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Vatican City, Aug 11, 2024 / 08:45 am (CNA).

Pope Francis urged people to truly listen to God's voice rather than looking to the Lord for a confirmation of their own ideas in his Angelus address on Sunday.

"Brothers and sisters, when faith and prayer are true, they open the mind and the heart; they do not close them," Pope Francis said on Aug. 11.

Speaking from the window of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, the pope asked people to be aware of the temptation of looking to God "for a confirmation of what we think" rather than "truly listening to what the Lord has to say to us."

"This way of addressing God does not help us to truly encounter him, nor to open ourselves up to the gift of his light and his grace, in order to grow in goodness, to do his will and to overcome failings and difficulties," he said.

"Let us ask ourselves, then: In my life of faith, am I capable of being truly silent within myself and listening to God? Am I willing to welcome his voice beyond my own mindset and also with his help to overcome my fears?"

Pope Francis asked the Virgin Mary for her intercession to help Christians to listen with faith to the Lord's voice and "to do his will courageously."

The pope offered this reflection in his meditation on Sunday's Gospel, in which the Judeans murmured about Jesus because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

Francis said: "They are convinced that Jesus cannot have come from heaven, because he is the son of a carpenter and because his mother and his relatives are common people, familiar, normal people, like many others."

"They are obstructed in their faith by their preconception of his humble origins and the presumption, therefore, that they have nothing to learn from him. … Beware of preconceptions and presumption," he warned. 

After leading the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Angelus prayer in Latin, the pope offered his greetings to a group of students who walked more than 100 miles from the Italian town of Assisi in pilgrimage to the Vatican. 

Pope Francis asked people to pray especially for the victims of a plane crash in Brazil on Friday that left 62 people dead.

The pope also marked this week's 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, which killed 70,000 people and 140,000 people respectively and brought an end to World War II.

"As we continue to commend to the Lord the victims of these events and of all wars, we renew our intense prayer for peace, especially for the tormented Ukraine, the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, and Myanmar," Pope Francis said.

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Rome Newsroom, Aug 11, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Across the world's most populous Muslim nation of Indonesia, Catholics can find oases of prayer and devotion. The Catholic faith, through prayerful processions and rituals, has continued in the country for more than 500 years.

Records dating back to the 16th century indicate that the first Catholic traditions in Indonesia were established following the first reported apparition of the Virgin Mary.

The first 'Mother Mary' procession on the island of Flores

The Catholic history in Indonesia begins in Flores, an island in the eastern part of country, with the story of a young boy named Resiona who reportedly had an apparition of the "Queen of the Rosary" on Larantuka beach in 1510 right before finding a statue of Our Lady washed ashore, most likely from a sunken Portuguese ship. 

"Resiona was looking for snails when he saw a beautiful lady standing in front of him. He asked her name and where she came from but she didn't answer him," said Father Fidelis Bolo Wotan, a doctor of dogmatic theology with a specialization in Mariology, in an interview with CNA. 

"The woman wrote three words in the sand that the boy didn't understand. The three words were 'Akulah Reinha Rosari' ['I am the Queen of the Rosary']. After some time, when he raised his head, he saw a beautiful wooden statue."

When Portuguese Dominican missionaries arrived in Flores about 50 years after the apparition, they were amazed to find the wooden statue of Our Lady placed in a "korkay" (a local temple) and given offerings by the people of Larantuka during harvest time.

The Dominican brothers proceeded to explain the meaning of the statue and taught the people the rosary. Together with the local Larantukas, the Dominicans organized the first Tuan Ma (Mother Mary) processions during Holy Week, which, to this day, is a tradition held in Flores in the Diocese of Larantuka.

"In the past, the missionaries looked for a simple way to announce the Gospel of the Lord so the instrument they used was the procession of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary during Semana Santa [Holy Week]," Wotan explained. "The rosary was the main tool the missionaries used to teach the people how to live their faith."

The Annuario Pontificio 2019 (the annual report of the Holy See) reports that 80% of the Flores population is Catholic, a significant figure considering Catholics account for just 3% of Indonesia's total population. (Approximately 87% of Indonesians are Muslim.)

According to Wotan, the harmonization of religion and piety with local cultures within Indonesia has, and continues to be, key for the growth of the Catholic Church in a country with approximately 280 million inhabitants spread across 17,500 islands.

