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Vatican City, Aug 30, 2024 / 13:40 pm (CNA).

The Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic rite in full communion with Rome, appointed two new bishops for Changanacherry and Shamshabad in India on Friday.

The appointments come after years of internal tensions among Syro-Malabar Church leaders regarding a synodal, unified liturgy of the ancient Oriental Church.

In May, Pope Francis warned the Church's leaders that division comes from the work of "the devil, the divider" and that unity of the Eastern Church with Rome is essential.

"Apart from Peter, apart from the major archbishop, there is no Church," stated the Holy Father in the May meeting with leaders and members of the Syro-Malabar Church at the Vatican.

On the July 3 feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle, the patron of the Syro-Malabar Church, a compromise was reached to resolve the liturgical feud sharply dividing leaders and the faithful of the Eastern-rite Church.

"The Holy Qurbana [Mass] should not be the reason for division in the Church," Syro-Malabar Church spokesman Father Antony Vadakkekara told CNA in July. "That is why the synod made the compromise proposal to say at least one synodal Mass in each of the parishes [in India]."

Approximately 5 million people belong to the Syro-Malabar Church worldwide across eparchies (dioceses) in India, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Auxiliary Bishop Major Thomas Tharayil will soon become the major archbishop of Changanacherry following the resignation of major archbishop Joseph Perumthottam. He has served as auxiliary bishop in the archeparchy since 2017.

Tharayil was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 1, 2000, and served as a deputy parish priest for various parishes in Changanacherry after completing his psychology doctorate at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome.

Major Antony Prince Panengaden, bishop-elect of Shamshabad chosen by the Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops, was ordained a priest in 2007 after completing studies in philosophy at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram Institute in Bangalore and in theology at the Ruhalaya Major Seminary in Ujjain.

During his 17-year pastoral ministry, Panengaden served as a priest in parishes in Goa and Adilabad and also obtained a doctorate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. In 2015, he was elected and installed as bishop of the Adilabad eparchy.

The Syro-Malabar Church dates its historical origins to the evangelizing mission of St. Thomas the Apostle to southern India in the first century.

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CNA Staff, Aug 30, 2024 / 14:12 pm (CNA).

A representative of Pope Francis recently reaffirmed the Vatican's opposition to lethal autonomous weapons systems, known popularly as "killer robots," with the Vatican stressing that "no machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being."

Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva since 2023, spoke at a United Nations forum in Geneva this week, the Second Session of the 2024 Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS).

Balestrero strongly urged countries to consider the ethical implications of new weapons and lamented the fact that new and more sophisticated armaments are often tested on real battlefields.

"For the Holy See, given the pace of technological advancements and the research on weaponization of artificial intelligence, it is of the utmost urgency to deliver concrete results in the form of a solid legally binding instrument and in the meantime to establish an immediate moratorium on their development and use," Balestrero said in an Aug. 26 address.

"In this regard, it is profoundly distressing that, adding to the suffering caused by armed conflicts, the battlefields are also becoming testing grounds for more and more sophisticated weapons."

No universally agreed-upon definition of LAWS exists, but numerous countries around the world — including Israel, China, Russia, and the United States — are reportedly investing heavily in weapons with autonomous capabilities. These systems have the ability to navigate on their own and select targets without human input. 

The Vatican and Pope Francis have raised concerns about LAWS for years, with the Holy See questioning whether such weapons systems could irreversibly alter the nature of warfare, create detachment from human agency, and call into question the humanity of societies. 

"For the Holy See, autonomous weapons systems cannot be considered as morally responsible entities," Balestrero continued. 

"The human person, endowed with reason, possesses a unique capacity for moral judgment and ethical decision-making that cannot be replicated by any set of algorithms, no matter how complex."

"In conclusion, the development of ever more sophisticated weapons is certainly not the solution," the archbishop said. 

"The undoubted benefits that humanity will be able to draw from the current technological progress will depend on the degree to which such progress is accompanied by an adequate development of responsibility and values that place technological advancements at the service of integral human development and of the common good."

In 2021, in light of reports of development of swarms of "kamikaze" mini-drones in modern warfare, the Holy See said it was critical to maintain "meaningful human control over weapon systems."

