Sunday, April 26, 2009

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of April 26

Providing Help. Creating Hope.


VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.


MISSION: To provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.


GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Committed to work to reduce poverty in half by 2020.


KEY VALUE: Hospitality


WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)



On Sunday (Third Sunday of Easter, Cycle B ) we read in the Gospel of Luke about one of the many appearances of Jesus to his disciples. We have a sense from today's readings that we are called upon to live and proclaim daily the Easter story of the joy of the Good News of Jesus' resurrection. We are called to follow Jesus in his work and mission.

At Catholic Charities we continue to witness to that Good News by being there for each person and family who comes to us for assistance. Whatever we do, no matter how large or small, is a sign of God's love to another person, especially those who are weak or in need. But we also recognize that no one is so poor or so rich that they do not have something to offer. At Catholic Charities we share that Good News that each of us has gifts to share with each other. That is a sign of the building of the Kingdom of God.

N.B. Congratulations to George Garchar for his leadership with ACTION for a very good public meeting held on Sunday. Good work on immigration policy.

Some important date(s) this week:

SUNDAY, April 26. St. Pedro de San José Betancur (1626-1667) Central America can claim its first saint with the July 30 canonization of Pedro de Betancur by Pope John Paul II in Guatemala City. Known as the "St. Francis of the Americas," Pedro de Betancur is the first saint to have worked and died in Guatemala. Calling the new saint an “outstanding example” of Christian mercy, the Holy Father noted that St. Pedro practiced mercy “heroically with the lowliest and the most deprived.” Speaking to the estimated 500,000 Guatemalans in attendance, the Holy Father spoke of the social ills that plague the country today and of the need for change.“Let us think of the children and young people who are homeless or deprived of an education; of abandoned women with their many needs; of the hordes of social outcasts who live in the cities; of the victims of organized crime, of prostitution or of drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the elderly who live in loneliness,” he said in his homily during the three-hour liturgy.

Pedro very much wanted to become a priest, but God had other plans for the young man born into a poor family on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Pedro was a shepherd until age 24, when he began to make his way to Guatemala, hoping to connect with a relative engaged in government service there. By the time he reached Havana, he was out of money. After working there to earn more, he got to Guatemala City the following year. When he arrived he was so destitute that he joined the bread line which the Franciscans had established.


Soon, Pedro enrolled in the local Jesuit college in hopes of studying for the priesthood. No matter how hard he tried, however, he could not master the material; he withdrew from school. In 1655 he joined the Secular Franciscan Order. Three years later he opened a hospital for the convalescent poor; a shelter for the homeless and a school for the poor soon followed. Not wanting to neglect the rich of Guatemala City, Pedro began walking through their part of town ringing a bell and inviting them to repent.Other men came to share in Pedro's work. Soon they became the Bethlehemite Congregation, which went on to earn official papal approval after Pedro's death.He is sometimes credited with originating the Christmas Eve posadas procession in which people representing Mary and Joseph seek a night's lodging from their neighbors. The custom soon spread to Mexico and other Central American countries. Pedro was beatified in 1980.


FRIDAY, MAY 1. St. Joseph the Worker. Apparently in response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955. But the relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers has a longer history.In a constantly necessary effort to keep Jesus from being removed from ordinary human life, the Church has from the beginning proudly emphasized that Jesus was a carpenter, obviously trained by Joseph in both the satisfactions and the drudgery of that vocation. Humanity is like God not only in thinking and loving, but also in creating. Whether we make a table or a cathedral, we are called to bear fruit with our hands and mind, ultimately for the building up of the Body of Christ.



Sharing Hope In Tough Times: Catholic Charities Responds to Families Facing Economic Crisis


Reflection: During the Great Depression, the homeless left a special mark on the sidewalks of friendly homes. With what sign shall we mark our homes today?



Prayer Intention: That Christians everywhere be a sign of Christ with their very lives, bringing the hope of the gospel to those in need.





PAPAL INTENTIONS:


April 2009

General: That the Lord may bless the farmers with an abundant harvest and sensitise the richer populations to the drama of hunger in the world

Mission: That the Christians who work in areas where the conditions of the poor, the weak and the women and children are most tragic, may be signs of hope, thanks to their courageous testimony to the Gospel of solidarity and love.

