The current sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church is spreading like wide fire. It continues to gather momentum and now it is in Germany, the Pope's homeland. Recent news attempts seeming are looking for ways to implicate the Pope, Benedict XVI. The new global plot is to use singular or a few incidence to dent an entire institution, and the heat against the Catholic church enjoys media hit. We will continue to pray for the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI, while urging the German church to come clean and be responsibly transparent. As damaging and as insinuating these plots and media-casts seem to be, we want a church that can own up to her mistake and use her faith as a citadel of response to these kind of incidence, rather than seeking public relations and legal outlets. The Church is human. Priests, are humans too, even, if criminal actions against the weak and vulnerable are not to be condoned and celebrated. Even, Peter the Prince of the Apostle, being a human being, though he had been opportuned to identify the Christ appropriately, ended up betraying his master, our saviour Jesus Christ. The same Peter would try to prevaricate in the incidence involving Cornelius, because he was an uncircumcised gentile (Acts 10-11),and also discriminated against the Gentiles in the presence of the Jews, with Paul having to rebuke him unto righteousness (Galatians 2). In spite of these Paul and Barnabas did not "yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you" (Gal. 2:5). The Church must not yield from the truth. Anything but the truth comes from the evil one; a liar and murderer from the beginning (John 8: 44).
The Church must incessantly and persistent reflect Christ- "I am the light of the world, He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12). We have nothing to lose but a whole lot to gain, for the sake of the eternal redemption and salvation is the core mission of the Church of Christ. Untainted, in spite of the present humiliation, the church shall be purified by the precious blood of her divine master and saviour. Unmolested it shall remain the assured sign and hope for the salvation of All humanity and the redemption of the world.
Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, may your faith be strengthened, so that you can lead and nurture- feed, tend, and feed Christ's flock- your brothers and sisters to the fountain of life eternal in Christ Jesus (cf. John 21).
*****************
Pope under fire for transfer, letter on sex abuse
Buzz up!135 votes Send
Email IM Share
Facebook Twitter Delicious Digg Fark Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print Play Video Reuters – Sex abuse allegations vex Vatican
Play Video Video:Pope's brother: I ignored physical abuse reports AP Reuters – Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, head of Germany's bishops conference, is seen before the beginning of … By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 58 mins ago
VATICAN CITY – Germany's sex abuse scandal has now reached Pope Benedict XVI: His former archdiocese acknowledged it transferred a suspected pedophile priest while Benedict was in charge and criticism is mounting over a 2001 Vatican directive he penned instructing bishops to keep abuse cases secret.
The revelations have put the spotlight on Benedict's handling of abuse claims both when he was archbishop of Munich from 1977-1982 and then the prefect of the Vatican office that deals with such crimes — a position he held until his 2005 election as pope.
Benedict got a firsthand readout of the scope of the scandal Friday in his native land from the head of the German Bishop's Conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, who reported that the pontiff had expressed "great dismay and deep shock" over the scandal, but encouraged bishops to continue searching for the truth.
Hours later, the Munich archdiocese admitted that it had allowed a priest suspected of having abused a child to return to pastoral work in the 1980s, while Benedict was archbishop. It stressed that the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger didn't know about the transfer and that it had been decided by a lower-ranking official.
The archdiocese said there were no accusations against the chaplain, identified only as H., during his 1980-1982 spell in Munich, where he underwent therapy for suspected "sexual relations with boys." But he then moved to nearby Grafing, where he was suspended in early 1985 following new accusations of sexual abuse. The following year, he was convicted of sexually abusing minors.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, issued a statement late Friday noting that the Munich vicar-general who approved the priest's transfer had taken "full responsibility" for the decision, seeking to remove any question about the pontiff's potential responsibility as archbishop at the time.
Victims advocates weren't persuaded.
"We find it extraordinarily hard to believe that Ratzinger didn't reassign the predator, or know about the reassignment," said Barbara Blaine, president and founder of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
The pope, meanwhile, continues to be under fire for a 2001 Vatican letter he sent to all bishops advising them that all cases of sexual abuse of minors must be forwarded to his then-office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and that the cases were to be subject to pontifical secret.
Germany's justice minister, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, has cited the document as evidence that the Vatican created a "wall of silence" around abuse cases that prevented prosecution. Irish bishops have said the document had been "widely misunderstood" by the bishops themselves to mean they shouldn't go to police. And lawyers for abuse victims in the United States have cited the document in arguing that the Catholic Church tried to obstruct justice.
But canon lawyers insisted Friday that there was nothing in the document that would preclude bishops from fulfilling their moral and civic duties of going to police when confronted with a case of child abuse.
They stressed that the document merely concerned procedures for handling the church trial of an accused priest, and that the secrecy required by Rome for that hearing by no means extended to a ban on reporting such crimes to civil authorities.
"Canon law concerning grave crimes ... doesn't in any way interfere with or diminish the obligations of the faithful to civil laws," said Monsignor Davide Cito, a professor of canon law at Rome's Santa Croce University.
The letter doesn't tell bishops to also report the crimes to police.
But the Rev. John Coughlin, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, said it didn't need to. A general principle of moral theology to which every bishop should adhere is that church officials are obliged to follow civil laws where they live, he said.
Yet Bishop John McAreavey of Dromore in Northern Ireland, told a news conference this week that Irish bishops "widely misinterpreted" the directive and couldn't get a clear reading from Rome on how to proceed.
"One of the difficulties that bishops expressed was the fact that at times it wasn't always possible to get clear guidance from the Holy See and there wasn't always a consistent approach within the different Vatican departments," he said.
