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Vatican City, Aug 21, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis said Wednesday the person who lives with joy his anointing in the sacrament of confirmation cannot help but spread the fragrance of holiness in the Church and the world.

"We know that, unfortunately, sometimes Christians do not spread the fragrance of Christ, but the bad odor of their own sin," the pope also warned during the general audience Aug. 21, adding that "sin turns us into bad oil."

During his weekly public audience in the Vatican's Pope Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis continued a series of lessons on the Holy Spirit, focusing on the fruits of being anointed with the blessed oil called Chrism in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.

The audience hall brimmed over with thousands of pilgrims from around the world, some of whom held flags from their countries or waved colored bandanas, eager to catch a sight of the pope.

At the end of the meeting, before praying the "Our Father" and giving his blessing, the pontiff remembered certain countries and territories experiencing war, including Ukraine, Myanmar, South Sudan, and the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Let us pray for peace," he said, "and let's not forget Palestine and Israel, that there will be peace there."

In his catechesis, Pope Francis recalled the baptism of Christ, when "the very Spirit descended on Jesus."

Christians, he explained, are "anointed in imitation of Christ," as St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote in his Mystagogical Catecheses.

The pope recited the prayer said by the bishop when he consecrates the chrism oil on Holy Thursday: "May those formed into a temple of your majesty by the holiness infused through this anointing and by the cleansing of the stain of their first birth be made fragrant with the innocence of a life pleasing to you."

"A person who lives his anointing with joy gives fragrance to the Church, gives fragrance to the community, gives fragrance to his family," the pontiff said.

Quoting from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians, Francis said, "the fragrance of Christ emanates from the 'fruits of the Spirit,' which are 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.'"

"It's beautiful to find a good person, a faithful person, a meek person, not proud," he commented.

Sin, the pope emphasized, "must not distract us from the commitment of realizing, as far as we are able and each in their own environment, this sublime vocation of being the good fragrance of Christ in the world."

"Let us ask the Holy Spirit to make us more conscious [of being] anointed, anointed by him," he concluded.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 20, 2024 / 18:06 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich praised the boldness and the faithfulness of the Catholic Church in Africa after a pilgrimage the prelate took to the west African country Benin last week.

"The Church in Africa is a Church that knows its own value and is not afraid to speak," Hollerich, a leading organizer of the Vatican's Synod on Synodality, told La Croix International, a French Catholic newspaper.

Hollerich, who serves as the relator general of the synod, participated in the annual Marian pilgrimage to the Notre-Dame d'Arigbo cave in Dassa-Zoumè. 

The prelate told La Croix that the Church in Africa is one that is "alive and full of faith" and that he came to "learn," adding: "I am looking at this Church as a pastor from a European Church to see how we can move forward in the future." He noted the "joy" seen in the celebrations in Africa, which he contrasted with European celebrations that he said "are sometimes very dull."

"People do not always participate with their hearts," the cardinal, who has served as archbishop of Luxembourg since 2011, explained. "It becomes merely a ceremony — a rite. However, here in Africa, what is done is magnificent. Even the pilgrimage I am attending shows this participation and deep faith in Africa. In Europe, we speak more of tradition than of faith. But tradition is only understood when there is faith to interpret it. So, it is beautiful to see the faith as it is lived in Africa."

The Catholic hierarchy in Africa often leans more traditional and conservative than the hierarchy throughout the Western world. Earlier this year, African bishops declined to implement a Vatican directive that sanctioned "spontaneous" pastoral blessings for "same-sex couples" and other couples in "irregular situations."

The Vatican declaration, Fiducia Supplicans, maintained a ban on liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, did not allow recognition of civil unions, and instructed the clergy to not take any actions that could make the blessings appear like a marriage. Less than a month later, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar issued a statement that said there would be "no blessing for homosexual couples in the African churches."

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who heads the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, had earlier granted leeway to Church hierarchy in enforcing the directive, saying: "It's proper for each local bishop to make that discernment."

