Catholic News

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280177&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 1, 2024 / 19:00 pm (CNA).

With just days left before Nov. 5, the president of Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank, is urging people of faith to vote.

In an interview with "EWTN News Nightly" host Tracy Sabol on Friday, Kevin Roberts addressed the anticipated crisis of nonvoters among people of faith in America. The discussion came in light of a recent study by Arizona Christian University, which found that only 51% of people of faith planned to vote in the presidential election.

Nearly 70% of participants in the survey said they no longer held "interest" in politics or elections, while nearly 60% said they disliked all major candidates. In addition, roughly half of the participants said neither candidate represented their views and that they believed their vote would not make a difference either way. Nearly 50% also said they believed the election results would be manipulated.

"I'm not surprised by the results, although I want to say a year ago, I would have been," he told Sabol, explaining that it is common among people of faith not to vote, despite having "a moral obligation to do so."

Addressing the trend among Catholic and other Christian voters who abstain from voting out of dislike for both candidates, Roberts emphasized the importance of "study[ing] the issues."

"As people of faith, we have to weigh that policy record and put it into the future and understand that if [Vice President Kamala Harris] were to win, that we are going to see threats to religious liberty," he said. "We're going to see threats to our ability to worship. We will continue to pray for her as the president of the United States, obviously."

"But we really do need to consider that in the next days," Roberts added, "particularly if there are Catholics and other Christians who are thinking they might just stay home."

The filibuster, religious liberty, and free speech

Roberts also addressed the issue during a roundtable discussion on Friday morning, highlighting numerous policy issues that directly concern people of faith — including religious liberty, the pro-life movement, and free speech.

"I don't believe it is hyperbole to make the claim that Vice President Harris is the most anti-faith, anti-religion presidential candidate in our history," the conservative policy leader stated, adding: "What's at stake is that we're going to lose our ability to worship. We're going to lose our religious liberty if the Harris-Walz campaign prevails."

When asked what would happen should Harris win the election and successfully eliminate the filibuster in order to codify Roe v. Wade, Roberts warned that this move would bring about "a real abridgement of religious liberty" and free speech in addition to expanding abortion.

Roberts referenced notable incidents of religious intolerance in the past several weeks alone, including Harris' refusal to support religious exemptions with respect to abortion as well as an incident in which she told two Christians that they were "at the wrong rally" after they shouted that Jesus was Lord. A video shows that other protesters also yelled "Lies!" and "Liar!" at Harris before she responded.

"Obviously," he said, "this is a real problem even for people of no faith. Because if you eliminate our first freedom, which is to believe and worship as we shall, then all of the others are endangered."

Should the Democrats regain their slim majority in the Senate, he said, "there's a 100% chance they will attempt to eliminate the filibuster" and have a reasonable chance at success.

"I really do believe, because there's evidence of this over the last four or six weeks of rhetoric," Roberts said, "that they're going to abridge free speech. They're going to abridge free speech for people of faith. They're going to abridge free speech for organizations and media outlets."

If Democrats do not manage to secure a majority but Harris is elected, Roberts said, the current vice president would likely enact policies against religious freedom through executive orders expanding abortion access and targeting people of faith.

"I think she's going to be zeroed in on religious liberty," he said.

Working with Trump policies

Despite concerns over former president Donald Trump's stance on life issues such as abortion and IVF, Roberts stated that he is "cautiously optimistic" that a Trump-Vance administration would "still be solidly pro-life."

"I think people of faith need to remember the former president's track record on this," he said, "and need to remember that if President Trump and Sen. Vance are elected next Tuesday, that there is a far greater chance, a far greater chance of being able to work with them and the people they appoint on issues that matter to us, including abortion, including religious liberty."

"I think in contrast," he said, "there's a zero percent chance we get that opportunity in our Harris-Walz administration, I think, on abortion, [and] on religious freedom. People of faith need to be mindful of that."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280172&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 15:25 pm (CNA).

The provincial government of Quebec will now allow assisted suicide for individuals who cannot consent at the time of the procedure in what one pro-life advocate calls a "dehumanizing" policy that "devalues" individuals of diminished mental capacity. 

The provincial government's website states that "advance requests" for medical aid in dying (MAID) may be made by individuals who have "been diagnosed with a serious and incurable illness leading to incapacity" such as Alzheimer's disease.