May 2009
General: That the laity and the Christian communities may be responsible promoters of priestly and religious vocations.

Mission: That the recently founded Catholic Churches, grateful to the Lord for the gift of faith, may be ready to share in the universal mission of the Church, offering their availability to preach the Gospel throughout the world.


Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor

1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the sick
6. Visit those in
prison
7. Bury the dead


See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.

For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/

Sunday, April 19, 2009

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION week for April 19, 2009

Providing Help. Creating Hope.


VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.


MISSION: To provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.


GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Committed to work to reduce poverty in half by 2020.


KEY VALUE: Hospitality


WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)


On Sunday (Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday Cycle B) we read in the Gospel of John how Jesus engaged his closest friends even after they had abandoned him in his hour of need. Jesus enters the sealed room with the greeting: "Peace be with you." We witness immediately the power of Jesus' mercy and love: his bestows and models peace on and for his friends. This new model of peace and mercy led the early follower of the Lord to share all that they had so that no one was in need (Acts 4:32-35).

Today as we celebrate Diving Mercy Sunday we in Catholic Charities recommit ourselves to serve and welcome everyone with mercy and in peace who come to our agencies for assistance. We want to be of assistance to anyone who comes to our door to the best of our abilities: those who need help since they just lost their job and feel ashamed or embarrassed; those who need help to prevent eviction or foreclosure; those who are in a broken relationship and seek healing; those who have young children who need a caring ear; those who are homeless or sick and need immediate attention. We are called to show mercy and to be peacemakers. As we celebrate this eighth day of Easter, let's us recommit ourselves to this call.



Some important date(s) this week:

FRIDAY APRIL 24. St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577-1622). If a poor man needed some clothing, Fidelis would often give the man the clothes right off his back. Complete generosity to others characterized this saint's life. Born in 1577, Mark Rey (Fidelis was his religious name) became a lawyer who constantly upheld the causes of the poor and oppressed people. Nicknamed "the poor man's lawyer," Fidelis soon grew disgusted with the corruption and injustice he saw among his colleagues. He left his law career to become a priest, joining his brother George as a Franciscan friar of the Capuchin Order. His wealth was divided between needy seminarians and the poor.As a follower of Francis, Fidelis continued his devotion to the weak and needy. Once, during a severe epidemic in a city where he was guardian of a friary, Fidelis cared for and cured many sick soldiers.

April 23-24. Workshops for Boards and Staff on The Catholic Charities USA Code of Ethics by Fr. Ragan Schriver of Catholic Charities of East Tennesse.


Sharing Hope In Tough Times: Catholic Charities Responds to Families Facing Economic Crisis


Reflection: When one of us suffers, we all suffer. Inviting a family who is experiencing an employment layoff to dinner can ease much suffering.

Prayer Intention: That in response to difficult financial times, Christians everywhere generously celebrate community with their friends and neighbors and share in a daily meal.


PAPAL INTENTIONS:


April 2009
General: That the Lord may bless the farmers with an abundant harvest and sensitise the richer populations to the drama of hunger in the world

Mission: That the Christians who work in areas where the conditions of the poor, the weak and the women and children are most tragic, may be signs of hope, thanks to their courageous testimony to the Gospel of solidarity and love.


Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor

1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the sick
6. Visit those in prison
7. Bury the dead


See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.

For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Caritas President: We Can Transform Society

Caritas President: We Can Transform Society

Urges Aid Agencies to Be Expressions of God

ROME, APRIL 8, 2009 ( Zenit.org ).- Thanks to Jesus' resurrection, volunteers can transform society into "something better," says the president of Caritas Internationalis.

Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, the archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, said this in an Easter message to the global federation of aid organizations of the Catholic Church.

He told the aid organization that they should be "an expression and a sacrament of the redeeming love of God for the whole of humanity."

"I saw in a recent report" that "donations from some of our Caritas organizations have increased, instead of diminishing during the world economic crisis," explained the archbishop. "This is a sign that the risen Christ can engender more love than hatred in the world, more concern for one's needy neighbor than egoism and avarice."