Pope Francis later said Africa was "a special case," because "for them, homosexuality is something 'ugly' from a cultural point of view; they do not tolerate it."

Hollerich addressed the issue of the upcoming Synod on Synodality, which is scheduled to meet for its concluding session from Oct. 2 to Oct. 27, at which point officials will produce a final report to deliver to Pope Francis.

"My role … is to ensure that everyone is heard, that there are no political machinations within the Church, but that all the people of God, from all continents, are listened to and that the entire Church can journey together," Hollerich said in the interview. 

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 20, 2024 / 18:26 pm (CNA).

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago have approved a party platform that doubles down on support for abortion, IVF, and "gender-affirming health care."

The platform is an aspirational document drafted and approved by party delegates during election years. It is meant to outline the party's policy goals for the coming years.

The new platform, which is 91 pages long and mentions abortion nearly three times more than the 2020 platform, was approved in an overwhelming voice vote on the first night of the convention.

Here are some highlights that are especially relevant to Catholics.

Enshrine Roe v. Wade

While the 2020 platform expressed that "every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion," the 2024 platform goes further by explicitly calling for the enshrinement of abortion into national law by making Roe v. Wade the law of the land.

The plank on "reproductive freedom" blames former President Donald Trump for Roe's overturn and claims that if elected he would "ban abortion nationwide."

"President [Joe] Biden, Vice President [Kamala] Harris, and Democrats are committed to restoring the reproductive rights Trump ripped away," the platform says. "We will pass national legislation to make Roe the law of the land again."

This focus on abortion is consistent with the new Democratic presidential nominee Harris' prioritization of abortion as a central campaign issue.

The platform promises that a Harris-Walz administration would "support access to FDA-approved medication abortion, appoint leaders at the FDA who respect science, and appoint judges who uphold fundamental freedoms."

Like previous versions of the Democratic platform, the 2024 platform pledges to eliminate the Hyde Amendment, a long-standing measure that bans federal tax dollars from being used for abortion.

This comes after Republicans approved a 2024 platform that softened its stance on abortion by removing a "right to life" plank and a call for a national law protecting unborn life from the platform.

Protect IVF

While the 2020 platform did not mention in vitro fertilization (IVF), the new platform mentions it six times.

IVF is a fertility procedure to conceive a child outside of the sexual act. The Catholic Church holds that IVF is "morally unacceptable" because it separates the marriage act from procreation and establishes "the domination of technology" over human life.

IVF has become a hot topic since a February ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court determined unborn babies conceived through IVF to be human children protected by state law. Since the ruling, many leading Republicans and Democrats have firmly denounced limits on IVF and advocated for expanded IVF protections.

The platform accuses Republicans of "openly attacking" IVF and promises that a Democratic White House "will protect a woman's right to access IVF."

Marriage

The only mention of marriage made in the 2024 Democratic platform is in the context of protecting LGBTQ+ "marriage equality in federal law."

The platform bashes Trump for appointing judges who "oppose same-sex marriage" and promises to pass the Equality Act to "codify protections for LGBTQI+ Americans and their families."

The Equality Act would recognize sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under civil rights law and forbid discrimination based on those classes.

The U.S. Catholic bishops have opposed the legislation, saying it upholds the redefinition of marriage and frames gender as simply a "social construct." The bishops have also said it would "punish" religious groups opposed to these beliefs.

'Gender-affirming care'

The platform accuses Trump of "running on an extreme plan to punish doctors who treat transgender youth and to ban gender-affirming care."

According to the World Health Organization, gender-affirming care refers to an array of interventions including social, psychological, behavioral, and medical treatments, such as hormonal therapies and surgery.

The platform lauds the Biden-Harris administration's actions to "protect transgender Americans' access to health care and coverage, including medically necessary gender-affirming care."

"Democrats will vigorously oppose state and federal bans on gender-affirming health care and respect the role of parents, families, and doctors — not politicians — in making health care decisions," the platform states.

Freedom of religion

The platform also includes a plank on "combating hate and protecting freedom of religion," in which Democrats decry the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia and pledge to "maintain the separation of church and state."

