Catholic News 2

A parish in eastern India’s Bombay Archdiocese marked its 400 years of its foundation on Good Friday, holding the Way of the Cross inspired by Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical “Laudato Si”.  "This year, the story of the Passion is associated with the degradation of the earth and the ocean in particular, given that the existence of many people depend on the ocean, such as fishermen and sailors," said Fr. Magi Murzello of St. Andrew Bandra West in Mumbai city.

The commemoration of Christ’s passion and death through the 14 stations, began Friday morning  at the Holy Door of the Basilica of Mount Mary with an introductory prayer and blessing. A brief documentary was screened to help people to meditate on the "culture of waste" and on the waste of marine resources. The meditations of all stations were introduced with extracts from Laudato sì.

The procession wound its way from Mount Mary along Chimbai beach, and culminated in front of the parish of St. Andrew for the final blessing.  At the end of the service, Fr. Murzello invited all to Chimbai beach, Saturday, March 26, to clean it of waste of all kinds. 

Full Article

Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, Archbishop of Manila on Wednesday met a group of prisoners at the city jail to celebrate the Holy Week and the Jubilee of Mercy.  “Let’s not lose hope. All of us, including me, commit mistakes. We are all capable of betrayal but let’s not forget that we’re also capable of loving,” the prelate told the prisoners in his homily at Mass. “We sinned like Judas and Peter,” he added, “but let’s not forget that we can still be like Jesus, who, even if we’re not worthy, took care of us as his friends”.

Prior to the liturgical celebration, the cardinal, along with Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, led the opening the “Holy Door” in the prison’s chapel.  “In entering the door of mercy, enter into the heart of Jesus and there you will experience how God loved us and offered His life. We still have hope," Card. Tagle said.

During the Mass, the cardinal asked the inmates to pray for their families and loved ones. To “all of you here,” he said, “open your hearts to other people. You are like one family here. Spread God’s love to each other” through service. After the Mass, the inmates sang the ‘Prayer to St Francis’, which brought tears to the cardinal’s eyes. (Source: AsiaNews)

Full Article

Sri Lankan priests, nuns and the Catholic fishing families on Tuesday attended a Way of the Cross through the streets of Negombo, north of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, making it an occasion to air their grievances over loss of marine life and livelihood.  Some 500 faithful participated in the procession, March 22, carrying a heavy wooden cross along the route from the Central Fish Market, at Pitipana parish, up to the Wellaveediya Church, highlighting environmental issues of Poep Francis in his encyclical “Laudato Si”.  They urged the government to stop the US$1.4 billion Colombo Port City project and protect the environment, saying cement and other materials used for construction have already led to the disappearance of some species of marine life and is seriously undermining the livelihoods of the local fisher folk. The Chinese-backed project was suspended in March last year due to regulatory and environmental concerns. The government announced this month that the project would resume.

Fr. Patrick Perera, vicar general of the deanery of Negombo, told AsiaNews: "The Church in Sri Lanka is not opposed to the development of the country, but rejects the projects that, in the name of development, is destroying the fishermen's lives and nature."  Referring to Pope Francis, Fr. Perera said that in the face of injustice the task of the Church is to speak out like Jesus.  “When we talk about spiritual development, we must act to improve the conditions of our people,” he added. 

The Chinese-backed project was suspended in March last year due to regulatory and environmental concerns. The government announced this month that the project would resume.