"We must firmly believe that we can transform our society into something better. A better place to live in, a better place to work in and a better place to praise God," the cardinal continued.

The cardinal appealed to all Caritas collaborators to keep close to their heart "the victims of the earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy. May their suffering be transformed into the joy of the resurrected Lord."

The president of Caritas concluded: "My prayer for the Caritas community around the world is that we be an expression and a sacrament of the redeeming love of God for the whole of humanity."

Cardinal Donates Savings to Start Bank for Poor

Naples Prelate Enables Offering of Micro-Credits

NAPLES, Italy, APRIL 10, 2009 ( Zenit.org ).- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe is responding to the world economic crisis with more than exhortations; he is donating a year's stipend and part of his personal savings to initiate a diocesan bank that will offer micro-credits to the poor.

The Naples archbishop explained his plan in a pastoral letter titled "Where Can We Buy Bread," presented in the archdiocese Wednesday. The pastoral letter takes its title from the question posed to Jesus by the disciples before the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

Cardinal Sepe said the initiative aims to respond to the needs of "unemployed young people, and also of all those who have lost or will lose their jobs."

"Christ wishes to use our hands today to break the bread of sharing, of fraternity and of charity," he noted, inviting all those who are able to help finance the initiative.

"[F]ar from being a practice of pure welfare, the micro-credit will be the way to make the creativity and ingenuity of our people emerge again," the archbishop affirmed. It means "to have the courage to believe in man and to wager on the possibility of multiplying the loaves and fishes."

Cardinal Sepe underlined that in these times of crisis, "we have before us a hungry throng that, as sheep without a shepherd, asks for bread."

"To offer an opportunity to all those who ask for bread is the only way that we Christians have to address unemployment and new poverties, contributing to the restructuring of the social fabric at a time in which the economy does not succeed in offering a way out," he added.

The cardinal said his diocese is promoting this initiative in continuity with all that the Italian bishops have stated, noting their call "for a crusade of charity and assistance."

Globalized poverty

In describing the crisis, the cardinal observed: "We agree that we have built our society on sand and not on rock and, basing ourselves solely on economic calculation, have built the umpteenth tower of Babel.

"We thought that the globalization of markets would bring us further well-being, wealth for all, and instead we globalized poverty.

"And now, as evening draws near, we all find ourselves in the same boat and, like the disciples, while the Master exhorted them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, we can say nothing other than: 'We have no bread.'"

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Pope Sends Vatican Firemen for Earthquake Aid

Caritas Workers Bring Hope To Area of Grave Destruction

ROME, APRIL 7, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is sending aid to earthquake victims in the form of Vatican firemen, while Caritas workers move forward to assist the affected towns.

Eight rescue workers, sent by the Holy See with the express permission of the Pope, have been collaborating since Monday to help victims of the earthquake in the Abruzzo region, said the corps' commander, Domenico Giani, on Vatican Radio.

The earthquake, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale, struck close to the city of L'Aquila, around 70 miles northeast of Rome. Officials report 228 dead, 15 people missing, and around 1,000 injured.

The official explained: "During the night, no sooner than the tragedy was known, I spoke with our superiors, with Bishop Renato Boccardo and Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, secretary and president respectively of the Governor's Office for Vatican City State. Then we informed the Holy Father, the Secretary of State and the whole Secretariat."

"It seemed to us obligatory, at this time of great sorrow, that a team of our firemen should be present to give a hand," he added, explaining that the Vatican security forces "are also prepared in this area of security and civil protection."

Team approach

The Vatican sent a structural engineer to the area, and an eight-member team, with resources for civil protection and aid for the population.

The team is working in collaboration with the Italian emergency services in one of the most affected areas, the village of Onna, where 41 of the 250 inhabitants perished.

Giani said, "They worked throughout the night, recovering bodies, but now they are dedicated above all to helping the population, recovering what can be salvaged and giving moral support."

"The Holy See," he added, "with its different structures -- Cor Unum, Caritas -- always takes aid in the name of the Holy Father, when there is an emergency." "In this case," he said, "in addition to material and economic aid, professional help has also been provided."

