NewzIntel.com

Category: Vatican City

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Slams Vatican for Giving Xi Jinping “Green Light to Construct State-Approved, State-Controlled Catholic Churches”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized the Vatican for extending a deal that allowed Communist China to appoint Roman Catholic bishops. Ricketts made the following comments:

    “Right now, our adversaries are hard at work to expand their influence in every region,” said Ricketts. “The Holy See is no exception. In 2018, the Vatican signed a provisional agreement to accept bishops appointed by Communist China, not the Vatican. Pope Francis has categorized the Vatican-China deal is ‘diplomacy in the art of what’s possible.’ I categorize this as being very dangerous. It sets a precedent for future relations with an adversarial nation.”

    “Xi Jinping has given the green light to construct state-approved, state-controlled Catholic churches,” continued Ricketts. “This has severe implications for Catholics globally. Additionally, I fear this encouraged Communist China in its persecution of religious minorities and provides moral legitimacy, moral legitimacy for a repressive regime. In October, the Vatican just extended that agreement for the third time for four more years, defying requests from the first Trump administration to end that agreement.”

    [embedded content]

    Watch the video HERE

    Ricketts made the comments in a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The hearing considered the nominations of Brian Burch to be U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Nicole McGraw to be U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, and Brandon Judd to be U.S. Ambassador to Chile.

    TRANSCRIPT:

    “Senator Ricketts: “Right now, our adversaries are hard at work to expand their influence in every region.

    “The Holy See is no exception.

    “In 2018, the Vatican signed a provisional agreement to accept bishops appointed by Communist China, not the Vatican.

    “Pope Francis has categorized the Vatican-China deal is diplomacy in the art of what’s possible.

    “I categorize this as being very dangerous.

    “It sets a precedent for future relations with an adversarial nation.

    “Xi Jinping has given the green light to construct state-approved, state-controlled Catholic churches.

    “This has severe implications for Catholics globally.

    “Additionally, I fear this encouraged Communist China in its persecution of religious minorities and provides moral legitimacy, moral legitimacy for a repressive regime.

    “In October, the Vatican just extended that agreement for the third time for four more years, defying requests from the first Trump administration to end that agreement.

    “Mr. Burch, do you agree that the agreement represents a dangerous level of cooperation between the Catholic Church and Communist China?”

    Mr. Burch: “Well, thank you, Senator again. Thank you for that kind introduction at the beginning. I agree that the relationship between the Holy See and China is of immense importance to the United States. 

    “As you point out, they did sign a provisional agreement in 2018 that they then renewed in 2024 that is primarily concerned with the appointment of bishops.

    “This agreement is secret, so we do not know the contents of this agreement, because it is restricted to only the appointment of bishops, I think it’s important to maintain for the Holy See, to maintain a posture of pressure and of applying pressure to the Chinese government around their human rights abuses, particularly their persecution of religious minorities, including Catholics.

    “When it comes to the question of the appointment of bishops, I would encourage the Holy See as the United States Ambassador, if I’m confirmed, to resist the idea that a foreign government has any role whatsoever in choosing the leadership of a private religious institution.

    “I do not believe the church should cede or surrender to any government China or otherwise, the selection of their bishops.

    “And I would hope and work with the Holy See to present that and to make that case, assist in that case with the Chinese.

    “The other piece of this is important with respect to China, the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan. I

    “t is one of only 12 states to do so, and it is the only European state to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

    “I understand this to be extremely important, because, of course, China’s ambitions with Taiwan will likely be tempered by the posture of the rest of the world and the Holy See in maintaining this relationship with Taiwan, I think will serve as a point of hesitation and resistance, given the holy see’s moral authority and moral respect and global influence around the world, and I will insist, as the United States Ambassador, if I’m confirmed, the Holy See, maintain that strong relationship with Taiwan.”

    Senator Ricketts: “Thank you, Mr. Burch.

    “One of the things that I want to also get back to a little bit of talking about the aid, because you mentioned that the Catholic Church is responsible for aid being distributed around the world, and I think is one of the partners that works for the United States government. 

    “Isn’t that right? Through Catholic Relief Services in Caritas?”

    Mr. Burch: “That’s correct.”

    Senator Ricketts: “Yeah. And so my again, having been a prior donor to Catholic Relief service.

    “You mentioned how effective they are. I think their administrative and overhead costs are less than 5% typically.

    “Is that your understanding?”

    Mr. Burch: “That is my understanding. Yes.”

    Senator Ricketts: “And so when the State Department is reviewing some of the ways that we’re providing our foreign aid, some of the things, and maybe this is where the ranking member and I need to sit down and kind of go over the facts, but some of the stuff has been referenced as transgender operas in Peru, I believe, also voter turnout in India, DEI programs and other programs, my guess would be, and maybe you’re more familiar, that’s why I’m asking that when it comes to the Catholic Church, what CRS does, what Caritas does, they’re focusing primarily on the type of aid that is life saving, it’s not involved with transgender promotion, it’s not involved in voter turnout, it’s not involved in DEI would that be your understanding of the kind of aid that the Catholic Church, the CRS and Caritas does?”

    Mr. Burch: “That is my understanding. It’s primarily focused on humanitarian aid, like disaster relief in Myanmar, for example, which I understand that great Grant was recently reauthorized. 

    “And then there’s human services side, which, of course, involves a lot of different things that at times, can or cannot be in the United States interest.

    “To the ranking member’s question, I think, think this is where it becomes difficult, because you have to make choices as as the United States.

    “Can we continue to fund any and all of these programs, or do we have to be selective?

    “And if we’re going to be selective, what are the criteria we’re going to use?

    “And I fully support the president and the secretary making sure that the dollars we spend, the money that the taxpayers pay into the into the federal government are aligned with the United States interests and will make us safer, stronger and more prosperous.”

    Senator Ricketts: “And so by getting to the point of the aid, it would seem that the Catholic Church’s interest in providing aid really does align more with the types of aid of this administration with regard to those lifesaving services. Does that seem accurate?”

    Mr. Burch: “I would agree. I think the Catholic Church can be one of the best partners of the United States.”

    Senator Ricketts: “Great, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Subsidies and support to achieve financial autonomy: How the Dicastery for Evangelization supports local Churches

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 9 April 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – How much funding does the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches) allocate to help the dioceses in the territories under its jurisdiction achieve financial autonomy? This question was discussed yesterday in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, which provided the setting for the IV Study Day dedicated to the chair named after Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, the Scalabrinian Cardinal, an authoritative canonist, who died in 2017.Speakers included Professor Vincenzo Buonomo, Grand Rector of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Professor Andrea D’Auria, Dean of the Faculty of Canon Law, and Professor Yawovi Jean Attila.Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Dicastery and Vice Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, presided over and moderated the day. Father Tadeusz J. Nowak, OMI, Secretary General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, along with Sister Roberta Tremarelli (AMSS), who works in the administration of the Pontifical Mission Societies, illustrated what it means to accompany local Churches on their path to financial independence.In his address, Father Nowak recalled that to date, more than 3,000 particular Churches in communion with the Successor of Peter fall under the jurisdiction of the Dicastery for Evangelization. This represents more than a third of all particular Churches in the world, he emphasized. Specifically, the list includes “dioceses, both of the Latin and Eastern Rites, apostolic vicariates, apostolic prefectures, apostolic administrations, missions sui iuris, territorial prelatures, and territorial abbeys.”While “in the past, a particular Church began with a mission in an area where the Gospel had only recently been proclaimed and the Church was not yet truly established,” which was then “elevated to the rank of apostolic vicariates and later to the rank of dioceses,” today “most new Churches arise from the division of existing dioceses in areas where the Church was already present.” However, they remain “under the care of the Dicastery for Evangelization until they achieve full financial autonomy.” Once this is achieved, “they may request to be transferred from the jurisdiction of the Dicastery for Evangelization to that of the Dicastery for Bishops.”A transition that can take up to several hundred years, added Father Nowak, recalling that “the Dicastery for Evangelization accompanies the churches under its authority on their path to financial autonomy, primarily through the Pontifical Mission Societies (the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Pontifical Society of Holy Childhood, and the Pontifical Missionary Union).The task of these four Societies, according to the Secretary General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is to place themselves at the service of the Pope and his “care for missionaries.” Above all, however, the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith specifically accompanies young Churches by providing financial subsidies for the creation and strengthening of their ecclesial infrastructure.Last year alone, the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith “disbursed more than $23 million in ordinary subsidies,” which bishops can use “for any purpose related to the pastoral life and evangelization of the local Church.” “Normally,” Father Nowak explained, “this grant is used for the health care of the clergy or for the office expenses of the diocesan Curia. Without such subsidies, the dioceses would suffer great difficulties that would slow down or even hinder the work of evangelization.” In this context, for example, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith also provided “almost $9 million” in subsidies “for the support of catechists in the particular Churches.” This money was used “to provide resources for the support and training of catechists.” Because, as Father Nowak emphasized, “catechists are indispensable because the number of ordained priests in many territories is insufficient to ensure adequate pastoral care for all the baptized.” In addition to ordinary subsidies, there are also extraordinary subsidies for which the Pontifical Mission Societies receive “thousands of requests every year.” In most cases, these are requests for financing the construction of chapels and churches, monasteries, schools, clinics, pastoral centers or homes for retired clergy, as well as for the purchase of transportation for missionaries, etc. For these types of projects, “the Society for the Propagation of the Faith allocated more than 16 million dollars in 2024.” “The Dicastery has provided extraordinary subsidies, responding to requests from bishops in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas,” said Father Nowak, who pointed out that the Society “also provides more than nine million dollars a year for the administration of five colleges in Rome, which serve the ongoing formation of clergy and religious of the particular Churches under the care of the Dicastery. Hundreds of priests and religious from these Churches can thus come to Rome to pursue advanced academic studies and then return to their local Church to provide valuable services to the pastoral life of the particular Church.”Not only that: “Every year, the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches receives significant financial support from the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith to accompany the Churches of the Oriental Rite on their path to financial autonomy.” The Dicastery, the Secretary General continued, “also provides the episcopal vestments for priests appointed bishops in the particular Churches administered by the Dicastery (including two episcopal cassocks, a miter, the episcopal ring, the bishop’s cross, and crosier). In this way, the new bishop is fully equipped to begin his episcopal ministry.”It must be clarified, as Sister Roberta Tremarelli also emphasized, that “the Dicastery for Evangelization does not finance projects through the Pontifical Mission Societies.” According to the statutes of the Pontifical Mission Societies, they “participate in projects initiated by the local community and for which it assumes responsibility. The bishop must present a solid financial plan for the implementation of the project and commit the community to its completion and ongoing maintenance.” In this sense, it is being examined “whether a room created for children’s catechism can also be used for other purposes,” which could also lead to “continuous funding for the structure itself over time,” Sister Roberta Tremarelli emphasized, concluding: “The subsidy is an aid; the Pontifical Mission Societies must not replace the local Church. Our aid must be based on the principle of autonomy.”In this way, the particular Churches are encouraged to manage their finances responsibly and transparently, while remaining independent of external funding: “We are rich in young Churches, but we must not remain immature Churches. The growth and independence of the local Churches is our goal,” Archbishop Nwachukwu said in his concluding remarks. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 9/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/NIGERIA – Resignation of bishop of Port Harcourt

