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Rome Newsroom, Dec 13, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

On Dec. 15, Pope Francis will travel to Ajaccio, the capital of the French island of Corsica, for a less than nine-hour visit.

Part of the pope's itinerary for the short trip is to speak at the closing of a conference on popular piety in the Mediterranean region.

Here are some answers to questions about the pope's very brief international trip:

Where is Corsica?

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated west of the mainland of Italy and north of the Italian island of Sardinia, the nearest land mass.

The island was annexed by France in 1769, the year after Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was born in the region's capital city of Ajaccio.

French is the most widely spoken language on the island, together with Corsican. Some areas also speak a regional Italo-Dalmatian language.

Corsica's population is estimated to be 355,528, according to data from January.

The island region has a strong autonomy movement steeped in national identity and pride, which aims to achieve the further political autonomy of Corsica from France.

What will Pope Francis do there?

Pope Francis' first appointment in Corsica after landing around 9 a.m. will be at Ajaccio's conference center, where he will deliver the closing speech following a daylong conference on Dec. 14 about popular piety in the Mediterranean region.

The pope will then address local clergy and religious at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption, where he will also lead the Angelus, a traditional Marian prayer.

After lunch and some time to rest, Francis will preside at Mass with local Catholics at Place d'Austerlitz, a park memorializing the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, before his last stop — a private meeting with France's President Emmanuel Macron.

Pope Francis is expected to arrive back in Rome around 7 p.m.

"It will be important to hear Pope Francis' words at the conclusion of the conference [on popular piety in the Mediterranean]," an Italian archbishop who will present a paper at the conference told CNA's Italian-language news partner, ACI Stampa. "He is very sensitive to the theme of popular piety."

The pope's remarks "will be an invitation to all, bishops, priests, and laity, to value this journey of faith, listening carefully when it is lived in communities. It will also be a commitment to further formation and evangelization of those areas that need ... to be purified and clarified," Archbishop Roberto Carboni of the Italian Dioceses of Oristano and Ales-Terralba said.

What is popular piety?

Also sometimes called "popular religiosity," acts of popular piety are expressions of the faith apart from the liturgy.

In the "Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines," published by the then-Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2001, the Vatican described popular piety as "diverse cultic expressions of a private or community nature which, in the context of the Christian faith, are inspired predominantly not by the sacred liturgy but by forms deriving from a particular nation or people or from their culture."

Some examples of popular piety are the rosary, religious processions for holy days and saints' days, and Eucharistic processions. 

St. John Paul II, in a 1982 speech to the bishops of France, said popular piety is simply "faith deeply rooted in a particular culture, immersed in the very fiber of hearts and ideas. Above all, it is generally shared by people at large who are then a people of God."

Pope Benedict XVI, in an address in Aparecida, Brazil, in 2007, called popular piety "a precious treasure of the Catholic Church in Latin America" that "must be protected, promoted, and, when necessary, purified."

Popular piety in the Mediterranean is often closely linked to Catholic fraternities and confraternities — associations of laypeople dedicated to charitable work and religious devotions.

The island region of Corsica has a strong tradition of confraternities, Father Juan Miguel Ferrer Grenesche, an expert in popular piety, told CNA's Spanish-language news partner, ACI Prensa. 

The confraternities in Corsica include influences from Italy and the south of France, brought there by "the Dominicans and Franciscans who preached and cared for these areas of the Mediterranean," the Spanish priest said.

Over the years, "people followed it as something very much their own and very particular, and the singing, which is very important in Corsica, has also been preserved," Ferrer explained. The Corsican singing is characterized by being "very peculiar, nasal, and attention-grabbing."

What has Pope Francis said about popular piety?

Pope Francis has spoken often in support of popular piety among religious people — calling it a "jewel" — and the power of pious devotions to evangelize.

In Evangelii Gaudium, Francis' 2013 apostolic exhortation, there is a chapter on "the evangelizing power of popular piety" in which the pope said "popular piety enables us to see how the faith, once received, becomes embodied in a culture and is constantly passed on."

