Category: Uncategorized

Future horizons

“Put out into the deep and lower your net for a catch.” This sentence of Jesus to Simon Peter in the Gospel of Luke (5:4) was taken allegorically by Blessed John Paul II to describe the missionary attitude that befits the Church at the beginning of the Third Millennium. The need of a new evangelization to overcome the passivity of traditional Catholicism and address the growing masses of non-Christians has been repeated in countless ways by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and many others. Recently, Pope Francis has given most remarkable guidelines in his document, “The Joy of the Gospel.”

By Fr. Lorenzo Carraro | Comboni Missionary

Let’s Face the Mental Illness Pandemic

Mental illness, a prevalent and often unbearably painful form of disease, is still silenced and stigmatized, though it affects a big part of the world’s population. We tend to project, to the victims, our deepest fears and superstitions, but it’s time to begin to deal with them. After all, it’s our duty to care for the sick, no matter if the affliction is in the body or in the mind.

By Manuel Giraldes | Journalist

Christ At Lampedusa

On July 8, less than two weeks before his scheduled trip to Brazil, Pope Francis, in a surprising move, chose the tiny island of Lampedusa, which lies between Africa and Italy, as the target of his first trip as a pope, in order to meet the plight of the immigrants; he himself being the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina. An estimated 8,000 people entered Europe through Italy in the first six months of this year. From 1994 to 2012, more than 6,000 of them died at sea in the attempt. Even now, as I write, after the Pope’s visit, hundreds of bodies are recovered from the cruel waters of the Mediterranean sea. On arrival, Pope Francis was taken out to sea in a Coast Guard boat, and he threw a wreath on the water in memory of those who had died in the passage. He embraced the refugees, some of whom had arrived that very day, then he delivered a homily directed not to the immediate hearers, but to the world. The Pope said: “Immigrants dying at sea, on boats which were vehicles of hope and became vehicles of death. This tragedy has constantly come back to me like a painful thorn in my heart. So I felt that I had to come here today, to pray and to offer a sign of my closeness, but also to challenge our consciences lest this tragedy be repeated. “Adam, where are you?” This is the first question which God asks man after his sin. Adam lost his bearings, his place in creation. Harmony was lost. “The other” is no longer a brother or sister to be loved, but simply someone who disturbs my life and my comfort. God asks a second question: “Cain, where is your brother?” His blood cries out to Me, says the Lord. This is not a question directed to others; it is a question directed to me, to you, to each of us. Today, no one in our world feels responsible; we have lost the sense of responsibility for our brothers and sisters. The culture of comfort leads to the globalization of indifference. But I would like us to ask a third question: “Has any one of us wept for the death of these brothers and sisters? Has any one of us shed tears for these people who were on the boat? For the young mothers carrying their babies? For these men who were looking for a means of supporting their families? We are a society which has forgotten how to weep, how to experience compassion: the globalization of indifference has taken from us the ability to weep!” The Pontiff’s visit made headlines around the world for bringing up the issue of immigration in a completely different light: from viewing immigration as a problem to understanding the plight of the immigrants. Moreover, the Pope meant for the Church to fulfill the call of the outskirts of the world to announce the Gospel. Lampedusa is really the outskirt

Desmond Tutu Wins 2013 Templeton Prize

Tutu, who has not been afraid, in recent years, to criticize leaders in his country and across Africa for humanitarian and political shortfalls, was cited for his work in advancing the cause of peace and the spiritual principles of forgiveness. “By embracing such universal concepts of the image of God within each person, Desmond Tutu also demonstrates how the innate humanity within each of us is intrinsically tied to the humanity between all peoples,” Dr. John M. Templeton, Jr., the president and chairman of the John Templeton Foundation, said in a video statement released in April announcing the $1.7 million award. “Desmond Tutu calls upon all of us to recognize that each and every human being is unique in all of history and, in doing so, to embrace our own vast potential to be agents for spiritual progress and positive change. Not only does he teach this idea, he lives it.” Tutu is the second Nobel laureate to win in as many years; the 2012 prize was given to the Dalai Lama. The back–to–back wins by high–profile religious leaders signal a shift for the Templeton Prize, which, in recent years, had gone to little–known physicists and theologians. Indeed, the prize seems less focused on bridging the divide between religion and science and, instead, is intended to honor those who have “made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.” Tutu, 81, said he was “totally bowled over” by winning the prize: “I want to say a very big thank you but I would also like to acknowledge the fact that … when you are in a crowd and you stand out from the crowd, it’s usually because you are being carried on the shoulders of others,” he said in a video statement. “Therefore, if you will let me, I want to acknowledge all the wonderful people who accepted me as their leader at home and so to accept this prize, as it were, in a representative capacity.” The prize has been the world’s largest annual monetary award for the past four decades. Previous high–profile winners include evangelist Billy Graham (1982) and the late Mother Teresa (1973).

