Sunday, January 31, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI Sunday Angelus: Charity and Social Responsibility

Pope Reflects on Beauty Found in Today's Liturgy


The Greatest Gift That Gives Others Worth




VATICAN CITY, JAN. 31, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible is found in today's liturgy, and it indicates the path to reach perfection.

The Pope spoke of St. Paul's "hymn to charity" (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13) before he prayed the midday Angelus today with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

The Holy Father noted how Paul says the way of perfection "does not consist in possessing exceptional qualities: speaking new languages, knowing all the mysteries, having a prodigious faith, or doing heroic deeds. It consists rather in charity -- 'agape' -- that is, in authentic love, that love that God revealed to us in Jesus Christ."

"Charity is the 'greatest' gift," the Pontiff affirmed, saying it "confers worth on others, and yet 'does not boast, does not puff up with pride,' indeed, 'it rejoices in truth' and the good of others."

"In the end," he continued, "when we will meet God face to face, all the other gifts will disappear; the only one that will remain in eternity will be charity, because God is love and we will be like him, in complete communion with him."

The Pope added that while we are in this world, "charity is the Christian difference."

"The Christian’s whole life is summed up by charity: what he believes and what he does," he said. "For this reason, at the beginning of my pontificate, I wanted to dedicate my first encyclical precisely to the theme of love: 'Deus caritas est.'"

Benedict XVI recalled how the encyclical illustrates the two components of charity: meaning and practice.

"Love is the essence of God himself, it is the meaning of creation and history, it is the light that gives goodness and beauty to every man’s existence," he explained. "At the same time, love is the 'style,' of God and the believer, it is the comportment of him who, responding to God’s love, makes his own life a gift of self to God and neighbor."

And these two aspects "form a perfect unity" in Jesus, the Pontiff said. "Fixing our gaze upon him, we can confess with the Apostle John: 'We have seen the love that God has for us and we have believed in it.'"

Saints

Benedict XVI noted how the saints, with the "variety of their spiritual gifts, and also their human characters" are "hymn[s] to charity."

The saints are, he affirmed, "a living canticle to God’s love!"

Recalling the saint whose feast is today, St. John Bosco, the Bishop of Rome concluded by invoking his intercession "so that priests always be educators and fathers for young people; and that, experiencing this pastoral charity, many young people will welcome the call to give their life for Christ and the Gospel. May Mary Our Help, model of charity, obtain these graces for us."

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On ZENIT's Web page:

Full text: www.zenit.org/article-28210?l=english

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ZE10013106 - 2010-01-31
Permalink: http://zenit.org/article-28214?l=english

Pope Remembers the Jobless




VATICAN CITY, JAN. 31, 2010 (Zenit.org).- As the global economic crisis continues to keep people out of work, Benedict XVI is calling on everyone to assume a "great sense of responsibility."

The Pope made this exhortation today after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"The economic crisis is causing the loss of numerous jobs, and this situation requires a great sense of responsibility on the part of everyone: entrepreneurs, workers, [and] government officials," he said.

The Holy Father mentioned in particular situations in Termini Imerese, Italy, where a FIAT plant with some 3,000 workers has had some temporary closures and plans a total shut down in 2012; and in Portovesme, Italy, where the Pennsylvania-based Alcoa company has a factory that has also had temporary closures.

The Pope affirmed that he joins with the Italian episcopal conference in asking "that everything possible be done to protect and increase employment, assuring families of dignified work and adequate support."

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of February 1, 2010

Catholic Charities. 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: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called 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. Working 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 (Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/013110.shtml Cycle C) we read about the impact Jesus has on his own community. He is basically run out of town. Last week we read from the Gospel of Luke how Jesus went to his hometown's synagogue where he took the scroll and read the Isaiah prophecy of his liberating mission. At that moment, all were spellbound by the proclamation of the Good News. But in today's Gospel reading, as this Good News sinks in, the people become upset and rush him out of town. Why? Jesus said that his mission of love and hope extended to all human kind, and that God's liberation would not end only in Israel. In fact, his stories of the woman saved from starvation and the man healed from leprosy pointed to the fact that it was Gentiles who accepted the Word and were healed. His own townsfolk grew upset and did not want to hear these words. They wanted to keep God's love to themselves.

In Catholic Charities we sometimes must take prophetic stands on issues: health care reform must remain just and dedicated to human life and dignity; abortion, death penalty, and war are instruments of violence that must be rejected; immigrants, persons with HIV/AIDS, and persons with handicaps must always be welcomed in our communities. One thing about prophetic actions, however, that is to be the hallmark of the Church especially Catholic Charities: we must always do so with, through and in love. We can proclaim great truths and serve thousands of persons, but if we do not have love, we are nothing. Rather, love infuses all we do and are.

Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate:
"Many areas of the globe today have evolved considerably, albeit in problematical and disparate ways, thereby taking their place among the great powers destined to play important roles in the future. Yet it should be stressed that progress of a merely economic and technological kind is insufficient. Development needs above all to be true and integral. The mere fact of emerging from economic backwardness, though positive in itself, does not resolve the complex issues of human advancement, neither for the countries that are spearheading such progress, nor for those that are already economically developed, nor even for those that are still poor, which can suffer not just through old forms of exploitation, but also from the negative consequences of a growth that is marked by irregularities and imbalances.." (Caritas in Veritate, par 23b). http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm

N.B. Note: Please consider joining our Cause on FACEBOOK http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106889 and us on our Twitter account, CCDOY, for current updates and calls to action that we can all use. http://twitter.com/CCDOY


Some important date(s) this week:


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2. PRESENTATION OF THE LORD. At the end of the fourth century, a woman named Etheria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journal, discovered in 1887, gives an unprecedented glimpse of liturgical life there. Among the celebrations she describes is the Epiphany (January 6), the observance of Christ’s birth, and the gala procession in honor of his Presentation in the Temple 40 days later—February 15. (Under the Mosaic Law, a woman was ritually “unclean” for 40 days after childbirth, when she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice—her “purification.” Contact with anyone who had brushed against mystery—birth or death—excluded a person from Jewish worship.) This feast emphasizes Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple more than Mary’s purification.
The observance spread throughout the Western Church in the fifth and sixth centuries. Because the Church in the West celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25, the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days after Christmas.
At the beginning of the eighth century, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession; at the end of the same century the blessing and distribution of candles which continues to this day became part of the celebration, giving the feast its popular name: Candlemas.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3. St. Blase. d. 316. We know more about the devotion to St. Blase by Christians around the world than we know about the saint himself. His feast is observed as a holy day in some Eastern Churches. The Council of Oxford, in 1222, prohibited servile labor in England on Blase’s feast day. The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor and for decades many United States Catholics have sought the annual St. Blase blessing for their throats

We know that Bishop Blase was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia, in 316. The legendary Acts of St. Blase were written 400 years later. According to them Blase was a good bishop, working hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his people. Although the Edict of Toleration (311), granting freedom of worship in the Roman Empire, was already five years old, persecution still raged in Armenia. Blase was apparently forced to flee to the back country. There he lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer, but made friends with the wild animals. One day a group of hunters seeking wild animals for the amphitheater stumbled upon Blase’s cave. They were first surprised and then frightened. The bishop was kneeling in prayer surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions and bears.
As the hunters hauled Blase off to prison, the legend has it, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blase’s command the child was able to cough up the bone.