"Expressions of popular piety have much to teach us; for those who are capable of reading them, they are a locus theologicus which demands our attention, especially at a time when we are looking to the new evangelization," the pope wrote.

In his recent encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Dilexit Nos, Francis asked people to take seriously the "fervent devotion" of those who seek to console Christ through acts of popular piety.

"I also encourage everyone to consider whether there might be greater reasonableness, truth, and wisdom in certain demonstrations of love that seek to console the Lord than in the cold, distant, calculated and nominal acts of love that are at times practiced by those who claim to possess a more reflective, sophisticated, and mature faith," he added.

Pope Francis has also recently noted how to outsiders, the demonstrations of those who participate in religious processions (one common form of popular piety) may seem "crazy" — "But they are mad with love for God."

In a message to a conference on religious fraternities and popular piety in Seville, Spain, Dec. 4–8, the pope said: "Above all, it is the beauty of Christ that summons us, calls us to be brothers and sisters, and urges us to take Christ out into the streets, to bring him to the people, so that everyone can contemplate his beauty."

Popular piety in the Mediterranean today

Two bishops and a priest scheduled to speak at the Dec. 14 conference in Ajaccio explained that popular piety is an important link to transcendence and faith in an increasingly secular Mediterranean region.

Bishop Calogero Peri of Caltagirone, Sicily, told CNA that religious celebrations surrounding Holy Week, Marian feast days such as the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception, and local patronal feast days are still very important in the hearts and lives of many Sicilians.

Of course, he noted, "some people have become more spectators than participants" in the celebrations, which commonly include both penitential and jubilant processions.

Archbishop Carboni of the Italian dioceses of Oristano and Ales-Terralba also affirmed the popularity of religious processions in Italy and told ACI Stampa that popular piety is "a prayer with the heart made action."

Carboni and Peri both praised the ability of these people's movements with their sounds, sights, and smells to affect people beyond a rational level, touching their hearts, minds, and souls.

They are a great legacy worth preserving and a "very valid way of [practicing the] faith," Peri added.

Spanish Father Ferrer said popular piety, for many people, is "the last lifeline to connect with transcendence and to avoid breaking completely with the Christian religious tradition."

In evangelization, popular piety also makes it possible to reach those who do not know the depth and richness of formal liturgy and, through "a cultural adaptation," is able to "preserve the link between the thirst for God of the human heart and the sources of revelation: the word of God, the life of Christ, the sacraments, the Church itself," he said.

"On the contrary," he added, "where all manifestations of popular religiosity or popular piety have been eliminated, we could say that people's souls have dried up."

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CNA Staff, Dec 13, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A new movie from Netflix about the Blessed Virgin Mary has received mixed reviews, with some Catholics on social media criticizing the film's depiction of Mary and the kind of relationship she had with Joseph. 

"There's always going to be criticisms, no matter what kind of movie you make, but if you do it all for the right reasons, which we did, then to me that takes care of itself," the film's director, D.J. Caruso, a Catholic, told CNA in an interview. 

According to Caruso, every decision made was done to "make the best possible movie" and "to pay great reverence to this amazing woman and her life."

Netflix's "Mary" was released on the digital streaming platform Dec. 6. It is considered a coming-of-age biblical epic and portrays Mary's experience after her miraculous conception of Jesus and her journey on the run from King Herod.

Remaining true to the Scriptures was at the "foundation" of creating the film, Caruso said. The script went through 74 drafts and received input from Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim religious leaders, including the late Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell of Los Angeles, who served as Caruso's spiritual adviser.

One memory the Catholic director holds close to his heart is a conversation he had with O'Connell about the script and the bishop told him: "Please, give Joseph a voice … Joseph was a hero and we never see Joseph as a hero." 

"So, I promised him that I would make Joseph that," Caruso shared.

Another aspect Caruso wanted to focus on was the humanity of Mary, which also played a role in inspiring the creation of the film.

