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Vatican City, Oct 2, 2024 / 06:49 am (CNA).

Pope Francis has called for a global day of prayer and fasting on Oct. 7 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel amid escalating violence in the region.

The pope's surprise announcement, made at the end of his homily at Mass in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, comes the morning after Iran launched hundreds of missiles towards Israel following the launch of the Israeli military's ground offensive in Lebanon.

Pope Francis said on Oct. 2 that the Church is always at the service of humanity "especially in his dramatic hour of our history, as the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to ravage entire peoples and nations."

"I ask everyone to take part in a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the world," he said.

Pope Francis also revealed that he will personally go to Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on Sunday to pray the rosary on the eve of the anniversary "to invoke the gift of peace through the intercession of Most Holy Mary."

The pope made his plea for peace during the opening Mass for the second assembly of the Synod on Synodality, which is taking place at the Vatican Oct. 2-27. 

Speaking to the more than 400 priests, bishops, cardinals, and lay Synod delegates gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Mass on the feast of the Guardian Angels, the pope invited the members of the Synod to join him in the Marian basilica to pray the rosary for peace.

"Brothers and sisters, let us resume this ecclesial journey with an eye to the world, for the Christian community is always at the service of humanity, to proclaim the joy of the Gospel to all. We need it, especially in this dramatic hour of our history, as the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to ravage entire peoples and nations," he said.

"To invoke the gift of peace through the intercession of Most Holy Mary, on Sunday I will go to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where I will pray the Holy Rosary and address a heartfelt plea to the Virgin; if possible, I also ask you, members of the Synod, to join me on that occasion."

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has urged the importance of "prayer, fasting and penance" for peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land. The cardinal published a prayer for peace which he has asked Catholics to pray along with the rosary during the Marian month of October.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 1, 2024 / 17:45 pm (CNA).

The Catholic bishops of Georgia have called a court's ruling that a law protecting life beginning at six weeks is unconstitutional a "terrible step backwards" and have asked the faithful to respond through "prayer and action."

The ruling, issued in the state Superior Court for Fulton County on Monday, blocks enforcement of the state's pro-life law, which was enacted in 2022 following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The law, titled the LIFE Act, prohibits abortion after an unborn baby's heartbeat is detectable. The court's ruling means that abortion is now legal in Georgia until 22 weeks of pregnancy.

In a statement shared with CNA on Tuesday, Georgia's five bishops said that "yesterday's ruling to overturn Georgia's abortion ban represents a terrible step backwards in our never-ending efforts to recognize and respect the inherent dignity of every life."

Lamenting the decision, the bishops asked: "How many tiny lives will be extinguished while lawyers appeal and lawmakers debate?"

What did the ruling say?

In the 26-page ruling, Judge Robert McBurney said the six-week law and any pre-viability abortion restriction is arbitrary and unconstitutional.

McBurney was originally appointed by former Republican Gov. Nathan Deal to fill a vacancy in the Fulton County Superior Court in 2012. He was reelected to the court in 2022. 

He said the state could restrict abortion only after viability, which is typically measured at around 23 or 24 weeks. Restrictions before then, McBurney said, violate a pregnant woman's right to liberty and privacy.

McBurney wrote that the definition of liberty includes "the power of a woman to control her own body, to decide what happens to it and in it, and to reject state interference with her health care choices."

Though McBurney said the state may intervene with abortion after viability, he said that "an arbitrary six-week ban is inconsistent with these rights and the proper balance that a viability rule establishes between a woman's rights of liberty and privacy and society's interest in protecting and caring for unborn infants."

"When a fetus growing inside a woman reaches viability, when society can assume care and responsibility for that separate life, then — and only then — may society intervene," he said.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr will be appealing the decision to higher courts, according to CNN. Kara Murray, a representative for Carr, told CNN on Monday that "we believe Georgia's LIFE Act is fully constitutional, and we will immediately appeal the lower court's decision."

Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's office responded to the news: "Once again, the will of Georgians and their representatives has been overruled by the personal beliefs of one judge. Protecting the lives of the most vulnerable among us is one of our most sacred responsibilities," his spokesperson said, according to The Hill.

The LIFE Act, which was passed in 2019, was blocked by McBurney that same year because it violated the precedent set by Roe v. Wade. After the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the Georgia Supreme Court overruled that decision and allowed the law to take effect in 2022.

LIFE Act takes center stage in election

As Election Day approaches, the LIFE Act has taken center stage in the national debate over restrictions on abortion.

The pro-life law has been the target of criticism from Democrats in recent weeks after the left-leaning news outlet ProPublica published several stories blaming the law for the deaths of two women, Amber Thurman, 28, and Candi Miller, 41. The two women died from infections caused by complications after taking abortion pills.

ProPublica reported that Georgia's pro-life law caused medical providers to delay giving Thurman the care necessary to save her life. In Miller's case, ProPublica said she opted not to visit a medical provider "due to the current legislation on pregnancies and abortions."

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris also blamed the law for the deaths of Thurman and Miller, saying in a televised town hall in Atlanta that former president Donald Trump and Republicans were causing a national maternal "health care crisis."

