Korean Bishops: Understanding Dynamism of Christian Life
Vatican City, Dec. 03, 2007 (CINS /VIS) - Benedict XVI today received prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea and the apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaator, Mongolia, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. Their coming to Rome, the Pope observed in his talk, has helped to strengthen "the bonds of collegiality which express the Church's unity in diversity and safeguard the tradition handed down by the Apostles."
Continuing his English-language address to the prelates, the Holy Father spoke positively of the growth of the Church in Asia, recalling how the testimony of Korean martyrs and of many others on the continent "speaks eloquently of the fundamental concept of 'communio' that unifies and vivifies ecclesial life in all its dimensions."
"To remain in Christ's love also has a particular significance for you today," the Pope told the Korean bishops, who in their reports had highlighted the negative effects of a secularist mentality. And he encouraged them to "to be effective shepherds of hope," striving "to ensure that the bond of communion which unites Christ to all the baptized is safeguarded and experienced as the heart of the mystery of the Church."
"The gateway to this mystery of communion with God is of course Baptism. This sacrament of initiation - far more than a social ritual or welcome into a particular community - is the initiative of God. Those reborn through the waters of new life enter the door of the universal Church and are drawn into the dynamism of the life of faith."
"The word 'communio' also refers of course to the Eucharistic center of the Church. ... The Eucharist roots our understanding of the Church in the intimate encounter between Jesus and humanity and reveals the source of ecclesial unity: Christ's act of giving Himself to us makes us His body."
Benedict XVI told the bishops that "programs designed to highlight the importance of Sunday Mass should be infused with a sound and stimulating catechesis on the Eucharist. This will foster a renewed understanding of the authentic dynamism of Christian life among your faithful."
He continued his address to the prelates: "I encourage you to ensure that religious are welcomed and supported in their efforts to contribute to the common task of spreading God's Kingdom." By sharing the "living treasures" of their spirituality with the laity, religious "will help to dispel the notion that communion means mere uniformity."
The Pope then went on to consider "the importance of the promotion of marriage and family life in your region," recalling how, in this "vital apostolate, ... the growing complexity of matters regarding the family ... raises the question of providing appropriate training for those committed to working in this area."
"I am also aware of the practical gestures of reconciliation undertaken for the wellbeing of those in North Korea. I encourage these initiatives and invoke Almighty God's providential care upon all North Koreans," the Holy Father concluded. "Throughout the ages, Asia has given the Church and the world a host of heroes of the faith. ... May they stand as perennial witnesses to the truth and love which all Christians are called to proclaim."
Rudd election buoys Bishops' Reconciliation hopes
Australia, Dec.03, 2007 (CINS /CNS) - Australia's Catholic Bishops have issued a statement reflecting the hope that "Indigenous Australia will be listened to", on the back of Prime Minister Elect Kevin Rudd's acceptance speech.Acknowledging the traditional custodians of Australia, the Bishops say they affirm their respect for the elders, memories, traditions, culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
“The Catholic Church in Australia, as always, looks forward to working in partnership with the new government and with indigenous communities to improve the situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout the nation, the statement stated.
“Earlier this year we welcomed the high priority that the Federal Government placed on addressing disadvantage in remote Northern Territory Aboriginal communities.
“However, we also emphasised that there is much more to be done to address fundamental causes of entrenched disadvantage.”
The Bishops' statement addresses a number of areas for action which include: tackling child abuse, poverty, housing, substance abuse and employment.
“Any response must be designed and implemented to take into account the particular circumstances of different communities.
“We now urge the Federal Government to pursue the even more challenging task of addressing the underlying causes of disadvantage in our indigenous communities.
“In this way the healing process required at the heart of our nation can be furthered.”
Catholic Bishops of Korea assigned "duties" to their faithful
Seoul, South Korea, Dec.02, 2007 (CINS /AsiaNews) – Sharing ones goods with others ad the sanctification of the family, but above all bringing the Gospel to those who do not know it, in order to be an integral part of the Universal Churches mission. These are the “duties” assigned by the Korean Bishops to their faithful at the beginning of the Advent season.
The prelates in fact have written a letter to each of the parishes under their guidance which will be read on Sunday December 2nd, the first Sunday of Advent. The indications contained in the various texts “should become a path to follow not only during this holy period, but throughout our entire lives”.
In his pastoral letter entitled ‘Family is a Base for Life,. Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jinsuk, Archbishop of Seoul, said: “Most of all, the noble right and value of family, which is the fundament of respect for human beings, must be clearly proclaimed and recognized to create a social environment in which the value of life is fully respected”.
And he reiterated that “continuous efforts are needed for the abolition of the so-called ‘Mother-Child Health Law’ and capital punishment, for the prohibition of the human embryo cloning, and for the promotion of natural childbirth”.
Andreas Choi Chang-mou, Archbishop of Kwangju, instead invites his community to “renew the our image and manifest the mystery of the divine incarnation.” in his pastoral letter entitled, “The Word Incarnate Lives in the Middle of Us.”
And in a joint statement released by the entire Bishops’ Conference the Korean prelates urge “care for the marginalized as the greatest expression of Christian love and mission”. And they hoped that “the faithful have an interest in the restoration of the order of creation through the environmental protection and pastoral care for the youth who are the future of the Church”.
Bishop: Lebanon's presidential vacuum could stir religious conflicts
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov.27, 2007 (CINS /CNS) - Lebanon's lack of a president could stir religious conflicts in the Middle East and affect Christians' role in the country, said a Lebanese bishop.Maronite Bishop Bechara Rai of Jbeil told Catholic News Service that "the danger of the vacuum of the presidency is that it would lead to an absence of the Christian role in Lebanon, so that the actual conflict between the Shiites and Sunnis will continue as a consequence of the war in Iraq."
