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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 4, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis delved into the perennially fraught issue of immigration policy last week when he criticized "those who systematically work by all means to drive away migrants," saying that "this when done knowingly and deliberately, is a grave sin."  

The Holy Father has often spoken out about the plight of millions of migrants across the globe. Though his most recent remarks specifically involved the migrant situation in the Mediterranean, his words were also seen as controversial in the U.S. because of their severity and because of their timing in the middle of an American presidential election in which the issue looms large.

CNA spoke with several of the country's leading Catholic immigration experts and advocates to get their reactions. Here's what they had to say.

The bottom line: 'We need to create legal pathways'

The pope said: "We can all agree on one thing: Migrants should not be in those seas and in those lethal deserts."

U.S. Catholic immigration experts and advocates on all sides of the political spectrum agree that the current legal landscape endangers both migrants and border communities. Experts also agree that the U.S. needs to prioritize fixing the situation by creating legal pathways for migrants hoping to enter the country.

"The crucial part of what the pope said is that we need to create lawful pathways so that people don't have to undertake these dangerous journeys and with respect to that, I concur," Andrew Arthur, a former U.S. immigration judge, told CNA.

How to accomplish that goal is where the disagreement begins.

Arthur, currently a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, believes that "if the intention is to recognize the humanity in those people, but at the same time, in the course of doing so, to ameliorate the harm that they are suffering, simply opening the doors and letting them all in isn't the answer."

He noted that "as anybody who actually knows anything about the subject will tell you" the trek to arrive at the U.S. southern border, for example, is "deadly in every way you can imagine." 

"A majority of people who are smuggled to the southwest border are abused physically in some way, just fewer than a third of all women coming illegally are sexually abused," he said. "So, it's incumbent on governments, including this one, not to create an 'attractive nuisance' that encourages people to undertake a deadly trek to this country."

"Pope Francis here is really saying: If you attempt to repel these people, you're going to make them suffer, you're going to make it more likely that they're going to die. And there is logic to that argument," Arthur went on. "So together with our international or regional partners, it's incumbent upon the United States to craft a policy to ensure the people are safe, but also to ensure that the laws are enforced."

"The United States has the right, as a sovereign nation, to put restrictions on the number of people and which people it allows in each year, and nobody would dispute that. And I don't think the pope and his statements are disputing them," said Arthur. 

Message to U.S. Border Patrol agents: 'You're doing good work'

In the view of Paul Hunker, a former ICE counsel turned immigration attorney in Dallas, the U.S. currently "does not allow enough legal immigration."

"One of the points Pope Francis has been making, and I totally agree with it, is that welcoming the stranger is not only something in justice and charity we should do, but it's good for our country," Hunker said. "Our system needs a big reform of its immigration laws to facilitate a lot more legal immigration," Hunker told CNA.

"Our immigration laws can make it really hard for someone who may have a small immigration violation to get their green card, even if they've been married many years, even if they have a lot of kids. Sometimes they can't get it at all because of past illegal entrance or immigration problems," he explained. 

However, Hunker said he did not think the pope was making "a categorical statement about border protection and border walls in general."  

"I would tell my friends in Border Patrol that you're doing good, noble work, and I don't think Pope Francis would say otherwise," he said. "I think what the pope is saying is something that I've written and talked about: We need a system that allows people to present their claims … This doesn't mean everyone should be let into the country, but we need to have a system to allow people to make those claims and claim protection."

The pope's message was a 'Gospel-based cry for humanity'

Dylan Corbett, executive director of an El-Paso-based Catholic nonprofit the Hope Border Institute, called the pope's message a "deep, Gospel-based cry for humanity and compassion for people who need to migrate."

"This is the voice of Peter, calling the world's attention to God present in those who are displaced because of poverty, war, and violence," Corbett said.

Corbett said he recently accompanied several bishops from North and Central America and the Caribbean to visit the Darien Gap, a key crossing point for migrants from Central America traveling northward.  