Several doctors, experts, and lawmakers, however, have debunked the idea that the Georgia pro-life law was to blame by pointing out that the law explicitly allows exceptions for abortion in cases in which the mother's life is in danger. This means that Miller and Thurman could have legally been given the care they needed promptly.

Georgia is one of the swing states that will be critical in deciding the outcome of this year's presidential election. Harris has largely focused her pitch to Georgia voters on expanding abortion access in the state and across the country. Trump, meanwhile, has focused his rhetoric on other issues such as the economy and the border.

Bishops call for action

Following Monday's ruling, the Georgia bishops, representing the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah, said that "even as abortion laws are challenged and changed, we will not stand idle."

"We remain committed to helping mothers and fathers facing crisis pregnancies as well as their precious babies. We will advocate for laws to protect those in the margins. We can foster a culture of life in our families and communities. We can demonstrate how sacred each life is in the eyes of God," the bishops said. 

In conclusion, the bishops asked the faithful and "all people of goodwill" to "take this to prayer and action."

"Pray for mothers, fathers, and the unborn. Pray that our leaders will have a change of heart," the bishops said.

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Vatican City, Oct 1, 2024 / 18:30 pm (CNA).

On the eve of the second session of the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis said on Tuesday that the Catholic Church must first acknowledge its sins and ask for forgiveness before it can be credible in carrying out the mission Jesus Christ entrusted to his Church. 

"Sin is always a wound in relationships; our relationship with God, our relationships with our brothers and sisters," the Holy Father said during a penitential liturgy held in St. Peter's Basilica. More than 500 people were in attendance.

"How could we be credible in mission if we do not recognize and acknowledge our mistakes and bend down to heal the wounds we have caused by our sins?" the pope asked.

During the evening penitential celebration, confessions and testimonies were shared by bishops, religious, and laypeople who have been impacted by sins committed against minors, migrants, victims of war and poverty, the environment, Indigenous people, women, and synodality.        

Following each of the 10 confessions and testimonies read aloud during the liturgy was a prayerful petition for forgiveness.

'Sins against peace' 

"I ask forgiveness to God the Father, feeling shame for the lack of courage necessary to seek peace among peoples and nations in recognition of every human life in all its phases," shared Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay, India.

"To make peace, it takes courage," Gracias continued. "Say 'yes' to the encounter [and] 'no' to the clash; 'yes' to the respective agreements and 'no' to provocations."

Sister Dima Fayad also shared her testimony of sins against peace she has witnessed in her homeland Syria.

"Indeed war often manages to bring out the worst side of us. It brings selfishness, violence, and greed to light," she said.

"However, it can also bring out the best in us — the ability to resist, to unite in solidarity, and to not give in to hatred." 

'Sins of abuse' 

Laurence, a South African layman who suffered sexual abuse as a child, said a lack of transparency and accountability by Church authorities had broken the trust of survivors and made his and their journey of healing more difficult.

"For decades, accusations were ignored, covered up or handled internally rather than reported to authorities," he said.

"This lack of accountability has not only allowed abusers to continue their behavior but has also eroded the trust that so many once placed in this institution."

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, former head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, asked forgiveness for those who "used the condition of ordained ministry and consecrated life" to commit sins against children.

"How much shame and pain I feel when considering sexual abuse of minors and of vulnerable persons," he said. "Abuses that have stolen the innocence and profaned the sacredness of those who are weak and helpless."

'Sins against migrants' 

Sara Vatteroni, who works with La Fondazione Migrantes in Tuscany, Italy, stood beside Solange, a migrant from the Ivory Coast, as she shared her testimony before the pope in St. Peter's Basilica. 

"The Mediterranean is considered the most dangerous migration route in the world because an average of six people lose their lives every day," she said.

"It all seems like a brutal game of fate of which we are all spectators because all we can do is wait on the shore for those who survive."

'Sins against creation, against Indigenous populations'

Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, asked forgiveness for sins against the environment and Indigenous populations.

"I ask forgiveness and feel shame for what we, too, the faithful have done to transform creation from a garden into a desert," he stated.

"I ask forgiveness and feel shame for when we have not recognized the right and dignity of every human person, discriminating and exploiting it," he continued.

"I am thinking in particular of the Indigenous peoples and for when we were accomplices in systems that favored slavery and colonialism." 

'Sins against women, family, youth'

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life asked for forgiveness from God on behalf of all people in the Church who failed to recognize or defend the dignity of women who have been exploited and left "mute or subservient."

Farrell also asked forgiveness on behalf of the Church for the times it has judged and condemned the "frailties and wounds of the family" and "stolen hope and love from younger generations" by not supporting their growth and talents.   

'Sins against poverty'

Cardinal Archbishop Cristóbal López Romero of Rabat, Morocco, expressed shame for when members of the Church have turned away from the poor, particularly clerics who "adorn ourselves at the altar with guilty valuables that steal bread from the hungry."

"I ask forgiveness, feeling shame for the inertia that keeps us from accepting the call to be a poor Church of the poor," he said.