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 9 April 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, presented by Bishop Camillus Archibong Etokudoh.Il Santo Padre ha accettato la rinuncia al governo pastorale della Diocesi di Port Harcourt presentata da S.E. Mons. Camillus Archibong Etokudoh. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 9/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces Brian Burch, President Trump’s Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced Brian Burch, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. Ricketts made the following comments in a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee:
    “He’s a dedicated champion of the poor, the vulnerable, and preborn babies,” said Ricketts. “He’s been a man of great integrity, a passion for truth, justice, and patriotism. He firmly believes in the tenets of the Catholic faith, and particularly, a concept we have called the common good.”
    “We live in a time when the world’s most determined adversaries are expanding their influence, seeking to challenge our values in every region of the world,” continued Ricketts. “Now more than ever, we need principled, capable leaders who can represent our nation with moral clarity, conviction, and purpose. Brian Burch is that man.”
    “The sovereign state which includes the Vatican may be small in size, but it continues to help advance the foreign policy interests of the United States around the globe,” said Ricketts. “The global reach and moral witness of the Holy See makes this post not just important for what happens in the Vatican or in Europe, but around the entire world. Brian’s deep commitment to the Catholic faith, unwavering patriotism, and record of leadership make him an ideal candidate for this post.”
    [embedded content]
    Watch the video HERE
    TRANSCRIPT:
    Senator Ricketts: “It is my distinct honor to introduce my friend and colleague and the nominee to be US Ambassador to the Holy See, Mr. Brian Burch. 
    “I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to his family.
    “When I first met Brian, over a decade ago, he had six kids.
    “Now he’s got nine kids, and a grandchild to boot.
    “He and his wife, Sarah, live in suburban Chicago, and as we’ve talked about, often, these roles are never done alone.
    “Whoever their loved one that is serving our country needs the support of their family to be able to do the job.
    “And behind every great public servant, there is that family supporting and I know that Brian is deeply grateful for his family.
    “Our connection goes back to actually, the launch of a nationally acclaimed documentary series called Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron, now Bishop of Rochester, Minnesota.
    “The series promotes the beauty and truth of Catholicism, and was watched by millions of Americans.
    “We connected over the hope that more people would come to know the beauty and appreciate the gift of our shared faith, something Mr. Burch has worked on for over two decades, to be able to share that and to advocate for Catholicism in the realm of politics, education and media.
    “He is also, not surprisingly, a Cubs fan.
    “I recall being with him on a balcony overlooking Wrigley Field after game seven or game five, actually, in 2016, which was a turning point in that game that led to the championship for the Chicago Cubs. 
    “Mr. Burch shares that competitive spirit.
    “He’s also a dedicated champion of the poor, the vulnerable and preborn babies.
    “He’s been a man of great integrity with a passion for truth, justice and patriotism.
    “He firmly believes in the tenets of the Catholic faith, and in particular, a concept that we have called the common good.
    “We live in a time when the world’s most determined adversaries are expanding their influence, seeking to challenge our values in every region of the world.
    “Now more than ever, we need principled, capable leaders who can represent our nation with moral clarity, conviction, and purpose. Brian Burch is that man.
    The post for which he’s been nominated to serve can easily be misunderstood or underestimated.
    “Lest we forget, it was the ambassador of the Holy See that helped facilitate the relationship between Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II that ultimately led to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
    “This relationship between the Holy See and the United States is no less important today.
    “The sovereign state, which includes the Vatican, may be small in size, but it continues to help advance the foreign policy interests of the United States around the globe. The global region, moral witness to the Holy See makes this post not just important for what happens in the Vatican or in Europe, but around the entire world.
    “Brian’s deep commitment to the Catholic faith, unwavering patriotism and record, a record of leadership, make him an ideal candidate for this post.
    “He is a leader who understands the contours of the Holy See, Catholic social teaching, and the priorities of the United States.
    “Brian’s ability to bring people together around shared values and a common purpose is a quality that will serve him well and our nation in this ambassadorial role.
    “As Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian will represent not only American interests, but the spirit of dialogue, mutual respect and cooperation that defines the very long-standing relationship the United States has had with the Vatican.
    “It’s a role that demands diplomatic skill and a profound understanding of the Catholic Church’s global mission.
    “I have every confidence that Brian Burch will carry out these responsibilities with honor, humility and a steadfast commitment to strengthening the relationship between United States and the Holy See. Brian, in a world where we are facing increasing moral and geopolitical challenges, your voice, your vision, your values, are needed now more than ever, I look forward to supporting your nomination.
    “I cannot think of a better person to represent the United States to the Holy See than you, Brian, and I urge my colleagues to support you as well.
    “You will be a fantastic ambassador for the United States.
    “I couldn’t be happier that you’re the nominee, and again, I strongly encourage all my colleagues support you as well.
    “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/COTE D’IVOIRE – Appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Gagnoa

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 8 April 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Jean-Jacques Koffi Oi Koffi, until now bishop of San-Pedro-en-Côte d’Ivoire and apostolic administrator of the same archdiocese, as metropolitan archbishop of the archdiocese of Gagnoa, Cote d’Ivoire.Archbishop-elect Jean-Jacques Koffi Oi Koffi was born on 22 March 1962 in Bongouanou. He was ordained a priest on 4 August 1990, for the diocese of Abengourou. He was awarded a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Urbaniana University of Rome.He has held the following offices: parish vicar and diocesan head of catechesis for children, parish priest, vicar general and spiritual assistant of the Association of Christian Families, and president of the diocesan ecclesiastical tribunal of first instance.On 21 November 2003 he was elected bishop of Abengourou, and was consecrated on the following 21 December. On 3 January 2009 he was transferred to the diocese of San Pedro-en-Côte-d’Ivoire. Since 4 October 2023 he has been apostolic administrator of the metropolitan archdicoese of Gagnoa. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 8/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Pope Francis participates in the Jubilee of the sick: God does not leave us alone, we can turn to him and entrust our pain to him

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Sunday, 6 April 2025

    Vatican Media

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “Happy Sunday to everyone. Thank you very much”. In St. Peter’s Square, the voice of Pope Francis echoes once again, as this morning he decided to take part in the Jubilee of the sick and the world of healthcare.Before unexpectedly appearing before the multitude that crowded St. Peter’s Square for the mass, the Bishop of Rome received the sacrament of confession in the Vatican Basilica, gathered in prayer and passed through the Holy Door.Then he went out into the square: a long applause greeted the Pontiff, who arrived in the churchyard in a wheelchair. The greeting was followed by the blessing at the end of the mass that concluded the seventh of the great events of the Jubilee of Hope.The liturgical Celebration was presided over by Archbishop Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for Fundamental Questions of Evangelization in the World), who read the Pope’s homily prepared for the occasion.Commenting on the readings proposed by the liturgy of the V Sunday of Lent, the Pontiff underlined how “the dramatic and moving stories” taken from the book of Isaiah and the Gospel of John (i.e. the words that God addresses to Israel in exile in Babylon and the forgiveness of the adulteress by Jesus), invite us “today to renew our trust in God, who is ever near to us and ready to save us. No situation of exile, no violence, no sin, no fact of life can prevent him from standing at our door and knocking, ready to enter as soon as we open to him. Indeed, it is precisely when the trials become more difficult that his grace and love embrace us all the more in order to raise us up”.And “illness”, wrote the Pontiff in his homily, “is certainly one of the harshest and most difficult of life’s trials, when we experience in our own flesh our common human frailty. It can make us feel like the people in exile, or like the woman in the Gospel: deprived of hope for the future. Yet that is not the case. Even in these times, God does not leave us alone. By becoming man, he knows what it is to suffer. Therefore, we can turn to him and entrust our pain to him, certain that we will encounter compassion, closeness and tenderness”.But not only that. “In his faithful love, the Lord invites us in turn to become “angels” for one another, messengers of his presence, to the point where the sickbed can become a “holy place” of salvation and redemption, both for the sick and for those who care for them”, added the Bishop of Rome.Addressing doctors, nurses and all health care workers, the Pope added: “in caring for your patients, especially the most vulnerable among them, the Lord constantly affords you an opportunity to renew your lives through gratitude, mercy, and hope. He calls you to realize with humility that nothing in life is to be taken for granted and that everything is a gift from God; to enrich your lives with the sense of humanity we experience when, beyond appearances, only the things that matter remain: the small and great signs of love. Allow the presence of the sick to enter your lives as a gift, to heal your hearts, to purify them of all that is not charity, and to warm them with the ardent and gentle fire of compassion”.”I have much in common with you at this time of my life,” continued Archbishop Fisichella reading the Pontiff’s homily, “dear brothers and sisters who are sick: the experience of illness, of weakness, of having to depend on others in so many things, and of needing their support. This is not always easy, but it is a school in which we learn each day to love and to let ourselves be loved, without being demanding or pushing back, without regrets and without despair, but rather with gratitude to God and to our brothers and sisters for the kindness we receive, looking towards the future with acceptance and trust”.”The hospital room and the sickbed can also be places where we hear the voice of the Lord and in this way, we renew and strengthen our faith,” we read further in the text, which the Pope concluded with a quote from Benedict XVI, a Pontiff, Pope Francis emphasized, “who gave us a beautiful testimony of serenity in the time of his illness — wrote that, “the true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering” and that “a society unable to accept its suffering members… is a cruel and inhuman society”. “It is true: facing suffering together makes us more human, and the ability to share the pain of others is an important step forward in any journey of holiness,” the Pontiff concluded.At midday, the Holy See Press Office then released the text, in written form only, of the Angelus, where the Bishop of Rome remarked: “As during my hospitalization, even now in my convalescence I feel the “finger of God” and experience His caring touch. On the day of the Jubilee of the sick and the world of healthcare, I ask the Lord that this touch of His love may reach those who suffer and encourage those who care for them”.Then the prayer for doctors, nurses and health workers, “who are not always helped to work in adequate conditions and are sometimes even victims of aggression. Their mission is not easy and must be supported and respected. I hope that the necessary resources will be invested in treatment and research, so that health systems are inclusive and attentive to the most fragile and the poorest”.Finally, the appeal for peace “in the tormented Ukraine, stricken by attacks that are claiming many civilian victims, including a lot of children”. The same, the Pope added, “is happening in Gaza, where people are reduced to living in unimaginable conditions, without shelter, without food, without clean water. May the weapons be silenced and dialogue resumed; may all the hostages be freed and aid brought to the population. Let us pray for peace throughout the Middle East; in Sudan and South Sudan; in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Myanmar, hard hit by the earthquake; and in Haiti, where violence rages, and two religious sisters were killed a few days ago”. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 6/4/2025)
    Vatican Media