The platform makes no mention of Christians but states that Democrats will "advocate for religious freedom across the world" and "continue to honor both religious freedom and other civil rights, not put them at war with one another."

Immigration

The platform asserts that "America is a nation of immigrants" and states that the next Democratic presidential administration will push for legislation that will "secure the border, reform the asylum system, expand legal immigration; and keep families together by supporting a pathway for long-term undocumented individuals."

Illegal immigration has soared under the Biden administration. The Washington Post reported that illegal border crossings hit an all-time high in 2022 with 2.2 million crossings. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection there have been nearly 2 million crossings this year, which is double the highest point under the Trump administration.  

Differing from the 2020 version, the new Democratic platform includes a section on securing the border. This section claims Democrats will push for additional border patrol agents, immigration judges, asylum officers, and inspection technology to better detect and stop human trafficking and the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. from the southern border.

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CNA Staff, Aug 20, 2024 / 11:21 am (CNA).

In his prayer of invocation at the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Chicago archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich lamented the "ongoing injustices in our national life" while calling for national unity.

Speaking before a packed house at the United Center in Chicago on Monday night, Cupich said Americans are regularly called to "reweave the fabric of America," arguing that the country is "a nation composed of every people and culture, united not by ties of blood but by profound aspirations of life, freedom, justice, and unbound hope." 

"In every generation, we are called to renew these aspirations," the prelate said. "We do so when we live out the virtues that dwell in our hearts, but also when we confront our failures to root out ongoing injustices in our national life, especially those created by moral blindness and fear of the other."

The archbishop asked God to "quicken in us a resolve to protect your handiwork."

"May our nation become more fully a builder of peace in our wounded world with the courage to imagine and pursue a loving future together," the archbishop prayed. "And may we as individual Americans become more fully the instruments of God's peace."

Cupich also called for world peace, especially "for the people suffering the senselessness of war," and evoked Pope Francis by encouraging the audience to "dream dreams and see visions of what by [God's] grace the world can become."

Cupich's remarks come after Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki gave the invocation at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month. 

"We pray that you assist our elected officials and candidates always to protect our freedoms, to preserve our democracy, and to govern fairly," Listecki said last month.

"Grant them the wisdom every day to place the good of our nation above personal interest and to cherish our union. Teach us all to respect justice and our equality before the law," the archbishop said.

Here is the full text of Cupich's invocation: 

We praise you, O God of all creation. Quicken in us a resolve to protect your handiwork. You are the source of every blessing that graces our lives and our nation.

We pray that you help us to truly understand and answer the sacred call of citizenship. We are a nation composed of every people and culture, united not by ties of blood but by the profound aspirations of life, freedom, justice, and unbound hope. These aspirations are why our forebears saw America as a beacon of hope. And, with your steady guidance, Lord, may we remain so today.

In every generation, we are called to renew these aspirations, to reweave the fabric of America. We do so when we live out the virtues that dwell in our hearts but also when we confront our failures to root out ongoing injustices in our national life, especially those created by moral blindness and fear of the other.

We pray for peace, especially for people suffering the senselessness of war. But as we pray, we must also act, for building up the common good takes work. It takes love.

And so we pray: May our nation become more fully a builder of peace in our wounded world with the courage to imagine and pursue a loving future together. And may we as individual Americans become more fully the instruments of God's peace.

Guide us, Lord, in taking up our responsibility to forge this new chapter of our nation's history. Let it be rooted in the recognition that for us, as for every generation, unity triumphing over division is what advances human dignity and liberty.

Let it be propelled by the women and men elected to serve in public life, who know that service is the mark of true leadership.

And let this new chapter of our nation's history be filled with overwhelming hope, a hope that refuses to narrow our national vision, but rather, as Pope Francis has said, "to dream dreams and see visions" of what by your grace our world can become.

We ask all of this, trusting in your ever-provident care for us. Amen.