"I was inspired by the commitment and moral urgency of the bishops, who were clearly transformed by the humanity and hope of people migrating there. These are people who have been completely abandoned by governments and the international community," said Corbett. 

"As a faith community, our response to migration in our day is part of how we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God who calls us to compassion, and to build a world worthy of his love for the poor," he said. "For those with the privilege and responsibility to vote, we bring the demands of the Gospel when we go to the voting booth, we bring the suffering of the poor, the needs of families and the unborn, and we bring our hopes and aspirations for a more just world." 

Not so black and white

Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, told CNA that the pope's comments "must be read in light of the longstanding teaching of the Church."  

"As St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas taught, though we have duties to all our fellow human beings, our strongest and most immediate obligations are to those who are closest to us, such as our own families and countrymen," he said. "Hence, when nations enforce their immigration laws, there is nothing in this that is necessarily at odds with Catholic teaching. On the contrary, the Catechism backs them up on this."

Feser explained that the Catechism states that nations are obliged to take in immigrants "to the extent they are able" and that nations may put "juridical conditions" on immigration. 

However, Feser said that there are sometimes "cases where a nation should forgo its right to deport those who enter it illegally," such as in cases that would break up families or return migrants to dangerous conditions in their home countries. 

"Governments should take account of this when formulating and enforcing policy," he said. "But that doesn't mean that deportation as such is wrong, but only that governments must be careful about the manner in which it is carried out.

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Budapest, Hungary, Sep 4, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The historic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer, in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, was ravaged by arson on the night of September 2.

The suspect, a multi-recidivist who has attempted to set fire to numerous places of worship in the past, was apprehended a few hours after the blaze was brought under control.

According to local authorities, the fire started at around 4:00 a.m., It then spread to the side and central aisles, then to the roof and bell tower, which rapidly collapsed. The fire was contained by 7:15 a.m., thanks to the efforts of 120 firefighters. 

While no injuries were reported, some sixty local residents living near the building were evacuated as a precaution.

The initial investigation revealed that a 39-year-old individual allegedly broke into the premises, smashing a stained-glass window. Arrested and taken into police custody on the evening of September 2, the suspect, identified as Joël Vigoureux, is said to have been convicted on numerous occasions of similar acts of destruction by fire in recent years. 

While the images released by the media showed only the metal skeleton of the church steeple, and the exact extent of the damage has yet to be determined, the intervention of the parish priest, Father Sébastien Roussel, enabled the rescue of the Blessed Sacrament and some twenty other religious artifacts, including the reliquary bust of Saint Corneille. 

"With the authorization and under the supervision of the firefighters, I was able to enter the church when the fire was under control to take what is most important, namely the ciborium in the tabernacle at first, then several statues and elements of the liturgical furniture," he told CNA. 

In another interview, Father Roussel added that "the stained-glass windows, particularly the beautiful ones in the choir, dedicated to Mary, are not too damaged".

Of neo-Gothic inspiration, the church was completed in 1859 and was completely renovated by the municipality in 2018, at a cost of five million euros. 

Quoted in Le Figaro, the president of the Hauts de France region, Xavier Bertrand, assured that his administration "will be at the side of the town of Saint-Omer for the reconstruction, to see this heritage brought back to life."

The French outlet also reports that a meeting was held Tuesday at the town hall, attended by the architect who coordinated the renovation and prefectural officials, to rapidly envisage the reconstruction, which is nevertheless expected to take several years.

A time of prayer in front of the church will be held Wednesday, followed by a Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Arras, Olivier Leborgne, at the Basilica of Notre-Dame-des-Miracles in Saint-Omer.

The images of the flames devouring the roof and steeple of the monument that has turned into an open-air church continue to generate anger and consternation on social media, not least because of their over-familiarity.

In recent years numerous iconic Catholic structures in France — including Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris — have been severely damaged by fire. On July 11, the spire of Rouen Cathedral also caught fire, with firefighters quickly bringing the blaze under control.