Loyal Peiris, a leader among the fishermen, recalled that Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato sì about the protection of the environment and its creatures, according to an integral vision of ecology. Speaking during a Station of the Cross, he pointed out a contradiction: "The project, which is devastating kilometers of rocks and sand, is not for the poor fishermen and their children, but for people who lead super luxurious lives in the world." (Source: AsiaNews)

Full Article

With Europe shifting to the summertime Daylight Saving Time (DST), March 27, there are some changes in SW and DRM frequencies of Vatican Radio’s English Service for Asia.  The timings however remain unchanged. Here are the full timings and frequencies, including SW, FM and DRM:

• 01.38 am UTC (GMT): 11730 kHz (25 meterband); 15470 kHz (19 meterband), (103.8 mHz FM Rome area only)
• 02.58 am UTC (GMT): 15470 kHz (19 meterband)
• 09.00 am UTC (GMT): 103.8 mHz FM Rome area only
• 3.28 pm UTC (GMT): 15470 kHz (19 meterband); 11695 kHz (25 meterband); 17485 kHz (16 meterband)  in digital modulation (DRM), (‎103.8 mHz FM Rome area only)‎

Full Article

(Vatican Radio) Authorities in Belgium say six people have been detained as part of the investigation into Tuesday’s suicide bombings in Brussels that killed at least 31 people and injured some 270 others. The  arrests come amid a political crisis after the prime minister refused to accept the resignations of two key ministers following the attacks.   

Listen to Stefan Bos' report:

Residents in several parts of Brussels were once again jolted awake overnight. Special forces searched houses in several areas of the Belgian capital and eventually detained six terror suspects. They detained them in the neighbourhoods of Schaerbeek and Jette, as well as in the city centre of Brussels. 

Three of them were reportedly detained in front of the federal prosecutor’s office. However, police are still looking for the man captured by a security camera at Brussels airport along with the two suicide bombers. The man who was wearing a hat and a cream jacket has not been named. There are reports that a suspected second bomber in the attack on the subway train is also being sought.

IMMINENT ATTACK

In a Paris suburb a man suspected of plotting an imminent attack was also detained, but officials said there was no apparent link with the Brussels bombings.

The self-proclaimed Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks at the Brussels airport and metro which killed dozens of people and injured hundreds. However, Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel has refused to accept the resignations of his justice and interior ministers despite what critics say is increasing evidence of intelligence and law enforcement failures to prevent this week's suicide bombings by Islamic militants.

Turkey’s accusations that it had deported one of the suicide bombers and had warned Belgium about him prompted two Belgian ministers to offer to resign on Thursday.

Full Article

Hanoi, Vietnam, Mar 25, 2016 / 07:08 am (CNA).- While the Stations of the Cross are a worldwide Lenten devotion for Catholics, the faithful in Vietnam have an additional practice that blends ancient traditional chants with Catholic prayer and meditation on the Crucifixion. 

“The ‘Ngam Nguyen’ are…a unique Vietnamese Catholic practice of intoning a series of meditations recounting the Passion of Christ,” said Fr. Anthony Le Duc, national chaplain for the Vietnamese community in Thailand.

Fr. Duc told CNA that the intoned meditative chants, called “Ngam,” describe the suffering of Jesus. Designed to help people enter more deeply into the experience and emotions lived out by Christ during his Passion, they have been adapted from folk traditions integrated with prayers prepared by missionaries who came to Vietnam in the early 16 -17th century.

There are a total of 15 Ngam meditations recounting the excruciating pain and suffering that Jesus underwent from the time he was arrested and put on trial until his death on the cross at Golgotha. 

These meditations differ from the traditional Stations of the Cross because they focus mainly on what occurs at the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate and on the Cross at Calvary, while the stations focus largely on what happens in between these two events. 

Beginning with Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, and concluding with Jesus’ side being pierced by a spear, the Ngam meditations seek to immerse participants into Christ’s passion. 

The intoning is melodic, in accordance with the tonal nature of the Vietnamese language. Since the meditations recount the pain and suffering of Christ, the tone is extremely melancholy, which can well up emotions and often bring the listener to tears. 

When intoning the meditations, the reader must follow strict rules, depending on whether there is a comma, semicolon, period or other punctuation. If the reader comes upon the name of Jesus in the text, he must bow his head.