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CNA Staff, Aug 20, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Catholic organizations at the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of New Mexico (UNM) are banding together to host a forum with policymakers and leading voices on nuclear disarmament and deterrence.

The "Forum on Nuclear Strategy: Disarmament and Deterrence in a Dangerous World" is set to take place on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the University of New Mexico, led by the Endowed Chair of Roman Catholic Studies and the Religious Studies program at UNM and the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies (IACS) of USC.

The "groundbreaking" forum will discuss deterrence and disarmament approaches to nuclear weapons amid rising political rivalry between the U.S., China, and Russia, according to an Aug. 13 press release by IACS.

The forum is "considered the first of its kind since the American Catholic bishops reshaped the nuclear weapons debate in the 1980s," the release noted. In 1983, the U.S. bishops released a pastoral letter, "The Challenge of Peace," which discussed Catholic teaching on war, deterrence, and disarmament. 

"The forum is an important opportunity for experts in religious and secular fields to learn from each other as they explore modern nuclear strategy decisions," said Archbishop John Wester of Sante Fe, who is set to present welcoming remarks at the forum, in the release.

"It's precisely these conversations that will lead to a clearer understanding of the threat that nuclear weapons pose and how best to navigate the waters of the perilous arms race we find ourselves in today," he added.

Wester has contributed to the conversation on nuclear weapons particularly through his pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament in 2022, "Living in the Light of Christ's Peace: A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament." 

The subject of nuclear weapons is particularly relevant as New Mexico plays host to the Los Alamos and Sandia nuclear weapons laboratories as well as the largest storage site of nuclear warheads in the U.S. arsenal, the Kirtland Underground Munitions Maintenance and Storage Complex. 

New Mexico is also historically connected with nuclear weapons, as the first atomic bomb was detonated at the Trinity Site in New Mexico in 1945. 

"It's important that we host this discussion near the birthplace of nuclear weapons and with leading experts from differing perspectives regarding nuclear strategy," stated Richard L. Wood, president of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC.

"With regional conflicts escalating and the threat of nuclear war rising, humanity is at a critical moment," Wood said. "Our forum will be a platform for in-depth discussion and debate that will explore our current global realities and seek tangible solutions to the rising threat of nuclear conflict."

Before the forum begins, participants will have a closed-door discussion for debate and discussion on finding common ground. In the public forum, participants will summarize their thinking and the results of the dialogue.

Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki, Japan, and the bishop of San Diego, Cardinal Robert McElroy, are set to participate in the forum, as well as political leaders including the former deputy secretary-general of NATO and former U.S. undersecretary of Arms Control and International Security for the U.S. State Department, Rose Gottemoeller, and Thomas Countryman and Christopher Ford, both former U.S. assistant secretaries of state for International Security and Nonproliferation under Barack Obama and Donald Trump, respectively. 

The archbishop emeritus of Nagasaki, who survived the atomic bomb when he was in utero, will share a reflection at the forum. Takami lost several members of his extended family in the Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

Academic voices will include Maryann Cusimano Love, associate professor of international relations at The Catholic University of America; Richard Love, professor of national security strategy at the National Defense University; and Gerard Powers, director of Catholic peacebuilding studies at the University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. 

The director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Thomas Mason, will also participate in the forum.  

Local leaders and Indigenous communities impacted by nuclear-weapons testing are also set to participate.

Those wishing to attend may register here to attend in person or via livestream.

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CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2024 / 17:20 pm (CNA).

Phil Donahue, a self-described "lapsed Catholic" who reinvented the daytime television talk-show format beginning in the 1960s, died Sunday at his home in New York at age 88. 

Born in Cleveland in 1935 and raised in a Catholic family, Donahue attended an all-boys Catholic high school and the University of Notre Dame. He later dismissed the Church as "'sexist,' 'racist,' and 'unnecessarily destructive,' feelings that imbued many of his shows," his New York Times obituary notes.

When "The Phil Donahue Show" debuted in 1967 on a Dayton, Ohio, TV station, Donahue encouraged audience participation in his interviews and discussions, an unusual practice at the time that was later copied by numerous other shows.