    Vatican Media

    Vatican Media

    Vatican Media

    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – A study day on subsidies for new particular Churches at the Pontifical Urbaniana University

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Subsidies and financial autonomy of the Churches subject to the Dicastery for Evangelization will be the focus of a study day of shared reflections and insights to be held on Tuesday, April 8, at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, on the occasion of the IV Day of the “Velasio De Paolis” Chair, named after the Scalabrinian Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, authoritative canonist, who died in 2017.Based on Article 65 of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium and in light of the economic difficulties facing missionary activities, the focus of the morning will be to illustrate the financial support and subsidies provided to the Churches subject to the Dicastery for Evangelization.Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches) and Vice-Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, will moderate and preside over the event, which begins at 9:00 a.m.Professor Vincenzo Buonomo, Grand Rector of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, will open the study day, while Professor Andrea D’Auria, Dean of the Faculty of Canon Law, will deliver the introduction. Father Tadeusz J. Nowak (OMI), Secretary General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, will delve deeper into the morning’s theme by highlighting what it means to accompany local Churches on their path to financial autonomy, while Sister Roberta Tremarelli (AMSS), who works in the administration of the Pontifical Mission Societies, will address the importance of control bodies to monitor the use of resources and the quality of investments. The concluding lecture by Prof. Yawovi Jean Attila will outline the critical issues surrounding the financial autonomy of some Churches. The study day is aimed particularly at representatives of the administration of dioceses and religious institutes, administrators of church property and assets, ordinary bishops and superiors of religious communities, priests, religious, and students of canon law. The study day, which can also be attended online, is organized by the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical University. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 7/4/2025)

    Attachment to the article

    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Message of the Holy Father to participants in the 29th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation (16 February – 12 April 2025)

    Source: The Holy See

    Message of the Holy Father to participants in the 29th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation (16 February – 12 April 2025), 07.04.2025

    The following is the Message sent by the Holy Father Francis to participants in the 29th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation, to take place in Valdocco, Turin, from 16 February to 12 April 2025:

    Message of the Holy Father
    Dear brothers,
    As I am unfortunately unable to meet you, I am sending you this message on the occasion of the 29th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation, and also the 150th anniversary of Don Bosco’s first missionary expedition to Argentina. I greet the new Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard, wishing him well in his work, and I thank Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime for the service he has rendered to the Institute in recent years and now offers to the universal Church.
    Albeit from a distance, I would like to encourage you to live this time of listening of the Spirit and synodal discernment with confidence and commitment.
    You have chosen as the theme of your work the motto: “Salesians, passionate about Jesus Christ, dedicated to the young”. It is a good programme: being “passionate” and “dedicated”, letting oneself be fully embraced by the love of the Lord and serving others without keeping anything for oneself, just as your Founder did in his time. Even though today, compared to then, the challenges to be faced have in part changed, the faith and enthusiasm remain the same, enriched by new gifts, such as that of interculturality.
    Dear brothers, I thank you for the good you do all over the world, and I encourage you to continue with perseverance. I heartily bless you and your Chapter works, as well as your confrères in all five continents, and I ask you, please, to pray for me. May Mary Help of Christians accompany you always.
    From the Vatican, 2 April 2025
    FRANCIS

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Archbishop Leo Boccardi appointed Member of the Dicastery for Evangelization

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 4 April 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Leo Boccardi, titular of Bitetto and apostolic nuncio, as member of the Dicastery for Evangelization, in the Section for First Evangelization and the new particular Churches. (Agenzia Fides, 4/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the Slovak national Jubilee pilgrimage

    Source: The Holy See

    Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the Slovak national Jubilee pilgrimage, 04.04.2025
    The following is the Message sent by the Holy Father Farncis to participants in the Slovak national Jubilee pilgrimage, read during Holy Mass in the Vatican Basilica:

    Message of the Holy Father
    Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
    Dear priests, men and women religious,
    Dear sisters, dear brothers in the Lord!
    I would very much have liked to be present with you to share this moment of faith and communion, but I am still in convalescence and so I will join you through prayer and with all my affection.
    I welcome you all, here in Rome for the national pilgrimage during this Jubilee year. I greet His Excellency Archbishop Bernard Bober, president of the Episcopal Conference, bishops, priests, consecrated men and women and lay faithful. A warm greeting goes to the civil authorities: in particular, I am pleased to address Mr. President Peter Pellegrini.
    Your pilgrimage is a concrete sign of the desire to renew faith, to strengthen the bond with the Successor of Peter and to bear witness joyfully to the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rm 5:5), because it is born of the love that sprang from the pierced Heart of Christ and poured into us by the Holy Spirit. From this hope, this Jubilee calls us to become pilgrims in all our life, and the journey to Rome, with the passage through the Holy Doors and the visits to the tombs of the Apostles and the Martyrs, is the pledge of this journey every day, reaching towards eternity. For you, Slovak sisters and brothers, it is an itinerary that is part of the rich Christian tradition of your land, made fruitful by the witness of Saints Cyril and Methodius and many other saints, who have irrigated it with the Gospel of Christ for more than a thousand years.
    Faith, dear friends, is a treasure to be shared with joy. Every time brings with it challenges and hardships, but also opportunities to grow in confidence and in abandonment to God. And like the Virgin Mary, who with her humble and courageous “yes” opened the door to the redemption of the world, also our “yes”, simple and sincere, can become a tool in the hands of God to achieve something great. To welcome His plan does not mean having all the answers, but trusting that, wherever He leads us, He precedes us also with His grace. To say “yes” today can allow us to open up new horizons of faith, hope and peace, for us and those whom the Lord makes us encounter. With a syndoal style, listen to what the Spirit is saying to your Churches, without fearing the new but discerning in it the initiative of God, who always surprises us.
    Sisters and brothers, continue to walk together, pastors and faithful, keeping your eyes on Jesus, our salvation. May the Virgin Mary, Patroness of Slovakia, whom you venerate in particular as Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, and who, precisely because of her union with the passion of her Son, is Mother of Hope, guide and protect you. I cordially bless all of you, your families and your people. Do not forget to pray for me.
    From the Vatican, 27 March 2025
    FRANCIS

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Holy See Press Office Communiqué: Audience with the President of the Republic of Estonia

    Source: The Holy See

    Holy See Press Office Communiqué: Audience with the President of the Republic of Estonia, 03.04.2025

    This morning, 3 April, the President of the Republic of Estonia, His Excellency Mr. Alar Karis, was received at the Secretariat of State by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
    During the cordial talks, appreciation was expressed for the good bilateral relations, highlighting the positive contribution of the local Catholic community to Estonian society. Satisfaction was also expressed regarding the imminent beatification of Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, a Jesuit martyr and Estonia’s first Blessed.
    Finally, bilateral, regional and international issues were also discussed, with particular reference to the prospects for an end to the war in Ukraine.
    From the Vatican, 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Christian Zionism hasn’t always been a conservative evangelical creed – churches’ views of Israel have evolved over decades

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Shalom Goldman, Professor of Religion, Middlebury

    Participants in a ‘United for Israel’ march, led by The Pursuit NW Christian Church, stand on the University of Washington’s campus in May 2024. Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

    During confirmation hearings, Mike Huckabee, President Donald Trump’s nominee as ambassador to Israel, told senators that he would “respect and represent the President,” not his own views. But the Baptist minister’s views on the Middle East – and their religious roots – came through.

    “The spiritual connections between your church, mine, many churches in America, Jewish congregations, to the state of Israel is because we ultimately are people of the book,” he said on March 25, 2025, in response to a question from a senator. “We believe the Bible, and therefore that connection is not geopolitical. It is also spiritual.”

    Huckabee is one of the GOP’s most prominent “Christian Zionists” – a phrase often associated with conservative evangelicals’ support for Israel.

    But Christian Zionism is much older than the 1980s alliance between the Republican Party and the religious right. American Christian attitudes toward the idea of a Jewish state have been evolving and changing dramatically since long before Israel’s creation.

    Theologians for Israel

    Zionism’s modern form emerged in the late 19th century. Its declared aim was to create a Jewish homeland in the region of Palestine, then under control of the Ottoman Empire. This was the land from which Jews were exiled in antiquity.

    The “founding father” of the modern movement was Theodore Herzl, an Austro-Hungarian Jewish intellectual and activist who convened the first Zionist Congress in Switzerland in 1897. While most of the 200 attendees were Jews from various parts of the world, there were also prominent Protestant Christian leaders in attendance: church leaders and philanthropists who supported “the restoration of the Jews to their land.” Herzl dubbed these allies “Christian Zionists.”

    Most delegates at the first Zionist Congress were Jewish, but the gathering also included Christians.
    Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Catholic leaders, however, were not among the supporters of a Jewish state. The prospect of a Jewish state in the Christian Holy Land challenged the church’s view of Judaism as a religion whose people were condemned to permanent exile as punishment for rejecting Christ.

    Eventually, in the wake of the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel, attitudes shifted. In 1965, reforms at the Vatican II council signaled a radical change for the better in Catholic-Jewish relations.

    But it would be three decades until that change was reflected in the Vatican’s diplomatic recognition of the Jewish state.

    In contrast, Protestants were more open to Jews’ aspiration to return. In 1917, the British foreign secretary published the Balfour Declaration, announcing government support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” With the British victory over the Ottoman Empire, the area soon fell under British control in the form of the League of Nations’ Mandate for Palestine.

    In the U.S., the idea elicited enthusiasm among conservative Christians who hoped that the Jews’ return to Israel would help hasten the end times, when they believed Christ would return. Within a few years, Congress endorsed the Balfour Declaration.

    Pastor W. Fuller Gooch summed up the evangelical reaction to the Balfour Declaration: “Palestine is for the Jews. The most striking ‘Sign of the Times’ is the proposal to give Palestine to the Jews once more. They have long desired the land, though as yet unrepentant of the terrible crime which led to their expulsion.” This “terrible crime” refers to Jews’ rejection of Jesus – one of multiple anti-Jewish tropes in the sermon.

    Pivotal moment

    Two decades later, prominent American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr declared himself a supporter of political Zionism. Unlike evangelicals, Niebuhr’s support for a Jewish state was based on pragmatic grounds: Considering the dangerous situation in 1930s Europe, he argued, Jews needed a state in order to be safe.

    A 1963 photo of Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the most influential theologians from the U.S.
    AP Photo

    In the early 1940s, Niebuhr wrote a series of articles titled “Jews After the War” for The Nation magazine. His biographer Richard W. Fox called these articles “an eloquent statement of the Zionist case: The Jews had rights not just as individuals, but as a people, and they deserved not just a homeland, but a homeland in Palestine.”