The request "must be made while the person is still capable of consenting to care," the government says, though it acknowledges that the lethal procedure will be carried out "when they become incapable of [consenting]."

Some advocates have cheered the move. Cathy Barrick, the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, told media this week that assisted death "should be accessible to people with dementia." 

Sandra Demontigny, meanwhile — the spokeswoman for the Quebec Association for the Right to Die with Dignity who is herself suffering from Alzheimer's — told media that she had "been waiting for this day for many years."

"I want to take care of myself, my body … I don't want to rely on people," she said. 

New rule 'devalues persons with memory loss'

Amanda Achtman, who promotes ethics education for Canadian Physicians for Life, argues instead that the policy "unavoidably devalues persons with memory loss as well as those who may be incapable of giving consent for different reasons, such as due to having a particular disability."

"The underlying anthropology espoused by a regime of advance requests to die is that personhood diminishes with the loss of memory and cognition," she told CNA. "This is a dehumanizing view."

Achtman, who also operates the nonprofit Dying to Meet You, noted that Quebec's broadened criteria are actually illegal under the national criminal code, but "the federal government is unlikely to prosecute any of these offenses in Quebec, out of political considerations," she said. 

Euthanasia was already available in a limited context for Canadians suffering from dementia, Achtman said. Nearly 1 in 10 Canadians who received MAID in 2022 were suffering from dementia; they were able to obtain the procedure under a more narrow waiver of consent. 

The new "broadened criteria" in Quebec — and the government's likely non-prosecution of it — "shows how Quebec can push the bounds of the law in matters of life and death without repercussions," Achtman said.

Assisted suicide in Canada has become increasingly popular since it was first legalized in 2016. 

Government statistics in 2022 indicated that MAID was the sixth-leading cause for death in Canada, with 13,241 "MAID provisions" reported that year, accounting for 4.1% of all deaths nationwide. 

Activists have regularly pushed to expand MAID. A group of pro-euthanasia advocates sued the federal government in August to allow physician-assisted suicide for those suffering from mental illness. 

The government earlier in the year paused a planned expansion of the program that would have included the mentally ill, though it said it would consider the policy again in three years' time in order to allow provinces to "prepare their health care systems" for the expansion.

In March, meanwhile, a judge ruled that a woman with autism could be granted her request to die by assisted suicide, overruling efforts by the woman's father to halt the deadly procedure. 

Achtman said pro-life advocates "must restore a correct view of the human person by insisting on the immutable dignity of each person, no matter what." 

She quoted Pope Francis, who described euthanasia as "a failure of love" and "a reflection of a throwaway culture." Pro-life advocates, she said, "are responsible for advancing a positive alternative vision in which every human person is cherished and belongs."

"We must be prophets of hope," she said, "who never tire of reminding that our deepest identity and destiny consists in the boundless human potential of loving and being loved, and that this is unshakable."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280171&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 16:05 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of the latest pro-life and abortion-related news in the U.S.:

Bishops speak on abortion ballot measures 

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski will lead the Archdiocese of St. Louis in prayer on Nov. 3 to "defeat Missouri Amendment 3," a ballot measure that would create a "fundamental right to reproductive freedom." The archbishop is set to celebrate a special Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis at noon on Sunday, followed by a Holy Hour. He encouraged Catholics to pray and fast in the days leading up to the election, and the archdiocese is offering other prayer opportunities for the week.

In Nebraska, the only state with competing pro-life and pro-abortion ballot measures, Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha urged Catholics on Wednesday to vote for pro-life measures. He recently gave an Oct. 30 video statement urging Catholics to vote against Initiative 439 and in favor of 434. 

Lucas called Initiative 434 "an important step towards ensuring the health and safety of women and their babies." He encouraged Catholic parishes to ensure that any woman facing an unexpected pregnancy "can be connected with the resources she requires" regardless of the outcome of the election. 

Louisiana sued over abortion pill controlled substance law

A group of health care providers is suing Louisiana over its recent law classifying abortion pills as "controlled dangerous substances" and requiring them to be stored in a secure area within hospitals. In the state court lawsuit on Thursday by Birthmark Doula Collective, a physician, a pharmacist, and two women argued that the classification creates delays during medical emergencies.