In nearly 30 years on the air and 6,000 episodes, Donahue frequently courted controversy, both in his choice of guests and in the topics he covered.

He was often critical of the Catholic Church into which he was baptized, especially amid the sexual abuse crisis. He first dealt with the sex abuse scandal in a 1988 episode and revisited it in later seasons of his show, Reuters reported.

In a 2002 interview with Oprah Winfrey — who has cited Donahue as a major influence on her — Donahue described an infamous episode of his show where he aired footage of an abortion procedure.

"If you look up outrage in the dictionary, there's a picture of me. We once even filmed an abortion," he said. 

"Then we called the Archdiocese of Chicago, the pro-life people, and the pro-choice people, sat them in a room, and played the tape before going anywhere near the air with it. When I walked into the room after they'd seen it, half the people were crying," he continued. 

"The major grievance of the pro-life and Catholic Church folks was that the tape made abortion look easy. I said, 'Well, that's the procedure — 15 minutes.' Their fear was that if we aired this, everybody would run out and get abortions. I said, 'Look, this issue is splitting families. It's at the center of America's agenda.' Somehow, we got to air that," he recalled.

A self-described feminist, Donahue also supported same-sex marriage.

In a 2002 New York Times interview, Donahue said he still saw himself "as a Catholic. I will always be a Catholic."

Donahue's show was canceled in 1996 amid falling ratings, and an attempted revival of the show in 2002 was canceled after just six months. In 2024 President Joe Biden, a fellow Catholic, awarded Donahue the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Despite their many differences, Catholic League President Bill Donohue has fond memories of the legendary Irish-American television personality.

"I was a guest on Phil Donahue's show for many years and I thoroughly enjoyed mixing it up with him," Donohue recalled. "He told his producers on several occasions that he loved having me on even though we usually clashed. That made him unusual — he was not afraid of confronting a conservative. He was a real man. And I always appreciated his kindness. May he rest in peace."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 19, 2024 / 15:20 pm (CNA).

In his new book, "A Short History of the Roman Mass," Father Michael Lang, a priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri and professor of theology, offers a detailed and accessible overview of the historical development of the Mass from its origins to the present day.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, Lang, who is from London, shared his motivations for writing the book and the importance of the liturgy in the life of the Catholic Church.

"I am certainly passionate about liturgy; it is my main research interest," said Lang, who holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford and is a former consultant to the Holy See. He also explained that his passion for liturgy has been a constant driving force in his academic and pastoral life.

This interest led him to explore in depth the history of Christian worship, moving away from his initial studies in patristics to focus on the Roman rite of the Mass.

"This book is really the abbreviated and more popular version of a larger monograph I published in 2022 on the history of the stable core of the rite, beginning with the origins of the Eucharist and ending at the Council of Trent in the 16th century," he said.

The priest emphasized that the basic structure of the Mass and its evolution over time are key elements in his work: "I focus on the basic structure of the Mass. I answer [the questions], 'Why is the structure of the Mass the way it is? How did it develop? How did the pieces come together?'"

Continuity of today's Mass with Jesus at the Last Supper

Through his research, Lang seeks to show how, despite historical and cultural transformations, "the essential continuity ... takes us back to the time of the apostles and to Jesus at the Last Supper."

Asked about the relevance of this topic today, Lang stressed that "the liturgy of worship is really at the heart of what the Church does: It is the worship of God from which everything else flows."

"As Vatican II so rightly said, especially the Eucharist, the Mass, is the most important act of worship and the most important of the sacraments."

He also said that understanding historical development is crucial to full participation in the liturgy.

"History is very important to our understanding of the faith. We believe that God revealed himself in history… and the history of the Church is important to us," Lang explained.

According to the priest, this historical awareness also "helps you enter into the prayers of the Mass, it helps you to make these prayers your own, to make them part of your own spiritual life."