The recitation of the Ngam meditations – either in whole or as part of a series – takes place in many Vietnamese churches every day throughout the Lenten season, either as part of a post-Mass liturgy, or as a liturgical service on its own. The devotion starts with common prayers of the Church, followed by the meditations. Between meditations, an Our Father and 10 Hail Marys are recited. On Good Friday, the liturgy concludes with a Lamentation and other prayers. The entire liturgy can take over two hours to complete. 

The Vietnamese take this tradition very seriously, viewing it as both liturgy and art form. During the Lenten season, many parishes organize competitions, which only the most skilled readers dare to enter.  

The reciter chants without any instrumental accompaniment. The person who goes up to intone, often stands or kneels in front of the altar with the book placed before him. On both sides, there are people to follow his reading. If the intoner makes a mistake, the judge strikes a wooden instrument. If he makes three mistakes, he must leave the competition and someone else will go up to reread the meditation.

“The meditation also represents a creative adaptation of the spirituality and the liturgy of the Church to a local context,” Fr. Duc said. “And it speaks to the great collaboration between foreign missionaries in Vietnam and the local faithful in inventing this Lenten tradition that has been going on for centuries.”

European missionaries accompanying merchants on newly discovered sea routes brought the Catholic faith to Vietnam in 1533. Later in the16th century, the arrival of many members of the Society of Jesus (SJ), Order of Preachers (OP), Order of Friars Minor (OFM) and the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (MEP) boosted evangelization efforts in the east. 

These missionaries taught the truths of the Catholic faith to converted native Vietnamese catechists, who came from various religious background and cultural traditions. The natives then taught the locals Christian prayers using the local educational method of intonation of religious texts, which was used in temples and during devotional folklore chants. 

In previous centuries, these meditations were written in the Vietnamese “Nôm” script, a derivation of the Chinese script. However, in the 20th century, the meditations were printed in the Vietnamese Latin script “(quoc ngu)” which made them easier to read. 

Different dioceses have their own versions that may have minor differences in the wording, matching their local dialect. Apart from these differences, the texts have undergone few revisions in recent decades. 

Fr. Duc explained that “Ngam Nguyen” texts employ mostly ordinary speech, even colloquial in places, done “perhaps in order to make it easy for the average faithful to understand.”

The Ngam tradition is present throughout Vietnam, as well as in migrant communities in the United States, Australia, and Thailand, among other countries.

There are more than 5.5 million Catholics in Vietnam today. In past centuries, Christians in the country have faced persecution. In 1988, Pope John Paul II canonized 117 Blessed Martyrs of Vietnam, including both clergy and laity.  
 

Full Article

IMAGE: CNS photo/Rick Scuteri, Reuters

By

PHOENIX (CNS) -- Baseball legend and popular sports broadcaster Joe Garagiola, who died March 23 at age 90, recounted in a Catholic News Service interview 20 years ago how St. Peter Mission School in the Gila River Indian Community south of Phoenix claimed his heart.

A few years earlier, he said, when he stepped into "the quicksand" of love at the mission school, there was no turning back. He found his heart rooted there.

"He was one of the best people I have ever met. There was no limit to his generosity," said its principal, Sister Martha Mary Carpenter, who estimates that Garagiola was responsible for bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the school.

The death of Garagiola, a lifelong Catholic and a Scottsdale resident, was announced by the Arizona Diamondbacks. His funeral Mass was to be celebrated in his hometown of St. Louis at St. Ambrose Church. A memorial service will take place later in Arizona.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of this amazing man who was not just beloved by those of us in his family, but to generations of baseball fans who he impacted during his eight decades in the game," the Garagiola family said in a statement.

"Joe loved the game and passed that love onto family, his friends, his teammates, his listeners and everyone he came across as a player and broadcaster," they added. "His impact on the game, both on and off the field, will forever be felt."

Garagiola first became aware of St. Peter Mission School in 1991 after Sister Carpenter, gave a talk at Garagiola's local parish. He was in New York at the time, but fellow parishioners told him about her talk and about the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity and their fondness for sports.

