ZENIT
The World Seen From Rome
Daily dispatch - May 29, 2008
2008 Fund Drive -- URGENT ACTION needed by June 18!
We appeal to the generosity of those readers who have not yet responded with a contribution.
ZENIT is sustained by its readers! It has no other substantial source of income to cover annual expenses. The generosity of our readers keeps us going.
ZENIT will be unable to continue its normal service if we fail to reach this year's fundraising goal of $380,000.
If you can, please support this fundraising campaign!
If you have ever considered supporting ZENIT, this is the moment to act.
Please send your donation now!
Donations may be sent by credit card, check or bank transfer.
All the information you need to send a donation can be found at: http://www.zenit.org/english/donation.html
We are most grateful for your help!
VATICAN DOSSIER Church Should Get Voice Too, Pontiff Affirms Movements a Help for Educational Emergency, Says Pope Exhibition Reveals History of Church-State Separation Pope: Poor Nations Should Get Riches of Their Soil Laity Council Site Dedicated to Women WORLD FEATURES Vatican Confirms Excommunication of St. Louis Group Spokesman: Pope's Relationship With Press Growing Prelate: Catholic Press Should Help in Search for God NEWS BRIEFS Church Urges Peace After FARC Leader's Death COUNTDOWN TO SYDNEY 50 Days; Melbourne Takes up the Cross DOCUMENTS AT ZENIT WEB PAGE 2008 Catholic Media Congress Speeches DOCUMENTS Benedict XVI's Address to Ugandan Envoy Papal Address to Tanzanian Ambassador
VATICAN DOSSIER
Church Should Get Voice Too, Pontiff Affirms
Urges Prelates to Participate in Public Debate
VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- In the framework of a healthy laicism, bishops also have a right to participate in public debates, Benedict XVI recalled.
The Pope affirmed this today when he met with the participants at the 58th Plenary Assembly of the Italian episcopal conference. The meeting is under way in the Vatican through Friday.
"As heralds of the Gospel and guides of the Catholic community, you are also called to participate in the exchange of ideas in the public domain, to help mold adequate cultural attitudes," he stressed to the prelates.
Benedict XVI noted how Italy wants to "begin a new stage of economic, but also of civil and moral growth," saying that "as bishops we cannot fail to make our specific contribution [to this endeavor]."
In this context, "we must above all say and witness with frankness to our ecclesial communities and to all the Italian people that, although the problems that must be addressed are many, the fundamental problem for the man of today continues to be the problem of God."
"No other human or social problem will truly be resolved if God does not return to the center of our lives," since he is the "source of hope that changes one's interior and does not disappoint" and, therefore, gives "consistency and vigor to our plans for good," the Pontiff stressed.
Not private
He emphasized to the Italian bishops that "in the framework of a healthy and well-understood laicism, it is necessary to resist every tendency that regards religion, and Christianity in particular, as only a private affair."
Instead, "the prospects that stem from our faith can make a fundamental contribution to clarify and solve the major social and moral problems of Italy and of Europe today," Benedict XVI affirmed.
"Strong and constant likewise must be our efforts" to defend "the dignity and tutelage of human life in all moments and conditions -- from conception and the embryonic phase, through situations of illness and suffering, until natural death," he added.
Along with his brothers in the episcopate, the Pope rejoiced over the opportunity the Church has in Italy to make use of the media in order to present its point of view and concerns "daily in the public debate," in a free and autonomous manner, "but with a sincere spirit of sharing."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Movements a Help for Educational Emergency, Says Pope
Encourages Italian Bishops in Reaching Out to Youth
VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is proposing five guidelines to address the educational emergency in Italy and many other nations.
The Pope addressed the issue of education when he met today with the participants at the 58th Plenary Assembly of the Italian episcopal conference. The meeting is under way in the Vatican through Friday.
Acceptance of new movements in the Church, evangelization at meetings of youth, personal relationship with young people, living of the faith in community, and recognition of the ecclesial role in education are the guidelines the Holy Father proposed.
Root cause
In his address to his brothers in the episcopate, the Bishop of Rome stressed the cause of the acutely self-evident "educational emergency": "a penetrating and not rarely aggressive relativism," which affects society and culture.
Relativism "places God between parentheses" and "discourages any option that spells true commitment and, in particular, definitive choices, in order to give way, instead, to self-assertion and immediate satisfactions in different realms of life," he summarized.
In the end, young people remain "alone in face of the profound questions that inevitably arise within them"; alone "in face of the expectations and challenges" of their own future, the Pope alerted the Italian prelates.
"For us, bishops, for our priests, for catechists and for the whole Christian community, the educational emergency implies a very specific task: the transmission of the faith to new generations," he stressed.
Charisms
To respond to the difficulties mentioned, "the Holy Spirit has inspired in the Church many charisms and evangelizing energies," and it is the bishops' task "to welcome these new forces with joy, to support them, foster their growth, and guide them" so that they will always remain in the ambit "of faith and of ecclesial communion."
The Pope also urged the Italian prelates to increasingly focus on evangelization in the many encounters that the ecclesial community holds with youth in parishes, oratories and schools, particularly in Catholic schools.