"Obviously, Rome is aware of this misinterpretation and the harm that this has done, or could potentially do, to the trust that the people have in how the church deals with these matters," he said.
An Irish government-authorized investigation into the scandal and cover up harshly criticized the Vatican for its mixed messages and insistence on secrecy in the 2001 directive and previous Vatican documents on the topic.
"An obligation to secrecy/confidentialtiy on the part of participants in a canonical process could undoubtedly constitute an inhibition on reporting child sexual abuse to the civil authorities or others," it concluded.
In the United States, Dan Shea, an attorney for several victims, has introduced the Ratzinger letter in court as evidence that the church was trying to obstruct justice. He has argued that the church impeded civil reporting by keeping the cases secret and "reserving" them for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
"This is an international criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice," Shea told The Associated Press.
___
Associated Press reporters Geir Moulson and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin and Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin contributed to this report.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Dead Haitian Archbishop Eulogized
With Archbishop's Death, Catholic Church is Hard-Pressed to Heal Haiti
http://www.time.com/.
By BOBBY GHOSH/PORT-AU-PRINCE Bobby Ghosh/port-au-prince – Sun Jan 24, 4:00 pm ET
The loss of Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, mourned on Saturday in a moving ceremony in front of Port-au-Prince's ruined cathedral, has hurt the Catholic Church's ability to respond to Haiti's devastating earthquake. The Cardinal and his Vicar General, Charles Benoit, were among the quakes victims now numbering in excess of 111,000. Dozens of churches, seminaries and other Church-run institutions have been flattened, and perhaps scores of priests killed or badly injured.
But for the mourners gathered at the forecourt of the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de l'Assumption for the funeral service, it is the death of Miot and Benoit that hurt the most. Many said that the Archbishop, regarded as a humble priest who sought to bridge the divide between the nation's Catholic clergy and Voodo priesthood, was exactly the kind of unifying figure Haiti needs in this crisis. "He could have brought us together," says Carrel Raphael, a bus driver. "He could have inspired us to work together. He had everybody's respect, and you need a leader like that." (See pictures of dramatic rescues.)
Roman Catholicism, once the country's principal religion, has lost a great deal of influence in the past few decades; these days, three in five Haitians call themselves Catholics, compared to 90% years ago. Miot is credited with reorganizing the Church after years of poor management by predecessors who strayed from their religious responsibilities and into Haitian politics. That, say admirers, would have allowed him to work closely with the beleaguered government of President Rene Preval, which could have used the help.
"He would have been able to guide the government in its response to the earthquake, and they would not have been suspicious of his intentions because they knew he was not interested in politics," said a senior priest who asked not to be named for fear of antagonizing the Preval administration. (Preval was at the funeral mass, but did not speak; he was booed by a handful of angry worshippers as his motorcade left the Cathedral.) (See TIME's exclusive photos of Haiti earthquake destruction.)
Catholic institutions, ranging from schools to Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity, are offering a range of relief services, including first-aid to food distribution and the protection of children orphaned by the quake. But the Church's efforts have been fitful, and poorly coordinated. Some at the funeral mass said their neighborhoods had not yet seen a priest or nun. "I haven't received any help from the Church, says Nicole Metier, who lives right by the Cathedral. "If the Archbishop had been alive, he would have taken care of us."
Bishop Chibley Langlois of the Fort-Liberte diocese agreed that Moit's loss was a terrible blow, but added that it showed that the Church was suffering along with the people. (Watch a video of pain and hunger at one of Haiti's hospitals.)
That was little comfort to worshippers like Bernard Bouche, a carpenter, who said the loss of so many priests could not have come at a worse time. "We need them now, like never before," he said, tears streaming down his face. "Why did God give us this disaster and at the same time take away the people who could have helped us to survive it?"
http://www.time.com/.
By BOBBY GHOSH/PORT-AU-PRINCE Bobby Ghosh/port-au-prince – Sun Jan 24, 4:00 pm ET
The loss of Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, mourned on Saturday in a moving ceremony in front of Port-au-Prince's ruined cathedral, has hurt the Catholic Church's ability to respond to Haiti's devastating earthquake. The Cardinal and his Vicar General, Charles Benoit, were among the quakes victims now numbering in excess of 111,000. Dozens of churches, seminaries and other Church-run institutions have been flattened, and perhaps scores of priests killed or badly injured.
But for the mourners gathered at the forecourt of the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de l'Assumption for the funeral service, it is the death of Miot and Benoit that hurt the most. Many said that the Archbishop, regarded as a humble priest who sought to bridge the divide between the nation's Catholic clergy and Voodo priesthood, was exactly the kind of unifying figure Haiti needs in this crisis. "He could have brought us together," says Carrel Raphael, a bus driver. "He could have inspired us to work together. He had everybody's respect, and you need a leader like that." (See pictures of dramatic rescues.)
Roman Catholicism, once the country's principal religion, has lost a great deal of influence in the past few decades; these days, three in five Haitians call themselves Catholics, compared to 90% years ago. Miot is credited with reorganizing the Church after years of poor management by predecessors who strayed from their religious responsibilities and into Haitian politics. That, say admirers, would have allowed him to work closely with the beleaguered government of President Rene Preval, which could have used the help.
"He would have been able to guide the government in its response to the earthquake, and they would not have been suspicious of his intentions because they knew he was not interested in politics," said a senior priest who asked not to be named for fear of antagonizing the Preval administration. (Preval was at the funeral mass, but did not speak; he was booed by a handful of angry worshippers as his motorcade left the Cathedral.) (See TIME's exclusive photos of Haiti earthquake destruction.)