The two drugs used in the abortion pill regiment, mifepristone and misoprostol, are often used in non-abortion medical treatments, the lawsuit noted. For instance, misoprostol treats miscarriages and postpartum hemorrhage, while mifepristone is often used in miscarriage treatment and for Cushing's syndrome, the lawsuit noted. Controlled substances are required to be stored in secure areas within the hospital, which, according to the lawsuit, delays access to the drug. Louisiana has among the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, the lawsuit pointed out.

Three states recently sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after it rolled back its safety regulations. Louisiana state law protects unborn babies from abortion except in cases of threats to the life of the mother or fetal anomaly.

Catholic hospital in California agrees to provide abortions

A Catholic hospital in California agreed to provide emergency abortions in cases of health risk for the mother following a lawsuit against the hospital by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The lawsuit alleged that Providence St. Joseph Hospital refused emergency care to a pregnant woman whose water broke prematurely at 15 weeks, a violation of several California state laws, according to Bonta.

While Providence St. Joseph has not admitted fault in the lawsuit, the hospital agreed to temporarily allow physicians to perform abortions in cases of serious threats to the health of the mother in accordance with California law. According to a statement by Bonta, California's Emergency Services Law (ESL) requires California hospitals to provide emergency abortions when necessary for a patient's health.

Catholic hospitals are "never permitted" to perform abortions, according to the U.S. bishop's Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. 

The U.S. bishops' directive does permit non-abortive treatment that may endanger the unborn child indirectly in certain grave circumstances, such as treatments that are intended to cure a woman of an illness that may unintentionally harm the child. The directive also permits other treatments such as inducing labor after the fetus is viable "for a proportionate reason." 

The bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Bishop Robert Vasa, referred CNA to the hospital for comment. Providence did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280170&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 16:35 pm (CNA).

Bishop Michael Olson Fort Worth, Texas, this week stated that Catholics have "no need" to attend Mass or receive sacraments from priests associated with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) so long as they are able to attend other churches run by priests in full communion with the Church.

Olson published the letter on Thursday after he "received several inquiries regarding the ecclesial status" of the traditionalist Catholic society. The "recent frequency and sincerity of inquiries" led him to issue the message, he said.

The inquiries likely stemmed from the SSPX's involvement in a long-running controversy between the Diocese of Fort Worth and a group of Carmelite nuns in Arlington, Texas. The Vatican dismissed the nuns from religious life last month after they repeatedly defied orders and governance from both Olson and the Holy See itself.

The nuns in September had announced that they were associating with the SSPX. Olson in his Thursday letter did not reference that controversy but rather responded to "commonly asked questions" about the Catholic group, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970.

Olson noted that the SSPX is not in "formal schism" with the Catholic Church, nor is it "in full communion or good standing." The group has a canonically irregular status stemming from its rejection of formal Church teaching.

The priests of the SSPX "administer valid sacraments," but they "do so illicitly," Olson noted. 

"To align with the SSPX knowingly and formally is to align with an illicit and irregular relationship with the Catholic Church, her hierarchy and her teaching," he said. 

The bishop said that Catholics who are "able to receive the sacraments at a Catholic church from clerics in good standing" have "no reason to attend and receive sacraments at an SSPX church or chapel."

The prelate acknowledged that Catholics in danger of death would have good reason to receive the sacraments of penance, anointing of the sick, and viaticum "if no other priest in good standing is readily available."

Yet in the Fort Worth Diocese, he said, there are enough Catholic churches available that a Catholic should have "no acceptable reason" to seek out the sacraments from an SSPX priest. 

The bishop further noted that those looking to worship at a Traditional Latin Mass can attend a parish run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, a traditionalist group with a canonically regular status. 

"There is no need, especially curiosity, to attend an SSPX Mass at a chapel or church within the territory of the Fort Worth Diocese," Olson said. 

The bishop in his letter called for prayers for "the authentic communion enjoyed by us together with our Holy Father and the members of all those local Churches and their bishops who enjoy full communion with him."

Olson expressed hope that the faithful in his diocese "might align ourselves with … authentic and sound teaching as we pray for the reunion of all Christians."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280169&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 17:05 pm (CNA).

In his Angelus address on Friday on the solemnity of All Saints, Pope Francis spoke about the "identity card" of the Christian.

Referring to the Gospel passage for the day, the beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew, the Holy Father posed the question: "And what is the identity card of the Christian? The beatitudes. It is our identity card, and also the way of holiness."

The pope pointed out that "Jesus shows us a path, that of love," and this serves as "both a gift from God and our response."