"I always felt, particularly by the younger audience or the younger faith-based group, that there's a great appreciation for the Holy Mother and everything she is — this great, iconic, beautiful woman," he said. "But what was it like when she was a young woman and this was all happening? To use her as our anchor and to see this all happening through her eyes and the humanity she had … It just to me felt like it was the most compelling way to tell the story."

As a father to a young daughter, Caruso thought: "Wouldn't it be great if a 17-year-old saw this movie and went like, 'Mary is cool. Not only do I love her but she's so cool.'"

Caruso believes portraying the human side to divine figures as well as holy figures, such as the Blessed Mother, "makes them endearing, it makes them relatable."

"There's a great reverence paid to them, but at the same time, in that reverence, you never got to see the struggles or what was it like and in order for me to do this what's it going to cost? It takes great courage and great sacrifice to do something amazing the way Mary did," he explained. 

"And what about the human side of her and the decisions she had to make? It really makes a character relatable and it makes you understand their plight more and it brings you closer to them when it's done well … I wanted to bring out a human element in Mary." 

Caruso shared that throughout his career his faith has "played a large role because it is who I am, so it's always going to sort of show up."

"Even if it's not necessarily a religious story, I've always infused it and sort of celebrated God's unconditional love," he said. 

While making this film, Mary's "fiat" and her acceptance of God's will impacted Caruso personally. He pointed out the "bizarre disarray" society is currently in and the need for each of us to make the right choices.

"Whether we're young, older, we have to make choices — is man's nature going to be driving me and all this kind of stuff or is God's grace going to be my guidance?" 

Reflecting on Mary's powerful words, "Let it be done to me according to your word," Caruso said: "If we can take that into our heart and if that could be the message that's getting around this Christmas, as Catholics, we have to make that choice to say, 'I will give it to you and I will surrender, and I'm going to put it in your hands.' I think that's a really important message."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 12, 2024 / 17:50 pm (CNA).

"Do not be afraid, am I not here, I who am your mother?" This is the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe that Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to keep in mind and listen to throughout their lives, whether in happy or sad situations.

The pope emphasized these words of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Juan Diego during the Mass celebrated Dec. 12 in St. Peter's Basilica in honor of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Dec. 12 marks the last day on which Mary appeared to the Indian St. Juan Diego in 1531. On that same date, as proof for Juan de Zumárraga, the first bishop of Mexico, the image of the Virgin miraculously appeared on the tilma or cloak of St. Juan Diego.

In an improvised homily entirely in Spanish, the Holy Father highlighted the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe: "pregnant, announcing the birth of the Savior. A pregnant mother."

"With what tenderness she said to the Indian: 'Do not be afraid, am I not here, I who am your mother?'" the pope said, noting that in this message "the motherhood of Mary is revealed."

These are the same words that Our Lady of Guadalupe addressed to St. Juan Diego, who, according to the Nican Mopohua — a historical document that narrates the apparitions of the Virgin — was worried about the serious illness of his uncle, Juan Bernardino. Faced with the urgency of caring for his relative, Juan Diego decided to attend to him before fulfilling the Virgin's command to speak with the bishop. 

The pontiff lamented that "so many ideologies have tried to derive ideological advantage from the mystery of Guadalupe" and then highlighted "three things" that come to mind when contemplating the Virgin.

"The tilma, the mother, and the rose. Very simple things. Mary's motherhood is engraved on that tilma, on that simple tilma. Mary's motherhood is shown with the beauty of the roses that the Indian finds and brings. And Mary's motherhood works the miracle of bringing faith to the somewhat incredulous hearts of the prelates," he said.

"The tilma, the rose, the Indian," he continued. "Everything that is said about the mystery of Guadalupe beyond this is a lie, it is an attempt to use it for ideologies," he warned.

The Holy Father emphasized that "the mystery of Guadalupe is to venerate her and to hear in our ears: 'Am I not here, I who am your mother? '"

"And to hear this in the moments of life, the various difficult moments of life, the happy moments of life, the daily moments of life."