The Cave of Holy Mary in Java

Java, the central island on which Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, is located, is also home to the renowned Catholic pilgrim site Gua Maria Sendangsono (the Cave of Holy Mary) in Yogyakarta.

Catholics from across the country are attracted to this pilgrimage site, especially in May and October, as it is believed the cave, which is located inside the religious complex and is marked by a large Virgin Mary statue, is a place of physical healing as well as peace and prayer, according to an Indonesian tourism website.

While Portuguese Dominican missionaries were prominent evangelizers in the eastern part of the country, the Dutch Jesuit missionary Father Frans van Lith is considered the founder of the Catholic Java mission. He arrived at the turn of the 20th century and baptized the first Javanese Catholics.

According to historians Karel Steenbrink and Jan S. Aritonang in their book "A History of Christianity in Indonesia" (2008), van Lith was a strong advocate for Javanese society and culture and believed Indonesians should have the ability to be religious, educational, and political leaders in their country independent of colonial rule.

The influence of Van Lith among the Javanese also led to the construction of the Gua Maria Sendangsono, which was completed in 1929 and inaugurated on Dec. 8 of the same year. The main features of this pilgrimage site are the statue of Our Lady, which was gifted by the queen of Spain, and the fresh spring inside the cave, which people claim is holy and can cure people of illness.

Our Lady of Good Health shrine in North Sumatra

More recently, in North Sumatra, a province on the western side of Indonesia, the Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni (dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health) was constructed between 2001 and 2005 to support the Tamil Catholic community living in Medan. The "Indo-Mughal" design of the shrine makes it look like a "church, temple, and mosque all in one."

According to the shrine's website, Father James Bharataputra, a Jesuit priest from India who served in Indonesia for more than 50 years, wanted the shrine to be a unique place "where Catholics can reinforce their faith and non-Catholics can experience and learn about another faith in an environment where their respective faith is also represented in the features of the building." 

Two Franciscan Capuchins — Archbishop Alfred Gonti Pius Datubura and Coadjutor Archbishop Anicetus Antonius Sinaga — inaugurated the shrine in October 2005. 

"More than 3,000 people from several ethnic groups attended the celebrations and among them were 200 foreign pilgrims from Malaysia, Singapore, and India," Sister Angelina, a member of the Kongregasi Suster Santu Yosef (KSSY) in Medan, told CNA.

"Many people visit the shrine each year — 15,600 people," she said. "People are attracted to come to Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni because the Marian shrine is very unique, special, and the prayers of people who come are answered."

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Indonesia, the first stop on his Asia-Pacific trip, on Sept. 3–6.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 10, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been the scene not only of sporting prowess but also of displays of faith and devotion by athletes from around the world.

Despite Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits any type of religious expression, some athletes have not hidden their faith and have proudly displayed it at key moments of the competition.

Brazil's top athlete thanks God for the opportunity

Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade won the gold medal in the women's floor final, earning her second Olympic gold and her sixth medal in total, establishing herself as the best medalist among athletes from her country. In the competition, she beat out Simone Biles, the American Olympic gymnast who has won the most medals.

In an interview with CazéTV, Andrade commented: "This medal was not because I asked God for a medal; he gave me the opportunity to win it. I went through everything I had to go through: I worked, I sweated, I cried, I tried hard, I laughed, I had fun, I traveled. So I feel that I made this possible too and he was always there blessing me, protecting me and feeling proud of me, knowing that his servant was always giving her best."

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, winner of the gold medal in the men's singles competition after beating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, not only stood out for his skill on the court but also for his Orthodox Christian faith.

Throughout the tournament, Djokovic wore a cross around his neck and, after winning the final, he told the media that God is the key to his success. "I thank God for giving me his mercy, for giving me this blessing and this opportunity," he said.

Historic medals for Guatemala

In trap shooting, Guatemalans Adriana Ruano and Jean Pierre Brol made history by winning medals for their country.

Ruano, who won the first gold medal for Guatemala, expressed her gratitude to God in the mixed zone, stating: "He has been key in this process; he has given me the strength and confidence to be able to do this work." After her victory, Ruano traveled to the Vatican, where Pope Francis blessed her medal.

Jean Pierre Brol, who won bronze, also gave thanks to God, sharing before starting a competition: "I ask him to give me the composure, the wisdom to be able to handle the situation, and he gave it to me, and here it is, here is the result. So, thanks to him for this."

'Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life'

Rayssa Leal, the 16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder, not only won the bronze medal, but she also used her moment on the podium to make a declaration of faith. When receiving her medal, she expressed in sign language that "Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

This same gesture was replicated by her compatriot Caio Bonfim when he received the silver medal for race walking, pointing to the sky and showing his devotion to Jesus. 

A friendship born of faith

On July 28, Brazilian judoka Larissa Pimenta secured bronze in the 52-kilogram category, beating her Italian friend Odette Giuffrida.

Pimenta shared in an interview that Giuffrida came to know God through her and that, after the defeat, the Italian reminded her friend: "All honor and glory must be given to him." Both shared messages of gratitude to God on their Instagram accounts.

Photo of the year

Surfer Gabriel Medina, bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Tahiti, starred in one of the most iconic images of the event.

Raising his index finger in a sign of victory while in the air, Medina shared the photograph on his Instagram with the biblical quote "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).

Other displays of faith

South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker won the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke. To express her gratitude, Schoenmaker wore a special T-shirt with the names of the people who supported her, headed by God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Ethiopian Tsige Duguma, who won the silver medal in the 800-meter race, showed that on the back of her race bib "Jesus is Lord" was written. Similarly, Lucia Yepez of Ecuador, a wrestler in the 53-kilogram category, took the silver medal in freestyle wrestling with the word "God" on her right hand. In an interview, Yépez said: "He is on my path to victory. I always have faith."

Britain's Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, who won the bronze medal in the 3-meter synchronized springboard diving, told the BBC that despite the difficulties she went through, "it was just God's way of telling us that we still have a lot to do, and I give all the glory to God." 

In swimming, American Katie Ledecky became the swimmer with the most gold medals in Olympic history, taking her total to nine after her victory in the 800-meter freestyle.

Ledecky, who in an interview with the National Catholic Register in 2016 revealed that she prays a Hail Mary before every race, said: "More than anything, praying just helps me to concentrate and let go of things that don't matter in that moment. It gives me peace knowing I'm in good hands."

The swimmer also praised devotion to Mary, noting that "she has a sacred role in Catholicism, and her strong faith and humility are things we can learn from."

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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CNA Staff, Aug 10, 2024 / 10:00 am (CNA).

On the occasion of her podcast joining the EWTN programming lineup, human rights activist and Live Action President Lila Rose discussed the task currently before America's pro-life movement as well as the significance of her lifestyle podcast's placement on the global Catholic network.

"It is truly a dream come true and an answer to prayer to get to partner with EWTN in the spirit of Mother Angelica, who is one of my dearest heroes," Rose said upon announcing the EWTN debut of "The Lila Rose Podcast" during the 2024 Napa Institute Summer Conference.

"Seeing EWTN take the vision of Mother Angelica, her innovation, her spirit, her courageous vision to go out into culture and talk to anyone, go anywhere and share the Gospel, and now to do that within the new digital landscape, and to get to be a part of it … is just a dream come true for me," she continued. 

Speaking of her podcast, Rose said the vision of her show is to reach "young people, especially those in transition, young women, young families." 

"How do we build healthy relationships? How do we build strong marriages? How do we date for marriage? How do we be healthy physically, emotionally, spiritually?" Rose said of some of the topics she engages with.

"My show is a space to have those conversations, discover, learn together and have fun along the way," she added.

As a result of the collaboration, "The Lila Rose Podcast" now premieres on EWTN On Demand exclusively for 24 hours and is subsequently distributed on multiple additional platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and other podcast apps.

Rose on the pro-life fight in 2024 

During the 2024 Napa Institute Summer Conference, Rose spoke with EWTN News President Montse Alvarado on "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly" about the task currently before the pro-life movement.

When asked about the post-Roe panorama, Rose said that "in a way, we're just getting started." 

"The overturning of Roe v. Wade was a tremendous victory, a tremendous milestone for the movement," she said. "But in many ways, it was the beginning of a new war, a fight that we knew was always coming, which was: We have to change culture." 

Rose highlighted the importance of changing hearts and minds, which is the goal of her organization, Live Action.

"Many people don't even know what abortion really is. They don't know the sacredness of their own life or of other lives. They don't know all the resources that exist for women who might become pregnant and be struggling," she explained. "So our job is to educate and help people know the truth and then be that point of hard truth, but also encouragement and inspiration, that there is a better path here for women and for our culture — and that path is life."