"In fact, this conflict aims to determine who will rule the policy in Lebanon. All this will threaten the security of Lebanon and stir up the confessional conflicts in the Middle East," said Bishop Rai.
"The second danger, if the vacuum persists," said the bishop, "is it will empty the presidency of its value and active role in the Lebanese political system and again marginalize the role of the Christians in general and especially Maronite Catholics."
Lebanon's parliament failed to elect a successor to President Emile Lahoud before he stepped down at midnight Nov. 23, just hours after he announced the transfer of security responsibilities to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Lebanon's Constitution says the president must be a Maronite Catholic, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.
If Nov. 26-28 international peace talks in Annapolis, Md., lead to a positive agreement, "Lebanon will be the first to benefit from its fruits," the bishop said. That is because "it is well known that the political crisis in Lebanon is a consequence of the conflicts in the Middle East around the following axes: Israel and Palestine; Israel and the Arab countries; the U.S., Syria and Iran; the U.S. and Iraq; the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds in Iraq; and the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas movement," he said.
The parliament's voting session to elect a president has been postponed for the fourth time. It is set for Nov. 30 and could be delayed further if Lebanon's political leaders cannot agree on a candidate.
Cardinal Nasrallah P. Sfeir, Maronite patriarch, and the Maronite bishops repeatedly have admonished Lebanon's political leaders for their allegiance to regional and foreign powers and their failure to look out for the interests of the Lebanese people.
Such allegiance is the cause of the current conflict in Lebanon, the bishop said. The ruling majority of Lebanon's parliament is Sunni-led, supported by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the U.S.; the opposition is Shiite-led, supported by Syria, Iran and their Western allies.
"For this reason, the decision to elect a president of Lebanon is in the hands of Saudi Arabia-U.S. and Syria-Iran," Bishop Rai said.
Bishop Rai suggested that the Maronite patriarch "should gather all the Christians -- especially the Maronite (political) leaders -- around Lebanon's destiny and institutions, and pull them out of this international and regional conflict. And, instead of being dependants of this or that group, Lebanon's Christians should form an intermediary group drawing the supporters and the opposition -- or the Sunnis and Shiites -- toward Lebanon's interest, which should be the common interest of all."
The bishop also called for a review of the Taif Accord, the agreement signed in Taif, Saudi Arabia, in 1989 that ended Lebanon's civil war. He said the agreement has shown that the authority of the (Lebanese) presidency is "completely restricted by the speaker of the parliament and the prime minister themselves."
Bishop Rai noted that "the presidency has become the weakest institution in the country and is not able to take any action when the parliament is deadlocked and the government is in crisis. Consequently, the constitutional crisis becomes a confessional crisis, as is happening today."
Cardinal Sfeir was not able to attend the Nov. 24 celebrations of the church's new cardinals at the Vatican due to the political crisis in Lebanon. In his homily Nov. 25 at Bkerke, the headquarters of the Maronite Catholic Church, he urged politicians to agree on a new head of state in order to avoid chaos.
"We are now in an interim period which may lead us to stability, or to chaos and confrontation," Cardinal Sfeir said.
"Therefore, everybody -- especially those responsible for brokering an agreement -- is asked to show seriousness and honest patriotism," he said.
Catholic Bishops praised Stem cell breakthrough without embryos
In a press release yesterday, Philadelphia Cardinal , Justin Rigali commended the scientific advances:
“Studies published this week in the journals Cell and Science offer new hope for advancing stem cell research and therapies while fully respecting the dignity of human life.
“Scientists in Japan and Wisconsin used four genes to ‘reprogram’ ordinary adult human cells, creating ‘induced pluripotent stem cells’ (iPS cells).
James Thomson, head of the Wisconsin team and the founder of human embryonic stem cell research, says these cells ‘meet the defining criteria’ for pluripotent human embryonic stem cells, ‘with the significant exception that the iPS cells are not derived from embryos.’
“Thus the goal sought for years through failed attempts at human cloning – the production of ‘pluripotent’ stem cells that are an exact genetic match to a patient – has been brought within reach by an ethical procedure. This technology avoids the many ethical landmines associated with embryonic stem cell research: it does not clone or destroy human embryos, does not harm or exploit women for their eggs, and does not blur the line between human beings and other species through desperate efforts to make human embryos using animal eggs.
Ian Wilmut, head of the team that cloned ‘Dolly’ the sheep, now says he is abandoning efforts at human ‘therapeutic cloning’ to pursue this adult cell reprogramming avenue instead, because it is technically superior as well as ‘easier to accept socially.’
“I am grateful today for scientists who took up the challenge of finding morally acceptable ways to pursue stem cell research, and for government leaders who have encouraged and funded such avenues. This advance reminds us once again that medical progress and respect for human life are not in conflict; they can and should support and enrich one another for the good of all.”
In a press release, Madison, Wisconsin Bishop Robert C. Morlino also offered his praise to the research team.
“Catholic voices in the bio-medical community have consistently claimed that ethical alternatives could be found to make the destruction of human life through embryonic stem cell research unnecessary. I continue to support the successful work being done by so many researchers using adult stem cells and I thank and congratulate those researchers and scientists who have now found a seemingly ethical way to replicate ‘embryonic’ or pluripotent stem cells without destroying human lives.
“Now that this breakthrough has been made and research with pluripotent stem cells can move forward in a seemingly ethical way, I reiterate my insistence that there is never a reason to sacrifice human lives for the sake of hoped-for but heretofore unrealized scientific advances.
“This breakthrough is certainly among the many gifts of God for which all of us should be grateful this Thanksgiving.”
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