On July 12, the Observatoire du Patrimoine Religieux, an association working to preserve and promote France's religious heritage, told AFP that 27 churches had been burnt down in 2023 and 12 in the first six months of 2024. Attacks on religious monuments in recent years account for around 90% of the 1,000 or so anti-Christian acts recorded annually by the country's Ministry of Interior.

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Jakarta, Indonesia, Sep 4, 2024 / 02:00 am (CNA).

On Pope Francis' first full day of public appearances in Indonesia on Wednesday, the pope called upon the political leaders of the world's largest Muslim country to protect the country's delicate balance of many cultures and religions by respecting the human rights of all, including minorities.

"In order to foster a peaceful and fruitful harmony that ensures peace and unites efforts to remove the imbalances and suffering that still persist in some areas of the country, the Church desires to increase interreligious dialogue," Pope Francis said in his opening speech on Sept. 4.

The pope was welcomed to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta by a grand ceremony at the Merdeka Palace, official residence of the Indonesian president. The ceremony marked the start of the pope's highly anticipated 11-day visit to four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Children waved flags and cheered as the pope's car approached the palace. The 87-year-old pope was then pushed in a wheelchair to the palace entrance, where he was received by President Joko Widodo and saluted by an honor guard dressed in red and white.

The first visit by a pope to Indonesia in three decades comes at a pivotal moment for the Southeast Asian country, which is home to the world's largest Muslim population. Pope Paul VI visited Indonesia in 1970, and Pope John Paul II in 1989.

Pope Francis and President Widodo met privately on the veranda of the presidential palace after the welcome ceremony.

Indonesia's President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who assumes office on Oct. 20, was also present to welcome the pope.

Since Prabowo's election earlier this year, concerns have arisen regarding his human rights record and the future of Indonesia's democracy.

In the pope's speech to roughly 300 local authorities, civil society representatives, and members of the diplomatic corps gathered at the palace, Francis commended Indonesia's efforts to maintain religious harmony in such a diverse society and underlined the need for the preservation of human rights for all.

"Your national motto Bhinneka tunggal ika (United in Diversity, literally Many but One) captures well this multifaceted reality of diverse peoples firmly united in one nation," Pope Francis said.

With approximately 229 million Muslims — constituting 87 percent of the population — Indonesia presents Pope Francis with the opportunity to strengthen Muslim-Catholic relations.

The Indonesian government officially recognizes six religions: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Pope Francis' trip is seen as a reaffirmation of the Catholic Church's commitment to interfaith dialogue and promoting religious harmony.

"It is a work of craftsmanship — I repeat, craftsmanship — entrusted to everyone, but in a special way to those in political life, who should strive toward harmony, equity, respect for the fundamental rights of human beings, sustainable development, solidarity  and the pursuit of peace, both within society and with other peoples and nations," Francis said.

"The Catholic Church is at the service of the common good and wishes to strengthen cooperation with public institutions and other actors in civil society, but never proselytizing, always in respect for others, therefore I encourage the formation of a more balanced social fabric and ensure a more efficient and equitable distribution of social assistance," he added.

Praise for Indonesia's Demographics and Family Values

The pope also commended the country's high birth rate, joking that in the West, some families "prefer to have only a cat or a little dog" to children. "In this, you offer an example to other countries," he said.

As President Widodo approaches the end of his second and final term, the meeting also served as a moment for reflection on Indonesia's trajectory in fostering religious tolerance.

Indonesia emerged from more than 350 years of Dutch colonial rule to declare independence in 1945. Since then, the country has navigated the complexities of religious pluralism, sometimes facing challenges in upholding the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. Instances of religious intolerance, bureaucratic hurdles for minority religions, and corruption are reminders of the ongoing work required to fulfill the country's vision of "unity in diversity."

Pope Francis said: "Sometimes violent tensions arise within countries because those in power want to make everything uniform, imposing their vision even in matters that should be left to the autonomy of individuals or associated groups."

"In this regard, I make my own the words of Saint John Paul II during his 1989 visit to this very palace," Francis added.