    Thus, in the 1930s and ‘40s, two different types of American Christian Zionism emerged. Some liberal Protestants, while giving qualified support to Zionism, expressed concern for the fate of the Palestinian Arabs. Conservative evangelicals, on the other hand, tended to be more hostile to Arab political aspirations.

    In 1947, on the eve of the United Nations’ vote on the partition of Palestine, Niebuhr and six other prominent American intellectuals wrote a long letter to The New York Times, arguing that a Jewish state in the Middle East would serve American interests. “Politically, we would like to see the lands of the Middle East practice democracy as we do here,” they wrote. “Thus far there is only one vanguard of progress and modernization in the Middle East, and that is Jewish Palestine.”

    In 1948, the U.S. government, at President Harry Truman’s direction, granted the newly declared state of Israel diplomatic recognition, over the objections of State Department officials.

    There were, of course, prominent Americans who objected to recognizing Israel, or to embracing it so strongly. Among them was journalist Dorothy Thompson, who had turned against the Zionist cause after a Jewish militant group bombed Jerusalem’s King David Hotel in 1946. These opponents made the case for supporting emerging Arab nationalism and Palestinian autonomy and asserted that recognizing Israel would deepen America’s entanglement in the unfolding Middle Eastern conflicts.

    But by the late 1950s and ‘60s, American criticism of Israel was increasingly muted. Liberal Christians, in particular, viewed it as a beleaguered democratic state and ally.

    Rightward shift

    Conservative Christian Zionists, meanwhile, continued to often view “love of Israel” through a biblical lens.

    In the late ’60s, the American journal Christianity Today published an article by editor Nelson Bell, father-in-law of famous evangelist Billy Graham. Jewish control of Jerusalem inspires “renewed faith in the accuracy and validity of the Bible,” Bell wrote.

    Rev. Jerry Falwell, on the right, listens as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech to a conservative Christian group in Washington in 1998.
    William Philpott/AFP via Getty Images

    Fifteen years later, televangelist Jerry Falwell told an interviewer that Jewish people have both a theological and historical “right to the land.” He added, “I am personally a Zionist, having gained that perspective from my belief in Old Testament scriptures.”

    These Christians, like some Jewish religious Zionists, saw “the hand of God” in Israel’s conquest of East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War of 1967. They considered any territorial compromise with Arab states and the Palestinians to be an act against God.

    During the 1980s, as the Republican Party forged alliances with the emerging religious right, Israel would become a core cause for the GOP. Some liberal Jews who supported Israel grew alarmed by these ties and by the rightward shift in Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.

    Yet this brand of Christian Zionism is clearly the forerunner to today’s – and holds sway in Washington. Today, 83% of Republicans view Israel favorably, compared with 33% of Democrats. Republicans in Congress are pushing to use the biblical terms “Judea and Samaria” instead of “the West Bank.” Evangelical Christian Zionists continue to call for support of the Israeli right and of settlers in the occupied territories.

    And in Huckabee, they see a potential ambassador who shares their views.

    In 2009, when Huckabee was considering a presidential campaign, he visited Israel and met with settler leaders. On hearing of Huckabee’s presidential aspirations, a rabbi said, “We hope that under Mike Huckabee’s presidency, he will be like Cyrus and push us to rebuild the Temple and bring the final redemption.” The rabbi was referring to the biblical story of Cyrus, King of Persia, and his proclamation that the exiled Jews be allowed to return to Zion.

    Seven decades after the state of Israel’s founding, evangelical Christian Zionism’s influence is greater than ever. This turn to the political right is very far from the mid-20th century Zionism of Truman, Niebuhr and the Democratic Party.

    Shalom Goldman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Christian Zionism hasn’t always been a conservative evangelical creed – churches’ views of Israel have evolved over decades – https://theconversation.com/christian-zionism-hasnt-always-been-a-conservative-evangelical-creed-churches-views-of-israel-have-evolved-over-decades-249314

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/SENEGAL – Appointment of bishop of Saint-Louis du Sénégal

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 2 April 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Augustin Simmel Ndiaye, of the clergy of Dakar, until now rector of the Catholic University of West Africa (UCAO) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as bishop of the diocese of Saint-Louis du Sénégal, Senegal.Msgr. Augustin Simmel Ndiaye was born on 2 January 1959 in Fadiouth. He studied philosophy and theology at the François Libermann Interdiocesan Major Seminary of Sébikhotane, Dakar.He was ordained a priest on 9 April 1983.After ordination, he first held the role of vicar of the Cathedral of Notre Dames des Victoires in Dakar (1983-1988). He was awarded a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Urbaniana University of Rome (1988-1922), and went on to serve as vicar of Sainte Thérèse in Grand-Dakar (1992-1993), professor of canon law, methodology and introduction to sacramental liturgical practice in the François Libermann Interdiocesan Major Seminary of Sébikhotane (1992-1998), president of the Union of Senegalese Clergy (1996-1999), rector (1998-2005) and professor of canon law (1998-2014) at the François Libermann Interdiocesan Major Seminary of Sébikhotane, president of the interdiocesan tribunal of Thiès, member of the Council for Economic Affairs of the metropolitan archdiocese of Dakar, parish priest of the Cathedral of Notre Dames des Victoires (2005-2014), fidei donum in the diocese of Angers, France, internship at the ecclesiastical tribunal of Angers (2014-2018), and parish priest of Sainte Marthe in Mbour (2018-2020). Since 2020 he has served as rector of the Catholic University of West Africa (UCAO) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. (E.G.) (Agenzia Fides, 2/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN/GENERAL AUDIENCE – Pope Francis: “God does not pass by without looking for those who are lost”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 2 April 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “God does not pass by without looking for those who are lost”, Pope Francis writes in the text of the catechesis prepared for today’s general audience and released only in written form. The Pontiff, continuing the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the life of Jesus read in the light of the themes of the Holy Year that the Church is experiencing, today focuses on the encounter that Christ had with Zacchaeus, “an episode that is particularly close to my heart, because it has a special place in my spiritual journey”, reveals the Bishop of Rome in the text.The encounter takes place in the city of Jericho, “located below sea level” and for this reason “considered to be an image of the underworld, where Jesus wants to go in search of those who feel they are lost. And in reality, the Risen Lord continues to descend into today’s underworlds, in places of war, in the suffering of the innocent, in the heart of mothers who see their children die, in the hunger of the poor”.The evangelist Luke describes Zacchaeus as merciless: “not only is he a publican, a person who collects taxes from his fellow citizens for the Roman invaders, but he is the chief of publicans, no less, as if to say that his sin is multiplied”. Not only that. The author of the sacred text, the Pope emphasizes, points out “that Zacchaeus is rich, suggesting that he has grown rich on the backs of others, abusing his position”.But “when he comes to know that Jesus is passing through the city, Zacchaeus feels the desire to see Him”. For him, the Pontiff emphasizes, “it would be enough to watch him from a distance” but his desire must deal with reality: he is short and the crowd prevents him from seeing Jesus. So, “just like a child”, he climbs a tree “in order to watch without being seen, hiding behind the branches”.”But with the Lord, the unexpected always happens. Jesus, when He comes close, raises His eyes. Zacchaeus feels he has been discovered, and probably expects a public rebuke. The people may have hoped for it, but they are disappointed: Jesus asks Zacchaeus to come down immediately, almost surprised to see him in the tree, and says to him: “Today I must stay at your house!”.In this passage, the Pope points out, the evangelist “highlights the joy in Zacchaeus’ heart”, “the joy of one who feels that he has been seen, acknowledged, and above all forgiven. Jesus’ gaze is not one of reproach, but of mercy. It is that mercy we sometimes struggle to accept, especially when God forgives those who, in our opinion, do not deserve it. We grumble because we would like to impose limits on God’s love”.And in Zacchaeus’ house, “after listening to Jesus’ words of forgiveness, stands up, as if he were arising from a condition of death. And he gets up to make a commitment: to return four times what he has stolen. It is not a price to be paid, because God’s forgiveness is free, but rather the desire to imitate the One by whom he felt loved. Zacchaeus makes a commitment to which he was not bound, but he does so because he understands that this is his way of loving. And he does so by combining the Roman legislation regarding theft and the Rabbinic law on penance. His purpose is not generic or abstract, but stems precisely from his history: he looked at his life and identified the point from which to begin his transformation”, concludes the text of the pontifical catechesis. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 2/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Catechist and martyr Peter To Rot will be Papua New Guinea’s first Saint

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 31 March 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Pope Francis has authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to publish the decree for the canonization of catechist and martyr Peter Tor Rot, who will thus become the first Saint from Papua New Guinea. The date will be set during the Consistory (still to be scheduled) announced by the Pope a month ago while he was being treated for bilateral pneumonia at Gemelli Hospital.The requests and prayers of the Church of Papua New Guinea, which asked the Pope a few months ago during his visit to Asia and Oceania to intervene in the canonization process of the catechist and martyr (see Fides, 6/9/2024), have been heard.Born in Rakunai in 1912, Peter belonged to the Tolai community, who live in the easternmost part of the island. The exact date of his birth and baptism is unknown, as the documents were confiscated by the Japanese police during World War II. What is certain is that he grew up in a large family and was primarily educated by his father, a village chief. After receiving his First Communion, probably between 1922 and 1926, he served as an altar boy, moved by a deep devotion to the Eucharist.From 1930, he attended Saint Paul’s Catechist Training College in Taluligap and returned to his village three years later to actively exercise his ministry as a catechist. He also devoted himself to works of charity, with a particular focus on the poor, the sick, and orphans. At the age of 23, he married Paula La Varpit and became the father of three children.At the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese occupied Papua New Guinea and imprisoned all missionaries, but this did not initially hinder his pastoral work. Peter To Rot made every effort not to abandon the Christian community, continuing his catechetical activities and preparing couples for the sacrament of marriage.When the occupiers forbade him from continuing his work, he carried it out secretly and with extreme caution so as not to endanger the lives of the faithful, knowing full well that this decision could cost him his life.During the occupation, he opposed the reintroduction of polygamy, which the Japanese had allowed to curry favor with the local tribes, and thus also turned against his older brother. The latter denounced him to the police, and for these reasons, he was arrested in 1945 and sentenced to two months in prison. During his imprisonment, he received only visits from his mother, his wife, and his children. He was treated more harshly than the other prisoners and died of poisoning in prison in July 1945.Peter To Rot was beatified by Saint John Paul II on January 17, 1995, in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.On March 18, 2024, the bishops of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands requested that the miracle be waived on the path to Peter To Rot’s canonization. At the same time, they noted that while there is ample evidence, it is very difficult to document the required miracle because there are few hospitals capable of providing the scientific documentation necessary to prove a supposed miraculous healing, and because the culture of the local population is largely based on oral communication, making it difficult to document any miracles in writing.In addition, up to 820 dialects are spoken in the State, so few people are able to write in correct, understandable English. For these reasons, the request was granted, and on March 22, 2024, the Dicastery was authorized to conduct the special process with a dispensation of miracles for the canonization of Peter To Rot.This is a process by which the Pope, after due examination, recognizes a cult that has already existed for some time, without waiting for the recognition of a miracle. It differs from formal beatifications and canonizations, for which the Church provides for a regular investigation and the corresponding miracle. Furthermore, the Pope can always make special decisions. Pope Francis did this in the case of John XXIII, who was canonized based on his decades-long worldwide reputation for holiness, without a second miracle being recognized. Benedict XVI also applied an extraordinary process with regard to John Paul II, whose canonization process was initiated a few weeks after his death, without waiting the required five years.As for To Rot, after his beatification, his reputation for holiness grew considerably and extended to all the dioceses of Papua New Guinea, as well as to the neighboring Solomon Islands and Australia. Hundreds of works about him have been published on behalf of churches, institutions, and groups associated with his memory.There are also many acts of grace attributed to his intercession, collected after his beatification, when his person became better known. His reputation for holiness is widespread today. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 31/3/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/MALAWI – Resignation and appointment of the bishop of Mzuzu

