "A lot of people see 'vocation' as religious life vocation, which is also an excellent expression of faith and response to God's call, but it's important not to forget lay vocations that build other Christian foundations for society, such as sacramental marriage."
He points out that the religious side to marriage doesn't just stop at attending Church, but that it's more about how you live your daily lives together and that having a good faith foundation, parish and local community support cannot be underestimated.
That's why, ahead of World Youth Day, he and his wife want to share the message to those young people discerning vocations as Catholics and who often feel isolated in their own, individual communities that World Youth Day can help break down those barriers.
"[It] broadens your idea of who your community is," says Anthony.
"And it gives you the opportunity to talk to other peers who have different directions," says Sonia. "All the encounters help you to put your faith in God's hands and let God guide you to where you are meant to go."
* * *
Testing, Testing
The Neocatechumenal Way is expecting at least 24,000 international pilgrims to Australia's shores for the Sydney World Youth Day in July. And though they anticipate that these young people will be impacted by their experience here, the community have proven that young visitors will truly be witnesses to this host nation.
Having sent large delegations of pilgrims to each international youth day since the first in Rome in 1986, this ecclesial movement can claim some level of expertise in what's to be expected.
Leader of the Australian branch of the community, Toto Piccolo, told me, "We have learned to prepare for the unexpected by doing a series of practice runs."
This is why over the last year the community held two separate trial pilgrimages internal to Australia to discover what the impact would be from a variety of angles, whether financially, emotionally or spiritually.
"We coordinated groups of 80 youth at a time to travel from the capital cities around Australia in a bus," Piccolo explained.
"Apart from observing cost, which was minimal, the goal was to consider the impact on the group of youth as well as their effect on the communities they passed through," he added.
This latter part proved significant as many townships across the rural parts of Australia didn't know how to introduce the concept of World Youth Day or the faith to the young people of their region.
The <A href="http://www.wyd2008ncw.net.au">Neocatechumenate</A> World Youth Day team includes Father Tony Trafford who was struck by how excited the youth were when they observed how their faith could enlighten the parishes and communities they met along the way.
"People are surprised when they meet happy, young Catholics," he said. "But this response just encourage the desire for the faith among the young pilgrims themselves so it certainly is a win-win situation."
And it's certainly consistent with the theme of the World Youth Day from Acts 1:8 -- "You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth."
It also echoes the mandate of Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of the host city of Sydney, who told the young Neocatechumenate gathering in Bonn back at the 2005 World Youth Day in Germany when inviting them to Australia, just how much Australia needs them.
"We shouldn't underestimate the vocational aspect of such a calling to attend a World Youth Day," noted Piccolo, who first felt the call to be a lay missionary in Australia over 30 years ago.
The Italian native added, "We noticed even through our test journeys just how the youth, when placed on buses together all in the same missionary setting, complete with a prayer-filled itinerary, begin to form a natural community of saints."
And anything's possible with this enthusiasm and "holy energy," said Father Tafford: "One group was inspired to rebuild an 1882 missionary sanctuary up in Darwin which had previously been left to ruins, but now there's a canopy and altar so mass can be said there.
"Another six girls decided that they would spend the Christmas holidays up there with the Mother Teresa nuns in service of the Aboriginal community, and another eight boys were inspired to devote their holiday time to the young Aboriginals of Alice Springs."
This is the sort of potential for mission that Toto Piccolo and his international colleagues are convinced will be experienced by all pilgrims and everyone they meet in their wake here in Australia for the Days in the Diocese and the World Youth Day itself.
"If these are the graces that can come out of our small test groups," he told me, "imagine what will happen when the World Youth Day comes!"
* * *
Adopt-a-Pilgrim
Australian youth are banding together to make sure that no one in their country or continent miss out on the chance to experience this years' World Youth Day.
Some 3,500 Oceanic pilgrims are already expected to attend World Youth Day '08, but organizers are looking to boost this figure to more than 6,000 from 19 countries before the event in July.
At a meeting with the World Youth Day team here in Sydney last week, it was clear just how significant the location of this World Youth Day is for those young people in the immediate region who have never experienced anything like it.
But as Geoff Moss, director of pilgrim services, said in his presentation: "For some, costs have still been a hurdle. This is why there are significant differences in registration costs for those from developing nations as opposed to those from the more developed world."
But another scheme has been launched which will enable young Australian Catholics to financially help their regional brothers and sisters.