'Sins of using doctrine as stones to be hurled'

"I beg forgiveness, feeling shame for all the times we have given doctrinal justification to inhumane treatment," confessed Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

According to Fernández, many pastors "who are entrusted with the task of confirming brothers and sisters in the faith have not been able to guard and propose the Gospel as a living source of eternal newness."

'Sins against synodality; lack of listening, communion, and participation of all'

In light of the wide diversity found within the Catholic Church, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, Austria, lamented the obstacles that prevent "the building of a truly syondal and symphonic Church."

"I ask forgiveness, feeling shame for when we have transformed authority into power, suffocating plurality, not listening to the people, making it difficult for brothers and sisters to participate in the mission of the Church," he said.

The second and last session of the global discernment phase of the Synod of Synodality will commence on Wednesday morning, Oct. 2, with the celebration of Mass with Pope Francis.

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ACI MENA, Oct 1, 2024 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

An ongoing military escalation between Hezbollah and Israel has resulted in a massive displacement crisis. The situation is dire, affecting many regions in Lebanon.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs), primarily from the south and the southern suburbs of Beirut, are facing numerous challenges. There are "as many as a million people," according to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

This humanitarian crisis has overwhelmed the state's capacity to help so local and international aid organizations are stepping up to assist displaced people who have moved to shelters across the country. Among these organizations is Caritas Lebanon, which is mobilizing aid on multiple fronts.

In an interview with ACI Mena, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, Father Michel Abboud, president of the Caritas Lebanon Association, explained how Caritas provides help.

"Our organization is addressing the displacement crisis through a comprehensive emergency response strategy in its various regions of operations," he said. "Through coordinating efforts with local and international organizations and relying on a network of volunteers and administrators across different regions, Caritas provides humanitarian support and meets the needs of the displaced as much as possible."

Abboud said Caritas had prepared a response for the potential crisis in advance, but recent events exceeded everyone's projections. "Therefore, we are doing our part to preserve the lives of these displaced people," Abboud said.

Regarding the aid provided by Caritas in the shelters, the priest said: "We provide a wide range of services, including hot and canned food, drinking water, and primary health care services. We have also started providing psychological support. Psychologists are entering the shelters and listening to people's needs. We are also working to provide a safe environment for children by organizing recreational programs."

When asked about the sustainability of services in the event of a prolonged escalation, Abboud said: "Caritas is working to strengthen its relief capacity through cooperation with its local and international partners to ensure the essential commodities to address the crisis. However, sustaining our capabilities depends on continued support and donations. If the escalation prolongs, we will face significant challenges, but we are constantly developing alternative emergency plans, increasing our stocks, and securing the necessary funds to meet the needs of the most vulnerable for as long as possible."

"In all our work, we rely on divine providence in our journey and mission," Abboud said, "and he never leaves us… Caritas relies on God in its efforts to meet the needs of his people."

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

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ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 30, 2024 / 17:53 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has announced it will carry out an apostolic visitation to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), an institution whose priests celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) and which is in full communion with the Catholic Church.

The FSSP should not be confused with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist group that is not in full communion with the Catholic Church and which has an irregular canonical status.

The Sept. 30 statement from the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life says that "it has called for an apostolic visitation to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter … in order to deepen the understanding of this society of apostolic life of pontifical right and to offer the most appropriate support to its journey of following Christ."

The apostolic visit, says the text signed by the prefect of the dicastery, Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, and Sister Simona Brambilla, the dicastery's secretary, is taking place "in the context of the process of accompanying the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life that were previously established by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei and which Pope Francis' motu proprio Traditionis Custodes has placed under the jurisdiction of this dicastery."

In a statement published by the FSSP on Sept. 26, the institution specified that "as the prefect of this dicastery himself made clear to the superior general and his assistants during a meeting in Rome, this visit does not originate in any problems of the fraternity but is intended to enable the dicastery to know who we are, how we are doing, and how we live so as to provide us with any help we may need."

"The last ordinary apostolic visit of the fraternity was undertaken in 2014 by the Ecclesia Dei commission," the statement added.

What is the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter?

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter states on its website that it is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right whose priests "work together for a common mission in the Catholic Church, under the authority of the Holy See."

In its apostolate and mission, the FSSP uses "the liturgical books in force in 1962," meaning it celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass, "as specified in its decree of erection of 1988, confirmed by decree of Pope Francis dated Feb. 11, 2022."

In February 2022 the Holy Father authorized the FSSP to continue celebrating the TLM, but he also encouraged them to reflect on what is established in Traditionis Custodes. The authorization was then confirmed by the Holy Father himself in March of this year.

The general house of the FSSP is in Fribourg, Switzerland, and has about 368 priests and 201 seminarians. The society has eight members in Mexico, 10 in Chile, 13 in Spain, and a group of 25 in Canada.

What is the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei?

The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei was created by Pope John Paul II in 1988 to dialogue with the Lefebvrists and to facilitate full communion with the Catholic Church for those "linked in various ways to the society founded by Archbishop [Marcel] Lefebvre" (the SSPX).