"Among other things, he said: 'In acknowledging the presence of legitimate diversity, in respecting the human and political rights of all citizens, and in encouraging the growth of national unity based on tolerance and respect for others, you lay the foundations for that just and peaceful society which all Indonesians wish for themselves and long to bequeath to their children.'"

After the formal meetings, Pope Francis returned to the Apostolic Nunciature for a private meeting with Jesuits from the region.

In the afternoon, Pope Francis will visit Indonesia's bishops and the local Catholic community in Jakarta's Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, which is located across the street from the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, where the pope will take part in an interfaith meeting on Sept. 5.

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CNA Staff, Sep 3, 2024 / 12:08 pm (CNA).

Arthur James Gregg, a convert to the Catholic faith who held the distinction of being the first black American to achieve the rank of lieutenant general in the U.S. Army, died last month at 96. 

According to an obituary published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Gregg died on Aug. 22 in Richmond, Virginia.

Born in South Carolina in 1928, Gregg enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946 and served in a variety of roles both at home and overseas, including in Germany and Vietnam, until 1981.

During his tenure, he received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. 

A convert to the Catholic faith, Gregg joined the Church at age 15 after being raised Methodist. He attended St. Benedict's College (now Benedictine College) in Atchison, Kansas. 

In 2023 he told the Leaven, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, that Catholicism "helped me to live my life better."

"It's a very practical religion," he said "It does not appeal a lot to the emotions, but to practical life experience."

"I've enjoyed my Catholic experience," he added.

Late in his life Gregg gained further distinction when the U.S. Naming Commission opted to rename Fort Lee in Virginia after him in 2023. The base was originally named for Confederate leader Robert E. Lee. 

Fort Gregg-Adams was also renamed after Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the highest ranking black woman to serve as an officer in World War II. The Virginia fort is the first American military base to be named after African Americans. 

Until his death, meanwhile, Gregg was the only living person with a U.S. military base named after him.

Gregg and his wife Charlene McDaniel were married for 56 years until she died in 2006; they had two daughters together and Gregg had another daughter from a previous relationship. 

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CNA Staff, Sep 3, 2024 / 13:16 pm (CNA).

St. Anthony's Catholic Parish in rural Michigan is expanding its Catholic ministry for Hillsdale College students by more than doubling the space for students to gather and pray at a place called The Grotto. 

The Grotto, an off-campus home and chapel owned and operated by St. Anthony's, is often overflowing with students who visit for Mass, prayer, speakers, and community events. Twelve years after its founding, heads of the ministry have decided it's time to expand. 

"It is so long overdue," said Ben Hufford, director of campus ministry for St. Anthony's. "The Grotto as a ministry functions very well with the weekly events and open hours that we currently have, but we just don't have the space for everyone who wants to come to those events."

"I hear regularly from students that they'd like to be able to come to Mass, Convivium, or adoration, but they just feel that there won't be enough space for them to sit, or even to stand," Hufford noted.  

Hillsdale College has a vibrant Catholic community of students, and St. Anthony's, a neighboring parish to the college, has welcomed about 15-20 college students into full communion with the Catholic Church every Easter in recent years.

Hillsdale is a non-sectarian Christian liberal arts college featuring many active faith groups on campus including "Catholic Society." This year, it was ranked as the #1 most religious college student body by the Princeton Review.

"Faith is a serious concern at the college," Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, told CNA. "Our Catholic students are a blessing to us, and Protestant students are a blessing to us, and their cooperation makes a larger blessing."

"Because the College stands for civil and religious freedom alongside the Christian faith, this cooperation places us in a position to make that point more strongly," he continued. "I have always seen that as a major advantage. I see it more now than ever." 

The Grotto is traditionally staffed by a husband and wife alumni duo, who welcome students into the first floor of their home during open hours and events throughout the day. They work with St. Anthony's to host frequent daily Mass and confession at The Grotto, and coordinate with the student leadership of the "Catholic Society" — Hillsdale College's Catholic student group — to host dinners, small groups, and talks.

"For many years, The Grotto has been a place for students to gather and grow in faith," Arnn noted. "Its growth will be a blessing to our campus."

