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"The Last Fatima Visionary: My Meetings With Sister Lucia"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Pope's introduction to Cardinal Bertone's book "The Last Fatima Visionary: My Meetings With Sister Lucia" (Rai Eri/Rizzoli). The book was written in collaboration with Giuseppe De Carli.

* * *

To Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
Vatican Secretary of State

Venerable Brother, Sister Lucia entrusts so many memories to the book "The Last Fatima Visionary" that treat of events that have marked the history of the last part of the 20th century. She has entrusted them to this book so that they do not remain merely precious baggage of personal emotions, but be handed over to the collective memory as they are not without significance for secular history.

In reality, during that memorable time that was the Jubilee Year of 2000, we experienced together the chapter that treats of the publication of the third Fatima secret: I, as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and you, as the secretary of the same dicastery. The great Pontiff who preceded me, John Paul II, fecund with prophetic inspirations and personally convinced that the "maternal hand" of the Virgin had deflected the bullet that could have been fatal for him, saw that the time had come to remove the veil of mystery that covered the last part of the secret that the Virgin had consigned to the three little shepherds of Fatima. The congregation, which conserved the precious document written by Sister Lucia, was put in charge.

It was a time of light, not only because the message could thus be known by all, but also because the truth could be unveiled in the midst of the confusion of apocalyptic interpretations and speculations that circulated in the Church and created anxiety among the faithful instead of inviting them to prayer and penance. Nevertheless, on the other hand, one could see the comforting development of Marian piety, authentic font of Christian life, around the imposing shrine of Fatima and in every part of the world where devotion to the Virgin, under the influence of the apparitions of Fatima, took deep root in the faith of the people, inviting men and women to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The conversations between the visionary, the last remaining of the three shepherd children, and you, a bishop sent by the Pope, have been important not only for the verification of the veridicality of the facts, but also as an occasion to know the limpid freshness of the soul of Sister Lucia, the intelligence of the heart typical of her femininity, transferred into a robust Christian faith. Through this humble nun, there shines the role of the Virgin Mary who with her maternal hand accompanies the Christian through life's bitterness.

I myself oversaw the drafting of the theological commentary on the event, after having intensely prayed and deeply meditated on the contents of the pages written by Sister Lucia. I was deeply affected by the consoling promise of the Most Holy Virgin, which was like a synthesis and precious seal: "My Immaculate Heart will triumph." As it had been written, "Mary's 'fiat,' the word of her heart, changed the history of the world, because it introduced the Savior into this world -- because thanks to this 'yes' God could become man among us and he will remain such forever."

And again, "From the time that God himself has a human heart and directed human freedom toward the good, toward God, freedom for evil does not have the last word." The message of Fatima is a further confirmation of this.

I invoke the protection of the Most Holy Virgin for all those who will read the testimony offered with this book and to you, dear cardinal, and to Doctor Giuseppe De Carli, who shared the work of producing this memoir, I impart the apostolic blessing.

From the Vatican, Feb. 22, 2007.

[Translation by ZENIT]

© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Code: ZE07052008

Date: 2007-05-20

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"Safeguard the Common Good, Respect the Truth"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today before reciting the midday Regina Caeli with several thousand people gathered in St. Peter's Square.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I desire above all to renew my thanks to the Lord for my apostolic trip to Brazil which I undertook May 9-14 and, at the same time, I thank all those who accompanied me in prayer. As you know I traveled to Brazil for the opening of the 5th General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean. But before such a great ecclesial event, I had an opportunity to meet the Brazilian Catholic community. Many faithful came to the city of São Paolo for this occasion and especially for the first canonization of a native of Brazil: Father Antônio de Santa'Ana Galvão. I plan to speak about this trip at greater length on Wednesday during the general audience. In the meantime I invite you to continue to pray for the conference that is taking place in Aparecida, Brazil and for the journey of the people of God who live in Latin America.

