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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

"Show Flexibility and Social Farsightedness"

NEW YORK, MAY 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations, gave Wednesday to the 6th session of the permanent forum on indigenous issues of the U.N. Economic and Social Council on the special theme: Territories, lands and natural resources.

* * *

Madam Chair,

First of all, my delegation would like to congratulate you and all the officers elected this year and to wish you well in the important task of maintaining the forward momentum in favor of indigenous peoples already achieved by this permanent forum since the start of this century.

From the time the forum met last year, much has happened regarding steps to improve the exercise of the rights of indigenous peoples at the national and international levels, particularly in light of the forum's special theme this year of territories, lands and natural resources.

The postponement of the adoption of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) marked a disappointing moment.
After 24 years' discussion in a working group of the Commission on Human Rights, the draft declaration was taken up at the first session of the Human Rights Council and, after a recorded vote, was duly sent to the General Assembly for adoption as part of the first Report of the Human Rights Council.

My delegation would like to express its regret that the adoption of the draft declaration was postponed. In this regard, we would like to draw attention to the benefits which the existence of such a human rights instrument would entail especially for the very poorest living in rural areas, often of indigenous origin and often marginalized by the modern world, and those who could be empowered to contribute much more to the political and economic life where they live.

Various objections have been raised against the draft Declaration as it currently stands. Some say that the DRIP contradicts national constitutions and that self-determination only concerns those who used to live under colonial rule. Others suggest that the DRIP is unclear on what constitutes "indigenous people," while still claiming to support the declaration, in spite of substantive concerns.

While respecting the motivations behind each position, the Holy See wishes to reiterate the particular importance it attaches to the instrument under consideration and encourages U.N. member states to show flexibility and social farsightedness with a view to reaching an agreement during the present session of the General Assembly. My delegation believes that such a political gesture would not only profit the poorest and most excluded citizens in both rich and poor countries of the world, but would also enhance peace among peoples and foster the just and equitable enjoyment of human rights by all.

To judge by events in the Third Committee last autumn, there appear to exist genuine concerns that the DRIP could lead to demands that might break the fragile links forged at great cost among disparate tribal groups born as states within the last 50 or so years. Some also seem to fear that the declaration may become a threat to sovereignty or to state revenues from natural resources. Such concerns however should not marginalize the best interest of the poorest peoples in such resource-rich territories; nor should states be oblivious to the economic progress for all that could be achieved by a greater regard for the particular genius of indigenous peoples and what they may be willing to contribute when their good will, not just their free, prior and informed consent, is sought and received.

The rush to exploit resources which we are witnessing in many places not only puts the natural habitat under stress; there is sometimes little evidence of any good in political, social or economic terms, in favor of the peoples where such resources are found. Given the universal destination of the world's goods, it is hardly surprising when peoples react to the departure of resources from their lands, while they see little coming back to those lands in return.

Madam Chair, this is why the Holy See believes that we should all work toward a consensus adoption of the declaration; but even the absence of such a consensus should not be a pretext for delaying the vindication of the legitimate concerns of indigenous peoples. States have legitimate concerns regarding sovereignty, citizenship, equality and the sane and equitable exploitation of natural resources, but these questions should not allow progress on indigenous peoples' equally legitimate rights and concerns to be postponed "sine die."

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[Original text: English; text adapted]

Code: ZE07051703

Date: 2007-05-17

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Peaceful Demonstration Sends Strong Message

By Irene Lagan

ROME, MAY 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- An estimated 1 million people poured into the square outside the Basilica of St. John Lateran this week. The mostly Catholic crowd was a show of force to the leftist government that has tested the patience of the Italian people, most recently through proposed legislation to legitimize civil unions.

Billed as a gathering in support of the traditional family, the demonstration stood in marked contrast to most Roman protests featuring politically-charged and banner-waving socialists.

Instead, the enormous crowd sported baby strollers and balloons, hosts of families enjoyed singers and speakers, and people in booths gave away parenting and family magazines.

A total of 90 police officers stood by as families, church groups and young people came and went.

Hosted by a collective of 450 organizations, the spectrum included Catholic lay movements, trade unions and non-Christian representatives.

Fabrizio Azzola, a leading member of Alleanza Cattolica, said that the day was indeed a reaction to a government maneuver that would undermine families. He said the massive turnout showed that Italians sense that something vital is at stake.