HAITI RELIEF
Please consider donating to the Catholic Relief Services Haitian Relief Fund by visiting us at http://www.ccdoy.org or make checks out to:
Catholic Relief Services - Haiti Fund
mail to: CRS -Haiti Fund, Diocese of Youngstown
144 W. Wood Street Youngstown, OH 44503



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


35%. This percentage reflects the increase in requests for emergency assistance that Catholic Charities has experienced over the past year. Please pray for Catholic Charities caseworkers and staff who respond to the challenge of serving an increasing population with decreasing resources.



PAPAL INTENTIONS: FEBRUARY 2010
Scholars
General: For all scholars and intellectuals, that by means of sincere search for the truth they may arrive at an understanding of the one true God.

The Church’s Missionary Identity
Missionary: That the Church, aware of its own missionary identity, may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples.



Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
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/

Friday, January 29, 2010

Don't Forget Human Rights in Haiti, Urges Prelate

Recalls Importance of Principle of Subsidiarity
GENEVA, Switzerland, JAN. 29, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- A plan to rebuild Haiti needs to be based on human rights and ensure the principle of subsidiarity, says the Holy See's permanent observer at the Geneva U.N. offices.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi affirmed this Thursday at a U.N. Human Rights Council special session on supporting Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake that leveled the capital.

In Haiti's case, noted Archbishop Tomasi, rights "to life, to nutrition, to water, to health, to development, to the hope of an adequate life, and the right to proper work, were, in great measure, already absent."

But as aid comes in, the prelate said, it is important to respect the principle of subsidiarity, giving "Haitians in the first place the ability to reconstruct for themselves the infrastructure they need and to assume their political and social responsibilities."

"The Church, integral part of Haitian society, will continue to collaborate actively in the country's reconstruction promoting the most fundamental human rights and contributing to the progress of Haitians' health and education, in the framework of their just aspiration to a life of liberty and dignity," affirmed Archbishop Tomasi.

In regard to the situation of the local Church, in a country that is largely Catholic, the Holy See representative reflected that it is symbolized by the photo of the collapsed cathedral.

He mentioned the death of the archbishop of Port-au-Prince and other Church leaders.

This tragedy is also an appeal to the "solidarity of the international community" to "respond immediately" to Haitians' needs and to "put human rights at the base of a healthy plan of reconstruction," he said.

Archbishop Tomasi recalled Benedict XVI's Jan. 13 exhortation to send aid and his assurance that the Church would do what it could to meet the needs of the population.

The Holy See representative expressed appreciation for the worldwide response, including $33 million from Caritas and another $25 million from Catholic Relief Services.

He also expressed the Holy See's condolences "to the government and the people of Haiti," represented at the session.

And the prelate recalled the "millions without shelter" and the destruction of Port-au-Prince and other cities of the island, and expressed appreciation for Brazil's work in responding.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

BISHOPS CALL FOR A LONGTERM STRATEGY IN HAITI THAT FOCUSES ON POVERTY REDUCTION

WASHINGTON—The U.S. needs “a long-term coherent strategy for recovery, development and poverty reduction in Haiti,” helping Haiti rebuild and get back to the path of long-term sustainable development, said the chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace in a January 26 letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk.

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, New York, said such a strategy for rebuilding Haiti in the wake of this month’s devastating earthquake needs to coordinate “different U.S. government agencies in a comprehensive approach, engaging other groups with expertise and experience with Haiti.” Bishop Hubbard recommended that the strategy include: debt relief, trade preferences, extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living in the United States as needed, and sustained reconstruction and development assistance to Haiti.

Bishop Hubbard expressed gratitude for President Obama’s response to the earthquake in Haiti and added, “When the international community and Haitians move beyond the most urgent aspects of the emergency, we urge a substantial and sustained commitment by the U.S. Government to provide long-term funding for reconstruction and poverty reduction.” Highlighting the importance of working with Haitians, Bishop Hubbard wrote, “At the same time, our nation should work to support and strengthen the role of the Haitian Government and institutions in the reconstruction and long-term development of their nation.”

The letter from Bishop Hubbard can be found online at: www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/2010-01-26-let-clinton-napolitano-geithner-kirk-haiti.pdf

Caritas Launches Zero Poverty Campaign

Envisions World Where No One Is Homeless
BRUSSELS, Belgium, JAN. 27, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Caritas is launching a campaign in conjunction with the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

The Zero Poverty campaign was launched by the aid agency today at the European Parliament in Brussels.

The presentation was given to the by Erny Gillen, president of Caritas Europa and representatives of Caritas Italy, Paolo Pezzana and Patrizia Cappelletti.

They presented the campaign's vision "of a different world, in which no one is forced to live on the streets or dies prematurely because they cannot afford health care."

"Poverty is a scandal," Caritas Europa affirmed in a press release today, and is "unacceptable in the 21st century."

Also for this European Year, Caritas published a Poverty Paper, in which it stated that this social ill is more than a lack of financial resources.

Poverty is a "lack of well-being," the communiqué stated. "Naturally, a lack of basic means is an extremely common cause of emotional and psychological distress."

In that sense, the agency called for the support and strengthening of the "three traditional sources of social welfare: the labor market, the family, and the welfare state."

In this way, it added, "the poor and socially excluded can become truly self-sufficient and restore the dignity that has been robbed from them by the stigma of poverty."

"Society has to tackle poverty's root causes rather than merely respond to its consequences," the Caritas statement affirmed.

It continued, "If the fight against poverty and social exclusion is to be sustained, more emphasis must be placed on what policies can do to prevent the spiral of poverty from taking place, particularly in the early stages of an individual's life."

The agency is sponsoring a petition to lobby national governments in Europe and supranational institutions for certain actions in the fight against poverty.

This Petition Against Poverty calls for four steps: "End child poverty by guaranteeing allowances for every child in Europe, regardless of the status of their parents; secure a minimum standard of social security for all; guarantee universal health care and strengthen the welfare state; take active steps to ensure decent jobs with decent wages."

The agency aims to obtain 1 million signatures from citizens of a variety of member states.

It noted the hope that this year will challenge many people and institutions to "look at poverty through new eyes."

Caritas called for "everybody who cares about combating poverty" to make a stand that "will get people talking, thinking and acting."

To this end, it is offering concrete actions against poverty on its campaign Web site.

"Poverty is everybody's concern," the communiqué stated. "Act now for a better future!"

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On the Net:

Zero Poverty Campaign: www.zeropoverty.org

Saturday, January 23, 2010

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of January 24, 2010

Catholic Charities. 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: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called 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. Working 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 in Ordinary Time,Cycle C) we read about Jesus preaching from the scroll in the temple about the nature of his mission and ministry. He reads from Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me..to bring good news...to proclaim liberty.....to set captives free....to announce a year of jubilee." More important, as Jesus reads these sacred and ancient words, he proclaims to his listeners then and today: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” In other words, the Good News of God's love is alive here and now, calling for us to join in building the Kingdom of God. How do we do that: Jesus tells us over and over again: love one another.