Catholic institutions, ranging from schools to Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity, are offering a range of relief services, including first-aid to food distribution and the protection of children orphaned by the quake. But the Church's efforts have been fitful, and poorly coordinated. Some at the funeral mass said their neighborhoods had not yet seen a priest or nun. "I haven't received any help from the Church, says Nicole Metier, who lives right by the Cathedral. "If the Archbishop had been alive, he would have taken care of us."
Bishop Chibley Langlois of the Fort-Liberte diocese agreed that Moit's loss was a terrible blow, but added that it showed that the Church was suffering along with the people. (Watch a video of pain and hunger at one of Haiti's hospitals.)
That was little comfort to worshippers like Bernard Bouche, a carpenter, who said the loss of so many priests could not have come at a worse time. "We need them now, like never before," he said, tears streaming down his face. "Why did God give us this disaster and at the same time take away the people who could have helped us to survive it?"
Africa's Anglicans and the Invitation of the Catholic Church
CSMonitor.com
Will Vatican lure Africa's Anglican anti-gay bishops to Catholic church?
Despite fierce opposition to homosexuality, African bishops say the Vatican's effort to bring more Anglicans to the Catholic church will falter, largely because of the autonomy that they enjoy.
By Scott Baldauf Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor / October 21, 2009
Johannesburg, South Africa
Since the Vatican launched its bold bid Tuesday to make it easier for Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church, the question on everyone's mind has been: How many will convert?
Will the much ballyhooed Anglican divide over the Church's moves to accept openly gay and female clerics now cause hundreds of thousands of conservative Anglicans – mostly in Africa and parts of the US – to flock to Catholicism?
Early indications from African bishops are that most Anglicans, despite their fierce opposition to homosexuality, will be saying "thanks but no thanks" to Rome's new offer, largely because of the autonomy that they enjoy within the Anglican church.
"I don't think that priests in Uganda are going to leave and join the Roman Catholic church," says Bishop Stanley Ntagali, head of an Anglican diocese in the east African country of Uganda. "Uganda is [already] a separate region from the Church in Canterbury. They are able to do things their way, and we have to do things our way."
Homosexuality: A non-starter in the African church
"Homosexuality is a big issue in Africa," says Bishop Ntagali. "The Bible says that only men of good standing, following the word of Christ can be leaders of the Church. We disagree with our counterparts in England and America, who ordain homosexuals as priests. But we have to interpret the Bible on our own context, and the English must interpret the Bible in their context."
Ntagali says he has had hard feelings toward leaders of his own denomination since 2003, when the Church of England formally ordained the first openly gay Anglican bishop, Gene Robinson.
The move prompted a number of conservative Anglicans to leave the church and embrace Roman Catholicism, and also led some of North America's more conservative churches to form their own separate region under the church.
Nowhere is this issue more intense than in Africa, where many see homosexuality as an affront to the community as a whole. In South Africa, for instance, it is not uncommon for women thought to be lesbians to be gang-raped in the belief that they will be "cured" of homosexuality. In Uganda, where homosexuality is already illegal, a parliamentarian this week put forward a bill that would make "aggravated" homosexuality – gay sex with disabled people, minors, or when the accused is HIV-positive – punishable by death.
Why African bishops oppose gay clerics
Most church leaders repudiate hatred or cruelty toward homosexuals. But while they say that gay Africans deserve God's love as much as any one else, they draw the line at allowing gay people to become priests.
"This is a problem that we have been fighting, even within the Anglican church itself," says Bishop Julius Kalu, a conservative Anglican church leader in Mombasa, Kenya. "We say that homosexuality is unacceptable, and the ordination of homosexuals as priests is against Biblical beliefs. But it is a personal problem, a vice. As a church we have a duty to reach out to those whose lifestyle is homosexual, but at the same time, we feel it is a vice that the church needs to address."
Despite frustration over the Anglican church's move to allow gay priests, Bishop Kalu agrees with Ntagali that few Anglicans will now choose to become Catholic over the issue.
Autonomy to deviate from Canterbury
Bishops Ntagali and Kalu say that local church leaders need to reserve the right to interpret the Bible in a local context, because social practices that might be acceptable in a European or American parish may not be acceptable in an African parish.
"The Bible says that a husband must have one wife," says Bishop Ntagali. "It does not say that a husband must have one man." Homosexuals, he adds, "are all capable, all eligible of God's saving grace, but we only disagree that they cannot be church leaders."
The fact that they are allowed to disagree with Canterbury, he says, is why there will be little demand to convert to Catholicism.
Not all African clerics are against gays
Defining just what is "African" about local values in Africa – a continent with 53 countries, hundreds of languages, and thousands of tribes and clans – is not always easy.
The Rev. Cynthia Botha, an Anglican priest at the St. Francis Anglican Church in the Parkview suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, says that her parish has always been "very liberal and open" with a church-based outreach group for Anglicans who are gay and lesbian.
"We do have members who are conservative, but I think we need to have a dialog, to listen, we need to find ways to work together," says Rev. Botha. "The gospel tells us that Jesus was open, he was talking to people no matter who they were. We've got to be as open as he was."
----
Will Vatican lure Africa's Anglican anti-gay bishops to Catholic church?
Despite fierce opposition to homosexuality, African bishops say the Vatican's effort to bring more Anglicans to the Catholic church will falter, largely because of the autonomy that they enjoy.
By Scott Baldauf Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor / October 21, 2009
Johannesburg, South Africa
Since the Vatican launched its bold bid Tuesday to make it easier for Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church, the question on everyone's mind has been: How many will convert?
Will the much ballyhooed Anglican divide over the Church's moves to accept openly gay and female clerics now cause hundreds of thousands of conservative Anglicans – mostly in Africa and parts of the US – to flock to Catholicism?