Known as the Pilgrim Partnership Support Program (PPSP), the program has already enlisted the help of over 400 Catholic groups, schools and parishes across Australia.
Therese Nichols, communications officer both for the youth even and the PPSP, said "there has been wonderful response to PPSP to date, with Australian host partners forming relationships with more than 30 Indigenous communities in Australia as well as neighboring Oceanic countries such as Papua New Guinea, Cook islands, Fiji, East Timor, Guam and Samoa."
Nevertheless, she added that "as World Youth Day '08 draws closer, we are now seeking even more individuals, parishes, schools, dioceses, businesses, movements, universities and religious institutes to consider sponsoring pilgrims under PPSP to ensure the greatest participation from our neighbors in the Pacific."
The World Youth Day office explained that the nature of the aid offered and received will vary according to each particular case, but may include assistance with airfares to Sydney, registration fees, and donations of blankets or clothing.
As youth day coordinator, Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, emphasized, "No one should miss out."
* * *
Catherine Smibert is a freelance writer in Sydney, Australia. She can be reached at catherine@zenit.org.
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Pope's Q-and-A Session With Roman Clergy, Part 4
On the Church's Role in EducationVATICAN CITY, FEB. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Following a Lenten tradition, Benedict XVI met Thursday with parish priests and clergy of the Diocese of Rome. During the meeting, the participants asked the Pope questions. Here is a translation of a fourth question and the Holy Father's answer.
ZENIT began this series of questions-and-answers Monday.
* * *
[Father Daniele Salera, parish vicar at Santa Mary, Mother of the Redeemer in Tor Bella Monaca and a religion professor:]
Your Holiness, I am Father Daniele Salera, a priest for six years now and the parish vicar in Tor Bella Monaca; there I give religion classes. In reading your letter about the urgent task of education, I have taken note of certain elements that struck me as significant and that I would like to talk about with you. […] I would like to transmit to you in these short moments the beauty of working in a school with colleagues who for various motives no longer have faith or no longer identify themselves with the Church. Nevertheless, they give me an example of passion for education and for the rescuing of adolescents whose lives are marked by crime and degradation.
I perceive in many of the people I work with in Tor Bella Monaca an authentic missionary drive. Through different but convergent paths we fight against this crisis of hope that is always lurking when one daily interacts with kids who seem dead on the inside, without a desire for the future, or so profoundly wrapped up in evil that they don't manage to perceive the goodness desired for them, or the occasions of freedom and redemption that in any case come along in their life. Before such a human emergency, there is no time for divisions. I often repeat to myself a saying of Pope Roncalli, who said, "I will always look for what unites, more than what divides."
Your Holiness, this experience allows me to live daily with youth and adults who would have never found me if I would have concentrated only on the activities of the parish. And I see that it's true: Many educators are giving up on ethics in favor of an affectivity that does not give certainties and creates dependence. Others fear defending the norms of civil coexistence because they think these norms don't take into account the needs, difficulties and identities of the youth. Using a slogan, I would say that at the level of education, we live in a culture of, "yes, always" and "no, never." But it is the "no" proclaimed with loving passion for man and for his future that often draws the line between good and evil, a limit that in the years of development is fundamental for building up a solid personal identity.
On one hand, I am convinced that, before the emergency, diversities are attenuated and therefore, in the realm of education, we can truly find common ground with those who freely do not declare themselves believers in the real sense. On the other hand, I ask myself, why do we, as a Church, who have written, thought and lived so much regarding education as formation in the correct use of liberty -- as you say -- fail to transmit this educational objective? Why do we seem, shall we say, so little free and freeing?
[Benedict XVI:]
Thank you for this reflection of your experiences in the school of today with the youth of today, and also for these self-critiquing questions for us. In this moment, I can only confirm that it seems very important to me that the Church be present also in the school, because an education that is not at the same time an education with God and in the presence of God, an education that does not transmit the great ethical values that have appeared in the light of Christ, is not education. Professional formation is never sufficient without the formation of the heart. And the heart cannot be formed without, at least, the challenge of the presence of God. We know that many youth live in environments, in situations, that make the light and the Word of God inaccessible. They are in life situations that represent a true slavery, not just exterior, but that provoke an intellectual slavery that obscures the truth in the heart and in the mind.