Responding to Republican backsliders

Rose noted that in the wake of Roe's overturn, "the Republican Party seems to be softening on life," a move she called "very disappointing because the reality is this is the time to fight more than we ever have for life."

"I'm hoping that whatever fear that is gripping a lot of politicians right now, as we double down on our educational work, our campaigning, we can reinvigorate not just culture but also politics down the line," she added.

When asked how the pro-life movement should respond to the Republican National Committee softening its stance on life, Rose said: "We need to be unafraid." 

"Listen, our job as voters is not to give undying loyalty without any demands to one party or another. That's tribalism. Our job is to vote our conscience. Our job is to speak the truth even when it's popular and unpopular," she said. 

Rose noted that the Trump-Vance ticket is in support of abortion pills, which are used for most abortions in the U.S.

"It's our job to call that out," she said. "That doesn't mean we're going to go vote for the Democrats' side if you're pro-life, because they're even more pro-abortion all the way until birth — but we can't pretend like this is okay."

When asked about the abortion pill versus surgical abortion, Rose said the abortion pills are "indistinguishable, morally speaking, from the surgical abortion procedure." 

"I think we're buying into the abortion industry's lies to pretend like there's a distinction when there's not a distinction," she said. "One is a chemical pill that basically kills the baby via starvation and a forced miscarriage. The other one is a technical procedure that rips the baby into pieces. They're both horrific. They both kill the same baby."

She also noted that the abortion pill "is incredibly traumatic" for women. 

When asked about Vice President Kamala Harris, Rose noted that she is the first presidential candidate in the country's history "to have toured an abortion clinic as part of her campaign." 

"It's extraordinary how pro-abortion Kamala Harris is, and it would be devastating, if she became the president, for the preborn and the cause for the preborn."

When asked if there is such a thing as feminism without abortion, Rose said: "Of course."

"A feminism that rejects the core of what it means to be feminine, woman, motherhood, is an empty and broken feminism," she noted.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 9, 2024 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis conveyed a "message of hope" to Chinese Catholics and expressed his desire to one day visit the Basilica of Holy Mary, the Help of Christians, in Shanghai, China, during an interview released on Friday.

In an interview at the Vatican with Father Pedro Chia, the director of the press office of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus, the pontiff said he would "really want to" conduct an apostolic visit to China to visit the shrine and meet with bishops and Catholics in the country. 

"[The Chinese people] are indeed a faithful people who have gone through so much and remained faithful," Francis said.

The pope added that the Chinese people are descendants of a "great people" and encouraged them not to "waste this heritage" but instead "pass it on with patience." He further expressed a "message of hope" to the faithful in China.

"It seems tautological to send a message of hope to people who are masters of waiting," Francis said. "The Chinese are masters of patience, masters of waiting. … It's a very beautiful thing."

The pope, who is a Jesuit, also provided advice to Jesuit clergy in China. 

"Show the way to God through the spiritual exercises and discernment," Francis said in his message to Chinese Jesuits. "... Walk with the poor [and with] those whose dignity has been violated in a mission of reconciliation and justice and … accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future and … take care of our common home."

At the end of the interview, Francis bestowed a blessing on the Chinese people and prayed for the intercession of Our Lady of Sheshan. 

The interview was conducted on May 24, the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, but not released until Aug. 9. 

No pope has ever visited China, but Francis was the first pope to visit Mongolia, which borders China, in September 2023. 

In 2018, the Vatican signed a confidential agreement with the CCP that would require the regime to consult with the Holy See about the appointment of bishops. That deal was renewed in 2020 and again in 2022.

According to a recent Pew study, the number of Christians in China has leveled after increasing in the 1980s and 1990s, which some observers attribute to a "crackdown" by the communist regime.

Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, told CNA that the declining numbers of China's Christians are "no surprise."

"They correlate with Xi's [Jiping's] crackdown on Christianity, his so-called 'Sinicization' campaign," she said. For the past five years, "the state has strictly banned all children from any exposure to religion, churches have been blanketed with facial-recognition surveillance and linked to social credit scores."

During that time, Bibles have been restricted and censored, Beijing has detained Christian bishops and pastors, and their sermons have been censored to "be on Xi's 'thought,'" Shea said.

On critics and the future of the Church

During the interview with Chia, Francis also commented on criticism he has faced during his papacy.