In conclusion, the pope said: "We go forth with the image of the Lady on the Indian's tilma. And listening to how in a melodious voice, she tells us over and over: 'Do not be afraid, am I not here, I who am your mother?'"

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Boston, Mass., Dec 12, 2024 / 18:20 pm (CNA).

A Satanic display erected near a Christmas Nativity scene on city property near the New Hampshire State House has been removed after sustaining damage in multiple attacks. 

It wasn't clear mid-week whether organizers will erect a similar display again. 

"I think they probably should because I think the vandalism and the hatefulness shouldn't go without a response. But it's up to them," said state Rep. Ellen Read, a Democrat from Newmarket. 

Read told CNA she came up with the idea for the Satanic display at City Plaza so that the yearly Christmas scene put up by a local council of the Knights of Columbus wouldn't be the only display there this month. She said she contacted the Satanic Temple, an organization headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, with affiliates in New Hampshire and elsewhere that says on its website it does not "believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural," to put the idea in motion. 

The display, which centered on a black statue of a pagan god, was initially attacked Saturday night shortly after it was erected while organizers were eating dinner across the street after the ceremony, she said.

Read said she believes it was attacked at least twice after that, leaving the statue in pieces and the marble base cracked. The remnants of the display were removed Tuesday, three days after it went up. 

The city of Concord, which is the state capital, issued a permit for the Satanic display. But the mayor said earlier this week that while he disapproves of vandalism he also wishes city officials hadn't issued a permit for the display. 

"I opposed the permit because I believe the request was made not in the interest of promoting religious equity but in order to drive an anti-religious political agenda, and because I do not respond well to legal extortion, the threat of litigation," said Byron Champlin, mayor of Concord, during a city council meeting Monday night. 

"Some on social media have celebrated the Satanic Temple's display as a victory for religious pluralism and a reflection of our growing diversity as a community. I disagree with this. This is about an out-of-state organization cynically promoting its national agenda at the expense of the Concord community," said Champlin, a Democrat. 

Black goat head 

On Saturday night people associated with the Satanic Temple unveiled a black goat-headed statue representing the pagan god Baphomet with a blue stole around its shoulders similar to what Catholic priests and clerics in certain other Christian denominations wear. 

In its right hand, as shown in a Facebook video, was the state flower of New Hampshire, lilacs; and its left hand was an apple, which some take to be a reference to the fall of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis. An individual present at the event said the apple "reminds us of our quest for knowledge, defiance in the face of arbitrary authority, and our commitment to self-determination." 

The base of the statue included what the Satanic Temple calls its seven tenets, which include calls for "compassion," "empathy," "reason," and "freedom" as well as autonomy. 

"One's body is inviolable, subject to one's own will alone," one of the tenets states. 

Read said the Satanic Temple is a religion and that expressing its belief system is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. 

"The people who believe in the Satanic Temple deeply believe in these tenets. I think it's the narrow-mindedness of the mayor, who can't seem to wrap his head around that this represents a large percentage of the community and its beliefs," Read told CNA by telephone. 

Asked whether the pagan statue is a parody of Christianity, Read said it isn't. 

"Most people walking by realize that this is not an attack on Christianity, just as most people walking by the Nativity scene realize it's not an attack on non-Christians. In both cases, it's people expressing their beliefs, as is their First Amendment right," Read said. 

Read told CNA she is a member of the Satanic Temple but not active in it. She said she signed up online some time ago because she was attracted by its tenets but that she has never attended any of the organization's events. 

She said she was raised as a nondenominational Christian and took steps as an adult to become an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church but that uncharitable behavior by some Christians in her congregation and the wider society led her to leave Christianity about eight years ago. 

Even so, she said, "I still consider myself a practical follower of Christ's teachings." 

Read said she does not believe that Satan exists, which aligns with what the Satanic Temple says in published statements — although its ministers on Saturday night ended their remarks by saying "Hail Satan." 