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 1 April 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the dicoese of Mzuzu, Malawi, presented by Bishop John Alphonsus Ryan, S.P.S., and has appointed Bishop Yohane Suzgo Nyirenda, until now auxiliary of the same see and titular of Catrum, as bishop of Mzuzu. (EG) (Agenza Fides, 1/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Hearings – Public hearing: Human rights situation in Cuba – 08-04-2025 – Subcommittee on Human Rights

    Source: European Parliament

    On 8 April 2025, the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) is organising a public hearing on the “Human rights situation in Cuba”. In the programme of the hearing – two main topics: 1) Human rights situation and fundamental freedoms in Cuba; 2) EU response, state of play and future perspectives.

    Holding a public hearing on the situation of Human Rights in Cuba will allow DROI to assess the current situation of Human Rights in Cuba, including the situation of the remaining political prisoners in the framework of the liberation of 553 of them under a Vatican-mediated deal.

    Furthermore, the recent change of Administration in the USA makes it more urgent to monitor the Human Rights situation in the island, with U.S. President Donald Trump signing an omnibus executive order revoking 78 executive actions by the previous administration on 20 January 2025, including the revocation of the order of 14 January 2025 to remove Cuba from a blacklist of nations that sponsor terrorism and the reintroduction of sanctions that had contributed to the island’s worst economic crisis in decades.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: As ‘right to die’ gains more acceptance, a scholar of Catholicism explains the position of the Catholic Church

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mathew Schmalz, Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross

    In recent years, euthanasia and assisted death rates have risen worldwide. Cavan Images / Raffi Maghdessian via Getty images

    An individual’s “right to die” is becoming more accepted across the globe. Polls show that most Americans support allowing doctors to end a patient’s life upon their request. Assisted suicide is now permitted in 10 U.S. states and in Washington. In 2025,five more states are set to consider “right to die” legislation.

    The “right to die” can refer to several means of dying. In “euthanasia,” death can either be “voluntary” – when a physician administers lethal drugs with the patient’s consent – or “nonvoluntary,” without a person’s consent, as when a person is in a vegetative state. In such cases, consent is usually given by a legal guardian or relative.

    By contrast “assisted suicide” refers to a person being aided in ending their life by being given lethal drugs and then administering the dose themselves. This practice is sometimes called “assisted dying.” These terms make crucial distinctions between who carries out the final act of ending life.

    Worldwide, euthanasia and assisted death rates have risen in recent years.

    In 2023, almost 1 in 20 deaths in Canada were from assisted dying; in the Netherlands, the number reached 5.4% from assisted dying and euthanasia. The Netherlands has also legalized assisted dying related to mental disorders, not just terminal illnesses.

    In November 2024, an assisted dying bill passed the British parliament, with a similar bill now pending in Scotland. Assisted suicide and euthanasia are already legal in Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, among other countries in Europe and Latin America.

    The right-to-die debate

    Advocates of a person’s right to die argue that individuals should make their own end-of-life decisions because it is their life – and their death. Advocates also maintain that euthanasia and assisted suicide not only prevent further suffering, but also safeguard an individual’s dignity by avoiding senseless pain and severely diminished quality of life.

    However, right-to-die advocates have critics; among the more forceful ones is the Roman Catholic Church. For example, speaking about the potential legalization of euthanasia in France in 2022, Pope Francis argued that euthanasia, in all its forms, only leads to “more killing.”

    But as a scholar of Catholic thought and practice, I also recognize that the Catholic position is a nuanced one. It opposes euthanasia and assisted dying, but it does not support extraordinary or disproportionate treatments when unavoidable death is close at hand.

    ‘A sin against God’

    Francis has called euthanasia and assisted suicide “a sin against God.” He also has linked euthanasia to abortion, saying, “you don’t play with life, not at the beginning, and not at the end.”

    The fullest, most recent explanation of the Catholic view on the right to die can be found in the 2020 Vatican letter “The Good Samaritan,” a title that refers to the biblical story of a stranger who was the only one to assist a man beaten and stripped by robbers.

    The parable of The Good Samaritan.
    David Teniers the Younger/ The Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Agreeing with many other Christian denominations, “The Good Samaritan” letter makes the point that our lives are not our own but belong to God. As God’s creations, we do not have the right to end our own lives. Euthanasia also involves a doctor actively killing their own patient. Euthanasia and assisted suicide thus violate the biblical commandment “thou shalt not kill.”

    Beyond this basic point, the letter maintains that euthanasia undermines society because the right to life is the basis of all other rights. Also, debates about “quality of life” can lead to the idea that “poor-quality” lives have no right to continue.

    A failure of love

    “The Good Samaritan” letter observes that human beings are joined together by compassion – a word that literally means “co-suffering.” In the letter’s words, which have been repeated by Francis many times, euthanasia is “false compassion” because it ignores the “spiritual and interpersonal aspects” of human life such as accompanying – or simply being with – someone in and through their suffering.

    Connected to this opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide is a point that Francis often makes about “throwaway culture,” which “discards” the poor, needy and dependent. In Francis’ words, euthanasia is “a failure of love.”

    End-of-life care

    Given the Catholic church’s stand against assisted suicide and euthanasia, it might seem surprising that the church does allow refusing “overzealous” treatments that prolong suffering in the face of unavoidable death. Such procedures could include mechanical ventilation or dialysis, for example.

    Catholic ethics would point out that killing is a basic part of the act of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Killing is also the intent behind the action.

    But declining disproportionate treatment is not intended to kill the patient, although death is the foreseeable outcome. Death is the result of the disease, not the result of a method that actively ends the patient’s life. Also, even in terminal cases, normal care, such as providing nutrition and hydration, should be continued unless it causes additional pain.

    A difference that matters

    In the Catholic Church’s view, it matters that there is a difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia, on the one hand, and discontinuing disproportionate care, on the other. The difference lies in the nature of particular actions and the intent behind them.

    And the difference also matters in a broader sense. In the debate between right-to-die advocates and those who, like Francis, oppose them, there are very different understandings of how society should respond to those who suffer.

    Mathew Schmalz is a Roman Catholic and registered as an Independent.

    – ref. As ‘right to die’ gains more acceptance, a scholar of Catholicism explains the position of the Catholic Church – https://theconversation.com/as-right-to-die-gains-more-acceptance-a-scholar-of-catholicism-explains-the-position-of-the-catholic-church-146737

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/SOUTH KOREA – Archbishop Nappa celebrates the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Pontifical Mission Societies in Seoul

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Don Marco Kim

    Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – “It is with great emotion that I visit this land of martyrs that is Korea, a unique country in the history of the Church, where the faith took root spontaneously before the arrival of the missionaries.” With these words, Archbishop Emilio Nappa began his homily at the commemorative Mass for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Korean National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS). The Eucharistic concelebration was presided over this morning, Monday, March 31, by Bishop Mathias Iong-hoon Ri, President of the Korean Bishops’ Conference, in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Seoul, in Myeongdong.Archbishop Nappa, current Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City and former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, concelebrated the Mass at 10 a.m., in the presence of Cardinal Andrea Yeom, Archbishop Emeritus of Seoul; Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea; and numerous prelates, priests, former national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies, religious sisters and lay missionaries, as well as hundreds of faithful. “Your ancestors in the faith,” said Archbishop Nappa, “kept their faith under severe persecution, dreaming of eternal life. Nobles and servants sat together, calling each other brothers and sisters.” The former PMS president “gave thanks and praise to God” for all those who have served the Korean PMS throughout their history, inviting the faithful to “implore with the same ardent intention […] so that the steadfast faith that animated your ancestors in the faith may be awakened in you.”In his welcoming address, Cardinal Andrew Soo-jung Yeom, Archbishop Emeritus of Seoul, retraced the history of the Korean PMS, recalling that the Pontifical Mission Societies of Korea were established on June 29, 1965, under the name ‘Pontifical Commission for the Propagation of the Faith’.He also emphasized that in 60 years, we have moved from a “Church that receives” (referring to the period when Korea was still poor and seminaries benefited from PMS subsidies) to a “Church that gives.” Indeed, “the Church on mission,” the Cardinal explained, “is a Church on the move, a Church that spreads the fragrance of Christ through the charity of daily life.”The Eucharistic celebration was followed by a conference on mission and several testimonies from consecrated and lay missionaries. Thomas Aquinas Seong-ho Song and Rosa Eun-hyung Rosa Yang, a Consolata lay missionary couple and grandparents of three grandchildren, recounted how they were called at the age of 60 to a mission in Tanzania after a previous experience in Mozambique. “Living with people and loving them” in order to “be able to proclaim Christ” were the main characteristics of the mission witnessed by the couple. As administrators at the Mission Center, he and her vice-directors, Thomas and Rosa, also reiterated the importance of learning the language and obtaining a driver’s license to begin interacting with the local community and becoming accustomed to its cultural expressions. They also emphasized that the situation they have embraced is “a place where it is difficult to live without prayer.”Another significant testimony came from Sister Anna Kang, a member of the Conceptionist Teaching Missionaries and a missionary in the Philippines from 2018 to 2023. With the help of the PMS and thanks to the support of many other donors, Sister Anna continued a daycare project, created specifically to provide a place of welcome and education for children who come from these homes where “a single room serves as a kitchen, dormitory, and bathroom.”During the lecture given by Father Peter Dong Won Kim, head of the Department of Mission ad Gentes of the Archdiocese of Seoul, he recounted his missionary experience in Taiwan, working with an aboriginal parish in the mountains, emphasizing that “missionary travel is not dictated by personal preferences (even if it seems so), but by the missionary’s response to God’s call.””We hope that the missionary spirit you experienced as President of the Pontifical Mission Societies will continue to accompany you in fulfilling your new mission,” expressed Father Marco Sungsu Kim, official of the Dicastery for Evangelization (section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches), who accompanied the Archbishop during his visit to Japan and South Korea. The former President of the PMS took the time, at the end of his homily, to thank the Korean Church, which places its priests at the disposal of the universal Church.Archbishop Nappa’s visit to South Korea began on March 26 with a visit to the Apostolic Nunciature and a meeting with the Nuncio, Msgr. Giovanni Gaspari, and ended this morning. During his stay, Archbishop Nappa participated with a message of good wishes in the Mass celebrated on March 26, also in Myeongdong, for the 12th anniversary of the papal election of Pope Francis, with all the Korean bishops gathered for the Ordinary Plenary Assembly of the Korean Bishops’ Conference.The Archbishop also celebrated a Mass with the Salesian Sisters (about 30 sisters) on March 27 and took the opportunity to thank them for their commitment to North Korean youth. On the same day, he visited the Korean Bishops’ Conference where he was welcomed with “deep gratitude” by Secretary General Stefano Cheol-soo Lee and conveyed the greetings of Cardinal Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.The day’s program concluded with a meeting with Catholic secondary school students. On March 28, he then visited the Diocese of Daegu, where he celebrated Mass, had a brief meeting with Bishop Thaddeus Hwan-kil Cho, and visited the Daegu Archdiocesan Major Seminary, Gwandeokjung (Museum of Martyrdom), the cathedral, the headquarters of ‘Catholic Times’, and the regional headquarters of the ‘Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation’. On the 29th, he visited the Diocese of Suwon, where Bishop Mathias Iong-hoon Ri, president of the Korean Bishops’ Conference, is bishop. In the afternoon, after visiting the Marian Shrine of Namyang (dedicated first to the anonymous martyrs, and later, in 1991, to the Virgin Mary), he concelebrated Mass with approximately 200 children at the parish of St. Pio of Pietrelcina in Hwaseong (Dongtan Bansong-dong Catholic Church). He then returned to the Seoul Major Seminary on Sunday, March 30, and visited the Seosomun Martyrs’ Shrine, the site where many early Korean Catholics were martyred, including the first to be baptized, Peter Seung-hun Yi.The gifts that Archbishop Nappa brought to the bishops and collaborators in Japan and Korea consisted of a wooden reproduction of the crucifix offered by Saint John Mary Vianney to Blessed Pauline Jaricot (prepared by the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, POPF) and booklets on the life of the foundress of the societies and of Jeanne Bigard (foundress of the Pontifical Society of Saint Peter the Apostle, POSPA), as well as the missionary rosaries of the Dicastery. (PR) (Agenzia Fides, 31/3/2025)
    Don Marco Kim