"Needless to say, above all, personal relationships are important, especially sacramental confession and spiritual direction," he underlined.
All are occasions of great importance, the Holy Father noted. Each opportunity "represents a possibility given to us to have our children and young people perceive the face of God who is the true friend of man."
Integral formation
Benedict XVI mentioned in particular "the important meetings" of youth, such as that of Loreto last September and of the World Youth Day in Sydney this coming July. "They are the communal, public and festive expression of that hope, that love and that trust in Christ and the Church that remain rooted in the youthful soul."
Moreover, these hugely popular events help to understand fully "the universality of the Church and the fraternity that must unite all nations," he noted.
Aware of the impact of the educational emergency on the wider society, the Holy Father stressed the need to place at the center once again "the full and integral formation of the human person," noting that schools play a key role in this.
In that connection, Benedict XVI concluded, "In a democratic state, which boasts the promotion of free initiatives in every field, the exclusion of adequate support to the commitment of ecclesiastical institutions in the area of schooling does not seem justified."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Exhibition Reveals History of Church-State Separation
Display Focuses on 12th-Century Countess
VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- A display presented today in the Vatican Museums reveals the period of struggle between popes and emperors that led to the Western modern concept of the separation of powers.
"Matilda of Canossa, the Papacy and the Empire: History, Art and Culture at the Origins of the Romanesque" is the title of a forthcoming exhibition to be inaugurated Aug. 31 and run until Jan. 11, 2009. It will have two separate sites: the Casa di Mantegna in Mantua and the abbey of San Benedetto Po.
It focuses on the biographical and political events of Matilda's life as a starting point to examine and interpret a period of confrontation between popes and emperors that led to the demarcation and separation of the two powers -- religious and secular -- and thus laid the foundations of the modern conception of power in the West.
Countess Matilda of Canossa (1046-1115), a powerful feudal landowner and ardent supporter of the papacy in the controversy over investitures, dominated the area of Italy immediately north of the Papal States.
The exhibition -- using works of art, documents and artefacts from various museums in Italy and Europe -- reveals a world undergoing a profound transformation.
Matilda's fame and the need to make her a symbol of support for the papacy created a myth that has lasted down until our own time, and over history has inspired such figures as Dante, Giulio Romano and Gianlorenzo Bernini, who recreated her figure in masterpieces of literature, painting and sculpture.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Pope: Poor Nations Should Get Riches of Their Soil
Addresses 9 New Envoys to Holy See
VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Rich countries cannot appropriate the wealth of poor nations hidden in the soil or underground, Benedict XVI affirmed.
The Pope stated this today when he received the letters of credence of nine new ambassadors to the Holy See, many of them from African nations.
Addressing the diplomats as a group, the Holy Father said, "The primordial gauge in political matters is the search for justice, so as to ensure that the dignity and rights of human beings are always respected and that all the inhabitants of a country may share in the wealth of their nation. The same holds true for the international sphere."
"The international community," he continued, "is also called to act -- over and above simple justice -- by showing its solidarity with the poorest and ensuring a better distribution of wealth, enabling especially those countries whose wealth resides in the soil or under the soil to be the primary beneficiaries thereof. Rich countries cannot appropriate what comes from other lands."
"Justice and solidarity must mean that the international community oversees the distribution of resources," the Pontiff affirmed, stressing how "it is also necessary to develop [...] fraternal relations in order to create well-balanced societies where harmony and peace can reign, and to regulate any problems that may arise through dialogue and negotiation, without using any form of violence, which always affects the weakest and poorest people."
Benedict XVI explained how "solidarity and fraternity are a definitive expression of the fundamental love we must show our brothers and sisters, because all people with responsibility in public life are primarily called to make their mission one of service to their compatriots and, in a broader sense, to all the inhabitants of the planet."
The Holy Father concluded his remarks by indicating that, "for their part, the local Churches will not fail to do everything possible to make their contribution to the wellbeing of their compatriots, sometimes in difficult situations. Their desire is tirelessly to continue serving human beings, all human beings, without discrimination of any kind."
Tanzania and Uganda
In his speech, delivered in written form, to the ambassador of Tanzania, the Pope recalled how the country, "is also held in esteem for the important role undertaken by its political leaders in the process of pacification of the Great Lakes Region" and for its "generous hospitality to refugees fleeing from hostilities in neighboring countries."
The Holy Father also noted certain negative trends such as "an increase in the regional traffic of arms and interruptions in important initiatives of dialogue and reconciliation," and affirmed that the Holy See "continues to exhort all who hold responsibility in the region not to lose confidence in the value of dialogue, but to explore with an open mind and follow all possibilities that may lead to the conclusion of a lasting peace."
In his discourse to the Ugandan representative, Benedict XVI noted the country's achievements "in the fields of education, development and health care, especially in the struggle against HIV/AIDS, with dedicated attention to those affected and a successful policy of prevention based on continence and the promotion of faithfulness in marriage."