"The unique human capacity for moral judgment and ethical decision-making is more than a complex collection of algorithms, and such a capacity cannot be replaced by, or programmed into, a machine," the Vatican's then-U.N. Geneva ambassador said.

At a G7 summit in June, Pope Francis himself had urged leaders to reconsider the development of lethal autonomous weapons and to ban their use. The pope himself made a similar call at an AI ethics conference in July.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 30, 2024 / 14:59 pm (CNA).

In little more than a week, the 2024 International Eucharistic Congress will get underway in Quito, Ecuador.

In an interview with EWTN Noticias, Valeria Gavilanes, official spokesperson for the event, shared details about the significance of the event and what to expect.

"The Eucharistic Congress is a living manifestation of the presence of Jesus among us, and it is a unique opportunity to renew our faith and our relationship with the Eucharist," Gavilanes noted.

The event, which will take place Sept. 8-15 at the Metropolitan Convention Center in Quito, will bring together some 4,000 participants, including lay people, men and women religious, and ecclesiastical authorities from around the world. In addition, nearly 500 experts in the study of the Eucharist will participate in a pre-Congress symposium in the Ecuadorian capital.

The organization has placed special emphasis on the participation of delegations from 54 countries so that they may have a transformative experience. "We are working to make this Congress a place for encounter, dialogue, prayer, and celebration," said Gavilanes.

Agenda

The event will feature a program packed with Eucharistic celebrations, presentations, testimonies and times for adoration.

Among the most notable events is a massive procession with the Blessed Sacrament, which will include the participation of the Catholic faithful from Quito and other parts of the country. Gavilanes emphasized that "this procession will be a special moment, in which all participants will be able to publicly manifest their love and devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist."

The International Eucharistic Congress will begin on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 10:00 a.m. local time on the esplanade of the Bicentennial Park in Quito, where more than 1,500 children will make their First Communion. "We want to make an analogy between the purity of the Holy Eucharist and the purity of a child's heart," Gavilanes explained.

The theme on Monday, Sept. 9, will be  "A Wounded World." Juan Manuel Cotelo, a Spanish Catholic filmmaker and journalist, will present his film El Mayor Regalo ("The Greatest Gift"), which talks about forgiveness as a way to heal the world's wounds and achieve fraternity.

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Sister Daniela Cagnavina, secretary general of the Latin American Confederation of Religious, will share testimonies of the lives of great witnesses of faith in the Americas. In the afternoon, Juan Manuel Cotelo will talk about his film in a forum open to the public at the Metropolitan Convention Center in Quito.

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the topic "The Eucharist and the Transfiguration of the World" will be discussed with the participation of one of the foremost leaders of the National Eucharistic Congress initiative in the United States, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota. In the afternoon, Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante in Spain will speak about the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On Thursday, Sept. 12, the theme "For a Synodal Church" will be the focus with the presence of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and Mari Wu, advisor to the Council for the Lay Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Taipei. On this day there will also be Masses in several languages, highlighting fraternity in diversity.

That same day there will also be gatherings in the churches of Quito's historic colonial quarter, with Masses in several languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Quechua, Portuguese and Chinese.

On Friday, Sept. 13, the theme to be discussed will be "Eucharist: Psalm of Fraternity" followed by a concert with Argentine singer-songwriter Pablo Martínez along with Marco Antonio Espín, author of the hymn for the International Eucharistic Congress, as well as the group Solideo. "This will be a time dedicated especially to young people," Gavilanes added.

On Saturday, Sept. 14 at 4:30 p.m., a Mass will be celebrated outside St. Francis church in the St. Francis Plaza, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978.

After the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament will be carried in procession through the streets of the Colonial Quarter which will be "decorated with carpets of roses, to the Basilica of the National Vow, where a special blessing will be given for Quito, Ecuador, Latin America and the world," said Gavilanes.

Finally, on Sunday, Sept. 15, on the day of the closing ceremony, also at 10:00 a.m. on the esplanade of the Bicentennial Park in Quito, the Statio Orbis or final Mass will be celebrated by the pontifical legate, Cardinal Baltazar Porras, archbishop emeritus of Caracas, Venezuela.

In addition to the main events, Gavilanes noted there will also be an exhibition of relics of saints who loved the Eucharist, which will allow the faithful to venerate those who "have lived their faith in an exemplary manner."