Early indications from African bishops are that most Anglicans, despite their fierce opposition to homosexuality, will be saying "thanks but no thanks" to Rome's new offer, largely because of the autonomy that they enjoy within the Anglican church.
"I don't think that priests in Uganda are going to leave and join the Roman Catholic church," says Bishop Stanley Ntagali, head of an Anglican diocese in the east African country of Uganda. "Uganda is [already] a separate region from the Church in Canterbury. They are able to do things their way, and we have to do things our way."
Homosexuality: A non-starter in the African church
"Homosexuality is a big issue in Africa," says Bishop Ntagali. "The Bible says that only men of good standing, following the word of Christ can be leaders of the Church. We disagree with our counterparts in England and America, who ordain homosexuals as priests. But we have to interpret the Bible on our own context, and the English must interpret the Bible in their context."
Ntagali says he has had hard feelings toward leaders of his own denomination since 2003, when the Church of England formally ordained the first openly gay Anglican bishop, Gene Robinson.
The move prompted a number of conservative Anglicans to leave the church and embrace Roman Catholicism, and also led some of North America's more conservative churches to form their own separate region under the church.
Nowhere is this issue more intense than in Africa, where many see homosexuality as an affront to the community as a whole. In South Africa, for instance, it is not uncommon for women thought to be lesbians to be gang-raped in the belief that they will be "cured" of homosexuality. In Uganda, where homosexuality is already illegal, a parliamentarian this week put forward a bill that would make "aggravated" homosexuality – gay sex with disabled people, minors, or when the accused is HIV-positive – punishable by death.
Why African bishops oppose gay clerics
Most church leaders repudiate hatred or cruelty toward homosexuals. But while they say that gay Africans deserve God's love as much as any one else, they draw the line at allowing gay people to become priests.
"This is a problem that we have been fighting, even within the Anglican church itself," says Bishop Julius Kalu, a conservative Anglican church leader in Mombasa, Kenya. "We say that homosexuality is unacceptable, and the ordination of homosexuals as priests is against Biblical beliefs. But it is a personal problem, a vice. As a church we have a duty to reach out to those whose lifestyle is homosexual, but at the same time, we feel it is a vice that the church needs to address."
Despite frustration over the Anglican church's move to allow gay priests, Bishop Kalu agrees with Ntagali that few Anglicans will now choose to become Catholic over the issue.
Autonomy to deviate from Canterbury
Bishops Ntagali and Kalu say that local church leaders need to reserve the right to interpret the Bible in a local context, because social practices that might be acceptable in a European or American parish may not be acceptable in an African parish.
"The Bible says that a husband must have one wife," says Bishop Ntagali. "It does not say that a husband must have one man." Homosexuals, he adds, "are all capable, all eligible of God's saving grace, but we only disagree that they cannot be church leaders."
The fact that they are allowed to disagree with Canterbury, he says, is why there will be little demand to convert to Catholicism.
Not all African clerics are against gays
Defining just what is "African" about local values in Africa – a continent with 53 countries, hundreds of languages, and thousands of tribes and clans – is not always easy.
The Rev. Cynthia Botha, an Anglican priest at the St. Francis Anglican Church in the Parkview suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, says that her parish has always been "very liberal and open" with a church-based outreach group for Anglicans who are gay and lesbian.
"We do have members who are conservative, but I think we need to have a dialog, to listen, we need to find ways to work together," says Rev. Botha. "The gospel tells us that Jesus was open, he was talking to people no matter who they were. We've got to be as open as he was."
----
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Haitians turn to God, Religion in the face of Hard situation
Nation
Haitians in the US Turn to Religion for AnswersUpdated: 23 minutes ago
Print Text Size E-mail More
Dana Chivvis
Contributor
(Jan. 23) – Since last week's earthquake, the Rev. Donelson Thevenin, a priest at the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, where many of New York's Haitians live, has been helping his congregation deal with the tragedy. He has prayed with them, listened to their stories and tried to answer their questions.
One woman came to him in tears, asking him to help a cousin who had lost his leg. Another woman told him she lost 36 family members to the earthquake.
"And what do you say to that?" Thevenin asked. "At times there is no way to help a person cope. Even the death of one loved one, one person traumatizes you, but to imagine five, 10, 36 all at once."
Dana Chivvis for AOL
The Rev. Donelson Thevenin says many members of his congregation at the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., are struggling to make sense of the tragedy in Haiti. Here, he talks to an Australian radio show from a church office on Thursday.
After last week's disaster, many of New York's Haitians are turning to religion for answers. But spiritual leaders have few to offer in the aftermath of a tragedy so overwhelming and incomprehensible. They can do little more than pray, hold memorial services and reaffirm the resilience of the Haitian people and their faith.
In Haiti, 80 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church and 16 percent to various Protestant churches. Many Haitians practice voodoo along with Christianity – roughly half, according to the CIA World Factbook, and far more, according to some Haitians.
"It's a symbiosis, it's parallel," said Nicole Miller, a voodoo priestess or mambo of the Temple of Yehwe, in Plainview, N.Y. "As they say in Haiti, it's 100 percent Catholic and 90 percent voodoo."
Miller, 65, has been a mambo for 18 years. She was last in Haiti in December.
"It was sunny, it was calm, it was beautiful. It was Haiti," she said. "And now it is upside down."
Since the earthquake, Miller has been taking phone calls from people asking for strength and courage. She has prayed with them to God and to the spirits, which are fundamental to the religion.
"It gets to a point when it affects you, you feel so hopeless," Miller said. "Because it's our land, it's our country, it's part of us."