Christians do believe Satan exists, citing various verses in the Bible, including Zechariah 3:1-4, Matthew 13:36-40, and Ephesians 6:10-12, among others. Jesus identifies Satan as "a liar and the father of lies" in John 8:44, and he says "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" in Luke 10:18. The Book of Revelation says Satan "was thrown down to earth" during a war in heaven between the angels who followed God and the angels who rejected God (Rev 12:7-12). 

Read, explaining what attracts people to Satanism, said people who feel rejected or repelled by Christianity, which they equate with power in American society, like the symbolism of doing the opposite. 

"Some people are so hurt that symbols of the adversary — that's what Satan means, 'the adversary' — speak to them, because symbols of rebellion against that power demonstrate to them that someone has their back," Read said. 

Grinch? 

Concord is a city of about 45,000 in central New Hampshire. 

Read, one of the state's 400 state representatives, lives in Newmarket, about 30 miles east by southeast of Concord. The mayor of Concord said he isn't pleased that someone who doesn't live in the city helped bring about the display. 

He also suggested that the stated principles of the Satanic Temple mask what the organization is actually about. 

"Its seven tenets, many of them commendable, are really a smoke screen to provide an air of legitimacy for its deliberately provocative and disturbing effigy," Champlin said. "In fact, considering its impact on Concord's holiday spirit, I think a more appropriate choice of effigy for the satanic devil would have been the Grinch." 

The city issued a permit for the Knights of Columbus Nativity scene on Nov. 29. The permit for the Satanic Temple display was issued Dec. 7, according to public documents obtained by CNA. 

Both permits expire Dec. 28.

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CNA Newsroom, Dec 12, 2024 / 11:55 am (CNA).

Pope Francis received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican on Thursday for discussions focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and prospects for peace in the Holy Land.

During the 30-minute audience, which was followed by meetings with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states, the leaders emphasized the importance of reaching a solution for "the two states only through dialogue and diplomacy," according to a Vatican statement.

The Holy See said the talks also highlighted "the important contribution of the Catholic Church to Palestinian society" and its role in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza, where officials called for "a ceasefire and the release of all hostages as soon as possible."

The meeting marked Abbas' first visit to the Vatican since 2021.

According to the Vatican, the 89-year-old Palestinian leader, who has been in office for about 20 years, has spoken with Pope Francis several times by phone since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by the Islamist terror group Hamas.

During the "cordial talks," both parties "reiterated the condemnation of all forms of terrorism" while emphasizing the importance of protecting Jerusalem's special status as "a place of encounter and friendship between the three great monotheistic religions."

The Vatican expressed hope that the upcoming 2025 Jubilee Year would see the return of pilgrims to the Holy Land, "which longs so much for peace."

Abbas' visit to the Vatican in June 2014 included a peace prayer with then-Israeli President Shimon Peres, during which the leaders planted an olive tree together and embraced in a gesture of peace.

The Palestinian president's visit comes one day before Lebanese interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

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CNA Staff, Dec 12, 2024 / 12:45 pm (CNA).

Euthanasia continues to be a major driver of deaths in Canada, with the latest government figures showing another double-digit increase in Canadian citizens opting to end their lives under the country's national suicide law.

Health Canada's fifth annual medical assistance in dying (MAID) report, released on Wednesday, reveals that MAID accounted for nearly 1 in 20 deaths in the country last year.

Government statistics indicated that 15,343 people were euthanized by medical officials in Canada in 2023, out of a total of just under 20,000 requests. Those numbers represent "an increase of 15.8%" over 2022, the report says, a drop from an average annual growth rate of about 31%.

Though the growth rate declined, it is "not yet possible to make reliable conclusions about whether or not these findings represent a stabilization of growth rates over the longer term," the report said.

"An increased awareness of MAID within the care continuum, population aging, and the associated patterns of illness or disease, personal beliefs, and societal acceptance, as well as the availability of practitioners who provide MAID, may all influence the rate of provisions," it noted.