"People are beginning to grasp the fundamental truth that the family is not negotiable," Azzola said. "The great family tradition that has always characterized Italian culture is deeply rooted. Most people have a gut sense that giving legal status to civil unions would threaten the fabric of our culture."

The latest version of a move to legitimize civil unions allows an individual to go before a public officer and obtain legal status to cohabit. No distinction would be made with regard to gender.

Azzolo pointed out that the proposed bill prohibits couples from appearing together before a public officer because it would bear too much resemblance to civil marriages.

At the same time, many of the benefits accorded to married couples would apply.

Further, to dissolve the alliance no more than a letter to authorities by one partner would be required. Public divorce proceedings take three years.

Since Italians have already rejected a same-sex marriage bill, the proposal comes as another poorly disguised attempt to grant legal status to same-sex couples.

Azzola said: "The bill is really absurd. We all know that marriage has a public and cultural meaning. Society is modeled on marriage and most forms of authority derive from the family structure. It also sends a confusing message to our youth, who depend on us as to provide guidance and structure."

Azzola said that the incredible number of people who turned out for the family event constitutes a wake-up call to politicians who have been lying to them for years.

"Catholic ministers and lawmakers have not been loyal to us," Azzola said. "But family values are the core of Catholic values. If Christians in government sacrifice these, the very basis of what got them votes has crumbled."

More importantly, Family Day was evidence to many parents that they "do not stand alone."

"The people who came to Family Day are not the kind of people who typically demonstrate," he said. "These are people striving to build the future through their children."

In addition to the high cost of living and socialist-style tax structures that make it difficult to make ends meet, Azzola said that the psychological pressure from popular culture and social policies causes many families to feel isolated.

A father of three, Azzola said that he and his wife are used to comments and questions about their unusually large family: "Society as seen on television, media and advertising glorifies adultery, betrayal and Hollywood-style living. It is easy for parents to feel like they are the only ones struggling and making sacrifices for their children."

Others echoed similar sentiments.

"We are not here to protest," said Paolo Fini of Florence. "We want to show support for families."

Pushing a baby stroller and carrying his daughter on his shoulders, Fini said that while everyone enjoys the same individual rights, families are the basic unit of society and that children deserve the protection afforded by the traditional family structure.

Fini's wife, Stefania Farinelli, said that it would harm families to grant recognition to civil unions since the few public resources available to support poor families would then be made available to anyone who declares an alliance.

"It is difficult as it stands now," she said. "There are no tax breaks or educational subsidies for families with children."

Italian journalist, Giacomo Galeazzi, observed that one of the most significant aspects of Family Day was that it was an initiative of the Catholic laity, and a sign that the emphasis of both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI on marriage and family issues resonates deeply with many Italians.

In contrast to the relative calm of the million plus crowd outside St. John Lateran's, a boisterous crowd in Piazza Navona gathered to protest Family Day.

Brandishing flags with images of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, the small crowd was a more typical Roman protest. Noticeably absent among the group were heterosexual couples protesting Family Day.

Azzola said that he didn't understand the counterprotest: "Family Day is making sure that families are recognized and supported. We are trying to preserve what we have, and make sure that our children have benefits and legal protection. But in the end, it must be that there are different worldviews that are not so compatible after all."

* * *

God in the Streets

A Eucharistic procession through the streets of Rome last Sunday literally stunned onlookers to silence.

Organized by the Michigan-based Sisters of Mercy, the timing and circumstances of the procession left no doubt among the sisters that the inspiration and orchestration was the "work of the Holy Spirit."

As if by sheer coincidence, the Eucharistic procession followed Family Day and converged with the feasts of Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of the Eucharist, and then proceeded along a route taken by gay and lesbian rights activists protesting the Church and family the day before.

After attending a Mass celebrated by Cardinal James Stafford, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, at the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, more than 200 people wound their way past the Pantheon, through Piazza Navona and onto the Oratorians' Chiesa Nuova.

In his homily, Cardinal Stafford explained that Catholic tradition describes participation in the Eucharist as a friendship that has been reconciled by the blood of Christ.

He explained further that exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is an extension of the Eucharistic celebration and makes us more present to Christ.

"We are extending this friendship to the streets of Rome," Cardinal Stafford said.

Along the way, the processors paused in front of several churches for benediction, including the Church of St. Agnes -- located in a bustling Piazza Navona -- and the Church of St. Eustachio.

Each time the sacred Host was elevated, there was a palpable hush.

In one instance, a waitress about to serve beer paused and dropped to her knees. On another side street, a group of men playing poker and drinking whiskey fell silent, while some made the sign of the cross.