"Critics are always helpful," the pope said. "Even if they are not constructive, they are always helpful because they make one reflect on one's actions."

"Well, many times you know that you have to wait, to endure and often correct oneself because behind some resistances there can be good criticism," Francis continued. "And sometimes also with pain, because the resistances, as they happen at these moments, are not only against me personally, they are against the Church."

The pontiff also referenced difficulties faced by St. Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Jesuits. 

"The difficulties and resistances that St. Ignatius faced at the beginning were conflicts with people who looked inward and lost their missionary spirit," he said.

The pope also urged Catholics to avoid worldliness and clericalism when reflecting on the future of the Church. He noted that 20th-century Jesuit theologian Father Henri de Lubac warned that worldliness was "the worst evil that can befall the Church" and "even worse than the time of the concubinary popes."

"Some say it will be a smaller, more reduced Church," the pontiff said. "I think the Church must be careful not to fall into the plague of clericalism and the plague of spiritual worldliness."

When asked whether he had any words of advice for the person who succeeds him as pope, Francis gave a simple response: "Pray … because the Lord speaks in the prayer."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 9, 2024 / 15:37 pm (CNA).

Rosario Murillo, wife of dictator Daniel Ortega and vice president of Nicaragua, announced that seven priests left the Central American country and have arrived "safely" at the Vatican.

Without further explanation, Murillo announced that on Aug. 7 "seven Nicaraguan priests left Nicaragua for Rome and arrived safely and were received by the Holy See." 

The audio communiqué was aired by Channel 4 Nicaragua and other pro-government media. Murillo mentioned the priests' departure twice in her nearly 13-minute news briefing, without specifying their names.

Since July 26, a total of nine priests have been detained in the dioceses of Matagalpa, Estelí, and Juigalpa, to be later held in the Interdiocesan Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima in Managua.

According to researcher Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?", the priests detained by the dictatorship are: Monsignor Ulises Vega Matamoros, Monsignor Edgar Sacasa Sierra, Father Víctor Godoy, Father Jairo Pravia Flores, Father Marlon Velásquez, Father Jarvin Torrez, and Father Raúl Villegas, all of them from the clergy of the Diocese of Matagalpa; Fray Silvio Romero from the Diocese of Juigalpa; and Father Frutos Constantino Valle Salmerón from the Diocese of Estelí.

According to the Nicaraguan newspaper Mosaico, on Aug. 7 seven of the nine priests were taken from the seminary and sent to Rome.

The news outlet stated that the whereabouts of Villegas are unknown, while it is believed that Valle Salmerón — administrator "ad omnia" of the Diocese of Estelí in the absence of the exiled apostolic administrator of the diocese, Bishop Rolando Álvarez — was left at the seminary.

Vatican News reported in a news brief the names of the priests who arrived in Rome: Víctor Godoy, Jairo Pravia, Silvio Romero, Edgar Sacasa, Harvin Torres, Ulises Vega, and Marlon Velázquez.

Vatican News also noted that this is the fifth group of priests exiled from Nicaragua: In October 2022 and February 2023 two groups were exiled to the United States, while in October 2023 and January 2024 two other groups left for Rome.

Matagalpa is the diocese of Álvarez, a human rights defender and critic of the dictatorship who was held under house arrest for months and eventually sentenced to 26 years in prison in February 2023 in a controversial judicial process.

He was finally deported in January of this year to Rome, where he now lives in exile.

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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CNA Staff, Aug 9, 2024 / 16:07 pm (CNA).

A former Catholic seminarian in Ohio pleaded guilty this week to charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and faces years in prison.

Broderick Witt entered the guilty plea at Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, where he was facing multiple counts of "pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor." 

Prosecutors had originally charged Witt with 15 counts; he ultimately pleaded guilty to eight of those charges, with the prosecution dropping the remaining seven. 

Court documents indicated the material involved girls as young as 6 years old. 

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati had announced in February of this year that Witt, at the time a student at Mount St. Mary's Seminary and School of Theology in Cincinnati, had been arrested by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department after child pornography had been found in his living quarters. 

"Mr. Witt is no longer a student of this institution, nor a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati," seminary rector Father Anthony Brausch said at the time, adding that the seminary was cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation. 

Witt's sentencing is set for Sept. 5. He faces up to a dozen years in prison for the charges. 