In Catholic Charities we take the message of St. Paul to the Corinthians very seriously, as he writes: "If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it." We are part of the "healing and assistance" ministry of the Church, as the Spirit has given us all gifts to share with the community. Catholic Charities' role is to be that healing touch to those who suffer here locally and globally. Thanks for everyone who has helped make the Annual Bishop's Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church, our Keep the Kids Warm Campaign, our recent Men Who Cook events, and the CRS Haiti Relief Fund so successful

Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate: "Today the picture of development has many overlapping layers. The actors and the causes in both underdevelopment and development are manifold, the faults and the merits are differentiated. This fact should prompt us to liberate ourselves from ideologies, which often oversimplify reality in artificial ways, and it should lead us to examine objectively the full human dimension of the problems. As John Paul II has already observed, the demarcation line between rich and poor countries is no longer as clear as it was at the time of Populorum Progressio. The world's wealth is growing in absolute terms, but inequalities are on the increase. In rich countries, new sectors of society are succumbing to poverty and new forms of poverty are emerging. In poorer areas some groups enjoy a sort of 'superdevelopment' of a wasteful and consumerist kind which forms an unacceptable contrast with the ongoing situations of dehumanizing deprivation. 'The scandal of glaring inequalities'continues. Corruption and illegality are unfortunately evident in the conduct of the economic and political class in rich countries, both old and new, as well as in poor ones. Among those who sometimes fail to respect the human rights of workers are large multinational companies as well as local producers. International aid has often been diverted from its proper ends, through irresponsible actions both within the chain of donors and within that of the beneficiaries. Similarly, in the context of immaterial or cultural causes of development and underdevelopment, we find these same patterns of responsibility reproduced. On the part of rich countries there is excessive zeal for protecting knowledge through an unduly rigid assertion of the right to intellectual property, especially in the field of health care. At the same time, in some poor countries, cultural models and social norms of behaviour persist which hinder the process of development." (Caritas in Veritate, par 22).

N.B. Note: Please consider joining our new Twitter account, CCDOY, for current updates and calls to action that we can all use. http://twitter.com/CCDOY


Some important date(s) this week:

WEDNESDAY, January 27 St. Angela Merici (1470?-1540) founder of the Ursuline Sisters. Angela has the double distinction of founding the first teaching congregation of women in the Church and what is now called a “secular institute” of religious women, one especially for the purpose of re-Christianizing family life through solid Christian education of future wives and mothers.

THURSDAY, January 28. St. Thomas Aquinas, (1225-1274) By universal consent, Thomas Aquinas is the preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation. He is one of the great teachers of the medieval Catholic Church, honored with the titles Doctor of the Church and Angelic Doctor.



Please consider donating to the Catholic Relief Services Haitian Relief Fund by visiting us at http://www.ccdoy.org or make checks out to:
Catholic Relief Services - Haiti Fund
mail to: CRS -Haiti Fund, Diocese of Youngstown
144 W. Wood Street Youngstown, OH 44503


JANUARY is POVERTY AWARENESS MONTH. Visit Catholic Campaign for Human Development site at http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/index.htm


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

This year, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) celebrates its 100th anniversary in the United States. As a member agency of CCUSA, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Youngstown will be celebrating this important milestone all year long. Please consider a gift to Catholic Charities in honor of someone you love. Your gift will show your support for the work of Catholic Charities in your diocese.


PAPAL INTENTIONS: JANUARY 2010
Young people and Social Communications Media
General: That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.

Christian Unity
Missionary: That every believer in Christ may be conscious that unity among all Christians is a condition for more effective proclamation of the Gospel.



Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
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, January 20, 2010

Dominican Cardinal Stresses Solidarity With Haiti

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, JAN. 19, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- The archbishop of Santo Domingo is affirming the solidarity of his country with the earthquake victims in Haiti.

"We cannot ignore the fact that history has bound us together," said Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez. "We share the same island."

El Nuevo Diario, a national newspaper of the Dominican Republic, reported that the cardinal, who is also president of the Dominican bishops' conference, will preside at a Mass on Wednesday for the Haitians, especially those affected by the Jan. 12 quake.

Last Sunday, the cardinal participated in a telethon program to raise funds for Haiti, and during the event he expressed the hope that his country would "live for" its neighbor.

He underlined the obligation of the Dominican Republic to reach out to disaster-stricken Haiti in this moment.

Faced to this "tremendous challenge," the prelate called on all Catholics to participate in the cause to assist Haiti, not only through the telethon but also through many other actions.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Caritas Aid Pours in to Haiti

Real Strength Is Network of Parishes, Says Director
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, JAN. 18, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Aid from the Church continues pouring into Haiti, where rescue workers are still finding scattered survivors under the rubble from Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake.

As the catastrophe nears its week anniversary, the network of Caritas Internationalis has been able to begin meeting some of the vast needs. Rescuers from Caritas found three victims alive on Saturday, another three on Sunday.

The estimated number of casualties is now at 200,000, though the majority of victims' bodies are still trapped beneath the chaos of fallen buildings.

Caritas organizations are running two mobile operating rooms and working on six mobile clinics. They've sent thousands of blankets, tents, water cans and purification tablets. Twenty trucks of aid arrived in Port-au-Prince on Sunday.

An emergency clinic is being flown in from Holland, complete with a surgeon and six technical staff for installing water purifying installations and seven water purifying installations.

Thirty-four tons of aid will be flown into Haiti from Germany on Tuesday.

"The real strength of Caritas is its network of parishes that gives us direct contact with communities and a point from which we can provide help," said Alistair Dutton, Humanitarian Director for Caritas Internationalis, who is leading the international coordination of the Caritas aid agencies response from Port-au-Prince.

Distribution

But one problem is getting aid in; another is getting it into the hands of hungry, thirsty Haitians.

Up to three million people are in need of help.

Caritas communications officer Michelle Hough recorded in her blog from Haiti on Sunday the difficulties simply getting from one place to another.

"We travel with a Caritas assessment team to Petit Goave, a small town 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Port-au-Prince in the afternoon," she wrote. "It takes us over two hours. In some places the road has massive holes and cracks. It’s tough going in a jeep, I can’t imagine how aid trucks will manage."

Hough noted how the media have made much of insecurity on the island: "As for insecurity, apart from the gunshots last night there has been no indication of violence. Looking at the faces of the people in Port-au-Prince, they are in shock and haven’t even begun to come to terms with what has happened."

NOTE: Please visit Catholic Relief Services for more information

Church Welcomes El Salvador Apology for Wartime Crimes

Nuncio, Archbishop Urge Spirit of Reconciliation

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, JAN. 18, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Representatives of the Vatican and the local Church welcomed an apology on behalf of the El Salvador government made Saturday by the country's president.


President Mauricio Funes offered a surprising apology on behalf of the government for crimes committed during the nation's long civil war.

Though fighting ended in 1992, there is still a need for reconciliation among Salvadorans. The 12-year civil war took some 75,000 lives.

Funes acknowledged that military, governmental and semi-official forces committed "grave violations of human rights and abuse of power" during the war, and asked for forgiveness from the victims.

Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, apostolic nuncio in El Salvador, characterized the apology as a "very significant step."