The World Communications Day offers another motive for prayer and reflection today. This year the theme is "Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education." The educational challenges of today are often linked to the influence of the mass media, which competes with school, the Church and even the family. In this context an adequate formation in the right use of media is essential: Parents, teachers, and the ecclesial community are called to collaborate to educate children and young people to be selective and to develop a critical attitude, cultivating a taste for what is aesthetically and morally valid.

But the media too must make its contribution to this educational task, promoting the dignity of the human person, marriage and the family, and the accomplishments and aims of civilization. Programs that inculcate violence and antisocial behavior or that vulgarize human sexuality are unacceptable, and much more so when they are directed at the young. Thus I renew the appeal to the leaders of the media industry and workers in social communications that they safeguard the common good, respect the truth and protect the dignity of the human person and the family.

Dear brothers and sisters, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, which the liturgy celebrated last Thursday, in some countries is celebrated today. Jesus, risen, returns to the Father. In this way he opens the passage to eternal life for us and makes the gift of the Holy Spirit possible. As the apostles did then, we too, after the Ascension, gather together in prayer to invoke the outpouring of the Spirit, in spiritual union with the Virgin Mary (cf. Acts 1:12-14). May her intercession obtain for the whole Church a renewed Pentecost.

[Translation by ZENIT]

[After praying the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in six languages. In Italian, he said:]

The fighting between Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and the rocket attacks against the inhabitants of nearby Israeli cities, which have provoked military intervention, are bringing about a bloody deterioration of the situation and causing dismay.

Once again, in the name of God, I ask that an end be brought to this tragic violence, while to the suffering Palestinian and Israeli populations I desire to express my solidarity and assurance of my prayerful remembrance.

I appeal to the sense of responsibility of all the Palestinian authorities that, in dialogue and firmness, they take up again the difficult path of understanding, neutralizing the violent. I invite the Israeli government to moderation and exhort the international community to multiply efforts for the re-launching of negotiations. May the Lord bring forth and sustain makers of peace!

[In English, he said:]

I am pleased to welcome the English-speaking pilgrims gathered here today. In the Gospel, Jesus prays that all may be one, just as he and the Father are one. He desires the world to know that he is the one sent by the Father. By working for reconciliation and peace, may Christians everywhere bear clearer witness to the Father's love for the world, so that all mankind may come to believe in his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ. God bless you!

© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Code: ZE07052001

Date: 2007-05-20

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Interview With Director of British Evangelization Agency

LONDON, MAY 20, 2007 (Zenit.org ).- A new report on church attendance in the United Kingdom suggests that many Britons have no connection with organized religion, and that the majority of those who identify themselves as Christian never go to Church.

The Christian relief and development agency Tearfund released the report "Churchgoing in the U.K." in April, which revealed that more than half of those polled claim to be Christians.

Monsignor Keith Barltrop, director of the Catholic Agency to Support Evangelization (CASE) of the bishops' conference of England and Wales, tells ZENIT in this interview that the key to successful evangelization in the modern world is renewing a sense of confidence among Catholics in their faith.

Q: How did the decision by the bishops of England and Wales to establish CASE three years ago herald a change in the way the Church engages with evangelization?

Monsignor Barltrop: First of all, the decision to establish CASE heralded a recognition by the bishops that there was already a certain amount happening at grass roots level in England and Wales regarding evangelization, but it needed more official support and coordination if the challenges of 21st century Britain were to be met.

When the archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, asked me to help in setting up CASE, he told me that we needed to look at such new ecclesial movements and distil the secrets of their success into the mainstream of parish life, so that evangelization would no longer be a foreign, or even an embarrassing, concept to Catholics, but something they felt happy to engage in.

The bishops were thus trying to root in English and Welsh soil the understanding that Pope John Paul II gave the universal church -- that the time has come for a new evangelization. By that he meant that secularization had made such inroads into what were once Christian societies that the Church needed a new ardor and new methods in evangelization.

Q: What are the biggest obstacles to evangelization in Europe today?