Referencing St. Paul, the pope explained that this is a gift from God because "it is he who sanctifies. And this is why the Lord is the first we ask to make us holy, to make our heart similar to his."

The Holy Father reminded the faithful that God does not impose his holiness upon us, rather "he sows it in us, he makes us taste its flavor and see its beauty, but then he awaits our response."

The pope tied this explanation back to the saints of the Church and how we see these traits lived out in each of them. He highlighted the lives of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who took the place of a father condemned to death in Auschwitz; St. Teresa of Calcutta, who lived her life serving the poorest of the poor; and St. Oscar Romero, a bishop who while celebrating Mass was killed for speaking out against social injustices.

Pope Francis pointed out the saints he likes to call "the saints 'next door,' the everyday ones, hidden, who go forward in their daily Christian life."

"Brothers and sisters, how much hidden saintliness there is in the Church!  We recognize so many brothers and sisters formed by the beatitudes: poor, meek, merciful, hungry and thirsty for justice, workers for peace," he said. "They are people 'filled with God,' incapable of remaining indifferent to the needs of their neighbor; they are witnesses of shining paths, possible for us too."

He concluded by asking the faithful to ponder these questions: "Do I ask God, in prayer, for the gift of a holy life? Do I let myself be guided by the good impulses that his Spirit inspires in me? And do I commit myself personally to practicing the beatitudes of the Gospel, in the environments in which I live?"

Prayers for those affected by war and natural disasters 

Following the Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Chad, especially the families of the victims of the recent terrorist attack that left 40 soldiers dead on a military base, as well as those affected by severe flooding in Spain, considered one of the worst natural disasters in that country's modern history.

The Holy Father also asked the faithful to continue to pray for Ukraine as well as for the people of Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and all those suffering because of war, which he reminded listeners "is always a defeat, always!"

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280168&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 17:35 pm (CNA).

Many Catholics may be unaware that they can obtain not one but eight plenary indulgences for departed souls in the first week of November.

For centuries, the Catholic Church widely observed All Saints' Day (Nov. 1) as an octave, extending the holy celebration to eight days.

The observance was established by Pope Sixtus IV in the 15th century and demoted in the liturgical calendar around the middle of the 20th century, although some Catholics still mark the eight-day observance.

Notably, the Church itself still indirectly acknowledges the ancient eight-day octave in its granting of plenary indulgences for the first week of November.

What is a plenary indulgence?

A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.

It is not a forgiveness of sin but the remission of punishment for sins already forgiven. It may apply either to oneself or to souls already in purgatory.

In order to obtain a plenary indulgence the faithful must — in addition to being in the state of grace — both have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin (even venial sin), have sacramentally confessed their sins and received the Eucharist (either within or outside of Mass), and must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

What about the All Saints' octave?

The Vatican's Apostolic Penitentiary, in its "Enchiridion Indulgentiarum" ("Handbook of Indulgences"), states that the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence for the faithful departed "every day, from the 1st to the 8th of November," if, in addition to fulfilling the normal terms of a plenary indulgence, one "devoutly visit[s] a cemetery and at least mentally pray[s] for the dead."

The conditions for a plenary indulgence can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.

The All Saints' octave was notably extended throughout the entire month of November in both 2020 and 2021 amid concerns about avoiding large gatherings of people in churches or cemeteries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The root of All Saints' Day dates back to the fourth century when the early Church moved away from commemorating individual martyrs on their day of martyrdom and established a common celebration of all martyrs, and eventually all saints.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280167&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 17:55 pm (CNA).

A priest in Massachusetts who had been placed on leave has admitted to sexual misconduct ahead of a planned student walkout over a lack of information regarding his removal from a school post. 

Students at St. Michael's School in Fall River, Massachusetts, had organized a protest for Friday over Father Jay Mello's removal months ago as pastor of the school and two churches.

Fall River Bishop Edgar da Cunha had said in a June letter to parishioners that Mello was removed after the diocese received an allegation of sexual misconduct regarding the priest. The diocese said at the time that there had been "no allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors."

The Fall River Herald News reported on Thursday that students at St. Michael's were planning a walkout over the lack of information on the case from the diocese. The protest was reportedly scheduled to take place outside of both the diocesan chancery and da Cunha's home. 

In a letter published on Thursday, da Cunha noted that he "would not normally provide [a detailed] update until the conclusion of the investigation," but the bishop said he was prompted to issue the letter due to "a number of false claims and rumors causing confusion" based on "the belief that Father Mello has been unfairly placed on leave."