"Above all as regards reconciliation, the re-unification of the Salvadoran people, because the war has ended -- the present violence is not related to the war, there are other reasons [for it]," he said.

The Vatican representative pointed out in a press conference with Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas of San Salvador, that the country is now pinpointing "reconciliation," 18 years after the truce.

"Peace is not only the silencing of arms; thank God this silence has happened and has worked. The reconstruction of the country in less than 18 years has also truly been a miracle. However, lacking of course is that dimension of reconciliation of spirits," said the nuncio.

Archbishop Pezzuto urged individuals to follow the state's lead: "All those who feel they have been involved and have yet to ask for forgiveness should also do so, to truly bring about that reconciliation of the Salvadoran people."

Archbishop Escobar echoed those sentiments: "We believe this is a good example, a good step that calls for the reconciliation of the whole society. I hope we will be able to reach a new national agreement that will lay the true foundations of a social peace, and that is possible."

He said there needs to be efforts to end "delinquency, poverty, unemployment." But the "sincere" request for forgiveness by Funes, the archbishop asserted, is an "important" pillar "to attain that true reconciliation."

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ZE10011804

COR UNUM: 12 Aid Centers in Haiti

COR UNUM: TWELVE AID CENTRES IN HAITI



VATICAN CITY , 19 JAN 2010 ( VIS ) - The Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" released the following English-language communique late yesterday:



"In light of the request of the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum' that Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international humanitarian agency of the Bishops of the United States, co-ordinate the Church's relief efforts in Haiti at this stage, CRS has been holding on-site meetings with the Haitian Episcopal Conference, the apostolic nuncio and several foreign Catholic charitable agencies, now operating in Port-au-Prince, to asses and respond to the disaster.



"The group initiated immediately the provision of food, water, clothing, shelter and medical aid for the displaced survivors in informal camps. Twelve sites have now been jointly determined as distribution points for further provision with security and operational assessments already undertaken. Personnel and supplies from neighbouring Santo Domingo and other nations continue to arrive through a variety of Catholic aid organisations.



"As with previous disasters, the concrete generosity of Churches, institutions and individuals worldwide is again being manifested. The needs and challenges remain significant, particularly on the level of movement of goods and people and security, and are likely to grow as the effects of the earthquake in and beyond Port-au-Prince become increasingly evident".

CON-CU/EARTHQUAKE/HAITI VIS 100119 (210)

NOTE: If you would like to donate to assist Catholic Relief Services in their work, visit our website www.ccdoy.org for on line donation and more information. Thanks Brian

Sunday, January 17, 2010

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of January 17, 2010

Catholic Charities. 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: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called 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. Working 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 in Ordinary Time, Cycle C) we read about Jesus' first "sign" in the Gospel of John: Jesus brings about the choicest wine from water at the wedding feast; (see http://www.comeandseeicons.com/icxc/inp166.htm) the best has arrived. We hear in the prophet Isaiah that a new moment has broken through time: no longer will the land be considered barren but great joy and abundance has broken into reality. This Presence, this new reality, this abundance is Jesus. Paul's letter to the Corinthians tells us that the Spirit of God continues to permeate our world with gifts of the Spirit, distributed throughout the community in order to announce and live the Kingdom of God here and to come.

In Catholic Charities our gift of the Spirit to the Church and community is our healing presence to those who are in need. We bring hope to many persons and families in need of material, spiritual, emotional, and psychological help. As Catholic Charities we are connected to Caritas agencies throughout the world. Our prayers go out to the leaders of Caritas Haiti and Caritas Port-Au-Prince as they struggle amid their own pain and suffering to care for those impacted by the recent earthquake. One of the US members of Caritas Internationalis (along with Catholic Charities USA), Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has been asked by the Pontifical Council COR UNUM to provide leadership in the recovery and reconstruction assisting Caritas agencies in Haiti. CRS has been in Haiti since 1955; CRS had 45 staff persons already working in Haiti prior to the earthquake. Please consider giving to CRS in their Haitian Earthquake relief. Visit www.ccdoy.org for more information and/or to give on-line. Thanks

A Prayer After the Earthquake in Haiti
Lord, at times such as this, when we realize that the ground beneath our feet is not as solid as we had imagined, we plead for your mercy.
As the things we have built crumble about us, we know too well how small we truly are on this ever-changing, ever-moving, fragile planet we call home.Yet you have promised never to forget us.
Do not forget us now.
Today, so many people are afraid.They wait in fear of the next tremor.They hear the cries of the injured amid the rubble.They roam the streets in shock at what they see. And they fill the dusty air with wails of grief and the names of missing dead.
Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster.Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still, and shelter them under your wings when homes no longer exist.
Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this day.
Console the hearts of those who mourn,
and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death.
Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion, we who watch from afar, as the poorest on this side of the earth find only misery upon misery. Move us to act swiftly this day, to give generously every day, to work for justice always, and to pray unceasingly for those without hope.
And once the shaking has ceased, the images of destruction have stopped filling the news,
and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings,
let us not forget that we are all your children
and they, our brothers and sisters.
We are all the work of your hands.
For though the mountains leave their place and the hills be tossed to the ground, your love shall never leave us, and your promise of peace will never be shaken.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever. Amen.
Copyright © 2010, Diana Macal intal. Permission is given to reprint.


N.B. Note: Please consider joining our new Twitter account, CCDOY, for current updates and calls to action that we can all use. http://twitter.com/CCDOY


Some important date(s) this week:

SUNDAY January 17. Holy Father's Message for the ninety-sixth World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The Day, due to be celebrated on 17 January 2010, has as its theme: "Underage migrants and refugees". http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/migration/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20091016_world-migrants-day_en.html


JANUARY is POVERTY AWARENESS MONTH. Visit Catholic Campaign for Human Development site at http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/index.htm


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


Is your parish looking for a winter project? Are you interesting in helping out? Call your local Catholic Charities agency to see how you can help stock their pantry, collect specific items and volunteer to make a difference in the lives of those who look to Catholic Charities for help and hope in their time of need... For more information, visit www.ccdoy.org.

PAPAL INTENTIONS:

JANUARY 2010
Young people and Social Communications Media
General: That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.

Christian Unity
Missionary: That every believer in Christ may be conscious that unity among all Christians is a condition for more effective proclamation of the Gospel.



Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
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, January 16, 2010

Interview with Vatican Official All Eyes on Haiti

All Eyes on Haiti
Interview With Cardinal Cordes of Cor Unum
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 16, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- As disaster strikes Haiti, the eyes of the world are being directed toward the poorest country of the Western world, whose long suffering has long been forgotten, says Cardinal Josef Cordes.

The president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum spoke with ZENIT about the aftermath of the 7.0-magnitude quake that hit the country Tuesday, and destroyed its capital of Port-au-Prince.

In this interview the cardinal discusses the damage done to the country, as well as what will be needed to help Haiti in the days, months and years ahead.

ZENIT: What do you know about the damage of the earthquake?

Cardinal Cordes: Initial communication was difficult, but we are beginning to receive reports from Catholic agencies working directly on the scene, such as Catholic Relief Services (the international relief and development agency of the U.S. bishops), national Caritas representatives being sent to Haiti by their bishops, Cross International Catholic Outreach, St. Vincent de Paul Confederation.