We try with what is within the reach of the Church to offer also to them a chance to escape. But, in any case, we bring to this diverse environment of a school -- where you can find a range from believers to the saddest situations -- the Word of God. This is what we have said about St. Paul, who wanted to make the Gospel arrive to everyone. This imperative of the Lord -- the Gospel should be announced to everyone -- is not a diachronic imperative, not a continental imperative, that in all cultures it be announced in a big way, but rather an interior imperative, in the sense of entering into the various facets and dimensions of a society to make, at least a little, the light of the Gospel more accessible. That the Gospel really be announced to everyone.
And it seems an aspect of the cultural formation of today. To know what is the Christian faith that has formed this continent and that is a light for all continents. The ways in which this light can be made most present and accessible are various, and I realize I don't have a recipe for this. But the need to offer oneself to the service of this adventure -- beautiful and difficult -- is really an element of the imperative of the Gospel itself. Let's pray that the Lord helps us to respond to this imperative of making knowledge of him, knowledge of his face, arrive to all of the dimensions of our society.
[Translation by Kathleen Naab]
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Holy See on Caring for the Environment
"The Inescapable Responsibility of One and All"NEW YORK, FEB. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address delivered Wednesday by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, to the debate during the 62nd session of the U.N. General Assembly titled “Addressing Climate Change: The United Nations and the World at Work.”
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Mr President,
The ongoing debate on climate change has helped put into focus the inescapable responsibility of one and all to care for the environment, thereby building consensus around the common objective of promoting a healthy environment for present and future generations.
The recent UN Climate Change Conference in Bali has shown that through increased concern for our neighbor, in particular for those most vulnerable to climatic change, we are better equipped to adopt strategies and policies which balance the needs of humanity with the urgency for a more responsible stewardship.
The Holy See assures of its collaboration towards achieving the objectives set in Bali. To this end, the personal commitment and numerous public appeals of Pope Benedict XVI have generated awareness campaigns for a renewed sense of respect for and the need to safeguard God’s creation. Individuals and communities have started to change their lifestyles, aware that personal and collective behaviour impacts climate and the overall health of the environment. While such lifestyle changes at times may seem irrelevant, every small initiative to reduce or offset one’s carbon footprint, be it the avoidance of the unnecessary use of transport or the daily effort to reduce energy consumption, contributes to mitigating environmental decay and concretely shows commitment to environmental care.
On a more practical side, the Holy See has already taken certain measures to reduce and offset the carbon emission of the Vatican City State, such as the use of solar panels and tree-planting. With its involvement in a reforestation project in Hungary, it will provide environmental benefits to the host country, assist in the recovery of an environmentally degraded tract of land, and provide local jobs.
The interrelated issues of environmental preservation, economic development and climate change can have competing demands on our priorities and concerns. It is incumbent upon every individual and nation to seriously assume one’s share of the responsibility to find and implement the most balanced approach possible to this challenge. Sustainable development provides the key to a strategy that harmoniously takes into account the demands of environmental preservation, climate change, economic development and basic human needs.
The use of “clean technologies” is an important component of sustainable development. To help industrializing countries avoid the errors that others committed in the past, highly industrialized countries should share with the former their more advanced and cleaner technologies. The pooling of resources makes initiatives of mitigation and adaptation economically accessible to most, thus assisting those less equipped to pursue development while safeguarding the environment. Moreover, markets must be encouraged to patronize “green economics” and not to sustain demand for goods whose very production causes environmental degradation. Consumers must be aware that their consumption patterns have direct impact on the health of the environment. Thus through interdependence, solidarity and accountability, individuals and nations together will be more able to balance the needs of sustainable development with those of good stewardship at every level.
Indeed, the challenge of climate change is at once individual, local, national and global. Accordingly, it urges a multilevel coordinated response, with mitigation and adaptation programmes simultaneously individual, local, national and global in their vision and scope.
My delegation, therefore, commends the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for providing a global framework for concerted international action to mitigate climate change and to adapt to its impacts. The almost universal membership in the Convention will not fail to facilitate the launching of national strategies --- starting with those most vulnerable, like small-island States and coastal, low-lying populated areas --- and would promote a more equitable pooling of resources and technology to help vulnerable countries with lesser resources better understand and assess the risks they face. The “Bali Roadmap” presents a common vision, capable of overcoming self–interest through collective action. It demands a global alliance for the adoption of a coordinated international political strategy towards a healthy environment for all.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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Holy See Address to Human Trafficking Forum
"We Have to Admit That Easy Solutions Do Not Exist"VIENNA, Austria, FEB. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address delivered by Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, to the Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking, which ends Friday.