The engineer, Paolo De Angelis, explained on Vatican Radio that the situation "is disastrous" and that despite this, "solidarity between persons" is being manifested.

He continued: "We have been received very positively: this is the message we wished to bring, a message of solidarity which the population has fully welcomed.

"The present climate among the inhabitants is one of consternation. Here above all what people need is consolation, as they have been left without anything by the earthquake."

Grave destruction

Father Vittorio Nozza, the director of Caritas in Italy, told ZENIT that the earthquake's destruction has been very grave, and "not one single house was spared from demolition."

He arrived today to L'Aquila and met with the diocesan bishop, Archbishop Giuseppe Molinari, and with the regional director of Caritas, Alberto Conti.

He said Caritas is meeting with each of the parish priests of the area "to hear firsthand what the most urgent needs are."

They agreed "to divide the affected territory into seven areas to facilitate a homogeneous aid intervention." A coordination center for Italian and diocesan Caritas is to be established immediately which will work not only during this time of emergency but also in the long-term for the region's reconstruction.

They stated the goal to provide places of shelter for children, the elderly and the sick, so that adults can dedicate themselves to reorganizing their daily life.

The priest said: "There is much composure in the villages we have been to, but in places where they have lost one or more loved ones, the question is very strong: Where is God? We answer this question with prayer and our closeness."

Father Dionisio Rodriguez, local Caritas director and pastor in Paganica, a town close to L'Aquila, plans to celebrate Easter Sunday Mass on a sports field for the earthquake victims.

"Easter Sunday offers a sign of hope and optimism," he said, "People aren't feeling much joy at the moment, but Easter Sunday provides us with a sign of life and renewal."

Monday, April 6, 2009

Bishops support introduction of DREAM Act

Say it will make difference in the life of many immigrant young persons

MIGRATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN APPLAUDS INTRODUCTION OF DREAM ACT, EXPRESSES USCCB SUPPORT

WASHINGTON—In an April 3 letter to sponsors of the legislation, Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, Utah, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, expressed the support of the USCCB for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (or DREAM Act), legislation which would legalize the status of thousands of undocumented youth in the United States.
The legislation (S. 729, H.R. 1751) applies to young persons who entered the United States before the age of fifteen, have been physically present in the United States for five years, and have earned a high school diploma. The bill would also repeal federal restrictions that limit the ability of states to offer them in-state tuition.
The letters were sent to Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), primary sponsors in the U.S. Senate, and Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA) and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), primary sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“This legislation would make a difference in the lives of undocumented youth who were brought to the United States by their parents and now, because of their lack of legal status, face obstacles to their future,” Bishop Wester wrote.
The bill would apply to students in both public and private schools, including Catholic schools. Young persons would become eligible for permanent legal status upon completion of two years of college or two years of honorable service in the military. Approximately 65,000 youth per year would benefit from the DREAM Act.
“The DREAM Act represents a practical, fair, and compassionate solution for thousands of young persons who simply want to reach their God-given potential and contribute to the well-being of our nation. We urge Congress to pass this measure as soon as possible,” Bishop Wester
said.
Full text of the correspondence follows.

April 3, 2009

Dear Senator Durbin:

On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I write to express our support for S. 729, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act).
This legislation would make a difference in the lives of undocumented youth who were brought to the United States by their parents and now, because of their lack of legal status, face obstacles to their future. By removing such barriers, the DREAM Act permits immigrant students to pursue a promising future through college education or military service.

Those who would benefit from the DREAM Act are talented, intelligent, and dedicated young persons who know only the United States as their home. They can become some of the future leaders of our country, provided we are wise enough to provide them the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Under the DREAM Act, deserving immigrant youth can adjust to permanent resident status provided that they entered the United States before age sixteen, have been physically present in the
United States for not less than five years, demonstrated good moral character, have no criminal record and do not threaten national security, and have earned their high school diploma. This bill also offers students a fair opportunity to earn U.S. citizenship if they commit to and complete at least two years of college or two years of honorable service in the military.