Certain facts are known through the media (loss of life, homes, etc). More specifically for us, it was the apostolic nuncio in Santo Domingo who had the first contact via e-mail with Archbishop Bernardito Auza, apostolic nuncio in Haiti. Archbishop Auza is informing us about the losses to the Church, both in terms of life and structural damage. The archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Joseph Serge-Miot, whom he described as "good" and "always smiling," was killed as he was thrown from his balcony by the force of the earthquake. Other priests, religious and at least nine seminarians have been buried under the rubble. The cathedral, chancery, and all of the parish churches have been destroyed. Archbishop Auza is visiting Catholic and other establishments, many of them ruined, to express the closeness of the Church and Holy Father.

ZENIT: What is the immediate need?

Cardinal Cordes: Every natural catastrophe is unique, but our long experience of previous disasters (e.g. Tsunami, Katrina) shows two distinct phases:

-- Short-term: manpower is needed to save lives, provide the basic necessities (water, food, shelter, prevention of disease), restore order;

-- Long-term: reconstruction, offering spiritual and psychological help, especially when media attention fades away.

Benedict XVI has called on all people of good will to be generous and concrete in their response in order to meet the immediate needs of our suffering brothers and sisters in Haiti (General Audience, Jan. 13, 2010). It is important that we are giving tangible help through the charitable agencies of the Catholic Church. Much is being organized and encouraged in this regard throughout the world.

For example, the episcopal conference of Italy has set Jan. 24 as a day of prayer and charity for the people of Haiti. The national embassies to the Holy See are organizing the sacrifice of the Holy Mass to be offered for our suffering brothers and sisters. We must remember to intercede through prayer and not only money for the suffering of Haiti.

ZENIT: What is being done concretely by the Holy See/Pontifical Council Cor Unum?

Cardinal Cordes: In his appeal for assistance, Benedict XVI asked specifically that the Catholic Church mobilize herself at once through her charitable institutions. Several Catholic organizations have already begun working, offering especially personnel with expertise at this stage (e.g. the national Caritas of Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Austria, the Order of Malta). Cross International Catholic Outreach is at work through its office in Port-au-Prince. We are receiving daily updates from them all.

Whenever a situation like this arises, it is the custom for one agency to coordinate relief efforts. To this end, in the hours following the earthquake, our Pontifical Council was in direct contact with Catholic Relief Services. We asked that it coordinate the response at this stage in view of the 300 plus staff it has in Haiti, its long history of over 50 years in the country, as well as its expertise in dealing with similar disasters worldwide and its resources. The President of CRS has assured us: "We stand committed and ready to inform and coordinate the response of the Church in whatever way possible so that her response may be an effective sign of God's love."

We know from the apostolic nuncio in Haiti that meetings are taking place with CRS and Caritas Haiti at the Nunciature in Port-au-Prince in order that the urgent local needs are addressed. It is essential that the local Church be heard. To this end, we are pleased that those Haitian bishops, who have been able to travel, have been present at these meetings.

ZENIT: How much does people's faith help them through a catastrophe such as this?

Cardinal Cordes: The faith of the people who have suffered in this disaster will play a critical role in not only bringing relief to their physical injuries and losses, but also in addressing the spiritual dimension and meaning to be found in such a catastrophe. In visiting disaster areas before and talking with survivors, many express their gratitude to God for sparing their lives and for the generous outpouring of assistance made available to them by family, friends, neighbors, and Churches worldwide. Because of the large Catholic population (80% of Haitians are Catholics), faith and the concrete presence/witness of the Church will have a very important role in the present tragedy.

Our Pontifical Council Cor Unum had already planned that the next meeting of the Populorum Progressio Foundation would take place in Santo Domingo this coming July. The foundation, established by Pope John Paul II, is to help the indigenous peoples of the Latin American and Caribbean countries. In the past, we have given much help to Haiti and we shall continue to do so. Of course, our spiritual closeness is of primary importance. We shall be certain to celebrate the Holy Eucharist on that occasion with bishops coming from different countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Without faith, this tragedy would turn into a complete disaster. That is why it will be essential for our brothers and sisters to pray together; experience Christians worldwide sharing their burdens as members of God's family; know the compassion of our Holy Father. All these become sources of hope and energy. In His first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est," Pope Benedict invites us to recall "St. Augustine who gives us faith's answer to our sufferings: 'Si comprehendis, non est Deus' -- 'if you understand him, he is not God.'" The Holy Father adds: "Even in their bewilderment and failure to understand the world around them, Christians continue to believe in the 'goodness and loving kindness of God' (Titus 3:4)" (No. 38).

ZENIT: Will good come from this tragedy?

Cardinal Cordes: This is a disaster that has caused immense loss of life and suffering. Many years will be needed for the nation to be rebuilt physically and the people to recover in their spirits. For this reason, the Church must remain present even as others move away.

But already we see good rising from the ruins. The eyes of the world are being open to the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, whose long suffering was all but forgotten. This tragedy shows that we depend on each other and must care for our suffering brothers and sisters, just as we did during the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. So we must ensure that the necessary assistance now being shown to Haiti continues in the long-term, for example through setting up better local Caritas structures and links with government development ministries of wealthier countries and help agencies.

We are witnessing and hearing of many selfless and heroic acts made to save lives and to rescue those in danger. There are still thousands of others, who, coming from all over the world and without any accolades, are dedicating themselves to helping whoever is in need. People are being moved to give of themselves spiritually and materially to help the poor and suffering. In the coming days and weeks, I am convinced that we shall encounter in the midst of this catastrophe many examples of goodness.

Above all, it is with trustworthy hope in the Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus that Christians face the present. In his encyclical "Spe Salvi," Pope Benedict speaks of the sufferings of this moment being borne through hope in the future. It is not that Christians know the details of what awaits them, but they know in general terms that their life will not end in emptiness: "Only when the future is certain as a positive reality does it become possible to live the present as well" (Spe Salvi No. 2).

Cor Unum requests that Catholic Relief Services coordinates Haitian Relief

In the hours following the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, the Holy Father made an appeal far the mobilization of spiritual and material assistance, declaring that "the Catholic Church shall not fail to activate herself immediately through her charitable institutions" (General Audience, January 13, 2010).

As with other tragedies, Catholics are already being zealous in providing tangible aid Several Catholic agencies are at work and are sending manpower, which is especially urgent. The Pontifical Council Cor Unum, in direct contact with Catholic Relief Services, the international humanitarian agency of the Bishops of the United States, has asked it to coordinate the relief efforts at this stage. The 300 plus on-the-ground personnel, who have long been active in Haiti, and the past experience, expertise and resources of CRS will enable prompt and effective coordination of the Church's efforts, which, in the words of Pope Benedict, must be generous and concrete to meet the pressing needs of our Haitian brothers and sisters.

[00053-02.01] [Original text: English]

[B0027-XX.01]

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Papal Address to Diplomatic Corps

"To Cultivate Peace, One Must Protect Creation"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 11, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Here is the address Benedict XVI delivered today upon receiving in audience members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See for the traditional meeting at the beginning of the year.

