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Born in Barcelona, Spain, St. Raymond of Penafort was the third Superior-General of the Domincan Order. He is famous for his work in the freeing of slaves. He wrote five books of Decretals which are now a valuable part of the Canon Law of the Church. T…
Read MorePosted by bcadmin | Jan 7, 2021 | Homily of the Day, News |
Love is not a feeling, it is an act of our will by which we wish goodand not evil to another. We may have our personality conflicts andemotional preferences, but we must seek to do good to all people. Godloves us even when we are committing sin. He expects us to love otherseven when they […]
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CNA Staff, Jan 6, 2021 / 09:09 pm (CNA).- In a New Year’s message posted on the Archdiocese of Caracas website, Archbishop Emeritus Jorge Urosa Savino said that despite the chaotic situation in Venezuela, Catholics can still hope for a Happy 2021, but that the country urgently needs a change of government.
“Can we wish a ‘happy new year’ in the midst of so many calamities? Well yes, despite everything. Because we know that even in the midst of the pandemic, of economic, social and political problems, in the midst of negative personal circumstances that some of us may suffer, God is with us,” wrote the cardinal in his Jan. 4 message.
Inflation in Venezuela surpassed 10 million percent in 2020, and many Venezuelans’ monthly salaries cannot cover the cost of a gallon of milk. More than 3 million Venezuelans have left the country in the last three years, many of them on foot.
“The political, economic and social situation continues to be very bad, with runaway inflation and extremely high devaluation, which make us all increasingly poor. The outlook is bleak, because this government has not been able to solve the problems of ordinary administration, nor guarantee the fundamental rights of the people, especially to life, food, health, and transportation,” Cardinal Urosa wrote.
However, he stressed that “happiness does not come from material things but, above all, from the goodness and mercy of God our heavenly Father, who is the source of happiness.”
He invited Christians to remember, particularly in the Christmas season, that Christ’s incarnation and birth mean that God is truly with us.
“[A]nd so we can have confidence and hope even in the midst of the worst circumstances.”
The archbishop emeritus recalled that since January 2019, the bishops of Venezuela “have expressed the need for a change of government, since the current one cannot deal with the country’s problems.”
“We will meet soon to study the situation, establish our position and give general guidelines in this regard,” he said. “Especially when recently, UN agencies and the International Criminal Court have made very serious accusations of human rights violations by this government.”
The Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference will gather in plenary assembly from January 7-11 to discuss the current political situation and to plan for a National Pastoral Assembly in 2021.
Posted by bcadmin | Jan 7, 2021 | 2020 election, 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump, News, US Capitol |
“Domestic terrorists,” “a mob,” “goons,” “thugs,” “seditionists,” were just some of the words used to describe the thousands who broke the windows, scrawled rude messages and flew their flags on Capitol Hill. But Senator Schumer noted, the only thing they accomplished was to delay their sacred duty, the counting of the Electoral College votes, by a few hours.
The post Congress Ratifies Biden Election after Day of Unrest appeared first on Catholic Herald.
Read MorePosted by bcadmin | Jan 7, 2021 | Donald Trump, News, us election, US election 2020, Washington DC |
The day began with Donald Trump insisting to around 10,000 of his supporters gathered at the Ellipse, just outside the White House, that he will never concede.
The post Chaos in DC as Rioters Storm Capitol Building appeared first on Catholic Herald.
Read MoreAustralian government officials are reviewing records of financial transfers reporting amounting to $1.8 billion from the Vatican in recent years. Officials both in Australia and at the Vatican have been stunned by reports of about 47,000 transfers, an…
Read MoreBishop Samon Shukardin of Hyderabad, who heads the National Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, has welcomed a new government initiative, the Office for Interreligious Harmony, which has been set up to “help ensure that members of religiou…
Read MoreArchbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), made the following remark as part of a longer statement about the violence in the United States Capitol: “I […]
Read MorePosted by bcadmin | Jan 7, 2021 | 250 people, COVID-19 restrictions, Local News, Mass, News |
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Jan. 6 loosened COVID-19 restrictions for Mass and other religious gatherings effective Jan. 11, eliminating the maximum capacity of 250 people.