Importantly, this legislation will apply to students in both public and private education, including those attending Catholic schools. It will also place a college degree within their reach by removing restrictions currently in law that limit states from offering them in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.

It is important to note that these young persons entered the United States with their parents at a young age, and therefore did not enter without inspection on their own volition.

The DREAM Act represents a practical, fair, and compassionate solution for thousands of young persons in our nation who simply want to reach their God-given potential and contribute to the well-being of our nation. We urge Congress to pass this measure as soon as possible.
Thank you for introducing this important piece of legislation. We look forward to working with you until it becomes law.

Sincerely,
Most Reverend Bishop John C. Wester
Bishop of Salt Lake City
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration

Aide: Care for the Poor Can Solve Financial Crisis

Urges Liberation of World's True Wealth

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 5, 2009 ( Zenit.org ).- At the conclusion of the Group of 20 summit in London, the Vatican's spokesman called for greater confidence in the poor as a way out of the international economic crisis.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, said this in his weekly editorial on the most recent episode of "Octava Dies."

The priest recalled the exhortation that Benedict XVI addressed to the G-20, which met in London last Thursday and Friday, urging them to coordinate with urgency all the means necessary to overcome the present crisis, so that it will never be repeated, and to pay special attention to the poorest and those who do not have a voice.

Citing the letter the Pope sent last Monday to the British prime minister, Gordon Brown, Father Lombardi explained, "Effective confidence in man, above all confidence in the poorest men and women, will be the proof that we truly want to get out of the crisis without exclusions and that we want to decisively avoid repeating situations similar to those we are experiencing today."

The priest then recalled that after returning from his trip to Africa, Benedict XVI brought with him "the dramatic problems and the poverty of that continent, but also the will to live and the hope for the redemption of its inhabitants" and that, on account of this, he "admonishes the wealthy who must not and cannot build the future without taking the poor into consideration."

Solid foundation

"But the crucial point," the spokesman observed, "is identifying the foundation and starting to build a just, stable world order" with solidarity. According to the Pope, he added, "the only true and solid foundation is confidence in man."

He emphasized a foundation that is "no longer a blind confidence in finance, and business or in systems of production, without solid ethical reference, but an economy that really carries 'inside' of it the awareness of the dignity of all human persons and its responsibility to serve their integral development."

"We all want to get out of this present crisis," Father Lombardi continued, "but it would be illusory to think that we could get out of it leaving to the margins those who suffer from it the most and who, today, have a weaker voice, but who can offer so much for the future of the human family."

He concluded: "Struggling to eliminate extreme poverty and so liberate the true wealth of the world: God's creatures, made in his image: This is the priority most worthy of being pursued by those who have our world's fate in their hands today."

Sunday, April 5, 2009

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION week of April 5, 2009

Providing Help. Creating Hope.


VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.


MISSION: To provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.


GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Committed to work to reduce poverty in half by 2020.


KEY VALUE: Hospitality


WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)


On Sunday (Palm Sunday Cycle B) we read in the Gospel of Mark about the Passion and Death of Jesus the Christ. The readings for this Sunday help us reflect upon the humanity of Jesus as related to His Divinity. Jesus witnesses the nature and power of unconditional love by his sacrifice. We are called to do no less as persons who serve in the name of the Church.

Through Catholic Charities persons who come to us seeking material or emotional assistance find that loving presence of God in our work. We bring a healing touch based on love for each person and family we encounter. We know also that sometimes our advocacy on policy and our moral positions may not be in conformity with general norms of society and some disagree with us. But strengthen by the Spirit, we continue to proclaim the truth about human flourishing regardless of public opinion polls. We proclaim that each person is made in God's Image and provide respect and love to each and every individual regardless of their situation or need. That radical belief forms the basis of our continued work in the name of Jesus the Christ.

Some important date(s) this week:

Daily Lenten Resources can be found at:
US Conference of Catholic Bishops
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Charities USA

THURSDAY, APRIL 9. Holy Thursday. Liturgy of the Chrism Mass, 10:30 at St. Columba Cathedral. Mass of the Lord's Supper at parishes throughout the diocese.

FRIDAY, APRIL 10. Good Friday

SATURDAY, APRIL 11. Holy Saturday. Vigil of the Resurrection.