Monsignor Barltrop: The biggest obstacles are sheer ignorance or "forgetting" of the Gospel, and the fact that many people who think they know what Christianity means actually have a distorted and woefully incomplete picture.

The "forgetfulness" of Christianity -- summed up in the well-known saying that "God is missing but not missed" -- is a phenomenon with a complex origin. In the 20th century the twin disasters of Communism and Fascism led people to become profoundly disillusioned with all attempts to explain and save the world. People have now become consumers of spirituality and religion, as they are of material products, and Catholic truth itself can become one more lifestyle option among others.

This problem is compounded by the way values of Christian origin -- such as justice, equality and human rights -- have become detached from their Christian roots and are now even being turned against the Church, so that the very proclamation of the truth is seen as somehow oppressive and destructive of human freedom and happiness. In such a world it becomes difficult to avoid the impression that evangelization is about clever manipulation of the truth or, even worse, associated with that fundamentalism which the modern world both fears and is, paradoxically, responsible for.

Q: Why is it often difficult to engage Catholics with the need to support evangelization?

Monsignor Barltrop: In Britain, one of the main factors is that evangelization is associated with a certain kind of Protestantism, or with related images such as people preaching aggressively on street corners and "televangelists" looking for money.

By making known a variety of Catholic methods of evangelization, and especially by associating it with the Eucharist and Eucharistic adoration, CASE tries to get across the message that there is a Catholic way of evangelizing.

There is also the problem that evangelization is seen as the preserve of specialists, but we want Catholics to see that it is fundamentally about living and sharing their faith in everyday life, with the people they meet at home, in the office or in their neighborhood.

This means Catholics need to recover a sense of confidence in their faith, and to see it as something coherent -- nothing less than the splendor which radiates meaning to every corner of the universe. Where there has been poor catechesis, liturgical deformation or a false understanding of ecumenism or interfaith work, Catholics lose the sense that the Gospel is a marvelous treasure that all need to hear.

Q: A report released recently by Tearfund on church attendance in the United Kingdom found that, while 53% of adults still claim to be Christian, only 15% attend church at least once a month. How do you explain this discrepancy?

Monsignor Barltrop: I think that by claiming to be Christian, people are saying they want to be associated with Christian values such as kindness, fairness and compassion. Obviously that is an inadequate understanding of Christian identity, which is actually based on faith in Christ leading to a personal relationship with him which can only be real if it is rooted in active membership of his body, the Church.

However, it does constitute a reminder to the Church that there is more good will and openness to the Christian faith in our society than we might think. It is up to us to find creative ways of engaging with whatever spiritual quest such people are on, however inadequate we judge its basis to be.

Q: How can the Church re-engage people with the Gospel who may never have encountered it?

Monsignor Barltrop: Through a change of mentality where we see ourselves as having something of immense value to offer everyone in our society, and through more imaginative methods.

As an example, I have just come back from a "Christian Spirituality Fair" in one of our Anglican cathedrals, at which I joined the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in blessing animals -- and people -- and in explaining the cross of San Damiano which spoke to St. Francis. We joined Christians of other denominations in reaching out to passers-by, yet were very clear about our Catholic faith and way of life. We have to believe fully in what Pope Paul VI called "the divine power of the message the Church proclaims," and look for creative ways to bring it to non-Christians.

Q: In the three years since the launch of CASE, what have been its main achievements? Is the model of CASE in England and Wales one that could and should be used elsewhere?

Monsignor Barltrop: One of our main achievements has been setting up two Web sites, one for Catholics (www.caseresources.org.uk), and one to interest non-Catholics in the faith (www.life4seekers.co.uk) -- with a third Web site for young teenagers on the way. Through these sites we have been able to identify or create opportunities to get the good news into the public square. For example, this year on Valentine's Day we promoted St. Raphael as our "heavenly helper" in finding a suitable life partner, and this attracted a huge number of hits and interest from the secular and Catholic media.