The Vatican further noted that "the pontifical commission exercises the authority of the Holy See over the various religious institutes and communities erected by it, which have as their own rite the 'extraordinary form' of the Roman rite [TLM] and preserve the preceding traditions of religious life."

Pope Francis' motu proprio Traditionis Custodes

The Vatican published Pope Francis' motu proprio Traditionis Custodes on July 16, 2021. The text severely limits the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (extraordinary form), or Tridentine Mass, i.e. celebrated with the 1962 missal.

Pope Francis thus modified the provisions given by Pope Benedict XVI in his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, which in 2007 had liberalized the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.

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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Aboard the papal plane, Sep 29, 2024 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

Aboard the papal plane to Rome on Sunday, Pope Francis responded to criticism of remarks he made about women during a Sept. 28 visit to a Catholic university in Louvain, Belgium, saying it is an "obtuse mind" that intentionally misunderstands his position.

In a meeting with students of the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Francis reflected at length on the role of women in the Church, saying: "What characterizes women, that which is truly feminine, is not stipulated by consensus or ideologies, just as dignity itself is ensured not by laws written on paper, but by an original law written on our hearts."

"Womanhood speaks to us of fruitful welcome, nurturing and life-giving dedication. For this reason, a woman is more important than a man, but it is terrible when a woman wants to be a man: No, she is a woman, and this is 'heavy' and important," he said. 

"Let us be more attentive to the many daily expressions of this love," the pontiff continued, "from friendship to the workplace, from studies to the exercise of responsibility in the Church and society, from marriage to motherhood, or from virginity to the service of others and the building up of the kingdom of God."

In a press release issued just moments after the pope's speech, UCLouvain criticized Francis' remarks on women as "conservative" and "deterministic and reductive."

The university said it "expresses its incomprehension and disapproval of the position expressed by Pope Francis regarding the role of women in the Church and in society."

The university took particular issue with the pontiff's comment that "woman is a fertile welcome, care, vital devotion," which the Vatican's official English version of the speech translated as "fruitful welcome, nurturing, and life-giving dedication."

"UCLouvain is an inclusive university and committed to the fight against sexist and sexual violence," the release stated. "It reaffirms its desire for everyone to flourish within it and in society, whatever their origins, gender, or sexual orientation. It calls on the Church to follow the same path, without any form of discrimination."

During the in-flight press conference returning from Belgium, Italian journalist Annachiara Valle of the magazine Famiglia Cristiana asked for the pope's response to the university's criticisms.

Pope Francis called the press release "premade" and "not moral" for having been written "in the moment in which I spoke."

"I always talk about the dignity of women," he said. "I said something that I cannot say about men: The Church is woman, she is the bride of Jesus. To masculinize women is not human. Women, I always say, are more important than men, because the Church is the bride of Jesus."

He said if this seems "conservative" to some people, it is because they do not understand, or "there is an obtuse mind that does not want to hear about this."

Reiterating his many past statements on the Marian and Petrine theological principles defining the different roles of men and women in the Church, Francis also praised "the mysticism of woman [as] greater than" ordained ministries such as priests or deacons.

Abuse

In the press conference, journalist Andrea Vreede of the Dutch NOS TV asked Pope Francis about abuse and how the Vatican might better respond to the needs and requests of victims. 

Pope Francis pointed out that an institution already exists within the Vatican on this issue, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, and recalled that he has many times personally received abuse victims, listening to them and wishing them well.

"I give them strength so that they can go forward," he said. "We have a responsibility to help the abused and to take care of them. … and to punish the abusers."

"We must take care of people who have been abused and punish the abusers, because abuse is not a sin of today that perhaps tomorrow will not exist," the pope said. "It's a trend; it's a psychiatric illness, and for this reason, we must offer them treatment and monitor them."

"You cannot leave an abuser free like that in normal life with responsibility in the parishes, in the schools," he said.

The pontiff also said he told the Belgian bishops to not be afraid but to keep moving forward after their past failures to properly punish abuse. 

The pope's comments come on the heels of his decision to laicize former Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe many years after the former prelate admitted to repeatedly sexually abusing his nephews. A previous archbishop of Brussels, the late Cardinal Godfried Danneels, reportedly encouraged a victim of Vangheluwe's abuse to remain silent.

The Catholic Church in Belgium is facing a significant decline in public trust. Only 50% of Belgians identified as Catholic in 2022, a drop of 16% from a decade earlier, with only 8.9% attending Mass at least once a month.

According to a recent report, the number of Catholics requesting to have their names removed from baptismal registers rose to 1,270 in 2023.

The visit by Pope Francis follows a series of scandals that have plagued the Belgian Church, culminating in a devastating report released in 2010 that revealed that more than 500 individuals had come forward with allegations of abuse by priests. The fallout from these revelations has led to significant scrutiny of Church leadership and practices, with many calling for a more transparent approach to handling abuse allegations.

A recent documentary, "Godvergeten" ("Godforsaken"), aired on Belgian television showcasing victims sharing their harrowing stories, further fueling public outrage and prompting investigations into the Church's practices.