He also praised "the culmination of efforts to formalize peace agreements and to bring to a conclusion the long years of warfare marked by cruel and senseless violence." The Pontiff expressed his hopes that all displaced people may "return to their homes and resume a peaceful and productive existence."
Liberia, Chad and Bangladesh
Benedict XVI told the ambassador of Liberia of his satisfaction with "the decision by the International Monetary Fund [...] to take steps toward cancelling Liberia's debt."
He also underlined the importance of the "educational apostolate," noting how "many of your children and young people have been traumatized by the experience of war, some of them forced to become soldiers and to abandon their education, resulting in low levels of literacy across the population. The Church in such circumstances seeks to offer the people hope, to give them faith in the future."
The Pope noted to the ambassador of Chad that "the quality of relations between religious communities living in Chad, especially between Christians and Muslims, is an important element on the country's path to reconciliation."
"I am confident that your country's active participation in bodies such as the United Nations will contribute to the 'culture of peace,' which Bangladesh desires to build at home and abroad," the Bishop of Rome wrote in his speech to the Bangladeshi ambassador.
Belarus and Guinea
Benedict XVI wrote to the ambassador of Belarus: "Considered as an integral part of the life and destiny of Belarus, the Catholic Church looks forward to continuing to exercise her role in society through her various structures and institutions," which "seek only to serve men and women and all of society through the transmission of universal values inspired by the Gospel."
"In this regard the Catholic Church in Belarus, from both the Latin and Byzantine traditions, does not ask for special privileges but only to contribute to the growth and development of the country," he said. "All she requests is the freedom to be able to fulfil serenely the mandate received from the divine founder in service of his creation. In this same spirit and with the same sense of mutual responsibility, the Catholics of Belarus are committed to moving forward in the area of ecumenical dialogue, especially with the Orthodox Church in your country."
To the ambassador of Guinea, the Pope expressed his hope that "following the painful trials the nation has been through, active cooperation may consolidate stability and encourage fraternity among the people." He also made clear his hope that the international community may support such efforts.
Sri Lanka and Nigeria
To the diplomat from Sri Lanka, Benedict XVI noted how "Catholics in Sri Lanka, together with other Christians, are united with many Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims in the ardent longing for lasting peace in the country and a definitive end to long-standing grievances. Sadly, violence continues to take its toll on the populace, causing grave concern to the Holy See and the international community."
He also mentioned the government's decision to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate cases of human rights violations, making particular reference to "Father Jim Brown and his assistant, whose whereabouts are still unknown, almost two years after their disappearance."
Finally, the Holy Father praised Nigeria for the dynamism it "has introduced into the struggle against corruption and crime and the strengthening of the rule of law. [...] I pray that politicians and social workers, professional people in the fields of economy, medicine and law, police officers and judges, and all involved in combating crime and corruption will work together diligently for the protection of life and property, supported by the loyal cooperation of all citizens.
"The Church will not fail to make her specific contribution by offering an integral education based on honesty, integrity and love of God and neighbor."
The ambassadors are Ahmada Rweyemamu Ngemera of Tanzania; Nyine Bitahwa of Uganda; Wesley Momo Johnson of Liberia, Hissein Brahim Taha of Chad; Debapriya Bhattacharya of Bangladesh; Sergei Aleinik of Belarus; Alexandre Cece Loua of Guinea, Tikiri Bandara Maduwegedera of Sri Lanka, and Obed Wadzani of Nigeria.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Laity Council Site Dedicated to Women
Web Page Continues Reflection From Vatican Conference
By Miriam Díez i Bosch
VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- There is a need for continued reflection on the complementarity of men and women, and a new Web site aims to help fill this need, affirmed an official of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
The site launched by that Vatican dicastery is a fruit of the conference it hosted last February on "Woman and Man: The 'Humanum' in its Entirety." The Vatican conference marked the 20th anniversary of John Paul II's apostolic letter "Mulieris Dignitatem." Benedict XVI addressed the conference participants the day it ended.
Rocío Figueroa Alvear, the pontifical council's director of its department on women, told ZENIT that the site is a consequence of the interest shown by the 280 delegates at the conference, who said it is necessary "to continue the reflection begun there, showing at the same time the importance of tightening the links between movements, associations, and concrete individuals who work for the promotion of the dignity and mission of the woman."
One of the objectives of the site is to "go deeper in anthropological questions, which spring from the original unity of the person, upon which is based the reciprocal relationship between man and woman," Figueroa said. "And this, without leaving aside the reflection about the anthropological differences between the 'feminine I' and the 'masculine I," which, far from becoming an obstacle or a deep and insuperable abyss between man and woman, contributes the elements for a greater richness in the expression of the 'humanum' in every dimension of society."
The site was developed with a sense of being "in ecclesia," Figueroa said, "in company with all of the women who have gone before us in the faith with their testimony of holiness and life."
It also aims to take into account women who suffer.
"In finding ourselves with new cultural paradigms and new challenges," Figueroa noted, "we do not forget that there are still so many places in the world where the dignity of the woman is not recognized, and is even wounded, suffering the consequences of misery, violence and marginalization."