* * *

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

This traditional meeting at the beginning of the year, two weeks after the celebration of the birth of the Incarnate Word, is a very joyful occasion for me. As we proclaimed in the liturgy: "We recognize in Christ the revelation of your love. No eye can see his glory as our God, yet now he is seen as one like us. Christ is your Son before all ages, yet now he is born in time. He has come to lift up all things to himself, to restore unity to creation" (Preface of Christmas II). At Christmas we contemplated the mystery of God and the mystery of creation: by the message of the angels to the shepherds, we received the good news of man’s salvation and the renewal of the entire universe. That is why, in my Message for the 2010 World Day of Peace, I urged all persons of good will -- those same men and women to whom the angels rightly promised peace -- to protect creation. In the same spirit of joy I am happy to greet each of you today, particularly those present for the first time at this ceremony. I thank you most heartily for the good wishes conveyed to me by your Dean, Ambassador Alejandro Valladares Lanza, and I repeat how much I esteem your mission to the Holy See. Through you I send cordial greetings and good wishes for peace and happiness to the leaders and people of the countries which you worthily represent. My thoughts also go to all the other nations of the earth: the Successor of Peter keeps his door open to everyone in the hope of maintaining relations which can contribute to the progress of the human family. It is a cause for deep satisfaction that, just a few weeks ago, full diplomatic relations were established between the Holy See and the Russian Federation. The recent visit of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was likewise very significant; Vietnam is a country close to my heart, where the Church is celebrating her centuries-long presence by a Jubilee Year. In this spirit of openness, throughout 2009 I met many political leaders from all over the world; I also visited some of them and would like to continue to do so, insofar as is possible.

The Church is open to everyone because, in God, she lives for others! She thus shares deeply in the fortunes of humanity, which in this new year continues to be marked by the dramatic crisis of the global economy and consequently a serious and widespread social instability. In my Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, I invited everyone to look to the deeper causes of this situation: in the last analysis, they are to be found in a current self-centred and materialistic way of thinking which fails to acknowledge the limitations inherent in every creature. Today I would like to stress that the same way of thinking also endangers creation. Each of us could probably cite an example of the damage that this has caused to the environment the world over. I will offer an example, from any number of others, taken from the recent history of Europe. Twenty years ago, after the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the materialistic and atheistic regimes which had for several decades dominated a part of this continent, was it not easy to assess the great harm which an economic system lacking any reference to the truth about man had done not only to the dignity and freedom of individuals and peoples, but to nature itself, by polluting soil, water and air? The denial of God distorts the freedom of the human person, yet it also devastates creation. It follows that the protection of creation is not principally a response to an aesthetic need, but much more to a moral need, in as much as nature expresses a plan of love and truth which is prior to us and which comes from God.

For this reason I share the growing concern caused by economic and political resistance to combatting the degradation of the environment. This problem was evident even recently, during the XV Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December last. I trust that in the course of this year, first in Bonn and later in Mexico City, it will be possible to reach an agreement for effectively dealing with this question. The issue is all the more important in that the very future of some nations is at stake, particularly some island states.

It is proper, however, that this concern and commitment for the environment should be situated within the larger framework of the great challenges now facing mankind. If we wish to build true peace, how can we separate, or even set at odds, the protection of the environment and the protection of human life, including the life of the unborn? It is in man’s respect for himself that his sense of responsibility for creation is shown. As Saint Thomas Aquinas has taught, man represents all that is most noble in the universe (cf. Summa Theologiae, I, q. 29, a. 3). Furthermore, as I noted during the recent FAO World Summit on Food Security, "the world has enough food for all its inhabitants" (Address of 16 November 2009, No. 2) provided that selfishness does not lead some to hoard the goods which are intended for all.

I would like to stress again that the protection of creation calls for an appropriate management of the natural resources of different countries and, in the first place, of those which are economically disadvantaged. I think of the continent of Africa, which I had the joy of visiting last March during my journey to Cameroon and Angola, and which was the subject of the deliberations of the recent Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The Synod Fathers pointed with concern to the erosion and desertification of large tracts of arable land as a result of overexploitation and environmental pollution (cf. Propositio 22). In Africa, as elsewhere, there is a need to make political and economic decisions which ensure "forms of agricultural and industrial production capable of respecting creation and satisfying the primary needs of all" (Message for the 2010 World Day of Peace, No. 10).

How can we forget, for that matter, that the struggle for access to natural resources is one of the causes of a number of conflicts, not least in Africa, as well as a continuing threat elsewhere? For this reason too, I forcefully repeat that to cultivate peace, one must protect creation! Furthermore, there are still large areas, for example in Afghanistan or in some countries of Latin America, where agriculture is unfortunately still linked to the production of narcotics, and is a not insignificant source of employment and income. If we want peace, we need to preserve creation by rechanneling these activities; I once more urge the international community not to become resigned to the drug trade and the grave moral and social problems which it creates.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the protection of creation is indeed an important element of peace and justice! Among the many challenges which it presents, one of the most serious is increased military spending and the cost of maintaining and developing nuclear arsenals. Enormous resources are being consumed for these purposes, when they could be spent on the development of peoples, especially those who are poorest. For this reason I firmly hope that, during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to be held this May in New York, concrete decisions will be made towards progressive disarmament, with a view to freeing our planet from nuclear arms. More generally, I deplore the fact that arms production and export helps to perpetuate conflicts and violence, as in Darfur, in Somalia or in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Together with the inability of the parties directly involved to step back from the spiral of violence and pain spawned by these conflicts, there is the apparent powerlessness of other countries and the international organizations to restore peace, to say nothing of the indifference, amounting practically to resignation, of public opinion worldwide. There is no need to insist on the extent to which such conflicts damage and degrade the environment. Finally, how can I fail to mention terrorism, which endangers countless innocent lives and generates widespread anxiety. On this solemn occasion, I would like to renew the appeal which I made during the Angelus prayer of 1 January last to all those belonging to armed groups, of whatever kind, to abandon the path of violence and to open their hearts to the joy of peace.

The grave acts of violence to which I have just alluded, combined with the scourges of poverty, hunger, natural disasters and the destruction of the environment, have helped to swell the ranks of those who migrate from their native land. Given the extent of this exodus, I wish to exhort the various civil authorities to carry on their work with justice, solidarity and foresight. Here I wish to speak in particular of the Christians of the Middle East. Beleaguered in various ways, even in the exercise of their religious freedom, they are leaving the land of their forebears, where the Church took root during the earliest centuries. To offer them encouragement and to make them feel the closeness of their brothers and sisters in faith, I have convened for next autumn a Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Middle East.