Father David Reamsnyder, pastor of St. Anthony's, which supports and coordinates the ministry, says he is grateful for the "problem" of too many students and too little space. 

"It is a blessing to witness the flourishing of our campus ministry at a time when many young adults are losing their faith," he said in an Aug. 27 press release by St. Anthony's. 

"Living in The Grotto is really special, it's such a grace to us to have the Blessed Sacrament present downstairs in our house!"  said Hufford, who currently lives in The Grotto with his wife, Shelby — both alumni of Hillsdale College. "It's also great to get to see all the students who come through our door every day and to get to know the new faces at the beginning of the year."  

"College is the time when many students are making their faith 'their own,' and deepening their relationship with Christ and his church," Hufford added. "St. Anthony's and The Grotto give students the sacramental opportunities and community that they need to grow in their faith."

"The Grotto has become a home for Catholic students at Hillsdale, a place where they can grow spiritually and build lasting friendships with one another — and even more so with Our Eucharistic Lord, present in the tabernacle," Reamsnyder noted. "However, we must expand to ensure that we can serve every student who wishes to attend our events and pray before the Lord."

St. Anthony's parish is fundraising with a goal of $1.2 million for the project, with a "significant lead gift" that has already been pledged. Ministry leaders hope to build additional gathering spaces for events, including a larger chapel for Mass and adoration, more meeting areas for students, and an expanded kitchen. A donor is matching all gifts by the dollar up to $150,000 until Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

Kelly Cole, a St. Anthony's parishioner and fundraising volunteer for The Grotto, says that a larger space is "the only answer." 

"Students are missing out on sacraments and formation opportunities because if they don't get there early enough, there won't be a place to sit or even stand," Cole said. "We've had students standing outside of open windows to hear talks. Students are kneeling all throughout the first floor of The Grotto to attend Mass — two living rooms, kitchen, dining room, entry way."

The only private space available for confession is the kitchen, which has access to the bathroom — so while confessions are underway, there's no bathroom to use, Cole explained.  

The new renovation is set to include 1,500 additional square feet of gathering space for lectures, events, and overflow seating for Mass, a small chapel to fit up to 75 comfortably, and private areas for confession, spiritual direction, and small groups. The new Grotto will also feature an expanded kitchen for preparing meals for more than 150 students, as well as a partial basement for game nights and social events and even a large foyer for coats, shoes, and backpacks.

The ministry house is essentially comparable to a Newman Center, "even though we're not associated with any national organization," Cole noted. 

Cole, who joined the Catholic Church in the early 2000s when she was a senior at Hillsdale, says that The Grotto has "always been crowded since its earliest days."

"The building is simply an old, family home with a downstairs bedroom serving as a chapel," she noted.  

But the humble structure is a beloved part of Hillsdale's Catholic community. 

"The year I entered the church, there were three of us college students and the parish was so excited to have three of us," she said. "Now we've been having 15-20 regularly for several years."

Cole also praised the culture at Hillsdale's non-sectarian Christian campus.

"The way that Protestants and Catholics come together in all sorts of ways at the college — staff and students — is such a testament to the college's emphasis on freedom of religion while also upholding the importance of Christendom and our Judeo Christian heritage," she noted.  

"Hillsdale is amazing for having so many devout Christians who do much to inspire one another whatever the denomination, but when you see other Catholics making an effort to get to daily Mass or pray the Rosary daily or talking about their spiritual growth through adoration, it does so much to encourage you in your own Catholic life," Cole added.  

More than 15 Hillsdale alumni have become fully professed religious, while almost a dozen are in formation for religious life. 

"I received so much from St. Anthony's. I received so much from Hillsdale College," said Father Michael DiPietro, a Los Angeles archdiocese priest who graduated from Hillsdale in 2014. "Hillsdale was where my vocation was discerned. Hillsdale was where that vocation was fostered in a lot of ways. Don't underestimate the value of the college ministry or of the parish in helping to cultivate that."