SUNDAY, APRIL 12. Easter.




Sharing Hope In Tough Times: Catholic Charities Responds to Families Facing Economic Crisis


Reflection: Jesus never sought worldly glory; He humbly accepted help from Simon of Cyrene while carrying His cross. Don’t be afraid to allow your Simon help you make ends meet.



Prayer Intention: That we learn to graciously help others as they carry their daily burdens, and that we are humble enough to accept help from others when we are carrying ours.





PAPAL INTENTIONS:


April 2009
General: That the Lord may bless the farmers with an abundant harvest and sensitise the richer populations to the drama of hunger in the world

Mission: That the Christians who work in areas where the conditions of the poor, the weak and the women and children are most tragic, may be signs of hope, thanks to their courageous testimony to the Gospel of solidarity and love.



Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor

1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the sick
6. Visit those in prison
7. Bury the dead



See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.

For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI: Message to G-20 Leaders

AVOID NATIONALISTIC SELFISHNESS AND PROTECTIONISM



VATICAN CITY, 1 APR 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has expressed his appreciation to heads of State and government who are due to participate in the G20 Summit which will take place in London, England, on 2 and 3 April for the "noble objectives" they have set themselves. These objectives, he writes, arise from the conviction " that the way out of the current global crisis can only be reached together, avoiding solutions marked by any nationalistic selfishness or protectionism".



In his English-language Letter, addressed to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Pope recalls that the aim of the gathering is "to co-ordinate, with urgency, measures necessary to stabilise financial markets and to enable companies and families to weather this period of deep recession, as well as to restore sustainable growth in the world economy and to reform and substantially strengthen systems of global governance, in order to ensure that such a crisis is not repeated in the future".



Pope Benedict mentions his recent visit to Africa , where he was able "to see at first hand the reality of severe poverty and marginalization, which the crisis risks aggravating dramatically".



He also notes the fact that "sub-Saharan Africa is represented [at the meeting] by just one State and some regional organisations". This, he writes, "must prompt a profound reflection among the summit participants, since those whose voice has least force in the political scene are precisely the ones who suffer most from the harmful effects of a crisis for which they do not bear responsibility".



After underlining how "a key element of the crisis is a deficit of ethics in economic structures", the Pope insists that "the same crisis teaches us that ethics is not 'external' to the economy but 'internal' and that the economy cannot function if it does not bear within it an ethical component".



He also emphasises the need for "a courageous and generous strengthening of international co-operation, capable of promoting a truly humane and integral development. Positive faith in the human person, and above all faith in the poorest men and women - of Africa and other regions of the world affected by extreme poverty - is what is needed if we are truly to come through the crisis once and for all, without turning our back on any region, and if we are definitively to prevent any recurrence of a situation similar to that in which we find ourselves today".



The Pope concludes his Letter by expressing the wish to add his voice "to those of the adherents of various religions and cultures who share the conviction that the elimination of extreme poverty by 2015, to which leaders at the UN Millennium Summit committed themselves, remains one of the most important tasks of our time".



Gordon Brown has replied, expressing agreement with the Pope's ideas and indicating the paths to follow in order to implement them.

MESS/.../G20 SUMMIT VIS 090401 (490)






CARDINAL SECRETARY OF STATE TARCISIO BERTONE S.D.B. has sent a message to the labour ministers of the G8 member States (Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain, United States, Japan, Canada and Russia) and of a further six nations with the world's largest economies, who participated in the Social Summit, held in Rome from 29 to 31 March. The aim of the meeting was to formulate proposals to ensure that solutions to the world economic crisis take job protection and workers' rights into account.



MSGR. RENATO VOLANTE, HOLY SEE PERMANENT OBSERVER to the United Nations Organisation for Food and Agriculture, addressed the 29th FAO regional conference for Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok , Thailand , on 28 March. In his address Msgr. Volante affirmed, among other things, that "the crisis affecting markets, financial activities and food prices calls for agricultural policies to be revised" and highlighted the need "to work with all possible methods and instruments".

.../IN BRIEF/... VIS 090401 (160)