--- --- ---
On the Net:
www.laici.org/index.php?p=homedonna
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
WORLD FEATURES
Vatican Confirms Excommunication of St. Louis Group
Hired Suspended Priest for St. Stanislaus
ST. LOUIS, Missouri, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- A decision by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith confirmed an earlier declaration from the St. Louis archbishop that the board of directors of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Corporation and the priest they hired are excommunicated.
The corporation is associated with what used to be St. Stanislaus Kostka parish.
Archbishop Raymond Burke, in his weekly column in the St. Louis Review to be published Friday, explained the history of the Vatican congregation clarification.
He noted that in 2005, he "was obliged to declare the excommunication of the members of the board of directors of St. Stanislaus Kostka Corporation because of their persistence in schism. The members of the board had committed the most grievous delict of schism by hiring a suspended priest, that is, a priest not in good standing in the Church, for the purpose of attempting to celebrate the sacraments and sacramentals at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, all outside of the communion of the Catholic Church."
The priest involved, Father Marek Bozek of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, had left his priestly assignment against the expressed will of his bishop, Bishop John Leibrecht, in order to be hired by the St. Stanislaus Kostka Corporation.
The priest was suspended from all acts of the power of Holy Orders and of governance.
In St. Louis, Archbishop Burke said he "urged [Father Bozek] to be obedient to his bishop and not to participate in the schismatic activity of the Board of Directors of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Corporation. Reverend Bozek also refused to follow my direction and, likewise, incurred the penalty of excommunication because of persistence in schism."
The board appealed for a review, but the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith took two actions, the archbishop explained: "First, it has rejected the recourse presented by the Board of Directors of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Corporation, including Reverend Bozek. In other words, it has found the recourse to be without foundation.
"Secondly, the Congregation has confirmed my decrees of December 15, 2005, by which I declared that the members of the Board of Directors had incurred the canonical penalty of excommunication because of persistence in schism."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Spokesman: Pope's Relationship With Press Growing
Father Lombardi Sees Effects of Benedict XVI's Positive Attitude
TORONTO, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Three years after his election to the See of Peter, Benedict XVI's relationship with the press has markedly developed, and the Pope's U.S. trip reflects the newness, said the Vatican spokesman.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, this change is due in large part to the Holy Father's positive vision of the press and the service it offers.
The spokesman affirmed this today at 2008 Catholic Media Convention taking place in Toronto, Canada, through Friday, on the theme "Proclaim It From the Rooftops."
The conference has gathered some 500 members of the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals -- professionals in the fields of Catholic print and audiovisual communications, as well as Catholic communications and public relations directors -- for the purpose of spiritual, economic and professional development.
Father Lombardi, who also directs Vatican Radio and Vatican Television, revealed elements of this attitude. He noted that, like Pope John Paul II, Benedict XVI meets with the press directors after each of his trips to evaluate the impact his message has had.
"This approach impresses me deeply," the priest confessed. It speaks about the Pope's "awareness that the media are fundamental and necessary for spreading any message."
Reviewing the Holy Father's trip to the United States, Father Lombardi attributed the success above all to the Pope's "cordial and positive approach toward the American people."
"He understood how to express the values on which the history of the American people has been based since the beginning: love and respect for freedom and religious experience, and the desire to build a society that welcomes and respects others and their beliefs," he said.
Strong message
Benedict XVI prefers to always use the language of proposing, and not of condemning, the spokesman added. "It is no accident that the Pope's first encyclical was on love, the second on hope. No accident either that his first book was about Jesus, who shows us the face of God."
When he speaks to young people too, Father Lombardi affirmed, "Benedict XVI insists that ours is not a religion of prohibitions, of 'no's.' Rather, it is based on the great 'yes' of love."
The Pope does this work, the Jesuit continued, with trust in reason and patience in communicating strong messages. For example, he said, Benedict XVI did not give his speech to the United Nations "for show."
"He didn't use language meant to fire the imagination or cause a sensation. He wanted to plumb the depths, to affirm basic principles," he said. "This is the answer the Pope gives every day to relativism and subjectivism."
And, Father Lombardi continued, the Pontiff does not avoid difficult problems "but has the courage to tell the truth," as he did when he spoke of the sexual abuse and as he showed when he had a special meeting with the victims.
"The Pope understood that to heal the wounds of the past, there was need for the kind of sincerity that is absolutely devoid of uncertainty. We are all grateful to Pope Benedict for this," the spokesman said.
Authenticity
Finally, Father Lombardi attributed the development of the Holy Father's relation with the press to the fact that the Pope "is himself," without trying to hide behind an image.
"With time, the media is getting to know him better," he said. "Not only is his teaching deep and coherent, seen up-close, he is a kind, humble and gentle person. Sometimes this has proven a most effective force."
When he visited the mosque in Istanbul, Father Lombadi mentioned as an example, during an extremely delicate trip in search of dialogue with the Muslim world after the discussions and misunderstandings surrounding his Regensburg speech, he showed that "an image is worth dozens of theoretical statements about respect for Islam."