"It's a unique opportunity to be in contact with the testimonies of holiness that inspire us to live with greater dedication to the Eucharist," she explained.

As for final preparations, Gavilanes said the organization has worked closely with local authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.

She asked for prayers for the success of the Congress, assuring that "prayer is the foundation of everything we do, and we trust that it will be a blessed event."

EWTN will provide complete coverage of the opening and closing Masses and Eucharistic processions, as well as all the important sessions and speakers.

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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Madrid, Spain, Aug 30, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

"Eternity Between Space and Time: From Consciousness to the Cosmos" is the title of an upcoming report to be released by the Vatican Observatory, where "unpublished reflections" on eternity studied from different disciplines will be presented.

The University of Padua in Italy together with the Vatican Observatory have investigated eternity from new scientific perspectives thanks to 24 contributions from some of the world's greatest scholars in different disciplines such as physics, psychology, philosophy, and theology.

Contributors include Nobel Prize winners Gerard 't Hooft and Roger Penrose, joined by Federico Faggin, Mauro D'Ariano, Gabriele Veneziano, Massimo Cacciari, Giulio Goggi, and Kurt Appel.

Questions about God and consciousness are addressed alongside quantum theory, black holes, cosmic inflation, and the Big Bang and string theory, considering the contributions of neuroscience and artificial intelligence.

The report, which will be released on Sept. 6, is the result of the international conference on the theme of eternity held in May 2022 at the University of Padua.

The conference was attended by the world's leading scholars in the fields of physics, philosophy, theology, and psychology.

The presentation of the report will take place at the headquarters of the Curia General of the Society of Jesus in Rome and will be attended by Father Gabriele Gionti, a member of the Vatican Observatory Research Group; Fabio Scardigli, Polytechnic University of Milan; Ines Testoni, University of Padua; and Father Andrea Toniolo, faculty of theology of Triveneto, Padua, Italy.

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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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 29, 2024 / 14:09 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Ávila in Spain reported Aug. 28 that the body of St. Teresa of Ávila, a doctor of the Church, remains incorrupt after her death on Oct. 4, 1582, almost five centuries ago.

"Today the tomb of St. Teresa was opened and we have verified that it is in the same condition as when it was last opened in 1914," said the postulator general of the Discalced Carmelite Order, Father Marco Chiesa of the Carmelite Monastery of Alba de Tormes, where the remains of the revered Spanish saint rest.

Father Miguel Ángel González, the Carmelite prior of Alba de Tormes and Salamanca of the Diocese of Ávila, explained how the procedure was carried out: "The community of Discalced Carmelite mothers together with the postulator general of the order, the members of the ecclesiastical tribunal, and a small group of religious moved the reliquaries with stringency and solemnity to the place set up for study. We did it singing the Te Deum with our hearts full of emotion."

The diocese explained that the event took place as part of the canonical recognition of the remains of St. Teresa of Ávila, requested from the Vatican on July 1 by the bishop of Salamanca, Luis Retana, with authorization granted by Pope Francis through the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

The process of studying the body, the heart, an arm, and a hand, the latter of which is preserved in the Spanish town of Ronda and which has been taken to Alba de Tormes for research, is taking place Aug. 28–31.

The diocese said that, in order to get to the body of St. Teresa, the marble slab of the sepulcher was first removed. Then — in the room set up for the studies and now only in the presence of the scientific medical team and the members of the ecclesiastical court — the silver coffin was opened.

The tribunal is made up of the Carmelite provincial of the Iberian Province of St. Teresa of Jesús in Spain, Father Francisco Sánchez Oreja; González; and the superior of the Daughters of Charity of Alba de Tormes, Sister Remigia Blázquez Martín.

The silver coffin was opened with the help of the goldsmiths Ignacio Manzano Martín and Constantino Martín Jaén, who will also be present on the last day of the work.

The Diocese of Ávila also revealed that 10 keys were used to open the tomb: "The three that are kept in Alba de Tormes, the three that the Duke of Alba lent them, and the three that the father general [a Discalced Carmelite] keeps in Rome, in addition to the king's key. Three of these keys are to open the outer grille, three are to open the marble tomb, and the other four are to open the silver coffin."

Chiesa pointed out that the images preserved from the 1914 examination are in black and white, so "it is difficult to make a comparison," although "the parts uncovered, which are the face and the foot, are the same as they were in 1914."