We have held many training days in dioceses, published many resources -- both printed and online -- and have produced a Directory of Evangelization Resources for Catholics in England and Wales, listing all the groups, movements and training opportunities available. It runs to 168 pages, which is encouraging in itself.

Whether we are a model that should be used elsewhere is hard to say. Setting up an agency is a pragmatic approach which fits well with British culture since an agency implies doing something practical. Other countries may already have a lot of evangelization going on and need a more theologically based approach.

New evangelization is for the whole Church but the approach varies from culture to culture. One thing is constant, though, as Pope John Paul II wrote: "Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him for themselves, they must proclaim him" ("Novo Millennio Ineunte," 40).

Code: ZE07052021

Date: 2007-05-20

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

BAGHDAD, Iraq, MAY 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A Chaldean priest was abducted in the al-Baladiyat quarter of Baghdad.

Father Nawzat Hanna, parish priest of Mar Pithion, was leaving the house of an ill parishioner Saturday, when he was stopped by a group of persons who had been waiting for him, Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of the Archdiocese of Babylon told www.AsiaNews.it.

He said that the abductors have already made contact with the Chaldean Patriarchate, but as of yet there is no further news.

The bishop said: "We cannot go on living like this, it's inhuman, it's humiliating. We will pray for his immediate release, but we will not submit to fear."

Code: ZE07052011

Date: 2007-05-20

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Studies Raise Concerns Over Video Games

By Father John Flynn

ROME, MAY 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A couple of new publications in the United States shed light on the long-standing debate over media violence and children. In April the Federal Trade Commission published the latest in a series of reports on the issue.

Titled: "Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children," it provides an overview of the exposure of children and adolescents through music, films and video games to content normally reserved for an adult audience.

There has been progress, the report observes, with more limits on ads for movies and video games. Nevertheless, the Commission notes that with regard to video games advertisements for the M-rated games still reach large numbers of children and young teens. The M rating (mature) designates that the games are suitable for an audience of 17 years of age and above.

The report cited concerns by critics, who argue that children have too easy access to M-rated games. For example, a 2005 survey by the National Institute on Media and the Family found that 70% of children in grades 4 through 12 reported playing M-rated games.

The second publication is a book, published earlier this year, titled: "Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents." (Oxford University Press, USA). The book is the result of a joint effort by three psychologists: Craig A. Anderson; Douglas A. Gentile; and Katherine E. Buckley.

The book starts by noting the difficulty, from a scientific point of view, in establishing a relationship of direct causality between exposure to violent video games and violent behavior. Over the years researchers have carried out many studies on the more general question of media violence. The overwhelming conclusion of what is now a substantial body of evidence is that exposure to violence through the media does indeed increase aggression.

Research in the area of video games is, however, more limited. To remedy this deficit in the evidence the bulk of the book presents the results of three new studies on video games.

As a preliminary the authors observe that children and adolescents are spending an increasing amount of time playing video games. Recent surveys show school-age children devoting about 7 hours a week playing video games. Generally, boys spend more time playing video games, with one 2004 survey of students showing 5 hours a week for girls and 13 hours for boys.

Not only do children and teens spend considerable amounts of time playing video games, but they do so with little parental oversight. Over 50% of students in one study said their parents never checked the ratings for video games before giving the go-ahead for their purchase or rental.

New evidence

In the first of the three new studies that form the core of the book the authors explain that they tested 161 9-to 12-year-olds, and 354 college students. Each was randomly assigned to play a violent or non-violent game. Subsequently, participants played another game in which they were asked to set punishment levels to be delivered to another person.

The results demonstrated that those who had played the violent video games punished opponents more severely than those who had played the non-violent games. In addition, the research revealed that the interactive nature of video games results in a stronger relationship with violent behavior, compared to non-interactive media such as television or movies.

A result that surprised the researchers was that there was no apparent difference between the children and college students. This is in contrast with the view held by many that children are more vulnerable to media violence, and indicates college students are just as much affected.