    Don Marco Kim

    Don Marco Kim

    Don Marco Kim

    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/MYANMAR – Lack of medicine and shelter: The Catholic community launches humanitarian aid and calls for a ceasefire

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Karuna Myanmar

    Mandalay (Agenzia Fides) – “There is a lack of medicine and emergency shelter, as many are injured and thousands are homeless on the streets,” reads a statement from Karuna Myanmar (Caritas Burma) sent to Fides. “Local groups, volunteers, and civil society organizations on the ground are working to assess the full extent of the damage and provide initial emergency assistance. The destruction is widespread and the civilian population has been severely affected. The earthquake has caused power outages and disrupted communications. Myanmar’s National Disaster Management Committee has declared a state of emergency in many regions. Thousands of people in Mandalay remain on the streets,” reads the statement from the Catholic Church’s charitable organization, which has activated its network of diocesan offices to monitor the situation and organize humanitarian aid. Numerous buildings, including monasteries, mosques, pagodas, seminaries and churches, schools, hospitals, banks, hotels, airports, residential buildings, bridges, and highways, suffered significant damage. Cities worst affected include Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw, Sagaing, Aungpan, Bago, Kalay, Magway, Kyaukse, Muse, Yinmapin, Taunggyie, and some areas in Shan State. The national Karuna office and diocesan offices have mobilized their volunteer teams to assist the worst-affected Diocese of Mandalay, which has initiated coordination with local authorities, other religious leaders, and local charities. “Under the current conditions, it is difficult to provide an accurate picture with data and figures due to the lack of telecommunications and restricted access to various areas. Karuna volunteer teams are still unable to travel to the affected areas due to disruptions or lack of security,” the Mandalay-based relief agency said. Instead, Karuna’s national office is coordinating with Caritas Internationalis, UNHCR, OCHA, and other aid organizations to seek channels for humanitarian resources and assistance. In the Mandalay, Magway, Sagaging, Bago, and Shan regions, the death toll from the earthquake that struck the country on March 28 continues to rise: more than 2,000 dead, 3,400 injured, and more than 300 missing have been confirmed, but for organizations involved in humanitarian assistance, the number is sure to rise. Myanmar’s ruling military junta has declared a week of national mourning from today, March 31, to April 6. As the civil war continues, the Catholic Church in the country is firmly calling for “an urgent ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid,” according to an appeal issued by the Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar. “This tragic event has further exacerbated the profound multidimensional humanitarian crisis already gripping Myanmar, where, according to UN estimates, nearly 20 million people, including 6.3 million children, are in urgent need of assistance,” the Burmese bishops wrote. “The Catholic Church reaffirms its unwavering support for those affected and expresses its condolences to the families who have lost loved ones. We pray especially for those who have died in places of worship, pagodas, and mosques. We are deeply touched by the moving messages we have received from Pope Francis, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nunciature, Archbishop Andrea Ferrante,” the country’s bishops wrote. With a view to mobilizing the international community, the bishops assure that “the Catholic Church will participate in the support to help the people with food, medicine, and shelter.” They also reiterate: “This humanitarian crisis requires an urgent cessation of hostilities. We urgently call for an immediate and complete ceasefire by all parties involved in the conflict to ensure the safe and unhindered delivery of essential humanitarian aid from local and international donors.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 31/3/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN/ANGELUS – Pope Francis: “Lent, a time of healing. I too am experiencing it this way, in my soul and in my body”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Sunday, 30 March 2025

    Vatican Media

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “Let us live this Lent as a time of healing, all the more as it is the Jubilee. I too am experiencing it this way, in my soul and in my body,” said Pope Francis in the text published by the Vatican for the midday prayer on the fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare).In his commentary on the parable of the Prodigal Son, the Bishop of Rome notes that with this story, Jesus reveals “the heart of God”: “always merciful towards all,” “he heals our wounds so that we can love each other as brothers.”Hence, heartfelt thanks to “all those who, in the image of the Saviour, are instruments of healing for their neighbour with their word and their knowledge, with kindness and with prayer. Frailty and illness are experiences we all have in common; all the more, however, we are brothers in the salvation Christ has given us.””Trusting in the mercy of God the Father,” Pope Francis said, “we continue to pray for peace: in martyred Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar, which is also suffering so much because of the earthquake.” In his message, the Pope also expressed his concern about the situation in South Sudan: “I renew my heartfelt appeal to all leaders to do their utmost to lower the tension in the country. We must put aside our differences and, with courage and responsibility, sit around a table and engage in constructive dialogue. Only in this way will it be possible to alleviate the suffering of the beloved South Sudanese people and to build a future of peace and stability.”And in Sudan, “the war continues to claim innocent victims. I urge the parties concerned in the conflict,” the Pope emphasized, “to put the safeguarding of the lives of their civilian brothers and sisters first; and I hope that new negotiations will begin as soon as possible, capable of securing a lasting solution to the crisis. May the international community increase its efforts to address the appalling humanitarian catastrophe.””Thanks be to God, there are also positive events,” the Pope concluded: “I cite as an example the ratification of the Agreement on the demarcation of the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which is an excellent diplomatic achievement. I encourage both countries to continue on this path.””May Mary, Mother of Mercy, help the human family to be reconciled in peace,” we read at the end of the Pontiff’s text. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 30/3/2024)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the enthronement of the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania

    Source: The Holy See

    Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the enthronement of the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania, 29.03.2025
    The following is the Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the enthronement of the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania, His Beatitude Joani, which was delivered by Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, leading the delegation composed of Msgr. Andrea Palmieri, under-secretary of the same Dicastery, and Msgr. Ionuţ Paul Strejac, chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Apostolic Nunciature:

    Message of the Holy Father
    To His Beatitude Joani
    Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania
    It is with particular joy that I extend to Your Beatitude my fraternal greetings in the love of Christ on the occasion of your enthronement as Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania.
    In expressing my spiritual closeness, I assure you of my prayers that God the Father, source of all good, will grant you the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit as you guide the flock entrusted to your care.
    You are now the successor of our beloved brother of venerable memory, His Beatitude Anastas, whose witness of Christian life and apostolic zeal has left a deep and lasting legacy in Albania.  Among his many activities during the course of his ministry, Anastas distinguished himself by his commitment to the peaceful coexistence of men and women belonging to different Churches and religious traditions, and he contributed significantly to the improvement of relations between our Churches.
    I am certain that Your Beatitude, following the example of your predecessor, will continue to foster dialogue as a means of overcoming divisions and promote the search for full communion among all of Christ’s disciples.  Indeed, in these difficult times marked by war and violence, it is ever more urgent that Christians bear credible witness to unity, so that the world may fully embrace the Gospel message of fraternal solidarity and peace.  We thus bear the responsibility of proceeding together to manifest in an ever more visible way the real communion, if alas not yet complete, that already unites us.  It is my heartfelt hope, therefore, that under your paternal guidance, relations between the Church of Albania and the Catholic Church will develop further, seeking new forms of fruitful cooperation in proclaiming the Gospel, serving those most in need and renewing our commitment to resolving the issues that still separate us through the dialogue of charity and truth.
    With these sentiments, and expressing once again the assurance of my prayers and fervent good wishes, I ask Almighty God to grant you every grace and heavenly blessing in your high ministry, and I exchange with Your Beatitude a fraternal embrace in Christ our Lord.
    From the Vatican, 25 March 2025
    FRANCIS

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Public hearing: Human rights situation in Cuba – Subcommittee on Human Rights

    Source: European Parliament

    On 8 April 2025, the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) is organising a public hearing on the “Human rights situation in Cuba”. In the programme of the hearing – two main topics: 1) Human rights situation and fundamental freedoms in Cuba; 2) EU response, state of play and future perspectives.

    Holding a public hearing on the situation of Human Rights in Cuba will allow DROI subcommittee to assess the current situation of Human Rights in Cuba, including the situation of the remaining political prisoners in the framework of the liberation of 553 of them under a Vatican-mediated deal.