According to Sister Mary Christine, the timing and the route of the procession were determined by factors outside of their control.

The idea, she said, was launched into action at the start of Lent after the sisters watched a similar procession through the streets of New York City at the end of the vocations video "Fishers of Men."

"The response among our sisters here was electric," Sister Mary Christine said.

After receiving immediate permission from the Diocese of Rome, the sisters had to obtain no less than 30 official permissions from Roman offices.

But with the official stamps of approval in hand, the sisters had the assistance of the Oratorians of St. Philip Neri at Chiesa Nuova, the Dominicans at Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, and seminarians and priests from the North American College, as well as Cardinal Stafford.

"I experienced the reality of the Scripture 'Power will go out from him,'" Sister Mary Christine said. "Only that kind of power could reduce Rome to silence on a Sunday."

* * *

A Preview of "Cathedralia"

A musical composition transformed a liturgy on Saturday evening at St. Anselm's Church atop the Aventine Hill into a rare but exquisite experience.

Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, presided over the Holy Mass celebrated in Latin, and Michael D'Alessandro, a student of liturgy, philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm, provided "Cathedralia."

With the accompaniment of the London Oratory School boy's choir and an orchestra, D'Alessandro's musical composition -- a small part of his doctoral dissertation -- transported me into the liturgy in a way that I don't normally experience.

Like so many, I grew up during a time when liturgical music was banal at best. The rare experience of authentic liturgical music afforded a richer participation in the liturgy. This is no secret to those who understand liturgy.

Sacred music, as Cardinal Josef Ratzinger wrote in "The Spirit of the Liturgy," is integral to liturgy. It has the capacity to "awaken areas of man's existence that spontaneously turn into song." Moreover, he said, that song is the language of love.

The composition of Saturday's liturgy offered a taste of this sort of renewal.

D'Alessandro's vision is to "recreate the space between the profane and the necessary, to reinvigorate the arts that have been run aground" through nihilism.

"Cathedralia" is meant to manifest devotion and beauty through cultural representations.

Beginning in 2009, "Cathedralia" will be performed in four annual simulcasts in theologically and historically significant cathedrals in Rome and in the United States.

While the music is not being composed specifically for liturgy, it is meant to be performed in a Cathedral setting to demonstrate the role of the cathedral as a place where beauty and knowledge meet the transcendent.

D'Alessandro said the performances will draw upon the tradition of the Jesuit theater of the 17th century, which integrated educational and religious activities into media performances.

Basing performances on ecclesiastical history and biblical stories, Jesuit theater conveyed spiritual, theological and moral themes through culture.

In keeping with the same tradition, D'Alessandro hopes his work will be an "utterance of God's perfection."

Code: ZE07051729

Date: 2007-05-17

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

ROME, MAY 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The general chapter of the Ministers of the Sick, the Camillians, elected Father Renato Salvatore as the new superior general.

After his election Tuesday, Father Salvatore expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Father Frank Monks, the outgoing superior general, and the rest of the order.

Father Salvatore, who turned 52 the day of his election, was born in Abbruzzo. He was a parish priest for many years and taught at pontifical universities and at nursing and physiotherapy schools. He served as vicar general for the order from 2001-2007.

The order, founded by St. Camillus, was started in Rome, in 1591. St. Camillus surrounded himself of a group of pious men, available to help him to care for the sick and the poor who were living at the "edges of the society."

Today the Camillians number 1,080. The order is comprised of religious, priests and brothers who minister to the physical, mental, social and spiritual needs of the sick in 28 countries worldwide.

Code: ZE07051711

Date: 2007-05-17

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

MAYNOOTH, Ireland, MAY 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Given the influence the media have on society, everyone is a stakeholder in the communications sector, said Bishop Joseph Duffy.

Bishop Duffy, the chair of the communications commission of the Irish bishops' conference, welcomed Benedict XVI's message for the 41st World Communications Day, which will be observed Sunday.

Bishop Duffy said, "World Communications Day is an important date in the calendar of the Catholic Church and it was the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council."

He added: "Whether as media producers or media end-users, we are all stakeholders in this important and powerful sector.

"We should, therefore, be proactive when is comes to supporting or challenging positions taken in, or via, the media, especially when such positions have implications for the mission of the Catholic Church."

Code: ZE07051705

Date: 2007-05-17

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Addresses Meeting of Continent's Education Ministers

ISTANBUL, Turkey, MAY 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Europe needs educational initiatives that are aimed at the integral development of the person, says the Vatican's Catholic education congregation.