The "vast majority" of euthanasia incidents detailed in the most recent report, about 95%, were administered to individuals classified as "Track 1," whose natural death is "reasonably foreseeable" due to a medical condition.

More than half of those individuals were over 75 years old, with cancer as the "most frequently reported underlying medical condition."

The most common underlying medical conditions afflicting the remaining victims under "Track 2" included neurological conditions as well as other medical issues such as diabetes, "frailty," and chronic pain.

Canadian Minister of Health Mark Holland said in the report that he was "pleased" to release the data, which he said offers "a comprehensive picture of the provision of medical assistance in dying" in the country.

Holland noted that the Canadian federal government has recently initiated a "national conversation" to consider "advance requests for MAID." The government of Quebec recently began allowing euthanasia for individuals who cannot consent at the time of the procedure, permitting "advance requests" for individuals suffering from afflictions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Tens of thousands of Canadians have been euthanized by medical officials there since the program became legal.

This year's report says government data indicate "44,958 MAID provisions since its legalization in 2016 to 2022," which, with the latest data, "brings the total number of MAID provisions in Canada to 60,301."

Concerns have been raised recently that regulators are not effectively policing the country's euthanasia program. A bombshell report in November alleged that out of hundreds of violations of the country's controversial euthanasia law over the course of several years, none of them had been reported to law enforcement.

Activists, meanwhile, are pushing for the government to expand the law to cover individuals with mental illnesses. The government recently considered making that expansion itself, though early this year it paused the measure to allow the country's health care system "more time" to prepare for it.

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Vatican City, Dec 12, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Thursday released his message for the 58th World Day of Peace, commemorated annually on Jan. 1, with three concrete proposals for people to embark upon a profound "journey of hope" in the 2025 Jubilee Year.

According to the pope, the path toward "a true and lasting peace" in the world is rooted in the petitions of the Lord's Prayer and requires a desire for change on a personal, cultural, and structural level "in order to confront the present state of injustice and inequality."

Renewing the appeals for peace of his predecessors St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and St. Paul VI, the Holy Father called for the development of a new financial framework based on solidarity; the elimination of the death penalty in all nations; and, using a fixed percentage of money "earmarked for armaments," to establish a global fund to sustainably eradicate hunger and promote education in poorer countries.

"If we take to heart these much-needed changes, the Jubilee Year of Grace can serve to set each of us on a renewed journey of hope, born of the experience of God's unlimited mercy," the pope wrote in his Dec. 12 message on peace.

Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, told journalists on Thursday that a "constant renewal of mind and heart" is needed to bring about future changes to improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable. 

"The Holy Father speaks about the poor countries. In our time, he says this must include the conversion of hearts," he shared. "Conversion is a path traced by love for Christ that inspires, transforms, orients, and energizes us."

"'Love is patient' says St. Paul (1 Cor 13:14) because it moves us from immediate needs and consumption and a logic of waste and self interest to seeking authentic communion, service, the common good, the gift of oneself, 'integral human development,'" he continued.

During the press conference, Italian engineer Vito Alfieri Fontana shared with journalists about his humanitarian work dedicated to eliminating land mines following a personal conversion experience in the early 1990s.

"When I was an arms manufacturer I thought that war was a part of the human soul," he said. "Those who work in the armaments industry go out of the way to offer customers products that ensure quick and effective solutions to face a war."

"[Political] tensions kept our activities stable," he said. "Then somehow a mechanism becomes jammed. The questions from your children asking you what you do as a job and why you do it; pressure from public opinion on the problem of land mines… asked me to think about my life, if not, to change it."

Addressing Pope Francis and St. John Paul II's call to overturn "structures of sin," Executive Director of Catholic Mobilizing Network Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy said this year's theme "Forgive Us Our Trespasses: Grant Us Your Peace" affirms the American organization's work dedicated to end to the death penalty, advance mercy, and achieve "restorative justice."

"My friends Vicki and Syl Schieber lost their daughter, Shannon, in 1998," Murphy told journalists on Thursday. "Their suffering was unimaginable yet they chose to respond in a restorative way. They fought to spare the life of the man who took their daughter's life from a death sentence."  