"He said, 'Those are my kind of sisters. How can I meet them?'" Sister Carpenter told CNS March 23, recalling her first meeting with the Hall of Fame sportscaster.

Garagiola spent quite a bit of time at the mission and its school through the years. He hit up those he knew in Arizona sports and business for donations and help for St. Peter's.

"He nicknamed us 'Our Lady of the Quicksand,'" Sister Carpenter said. "Because once you get your feet into St. Peter's, you can't get out."

The list of repairs and new buildings he facilitated is long and included a basketball court, a soccer and track field, an all-purpose facility for gatherings and events, a new convent, a library and computer learning center and extensive repairs to the old mission church.

Sister Carpenter said his legacy will remain with the school.

"Joe couldn't talk to people for more than five minutes without talking about the mission. ... He will be with us in spirit for a very long time."

She said St. Peter's schoolchildren still recite "Joe's Prayer" twice each day. Garagiola himself taught them the short invocation: "Teach us O Lord, that every day, down every street, come chances to be God's hands and feet."

Born Feb. 12, 1926, in St. Louis, he grew up in an Italian-American neighborhood just across the street from his childhood friend and competitor, Yogi Berra. The two were lifelong friends. Berra died last September at age 90.

At age 16, Garagiola was signed to play for the St. Louis Cardinals, for five seasons, including a 1946 championship. He also was a catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and New York Giants.

After his pro career ended in 1954, he became a broadcaster for the Cardinals and the Yankees before co-hosting the "Today Show." He was a broadcaster for NBC for years and also for the California Angels baseball team.

He later did TV baseball broadcasts for the Diamondbacks. His awards include a 1973 TV Peabody Award and Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 1991 for broadcasting. In 1996, Garagiola won that year's Gabriel Award from the U.S. organization for Catholic communicators.

Popular for his colorful personality, he also made numerous appearances on game shows, both as a host and panelist.

That he always carried a rosary in his pocket is among the lesser-known aspects of a man long in the public eye. Garagiola also had a strong devotion to Mary.

"If you ever want anything, go to the Mother," he once said, adding that her month of May was his favorite month.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Audrie; sons Joe Jr., a senior vice president for baseball operations with the MLB and former general manager of the Diamondbacks, and Steve, a newscaster in Detroit; a daughter, Gina Bridgeman, a writer in Phoenix; and several grandchildren.

Sister Carpenter said she and the other sisters at St. Peter's were going to travel to St. Louis for Garagiola's funeral.

- - -

Contributing to this story was Nancy Wiechec.

- - -

Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.

Full Article

IMAGE: CNS/EPA

By Junno Arocho Esteves

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Although retired Pope Benedict XVI is growing more frail, there are no particular concerns or worries regarding his health, a Vatican spokesman said.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, issued a statement March 25 following an interview with Archbishop Georg Ganswein, the retired pope's personal secretary, in which the archbishop said Pope Benedict was slowly "fading."

"In April, Pope Benedict XVI turns 89 years old. He is like a candle that is slowly, serenely fading, as it happens with many of us. He is calm, in peace with God, with himself and the world," Archbishop Ganswein told the Italian magazine BenEssere.

The retired pope's personal secretary added that Pope Benedict still retains "his refined, subtle sense of humor" and remains fond of cats.

"Contessa and Zorro, two cats that live in our gardens, come often to say hello to the pope emeritus," he said.

After questions were raised regarding the aging pontiff's health, Father Lombardi said his condition "does not raise any particular concerns."

"Of course, it is part of the effects of old age and a gradual, growing fragility of the physical condition as with any elderly person," he said. "(Pope Benedict's) mind is perfectly lucid as we recently witnessed in his extraordinary interview with an Italian publication."

In that interview, published in mid-March with Belgian Jesuit Father Jacques Servais, Pope Benedict reflected on the theme of mercy as a "sign of the times" that shows how, deep down, people still experience a need for God.

"Mercy is what moves us toward God, while justice makes us tremble in his sight," he said.

- - -

Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju.

- - -

Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article