On his first night in Belgium, Pope Francis spent two hours in individual conversations with 17 victims of sexual abuse by priests.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the participants in the meeting shared with Pope Francis "their stories and their sorrows and expressed their expectations regarding the Church's commitment against abuse."

The pope "expressed gratitude for their courage and the feeling of shame for what they suffered as children because of the priests to whom they were entrusted."

Earlier in the day, Francis had addressed the Catholic Church's long-standing clerical abuse crisis in Belgium during a meeting with around 300 dignitaries, including King Philippe and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, at Laeken Castle.

He declared that "the Church should be ashamed" and must seek forgiveness for its failures. Child abuse is "a scourge that the Church is tackling resolutely and firmly, listening to and accompanying the wounded and implementing a widespread prevention program throughout the world," he added.

The pope also addressed the topic of abuse at Mass in Belgium's national stadium in Brussels on Sunday.

He urged the Belgian bishops to bring the evil of abuse to light and not to cover up abuse. "Let the abuser be judged — whether a laywoman, layman, priest, or bishops, let him be judged," he said in his homily on Sept. 29.

Abortion 

On the flight, Francis also responded to a question from journalist Valerie Dupont of Radio Télévision Belge about abortion, who said people in Belgium were astonished by his words at the tomb of King Baudouin.

"You know that astonishment is the beginning of philosophy," the pope quipped in response.

The pontiff had called laws legalizing abortion "murderous" and "criminal" during a visit Sept. 28 to the tomb of the Belgian King Baudouin in the royal crypt of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels.

King Baudouin chose to temporarily abdicate the throne rather than sign a law legalizing abortion in 1990. His cause is currently open and the pope announced after Mass on Sept. 29 he would speed up the beatification process for the king who ruled from 1951 until his death in 1993 at the age of 63.

Dupont said some people saw the pope's comments at the former king's tomb as "a political interference in the democratic life of Belgium."

She also asked about the sainthood cause of the king and "how can we make the right to life and the right of women to have a life without suffering coincide?"

In his response, Pope Francis repeated that the choice of King Baudouin to abdicate for three days in order not to sign a "law of death" was "courageous" and exceptional, adding that the Catholic king was able to do this because he was holy. "The process of beatification will go forward because they gave me proof of this," he said.

"Women have a right to life, to their life, and to the life of their children. Let's not forget to say this," the pontiff continued on the papal plane. "An abortion is a homicide. … it kills a human being. The doctors who carry this out are hitmen … And on this there is no debate."

"Women have the right to protect life," he said, adding that contraceptives "are another thing. Do not confuse them. I speak only about abortion and you cannot debate this. I'm sorry but it's the truth."

Pope Francis' comments on abortion come as Belgium discusses whether to extend the country's legal limit of abortion, which is up to the 12th week of pregnancy.

Notably, however, he did not bring up during his trip a different pro-life issue — euthanasia and assisted suicide — despite Belgium having some of the most liberal euthanasia laws in the world.

Papal trip

Pope Francis' comments on the flight back to Rome came at the end of a four-day visit to the small European countries of Luxembourg and Belgium, where he greeted royal leaders, prime ministers, professors and students, and Catholics in some of the countries' historic palaces, cathedrals, and universities.

During a one-day stop in the tiny but wealthy Luxembourg on Sept. 26, the pope met with local leaders, including the Catholic Grand Duke Henri and his wife, Grand Duchess María Teresa, and with government authorities and politicians.

The pontiff also held an audience with Catholics in the Gothic 17th-century Notre-Dame Cathedral, in which he emphasized the historically Catholic country's need to evangelize Europe in the face of rapidly growing secularization.

He told journalists aboard the papal plane Sept. 29 that he was not very familiar with Luxembourg before visiting but the country "impressed" him as a "balanced society with well measured laws and high culture."

From there, Pope Francis took a 55-minute flight to neighboring Belgium, where he visited three cities Sept. 26–29 to mark the 600th anniversary of the Catholic universities of Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve.

In Belgium, besides official meetings with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, with political leaders, and with Catholic clergy, the pope also made a number of off-program stops.

On Friday, he went to St. Joseph Care Home, a residence for elderly facing economic difficulties run by the Little Sisters of Charity.

On the morning of Sept. 28, he had breakfast with a group of 10 homeless people and migrants at the St. Giles Parish, had a private meeting with local Jesuits, and prayed in front of the tomb of the Catholic Belgian King Baudouin, who temporarily abdicated his throne in 1990 rather than sign a law legalizing abortion.

He also made a surprise visit Saturday evening to a gathering of young people. The event "Hope Happening" was organized during the weekend of the papal visit.

In brief off-the-cuff remarks, Pope Francis encouraged the over 5,000 teens and young adults in attendance at the youth encounter to pray, to "make noise," to not be lazy, and to help others.

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

The Archdiocese of Boston broke ground last week on a 19-story affordable housing project in downtown Boston.