    Furthermore, the recent change of Administration in the USA makes it more urgent to monitor the Human Rights situation in the island, with U.S. President Donald Trump signing an omnibus executive order revoking 78 executive actions by the previous administration on 20 January 2025, including the revocation of the order of 14 January 2025 to remove Cuba from a blacklist of nations that sponsor terrorism and the reintroduction of sanctions that had contributed to the island’s worst economic crisis in decades.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Hearings – Human rights situation in Cuba – 08-04-2025 – Subcommittee on Human Rights

    Source: European Parliament

    On 8 April 2025, the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) is organising a public hearing on the “Human rights situation in Cuba”. In the programme of the hearing – two main topics: 1) Human rights situation and fundamental freedoms in Cuba; 2) EU response, state of play and future perspectives.

    Holding a public hearing on the situation of Human Rights in Cuba will allow DROI to assess the current situation of Human Rights in Cuba, including the situation of the remaining political prisoners in the framework of the liberation of 553 of them under a Vatican-mediated deal.

    Furthermore, the recent change of Administration in the USA makes it more urgent to monitor the Human Rights situation in the island, with U.S. President Donald Trump signing an omnibus executive order revoking 78 executive actions by the previous administration on 20 January 2025, including the revocation of the order of 14 January 2025 to remove Cuba from a blacklist of nations that sponsor terrorism and the reintroduction of sanctions that had contributed to the island’s worst economic crisis in decades.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – The Missionary Exhibition in the Vatican Gardens, which 100 years ago introduced the world to the “Church in a state of mission”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 28 March 2025

    dalla Rivista Illustrata della Esposizione Missionaria Vaticana

    by Fabio BerettaVatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Books, black and white photographs, artifacts from deserts and tropical rainforests. Letters with testimonies and accounts of excursions to impenetrable and inaccessible areas, along with bird and reptile eggs. The Vatican Missionary Exposition, held exactly one hundred years ago, offered a fascinating tour of the cultural diversity and universality of the Church’s mission. In 1925, on the occasion of the Jubilee, the Vatican Gardens hosted this great exhibition, which attracted pilgrims and visitors from all over the world. The exhibition not only reflected the richness of cultures and geographies, but also the universal scope of the mission of liberation and salvation entrusted by Christ to His Church.The initiative was promoted by Pius XI, who personally financed and supervised the realization of this unprecedented exhibition.Pope Ratti had been nurturing this idea for some time, and the project took shape in a record time of two years. The compass that guided Pius XI in the creation of the Vatican Missionary Exposition was his deep commitment to missionary work, shared with his predecessor Benedict XV. It was the latter who, in 1919, signed the Apostolic Letter Maximum illud, “on the work of missionaries throughout the world”. Historian André Rétif defined Achille Ratti as “the Pope of the missions” for the decisive impulse he gave to the evangelizing work of the Church of Rome.That period was marked by numerous initiatives and innovations that reflected the strength, audacity, and creativity of the missionary spirit. In 1926, Pius XI instituted World Mission Sunday, consolidating the Church’s universal commitment to evangelization. That same year, at the Janiculum, the transfer of the Pontifical Urbaniana Athenaeum, the precursor to today’s Pontifical Urbaniana University, intended for the training of seminarians from mission territories, was completed. A year later, in 1927, Fides Agency was founded, the Church’s first missionary agency.The Vatican Missionary Exposition, inaugurated in 1925, had a clear purpose: “To gather and exhibit in this City, the capital of the world, everything that can shed light on the nature and activity of the Catholic missions, on the places where they operate, in a word, everything related to them,” wrote Pius XI himself.To bring his project to fruition, Pius XI entrusted the organization of the Vatican Missionary Exposition to Dutch Cardinal Willem Marinus Van Rossum, then Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (today the Dicastery for Evangelization – Section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches). Following the Pope’s instructions, Van Rossum initially convened, in a consultative capacity, the Procurators and Representatives of the Missionary Institutes residing in Rome. However, the initiative took official status on April 24, 1923, when Pius XI sent him a letter granting him full authority to hold the event. In order to organize the Exposition, Van Rossum created a Steering Committee, which included Angelo Roncalli, who was elected Pope John XXIII in 1958. In addition, a thirty-six-member subcommittee was formed, composed of representatives from various missionary institutes.Pius XI’s decision to promote this event transcended the religious sphere. In a Europe still traumatized by the First World War, the Pope saw in the Exposition a message of hope and a testimony to the role of the Church in a world marked by secularization. Through the Expositions, the Church not only communicated its mission but also sought new forms of expression to bring its message to the contemporary world. The scale of the project was exceptional: enormous resources were allocated to ensure the success of the Vatican Missionary Exposition. Set up in the gardens adjacent to the Vatican Museums, the Exposition pavilions were divided into two large blocks along geographical lines: the Holy Land, America, parts of Asia, and Indochina in the Pine Garden Courtyard; China, Japan, Oceania, and Africa in the adjacent garden. In the Chiaramonti Museum gallery, stands were set up dedicated to the travels, exploits, and stories of all the Missionary Institutes participating in the Expo. In addition, a separate pavilion was dedicated to the theme of hygiene and medicine, highlighting the healthcare work of missionaries. The complex covered an area of approximately 10,000 square meters, with a total of thirty-eight pavilions.The inauguration took place on December 21, 1924, a few days before the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, and was presided over by the Pope, accompanied by diplomats and several members of the Roman Curia. It was decided to also publish the “Illustrated Magazine of the Vatican Missionary Exhibition”, biweekly: the first issue was published on December 15, 1924. It consisted of a 32-page booklet, richly illustrated and could be purchased for 160 Italian lire.The main objective of the exhibition was to document the missionary activities and highlight all the apostolic work supported by the Church in mission. In addition to books and artifacts, visitors were also shown maps of the most remote places in the world, along with information compiled by the missionaries on the mineralogy, flora, and fauna of the mission lands.In one of the pavilions, visitors could consult two complete collections of the magazine “Les Missions Catholiques” and a double collection of the “Annals of the Propagation of the Faith.” These publications, dedicated exclusively to missionary work, composed of 158 volumes, illustrated with more than 15,000 reproductions of sketches, drawings, and photographs sent by the missionaries themselves. The goal was to make known the stories linked to missionary work, the concrete fruits of evangelization, and the numerous testimonies of men and women transformed by their encounter with the Gospel. Furthermore, they sought to awaken solidarity and support, both material and spiritual, for the Church’s work in missionary lands. At the same time, these publications served to counter the manipulated representations of critics who attempted to discredit missionary work by labeling it “obscurantism.”A year after the Exposition, and at the request of Pius XI, some 40,000 works were selected from those on display and brought together in the first Missionary Ethnological Museum in history. One hundred years later, many of these works are on display today in the Vatican Museums, in the section entitled “Anima Mundi Ethnological Museum.” (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 28/3/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From censorship to curiosity: Pope Francis’ appreciation for the power of history and books

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joëlle Rollo-Koster, Professor of Medieval History, University of Rhode Island

    Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, on Nov. 10, 2024. AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

    In January 2025, while doing research at the Vatican archives, I heard Pope Francis’ Sunday prayers in St. Peter’s Square. The pope reflected on the ceasefire that had just gone into effect in Gaza, highlighting the role of mediators, the need for humanitarian aid, and his hope for a two-state solution.

    “Let us pray always for tormented Ukraine, for Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, and all the populations who are suffering because of war,” he concluded. “I wish you all a good Sunday, and please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch, and arrivederci!”

    A few weeks later, Francis was admitted to the hospital, where he remained for more than a month, receiving treatment for double pneumonia.

    In those weeks of uncertainty, I thought back to the pope’s words that Sunday afternoon. They encapsulate Francis’ image: a spiritual leader using his influence to try to bring peace. He is also a down-to-earth man who wishes you “buon appetito.”

    Francis does not fear addressing contemporary politics, unlike many of his predecessors. And some popes have closed their eyes to not just current events but past ones: learning and history that threatened their vision of the church.

    As a medievalist, I appreciate Francis’ contrasting approach: a religious leader who embraces history and scholarship, and encourages others to do the same – even as book bans and threats to academic freedom mount.

    People in St. Peter’s Square watch a broadcast as Pope Francis makes his first appearance since entering the hospital.
    AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

    Infamous index

    For 400 years, the Catholic Church famously maintained the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, a long list of banned books. First conceived in the 1500s, it matured under Pope Paul IV. His 1559 index counted any books written by people the church deemed heretics – anyone not speaking dogma, in the widest sense.

    Even before the index, church leaders permitted little flexibility of thought. In the decades leading up to it, however, the church doubled down in response to new challenges: the rapid spreading of the printing press and the Protestant Reformation.

    The Catholic Counter-Reformation, which took shape at the Council of Trent from 1545-1563, reinforced dogmatism in its effort to rebuke reformers. The council decided that the Vulgate, a Latin translation of the Bible, was enough to understand scripture, and there was little need to investigate its original Greek and Hebrew version.

    Bishops and the Vatican began producing lists of titles that were forbidden to print and read. Between 1571-1917, the Sacred Congregation of the Index, a special unit of the Vatican, investigated writings and compiled the lists of banned readings approved by the pope. Catholics who read titles on the Index of Forbidden Books risked excommunication.

    In 1966, Pope Paul VI abolished the index. The church could no longer punish people for reading books on the list but still advised against them, as historian Paolo Sachet highlights. The moral imperative not to read them remained.

    The title page of a version of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, published in 1711.
    National Library of Slovenia/Drw1 via Wikimedia Commons

    Historian J.M de Bujanda has completed the most comprehensive list of books forbidden across the ages by the Catholic Church. Its authors include astronomer Johannes Kepler and Galileo, as well as philosophers across centuries, from Erasmus and René Descartes to feminist Simone de Beauvoir and existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre. Then there are the writers: Michel de Montaigne, Voltaire, Denis Diderot, David Hume, historian Edward Gibbon and Gustave Flaubert. In sum, the index is a who’s who of science, literature and history.

    Love of humanities

    Compare that with a letter Francis published on Nov. 21, 2024, emphasizing the importance of studying church history – particularly for priests, to better understand the world they live in. For the pope, history research “helps to keep ‘the flame of collective conscience’ alive.”

    The pope advocated for studying church history in a way that is unfiltered and authentic, flaws included. He emphasized primary sources and urged students to ask questions. Francis criticized the view that history is mere chronology – rote memorization that fails to analyze events.

    In 2019, Francis changed the name of the Vatican Secret Archives to the Vatican Apostolic Archives. Though the archives themselves had already been open to scholars since 1881, “secret” connotes something “revealed and reserved for a few,” Francis wrote. Under Francis, the Vatican opened the archives on Pope Pius XII, allowing research on his papacy during World War II, his knowledge of the Holocaust and his general response toward Nazi Germany.

    An attendant opens the section of the Vatican archives dedicated to Pope Pius XII on Feb. 27, 2020.
    Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images

    In addition to showing respect for history, the pope has emphasized his own love of reading. “Each new work we read will renew and expand our worldview,” he wrote in a letter to future priests, published July 17, 2024.