In a statement to CNA, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati pointed to Brausch's February statement in which he said that both the seminary and the archdiocese "have strict policies against, and take significant precautions to prevent, anyone from possessing or accessing material of this type, regardless of whether they are a student, faculty, or staff."

"Discovery of such material will result in immediate termination or dismissal and notification of law enforcement," Brausch said.

Local Cincinnati news station WCPO reported in March that prior to his arrest Witt had "interned" at several local parishes, including doing work with children.

Investigators were initially led to Witt after a tip from the group Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Cincinnati Inquirer reported.

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CNA Staff, Aug 9, 2024 / 16:56 pm (CNA).

A Catholic healing ministry in the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa, has suspended its monthly healing services after the diocese announced this week that "canonical concerns" have been raised "regarding the exercise of ministry" within the organization.

Prairie Fire Ministries, a group that says it received approval from its bishop in 2021, ministers to "people from across the country at the monthly healing service, offering them a transformative encounter with the living God." 

"Due to the nature of these concerns, the diocese and Prairie Fire Ministries have mutually agreed to pause all Prairie Fire ministries and the ministry of affiliate organizations until these concerns have been adequately addressed," a brief Aug. 7 statement from the diocese reads. 

"Both the Diocese of Des Moines and Prairie Fire Ministries leadership intend to address these concerns promptly and with due diligence."

The diocese has not explained what the concerns, which relate to the Church's Code of Canon Law, entail.  

On its website, Prairie Fire Ministries describes its monthly healing services at Des Moines' St. Ambrose Cathedral as an "opportunity to worship the Lord through song, listen to the preaching of the Gospel, pray for the outpouring of healing grace into our community, and receive individual prayer from our prayer teams." 

The Blessed Sacrament is exposed throughout the evening and priests are readily available for reconciliation, the group notes. The service is not a Mass "but rather an opportunity to sing, pray, and experience the movements of the Holy Spirit in his Eucharistic presence."

The group was founded by Tim Jameson, who lives in Des Moines and "speaks nationally on the power of the Holy Spirit and many different topics," the website says. 

On its Facebook page, Prairie Fire Ministries announced that its upcoming healing service scheduled for Aug. 10 has been canceled, and future healing service dates on its website read "TBD."

In a brief emailed statement in response to an inquiry from CNA, the ministry said it is "unable to respond to the canonical issues at this time."

"However, we are following the leadership of the [Diocese of Des Moines] in this matter. Our mission has always been to bring the healing love of Jesus Christ to a hurting world," the email to CNA said.

Healing services are not uncommon in the Catholic Church, which has long recognized that Christ's ability and willingness to heal people's physical ailments, recorded in the Gospels, continues to this day. 

"Large numbers of the sick approached Jesus during his public ministry, either directly or through friends and relatives, seeking the restoration of health. The Lord welcomes their requests and the Gospels contain not even a hint of reproach for these prayers," reads the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's 2000 Instruction on Prayers for Healing.

The Church further acknowledges that praying and trusting God to bring healing does not exclude the use of medical treatments.

"Obviously, recourse to prayer does not exclude but rather encourages the use of effective natural means for preserving and restoring health, as well as leading the Church's sons and daughters to care for the sick, to assist them in body and spirit, and to seek to cure disease," the CDF wrote.

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CNA Staff, Aug 9, 2024 / 17:26 pm (CNA).

David Solomon, a longtime professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame and founder of what is now the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, recently entered the Catholic Church,  according to a former student writing for Word on Fire.

Solomon, who arrived at the university in 1968, came into the Catholic Church earlier this year in what Word on Fire's Christopher Kaczor called "a culmination of a life of study [and] a consolation to his many friends," as well as "an intensification of the union with his wonderful wife, Lou," who became Catholic at the same time.

In a lecture several years ago, Solomon said that he started at the university "not only not a Catholic" but also "as innocent of any real understanding of Catholicism as one could be."

"My view of all things Catholic, such as it was, grew out of a combination of ignorance and prejudice in about equal measure," he said.

The philosophy professor retired in 2016 and holds the title of professor emeritus at the school. At the time of Solomon's retirement, Notre Dame law professor Rick Garnett wrote that it was "impossible to overstate the importance of [his] contributions not only to the formation and education of thousands of Notre Dame students but also to the university's Catholic character and mission."

Solomon was the founding director of what is now the university's de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, which on its website states it is "committed to sharing the richness of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition through teaching, research, and public engagement at the highest level and across a range of disciplines."