The Rev. Luc Pierre, the minister at the New Jerusalem Church of the Nazarene, an Evangelical church down the street from Holy Cross, said the condition of Haiti now is "depressing." Every major institution has crumbled, churches have collapsed. In his congregation alone, 26 families had lost loved ones as of Sunday. He expects there to be more.
One of the questions so often repeated in the last 10 days is why this catastrophe struck a country already struggling under the burden of natural and man-made disasters, from hurricanes and floods to military coups and a string of unstable governments.
"Frankly, you know, even leaders, even myself, I would ask why," Pierre said. "I don't have any good answer for them, and I don't have any good answer for myself."
He tells his congregation that God is there for them. He will hold a second memorial service tonight, and he is providing psychological counselors for people to talk to.
Thevenin is fielding similar questions. He tells people they cannot ask why the earthquake struck Haiti because to do so implies that it should have struck somewhere else, that it should have caused some other country the pain and suffering that Haitians feel now.
And then there are the people questioning their religion altogether.
"The question that people ask, 'Where was God when my brother was suffering, where was God when my mom or my loved one was struggling to breathe air when these rubbles were falling on top of them. Where was God?' " Thevenin said.
Dana Chivvis for AOL
A list of earthquake victims' names sits on a table next to the altar at Holy Cross Church. The first name on the list is the archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Serge Miot, who was killed in the earthquake.
His answer is that God is always there for people who are suffering. He says the response from the international community is an example of God's love. He quotes scripture, particularly the story of Martha and Lazarus, which includes the passage, "He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."
But when the woman asked him for help with her cousin who lost his leg, he didn't know what to do.
"I felt powerless. I felt embarrassed. I didn't know how to help," Thevenin said. "At this time we are all in a tunnel, in a dark tunnel, but the light is out there. All we can do is walk through the tunnel, and ask God and ask each other to help us."
Pierre's church has begun taking donations of food, medical supplies and clothes. Already there are several boxes stacked in the basement of the church. At Holy Cross, near the altar, there is a book of names of victims and a Haitian flag. And Miller is planning on holding a burial ceremony in February, to ensure that the dead make it to the afterlife.
"It's the worst thing that could ever happen to us," Miller said. "But we will survive."
Filed under: Nation, World, Only On Sphere
Haitians in the US Turn to Religion for AnswersUpdated: 23 minutes ago
Print Text Size E-mail More
Dana Chivvis
Contributor
(Jan. 23) – Since last week's earthquake, the Rev. Donelson Thevenin, a priest at the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, where many of New York's Haitians live, has been helping his congregation deal with the tragedy. He has prayed with them, listened to their stories and tried to answer their questions.
One woman came to him in tears, asking him to help a cousin who had lost his leg. Another woman told him she lost 36 family members to the earthquake.
"And what do you say to that?" Thevenin asked. "At times there is no way to help a person cope. Even the death of one loved one, one person traumatizes you, but to imagine five, 10, 36 all at once."
Dana Chivvis for AOL
The Rev. Donelson Thevenin says many members of his congregation at the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., are struggling to make sense of the tragedy in Haiti. Here, he talks to an Australian radio show from a church office on Thursday.
After last week's disaster, many of New York's Haitians are turning to religion for answers. But spiritual leaders have few to offer in the aftermath of a tragedy so overwhelming and incomprehensible. They can do little more than pray, hold memorial services and reaffirm the resilience of the Haitian people and their faith.
In Haiti, 80 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church and 16 percent to various Protestant churches. Many Haitians practice voodoo along with Christianity – roughly half, according to the CIA World Factbook, and far more, according to some Haitians.
"It's a symbiosis, it's parallel," said Nicole Miller, a voodoo priestess or mambo of the Temple of Yehwe, in Plainview, N.Y. "As they say in Haiti, it's 100 percent Catholic and 90 percent voodoo."
Miller, 65, has been a mambo for 18 years. She was last in Haiti in December.
"It was sunny, it was calm, it was beautiful. It was Haiti," she said. "And now it is upside down."
Since the earthquake, Miller has been taking phone calls from people asking for strength and courage. She has prayed with them to God and to the spirits, which are fundamental to the religion.
"It gets to a point when it affects you, you feel so hopeless," Miller said. "Because it's our land, it's our country, it's part of us."
The Rev. Luc Pierre, the minister at the New Jerusalem Church of the Nazarene, an Evangelical church down the street from Holy Cross, said the condition of Haiti now is "depressing." Every major institution has crumbled, churches have collapsed. In his congregation alone, 26 families had lost loved ones as of Sunday. He expects there to be more.
One of the questions so often repeated in the last 10 days is why this catastrophe struck a country already struggling under the burden of natural and man-made disasters, from hurricanes and floods to military coups and a string of unstable governments.
"Frankly, you know, even leaders, even myself, I would ask why," Pierre said. "I don't have any good answer for them, and I don't have any good answer for myself."
He tells his congregation that God is there for them. He will hold a second memorial service tonight, and he is providing psychological counselors for people to talk to.
Thevenin is fielding similar questions. He tells people they cannot ask why the earthquake struck Haiti because to do so implies that it should have struck somewhere else, that it should have caused some other country the pain and suffering that Haitians feel now.
And then there are the people questioning their religion altogether.
"The question that people ask, 'Where was God when my brother was suffering, where was God when my mom or my loved one was struggling to breathe air when these rubbles were falling on top of them. Where was God?' " Thevenin said.
Dana Chivvis for AOL
A list of earthquake victims' names sits on a table next to the altar at Holy Cross Church. The first name on the list is the archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Serge Miot, who was killed in the earthquake.
His answer is that God is always there for people who are suffering. He says the response from the international community is an example of God's love. He quotes scripture, particularly the story of Martha and Lazarus, which includes the passage, "He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."
But when the woman asked him for help with her cousin who lost his leg, he didn't know what to do.
"I felt powerless. I felt embarrassed. I didn't know how to help," Thevenin said. "At this time we are all in a tunnel, in a dark tunnel, but the light is out there. All we can do is walk through the tunnel, and ask God and ask each other to help us."
Pierre's church has begun taking donations of food, medical supplies and clothes. Already there are several boxes stacked in the basement of the church. At Holy Cross, near the altar, there is a book of names of victims and a Haitian flag. And Miller is planning on holding a burial ceremony in February, to ensure that the dead make it to the afterlife.
"It's the worst thing that could ever happen to us," Miller said. "But we will survive."
Filed under: Nation, World, Only On Sphere
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Obituary: Madagascar's Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra has died
Obituary: Madagascar Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, Pope condoles Madagascar church
Madagascar: Cardinal Razafindratandra has died
Posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 3:29 pm
Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his condolences for the death of Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, archbishop emeritus of Antananarivo, Madagascar, who died on Saturday, January 9, at the age of 84.
In a telegram made public yesterday afternoon, addressed to Archbishop Odon Marie Arsene Razanakolona of Antananarivo, the Holy Father noted how the late cardinal "dedicated his entire life to helping Madagascans, as a diocesan priest and later as archbishop of Antananarivo, giving the best of himself that Christ might be announced".
The Pope prays that: "by the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Africa, the Lord may welcome His faithful servant into His Kingdom of peace and light".
With the death of Cardinal Razafindratandra, the College of Cardinals now has 182 members, of whom 112 are electors.
Paying tribute to the Cardinal, Salesian Fr Cosimo Alvati, who has worked for many years in Madagascar (where he founded Radio Don Bosco), said: "Cardinal Razafindratandra always had a special care and sensitivity for the poor. His moral authority also stemmed from his lifestyle and the example it offered. On several occasions I got to meet him when he was Archbishop of the capital, Antananarivo, and have always been impressed by his simple and sober lifestyle: a study with adjoining bedroom, a simple cassock, frugal meals. The Cardinal was a prince who lived like most of his compatriots, in simplicity and frugality."
"The moral authority of the Cardinal that stemmed from his lifestyle, rather than by its noble origin, was recognized by everyone, including the Heads of State who ruled the island, which is why for years he was Chairman of the Board of Christian Churches, a body comprising all the main Christian denominations of Madagascar," recalled Fr Cosimo.
"The Cardinal's great charity and pastoral sensitivity was already famous when he was Bishop of Mahajanga. He was famous for exploring the farthest and forgotten points of his diocese, often in long wanderings on foot and by canoe, a journey which lasted for days, because of the lack of roads. Even in the last years of life, after having left the leadership of the Archdiocese of Antananarivo, he showed his particular sensitivity to the most humble. The Cardinal decided to live in Besalampy, one of the poorest areas of Madagascar, where he continued his pastoral and human development until the end."
At Besalampy, the Cardinal set up a holiday camp for poor children, Fr Cosimo said. He also established a network of Catholic radio stations throughout Madagascar.
The funeral of Cardinal Razafindratandra will be held on 15 January.
Source: Fides
Madagascar: Cardinal Razafindratandra has died
Posted: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 3:29 pm
Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his condolences for the death of Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, archbishop emeritus of Antananarivo, Madagascar, who died on Saturday, January 9, at the age of 84.
In a telegram made public yesterday afternoon, addressed to Archbishop Odon Marie Arsene Razanakolona of Antananarivo, the Holy Father noted how the late cardinal "dedicated his entire life to helping Madagascans, as a diocesan priest and later as archbishop of Antananarivo, giving the best of himself that Christ might be announced".
The Pope prays that: "by the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Africa, the Lord may welcome His faithful servant into His Kingdom of peace and light".
With the death of Cardinal Razafindratandra, the College of Cardinals now has 182 members, of whom 112 are electors.
Paying tribute to the Cardinal, Salesian Fr Cosimo Alvati, who has worked for many years in Madagascar (where he founded Radio Don Bosco), said: "Cardinal Razafindratandra always had a special care and sensitivity for the poor. His moral authority also stemmed from his lifestyle and the example it offered. On several occasions I got to meet him when he was Archbishop of the capital, Antananarivo, and have always been impressed by his simple and sober lifestyle: a study with adjoining bedroom, a simple cassock, frugal meals. The Cardinal was a prince who lived like most of his compatriots, in simplicity and frugality."
"The moral authority of the Cardinal that stemmed from his lifestyle, rather than by its noble origin, was recognized by everyone, including the Heads of State who ruled the island, which is why for years he was Chairman of the Board of Christian Churches, a body comprising all the main Christian denominations of Madagascar," recalled Fr Cosimo.
"The Cardinal's great charity and pastoral sensitivity was already famous when he was Bishop of Mahajanga. He was famous for exploring the farthest and forgotten points of his diocese, often in long wanderings on foot and by canoe, a journey which lasted for days, because of the lack of roads. Even in the last years of life, after having left the leadership of the Archdiocese of Antananarivo, he showed his particular sensitivity to the most humble. The Cardinal decided to live in Besalampy, one of the poorest areas of Madagascar, where he continued his pastoral and human development until the end."
At Besalampy, the Cardinal set up a holiday camp for poor children, Fr Cosimo said. He also established a network of Catholic radio stations throughout Madagascar.
The funeral of Cardinal Razafindratandra will be held on 15 January.
Source: Fides
Obituary: Bishop Anthony Saliu Sanusi- Nigeria’s oldest Catholic bishop has died
Obituary: Bishop Anthony Saliu Sanusi- Nigeria’s oldest Catholic bishop has died
The passing away of the first bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, South Western Nigeria has been announced.
Most Revd Dr. Anthony Saliu Sanusi, Bishop Emeritus of Ijebu Ode died on Monday 7 December 2009, about four weeks from his 99th birthday. He was the 6th oldest bishop in the entire Catholic Church and the oldest Nigerian Catholic Bishop.
He was ordained a priest on 17 December 1944 in Lagos, Nigeria. When Ijebu Ode Diocese was created from the Archdiocese of Lagos on 29 May 1969, Fr Sanusi was appointed its first bishop by Pope Paul VI.
His Episcopal Consecration took place on 1 August 1969 in Kampala, Uganda by Pope Paul VI. In 1972 after the death of Archbishop JK Aggey, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Lagos Archdiocese. He was the only bishop of Ijebu Ode Diocese at that time, covering an area of 5,000 square kilometres (1,931 square miles) with six parishes, three diocesan priests and eight missionary priests. After 21 years of active service as diocesan bishop, he retired on 14 August 1990, at the age of 79. He was succeeded by Bishop Albert A Fasina.
During Bishops Sanusi’s time in office, the diocese had six secondary schools and 46 primary schools owned by the Church, however, they were all taken over by the government without any compensation. At present, the diocese has four Private Nursery Primary Schools and two Secondary Schools. The Diocese has two Hospitals and a Maternity Centre. The diocese remains undaunted in her mission of evangelisation with 23 parishes and over 60 priests.
Bishop Sanusi was instrumental to the opening of the Missionary Seminary of St Paul on 23 October 1977 at Iperu Remo, Ogun State. Thereupon, Bishop Anthony Sanusi was appointed the first Ordinary of the Seminary and of the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP).
His funeral arrangements are as follows:
Wednesday 16 December, 2009:
10am - Requiem Mass at St John Vianney Catholic Church, Iperu.
12noon – Office of the Dead at Seminary of St. Paul, Iperu
2.30pm - Lying in State at St Sebastian’s’ Catholic Cathedral, Ijebu-Ode
6pm - Vigil Mass
Thursday 17th, 2009
10am – Burial Mass at Gateway International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.
12.30pm – Interment at St Sebastian Catholic Cathedral, Ijebu-Ode. Entertainment follows immediately after Mass.
Baba (as he is fondly called) was a priest for 64 years and a bishop for 40 years. May the Lord grant him eternal rest and let his perpetual light shine on him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
There will be a memorial service for Baba, here in the UK, in the New Year. Time and venue will be made known as soon as it is finalised.
The passing away of the first bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, South Western Nigeria has been announced.
Most Revd Dr. Anthony Saliu Sanusi, Bishop Emeritus of Ijebu Ode died on Monday 7 December 2009, about four weeks from his 99th birthday. He was the 6th oldest bishop in the entire Catholic Church and the oldest Nigerian Catholic Bishop.
He was ordained a priest on 17 December 1944 in Lagos, Nigeria. When Ijebu Ode Diocese was created from the Archdiocese of Lagos on 29 May 1969, Fr Sanusi was appointed its first bishop by Pope Paul VI.
His Episcopal Consecration took place on 1 August 1969 in Kampala, Uganda by Pope Paul VI. In 1972 after the death of Archbishop JK Aggey, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Lagos Archdiocese. He was the only bishop of Ijebu Ode Diocese at that time, covering an area of 5,000 square kilometres (1,931 square miles) with six parishes, three diocesan priests and eight missionary priests. After 21 years of active service as diocesan bishop, he retired on 14 August 1990, at the age of 79. He was succeeded by Bishop Albert A Fasina.
During Bishops Sanusi’s time in office, the diocese had six secondary schools and 46 primary schools owned by the Church, however, they were all taken over by the government without any compensation. At present, the diocese has four Private Nursery Primary Schools and two Secondary Schools. The Diocese has two Hospitals and a Maternity Centre. The diocese remains undaunted in her mission of evangelisation with 23 parishes and over 60 priests.
Bishop Sanusi was instrumental to the opening of the Missionary Seminary of St Paul on 23 October 1977 at Iperu Remo, Ogun State. Thereupon, Bishop Anthony Sanusi was appointed the first Ordinary of the Seminary and of the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP).
His funeral arrangements are as follows:
Wednesday 16 December, 2009:
10am - Requiem Mass at St John Vianney Catholic Church, Iperu.
12noon – Office of the Dead at Seminary of St. Paul, Iperu
2.30pm - Lying in State at St Sebastian’s’ Catholic Cathedral, Ijebu-Ode
6pm - Vigil Mass
Thursday 17th, 2009
10am – Burial Mass at Gateway International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.
12.30pm – Interment at St Sebastian Catholic Cathedral, Ijebu-Ode. Entertainment follows immediately after Mass.
Baba (as he is fondly called) was a priest for 64 years and a bishop for 40 years. May the Lord grant him eternal rest and let his perpetual light shine on him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
There will be a memorial service for Baba, here in the UK, in the New Year. Time and venue will be made known as soon as it is finalised.