The aim of the book, according to the author, is to provide Catholics with a tool that will enable them to better understand the liturgy and, consequently, to participate more consciously in it.

"I hope that my little book will help readers to have an idea of ??this and that it will make their participation in the Mass more fruitful," Lang concluded.

The book can be purchased on Amazon.

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 19, 2024 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

Catholic leadership in Rhode Island has rebuked a local Catholic college, Salve Regina University, for hosting a fundraiser last week in which presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz defended abortion rights.

More than 300 attendees reportedly paid $1,000 to get in the door at the campus' main administrative waterfront mansion, Ochre Court, on Thursday. The fundraiser brought in over $600,000, the state's Democratic Party said, according to the Providence Journal. 

Media outlets reported that journalists were not allowed to record videos of the speech, but Walz's comments reportedly included advocacy for abortion rights.

The Minnesota governor attacked Republican nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, accusing them of "rooting for failure," according to the Rhode Island Current. 

"Their whole thing is to instill fear in people — fear and pessimism," he said.

Walz called Trump and Vance "weird" and disputed GOP claims that Democratic policies are extreme. 

"Who's asking to raise the price of insulin? Who's asking to take away women's reproductive rights?" Walz said. "Things really work best in communities when you mind your own damn business."

Diocese 'surprised and disappointed'

Diocese of Providence spokesman Michael Kieloch told CNA that the diocese "does not permit Catholic institutions in Rhode Island to endorse candidates for office nor even give the appearance of such endorsements."

"The Church's role in political matters is firstly to form the consciences of the lay faithful," he added.

Kieloch continued: "We were surprised and disappointed by the decision of Salve Regina University to rent space to a partisan political event and fundraiser, and we've received a number of messages from Catholics across Rhode Island expressing the same surprise and disappointment."

Bishop Richard Henning, archbishop-elect of Boston, is currently leading the Diocese of Providence.

Walz, a Lutheran and former Catholic, has a consistent and strong pro-abortion record in his state. In 2023, he signed a bill enshrining abortion rights throughout nine months into Minnesota state law. Minnesota Concerned Citizens for Life, the state's largest pro-life group, called the governor a "threat" to the unborn and "an abortion absolutist."

Vice President Kamala Harris chose him as her running mate earlier this month.

University responds

In response to a request from RINewsToday, the university defended its decision to host the event.

"Ochre Court at Salve Regina University was selected by the Rhode Island Democratic Party Committee based on availability for their selected date, time, and anticipated capacity," an unnamed spokesperson's statement said.

"We regularly rent facilities on campus for private events. The committee paid the standard rate for the space rental, worked with our University Events and Conference Services office, and is the sole host of the event," the statement said.

"As an academic institution, the university fully supports freedom of speech as a cornerstone of democracy. As our mission calls us to do, we support productive and meaningful dialogue across our differences as we work toward a world that is more harmonious, just, and merciful," the statement said.

Salve Regina University is overseen by the Sisters of Mercy. CNA reached out to the congregation for comment on Monday, including asking if the university would offer the same opportunity to the Trump campaign for a fundraiser event. CNA did not immediately receive a response.

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Vatican City, Aug 18, 2024 / 10:20 am (CNA).

Pope Francis said Sunday that the Eucharist is a "miracle" in which Jesus nourishes us with his life and satisfies the hunger in our hearts. 

"All of us need the Eucharist," Pope Francis said in his Angelus address on Aug. 18.

"The heavenly bread, which comes from the Father, is the Son made flesh for us. This food is more than necessary because it satisfies the hunger for hope, the hunger for truth, and the hunger for salvation that we all feel not in our stomachs but in our hearts."

Speaking from the window of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, the pope encouraged people to reflect with "wonder and gratitude" on the "miracle of the Eucharist" in which Jesus "makes himself present for us and with us."

"The bread from heaven is a gift that exceeds all expectations," the pope said.

"Jesus takes care of the greatest need: He saves us, nourishing our lives with his, forever. Thanks to him, we can live in communion with God and among ourselves."

The pope's reflection centered on Jesus' words recorded in Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." 