"There is no color, there is no skin color, because the skin is mummified, but you can see it, especially the middle of the face," he noted. "The expert doctors can see Teresa's face almost clearly."

Three stages of the process 

The first stage, opening and recognition, will take place until Aug. 31. In this phase, a team led by Dr. José Antonio Ruiz de Alegría from Madrid will take photos and X-rays as well as properly clean the reliquaries.

The second stage will be in laboratories in Italy for a few months, to then draw up the scientific conclusions. Finally, as a third stage, some interventions will be proposed to better preserve the remains.

Before the final closure, an appropriate time will be set aside so that the relics of St. Teresa can be venerated.

The 1914 opening

The previous opening of the tomb of St. Teresa of Jesús took place from Aug. 16–23, 1914. At that time the Diocese of Ávila stated that the body remained "completely incorrupt," as occurred at the opening in 1750.

According to Carmelite Father Daniel de Pablo Maroto, the tomb was opened in 1914 because the superior general of the Discalced Carmelites, Father Clemente de los Santos, wanted to take advantage of his visit to Spain to see the bodies of the founding saints: St. John of the Cross in Segovia and St. Teresa in Alba de Tormes.

The study that is now underway with the remains of St. Teresa of Ávila will be similar to that carried out in 1991 with those of St. John of the Cross in Segovia on the occasion of the fourth centenary of his death.

Who was St. Teresa of Ávila?

The website of the general curia of the Discalced Carmelites explains that they recognize as their mother and founder St. Teresa of Jesús, also known as St. Teresa of Ávila, the first woman to become a doctor of the Church, who wanted to "preserve the continuity of Carmel" with the desire that "a new style of religious life would be born," always "in fidelity to the Church."

Born in Spain in 1515, St. Teresa of Ávila was also a mystic and writer of Jewish descent, recognized both for her contribution to Catholic spirituality and to Spanish literature.

A famous saying of hers is: "Let nothing trouble you, let nothing frighten you. Everything passes, God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks for nothing. God alone is enough."

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, Aug 29, 2024 / 14:41 pm (CNA).

Here's a roundup of the latest developments in the U.S. regarding abortion and pro-life issues:

Lawsuit against Massachusetts 'campaign of intimidation'

A group of pro-life pregnancy centers in Massachusetts is suing the governor and other state officials for a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign against them, which they argue constitutes "impermissible viewpoint discrimination" based on their religious and political speech.

The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 19 by Your Options Medical Centers (YOM), a Christian-based network of pregnancy resource centers.

Under Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, Massachusetts launched a first-in-the-nation $1 million advertising campaign against pregnancy centers in June.

One example of the language used by the ads targeting Massachusetts residents on social media, billboards, and public transit, reads: "Avoid anti-abortion centers. They try to limit your options if you're pregnant."

YOM argues that the state's campaign to paint pregnancy centers as fraudulent and deceptive discriminates against their pro-life, Christian views. 

The centers say this deprives them of the right to free speech and free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

"This case is necessitated by an overt viewpoint-based campaign of harassment, suppression, and threats against YOM and other [pregnancy resource centers]," the suit reads. 

"Government officials can express their views," but they cannot "use the power of the state to punish or suppress disfavored expression," the suit asserts.

The suit also accuses the state of conspiring with a pro-abortion activist group called Reproductive Equity Now to target pregnancy centers in the state for investigation and prosecution.

"This campaign involves selective law enforcement prosecution, public threats, and even a state-sponsored advertising campaign with a singular goal — to deprive YOM, and groups like it, of their First Amendment rights to voice freely their religious and political viewpoints regarding the sanctity of human life in the context of the highly controversial issue of abortion," YOM argues.

According to the suit, the state's "campaign of intimidation has directly contributed" to one doctor quitting. 

The suit also says that YOM has "been forced [to] operate in a culture of fear and harassment from the state and continues to face unprecedented investigations, including unnecessary subpoenas, despite a prior state investigation clearing YOM of any wrongdoing."

Missouri abortion amendment appears likely to win, new poll suggests

A Missouri amendment that would radically alter the abortion landscape in the state seems likely to succeed this November based on a new poll taken by YouGov and the St. Louis University Research Institute.

Titled the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, the amendment would change the Missouri Constitution by enshrining a "fundamental right" to abortion. 