The archdiocesan Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA) is partnering with the largest day shelter in Massachusetts, St. Francis House, a secular nonprofit that serves about 9,000 individuals annually, to build the residential apartments. Work began on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

The development, located on La Grange Street, is set to include 126 units, about 70 of which will be reserved for people coming out of homelessness. The unit is mixed income, meaning that the shelter will house a variety of middle- and low-income families and individuals.

 

The development comes amid an increasing homeless problem in Boston as well as an affordable housing crisis in Massachusetts. The city has seen growing homelessness since 2022 and had a 10.6% increase in the homeless population from 2023 to 2024, according to the annual Homeless Census by the Boston Mayor's Office of Housing. 

Massachusetts, meanwhile, has a rental housing shortage for extremely low-income households, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

"That's a problem across the board for people that are working-class families, middle-income families; [they] are having a hard time keeping a roof over their heads and providing for their families," St. Francis House CEO Karen LaFrazia told CNA. "Then it's almost impossible for anybody who falls into homelessness, that's extremely low income, to ever find a market-rate apartment."

"Almost every day, there is an article or story highlighting the high cost of housing, the lack of meaningful affordable rental opportunities, or the zoning restrictions in place that inhibit development, and the impact that each of these has had on individuals, families, and our communities, in Boston especially," Bill Grogan, the president of POUA, told CNA. 

"It has created the moral, humanitarian, and societal crisis that we find ourselves in today," he said.

"It's about building on our common humanity and creating opportunities for people to become neighbors," LaFrazia told CNA. "We live in an increasingly more polarized world and that is creating divisions between people, and one of the best ways to bring people together is to construct opportunities for people whose lives wouldn't naturally intersect."

LaFrazia noted that the housing, which will feature 68 studio apartments, 21 one-bedroom units, and 37 two-bedroom units, is high quality and comparable to the housing in the surrounding areas.  

Grogan said the joint venture between the archdiocese and St. Francis House "represents a unique partnership between experienced, high-quality nonprofit organizations with long track records of serving at-risk and vulnerable populations."

The two organizations have worked together before, rehabilitating a historic building in downtown Boston into 46 units of affordable housing as well as St. Francis House offices with resources and support designed to "provide opportunities for homeless individuals," Grogan noted.

"LaGrange Street builds off of our partnership with St. Francis House, combining our development expertise with their expertise as a service provider," Grogan said. 

St. Francis House was originally founded by the Francsican order at St. Anthony's Shrine in downtown Boston. It grew into a daytime shelter that provides basic necessities, such as meals, showers, and clothing, as well as support for behavior, health, or medical issues and job search help. 

Though it is a secular organization, LaFrazia said they wanted to work with a group that shared their values, so they are collaborating with the Archdiocese of Boston. 

LaFrazia said faith informs her personally in her work.

"Many of us come to this work from a faith perspective, and that is what certainly drives me," she said. "But we welcome people of all faiths, of all faith traditions. And I think that our welcoming of people of all faiths is in many ways informed by our faith."

"We look at every human being that we encounter as our brother and sister: They're somebody's brother, somebody's sister, somebody's mother, somebody's child. And so we model our work in that way," LaFrazia continued. "We can take from Matthew 25 that informs us to be able to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, and we do that."

"People come to us. They may have challenges, but we don't just see the way they present and stand in judgment," she continued.

"We see their humanity, and we're compelled to welcome that person as Christ would into our home, and then to treat them with respect, with dignity, to acknowledge their value as a human being, and then do everything we can to create opportunities for them to be able to thrive and have a quality of life that they deserve."

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Vatican City, Sep 28, 2024 / 12:45 pm (CNA).

A "crisis of faith" in the West requires a return to the Gospel, Pope Francis told Belgian bishops on Saturday morning at the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels.

Addressing more than 2,500 priests, deacons, religious sisters, seminarians, catechists, and bishops gathered inside the basilica, the pope emphasized the urgency of evangelization in Europe.

"The changes in our time and the crisis of faith we are experiencing in the West have impelled us to return to what is essential, namely the Gospel," Pope Francis said.

"The good news that Jesus brought to the world must once again be proclaimed to all and allowed to shine forth in all its beauty," he added.

The pope's remarks come at a critical time for the Catholic Church in Belgium, which is facing significant declines in public trust and participation. 

Only 50% of Belgians identified as Catholic in 2022, a decline of 16% from 10 years prior. Attendance at Mass has also dropped significantly, with only 8.9% of the population attending at least once a month. 

The pope noted that the current crisis reflects a significant shift in the Church's role in society. 

"We have moved from a Christianity located within a welcoming social framework to a 'minority' Christianity, or … a Christianity of witness," he said. 

This transformation, he argued, requires priests "who are in love with Jesus Christ and who are attentive to responding to the often implicit demands of the Gospel as they walk with God's holy people."

Pope Francis was welcomed to the basilica by Archbishop Luc Terlinden of Malines-Brussels, who highlighted the historical contributions of Belgian missionaries, including St. Damien of Molokai, who was beatified in the basilica in 1995.