On a positive note, based on information from those surveyed, it turned out that what happens at home influences behavior. Children whose parents set more limits on media usage were less aggressive.

The second study consisted in a survey of 189 high school students. The results showed a positive relationship between those who played a greater number of violent video games and possessing more hostile personalities.

The survey took into account factors that could influence the results, such as the amount of time spent playing games, the normal differences that exist in attitudes between males and females. Even after taking these and other elements into consideration the researchers concluded that playing violent video games was a significant predicator of aggressive behavior.

The study also found that the more time students spent on the combination of video games and watching television, the poorer were their academic results.

The final study examined 430 third, fourth and fifth graders, at two times during a school year. The student's peers and teachers were also questioned, in order to obtain more information about the level of aggressiveness of the group studied.

More aggressive, less sociable

By examining the group over a period of time, on average there was a gap of 5 months between the measurements, the researchers were able to conclude that children who played a greater number of violent video games early in the school year had changed later on, and came to see the world as a more hostile place. They also became more aggressive and less inclined to socialize with their peers.

The results showed no apparent differences between boys and girls. In fact, the researchers concluded that no one is truly immune from the effects of media violence.

As in the first study the factor of controls put in place by parents had an important influence on children. If at home there are controls on both the amount of time spent playing video games and the content of them, then children suffer a lesser degree of ill-effects.

Proceeding to a general evaluation of the relationship between media violence and its effects on children and adolescents the authors conclude that the impact of the media is far from trivial. Given this, and considering that almost all children play video games, if society were to reduce the exposure of this group to violence through games there would be a significant social impact for the better.

In spite of evidence showing the harmful effects of media violence the authors admit that so far attempts to put any legal restrictions on children's access to violent video games have had little success.

An alternative approach is to increase efforts at public education, so that parents are more aware of the risks their children run with video games. The authors also recommend that parents discuss with their children the question of violence, pointing out the inappropriateness of aggressive behavior in resolving personal problems.

Improving the ratings system for games, and putting more explicit warnings on the games themselves could also help, the authors point out. In addition, community action to pressure retailers not to sell violent games to children can be effective.

On May 20 the Church celebrated World Communications Day. Benedict XVI's message for the event was titled: "Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education." The problem of violence in the media was one of the questions dealt with by the Pope.

"Any trend to produce programs and products -- including animated films and video games -- which in the name of entertainment exalt violence and portray anti-social behavior or the trivialization of human sexuality is a perversion, all the more repulsive when these programs are directed at children and adolescents," the Pontiff declared. (No. 3) Strong words, but well-grounded, as the latest research amply demonstrates.

Code: ZE07052029

Date: 2007-05-20

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Aide Comments on Inaugural Homily

VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI envisions Latin America as not only the "continent of hope," but also as the "continent of love," according to the director of the Vatican Television Center.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, said this on the most recent edition of the Vatican television news program "Octava Dies."

He was commenting on the Pope's homily at the inaugural Mass of the 5th General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean, which is being held through the end of May near the national shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida.

The spokesman said that the homily was "broad but delivered with extraordinary vivacity and effectiveness."

Father Lombardi added that the Pope "painted a vast and articulate picture for the conference's work, responding to the lively expectations for orientation on fundamental themes: the relationship between culture and the proclamation of the faith, the center of the faith, the pastoral problem posed by sects, the relationship between the work of the Church and the construction of justice in the social and political sphere, the Christian vision of the family."

He continued: "The sermon, in line with the previous magisterium, but characterized by the 'Ratzinger style' in its systematization and linearity, in its conceptual profundity and in some crucial themes, such as the reaffirmation of a vision of reality and life from which God must not be marginalized, and cannot be if we do not want to risk endangering the well-being of humanity today and tomorrow.

"Fundamental directions for a continent that, thanks to its history of faith, is -- according to the Pope -- not only a 'continent of hope,' but also a 'continent of love.'"

Code: ZE07052002

Date: 2007-05-20