If passed the amendment would prohibit abortion restrictions before viability and after if determined to be beneficial to life or the physical or mental health of the mother.

The poll found that 52% of respondents indicated they would vote for the abortion amendment. Only 34% said they would vote against the measure. Meanwhile, 14% said they were "not sure."

While Democrats were largely united in support of the measure — 80% in favor versus 11% against — Republicans were split. A slight majority — 51% — said they opposed the measure, while 32% registered support and 18% said they were unsure.

Released this month, the poll was based on a survey of 1,154 registered Missouri voters representing the state's voting demographics.

Currently, Missouri protects unborn life from conception, only allowing abortions in instances in which the mother's life is in danger.

Fox polls suggest half of Arizona and Nevada Republicans support abortion amendment

Two new polls released this week by Fox suggest that half of Republicans in Arizona and Nevada support broad abortion amendments set to appear on the ballot this November.

According to the Arizona poll, 50% of Arizona Republicans support the amendment that if passed would allow abortion until viability and beyond if determined necessary for the health of the mother. Meanwhile, 95% of Arizona Democrats and 76% of independents support the amendment.

Abortion is currently legal in Arizona through 15 weeks of pregnancy.

In Nevada, 54% of Republicans, 95% of Democrats, and 76% of independents support the proposed abortion amendment, according to the Fox poll.

If passed, the amendment would codify already-existing state laws into the state constitution that allow for abortion up to roughly 24 weeks into pregnancy. The amendment would also allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy if deemed necessary to protect the mother's health.

Lila Rose suggests Trump may be losing pro-life support

Prominent pro-life activist and Catholic Lila Rose suggested this week that Trump may be losing the support of pro-lifers through his campaign's recent statements regarding abortion.

Rose said on social media that "if you don't stand for pro-life principles, you don't get pro-life votes." 

She also said that "without some indication that they will work to make our nation a safer place for preborn children, they [the Trump campaign] are making it impossible for pro-life voters to support them."

Trump has said that he considers abortion to be exclusively a state issue following the repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022. He has also said that he believes some pro-life laws and policies "go too far."

On Saturday GOP vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance said that Trump would veto any national pro-life law that was sent to his desk. Vance has also said that he supports access to the abortion pill mifepristone, which currently accounts for 63% of all U.S. abortions.

In response, Rose has been very vocal in encouraging the Trump campaign to "earn the pro-life vote" by changing its messaging to support unborn life.

In an interview with Politico, Rose said: "People will need to vote their conscience in November. We're over two months out, so there's a lot of things that can change. I think that it's the job of the pro-life movement to demand protection for preborn lives. It is not the job of the pro-life movement to vote for President Trump."

"Nobody owns the pro-life vote; the pro-life vote is earned. And you don't earn the pro-life vote by throwing it under the bus … and throwing the babies under the bus," Rose said in a Tuesday episode of her podcast. 

"You earn the pro-life vote, and I would say the respect even of the middle moderates and I would even argue the respect of your average Joe by getting up there and saying: 'I'm going to fight for what I believe in, for what is good and true, I'm going to fight for the lives of children.'"

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Vatican City, Aug 29, 2024 / 11:18 am (CNA).

The Vatican Museums this summer introduced a new family-friendly excursion through the papal gardens, an experience designed to teach children how to "contemplate and appreciate nature," according to the tour's originator.

Whether skipping down a tree-lined path, sitting on a tree stump, or spotting turtles in a fountain, children and their families now have the chance to encounter the Vatican Gardens in a way tailored to capture the attention of some of its youngest visitors.

"There was a desire to give families something to actually do together in the museum. There's such a wealth of possibilities. And so we wanted to, for the first time, dedicate an actual tour to families," Sister Emanuela Edwards of the Missionaries of Divine Revelation told CNA during an Aug. 23 preview of the tour.

Edwards, who designed the tour as part of her role heading the Vatican Museums' office of educational activities, said one of the first activities on the walk is to listen to the sounds of nature in the English Garden.

"We start by identifying all the different sounds from the natural world," she said. "But of course, what can be more joyful and more natural than to hear children laughing and enjoying themselves as well? And so to the natural world, we also add this wonderful and essential human element, which is the joy of being together in the family."