The confusion "is now disrupting the school environment," he wrote.

"I feel it is necessary to inform your parish and school communities of an important development in the investigation in that Father Mello recently admitted to serious sexual misconduct which began while counseling an adult parishioner," the bishop said. 

The priest had originally denied the allegations, the prelate noted. 

Da Cunha offered no further details of the allegations, though he said the diocesan investigation would continue and would likely conclude early next year. 

"To those who wish to support Father Mello, I encourage you to continue praying for him," the bishop said. He further asked for prayers for abuse victims "who often feel revictimized when their claims are not believed."

The Herald News, meanwhile, reported in an update that the walkout organizers would continue the demonstration as planned. 

Mello attended American Seminary in Rome and was ordained in 2007. He has served at parishes in Dartmouth, Falmouth, and Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280166&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

A Wisconsin archbishop is asking the federal government to change a new visa rule that has created a backlog in visa applications, with the archbishop warning that the new rule could force foreign priests to return to their home countries and create a priest shortage in the U.S.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee alone hosts two dozen immigrant priests, Archbishop Jerome Listecki said this week, and Catholics in Wisconsin are at risk of losing their services if the visa rule is allowed to stay in place.

A 2023 change to U.S. visa rules created a backlog of visa applicants that prevents priests from obtaining a green card before their initial religious worker visa expires. The backlog was created when the State Department and Department of Homeland Security increased the number of immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras who are applying for EB-4 visas, the special visa category used by religious workers.

Church officials have warned that the backlog could lead to significant priest shortages in the country, with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stating that, due to the rule change, immigrants on temporary five-year R-1 visas could be forced to return home and wait many more years for a permanent EB-4 visa.

Five immigrant priests in the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, sued the federal government in August, arguing that the government's reorganization of the visa process will require the priests to return to their own countries and then subject them to lengthy delays when reapplying for visas to serve in the U.S.

'This issue affects our state and our country'

In a letter this week addressed to Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Listecki warned that the government's visa changes "will deter all dioceses in the United States that currently rely on the support of international workers" and will "hamper the ability to carry out our religious mission in accordance with our nation's founding principles."

In the Tuesday letter, Listecki said the Milwaukee Archdiocese was joining the Dioceses of Madison, Green Bay, LaCrosse, and Superior in petitioning the government to rectify the backlog. 

"Dioceses across the United States" are experiencing similar difficulties with the visa program, the archbishop said. 

Listecki said the archdiocese currently counts 24 priests in its parishes who hold temporary worker visas, subjecting them to the "instability of this current law." 

The priests not only serve at parishes but as hospital chaplains, the prelate said. There are also two foreign-born seminarians currently prepping for the priesthood in the archdiocese.

The archbishop urged Baldwin to work to address the looming difficulties, though he said the White House could unilaterally act to shorten the amount of time a religious worker must remain outside the U.S. before being permitted to return. That temporary solution could "provide meaningful relief" to the archdiocese, he said.

"This issue affects our state and our country," the archbishop wrote.

The federal rules should be addressed "not only for the sake of religious workers and their employers but for the many American communities that rely upon them for a wide range of religious and social services," he said.

In a Wednesday statement, the Diocese of Superior echoed the archbishop's claims, arguing that the visa revisions "will have a negative impact on our parishes and local communities."

The Superior Diocese "has struggled to ordain new priests to meet the growing number of retiring and ill priests," the statement said. The diocese relies greatly on foreign-born priests to fill the gap.

The diocese said it was asking the federal government to "decrease the time required outside the United States" for the priests in question.

It further implored that "all those of faith and goodwill … contact their representatives regarding this important immigration issue."

Last year the USCCB's migration committee joined an interfaith letter warning the government of the "increased hardship in staffing houses of worship, community centers, schools, charitable works, and other sites" stemming from the rule change.

The letter asked the government to "do everything within your power to preserve meaningful access" for religious workers seeking visas.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280165&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Puebla, Mexico, Nov 1, 2024 / 18:35 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis shared a heartfelt video message addressed to Mexicans in which he reminded the country of its "great fortune" in having the Virgin of Guadalupe and encouraged all Mexicans to "continue being Guadalupanos [devotees of Our Lady of Guadalupe]."