Notre Dame history professor Father Bill Miscamble said upon Solomon's retirement that over the course of his tenure at Notre Dame, "few [professors] have been as effective on both the undergraduate and the graduate levels as David Solomon."

"As an undergraduate teacher at Notre Dame, David Solomon aimed to equip his students to confront the range of divisive moral issues that confront them," Miscamble wrote. 

"He aided students to reflect seriously on the very nature and purpose of morality and prepared them to discern well how they should act in light of the profound challenges of our time."

Kaczor, who is a visiting fellow at the de Nicola Center as well as a philosophy professor at Loyola Marymount University, studied under Solomon as a graduate student. He wrote in Word on Fire last month that Solomon's "great kindness to me and others was the best lesson he could give us about the meaning of ethics."

"I think of his example often as I try to mentor students and younger faculty," Kaczor said.

"And now," he added, "Solomon has given us all yet another lesson by his powerful example: to take the next step that God gives us."

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ACI MENA, Aug 9, 2024 / 12:25 pm (CNA).

In a stark departure from the destructive war of 2006, which had political and partly Christian motivations and revealed deep divisions among Christians, Lebanon's Christian community today stands united as the nation teeters on the brink of war. 

With tensions erupting on the southern border, Christian leaders and citizens are presenting a unified front. Despite their varied political allegiances, Christians are collectively refusing to support a war that could further devastate an already struggling country. They recognize the nation's exhausted state and fear it may not recover from another prolonged conflict.

The potential war between Hezbollah and Israel is viewed as a direct continuation of its Gaza forerunner. Christian leaders grasp the gravity of the situation, while everyday Lebanese citizens — struggling to put food on the table, ensure access to medicine, and secure a few hours of electricity — cannot endure more hardships.

Christians withhold their 'blessing'

As the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel intensifies, with recent clashes reaching the southern suburbs of Beirut, the commitment to keep Lebanon out of war becomes increasingly evident. The expanding violence, which could potentially involve Iran, disrupts traditional confrontation patterns and heightens the risk of a broader conflict.

Christian opinion staunchly opposes this escalation, advocating for Lebanese neutrality. 

In response, Christians have called for the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. Adopted unanimously in 2006, this resolution aims to end hostilities and address the Lebanese-Israeli conflict with the assistance of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Bkerke's unwavering position

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rai maintains his stance from Bkerke, the episcopal see of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch of the Maronite Church in Lebanon, emphasizing the importance of keeping Lebanon out of war. The patriarch has consistently cautioned against being drawn into a "blind war" through his sermons and public statements.

Recently, he condemned those he described as "thirsty for blood," stressing that going to war is a serious responsibility. During a Mass honoring St. Charbel on July 20, he reminded thousands of worshippers that Lebanon is a land of holiness, not a place for wars, destruction, and displacement.

Maronite bishops have echoed this position on several occasions. 

At their monthly meeting on Wednesday, they expressed concern about "the repercussions of the conflict in Gaza and southern Lebanon, and the risk of a broader escalation driven by foreign powers with interests unrelated to our homeland." They reiterated that "the only solution for restoring calm and stability is the implementation of U.N. resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701."

A unified position for Christian parties?

Beyond the Church, major Christian political parties seem to share a unified stance, albeit broadly defined. While each party has expressed its position in its way — some with stronger rhetoric and others more cautiously — officials from the Lebanese Forces Party (which opposes Hezbollah and holds the largest Christian bloc in Parliament), the Free Patriotic Movement (a political ally of Hezbollah), and the Lebanese Kataeb Party (which also opposes Hezbollah) have all made it clear: They do not want Lebanon dragged into war.

This stance is set against a backdrop of anxiety and precaution as both Lebanese citizens and the international community await Hezbollah and Iran's potential military response to Israel in the coming days or even hours. The tension is palpable, with tourists and expatriates departing Beirut International Airport following travel advisories from several countries urging their citizens to leave Lebanon and some airlines suspending flights. Additionally, there is a notable wave of displacement from Lebanese border villages and the southern suburbs of Beirut to safer areas within the country.

With Christians firmly opposed to involving Lebanon in a conflict it can ill afford, the question remains: Will the situation be contained to limited exchanges of fire, or will diplomatic efforts fail, plunging the region into a more severe and widespread war?

This article was first published by ACI Mena, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

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