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Mr. Chairman,
1. The Holy See appreciates the efforts undertaken at various levels to combat human trafficking, which is a multidimensional problem, and one of the most shameful phenomena of our era. In fact, trafficking in human beings is a dreadful offence against human dignity, which the social doctrine of the Catholic Church regards as the foundation of human rights. It is well-known that poverty, as well as the lack of opportunities and of social cohesion, push people to look for a better future despite the related risks, making them extremely vulnerable to trafficking. Moreover, it should be emphasized that, nowadays, several factors contribute to the spread of this crime, namely, the absence of specific rules in some countries, the victims’ ignorance of their own rights, the socio-cultural structure and armed conflicts.
The Holy See encourages all kinds of just initiatives aimed at eradicating this immoral and criminal phenomenon and at promoting the welfare of the victims. The Palermo Protocol and the successive regional Conventions have introduced an exhaustive international legislation against trafficking in human beings. Moreover, the Holy See notes with satisfaction the coming into force, at the beginning of this month, of the Council of Europe’s Convention against trafficking in human beings.
Mr. Chairman,
2. The Holy See has been constantly aware of the gravity of the trafficking in human beings. In 1970, Pope Paul VI established a Pontifical Commission (now a Council) for the Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerant People, which monitors also the issue of the victims of human trafficking, considered to be the slaves of modern times.
In this perspective, the same Pontifical Council, has organised two World Congresses: the first, for the liberation of women of the street and the second, for the children of the street. (See "People on the Move" N. 102 Suppl. and N. 98 Suppl.). These Congresses resulted in the publication of the Guidelines for the pastoral care of the road-street (See "People on the Move" N. 104 Suppl., published in six languages), which contain concrete suggestions, including many actions that have already been accomplished to fight against trafficking of human beings.
Because of the presence of the Catholic Church at both universal and local levels, the action of the aforesaid Pontifical Council consists especially in encouraging the various Conferences of Bishops throughout the world to fight against human trafficking with the participation of religious women and men, lay people, various Catholic associations and movements, etc.
Among other things, the Holy See has stated that all efforts to tackle criminal activities and to protect the victims of people involved in trafficking should include “both men and women and place human rights at the centre of all strategies”. The demand side of sexual exploitation, “‘customers’ - ordinary men: young men, husbands and fathers -, also needs to be addressed; this requires a better knowledge of motives in order to address the reasons why women are misused”. A similar attitude should be applied to other forms of trafficking: for example, illicit forms of subcontracting activities that profit from exploitative labour conditions.
At the local level, these points have been taken up by a number of Bishops’ Conferences (e.g. Nigeria, Ireland, Spain), which have addressed them through pastoral letters focusing on some specific local situations. This has resulted in a direct involvement of Catholic organizations and institutions in different countries in assisting the victims, which includes listening to them, providing them with necessary assistance and support to escape from sexual violence, creating safe houses, promoting counseling geared towards re-integration into society or helping them to return in a sustainable way to their homelands and sponsoring prevention and awareness raising activities. In addition, in countries that have faced violent conflicts (e.g. DRC, Sierra Leone, Liberia), the Catholic Church has also reached out to former child soldiers, who are often exposed to the risk of being sold once they leave the militia. Activities are undertaken not only for their social and economic integration, but also for healing their wounds and sustaining the receiving family and/or community. This has become evident in quite a number of initiatives, which started by religious congregations.
Mr. Chairman,
3. We have to admit that easy solutions do not exist. Addressing these particular human rights’ abuses requires a coherent and integral approach. This should take into account not only the best interests of the victim, but also the just punishment of those who benefit from it, and the introduction of preventive measures such as, on the one hand, awareness and consciousness raising and, on the other, addressing the root causes of the phenomenon, among which the macroeconomic situation certainly should not be overlooked.
Among other things, a coherent and integral approach should also promote the integration of the victims, especially those who collaborate against the traffickers, which includes medical care and psycho-social counselling, accommodation, residence permits and access to employment. It also means the return to the homeland, which may be accompanied by micro projects and/or loans, thus ensuring that victims do not return to the same harmful environment.
In addition, measures could be introduced for the creation of compensation schemes. These could be financed by the confiscation of the profits and the assets gained by the traffickers through their criminal activities.
As Pope Benedict XVI stated in his recent Encyclical on hope: “The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer. This holds true both for the individual and for society” (Encyclical Letter "Spe Salvi," No. 38).
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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