"In the spirit of reconciliation, the Schiebers took courageous steps to ensure their pain did not result in more suffering or feed into a sinful social structure," she shared. "Forgiveness is a long journey. Dare I say, countercultural."

"The Holy Father reminds us that the path toward peace needs graced hope to light our way," she added.

Coinciding with the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the World Day of Peace was instituted by Pope Paul VI in 1968 and has since been observed "as a hope and as a promise" each year "to give to the history of the world a more happy, ordered, and civilized development."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 12, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The bishops of Haiti denounced the "dehumanizing violence" that has plagued the country since the beginning of 2024 and are asking all citizens to "go on with life without becoming discouraged" and to be witnesses of hope.

The bishops posted their Christmas message at the end of their 142nd Ordinary Assembly in which they referred to the uncontrollable spiral of violence that is ravaging Haiti, the result of the actions of organized criminal gangs, which control a large part of Port-au-Prince, the capital of the Caribbean country.

"Many families live in extreme poverty. Added to this is dehumanizing violence. Many people are homeless and without hope. Older people are left to their own devices, worried and saddened by their inability to cope with such a reality. Young people and children are filled with worries about their future and tempted to discouragement. These distressing situations are caused by violence, corruption, cynicism, and poor governance," the bishops wrote in their Dec. 6 message.

The prelates said they were deeply saddened by the situation and that "in the face of all these misfortunes that threaten our country, all actors in society must overcome their divisions and conflicts" to save it.

They directly asked criminal gangs to "stop these heinous acts" that do not bring about anything good for anyone. They asked those who "secretly supply them with weapons and ammunition" to stop "feeding this blind violence that bloodies our society on a daily basis."

The bishops also called on civil authorities to work in the interests of the country and not in their own interests or those of their parties, to control their borders to stop illegal arms trafficking and to put an end to the problem of insecurity with effective means. "Justice must be done for the many victims" and "order and peace must be restored," they urged.

They also called on the international community to remember its "promises and commitments" to help Haiti emerge from violence and isolation. "The population abandoned to its fate must be able to count on the effective solidarity of other nations," the bishops said.

Finally, they addressed the men and women of the country, asking them to go on with life without becoming discouraged and to be "witnesses of hope" in the midst of their difficult reality. "Every Haitian man, every Haitian woman, whatever their condition, has a role to play in the transformation of our country," they said.

More than 180 elderly people murdered last weekend

At least 184 people were murdered last weekend by members of organized criminal gangs, just one day after the country's bishops published their Christmas message.

According to Reuters, the massacre took place in the Cité Soleil neighborhood, one of the poorest and most dangerous in Haiti. Monel "Mikano" Felix, a gang leader, ordered the massacre of people over 60 years old in accordance with the recommendation of a voodoo priest, who accused elderly people in the area of using witchcraft to make Felix's son ill, which took the child's life.

Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said that with this latest massacre the number of people killed this year in Haiti by criminal violence has reached "a staggering 5,000 people."

The criminals are believed to have used machetes and knives to carry out the massacre between Friday and Saturday of last week. The gangs' tight control, which includes restrictions on the use of cellphones, "has limited residents' ability to share information about the massacre," Reuters said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 12, 2024 / 11:25 am (CNA).

The United Kingdom's ban on children receiving puberty-blocking drugs to facilitate a gender transition is now permanent, according to an announcement from the country's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

In a Dec. 11 statement, the DHSC wrote that the "emergency measures that restricted the sale of puberty-suppressing hormones will be made indefinite." In March, England paused the prescription of puberty blockers for gender transitions and Scotland followed suit in April.

According to the statement, the decision is based on "independent expert advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM)," which has determined "there is currently an unacceptable safety risk."

"We are prioritizing patient safety, which is why we have accepted CHM's recommendations in regards to this legislation," the statement read.