"Benedict is no longer just a great teacher," the Jesuit concluded. "More and more he is becoming an engagingly human pastor."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Prelate: Catholic Press Should Help in Search for God
Social Communications President Notes Media Vocation
TORONTO, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- The vocation of the Catholic communicator consists in offering answers to the search for God, affirmed the Vatican official in charge of the social communications council.
Archbishop Claudi Celli affirmed this at the 2008 Catholic Media Convention taking place in Toronto, Canada, through Friday, on the theme "Proclaim It From the Rooftops."
The conference has gathered some 500 members of the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals -- professionals in the fields of Catholic print and audiovisual communications, as well as Catholic communications and public relations directors -- for the purpose of spiritual, economic and professional development.
"I am convinced that within the human heart there is a deep yearning for God -- something I like to call a 'nostalgia for God,'" he said to the participants at the conference. "This feeling is most immediately felt when the human subject confronts the reality of his or her own solitude.
"It is in moments of solitude that the individual is unable to avoid a consideration of the ultimate questions concerning life and death and the point and purpose of his or her personal existence. It is perhaps for this very reason that so many humans seek to avoid such moments of solitude and are tempted to lose themselves in the world of constant communications and perpetual 'busy-ness.'"
Solitude
Archbishop Celli said the questioning that arises in the depths of solitude is "a question about the very essence of their own existence. In the final analysis, the individual is confronting a question that is not merely the product of his or her own reflection but one that issues from beyond the existence of any one individual. It is this very question that mysteriously grounds the being of the individual."
"If we are not attentive to this dimension of human existence, if we are deaf to the echo of the question which reveals itself in a desire for a destiny that can shape human life, we can never establish an authentic human relationship," Archbishop Celli warned, affirming that true communication between humans -- and it is precisely as communicators that we come together -- demands an openness to this basic yearning.
The Vatican official explained that "today, we are faced with unprecedented challenges, as well as marvelous possibilities, magnified by the rapid development of technological innovation revolutionizing communication in all its different forms."
He noted: "The cultural changes which have resulted from these developments require deep reflection and innovative thinking so that we can better reach out to others and better communicate the Good News to all humanity -- whether practicing Catholics or non-believers, whether in religious or overwhelmingly secular contexts.
"Our message is always the same -- Jesus of Nazareth must always be at the heart of our proclamation -- but how we present him to a changing world and how we communicate his message needs to be continually reformulated and adapted to the moment and the context."
--- --- ---
On the Net:
Full text of Archbishop Celli's speech:
http://www.zenit.org/article-22734?l=english
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
NEWS BRIEFS
Church Urges Peace After FARC Leader's Death
BOGOTA, Colombia, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- The Church in Colombia is inviting the FARC guerrilla army to give peace another chance now that its founder and leader has died.
Bishop Fabián Marulanda, the secretary-general of Colombia's episcopal conference, said that the death of FARC's founder, Manuel Marulanda, can be an opportunity for the guerrillas to realize that power cannot be obtained through violence.
Marulanda perhaps died in March. The FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) confirmed Sunday that the 80-year-old leader was dead, saying that he passed away after a brief illness. More details were not given.
Marulanda founded FARC more than 40 years ago and has been rumored to be dead at least 17 times.
The bishop told the press that the leader's death "can be an opportunity for the FARC to realize the difficulties they are going to have in maintaining their position and maintaining this ideal of obtaining the government using arms."
Nevertheless, Bishop Marulanda also asked Colombia's president to be prudent in the wake of FARC's announcement: "Triumphs should be managed with more prudence even than defeats, because the defeated or wounded can react in an unexpected way. The commanders of the guerrilla forces must be sorrowful at the death of he who was their icon, their supreme idol."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Countdown to SYDNEY
50 Days; Melbourne Takes up the Cross
Sydney Is Getting Ready for the Pilgrims
By Catherine Smibert
SYDNEY, Australia, MAY 29, 2008 (Zenit.org).- If they didn't know it before, the residents of Sydney now know that World Youth Day pilgrims will soon be flooding their streets, shores, shopping malls and media.
The city's consciousness was awakened last weekend when scores of young volunteers in Sydney gave up their Saturday to hand out postcards and balloons, informing the people of Sydney of the upcoming youth day.
The event is part of the archdiocesan Catholic Youth Service (CYS) strategy to engage the wider community in the activities to take place July 15-20. The mission is called "Operation Activate" -- or "Act1v8" -- based on the theme of the World Youth Day as taken from Acts 1:8.
Event coordinator of the CYS team, Vincent Haber, told me that the occasion was just one activity among many promotional engagements the group has been coordinating over the last couple of years.
"With this exercise though, we brought out the fresh face of World Youth Day, coupled with our enthusiasm for it, to the general public who could stop, ask questions, have a chat and get concise information booklets which aren't available online," he added.
Participant Monica Doumit, 26, felt the activity was vital in combating some of the negative secular press around the event. "There are people who have heard about World Youth Day, but many of them needed to have the facts clarified and be personally invited before taking that step toward volunteering or even registering."
Doumit's friend, Vicki Kassouf, added that she liked the chance to evangelize: "Some people were a little nervous about being open in their faith and it was so special when they stopped for a chat and talked about their past experiences and faith journey."
Corinne Lindsell, a 24-year-old homestay coordinator for her parish, noted that "the momentum was there, the excitement was there, and the reality that it is only seven weeks away hit home."
On Sunday, the Sydney bishops, priests and seminarians led the same youth team and general parishioners in a Corpus Christi procession.
The event attracted a lot of attention by passers by, and Sydney's youth were again on hand wearing T-shirts with the encouraging words "ask me" printed across them.
"Being able to use today as a trigger to discuss our faith with those on the streets is such a special witness we've given to our city," said 23-year-old World Youth Day coordinator for Franciscan youth, Ben Galea. "It's just a taste of what World Youth Day will do to our whole country."
On Monday -- exactly 50 days before the youth event -- the World Youth Day organizing committee held a press conference to unveil Benedict XVI's scheduled face-to-face encounters with young people.
These include the traditional lunch with 12 selected youth; a Mass with seminarians during which the Pope will bless and dedicate the cathedral's new altar; and a unique request made by Benedict XVI himself to meet with some of Sydney's disadvantaged young people.
"Those he will meet are young people alienated from the many positive messages that World Youth Day promotes," said Bishop Anthony Fisher at the press conference.
The coordinator of the youth day added, "This will be a beginning point that links them into the ongoing healing mission of the Catholic Church."
With 50 days to go, excitement is building, according to Activ8 volunteer, Monica Doumit. "Seeing the impact of those encounters last weekend alone, and recalling my experience in Cologne, now I can't help but engage everyone in World Youth Day conversation.
"I find myself talking about World Youth Day on the train, to the guy that I'm buying coffee from, at work and everywhere because we young people know its potential!"
* * *
Blogging a Journey
If you didn't catch the World Youth Day cross, icon and Aboriginal message stick as they traveled through Melbourne from April 25 to May 10, check on line.
The World Youth Day symbols have been traveling all over Australia, touching the lives of many Australians, but the Archdiocese of Melbourne wanted to reach out to even more by posting the events of the cross, icon and message stick online.
Belinda White, communications manager for Melbourne's Days in the Diocese, says that it's vital to utilize modern technologies combined with these events with "the aim to encourage young people to embrace their spiritual identity, celebrate empowerment and spread the strong message of peace."
The blog for the Melbourne journey of the cross and icon is filled with up-to-date video streaming, photos and reports composed "from the heart," as White says.
White and her team are highly conscious to engage all the pilgrims destined for Melbourne's Days in the Dioceses to know what they're about to experience.
She tells the youth of the world to be assured of meeting many faithful friends in Melbourne as the numbers of the attendees to these cross and icon events over the first six days alone drew double the amount of young people as the Melbourne team originally forecast.
Tim Davies, Days in the Diocese project officer looking after youth engagement and international liaison, observed with interest how the occasions have "gone beyond just the usual group we expected to attend and it was refreshing to see new faces from all over."
He says that though many are turning up not knowing what to expect, the impact of the journey of the cross and icon activities and symbols upon them is noteworthy.
"I have literally watched transformations," the young leader insists. "Girls from a particular school began one event by standing by distracted and uninterested. I observed their whole demeanor change as it came to be their turn to take up the cross. The reverence it suddenly inspired was astounding."
He continued with the example of "another occasion which had the students from six schools reflecting on the charisms of their respective founders. And when it came to Marcellin College, 50 teenage boys broke into spontaneous Latin a cappella song."
Stylistically, the week's events of the Journey of the Cross and Icon is indicative of the Days in the Diocese programming Melbourne is planning for July 10-14, noted Brother Mark Connors who heads up the Melbourne Days in the Diocese offices.
"Our mission is to serve and inspire young people here on their way to Sydney," he told me, "and we aim to do this through celebrating our Catholicity in the living Church of Melbourne, providing generous hospitality for pilgrims and creating opportunities where the gifts of life and faith are exchanged."
Brother Connors said Melbourne is expecting 25,000 youth from all over the world to visit the city and that "they are all set to be treated to a smorgasbord of events -- the biggest youth event ever to be staged in Victoria -- to prepare them better for their pilgrimage to Sydney."
* * *
On the Road
A common saying for youth day pilgrims is, "It's not the destination but the pilgrimage that counts." To that end, Sydney is gearing up to make journeying around the city as smooth as possible
The state government of New South Wales has created a World Youth Day Coordination Authority, and it is responsible for making all citizens aware of the events to take place this July. Large electronic road signs across the state have been programmed to count down the days to the World Youth Day celebrations, as well as call for volunteers to help out with it.
The authority has also created a system via their Web site "to provide the community -- participants and non-participants alike -- with the information they will need to plan and manage their lives, their businesses and their travel during the week of World Youth Day activities."
The Road and Traffic Authority will also provide detailed information to the site regarding detailed road closures, traffic flow alterations and additional public transport that will be in place for the events.
Apprehensions have been raised about the organization of roads and public transport for the pilgrims, but the World Youth Day organizers and the state of New South Wales assure that with just under three months to go, transport coordination for the mobility of both pilgrims and citizens is well under way.
When a journalist questioned Bishop Anthony Fisher, coordinator of the youth day, about the inconvenience of the event to citizens, the prelate stated, "When you have someone to your home to stay, it always puts you out a little from your average routine […] but that's the nature of hospitality."
"I'm sure that once the youth of the world are smiling throughout the streets of Sydney," he added, "we will forget about complaining."
* * *
Catherine Smibert is a freelance writer in Sydney, Australia.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
DOCUMENTS at ZENIT Web Page
2008 Catholic Media Congress Speeches
TORONTO, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- The full texts of the addresses given by Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, to the Catholic Media Convention 2008 are available on the ZENIT Web site.
The theme of the congress, being held through Friday in Toronto, is "Proclaim it From the Rooftops."
--- --- ---
Archbishop Celli:
http://www.zenit.org/article-22734?l=englishFather Lombardi:
http://www.zenit.org/article-22735?l=english
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
DOCUMENTS
Benedict XVI's Address to Ugandan Envoy
"New Hope Has Arisen for the People of Northern Uganda"
VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Here is the text of Benedict XVI's English-language address today to Nyine Bitahwa, Uganda's new ambassador to the Holy See.
* * *
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican and to accept the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uganda to the Holy See. I appreciate the greetings which you have conveyed on behalf of His Excellency Mr Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic, and I gladly reciprocate with my own good wishes and the assurance of my prayers for His Excellency and all the people of Uganda.
The Holy See establishes diplomatic relations with States with a view to achieving mutual cooperation for the spiritual and material good of their populations. In this regard, the efforts made in your country in the struggle against poverty and its underlying causes are most encouraging. Human development, through the availability of employment, suitable housing and the extension of educational opportunities, is an indispensable factor in the economic and social progress of a nation. Much has been achieved in Uganda in the fields of education, development and health care, especially in the struggle against HIV/AIDS with dedicated attention to those affected and a successful policy of prevention based on continence and the promotion of faithfulness in marriage. True to her commitment to preach love of God and neighbour, the Catholic Church will continue to cooperate with civil authorities, especially in these areas which help to better the human condition.
Mr Ambassador, you have spoken of your people's joy at seeing the culmination of efforts to formalize peace agreements and to bring to a conclusion the long years of warfare marked by cruel and senseless violence. The Church, in view of her call to enlighten consciences, cannot but express her joy at what has been achieved, and her earnest hope that conditions of full security will soon prevail, allowing all displaced people to return to their homes and resume a peaceful and productive existence. In this regard, I wish to convey the Holy See's appreciation to all who have raised their voice against violence and hatred, and to all who have contributed to a negotiated search for peace. I encourage all involved to take part generously in the task of repair and rebuilding after so many years of turmoil and abandonment. That this task is taking place amid fears of a world-wide food shortage and rising prices should be a further stimulus to dedication and perseverance in consolidating peace, reconciliation and reconstruction. I trust that the population's strong desire for peace will inspire the Government to continue to carry out its regional responsibilities and to do all that is in its power to ensure stability and reconciliation throughout the region, where lasting peace will only be possible when all parties involved adhere to international agreements and commit themselves to full respect for national borders. Much has to be done in these years but new hope has arisen for the people of Northern Uganda and their neighbours. May Almighty God assist them in their efforts to begin life anew.
No nation today is free from the influence of globalization with its benefits and its challenges. This phenomenon facilitates trade opportunities, access to information and the communication of values. Unfortunately, it can also promote superficial lifestyles and attitudes that undermine healthy customs based on moral truth and virtue. Men and women of goodwill in Africa rightly reject destructive outlooks which are associated with greed, corruption and the many forms of personal and social disintegration. Democracy and the rule of law are not nurtured by materialism, individualism and moral relativism but by integrity and mutual confidence, especially when sustained by committed and selfless leaders who are willing to offer their service to their fellow citizens for the building up of the common good. It is my fervent prayer that the genuine benefits of contemporary culture will enrich the existence of all Ugandans in harmony with what is true and healthy in the values that have been transmitted from generation to generation.
In this regard the country you represent, Mr Ambassador, embodies many important characteristics found in African culture, such as: a respectful attitude to parental authority and a religious way of seeing important moments of human existence, promoting deep respect for the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. This is the rich background in which generations of Africans have been educated and from which the seed of the Christian Gospel has produced abundant fruits. The Catholic Church appreciates this heritage for its own sake and because of its harmonious relationship with fundamental truths of the natural moral order and with basic tenets of the faith. I assure you, Mr Ambassador, that the Church will continue to play her part in the defence and promotion of these principles. She sees it as her mission to consolidate and complement them in the marvellous plenitude of the Gospel.