Located atop Koekelberg hill, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart is the fifth largest Catholic church in the world, according to the Vatican. Inspired after a visit to Paris' Sacred Heart basilica, Belgium's King Leopold II called for the construction of the basilica. The king himself laid the first stone in 1905, but the basilica was not finished until 1970 as construction was halted during the two World Wars.

During the meeting at the basilica with local Belgian Catholics, Pope Francis reflected on the upcoming second Vatican assembly of the Synod on Synodality, scheduled to begin on October 2.

When asked by Dr. Arnaud Join-Lambert, a theologian on the Synod secretariat's Methodology Commission, about the future of synodality in the secularized West, the pope responded that "the synodal process must involve returning to the Gospel."

Pope Francis underlined that synodality should not be "about prioritizing 'fashionable' reforms, but asking, how can we bring the Gospel to a society that is no longer listening or has distanced itself from the faith?"

The wounds of abuse

In Belgium, the "crisis of faith" has gone hand in hand with revelations of clerical abuse by Church leadership. 

At the basilica, the pope listened intently to testimonies from various church representatives, including Mia De Schamphelaere, who works with victims of abuse in Flanders.

"When the first major abuse crisis erupted in our Church in 2010, following a bishop's confession of abuse, the social upheaval was great," she said.

"There followed a flood of reports from victims who testified, sometimes for the first time in their lives, that they had been abused at a young age by a priest or religious person. Like many citizens, we felt horror, sadness, and helplessness. We were also shocked and ashamed as believers."

Earlier this year, Pope Francis laicized former Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe many years after the former prelate admitted to repeatedly sexually abusing his nephews. A previous archbishop of Brussels, the late Cardinal Godfried Danneels, reportedly called on a victim of Vangheluwe's abuse to remain silent.

De Schamphelaere poignantly shared with the pope the traumatic impact of the abuse crisis. 

"Victims of abuse at a young age bring with them lifelong suffering. How can the Church see, recognize, and learn from the wounds of survivors?" she asked. 

In response, the pope emphasized the necessity of mercy and compassion. "There is a need for a great deal of mercy to keep us from hardening our hearts before the suffering of victims," he stated. He urged the Church to be "at the service of all without belittling anyone," acknowledging that the roots of violence often stem from an abuse of power.

Pope Francis met personally with 17 victims of clerical abuse in Belgium for more than two hours on Friday night at the apostolic nunciature in Brussels where he listened to their stories and their expectations regarding the Church's commitment against abuse, according to the Holy See Press Office.

It was one of many meetings in Belgium not included in the pope's official schedule. The pope also received European Union and World Health Organization representatives at the nunciature on Saturday morning before making a quick surprise stop at the Church of Saint Gilles in Brussels to visit the homeless assisted by the parish. 

Pope Francis was gifted with some beer brewed by the parish, the profits of which are used to support their service to the homeless.

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Vatican City, Sep 28, 2024 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis lauded Belgian King Baudouin for choosing to temporarily abdicate the throne rather than sign a law legalizing abortion during a visit to the Catholic king's tomb on Saturday in Belgium.

The pope also expressed hope that the sainthood cause for King Baudouin, who ruled as King of the Belgians from 1951 until 1993, will advance.

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis praised King Baudouin's courage for choosing to "leave his place as king in order not to sign a murderous law."

"The pope urged Belgians to look to him at this time when criminal laws are still being made," the Holy See Press Office said. 

After addressing Belgian bishops in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels on Sept. 28, Pope Francis visited the basilica's royal crypt named after Our Lady of Laeken, where many members of the Royal House of Belgium are buried.  

Welcomed by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, the pope spent a moment in silent prayer before the tomb of King Baudouin in the crypt before lauding his witness to the protection of life.

Pope Francis' comments about "murderous" and "criminal" laws come amid discussions about whether to extend the legal limit of abortion in Belgium, a country that also has some of the most liberal euthanasia laws in the world.

When abortion was first legalized in Belgium in 1990, King Baudouin chose to abdicate from his duties as King of the Belgians from April 3 to 5 in order not to sign the bill into law. When Baudouin died at the age of 63 in 1993, he had reigned continuously for 42 years except for those three days.

In the months before the abortion law was passed, Baudouin and his devout wife, Queen Fabiola, made a pilgrimage to the Holy House of Loreto, Italy, and asked the Blessed Virgin Mary for the courage to fight against the abortion law that was then under discussion, according to an article published by the Italian bishops' newspaper Avvenire in 2019.

During their pilgrimage to Loreto on their 30th wedding anniversary, the couple renewed their wedding vows within the walls of the Holy House. 

King Baudouin and his wife suffered from years of infertility. Fabiola was pregnant five times, and lost all of their children during pregnancy. The couple found strength amid this cross in the Eucharist. According to the testament of the chaplain of the Belgian Court, the couple attended daily Mass together.

While speaking with the Franciscan friars who serve at the Marian shrine in Loreto, Baudouin reportedly spoke about how he could not be a father as he would have liked and felt that he could not sign a law that would end the life of a child. He said that he and his wife placed their destinies in the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary asking for courage and strength amid this trial.