The roughly two-hour "Capture Nature" tour is currently offered on Saturday mornings in English and Italian to groups of about 20 people. It is fully accessible to children with intellectual or physical disabilities — something Edwards said was very important to them when designing the visit.

On a recent tour with two families, CNA followed 5-year-old twins Francesco and Chiara Salvatori and 7-year-old Margherita Scavetta as they played games inviting them to use their senses in various areas of the gardens.

A highlight for all the children was trying to count the number of turtles living in the fountain next to the Casina Pio IV, the home of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Another game asked the kids to work together with their parents to find and identify certain plants from the Bible in the Scripture garden.

With the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica as a backdrop, the three children were asked to spot particular plants or features of fountains and buildings.

During one stop in the walk — which passes statues of Mary, including a replica of the Marian grotto at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France — the children got to create their own "masterpieces" with leaves, bird feathers, and twigs collected along the way. 

Edwards, whose religious order is sometimes called by the nickname "the green sisters" for the unusual color of their habits, explained that the tour also takes some of its inspiration from Pope Francis' environmental encyclical Laudato Si'.

"A few steps away there's the Vatican Museums, where there are the masterpieces of art," she said. "But in the garden, we're able to teach the young children that the trees are also the masterpieces of the garden. And so they learn how to care for those masterpieces as well."

Guide Isabella Salandri, one of several tour guides handpicked by Edwards to lead the family tours, interacted with Francesco, Chiara, and Margherita in an engaging way, telling them in lively tones about features of the Vatican Gardens, especially those involving animals, like the monumental Aquilone Fountain, which features a large eagle, the personification of the north wind in Roman mythology.

"The opportunity for the children to do something very interactive we found quite original and fun," Margherita's mom, Paola Nuccetelli, said. "Even we are having fun getting to see something we don't usually see in the city. ... And then, who expects to see woods in the heart of Rome?"

Near the end of the tour, the families were surprised by an appearance from Vatican gardener Augusto Minosse, who drove up to the group in his little work van. He asked the kids about their visit and posed for a selfie with Margherita.

"It was really an immense joy to see [our childrens'] wonder at nature, at creation," the twins' dad, Daniele Salvatori, said.

"Certainly for us, and I think also for others, when one is immersed in nature, you become closer to God," his wife, Romina Zicca, added.

As the tour wrapped up under the hot, noonday sun, guide Salandri asked the three children: "Are you ready for the last game?"

"Does it have to be the last?" Margherita asked.

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CNA Staff, Aug 29, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Amid the culture wars, one girl scouting group endorsed by an archbishop this month is staying "true to its founding Christian principles" while creating space to help Catholic girls grow in faith.  

Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati "wholeheartedly" endorsed the faith-based scouting group American Heritage Girls (AHG) in an Aug. 8 letter to local priests, where he encouraged parishes to consider chartering with the group.

"AHG is openly Christ-centered and dedicated to helping girls respond to God's call to grow in purity, service, stewardship, and integrity," Schnurr noted. "Moreover, AHG expressly believes that every person is made in the image of God."

AHG is interdenominational but is intentional about supporting Catholic girls in their faith. A quarter of AHG troops are at Catholic parishes or schools with activities ranging from troop-led Stations of the Cross to Eucharistic Revival patches. 

"The AHG ministry program is designed to create a nurturing environment where girls can grow in their identity in Christ," explained Julie Goodwin, the national Catholic relations specialist for AHG. 

"Much like parish youth groups enrich the faith lives of all who attend, AHG is dedicated to raising up a generation of girls who strive for sainthood," she said. 

Founded in the 1990s by a group of parents who wanted a Christ-centered scouting group, AHG now boasts more than 50,000 members in every state and across 15 countries. The scouting group is dedicated to serving God, family, and community while members and leaders pledge to a statement of faith that highlights integrity, purity, service, and stewardship. 

"It is an honor and a privilege to come alongside the families of parishes of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati," Patti Garibay, founder and executive director of AHG, told CNA. 

Garibay has led the organization since its small beginning to its great expansion, meeting with former vice president Mike Pence in 2017 and detailing the scouting group's story in her 2020 book "Why Curse the Darkness When You Can Light a Candle?" 

Garibay voiced her "gratitude" to the Cincinnati archbishop "for his courage and discernment" in aligning with American Heritage girls.