Hufford says that the project won't change the character of The Grotto — just increase its accessibility. 

"We aren't really trying to dramatically change what The Grotto is, instead we're just trying to have enough space for the students who want to attend the events that are already happening," he explained. 

To read more about The Grotto expansion project, visit here. For more visuals on The Grotto's future growth, visit here.

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St. Louis, Mo., Sep 3, 2024 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

Bishop Michael R. Cote of the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, announced his retirement on Tuesday saying Pope Francis had accepted his resignation at the customary age of 75. 

Cote, originally from Maine, was first ordained a priest in 1975 and led the eastern Connecticut diocese since May 14, 2003. 

"I am deeply grateful to Pope Francis for his acceptance of my resignation," Cote said in a Sept. 3 letter. 

"As I now transition to the role of Bishop Emeritus of Norwich, I want to express what a profound honor and joy it has been to serve as your bishop for over two decades," the bishop wrote. 

"Leading the Diocese of Norwich, walking with you in faith, and ministering alongside so many dedicated clergy, ministry directors, and parishioners has been a true blessing in my life, one that I will always hold dear."

Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Christopher Coyne, who took over as shepherd of Hartford, Connecticut in May, as Norwich's apostolic administrator until the pope appoints a new bishop. 

"I am grateful to our Holy Father for this opportunity to steward our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Norwich while we await the appointment of their next bishop," Coyne said in a statement. 

"I also wish to convey my very best wishes in retirement for Bishop Cote, who lovingly shepherded the faithful of Norwich for 21 years."

Cote said he pledges his "full support and assistance" to Archbishop Coyne during this period of transition. 

"I also commit to keeping all of you in my prayers, as well as praying for whoever may be appointed as my successor. The future of our diocese is in God's hands, and we can trust in His providence," Cote concluded.

"Let us, as a diocesan family, unite in prayer for Archbishop Coyne and for the one who will eventually serve as our next Bishop of Norwich. May the Holy Spirit guide them, and may our diocese continue to shine as a beacon of faith, hope, and love in the world. Please know that I will be praying for each of you, and I humbly ask that you hold me in your prayers as well."

The Norwich diocese covers four counties in eastern Connecticut as well as Fishers Island, a small portion of New York state. It serves 230,108 Catholics, which is approximately a third of the area's total population. 

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CNA Newsroom, Sep 3, 2024 / 14:07 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, 79, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, has written a new book entitled "Destinati alla vita," which translates to "Destiny for Life." The book is a reflection on old age and highlights how this time of life can serve as a time for inner growth. 

In an excerpt published by L'Osservatore Romano, Paglia praises Pope Francis' work to honor the elderly and their importance in our lives throughout his papacy, especially in the establishment of the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. 

"Pope Francis has taken up the spiritual challenge of old age … As a Pope he developed his teaching even more, to the point of establishing a special liturgical feast to celebrate his grandparents," Paglia wrote. "But it is through the specific catechesis on the subject that he proposed a more articulated and comprehensive help to the elderly — in particular the believers, but not only — so that they face this last age of life as a time of grace, an appropriate time, a time of growth even if the body becomes fragile."

He continued: "The years of old age lead to the fulfillment of every personal existence. We do not walk in the void and aimlessly at the mercy of fate," he said.

Speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic, Paglia emphasized that this experience we endured served as a reminder that we are all fragile — not just the elderly.

He also touched on an "anti-age ideology" that "has led to a deep fracture between generations."

"The ties have weakened, they have no duration, they have no history, they have no destination," he said. "The effect is a sort of endless adolescence that empties affections and bonds. The change is sending the traditional humanistic parameters of training out of the axis. 

The archbishop went on to ask: "How can you educate the new generations to the values of life that are not consumed over time if the time of old age is assimilated to that of an expired product?"

In his book, Paglia urged that a "new alliance between generations" be formed, "especially among the elderly and the young."  

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Vatican City, Sep 1, 2024 / 13:15 pm (CNA).