    Today, he continued, “veneration” of screens, with their “toxic, superficial and violent fake news” has diverted us from literature. The pope shared his experience as a young Jesuit literature instructor in Santa Fe, then added a sentence that would have stupefied “index popes.”

    “Naturally, I am not asking you to read the same things that I did,” he stated. “Everyone will find books that speak to their own lives and become authentic companions for their journey.”

    Citing his compatriot, the novelist Jorge Luis Borges, Francis reminded Catholics that to read is to “listen to another person’s voice. … We must never forget how dangerous it is to stop listening to the voice of other people when they challenge us!”

    When Francis dies or resigns, the Vatican will remain deeply divided between progressives and conservatives. So are modern democracies – and in many places, the modern trend leans toward nationalism, fascism and censorship.

    But Francis will leave a phenomenal rebuttal. One of the pope’s greatest achievements, in my view, will have been his engagement with the humanities and humanity – with a deep understanding of the challenges it faces.

    Joëlle Rollo-Koster does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. From censorship to curiosity: Pope Francis’ appreciation for the power of history and books – https://theconversation.com/from-censorship-to-curiosity-pope-francis-appreciation-for-the-power-of-history-and-books-250734

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Concerns about humanitarian aid in Syria reaching minorities persecuted by Islamists – P-001099/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-001099/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mathilde Androuët (PfE)

    Last December, when Islamists took power in Syria, Ursula von der Leyen recalled that the EU had been Syria’s largest donor since 2011, providing EUR 33 billion in humanitarian aid. This, she said, had been done ‘while respecting the principles of no contact, no cooperation, no funding to the Assad regime’[1]. The Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, Hadja Lahbib, announced in January that in 2025 the Commission would provide further humanitarian aid to Syrians totalling EUR 235 million[2].

    The massacres of civilians committed by Islamist fighters supporting Ahmed al-Sharaa’s ‘provisional government’[3] raise questions about the extremist militias’ intention to allow this aid to be distributed fairly, especially to the Alawite community, but also to the Christians, who urgently need it and who, for political reasons, receive little help from the West[4].

    In this context, will the Commission pay particular attention to ensuring that the humanitarian aid is properly distributed, with the same political and ‘ethical’ requirements expressed under the previous regime?

    Submitted: 14.3.2025

    • [1] ‘Press statement by President von der Leyen with President of Türkiye Erdoğan’, European Commission, 17 December 2024.
    • [2] ‘EU provides €235 million humanitarian aid to Syrians’, European Commission, 17 January 2025.
    • [3] ‘Massacres en Syrie: les nouvelles autorités mises à l’épreuve par les pires violences depuis la chute d’Al‑Assad’, Franceinfo, Fabien Magnenou, 10 March 2025, https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/revolte-en-syrie/massacres-en-syrie-les-nouvelles-autorites-mises-a-l-epreuve-par-les-pires-violences-depuis-la-chute-d-al-assad_7121439.html.
    • [4] ‘Les aides financières à la Syrie rétrécissent, la minorité chrétienne en danger’, Vatican News, Delphine Allaire, 19 June 2023, https://www.vaticannews.va/fr/monde/news/2023-06/syrie-chretiens-guerre-moyen-orient-onu-ue-reconstruction-ong.html
    Last updated: 26 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/JAPAN – Archbishop Nappa visits Nagasaki and Tokyo: safeguarding the memory of the Japanese martyrs

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) – On Monday, Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary of the Governorate of the Vatican City and former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, began his visit to Nagasaki, Japan, at Nishizaka Hill, where Saint Paul Miki and his 25 companions were crucified in 1597 while guarding their village. It was a busy program, alternating visits to some important sites in the history of the Japanese Church with equally significant encounters. “In Nagasaki,” said Father Marco Sungsu Kim, a collaborator of the the Dicastery for Evangelization (section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches), who accompanied Archbishop Emilio Nappa, “the delegation visited the new Cathedral, which houses some remains from the time of the atomic bombings, including the head of a statue of the Virgin Mary, and the Church of Oura, a so-called ‘Minor Basilica’ and co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Nagasaki, where Christians who preserved their faith until the 19th century were rediscovered.”Archbishop Nappa’s visit continued the following day in Tokyo with a visit to the Shinseikaikan Center, founded in 1934 by Father Iwashita as a student dormitory named after Saint Philip. It celebrated its 90th anniversary last year and is currently headed by the Auxiliary Bishop of Tokyo, Andrea Lembo.Archbishop Nappa recalled how since its origins, this center offered not only food and shelter, but also an education based on the values of Catholicism, at a time marked by rampant militarism. “Given the current dominance of nationalism and the many global conflicts, the need for people educated according to these values is becoming ever greater,” Archbishop Nappa said. “It is important to share material goods with the poor, because in this way we can give each other the necessities of life and preserve our fundamental dignity as human beings created in the image of God. However, we must not forget to share the richness of faith with the spiritually poor. I firmly believe that special attention must continue to be paid to this aspect of the commitment to Shinseikaikan.”Yesterday afternoon, at a meeting with catechists of the Archdiocese of Tokyo, Archbishop Nappa recalled that the Catholic Church in Japan, although a minority in the country, nevertheless has an extraordinary history and a centuries-old tradition of martyrdom, distinguished above all by keeping the faith alive during the long years of persecution. In this context, Archbishop Nappa referred to the numerous armed conflicts, particularly in Myanmar, and emphasized the special attention paid by the Archdiocese of Tokyo and the Japanese Church to these peoples. “As former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, I would like to make a special request to you: Do not forget to teach the Church’s social teaching, both through the catechesis you live in your lives and in the catechesis you address in the classrooms to catechumens and the faithful. Your witness helps us walk the path of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace. It is an important message of great persuasive power,” the Archbishop concluded. Archbishop Nappa noted the support the Pontifical Mission Societies provide to about 1,200 mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, including Japan, and invited participants to take advantage of the presence of Father Joseph Naoki Momma, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Japan, to learn more about opportunities to support the work of missionary priests and local priests in mission territories. From Japan, the former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies will travel to South Korea, where he will participate in the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Asian country. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – Four new priests ordained in Ningbo on the Feast of the Annunciation

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 26 March 2025

    Ningbo (Agenzia Fides) – The Diocese of Ningbo, in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, celebrated the ordination of four new priests on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. The diocesan priests, according to the diocesan website, then concelebrated the liturgy with Bishop Francis Xavier Jin Yangke, Ordinary Bishop of the diocese, in the Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.The ecclesial communities of the four deaneries, together with friends and family, accompanied the vocational journey of the new priests. Three of them graduated from the Major Seminary of Hebei and one from that of Shenyang, completing their missionary and pastoral formation in various parishes in the diocese.The ecclesial community of the Diocese of Ningbo is experiencing a flourishing of vocations, with several priestly ordinations and religious professions recorded each year.The Sisters of the Congregation of the Daughters of Purgatory, composed of about fifty nuns, also receive numerous vocations annually. The diocese is divided into four deaneries, with 12 parishes and 106 churches and chapels. Historically, the ecclesial community of Ningbo is linked to the missionary work of the Lazarist Fathers and, earlier, between the 17th and 18th centuries, to the mission of Jesuits such as Martino Martini, Lodovico Buglio, Joao Monteiro, Rodrigue de Figueredo, Antoine de Gouvea, and Jean Alexis de Gollet. The Apostolic Vicariate of Ningbo was established in 1924 and entrusted to Paul Marie Reynaud CM, and elevated to a diocese in 1926, the year in which the first six Chinese bishops were ordained.Since the resumption of ecclesiastical activities in 1979, the diocese has prioritized the reopening of churches, the formation of priests and religious, and the application of the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. Located in a region of significant economic development, the Diocese of Ningbo stands out for its pastoral, cultural, and social activities. On May 24, 2024, the diocese hosted a conference commemorating the centenary of the Primum Concilium Sinense, the first council of the Church in China, held in Shanghai in 1924. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)

    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: GENERAL AUDIENCE – The Pope: “mission springs precisely from the experience of feeling loved”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 26 March 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “To go and proclaim the Gospel, we first need to set down the burden of our history at the feet of the Lord, to consign to Him the weight of our past. Only reconciled people can bring the Gospel.” This is what can be read in the text of the catechesis of the general audience that the Pope, back in the Vatican three days ago after more than a month of hospitalization for bilateral pneumonia, was due to deliver today.Continuing the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the life of Jesus, read in light of the theme of the Jubilee, the Pontiff continues his analysis of the encounters Jesus took place along the way, focusing today on the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. This, the Pope emphasizes, is one of those moments “in which it seems that He is in fact waiting right there, at that crossroads in our life. They are encounters that surprise us, and at the beginning we are perhaps even a little diffident; we try to be prudent and to understand what is happening,” as happened with the Samaritan woman.She, the Bishop of Rome emphasizes, “did not expect to find a man at the well at noon; indeed she hoped to find no one at all. In Perhaps this woman is ashamed of her life, perhaps she has felt judged, condemned, not understood, and for this reason she has isolated herself, she has broken off relations with everyone.” At the same time, Jesus, who “could have chosen another road and not pass through Samaria,” and “it would also have been safer, given the tense relations between the Jews and the Samaritans. Instead, He wants to pass through there, and stops at that very well, right at that time! Jesus waits for us and lets Himself be found precisely when we think that there is no hope left for us.”The place of the encounter is also significant: “The well, in the ancient Middle East, is a place of encounter, where at times marriages are arranged; it is a place of betrothal. Jesus wants to help this woman understand where to find the true answer to her desire to be loved.”And “if Nicodemus had gone to Jesus at night, here Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at midday” because “it is the time when there is most light. It is indeed a moment of revelation. Jesus makes Himself known to her as the Messiah and also sheds light on His life.” “When she realizes that Jesus knows her life, the woman shifts the conversion to the religious question that divided Jews and Samaritans. This happens sometimes to us too when we pray: at the moment in which God is touching our life, with its problems, we lose ourselves at times in reflections that give us the illusion of a successful prayer. In reality, we have raised barriers of protection. However, the Lord is always greater, and to that Samaritan woman, to whom according to cultural precepts He should not even have spoken, He gives the highest revelation: He speaks to her of the Father, who is to be adored in spirit and truth. And when she, once again surprised, observes that on these things it is better to wait for the Messiah, He tells her: “I am he, the one who is speaking with you” (v. 26). It is like a declaration of love: the One you are waiting for is Me; the One who can finally respond to your desire to be loved.”At that point “the woman runs to call the people of the village, because mission springs precisely from the experience of feeling loved. And what proclamation could she have brought, if not her experience of being understood, welcomed, forgiven? It is an image that should make us reflect on our search for new ways to evangelize”. For her, “the past is no longer a burden; she is reconciled. And it is like this for us too”, the Pope concludes. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –