News

Details

Last Updated: 19 February 2013

24.04.2007, [17:45] // UOC-MP // risu.org.ua

Zhytomyr – On 15 April 2007, religious and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) gathered in central Ukrainian Zhytomyr to recall the 15th anniversary of a meeting which led to the creation of the UOC-MP. The April events led to a later sobor [assembly] in eastern Ukrainian Kharkiv. RISU correspondent Oleksandr Pivovarskyi reported.

In April 1992, Orthodox hierarchs, representatives of the clergy, monasteries, brotherhoods and laypeople assembled in Zhytomyr to discuss in detail the situation in parishes and ways to overcome the crisis in Ukrainian Orthodoxy, confronted with schisms, after Ukraine gained independence in 1991. Ideas analyzed at the meeting were later executed at the Kharkiv Sobor. In particular, the UOC-MP, now headed by Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), was created.

On the occasion of the 15th anniversary, Metropolitan Volodymyr and Orthodox hierarchs from numerous regions of Ukraine visited Zhytomyr. Mayor V. Sheludchenko, Governor Y. Pavlenko, and local artists took part in the festivities.

In his speech UOC-MP Archbishop Hurii (Kuzmenko) of Zhytomyr and Novohrad-Volynskyi talked about the life of the UOC-MP, made a detailed presentation of the events which took place 15 years ago, and stressed: “The church has no intention of being a ‘puppet’ in political games, and its role in society should be determined not by political changes but by the laws and principles it decides to apply in reference to the civil government.”

Details

Last Updated: 19 February 2013

"Consecrated Life Is at the Service of This Communion"

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 24, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the message that Benedict XVI has written for the 44th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated Sunday.

This year's theme is "the vocation to the service of the Church as communion."

* * *

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,
Dear brothers and sisters!

The annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations is an appropriate occasion for highlighting the importance of vocations in the life and mission of the Church, as well as for intensifying our prayer that they may increase in number and quality. For the coming celebration, I would like to draw the attention of the whole people of God to the following theme, which is more topical than ever: the vocation to the service of the Church as communion.

Last year, in the Wednesday general audiences, I began a new series of catechesis dedicated to the relationship between Christ and the Church. I pointed out that the first Christian community was built, in its original core, when some fishermen of Galilee, having met Jesus, let themselves be conquered by his gaze and his voice, and accepted his pressing invitation: "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men!" (Mk 1:17; cf. Mt 4:19). In fact, God has always chosen some individuals to work with him in a more direct way, in order to accomplish his plan of salvation. In the Old Testament, in the beginning, he called Abraham to form a "great nation" (Gn 12:2); afterwards, he called Moses to free Israel from the slavery of Egypt (cf. Ex 3:10). Subsequently, he designated other persons, especially the prophets, to defend and keep alive the covenant with his people. In the New Testament, Jesus, the promised Messiah, invited each of the Apostles to be with him (cf. Mk 3:14) and to share his mission. At the Last Supper, while entrusting them with the duty of perpetuating the memorial of his death and resurrection until his glorious return at the end of time, he offered for them to his Father this heart-broken prayer: "I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them" (Jn 17:26). The mission of the Church, therefore, is founded on an intimate and faithful communion with God.

The Second Vatican Council's Constitution Lumen gentium describes the Church as "a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" (n. 4), in which is reflected the very mystery of God. This means that the love of the Trinity is reflected in her. Moreover, thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit, all the members of the Church form "one body and one spirit" in Christ. This people, organically structured under the guidance of its Pastors, lives the mystery of communion with God and with the brethren, especially when it gathers for the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the source of that ecclesial unity for which Jesus prayed on the eve of his passion: "Father…that they also may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (Jn 17:21). This intense communion favours the growth of generous vocations at the service of the Church: the heart of the believer, filled with divine love, is moved to dedicate itself wholly to the cause of the Kingdom. In order to foster vocations, therefore, it is important that pastoral activity be attentive to the mystery of the Church as communion; because whoever lives in an ecclesial community that is harmonious, co-responsible and conscientious, certainly learns more easily to discern the call of the Lord. The care of vocations, therefore, demands a constant "education" for listening to the voice of God. This is what Eli did, when he helped the young Samuel to understand what God was asking of him and to put it immediately into action (cf. 1 Sam 3:9). Now, docile and faithful listening can only take place in a climate of intimate communion with God which is realized principally in prayer. According to the explicit command of the Lord, we must implore the gift of vocations, in the first place by praying untiringly and together to the "Lord of the harvest". The invitation is in the plural: "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38). This invitation of the Lord corresponds well with the style of the "Our Father" (Mt 6:9), the prayer that he taught us and that constitutes a "synthesis of the whole Gospel" according to the well-known expression of Tertullian (cf. De Oratione, 1,6: CCL I, 258). In this perspective, yet another expression of Jesus is instructive: "If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven (Mt 18:19). The Good Shepherd, therefore, invites us to pray to the heavenly Father, to pray unitedly and insistently, that he may send vocations for the service of the Church as communion.

Harvesting the pastoral experience of past centuries, the Second Vatican Council highlighted the importance of educating future priests to an authentic ecclesial communion. In this regard, we read in Presbyterorum ordinis: "Exercising the office of Christ, the shepherd and head, according to their share of his authority, the priests, in the name of the Bishop, gather the family of God together as a brotherhood enlivened by one spirit. Through Christ they lead them in the Holy Spirit to God the Father" (n. 6). The post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis echoes this statement of the Council, when it underlines that the priest is "the servant of the Church as communion because -- in union with the Bishop and closely related to the presbyterate -- he builds up the unity of the Church community in harmony of diverse vocations, charisms and services" (n. 16). It is indispensable that, within the Christian people, every ministry and charism be directed to full communion; and it is the duty of the Bishop and priests to promote this communion in harmony with every other Church vocation and service. The consecrated life, too, of its very nature, is at the service of this communion, as highlighted by my venerable predecessor John Paul II in the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Vita consecrata: "The consecrated life can certainly be credited with having effectively helped to keep alive in the Church the obligation of fraternity as a form of witness to the Trinity. By constantly promoting fraternal love, also in the form of common life, the consecrated life has shown that sharing in the Trinitarian communion can change human relationships and create a new type of solidarity" (n. 41).

At the centre of every Christian community is the Eucharist, the source and summit of the life of the Church. Whoever places himself at the service of the Gospel, if he lives the Eucharist, makes progress in love of God and neighbour and thus contributes to building the Church as communion. We can affirm that the "Eucharistic love" motivates and founds the vocational activity of the whole Church, because, as I wrote in the Encyclical Deus caritas est, vocations to the priesthood and to other ministries and services flourish within the people of God wherever there are those in whom Christ can be seen through his Word, in the sacraments and especially in the Eucharist. This is so because "in the Church’s Liturgy, in her prayer, in the living community of believers, we experience the love of God, we perceive his presence and we thus learn to recognize that presence in our daily lives. He loved us first and he continues to do so; we too, then, can respond with love" (n. 17).

Lastly, we turn to Mary, who supported the first community where "all these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer" (Acts 1:14), so that she may help the Church in today’s world to be an icon of the Trinity, an eloquent sign of divine love for all people. May the Virgin, who promptly answered the call of the Father saying, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord" (Lc 1:38), intercede so that the Christian people will not lack servants of divine joy: priests who, in communion with their Bishops, announce the Gospel faithfully and celebrate the sacraments, take care of the people of God, and are ready to evangelize all humanity. May she ensure, also in our times, an increase in the number of consecrated persons, who go against the current, living the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience, and give witness in a prophetic way to Christ and his liberating message of salvation. Dear brothers and sisters whom the Lord calls to particular vocations in the Church: I would like to entrust you in a special way to Mary, so that she, who more than anyone else understood the meaning of the words of Jesus, "My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it" (Lk 8:21), may teach you to listen to her divine Son. May she help you to say with your lives: "Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God" (cf. Heb 10:7). With these wishes, I assure each one of you a special remembrance in prayer and from my heart I bless you all.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2007.

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

[Translation issued by the Holy See]

© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Code: ZE07042403

Date: 2007-04-24

Details

Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Seminary Applications Increase for 4th Straight Year

LONDON, APRIL 24, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Catholic Church of England and Wales released statistics showing that the number of those entering seminary has increased for the fourth straight year.

In 2003 the figure stood at 28; last year this had risen to 44, bringing the total number of men studying for the priesthood for the dioceses of England and Wales to 150.

Father Paul Embery, director of the National Office for Vocations, welcomed the rise, but remained only cautiously optimistic.

"After several decades of decline in the number of those training for the priesthood, we have seen four consecutive years of growth, which is good news; however we have no guarantee that this growth will continue," he said.

Father Embery added, "After Pope John Paul II died we saw an increase of interest not only in the priesthood but in Catholic life in general. The challenge for the Church is to recognize this and build on it."

The recent immigration to the United Kingdom from European Union accession states, such as Poland, has boosted the Church's numbers there in the last few years. But according to Father Embery, as yet there has not been a large number of applications for priesthood or religious life from these groups.

"I think that when people first arrive in a country it takes some time to orientate oneself to the new culture, including the local Church," Father Embery explained. "Maybe in future years some of those who have moved to the United Kingdom might feel God calling them to serve as a priest or religious here."

Code: ZE07042415

Date: 2007-04-24

Details

Last Updated: 19 February 2013

MEXICO CITY, APRIL 24, 2007 (Zenit.org).- In a letter written on behalf of Benedict XVI, the Vatican secretary of state expressed concern over a bill aiming to legalize abortion in the federal district of Mexico.

The letter, dated last Wednesday and addressed to Bishop Carlos Aguiar Retes, the president of the Mexican episcopal council, anticipated the vote that was expected today.

The letter said the Pope "unites himself to the Church in Mexico and so many people of good will, concerned about the Federal District legislation that threatens the life of unborn children."

"During this time of Easter, with the resurrection of Christ, we are celebrating the triumph of life over death," the message said. "This great gift moves us to protect and defend -- with firm decisiveness -- the right to life of every human being from the first moment of conception, in the face of every manifestation of the culture of death."

Mexico's current law permits abortion only in special cases, including rape, presumed birth defects or if the mother's life is in danger. The legislation currently being debated would allow abortion through the first trimester. It would apply only to the federal district, though lawmakers have made a proposal for a national law.

Code: ZE07042414

Date: 2007-04-24

Details

Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Fails to Take Families Into Account, They Say

WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 24, 2007 (Zenit.org).- U.S. bishops have warned lawmakers that President George Bush's recent proposals for immigration reform would be "a step in the wrong direction."

Bishop Gerald Barnes wrote on Thursday in an open letter to Congress: "Although we appreciate the president's initiative in encouraging comprehensive immigration reform, we see this proposal as a step in the wrong direction."

Bishop Barnes, the chairman of the U.S. episcopal conference's migration committee, added: "In our view, any reform legislation must include a viable path to permanent residency for the undocumented population; a new worker program that includes appropriate worker protections, wage levels, and an opportunity to earn permanent residency."

The letter also called for reforms that include "reductions in family reunification backlogs; the restoration of due process protections lost in the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act; and policies that address the root causes of migration, such as economic development in sending countries."

Deeply concerned

"While we are encouraged by the direction of the immigration debate with the introduction of the STRIVE [Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy] Act, we are deeply concerned by the administration's most recent proposal for comprehensive immigration reform," the 61-year-old prelate added.

The San Bernardino prelate said: "Unlike the STRIVE Act, which promotes family reunification and has a realistic plan for bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows, the administration's proposal would make cuts to family-based immigration as well as impose fines and wait-times for legalization that are far beyond what most immigrants could bear."

After lamenting the costs for visas proposed in the plan, the bishop added: "The administration plan also would transform our immigration system from a family-based system to an employment-based system by eliminating or limiting four categories of family preference.

"It also would prevent participants in the proposed new 'Z' visa program from petitioning for family members and prevent temporary workers in the 'Y' nonimmigrant visa program from bringing their immediate family members to the United States."

Instead, the bishops recommended approval of the STRIVE bipartisan legislation introduced by representatives from Arizona and Illinois.

Code: ZE07042420

Date: 2007-04-24

Details

Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Vatican Official Recalls Vietnamese Prelate's Devotion to Hope

ROME, APRIL 24, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân's beatification process is about to begin, some five years after the Vietnamese prelate's death.

Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi made the announcement when presenting a book by Cardinal Camillo Ruini entitled "God's Truth and Man's Truth: Benedict XVI and the Great Questions of Our Time."

The book is being published as a part of the Cardinal Van Thuân International Observatory's "Journals" series.

Bishop Crepaldi explained: "The book urged me to link the theme of truth -- of God's and man's -- to which Cardinal Ruini's book is dedicated; and the theme of hope, so dear to the departed Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân and at the core of his spirituality and his exemplary living of human and Christian life."

The prelate, who worked with the cardinal and who is president of the Van Thuân Observatory, explained how "truth and hope have deep ties. The intelligence of faith leads me to the firm conviction that truth, in surrendering or uncovering itself, reveals a vocation and therefore brings about hope."

Biography

Bishop Crepaldi underlined the connection between the theme of the book and the Vietnamese cardinal, saying that it "is made even more immediate and meaningful by the fact that this year we will be remembering the fifth anniversary of his death, which occurred on Sept. 16, 2002, and the cause for his beatification is starting."

Nguyen Van Thuân was ordained a priest in 1953 and appointed bishop of Nha Trang in 1967.

In 1975, Pope Paul VI named him coadjutor archbishop of Saigon (today's Ho Chi Minh City).

After the defeat of South Vietnam, he was detained for 13 years in a Communist re-education camp. Nine of those years he spent in solitary confinement.

In 1988 he was liberated and forced into exile. Pope John Paul II welcomed him to Vatican City and entrusted him with responsibilities in the Roman Curia, naming him president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

In March 2000, Archbishop Van Thuân preached the spiritual exercises attended by John Paul II and the Roman Curia, sharing many of his spiritual experiences in prison. "The Testimony of Hope" was published as a collection of his meditations.

He was made cardinal in February 2001 and died the following year at the age of 74.

Code: ZE07042405

Date: 2007-04-24