Schnurr noted that AHG has "stayed true to its founding Christian principles" in his endorsement. 

"Scouting is fundamentally good — it builds virtue, discipline, and community. It helps form responsible, well-rounded citizens," Schnurr said in his letter. "Scouting has a strong, multigenerational heritage in our country, one associated with positive values and memories."

AHG has programs for girls ages 5 to 18 that emphasize faith, leadership, outdoors, citizenship, and other life skills. Its program levels include the "Pathfinder," "Tenderheart," "Explorer," "Pioneer," and "Patriot."

The scouting program also includes a badge program with six "frontiers": heritage, personal well-being, family living, arts, science and technology, and outdoor skills.

"When done correctly, scouting can be an efficacious part of Catholic youth ministry, espousing a way of life congruent with the Gospel," Schnurr noted. 

"Unfortunately, in recent years, some scouting organizations have embraced and promoted an impoverished worldview regarding human life and sexuality," Schnurr noted. "Through activities, badges, and awards, these organizations have contributed to normalizing a gender ideology devoid of Christian virtue and contrary to the Catholic understanding of the human person made in the image and likeness of God."

AHG's membership policy requires girls to agree to live according to the AHG Oath and AHG Creed, and invites all girls to join. The scouting group's mission is "Building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country."

"We often hear from youth ministers, parents, and troop volunteers that AHG girls are deeply engaged in parish life — they're active in youth groups, eager to serve their communities, and setting a positive example for other young Catholics," Goodwin said. "Through AHG, these girls are growing in virtue and developing a lasting faith foundation that continues to shape their biblical worldview well into adulthood."

Sister Elizabeth Grace Donahue of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, an AHG alumna who received AHG's highest honor, the Stars and Stripes Award, said that AHG serves families well.

"Through a balance of Bible teaching and life skills, the girls are growing more and more in the image of Christ," she said in a statement shared with CNA. "The troop has blessed our Church in many ways as well."

AHG also features a National Catholic Committee that elected Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, as the episcopal moderator in 2015. The committee "acts as a liaison" between the Catholic Church and the scouts by "promoting and providing for the growth and spiritual development of its Catholic members."

The scouting organization has been endorsed by other Catholic leaders including Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, who, in 2017, authorized an archdiocesan transition from Girl Scouts to American Heritage Girls. AHG has also been endorsed by other Catholic dioceses and archdioceses including Birmingham, Alabama; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Fort Worth, Texas; Milwaukee; Omaha, Nebraska; Rockford, Illinois; and St. Louis.

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CNA Staff, Aug 28, 2024 / 14:07 pm (CNA).

Bishop Mylo Hubert C. Vergara of the Diocese of Pasig in the Philippines announced last month that the Vatican has given permission to continue with the sainthood cause of Servant of God Laureana "Ka Luring" Franco. 

The diocese had in February opened Franco's sainthood cause, and on July 10, the bishop publicized a "nihil obstat" document from the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints allowing the diocese to continue investigating her life. 

Franco, a longtime member of the Legion of Mary, dedicated her life to teaching the Catholic faith, praying, and serving the poor. She died in 2011 at age 75 of ovarian cancer. 

Born into a poor family in 1936, the oldest of eight children, Franco was brought up with strong faith thanks to the witness of her parents. She worked for a time as a switchboard operator for the Philippine Air Force before joining the Legion of Mary as a full-time, unpaid catechist in 1969. 

According to AsiaNews, a Catholic news site, Franco was at the time one of only two laywomen authorized to administer Communion in the Archdiocese of Manila. She was distinguished for her service to the poor, which she did while living a humble life and without seeking any recognition for herself. 

In February, the Diocese of Pasig, which includes her hometown of Taguig, announced Franco's candidacy for sainthood.

And at an Aug. 21 event at the archdiocesan minor basilica and shrine of St. Anne in Taguig City, the postulator of Franco's cause, Erickson Javier, presented the bishop with the "supplex libellus," a collection of documents requesting that the diocesan phase of Franco's cause be officially opened.

Now that the diocesan phase is open, a diocesan tribunal will investigate Franco's life to see how she lived a life of heroic virtue. Once that investigation is done, the resulting set of documents, known as a "positio," will be sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

If the pope recognizes Franco's heroic virtue, she will be declared "venerable." The next step would be beatification — being declared "blessed" — which requires at least one miracle attributed to her intercession. The final step in the sainthood process is canonization, where the pope officially declares a person to be a saint.