Ladies and Gentlemen, to this point I have alluded only to a few aspects of the problem of the environment. Yet the causes of the situation which is now evident to everyone are of the moral order, and the question must be faced within the framework of a great programme of education aimed at promoting an effective change of thinking and at creating new lifestyles. The community of believers can and wants to take part in this, but, for it to do so, its public role must be recognized. Sadly, in certain countries, mainly in the West, one increasingly encounters in political and cultural circles, as well in the media, scarce respect and at times hostility, if not scorn, directed towards religion and towards Christianity in particular. It is clear that if relativism is considered an essential element of democracy, one risks viewing secularity solely in the sense of excluding or, more precisely, denying the social importance of religion. But such an approach creates confrontation and division, disturbs peace, harms human ecology and, by rejecting in principle approaches other than its own, finishes in a dead end. There is thus an urgent need to delineate a positive and open secularity which, grounded in the just autonomy of the temporal order and the spiritual order, can foster healthy cooperation and a spirit of shared responsibility. Here I think of Europe, which, now that the Lisbon Treaty has taken effect, has entered a new phase in its process of integration, a process which the Holy See will continue to follow with close attention. Noting with satisfaction that the Treaty provides for the European Union to maintain an "open, transparent and regular" dialogue with the Churches (Art. 17), I express my hope that in building its future, Europe will always draw upon the wellsprings of its Christian identity. As I said during my Apostolic Visit last September to the Czech Republic, Europe has an irreplaceable role to play "for the formation of the conscience of each generation and the promotion of a basic ethical consensus that serves every person who calls this continent 'home'" (Meeting with Political and Civil Authorities and with the Diplomatic Corps, 26 September 2009).

To carry our reflection further, we must remember that the problem of the environment is complex; one might compare it to a multifaceted prism. Creatures differ from one another and can be protected, or endangered, in different ways, as we know from daily experience. One such attack comes from laws or proposals which, in the name of fighting discrimination, strike at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes. I am thinking, for example, of certain countries in Europe or North and South America. Saint Columban stated that: "If you take away freedom, you take away dignity" (Ep. 4 ad Attela, in S. Columbani Opera, Dublin, 1957, p. 34). Yet freedom cannot be absolute, since man is not himself God, but the image of God, God’s creation. For man, the path to be taken cannot be determined by caprice or willfulness, but must rather correspond to the structure willed by the Creator.

The protection of creation also entails other challenges, which can only be met by international solidarity. I think of the natural disasters which this past year have sown death, suffering and destruction in the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Taiwan. Nor can I pass over Indonesia and, closer to us, the Abruzzi region, hit by devastating earthquakes. Faced with events like these, generous aid should never be lacking, since the life itself of God’s children is at stake. Yet, in addition to solidarity, the protection of creation also calls for concord and stability between states. Whenever disagreements and conflicts arise among them, in order to defend peace they must tenaciously pursue the path of constructive dialogue. This is what happened twenty-five years ago with the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Argentina and Chile, reached thanks to the mediation of the Apostolic See. That Treaty has borne abundant fruit in cooperation and prosperity which have in some way benefited all of Latin America. In this same area of the world, I am pleased by the rapprochement upon which Columbia and Ecuador have embarked after several months of tension. Closer to us, I am gratified by the agreement concluded between Croatia and Slovenia on arbitration regarding their sea and land borders. I am also pleased by the accord between Armenia and Turkey for the re-establishment of diplomatic relations, and I express my hope that, through dialogue, relations will improve among all the countries of the southern Caucasus. In the course of my pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I urgently appealed to the Israelis and the Palestinians to dialogue and to respect each others’ rights.
Once again I call for a universal recognition of the right of the State of Israel to exist and to enjoy peace and security within internationally recognized borders. Likewise, the right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign and independent homeland, to live in dignity and to enjoy freedom of movement, ought to be recognized. I would also like to request the support of everyone for the protection of the identity and sacred character of Jerusalem, and of its cultural and religious heritage, which is of universal value. Only thus will this unique city, holy yet deeply afflicted, be a sign and harbinger of that peace which God desires for the whole human family. Out of love for the dialogue and peace which protect creation, I exhort the government leaders and the citizens of Iraq to overcome their divisions and the temptation to violence and intolerance, in order to build together the future of their country. The Christian communities also wish to make their own contribution, but if this is to happen, they need to be assured respect, security and freedom. Pakistan has been also hard hit by violence in recent months and certain episodes were directly aimed at the Christian minority. I ask that everything be done to avoid the reoccurrence of such acts of aggression, and to ensure that Christians feel fully a part of the life of their country. In speaking of acts of violence against Christians, I cannot fail to mention also the deplorable attack which the Egyptian Coptic community suffered in recent days, during its celebration of Christmas. Concerning Iran, I express my hope that through dialogue and cooperation joint solutions will be found on the national as well as the international level. I encourage Lebanon, which has emerged from a lengthy political crisis, to continue along the path of concord. I hope that Honduras, after a period of uncertainty and unrest, will move towards a recovery of normal political and social life. I desire the same for Guinea and Madagascar with the effective and disinterested aid of the international community.

Ladies and Gentlemen, at the end of this rapid overview which, due to its brevity, cannot mention every situation worthy of note, I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul, for whom "all creation groans and is in agony" and "we ourselves groan inwardly" (Rom 8:20-23). There is so much suffering in our world, and human selfishness continues in many ways to harm creation. For this reason, the yearning for salvation which affects all creation is that much more intense and present in the hearts of all men and women, believers and non-believers alike. The Church points out that the response to this aspiration is Christ "the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created" (Col 1:15-16). Looking to him, I exhort every person of good will to work confidently and generously for the sake of human dignity and freedom. May the light and strength of Jesus help us to respect human ecology, in the knowledge that natural ecology will likewise benefit, since the book of nature is one and indivisible. In this way we will be able to build peace, today and for the sake of generations to come. To all I wish a Happy New Year!

© Copyright 2010 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Sunday, January 10, 2010

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of January 10, 2010

Catholic Charities. 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: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called 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. Working 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 (The Baptism of the Lord) we read in the Gospel of Luke about how the crowds were "filled with expectation" as Jesus approached John the Baptist. Was this the time everyone was waiting for? Who is this man? John the Baptist clearly proclaims that he is not the one, but another is coming who is greater. But, according to the Prophet Isaiah, this One who is greater, "shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching." After Jesus' baptism, God -- appearing as the Spirit -- proclaims his identification with Jesus. (See icon: http://spiritualpaintings.com/files/theophany.3.html)

In Catholic Charities we too point to someone greater than ourselves. We are called to serve people, especially those most in need, in the name of the Church which continues the mandate from Jesus to be his healing touch today. Catholic Charities is the organized response of the Bishop to coordinate and provide services to persons, families and communities. These services include material assistance to persons, case management, advocacy, family support, immigration assistance, and changes for a just public policy.

Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate: "Paul VI had an articulated vision of development. He understood the term to indicate the goal of rescuing peoples, first and foremost, from hunger, deprivation, endemic diseases and illiteracy. From the economic point of view, this meant their active participation, on equal terms, in the international economic process; from the social point of view, it meant their evolution into educated societies marked by solidarity; from the political point of view, it meant the consolidation of democratic regimes capable of ensuring freedom and peace. After so many years, as we observe with concern the developments and perspectives of the succession of crises that afflict the world today, we ask to what extent Paul VI's expectations have been fulfilled by the model of development adopted in recent decades. We recognize, therefore, that the Church had good reason to be concerned about the capacity of a purely technological society to set realistic goals and to make good use of the instruments at its disposal. Profit is useful if it serves as a means towards an end that provides a sense both of how to produce it and how to make good use of it. Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty. The economic development that Paul VI hoped to see was meant to produce real growth, of benefit to everyone and genuinely sustainable. It is true that growth has taken place, and it continues to be a positive factor that has lifted billions of people out of misery — recently it has given many countries the possibility of becoming effective players in international politics. Yet it must be acknowledged that this same economic growth has been and continues to be weighed down by malfunctions and dramatic problems, highlighted even further by the current crisis." (Caritas in Veritate, par 21). http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm

N.B. Note: Please consider joining our new Twitter account, CCDOY, for current updates and calls to action that we can all use. http://twitter.com/CCDOY


Some important date(s) this week:

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16. 2010 Mass for Life
The 2010 Mass for Life will be held on Saturday, Jan. 16, at 12:00 noon at St. Columba Cathedral and also on Sunday, Jan. 17, at 2:00 PM at St. John the Baptist in Canton.