The video was released Oct. 28 by Héctor Sulaimán Saldivar, founding member of the pontifical foundation Scholas Ocurrentes in Mexico. In the recording, Pope Francis recalled his two visits to the country, one before becoming pontiff and another in 2016 on an apostolic trip.

On that Feb. 13, 2016, trip, the Holy Father visited Guadalupe Basilica, where he prayed in silence before the image of the Virgin and celebrated a Eucharist at the shrine.

"When I was sitting looking at the Virgin of Guadalupe … time passed, they had to take me away; I didn't realize it," the pope recalled in the video.

"You Mexicans are very fortunate, [to have] the Lady, the Virgin of Guadalupe, the mother of the God 'through whom we live,'" the Holy Father said.

"Turn to her," he added.

Mexico has a population of about 126 million people, of which almost 80% declare themselves Catholic, according to the country's National Institute of Statistics and Geography.

Pope Francis shared that he has been told that "even those who do not believe in God" venerate the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the pontiff urged Mexicans to "continue to be Guadalupanos."

"May God bless you," he concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=280151&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 1, 2024 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

A Catholic diocese in China recently announced that it had made a tour of "gratitude" to heroes of the Communist Party of China.

The Yibin Catholic Diocese of the Shian Province announced in a press release earlier this month that it had led all of its priests, nuns, and "heads of grassroots patriotic associations" on a "Red Tour to Express Gratitude to the Party."

News of the tour comes shortly after the Vatican announced it would renew its agreement with China on the appointment of Catholic bishops in the country for another four years.

The delegation of Chinese Catholics visited several memorial sites associated with Chinese Communist Party history, such as the Nanchang Aug. 1 Uprising Memorial Hall, the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, the Red Army Mint, and the former site of the Lushan Conference.

"By listening to the explanation of revolutionary deeds on the spot, watching patriotic educational documentaries, and offering wreaths for revolutionary martyrs," the release said the delegation was able to "further enhance the recognition of the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China (CCP), and socialism with Chinese characteristics."

A group led by Bishop Peter Luo Xuegang of the Yibin Diocese also visited several Chinese Catholic churches "in order to promote the process of Sinicization." Luo was ordained as a bishop in the Yibin Diocese in November 2011 with the Holy See's blessing.

Notably, an excommunicated bishop who had been ordained without papal approval participated in the ordination Mass despite being ordered not to do so in a move that highlighted strained diplomatic relations between the Chinese government and the Vatican.

Nina Shea, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and director of the Center for Religious Freedom, told CNA that although Luo was made a bishop with the Vatican's approval, he appears to have the support of the Communist Party.

"Since the China-Vatican agreement, Chinese authorities are pressing all bishops to join the association and pressing those inside it to show fervor for the party," Shea told CNA. "This bishop is doing that and is demonstrating his embrace of the CCP's Sinicization campaign by educating his diocese in Communist Party values and doctrines. This is one of the more extreme examples I've heard about."

In the wake of the recent diplomatic agreements, the Vatican has noted several violations of terms in recent years, such as the government appointment of several bishops without Holy See approval, including one in a diocese not recognized by the Vatican.

According to Shea, the Catholic Church in China is undergoing a "transformation shaped by the CCP with Vatican acquiescence."

"It is becoming an enthusiastic partner in the United Front, the propaganda department of the CCP, which since 2018 directly controls the Patriotic Association," Shea said.

The Catholic Church in China has been split between the government-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and the underground Church, which is persecuted and whose episcopal appointments are frequently not acknowledged by Chinese authorities.

The diocese in its statement noted that during the tour further dialogue was also held among the bishops and priests "on adhering to the direction of Sinicization and democratic teaching."

The diocese lauded the event further, stating: "All members believed that this 'Red Tour to Express Gratitude to the Party' was full of revolutionary spirit and cultural heritage, and they benefited a lot."

"They all expressed that in their future work, they will inherit and carry forward the fine tradition of patriotism and love for the Church," the statement reads, "[and to] constantly enhance the 'five identifications,' firmly adhere to the direction of the Sinicization of Catholicism in our country, listen to the party, feel grateful to the party, follow the party, and actively contribute to the local economic and social development with a more high-spirited state of mind."

The tour appears to be a continuation of the Communist Party's objective to subordinate religious groups under government control. According to a report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom earlier this month, Chinese officials have ordered the removal of crosses from churches, replacing images of Christ and Mary with pictures of President Xi Jinping.

Full Article