For her work as a catechist, St. John Paul II in 1990 bestowed on Franco the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award, an honor given to Catholics over age 45 with a history of long and distinguished service to the Church and the office of the pope. Franco was also bestowed the Mother Teresa Award in 2002 by St. John Paul II.

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Vatican City, Aug 28, 2024 / 11:06 am (CNA).

Pope Francis said Wednesday those who knowingly and intentionally "repel" migrants are committing a grave sin.

Breaking from the current theme of his general audiences Aug. 28, the pope spoke at length about the poor conditions of migrants who attempt to cross a sea or desert to reach safety but who sometimes lose their lives in the process.

"The tragedy is that many, the majority of these deaths, could have been prevented," Francis underlined in his speech to thousands in St. Peter's Square.

"It must be said clearly: There are those who work systematically and with every means possible to repel migrants," he said. "And this, when done with awareness and responsibility, is a grave sin."

Departing from his prepared remarks, the pontiff recalled seeing the heartbreaking viral photo of the wife and child of Pato Crepin, who died in the desert in the summer of 2023 while trying to cross the border into Tunisia on their way to Europe.

Last year, Tunisian authorities were clamping down on irregular immigration by taking people who entered the country to remote areas on the borders with Libya and Algeria.

The country's leader also signed an agreement with the European Union to receive 1 billion euros (about $1.1 billion) in order to stem the area's highly profitable business of smuggling people from Tunisia into Europea via the Mediterranean Sea.

"We all remember the photo of the wife and daughter of Pato, dead from hunger, thirst, in the desert," Pope Francis said. "In the time of satellites and drones, there are migrant men, women, and children that no one must see. They hide them. Only God sees them and hears their cry. This is a cruelty of our civilization."

The Missing Migrants Project, run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), records that since 2014, an estimated 47,000 people have either died or gone missing while attempting to migrate in Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean areas. 

Most deaths were caused by drowning, usually while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in unsafe and overcrowded boating vessels.

In his general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis also waded into political arguments about immigration and borders.

"We can all agree on one thing: Migrants should not be in those seas and in those lethal deserts," he said. "But it is not through more restrictive laws, it is not with the militarization of borders, it is not with rejection that we will obtain this result."

The solution, according to the pope, is to extend safe and legal access routes for migrants so that those who are fleeing war, violence, persecution, and natural disasters can find refuge.

Migrants will stop risking their lives to cross the sea or deserts, he continued, if we promote "a global governance of migration based on justice, fraternity, and solidarity."

In numerous past statements on refugees and migrants, Pope Francis has asked countries to be as welcoming to immigrants as they are able while also acknowledging their right to control their borders and to determine how many migrants and refugees they can safely integrate into their societies.

Paragraph 2241 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church also affirms that "the more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin."

"Political authorities," the catechism continues, "for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption."

In his Wednesday audience, Pope Francis recalled a lesson from the Book of Exodus: "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him."

"The orphan, the widow, and the stranger are the quintessential poor whom God always defends and asks to be defended," he emphasized. 

"There is a Psalm which says to the Lord: 'Thy way was through the sea / Thy path through the great waters' (Ps 77:19). And another says that he 'led his people through the wilderness / for his steadfast love endures forever' (Ps 136:16)," the pope quoted.

"These holy words tell us that, to accompany the people on their journey to freedom, God himself crosses the sea and the desert," Pope Francis said. "[God] does not remain at a distance, no; he shares in the migrants' tragedy, God is there with them, with the migrants, he suffers with them, with the migrants, he weeps and hopes with them, with the migrants."

The pontiff said that while most of us are unable to be on the front lines with the courageous people who, acting as good Samaritans, "do their utmost to rescue and save injured and abandoned migrants on the routes of desperate hope," there are still ways to help — "first and foremost, prayer."

"And I ask you: Do you pray for migrants, for those who come to our lands to save their lives?" he said. 

He also urged cooperation to combat human trafficking and the criminal traffickers who "mercilessly exploit the misery of others" for money.

"Let us join our hearts and forces so that the seas and deserts are not cemeteries but spaces where God may open up roads to freedom and fraternity," he said.

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