After the bodies of six hostages killed by Hamas were recovered by Israeli forces this weekend, Pope Francis made an impassioned plea for peace in the Holy Land, urging the release of the remaining hostages and humanitarian aid for the polio outbreak in Gaza.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Sunday Angelus prayer, the pope expressed deep concern at the risk of the war between Israel and Hamas "spreading to other Palestinian cities."

"I appeal for the negotiations to continue, for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and relief to the people of Gaza, where many diseases are also spreading, such as polio," Pope Francis said on Sept. 1.

"May there be peace in the Holy Land!" he urged. "May there be peace in Jerusalem. May the Holy City be a place of encounter where Christians, Jews and Muslims feel they are respected and welcomed, and no one questions the status quo in the respective Holy Places."

The pope's comments come just hours after Israel announced on Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages killed by Hamas from a subterranean tunnel in the Gazan city of Rafah  shortly before the arrival of Israeli Defense Forces and as a humanitarian polio vaccination campaign began in Gaza. 

Among the hostages killed was 23-year-old Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose mother met Pope Francis last fall to appeal for the hostages' release and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August. According to the Associated Press, Israel believes that 101 hostages remain captive by Hamas in Gaza, including 35 who are believed to be dead.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a "humanitarian pause" for three consecutive days to allow aid workers to begin the campaign which aims to vaccinate more than 640,000 Palestinian children under the age of 10 against polio.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated rapidly as the conflict drags on. Aid agencies officials in the territory have warned of a potential public health disaster if immediate action is not taken.

During his Angelus address, the pope also prayed for the hundreds of people who were killed in a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso on Aug. 24. An Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group in West Africa known as Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack.

"In condemning these heinous attacks against human life, I express my closeness to the nation as a whole and my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. May the Virgin Mary help the beloved people of Burkina Faso to regain peace and security," Pope Francis said.

The pope also expressed his concern that over a million people have been left without electricity and water after attacks on energy infrastructure in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

"I am always close to the tormented Ukrainian people, hard hit by attacks on the energy infrastructure. Besides causing deaths and injuries, they have left over a million people without electricity and water," he said.

"Let us remember that the voice of the innocent is always heard by God, who does not remain indifferent to their suffering," Francis added.

In his reflection on Sunday's Gospel, Pope Francis warned against the temptation of hypocrisy and underlined the importance of having genuine purity of heart.

"Purity, Jesus says, is not linked to external rites, but is first and foremost linked to inner dispositions, interior dispositions," the pope said, citing chapter seven of the Gospel of Mark.

"To be pure, therefore, it is no use washing one's hands several times if one then, within the heart, harbors evil feelings such as greed, envy or pride, or evil intentions such as deceit, theft, betrayal, and slander."

Pope Francis added that Christians should take care not to live a "double life" in which a person appears "pious in prayer, but then treat one's own relatives at home with coldness and detachment, or neglect their elderly parents, who are in need of help and company" or "gossips wickedly" in front of the church after Mass. 

"Let us ask ourselves, then: do I live my faith in a consistent manner, that is, what I do in Church, do I try to do outside in the same spirit?" he said.

"And may Mary, Mother most pure, help us to make our life, in heartfelt and practiced love, worship pleasing to God," Pope Francis prayed.

The 87-year-old pope also asked for prayers for his apostolic journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore Sept. 2-13, which will be the longest international trip of his pontificate. 

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 1, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urged the faithful to commit to "building together a society that honors the human dignity of all who labor" in a statement published ahead of Labor Day.

"We believe in the dignity of work precisely because each of our brothers and sisters is a beloved child of God, made in his own image and likeness, and imbued with inherent dignity," the statement read.

The message was signed by Archbishop Borys Gudziak, who heads the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, as well as Bishop Mark J. Seitz, who heads the bishops' migration committee.

"Dignified work reflects that our humanity gives us an active role to play in cultivating the world around us," the statement said. "Through work, we exercise dominion over how we provide the material needs for ourselves and our families. God desires for us to do more than simply survive but to thrive."