JANUARY is POVERTY AWARENESS MONTH. Visit Catholic Campaign for Human Development site at http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/index.htm


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


This is the final weekend for Catholic Charities’ Keep the Kids Warm campaign, a special collection to provide utility assistance to families with children. Thank you for supporting this important effort that helps Catholic Charities agencies respond to the 35% increase in requests for emergency assistance. For more information, visit www.ccdoy.org.

PAPAL INTENTIONS:

JANUARY 2010

Young people and Social Communications Media
General: That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.

Christian Unity
Missionary: That every believer in Christ may be conscious that unity among all Christians is a condition for more effective proclamation of the Gospel.



Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
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/

Thursday, January 7, 2010

US Bishops Seeking Immigration Reform in '10

WASHINGTON, D.C., JAN. 6, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- The U.S. bishops are seeking legislation to reform immigration policy in 2010, saying migration should be a choice, not a necessity.
The bishops' conference announced today the beginning of a postcard campaign and two Web sites to help build momentum in the effort to bring reform to immigration laws this year.

Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, Utah, chairman of the bishops' Committee on Migration, and Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, New York, chairman of the bishops' International Policy Committee, made the announcement. The campaign comes as National Migration Week is under way through Saturday, focused on "Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice."

"It is our view, and that of others, that the American public, including the Catholic and other faith communities, want a humane and comprehensive solution to the problems which beset our immigration system, and they want Congress to address this issue,” said Bishop Wester.

A million and a half postcards have already been ordered for the campaign. And the Web sites offer resources for parish use.

Bishop Hubbard noted the international aspects of migration, pointing to a "right not to migrate," meaning the right "to be able to find work in [would-be migrants'] own home countries so they can support their families in dignity."

"Migration should be driven by choice, not necessity," he said.

Bishop Wester affirmed the Church will work so that legislators act on this issue in the near future.

“We remain committed to moving immigration reform as soon as possible,” he said. “We hope to make sure that our federal legislators are committed to that goal as well.”

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On the Net:

Justice for Immigrants: www.justiceforimmigrants.org

National Migration Week: www.usccb.org/mrs/nmw/index.shtml

Sunday, January 3, 2010

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of January 3, 2010

Catholic Charities. 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: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called 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. Working 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 (The Epiphany of the Lord) we read in the Gospel of Matthew about the visit of the Magi from the East who came to bring gifts to the Son of God (see modern icon: http://www.bridgebuilding.com/narr/lwhoe.html). We can detect the cynicism in King Herod's request to the Magi that he be told the location of the newborn "King of the Jews" so he could offer his "homage." Herod wanted to kill this Light to the World. A dream informs the Magi to ignore Herod's cynicism and they take another route home. Whenever we have an encounter with God, we too are transformed and "take another route." In the second reading from St. Paul, we note that the Son of God is a revelation to all of humankind. But we also note that even amid this glorious moment of Epiphany to the world through the Magi, the Psalmist reminds us that this King, "shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save."

In Catholic Charities we have to counter the cynicism of our culture that wants to forget or blame the poor. We must be a light in our community, based in our belief in the Son, reminding us to care for our brothers and sisters -- especially the poor and struggling -- who live near us and throughout the world. We are that sign of encounter with God that helps people, and ourselves, become transformed. Catholic Charities does this by living out our mission of serving, advocating and convening.

Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate: "Finally, the vision of development as a vocation brings with it the central place of charity within that development. Paul VI, in his Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, pointed out that the causes of underdevelopment are not primarily of the material order. He invited us to search for them in other dimensions of the human person: first of all, in the will, which often neglects the duties of solidarity; secondly in thinking, which does not always give proper direction to the will. Hence, in the pursuit of development, there is a need for 'the deep thought and reflection of wise men in search of a new humanism which will enable modern man to find himself anew'. But that is not all. Underdevelopment has an even more important cause than lack of deep thought: it is 'the lack of brotherhood among individuals and peoples'. Will it ever be possible to obtain this brotherhood by human effort alone? As society becomes ever more globalized, it makes us neighbours but does not make us brothers. Reason, by itself, is capable of grasping the equality between men and of giving stability to their civic coexistence, but it cannot establish fraternity. This originates in a transcendent vocation from God the Father, who loved us first, teaching us through the Son what fraternal charity is. Paul VI, presenting the various levels in the process of human development, placed at the summit, after mentioning faith, 'unity in the charity of Christ who calls us all to share as sons in the life of the living God, the Father of all'" (Caritas in Veritate, par 19).

N.B. Note: Please consider joining our new Twitter account, CCDOY, for current updates and calls to action that we can all use. http://twitter.com/CCDOY


Some important date(s) this week:

NATIONAL MIGRATION WEEK
Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice is the theme of the 2010 National Migration Week, held January 3 - 9. The observance began over 25 years ago by the bishops to be a moment for Catholics to take stock of the wide diversity of the Church and the ministries serving them. Catholic Charities provides outreach ministries to newcomers and offers help for persons and families trying to normalize their lives here in the United States through our Catholic Charities Legal Immigration Services. For more information, visit the US Catholic Bishops' web site on Migration. http://www.usccb.org/mrs/nmw/index.shtml

MONDAY January 4 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children. While in Italy with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805.
To support her children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in 1809.
The thousand or more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness, misunderstanding, the death of loved ones (her husband and two young daughters) and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the first American-born citizen to be beatified (1963) and then canonized (1975). She is buried in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

TUESDAY January 5 St. John Neumann (1811-1860) John Neumann was born in what is now the Czech Republic. After studying in Prague, he came to New York at 25 and was ordained a priest. He did missionary work in New York until he was 29, when he joined the Redemptorists and became its first member to profess vows in the United States. He continued missionary work in Maryland, Virginia and Ohio, where he became popular with the Germans.
At 41, as bishop of Philadelphia, he organized the parochial school system into a diocesan one, increasing the number of pupils almost twentyfold within a short time.



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

Keep those kids warm! This weekend, the Feast of the Epiphany, continues the Catholic Charities’ Keep the Kids Warm campaign. This effort, now in its second year, raises funds to provide utility assistance to families with children. Utility assistance requests have more than doubled at our Catholic Charities agencies since 2005. For more information, visit www.ccdoy.org.


Thank you to those parishes and parishioners who participated providing gifts, food, and other items for Catholic Charities’ clients this Christmas season. May God bless you for your compassion and generosity.

PAPAL INTENTIONS:

JANUARY 2010
Young people and Social Communications Media
General: That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.

Christian Unity
Missionary: That every believer in Christ may be conscious that unity among all Christians is a condition for more effective proclamation of the Gospel.



Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
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