Obituary: Edward Schillebeeckx, A Great inspirational and profound Catholic Theologian
Obituary of Edward Schillebeeckx: A Great Inspirational and in depth Catholic Theologican:
Posted: Monday, January 4, 2010 6:04 pm
The internationally renowned theologian Edward Schillebeeckx died on the 23rd of December 2009. Dr Schillebeeckx was Professor of Dogmatics and History of Theology at Nijmegen University from 1957 to 1983. Edward Schillebeeckx has been of major importance to twentieth century and contemporary theology. Many recognize him as a pioneer who connected faith, church and theology with modern humanity in a secular society. He has been an iconic figure for Radboud University Nijmegen.
Edward Cornelius Florentius Schillebeeckx was born into a Flemish family in Antwerp on 12 November 1914, the sixth of 14 children. His father, who was a chartered accountant and an intellectual, influenced him greatly; although dismissive of the clergy, he was a devout Roman Catholic who took his family to Mass every day at 6.30am and made the sign of the cross on their foreheads before they went to sleep at night.
Along with his eight brothers, Edward attended a Jesuit school, but decided, in 1934, to enter the Dominican Order. He served his novitiate at Ghent, then spent three years – which he always described as the best in his life – studying Philosophy at the University of Louvain. In 1941 he was ordained as a priest. Late in 1957, Schillebeeckx was appointed Professor of Dogmatics and History of Theology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen, now known as Radboud University Nijmegen.
Second Vatican Council
Schillebeeckx accompanied the Dutch bishops as their advisor during the Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965). In 1960 he wrote a pastoral letter for the bishops informing the faithful about the Council. This letter attracted international attention because of the way in which Schillebeeckx described the relationship between the faithful and the hierarchy of the Church: he believed it is the task of the bishops and the Pope to express the live of the faithful, rather than the other way around.
Faith can change the world
In 1974, Schillebeeckx published Jezus, het verhaal van een levende, (translated in 1979 as Jesus: an experiment in Christology), and in 1977 Gerechtigheid en liefde, genade en bevrijding translated in 1980 as Christ: the Christian experience in the modern world). In these books, Schillebeeckx presented Christian faith as a source of inspiration for those who wish to stand up for the poor and oppressed and change the world for good. These books have broken new ground for twentieth-century theology and are still widely read and studied.
Church authorities
Schillebeeckx continued to be involved in the internal affairs of the church after the Second Vatican Council. In addition to his earlier works on the sacraments of the Church (De sacramentele heilseconomie, 1953), his later publications deal with priesthood and the role of the faithful in the Church (Kerkelijk ambt, 1980 and Pleidooi voor mensen in de kerk, 1985, translated as The Church with a human face: a new and expanded theology of ministry). As a result of the innovative character of his works, Schillebeeckx was asked to justify himself to the Church authorities on three occasions. Shortly before his retirement in 1983, he received the prestigious European Erasmus prize. Schillebeeckx’ work is still widely studied, particularly in the United States and Great Britain.
Source: Radboud University/VIS/Edward Schillebeeckx Foundation
Posted: Monday, January 4, 2010 6:04 pm
The internationally renowned theologian Edward Schillebeeckx died on the 23rd of December 2009. Dr Schillebeeckx was Professor of Dogmatics and History of Theology at Nijmegen University from 1957 to 1983. Edward Schillebeeckx has been of major importance to twentieth century and contemporary theology. Many recognize him as a pioneer who connected faith, church and theology with modern humanity in a secular society. He has been an iconic figure for Radboud University Nijmegen.
Edward Cornelius Florentius Schillebeeckx was born into a Flemish family in Antwerp on 12 November 1914, the sixth of 14 children. His father, who was a chartered accountant and an intellectual, influenced him greatly; although dismissive of the clergy, he was a devout Roman Catholic who took his family to Mass every day at 6.30am and made the sign of the cross on their foreheads before they went to sleep at night.
Along with his eight brothers, Edward attended a Jesuit school, but decided, in 1934, to enter the Dominican Order. He served his novitiate at Ghent, then spent three years – which he always described as the best in his life – studying Philosophy at the University of Louvain. In 1941 he was ordained as a priest. Late in 1957, Schillebeeckx was appointed Professor of Dogmatics and History of Theology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen, now known as Radboud University Nijmegen.
Second Vatican Council
Schillebeeckx accompanied the Dutch bishops as their advisor during the Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965). In 1960 he wrote a pastoral letter for the bishops informing the faithful about the Council. This letter attracted international attention because of the way in which Schillebeeckx described the relationship between the faithful and the hierarchy of the Church: he believed it is the task of the bishops and the Pope to express the live of the faithful, rather than the other way around.
Faith can change the world
In 1974, Schillebeeckx published Jezus, het verhaal van een levende, (translated in 1979 as Jesus: an experiment in Christology), and in 1977 Gerechtigheid en liefde, genade en bevrijding translated in 1980 as Christ: the Christian experience in the modern world). In these books, Schillebeeckx presented Christian faith as a source of inspiration for those who wish to stand up for the poor and oppressed and change the world for good. These books have broken new ground for twentieth-century theology and are still widely read and studied.
Church authorities
Schillebeeckx continued to be involved in the internal affairs of the church after the Second Vatican Council. In addition to his earlier works on the sacraments of the Church (De sacramentele heilseconomie, 1953), his later publications deal with priesthood and the role of the faithful in the Church (Kerkelijk ambt, 1980 and Pleidooi voor mensen in de kerk, 1985, translated as The Church with a human face: a new and expanded theology of ministry). As a result of the innovative character of his works, Schillebeeckx was asked to justify himself to the Church authorities on three occasions. Shortly before his retirement in 1983, he received the prestigious European Erasmus prize. Schillebeeckx’ work is still widely studied, particularly in the United States and Great Britain.
Source: Radboud University/VIS/Edward Schillebeeckx Foundation
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)