www.religionnews.com/Chris Herlinger

Uncategorized

Fellowship With The Poor

On Sunday mornings, Franciscan priest Pete Montallana says Mass before a crowd of bedraggled residents in an open space amid ramshackle homes. Montallana is no outsider; he himself lives in a 1,500–peso–per–month room in the middle of this Quezon City slum. His bathroom is shared with dozens of others. Welcome to Apolo West Riverside in San Francisco Del Monte district.

www.ucanews.com/ Juan Fontejon

No More Dog Or Cat Meat On The Menu

In an interview with The Mirror, Chang said that, over the last four months, he has received a great deal of support, but some people are still unwilling to grasp the concept of animal welfare. He, therefore, decided to focus on pushing for legislation on torture first, and hoped to be able to pass the draft to the relevant government department for consideration in April. In recent years, animal welfare has attracted growing attention in mainland China. For instance, the government’s decision to cull stray dogs across the country as a means to combat rabies drew fire from critics. In response, the authorities cited, in their defense, China’s ancestral traditions and culinary practices. But many others still remember the SARS outbreak caused by eating masked palm civet meat. “Banning consumption of dogs and cats should not have much impact. Given the improvement in our standard of living, the number of people eating dogs and cats is minimal,” Chang said. Still in southern China, dogs and cats remain a culinary delicacy. Ten million dogs and four million cats are sold as food for human consumption every year. In Guangzhou, capital of the rich southern province of Guangdong, staff at one of the restaurants known for serving such meats remember North Korean leader Kim Jong-il ordering take-out dog meat.

www.asianews.it and Agencies

A Great Inspiration

In 1974, he established the PREDA Foundation in Olongapo to promote human rights, justice and peace. Believing that poverty, violence and child abuse are barriers to peace and give rise to unhappy people and even criminals, he has been striving to eliminate child abuse and promote respect for children’s rights. He works for peace and a better society by trying his best to change unjust economic, political and social structures. Over the years, Fr. Shay’s lobbying for new and better laws to protect women and children, helped in their passing into law, in part through his involvement with the media. He has a weekly column in papers and magazines where the passion for his liberating work is reflected in every line he writes. Three years ago, he published a thrilling 500-page thick autobiography (Passion and Power) which has been translated in German. PREDA’s website is regularly updated (see: www.preda.org). His writings, lectures, talks and statements are always based on the solid evidence of his own personal experiences. Considering the vast work done by PREDA and the daring challenges they face in combating the exploitation of minors, one can sense the powerful leadership exercised by Fr. Shay – of presence, example, persistence, knowledge and competence – that his staff members have learned to trust. Executive director and co-founder of PREDA, Alex Hermoso, underlines Fr. Shay’s persistence and authority in decision-making: “Fr. Shay is not a distant colleague or boss. He is the hands-on kind of person. He wants to know everything and be involved in everything. He is not confined to his office with the nitty-gritty of the running of the operations of all programs and projects. He practically knows everything. He is not just the chairman of the board where you see him once in a while during meetings and the work is brought forward by the executive director and the implementing officers. He is part of all the processes and systems and accepts changes in his decisions when he sees the wisdom of such. This is the reason we stick well together. The older staff members feel confident of his leadership – a leadership by example.” “Fr. Shay is a great inspiration to me,” says the documentation officer, Fina Marabe-Marañon, who shares with him the vision-mission of PREDA as an instrument to help children, women and indigenous people. The work is difficult and requires great courage. Fr. Shay conveys a sense of urgency. “I must be honest. He is a difficult boss, in the sense that when there’s a child to be rescued from great peril, it must be done immediately. A child cannot wait. When he gives instructions, I know their intensity. If we let time pass by, we may be endangering the life of a person.” Fr. Shay is hardworking and the staff is well-motivated and imbued by the same spirit of commitment. Fina stresses: “My nine years here have been well spent. At the end of the day, even if I am tired, I see that

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