Read MoreNew York City, N.Y., Jan 6, 2021 / 06:01 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Timothy Dolan has denounced the defacement of St. Patrick’s Cathedral after protesters spray painted graffiti on its exterior.
Dolan said in a January 5 opinion piece in the New York P…
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Washington D.C., Jan 6, 2021 / 05:57 pm (CNA).- Catholic bishops strongly condemned pro-Donald Trump protesters’ incursion that penetrated the Capitol Building Wednesday as Congress debated the certification of the presidential election results, leading to the evacuation of lawmakers and the deadly shooting of one protester by law enforcement.
“I join people of good will in condemning the violence today at the United States Capitol,” Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Jan. 6. “This is not who we are as Americans. I am praying for members of Congress and Capitol staff and for the police and all those working to restore order and public safety.”
“The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of this great nation,” he added. “In this troubling moment, we must recommit ourselves to the values and principles of our democracy and come together as one nation under God.”
In his own statement, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco added: “To attack the U.S. Capitol to express your fear that democracy has been denied is wrong, and also counterproductive. Doubts about free and fair elections cannot be redressed by violence against democratic institutions.”
“To the deaths from a pandemic, and destruction wreaked on people’s livelihoods, we do not need to add an attempted civil war. I called for an end to violence in the streets when it happened this summer. I call on every American of good will to denounce this violence against our nation’s Capitol now.”
“May the Prince of Peace put an end to this strife, and bring healing and constructive criticism in the place of mob rule. And may God bless America,” the archbishop said.
Gomez entrusted the country to the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking, “May she guide us in the ways of peace, and obtain for us wisdom and the grace of a true patriotism and love of country.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Twitter account said, “Lord God of peace, hear our prayer.”
It also broadcast a prayer from the National Shrine: “Let us pray for peace in our nation. Mary Immaculate, pray for us!”
Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore called the protests “shocking and unlawful.”
“We fervently pray for peace and for God’s protection over our country, our lawmakers, and all those in harm’s way this terrible day. May peace-loving Americans of good will throughout the United States come together to engender peace, reconciliation and healing in our wounded and broken nation, which remains and must always be one, under God.”
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn called for prayer for the nation “on this unprecedented day of national chaos, so that we can return to the rule of law.”
“We are better than this. We as a people have always respected our differences. The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of our democracy,” he said.
Please join me in praying for our Nation on this unprecedented day of national chaos, so that we can return to the rule of law. We are better than this. We as a people have always respected our differences. The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of our democracy.
— Bishop DiMarzio (@BpDiMarzio) January 6, 2021
The protests seeking to overturn the presidential election results followed various claims that the presidential ballot results in some states were fraudulent. Some protesters appeared to think there was still a path for President Donald Trump to win the presidency, despite presumptive President-Elect Joe Biden’s decisive electoral college victory.
More than 150 Republican lawmakers sought to question the legitimacy of election results in some states, but Vice President Mike Pence, who can vote to break ties in the U.S. Senate, refused any suggestion that he act to block certification of the election.
Trump himself has stoked claims that the election was stolen and has not conceded, even in the same statements in which he has told protesters to go home. Twitter has started to remove some of his posts, and Facebook has removed some of his videos.
In a Wednesday morning appearance at a rally outside the White House, Trump encouraged supporters to march to the capitol. Some protesters clashed with police, while others intimidated capitol guards into retreating without significant contact.
Some wore “Make America Great” hats or other regalia associated with Trump’s campaign. Many carried U.S. flags or Donald Trump flags and some carried Confederate flags.
Some protesters attacked news media, while dozens of others pressed forward into the Capitol Building in defiance of capitol police, breaking windows and forcing open doors.
Lawmakers took shelter, sometimes in their offices, and put on gas masks after security used gas masks in their defense, the Associated Press said. Protesters occupied the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the chambers of Congress.
Critics of the president, including some Republicans, blamed him for inciting the protesters.
At least one bomb was found at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee in D.C., at least one other device was discovered on the U.S. Capitol grounds, and a suspicious package at the Democratic National Committee headquarters was under investigation, the New York Times reported.
Pence called out the national guard to support law enforcement in the capital. After the capitol building was secured, Pelosi recalled lawmakers to certify the election results.
Another bishop who spoke out against the protests was Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport.
“There are few words that can describe the shock I feel to see our Capitol Building occupied by violent rioters. As Americans, we should be deeply disturbed to see an important symbol of freedom and liberty in our nation violated in such a way. Our nation is better than that,” he said on Twitter.
There are few words that can describe the shock I feel to see our Capitol Building occupied by violent rioters. As Americans, we should be deeply disturbed to see an important symbol of freedom and liberty in our nation violated in such a way. Our nation is better than that. 1/4
— Bishop Frank Caggiano (@BishopCaggiano) January 7, 2021
“The peaceful transfer of power is one of the most important and revered aspects of our democracy,” he continued. “We must recommit ourselves to the values we hold dear as Americans: democracy, freedom, and peace.”
“As people of faith, we condemn violence in all its forms as a moral betrayal of the Gospel,” he said. “We also know that our nation needs prayer, now more than ever, so that we may always remain one nation, under God.”
The bishop asked people to join in prayer for the U.S. “during this unprecedented and frightening time in our history.”
“Let us pray for peace in our communities, in our capital, in our Country, but most of all, in our own hearts,” he said.
Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler invoked the feast of the Epiphany, saying, “We pray for peace and for Christ to shine in this traditional feast of the Epiphany. It is a sad day for our nation but God is with us,” he said. “We have to turn to God and really remember that we claim to be a nation under God.”
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago called the event a “national disgrace”, adding, “We pray for peace at this bracing moment in U.S. history, a history that has been marked by one of democracy’s greatest virtues—the peaceful and orderly transition of power.”
The incident at the Capitol follows significant disruptions and unrest across the U.S. last year.
The death of George Floyd, a Black man, while he was being detained by Minneapolis police helped spark nationwide protests for weeks. Protesters often peacefully advocated against police brutality and for racial justice under the motto “Black Lives Matter.” Some of these protests turned violent, causing billions of dollars in damage and several deaths.
Posted by bcadmin | Jan 7, 2021 | News, The Dispatch |
One of many “calendar mistakes” in the post-conciliar reform was the suppression of Epiphanytide, subsuming two of the “epiphanies” into Christmastide and leaving the third out almost completely. As you undoubtedly know, “epiphany” comes into […]…
Read MorePosted by bcadmin | Jan 7, 2021 | Asia - Pacific, News |
CNA Staff, Jan 6, 2021 / 05:19 pm (CNA).- Filippino churches and authorities will limit attendance for the Masses of the Black Nazarene – one of the country’s largest series of events, which usually gathers millions of people to Manila each year.
The Quiapo Church has instilled a 400-person cap for each of the 15 Masses that will take place on the Jan. 9 feast. This means only 6,000 will be able to attend services inside.
The parish is currently operating under the general community quarantine restrictions, which require religious services to limit capacity to 30 percent. Church officials attempted to expand the capacity to 50% but were denied.
“I hope we can just consider allowing at least 50 percent for more people to be accommodated inside the church and we are making sure that there is social distancing inside,” Fr. Douglas Badong, assistant pastor of Quiapo Church, told ABS-CBN.
For those who are not able to attend Mass inside Quiapo Church, large screens will be displayed outside the church so devotees unable to attend Mass can view it.
Instead of kissing the statue, a practice also known as pahalik, attendees will be able to venerate and pray with the statue, which will be visible on the church’s balcony.
“Instead of pahalik, there’s what we call paying tribute. We put the image of the Nazarene outside so people can pay a visit 24/7 wave their handkerchiefs as tribute to the Black Nazarene,” Badong said, according to ABS-CBN.
The priest discouraged attendees from bringing large replicas of the statue, which, in the past, have been processed on trucks. He said smaller images were fine.
Bishop Broderick Pabillo, apostolic administrator of the Manila archdiocese, will celebrate the first Mass at 4:30 a.m. and Msgr. Hernando Coronel, rector of Quiapo Church, will preside over the last Mass at 10:15 p.m.
According to the authorities, people under the age of 15 or over the age of 65 will not be allowed to attend, CNS reported.
Church officials are working with government authorities to help stop the spread of the virus, such as the development of quick response codes to track outbreaks. Father Badong encouraged devotees to participate in the event safely and with compassion for others.
“Let’s observe discipline and care for each other. Don’t be overcome by stubbornness on this day,” he told ABS-CBN. “Even though there’s no procession, the celebration continues. We can only count on the Black Nazarene.”
Known as the traslacion, the 19-hour procession through the streets of Manila takes place each year on Jan. 9. Millions of pilgrims take part in the 7-kilometer procession.
In October, civil and ecclesial authorities in the Philippines agreed to cancel the Black Nazarene celebration in 2021.
The statue of the Black Nazarene is a kneeling Christ cloaked in a maroon robe and crowned with thorns. The life-sized statue bears a cross.
It was brought to the Philippines by Augustinian missionary priests in 1606. The statue is believed to have acquired its black color after being partially burnt when the ship carrying it caught fire on a voyage from Mexico.
Since then it has survived fires that destroyed its host church twice, two earthquakes, floods from numerous typhoons and bombings during World War II. The image is normally enshrined in Manila’s Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, popularly known as the Quiapo Church. Many miracles have been reported in connection with veneration of the statue.
Posted by bcadmin | Jan 7, 2021 | Asia - Pacific, News |
CNA Staff, Jan 6, 2021 / 05:19 pm (CNA).- Filippino churches and authorities will limit attendance for the Masses of the Black Nazarene – one of the country’s largest series of events, which usually gathers millions of people to Manila each year.
The Quiapo Church has instilled a 400-person cap for each of the 15 Masses that will take place on the Jan. 9 feast. This means only 6,000 will be able to attend services inside.
The parish is currently operating under the general community quarantine restrictions, which require religious services to limit capacity to 30 percent. Church officials attempted to expand the capacity to 50% but were denied.
“I hope we can just consider allowing at least 50 percent for more people to be accommodated inside the church and we are making sure that there is social distancing inside,” Fr. Douglas Badong, assistant pastor of Quiapo Church, told ABS-CBN.
For those who are not able to attend Mass inside Quiapo Church, large screens will be displayed outside the church so devotees unable to attend Mass can view it.
Instead of kissing the statue, a practice also known as pahalik, attendees will be able to venerate and pray with the statue, which will be visible on the church’s balcony.
“Instead of pahalik, there’s what we call paying tribute. We put the image of the Nazarene outside so people can pay a visit 24/7 wave their handkerchiefs as tribute to the Black Nazarene,” Badong said, according to ABS-CBN.
The priest discouraged attendees from bringing large replicas of the statue, which, in the past, have been processed on trucks. He said smaller images were fine.
Bishop Broderick Pabillo, apostolic administrator of the Manila archdiocese, will celebrate the first Mass at 4:30 a.m. and Msgr. Hernando Coronel, rector of Quiapo Church, will preside over the last Mass at 10:15 p.m.
According to the authorities, people under the age of 15 or over the age of 65 will not be allowed to attend, CNS reported.
Church officials are working with government authorities to help stop the spread of the virus, such as the development of quick response codes to track outbreaks. Father Badong encouraged devotees to participate in the event safely and with compassion for others.
“Let’s observe discipline and care for each other. Don’t be overcome by stubbornness on this day,” he told ABS-CBN. “Even though there’s no procession, the celebration continues. We can only count on the Black Nazarene.”
Known as the traslacion, the 19-hour procession through the streets of Manila takes place each year on Jan. 9. Millions of pilgrims take part in the 7-kilometer procession.
In October, civil and ecclesial authorities in the Philippines agreed to cancel the Black Nazarene celebration in 2021.
The statue of the Black Nazarene is a kneeling Christ cloaked in a maroon robe and crowned with thorns. The life-sized statue bears a cross.
It was brought to the Philippines by Augustinian missionary priests in 1606. The statue is believed to have acquired its black color after being partially burnt when the ship carrying it caught fire on a voyage from Mexico.
Since then it has survived fires that destroyed its host church twice, two earthquakes, floods from numerous typhoons and bombings during World War II. The image is normally enshrined in Manila’s Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, popularly known as the Quiapo Church. Many miracles have been reported in connection with veneration of the statue.
Ralph Martin discusses the crisis in the Catholic Church and what can be done. Next, with Cy Kellett.
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