Your Excellency, I have spoken of topics of essential interest both to State and Church and areas in which undoubtedly cooperation will continue to bear fruit for a better future for all Ugandans. The various departments of the Roman Curia will be happy to assist you in your mission as your country's representative to the Holy See. I am pleased to assure you of my prayers as you begin your mandate and I invoke Almighty God's abundant blessings upon you and your family, and upon the people of Uganda.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Papal Address to Tanzanian Ambassador
"Education ... Is One of the Most Important Factors in Development"
VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2008 (
Zenit.org).- Here is the text of Benedict XVI's English-language address today to Ahmada Rweyemamu Ngemera, Tanzania's new ambassador to the Holy See.
* * *
Your Excellency,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Vatican and to accept the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Holy See. I am grateful for the courteous greetings and sentiments of good will which you have expressed on behalf of His Excellency, Mr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the Republic, whom I had the pleasure of meeting. I ask you kindly to convey my gratitude and my personal good wishes to His Excellency the President, to the Government and to the Tanzanian people.
Your country, Mr Ambassador, is looked upon with respect and appreciation by people in East Africa for its stability and its climate of tolerance and peace. Tanzania is also held in esteem for the important role undertaken by its political leaders in the process of pacification of the Great Lakes Region and other international peacekeeping initiatives. The generous hospitality offered to refugees fleeing from hostilities in neighbouring countries, in spite of domestic economic difficulties, has also awakened due appreciation for the noble sentiments of the Tanzanian people. Some negative trends such as an increase in the regional traffic of arms and interruptions in important initiatives of dialogue and reconciliation have cast doubts recently on the immediate future of the peace process. It is not surprising in this regard that responsible leaders and many men and women of good will are eager to see this process sustained at all costs and brought to fulfilment. No effort should be spared in order to recreate the indispensable conditions for normal living, development and cultural advancement of the populations affected. The Holy See joins its voice to this appeal and continues to exhort all who hold responsibility in the region not to loose confidence in the value of dialogue, but to explore with an open mind and follow all possibilities that may lead to the conclusion of a lasting peace.
Tanzania can be proud of its inheritance of harmonious coexistence between different ethnic and religious groups handed down to the present generations from founding President Julius Nyerere and other important statesmen. Every generation must continue to cherish and protect this treasure. Care must be taken that the common good of all Tanzanians and the dignity and the authentic rights of all persons may prevail over the particular demands or interests of certain groups. In this regard discernment and decisive action on the part of authorities are needed to curb favouritism or initiatives that would be incompatible with a political project based on universal human rights and the rule of law, and could carry in some circumstances seeds of intolerance and violence. The Catholic Church is committed to fostering positive ethnic relations and dialogue with members of other religions as a fundamental component of her desire to give witness to God’s universal love. It gives her great joy to assist society in establishing an environment of good will between all men and women based on mutual knowledge, appreciation and respect.
Creating the proper environment and structures for the economic development of a country is one of the important goals in the task of good governance. International trust and goodwill towards Tanzania has been successfully generated not least by efforts to combat corruption, and the economy has responded with steady progress. Experience in many developing countries shows that accountability and transparency, especially in the use of public funds, not only upholds the necessary moral integrity of those in office, but is in itself an indispensable economic factor for stable progress. Great care has to be taken in order to continue along this path, together with a clear will to bring the less favoured sectors to a just and active participation in the common economic growth. As your country continues to undertake works of infrastructure and promote investments in support of agriculture and industry, it is my hope that your people will work with confidence for the good of their homeland and that Tanzania will always find openness, trust and effective support at international levels.
I am pleased to note that considerable efforts have been made to promote wider access to education in the knowledge that it is one of the most important factors in development. Training programmes have also been wisely established for teachers and for other personnel in schools and health centres since the construction of adequate facilities cannot be separated from the complementary effort to prepare qualified staff. I thank you Mr Ambassador for your words of appreciation of the service that the Catholic Church offers to the people of your country. Both in education and health services, care must be taken to provide financial resources to the different projects or institutions on the basis of pressing need or merit. Equity and transparency in this area greatly facilitate a spirit of loyal cooperation between private initiative and public agencies. In these same fields of development institutions must continue to expand and improve in quality in order to respond to the needs of the population. I am sure that Tanzanian Catholics will not fail to offer their specific contribution through the Church’s institutions and initiatives, animated by Christian service of neighbour and generous love of their country.
Your Excellency, on the occasion of your presentation as the United Republic of Tanzania’s representative at the Vatican, I have given expression to some of the Holy See’s perspectives and sincere hopes for your country. May your mission serve to strengthen the ties existing between the Tanzanian people and the Holy See. Be assured that the various departments of the Roman Curia will be ready to assist you in your task. With my prayers and best wishes for the success of your mission, I invoke Almighty God's abundant blessings upon you and your family, and upon the people of your country.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
ZENIT is an International News Agency. For reprint permission:
http://www.zenit.org/english/permissions.html Visit our web page at
http://www.zenit.org To subscribe or unsubscribe:
http://www.zenit.org/english/subscribe.html To give a ZENIT gift subscription:
http://www.zenit.org/english/gift.html To make a donation to support ZENIT:
http://www.zenit.org/english/donation.html SEND US YOUR NEWS.
Please send press releases using:
http://www.zenit.org/english/news.html Copyright, Innovative Media, Inc.