The initial pause in allowing children to receive puberty blockers was prompted by the Cass Review — an independent analysis of studies on minors who receive these drugs, which was led by Dr. Hilary Cass. The study found no comprehensive evidence to support the routine prescription of transgender drugs to children who have gender dysphoria. 

According to the DHSC statement, in addition to the Cass review, later reviews also "found insufficient evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty blockers for adolescents."

"[The CHM] has also advised that the current prescribing environment is unsafe and that an indefinite ban should be put in place until a safer prescribing environment can be established," the statement continued.

Additionally, the DHSC noted that the CHM has "found poor medical and prescribing practice" in regard to gender transitions for minors. The department added that the CHM "saw evidence of poor-quality advertising, prescribing, and communication by private practitioners to children and young people that would constitute unsafe practice."

"As an example, CHM found instances where children received prescriptions after filling out online questionnaires and a brief call with prescribers outside the U.K.," the statement read.

In the United States, doctors can legally prescribe transgender drugs to children in about half of the states. According to a study by Do No Harm, at least 13,994 children underwent gender transitions in the United States from 2019 through 2023. The study also found that nearly 150 Catholic hospitals provided gender transitions in conflict with guidelines from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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CNA Staff, Dec 12, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill is sending letters in support of new mothers in Russia as part of a new project designed to encourage pregnant women to keep their babies, according to a Russian state news agency.

There were a reported 500,000 abortions in Russia in 2022, even as Russia's birth rate hit its lowest in a quarter century this year. Amid the demographic crisis in Russia, the patriarch has committed to combatting the "tragedy" of abortion.

The goal of the letters is to encourage women to keep their babies, according to "Hello, Mom!" leader Natalia Moskvitina, president of the charity group Women for Life.

"Women received letters from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill during their gynecologist appointments at the Church Hospital of St. Alexis in Moscow," Moskvitina said in a statement to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. "These letters aim to support women during a particularly vulnerable time — the early stages of pregnancy."

The "Hello, Mom!" project was organized by Women for Life, a pro-life group that was awarded a grant of 5 million rubles (about $46,700) for the project. It also receives state funding. The "Hello, Mom!" letter project now spans 16 regions of Russia, according to a report by RIA Novosti.

Moskvitina said that many women who come to the Church Hospital of St. Alexis were encouraged by others in their lives — whether family members or other institutions — to have an abortion rather than carry the child to term.

"Mothers often come seeking a second opinion — either because they have doubts themselves or want more information about their pregnancy," she said. "At St. Alexis Hospital, abortion is never suggested. Instead, staff strive to provide care and help women view their pregnancy objectively." 

In his letters, the Russian Orthodox patriarch offers encouragement and congratulations to the new mothers, wishing them "good health, peace of mind, and many blessings from Christ, the Giver of Life." 

"You are now experiencing a special time when a great miracle of God is happening: A new person is preparing to come into the world," a translation of the letter reads. 

"The anticipation of the birth of a child is always filled with both anxiety and joy. But as Our Lord Jesus Christ calls, let not your heart be troubled, and let it not be afraid," he writes, citing John 14:27. "Let these encouraging words of the Savior, his generous help and love strengthen you on the responsible path to motherhood.

The patriarch's letter reminds mothers: "You are not alone" and that there are people surrounding them "who are ready to support" them. He also shares his hope that the baby "will be united with Christ in the sacrament of baptism and will receive the opportunity to grow spiritually in the saving grace of God."

In addition to the letter, patients will be given an information booklet titled "Hello, Mom…", which details measures that support new mothers at the federal and regional levels, coupons for discounted goods, and a pair of baby booties, according to a report by a local newspaper.

Women for Life's "Hello, Mom!" group also hosts seminars for doctors, psychologists, and social workers to learn how to support women in choosing life as well as offering a 24/7 pregnancy support hotline.

Abortion is legal in Russia up to the 12th week of pregnancy, and later in some cases. In some areas of Russia, "incitement to abortion" is against the law and punishable by fines. The Health Ministry instructs doctors to encourage pregnant women not to abort.

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