News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 10 October.
DOWNLOAD (Right click to save) (9:18 mins)
• Extraordinary Synod on the Family begins in Rome
• Much-loved Franciscan passes away aged 81
• Australian couple abandons child born to a surrogate
• Caritas Australia given Government support to fight Ebola outbreak
• Police promise greater security at tomorrow’s March for the Babies in Melbourne.
TRANSCRIPT
BOBBIE: The global meeting of Catholic Bishops known as the Extraordinary Synod began in Rome on Monday, with an opening by Pope Francis. The Synod has covered many issues surrounding marriage and family in a series of speeches, discussions and personal testimonies by bishops and laypeople.
As of yesterday, it was made clear that the bishops want a greater focus on preparation for marriage, and not just a check box for scheduling a wedding at the parish church. Marriage preparation, therefore, has to be “long, personalised and also severe,” even if that might reduce the number of weddings taking place, Synod participants have said.
Earlier this week, the focus was on the need for a change of Church language when making reference to family life, and the acknowledgement that people grow in faith slowly. It was claimed that terms used too frequently include: “living in sin” and “intrinsically disordered”, referring to cohabiting couples and same-sex attraction, respectively.
“These are not necessarily words that invite people to draw closer to the Church”, said spokesperson, Fr Thomas Rosica.
The theological concept of graduality was also discussed, where those present were reminded that Catholics may sometimes grow toward adherence or understanding of church teaching throughout their lives.
“It’s a law of pastoral moral theology which permits and encourages people…to take one step at a time in our search for holiness in our lives,” said English Archbishop, Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
Each meeting of the Synod begins with an announcement of the theme for that session, followed by a testimony of a married couple on the theme. Themes covered thus far are: the process of the Synod, the notion of “graduality,” the “virtue of hope,” “creative programs” for pastoral practice, and how marriage theology relates to Trinitarian theology.
It is expected that many more topics will arise in the next few days of discussion.
Cardinal Nichols said “there’s a lot of ideas being put forward — a lot of concerns.”
“I think we have to be patient and let this process mature,” he said.
A working document will be created at the end of the week that will be explored during the second week and then delivered to the Pope.
More information available via Hot Air and Vatican Insider.
—
Father Benedict Groeschel, a Franciscan priest known and loved across the world passed away last week aged 81.
Fr Benedict was one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, a community that was founded in 1987 by eight capuchin friars based in New York City.
Fr Benedict was also a psychologist and the director of the Trinity Retreat House in Larchmont, New York. He was a popular writer, preacher and evangelist on EWTN Catholic television network.
He is survived by biological sisters Marjule and Robin, brother Gary and nine nieces and nephews.
Fr. John Paul Ouellette, Community Servant, Franciscan Friars of the Renewal said “We are deeply saddened by the death of Fr Benedict. He was an example to us all. His fidelity and service to the Church and commitment to our Franciscan way of life will have a tremendous impact for generations to come”.
A funeral Mass for Father Benedict will take place today at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey.
Further information about Fr Benedict can be found at franciscanfriars.com.
—
Reports have surfaced that an Australian couple have abandoned a child born to a surrogate mother in India.
According to the reports by the ABC, the child was a twin born to a surrogate mother in New Delhi in 2012. The Australian couple allegedly took only one of the twins back to Australia due to the sex of the abandoned child.
Diana Bryant, Chief Justice of the Family Court in Australia, said that consular officials at Australia’s High Commission in India were pressured by the couple to grant only one visa, thus allowing only one child to leave the country. Although consular officials delayed the visa process in an attempt to convince the couple to take both children, only one visa was granted after the abandoned child was given to a family friend in exchange for money.
Chief Justice Bryant said that consular officials were distressed by the situation. She said, “These women [at the High Commission]were extremely concerned about what was happening. They were doing the best they could, they told me, to persuade the parents to take both children, to negotiate with them.”
The ABC has alleged that some pressure to grant a single visa may have come from a senior politician in the Australian Federal Government, although this politician is unknown. Former foreign minister Bob Carr has said that he is unable to recall the case.
The sex of the abandoned child remains unknown at the time of reporting.
The Catholic Church holds that surrogacy is gravely immoral due to the infringement of a child’s right to be born to a father and mother bound by marriage and known to the child, as well as the severing of the procreative and unitive acts in marriage.
More on that story via ABC.
– – –
Catholic aid agency Caritas Australia has been given Government support to combat the Ebola outbreak in west Africa.
Caritas Australia, along with World Vision, Save the Children and Plan, has been granted $2.5 million by the Australian Federal Government to provide emergency assistance in the African Ebola crisis. The crisis is the largest known Ebola outbreak in history, with 3,400 deaths to date.
Caritas has stated that they plan to use the funding to assist their existing humanitarian work in Sierra Leone, where 230,000 people are currently at risk of Ebola infection. Healthcare systems in the region have been severely damaged by the outbreak, which had been recovering from conflict and civil war in previous years. Caritas are set to work in Sierra Leone with Catholic Relief Services and World Vision to provide community-based prevention activities.
Melville Fernandez, Manager of Humanitarian Emergencies at Caritas Australia, described the troubling situation in Sierra Leone.
Mr Fernandez said, “The situation is grave and the spread of Ebola transmission continues to double every three to four weeks.
“Some parts of Sierra Leone are now becoming hot spots. So there’s an urgent need to scale up community awareness in the country to change behavior, stop the transmission of the disease and strengthen the health system,” he said.
Details via the Caritas Australia website.
—
The sixth annual March for the Babies will take place in Melbourne tomorrow, protesting the 2008 Victorian Abortion Law Reform Act.
Police have reassured organisers that this year should be a more peaceful event, after last year’s March was disrupted by pro-abortion counter-protesters. Following some violent incidents at the event, Victoria Police received nearly 200 complaints from attendees who were concerned about the lack of officers present.
Victoria Police Superintendent Tony de Ridder sent a letter to complainants acknowledging the failure of Victoria Police and promising additional police resources at this year’s event.
In his lengthy letter, Mr de Ridder stated that he has been investigating last year’s event and has been working with Victorian pro-life MP Bernie Finn and Victoria Police to ensure that this year’s event runs smoothly.
“There were certainly failings in intelligence, planning and responding to the 2013 event. For these failings I offer my most sincere apologies,” Mr de Ridder wrote.
He also wrote that on the same day as last year’s March for the Babies, there were at least five other known events in Melbourne. He noted most events had involved Victoria Police in their planning, although the pro-abortion counter-protests did not.
Mr de Ridder also acknowledged how violent the pro-abortion group were and affirmed the pro-lifers as “well-meaning people who have a heartfelt desire to express a view and have the right to do so peacefully and safely”.
March for the Babies organiser Bernie Finn told Cradio “Everyone can attend this year’s March for the Babies with the knowledge it will be the safest yet.
“Victoria Police has given us a firm commitment it will do everything in its power to protect those who gather peacefully to protest against the violence of abortion,” he said.
This years March will begin at Treasury Gardens in Melbourne at 1pm tomorrow. Details via marchforthebabies.org.au.
—
Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.