The statement referenced the Gospel of Matthew and noted that in the Bible, "we see time and again how God shows us we must care for those who are vulnerable and honor the sacredness of everyone — no matter his or her circumstances in life."

The bishops pointed to the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16. In the passage, Christ tells a story of a master who gives day laborers "what is just" for the work regardless of how long they worked.

The bishops said the master in Christ's parable chose to do so "because he desires that we all have the resources to thrive."

"The Church offers a vision for the future that does not require our society to choose between a thriving economy, economic justice, dignified conditions for all workers, and safeguarding the most vulnerable among us," the bishops said.

"Catholics have consistently implored civil leaders to recognize and protect the sacredness of the human person. We must reject an economy of exclusion."

The bishops in their statement argued that "in today's economy" many people and families live in poverty "due to jobs with low pay that often provide little or no benefits, erratic work schedules, and offer insufficient protections."

They also expressed concern that union representation has diminished and the private sector leaves workers "with less protection and a weakened bargaining position."

They further pointed to "child labor law violations" and a weakening of "child labor standards" as well as "immigrants [facing] outright hostility and discrimination due in part to misconceptions and harmful political rhetoric dismissive of the human person."

"The Church supports both workers and immigrants around the country, especially those who often work in agricultural and other industries without protections because of their immigration status," the statement read.

"These workers contribute to the local economy, pay taxes, and own homes. Yet, they are often the victims of wage theft and legitimately fear reprisal if they speak up about missing wages or unjust practices."

"Let us strive without ceasing to protect the sacredness of human life and together build a society that respects and uplifts each person's human dignity," the statement concluded.

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CNA Staff, Aug 31, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Knights of Columbus recently raised over $60,000 to build a new baseball field in Michigan for athletes with disabilities. The field will be used by members of the Clinton Valley Little League Challenger Division Senior League, which is for people with special needs over the age of 16.

Forty-two Knights of Columbus councils in the Archdiocese of Detroit helped raise about $65,000 for the field.

McGivney Field, named after the priest who founded the Knights, Blessed Michael McGivney, is a new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, fully accessible baseball field at Neil Reid Park in Clinton Township, Michigan, and has features such as larger dugouts to accommodate wheelchairs and rubberized base paths for improved mobility and safety.

Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Fisher was joined by local parish priests for a prayer of dedication and blessing over the field on June 15. The first game held on the field immediately followed.

The local Knights first began working with the special needs league in 2006 when St. Isidore Council 7200 in Macomb, Michigan, offered to sponsor a youth team to alleviate the cost for families.

Since then, the Knights have continued their support of the Challenger Division, raising more than $180,000 for the league. The proceeds have come mostly from councils' annual fund drives for people with disabilities.

Ken Dumais, a member of St. Mary of the Hills Council 13950 in Rochester Hills, Michigan, oversaw the initiative, which first started in 2019. It was Dumais, who was a part of the St. Isidore Council at the time, who started the relationship between the Knights and the Challenger Division in 2006 and helped raise funds to build their first field. This field is still used by the younger members of the league and is located next to the McGivney Field.

Dumais told CNA in an interview that getting to see that first game held on the field was "validation that the Knights of Columbus really stepped up to that plate and they really hit the ball out of that park on this one."

He said that watching the members of the league play "you couldn't tell the difference. They were like any other child or any other baseball player just having fun on a diamond. Getting to play with their friends and have fun."

A mother of a player of the Challenger Division once shared with Dumais a conversation she had with her daughter. The mother asked her daughter: "Why do you like playing baseball so much?" Her daughter responded: "It makes me feel normal." 

It's stories like this that Dumais said gives him, and others involved, "a push" to keep working hard to raise the funds needed to support the league.

Dumais called those with special needs "gifts from God" and because of that "you go that extra mile," he said, adding: "Knights of Columbus has always given that extra mile to those individuals with special needs. They always have."

Now having two fields available for players of the Challenger Division, Dumais hopes it will continue to give them the "confidence to play and do the same thing that other kids are doing" and to feel "part of something bigger than yourself."

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