Pope Francis said: "Let us ask ourselves … When I receive the Eucharist, which is the miracle of mercy, do I stand in awe before the body of the Lord, who died and rose again for us?"

After leading the crowd in the Angelus prayer in Latin, the pope urged people to continue to pray for "pathways to peace" to open in the Middle East, in Palestine and Israel, as well as in Ukraine, Myanmar, and every place affected by war.

The pope also expressed joy that four 20th-century martyrs were beatified on Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Thousands attended the beatification Mass of Father Luigi Carrara, Father Giovanni Didonè, and Father Vittorio Faccin — all Xaverian missionary priests from Italy serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo who were martyred by anti-religious guerrillas in the Kwilu Rebellion in 1964. Father Albert Joubert, a martyred diocesan priest born to a French father and African mother, was also beatified with them.

"Their martyrdom was the crowning achievement of a life spent for the Lord and for their brothers and sisters," Pope Francis said.

"May their example and intercession foster paths of reconciliation and peace for the good of the Congolese people."

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CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Many are familiar with the story of Father Edward J. Flanagan from  the 1938 Oscar-winning film "Boys Town" starring Spencer Tracy. Now a new documentary on the famous priest promises a deeper look into Flanagan's life when it hits theaters for one night only on Oct. 8.

"Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story" documents Flanagan's unwavering commitment to caring for abandoned and orphaned youth starting from the Great Depression to after World War II, all while defying racist laws in order to serve the most vulnerable and give them hope for a future. The film covers a range of topics, from Flanagan's health issues to his immigrating to the United States to his founding of Boys Town, Nebraska. 

The feature-length documentary was produced by Spirit Juice Studios in partnership with the Father Flanagan League and filmed on location in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Japan, and throughout the United States. It also includes expert commentary from Steve Wolf, vice postulator for the cause of Flanagan's beatification and canonization, as well as Deacon Omar F.A. Gutierrez, Father Ryan Lewis, and Ed Flanagan, the great-nephew of Flanagan, among others. The film is narrated by popular Catholic actor Jonathan Roumie, known for his role as Jesus Christ in "The Chosen."

Rob Kaczmark, co-director and executive producer of the film, and producer Victoria McEachern spoke to CNA about their experience working on the project as well as how Flanagan has impacted them personally and what they hope viewers will take away from his inspiring story.

McEachern pointed out that while a lot of the bigger topics of Flanagan's life are very well known, it was the "smaller moments" that she learned while making the film that really stood out to her and gives the documentary more depth.  

"For me it was those little, quiet moments," she shared. "Father Flanagan was this big personality who was incredibly well known and he was also a very quiet, holy, giving, generous man."

She added that there's also a lot we can continue to learn from Flanagan — especially when it comes to injustices we face in society today.

"He was really ahead of his time in speaking out against issues of segregation and racial justice," McEachern said. "To recognize how he stood on situations like that in the past really informs even now how we deal with injustices of our days."

Kaczmark added that Flanagan serves as a "strong example of calling people to be a saint" and hopes that viewers will be inspired to "recognize the problems in the things in their own life and where God's calling them to serve and to lead people." 

McEachern hopes viewers will be inspired "by the example of one man."

"There's so much going on in the world and in our small communities as well. And so to see the difference — and he did, he made like really tangible impacts in a lot of different areas — to see the difference that he made and that he was so selfless in it and that ultimately it started in the chapel every morning and with the person right in front of him," McEachern said. 

When asked what they believe Flanagan would do today when facing the inequalities prevalent in our society, McEachern said she believes he would "continue to push for the person right in front of him. He would continue to see the need in front of him and encourage all of us, and he would say to do something about it even if it was risky."

Kaczmark added: "I think he would gently invite them to sainthood, to Christ, at the same time still serving them. And I think that's what we're called to do as Christians, as Catholics — is to serve those in front of us and to point people back to Christ. We're not the savior of it, we're Christ's hands and feet on the earth ultimately pointing people back to heaven."

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