Following John Paul II's visit to Belgium in 1995, the Polish pope also had words of praise for the late King Baudouin.

"I am thinking of the recently deceased King Baudouin, whom I had the good fortune to meet several times, not only during my previous visit to Belgium but also in Rome," John Paul II said during a general audience on June 7, 1995.

"He was a great guardian of the rights of the human conscience, ready to defend the divine commandments, and especially the Fifth Commandment: 'Thou shalt not kill,' especially with regard to the protection of the life of unborn children."

Andrea Gagliarducci contributed to this report from Brussels, Belgium.

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Ann Arbor, Michigan, Sep 28, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

For centuries Christians have attributed a first-century date to the Shroud of Turin. Nuclear engineer Robert Rucker says that his latest research on the shroud verifies that.

"The Shroud of Turin is the second-most valuable possession of the human race next to the Bible itself," Rucker told CNA. The shroud is currently preserved in the Chapel of the Holy Shroud adjacent to St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Turin (Torino), Italy.

For more than 10 years, Rucker has studied the physics of the disappearance of the body of Jesus and its imprint on the shroud. His website, Shroud Research, challenges conclusions that the shroud dates to the period of 1260 to 1380 A.D., leading skeptics to conclude it is a medieval fake.

In 1988, scientists used tiny samples snipped from the shroud to determine the amount of carbon 14 isotopes they contained, destroying the samples in the process. The radioactive carbon 14 isotope is a variant of carbon-containing excess neutrons, which are particles smaller than atoms. Over time, carbon 14 decays into nitrogen 14 in organic materials such as bone and plant matter. The ratio of carbon 14 atoms remaining in a sample provides the data needed to estimate the sample's age.

Rucker said his calculations show that the 1988 carbon 14 dating is erroneous because it does not take into account the radiation emitted from Jesus' body at the resurrection, which included neutrons that were absorbed by the shroud and formed new carbon 14 atoms, thus leading to a misinterpretation of the data. 

"Carbon 14 dates can be vastly wrong if something has changed the ratio of c-14 to c-12 in the sample, other than the decay of the carbon 14," Rucker explained. "There have been six different explanations for the carbon date of 1260-1380. The first explanation was in a letter to the editor of Nature magazine in 1989. Tom Philips, who holds a Ph.D. in particle physics, suggested to Nature that the most obvious explanation is that new carbon 14 atoms were produced by neutron absorption" in the shroud.

"That proposal," Rucker said, "was never followed up on until I did the nuclear analysis computer calculations in 2014."

Rucker will offer a workshop about his research on Oct. 6-7 at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor as well as professional engineering certificates in nuclear engineering and mechanical engineering.

Bolstering his credentials are 38 years of experience in the nuclear power industry, which called for making nuclear analysis computer calculations related to nuclear reactor design and statistical analysis of experimental data. He has been researching the shroud since 2013 and has conducted nuclear analysis computer calculations related to its date.

Paola Conti-Puorger, who holds a doctorate in aerospace engineering and a postgraduate degree in shroud studies from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, is a parishioner of St. Thomas and manages its permanent Othonia exhibit on the shroud, which includes a photographic reproduction, a 3D hologram, and a bronze likeness of Jesus lying in the tomb before his resurrection, as revealed by the imprint on the shroud.

Othonia is a research center based in Rome devoted to preserving, promoting, and disseminating knowledge about the shroud. It is part of the Science and Faith Institute within the Athenaeum.

"Rucker has studied the shroud for years and can offer an authoritative word about the scientific research on it," she told CNA.

"The shroud is the very best news we can receive in this life: that our sins are forgiven, that we are loved, that we have an important dignity, that we are called to this image within ourselves, and that we are called to love with the same love. This is the truth and real happiness of humanity," Conti-Puorger said.

"It is like contemplating the Gospel and seeing it very alive. Like the Eucharist, Christ's body and blood are there. This is a living presence. It's not a relic," she said.

In 2015, Pope Francis prayed before the shroud and during an Angelus address said: "The shroud attracts [us] toward the martyred face and body of Jesus."

He continued: "At the same time, it pushes [us] toward the face of every suffering and unjustly persecuted person. It pushes us in the same direction as the gift of Jesus' love." 

Neither the pope nor his immediate predecessors have made any pronouncements on the authenticity of the shroud.

The shroud has been venerated for centuries in northern Italy where it was guarded by the powerful Savoy family. In 1983, ownership was granted to the pope. When it was exhibited in 1898, permission was granted for photography. It was shown to be a natural negative image and beyond the competence of a medieval forger.

In 1981, an international team of scientists with the Shroud of Turin Research Project determined that the image shows a "scourged, crucified man" not produced by an artist. They said it tested positive for blood. But how the image was produced is a problem that "remains unsolved."

"The shroud came searching for us," Conti-Puorger said. "It came to St. Thomas providentially, so I think it is the Lord himself who is calling people to come."  

"There are people searching for many things," Father Bill Ashbaugh, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, told CNA. "They often think that science contradicts faith. But it's just the opposite. Science is a help to faith."

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