Archbishop Miller, the secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, said this in a speech he gave at the 22nd Session of the Permanent Conference of European Education Ministers.

The event, entitled "Building a More Humane and Inclusive Europe; the Role of Education Policies," took place May 4-5 in Istanbul, Turkey.

It was organized in connection with the Council of Europe Campaign "Building a Europe for and With Children," and gathered ministers from the 49 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe.

The meeting focused on children's educational rights the increasing educational challenges of a multicultural Europe.

Archbishop Miller, the head of the Holy See's delegation at the event, said: "For a society to be more human and more inclusive it must take care of its weakest members. The attention paid by educational policies to the rights of the child is a significant aspect of this tutelage."

He continued: "By means of education, a child should be helped to satisfy his or her affective and cognitive needs.

"An authentic education should teach future generations respect for other cultures and promote appreciation for the richness of their history and values."

Vison

Archbishop Miller said, "Education is, therefore, called to provide indispensable elements for developing an intercultural vision among young people."

The secretary of the education congregation added that achieving these educational objectives "entails a society that respects the dignity of every human person, a society in which providing a quality education for all is an indispensable goal."

Furthermore, he said, it "requires the preservation of one's own identity and avoids proposing generic models, which could easily lead to cultural fragmentation and political instability."

"It is necessary, therefore, that we set out clear pedagogical objectives that foster the overcoming of radical individualism by forming young people in the values of solidarity rather than competition, of participation and welcoming others rather than isolation and indifference," said the archbishop.

He added that "such policies should never forget that the primary goal of education is the integral development of the human person in every dimension, including the religious, in both the areas of knowledge and of values."

Code: ZE07051708

Date: 2007-05-17

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Warns of Loss of "Mystical Impulse"

ROME, MAY 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- An exclusive emphasis on rational theology could lead to a weakening of the "mystical impulse" of the Church, according to an expert on angelology.

Father Marcello Stanzione, the president of the Center of Studies of Angelology at the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria La Nova in Campagna, Italy, is the founder of the Catholic association Militia of St. Michael the Archangel, which organizes an annual theological-pastoral meeting on angels.

The third annual meeting will be held June 1-2 with the theme "The Angels of the Mystics."

The only meeting of its kind, numerous experts will discuss how angles have accompanied the lives of saints in Christian history, like St. Gemma Galgani, St. Francesca Romana, and St. Faustina Kowalska.

In an interview with ZENIT, Father Stanzione, said that one of the reasons for the decline in religious practice, especially in developed countries, is "the weakening of our mystical impulse."

"The theology being taught in schools is based, rightly so, on the intellect -- which is important and indispensable -- but we must be careful to not fall into the trap of theological rationalism," explained Father Stanzione.

"By that I mean, that when angels are spoken of one shrugs their shoulders as if to say: 'Yes, angels exist, the Bible speaks of them and the catechism, but we don't really know that much about them and they aren't really that important, and therefore they are of no interest to us,'" he explained.

"It is rare," he continued, "to find courses of systematic theology about angels and demons, and this is reflected in the preaching of the churches where one rarely hears talk of heavenly spirits."

Spiritual aridity

"Mysticism," said Father Stanzione, "helps us to understand that God cannot be contained in our logical comprehension because he is obviously beyond it. The absence of mystics leads to spiritual aridity."

"The climate of spiritual dryness," the angelologist explained, "leads to many baptized persons who are educated in the Catholic faith to search for spirituality in Buddhist, New Age, or other meditation groups and alternative religious movements to the Church of Rome."

"There are very few modern Catholic authors writing about angels," said the priest who noted that in the past there were many texts written on the subject.

Father Stanzione added: "I am amazed when I enter a bookstore and find that the majority of texts written about angels are written by non-Catholics."

The mystic is important, Father Stanzione said, because "he lives in constant union with God, and that union is not only an intellectual experience, but an existential experience."

He quoted Dominican friar Antonin-Gilbert Sertillanges who said that "there is, without a doubt a link between holiness and the existence of angels, but no one has ever become holy because they saw angels, but rather they saw angels because they were holy!"

The prize "Poems to the Angels," which recognizes artists who include angels in their writings, will be inaugurated at this year's meeting. Angela Ruggiero of Battipaglia, Italy, will receive the first award.

Code: ZE07051712

Date: 2007-05-17