News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 3 October.
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• Emeritus Pope Benedict makes an appearance at a meeting with the elderly
• Two new Blesseds for the Church
• Chaldean Patriarch of Bagdad calls on Muslims to support persecuted Christians
• Australian Catholic University announces new academy for religious education
• Ignite Conference turns 10, drawing record numbers to this year’s event.
TRANSCRIPT
BOBBIE: Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has made a rare public appearance, attending a meeting with the elderly held by Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square last Sunday morning.
At the meeting Pope Francis gave a speech on the importance of honouring the contribution of grandparents in society, appropriate to the chosen theme of the meeting: The Blessing of a Long Life. Tens of thousands of people were present, many of them elderly couples with their grandchildren.
Describing Benedict’s presence at the Vatican as ‘like having a wise grandparent’ at home, Pope Francis hailed the value of the elderly.
“The elderly transmit wisdom and faith,” he said.
He also made mention of nursing homes, saying they should be homes and not ‘prisons’, where the elderly are often ‘forgotten, hidden [and]neglected’.
Some of the elderly present gave their own testimonies and had a chance to speak to the Holy Father.
The meeting was followed by a Mass that Pope Francis offered up for all grandparents and the elderly. The Mass, in which 40,000 seniors from more than 20 countries participated, was concelebrated by fifty elderly priests as well as Emeritus Pope Benedict.
This is not the first time Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has been present at a gathering honouring the elderly. His visit to the Sant Egidio Community’s elderly home in Rome in 2012 was to honour the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.
Benedict XVI’s address at the 2012 event, and Pope Francis’ recent speech from September 28th can be found in full at Vatican.va
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A priest and a religious sister join the ranks of the Blesseds this week, offering the world two new examples of contemporary holiness.
Opus Dei prelate Alvaro del Portillo, the first successor to Opus Dei founder St Josemaria Escriva, was beatified at a Mass in Madrid last Saturday. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and featured an official message from Pope Francis.
In the message, the Holy Father reflected on a short prayer frequently recited by Blessed Alvaro: “Thank you, I’m sorry, help me more!” Pope Francis highlighted that this prayer not only gives an insight to the newly beatified, but can help us in our own relationship with God.
Pope Francis said, “Blessed Alvaro del Portillo sends us a very clear message; he tells us to trust in the Lord, who is our brother, our friend who never disappoints us and who is always at our side.”
Blessed Alvaro succeeded St Josemaria Escriva as prelate of Opus Dei in 1975, and was ordained bishop by St John Paul II in 1991.
Another beatification will be taking place this Saturday, with United States Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich to be beatified in New Jersey. This will be the first beatification to take place in the United States.
More on Blessed Alvaro del Portillo
More on Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich
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The Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad has called on Muslims in Iraq to support Christians against the evil of terrorist extremists.
His Beatitude Mar Louis Raphael I Sako addressed the Iraqi Muslim community to mark Eid al-Adha, a holiday that commemorates the total submission of man to God.
“I want to send my best wishes to our Muslim brothers, asking God to protect and preserve our country from every form of evil,” said Mar Sako.
As part of his message, the Chaldean Patriarch repeated his invitation for Muslims to reject “violent, sectarian, extremism” because it distorts religion.
“There is no freedom and no dignity without a real honest relationship [which]recognises and accepts the other as a brother and a partner in the land and home,” Mar Sako said.
“Our citizens have suffered greatly from a variety of conflicts and wars, there must be genuine reconciliation, a brave dialogue, and an effective political approach to restore peace, security and stability,” he said.
He also called for education and awareness, saying: “by awareness and education that incubates the religious, cultural, and national diversity and spread the culture of peace, tolerance respect, justice and dialogue we will maintain our national identity and unity, and raise barriers and promote trust and co-existence and eliminate all extremist ideology and everyone who urges to hatred and violence. This is the road map for the salvation of the disturbing situation.”
He also acknowledged that most Muslims do not support groups like IS, mentioning Dr Mohammad Al-Asali who was killed by the terrorist group for supporting Christians.
See the full story at news.va.
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Back at home, Australian Catholic University (ACU) has announced it will establish an academy dedicated to the formation of religious educators for Catholic schools in Australia.
The La Salle Academy for Religious Education will be responsible for the development, delivery and quality assurance of teaching and research programs in Religious Education.
It will include programs which focus on the development and formation of teachers and leaders of religious education in Catholic schools.
In a statement, the University said the foundation of the new academy is a response to the “needs of a new generation of teachers and leaders who are deeply committed to the goals of Catholic education.”
The new Academy will be headed by Brother David Hall, a Marist Brother currently serving as headmaster at Marcellin College, Randwick.
Br David said he looked forward to the new role as an opportunity to contribute to the development of religious education.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to help refine and improve the preparation of teachers and leaders for Catholic schools,” Brother David said.
“New research into the area of religious education and faith formation can be created and shaped to support school practitioners to make our Catholic faith relevant in an ever-changing global society,” he said.
Brother David will take up his appointment at the start of the new year.
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And finally, Ignite Conference has celebrated its 10th anniversary in Brisbane, drawing more than 1300 participants to this year’s event.
The Conference ran from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 September and included morning and evening rallies, Mass, opportunities for adoration, reconciliation and prayer teams, and dozens of keynotes and workshops.
Speakers at this year’s conference included Sr Miriam James from Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity in the U.S, Fr Rob Galea and many more.
Cradio was there and spoke to some of the young people in attendance about their highlights.
YOUNG PERSON 1: “My highlight of Ignite was probably Reconciliation: helped me open up myself and just have another chance at life, and dump everything I need to dump out and have another go.”
YOUNG PERSON 2: “My highlight of Ignite was prayer teams… it really gave me an opportunity to connect on another level with God.”
YOUNG PERSON 3: “…The second night rally when we did the Adoration, that was just an incredible experience, like it was honestly life changing for me.”
YOUNG PERSON 4: “My highlight was definitely Reconciliation. There was a sense of freedom that came with it, after I came out I felt physically lighter, and there was a certain peace I felt in my mind and also deep in my heart. It sounds cheesy, but it’s really, really true.”
BOBBIE: Revival, one of the original Emmanuel Worship songs from the Conference was this week released, making it to number two on iTunes Australia’s ‘inspirational’ chart.
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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.
