News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 5 September.
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• The Holy See’s UN representative calls for international intervention in Iraq and Nigeria
• Soccer superstars join Pope’s interreligious “match for peace”
• Ukrainian Archbishop urges Global community not to remain silent on the plight of his people
• Cause for the Canonisation of Fulton Sheen suspended
• Bishops commend Australia’s humanitarian action in Iraq
• Youth gather for Sydney’s Gracefest.
TRANSCRIPT
BOBBIE: The Pontifical Council for Culture has hosted a three-day seminar on sports as an opportunity for encounter between peoples.
The seminar, entitled “Sports at the Service of Humanity: From the ‘Results-Oriented Culture’ to a ‘Culture of Encounter'”, was held on Monday through to Wednesday. Speakers at the seminar included Msgr. Mario Lusek from the Italian Episcopal Conference and Ray McKenna of Catholic Athletes for Christ.
The theme of the seminar comes from Pope Francis’ message for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where he noted that football ought to promote a “culture of encounter” which can lead to peace. Organisers of the seminar aimed to affirm sport as a way of bringing out a dialogue between groups of people who would otherwise view each other as foreigners or even enemies.
An inter-religious football match at Rome’s Olympic Stadium was held on Monday night to open the Conference. The match featured stars from different religions, including Robert Baggio, Javier Zanetti and Diego Maradona.
The 50 players were received by Pope Francis earlier in the day. The Holy Father told the athletes that the event was [quote], “a highly symbolic gesture to show that it is possible to build a culture of encounter and a world of peace, where believers of different identities – preserving their identities […] can live together in harmony and reciprocal respect.”
The seminar comes one year out from the Vatican Global Conference on Sport and Faith to be held next September.
Further details on the Conference and Match at news.va.
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The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk has this week released an open letter calling on the global Christian community’s support for Ukraine.
In the letter, addressed to the Catholic episcopal conferences and the world’s religious and political leaders, Archbishop Shevchuk speaks out on the hardships the Ukrainian people have faced over the past nine months, highlighting the mistreatment of religious groups at the hands of pro-Russian separatists.
The Archbishop cites three Catholic priests who were kidnapped and a cathedral and chancery in Donetsk that were ransacked.
“The cathedral yard was hit by ‘separatist’ rocket fire, damaging the building and windows with shrapnel,” Archbishop Shevchuk said.
“The bishop and almost all Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests were forced to leave the environs of Donetsk. Armed representatives of the separatist regime entered the church and desecrated the sanctuary,” he said.
Archbishop Shevchuk also offered a recent case where a monastery of religious sisters were “seized and violated”.
However, he says the violence has not only been aimed at Catholics.
“Protestants are targeted by the pro-Russian terrorist groups and have suffered the gravest violence,” Archbishop Shevchuk said. He added that two sons of the pastor of an evangelical church and two deacons from the same church were tortured and killed by terrorists, and their bodies later exhumed from a mass grave.
Archbishop Shevchuk said that the attack on Ukrainian Greek and Roman Catholics, Ukrainian Orthodox and Protestants was being aggravated by the rhetoric coming from the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, which he said is becoming “increasingly similar to the propaganda of the Russian political authorities and media”.
The Archbishop concluded his letter by calling on Christians and all people of good will not to remain silent.
“The tragedy that Ukraine is experiencing today, due to the military aggression, is a tragedy for all peoples, believers of all faiths and all social groups,” he said.
“In a media context rife with propaganda, we ask you to evaluate information critically. We need your prayers, your discernment, your good words and effective deeds. Silence and inaction will lead to further tragedy,” Archbishop Shevchuk said.
Read the full letter at NC Register
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The Catholic Diocese of Peoria in the U.S. has issued a statement saying the Cause for the Canonisation of Archbishop Fulton Sheen has been suspended.
Venerable Fulton Sheen’s beatification was expected to be approved by Cardinals and the Holy Father in the coming months following the approval of a miracle attributed to his intercession by both doctors and theologians.
The cause has been spearheaded by the Sheen Foundation, which is run out of Fulton Sheen’s home diocese of Peoria. However, Peoria’s Bishop Daniel Jenky has announced that Sheen’s beatification and canonisation will be suspended for the forseeable future due to a conflict over his relics.
A statement from the Diocese of Peoria released on Wednesday said “there was every indication that a possible date for beatification in Peoria would have been scheduled for as early as the coming year.”
“The Holy See expected that the remains of Venerable Sheen would be moved to Peoria where official inspection would be made and first class relics be taken,” it read.
However, the Cause has come to a halt because the Archdiocese of New York has denied Bishop Jenky’s request to move the body to Peoria from St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. According to the statement the Cause will now be relegated to the historic archive of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
The Archdiocese of New York has since released a statement clarifying the matter, claiming that no explicit directions have been received from the Holy See to date.
The New York Archdiocese’ Director of Communications Joseph Zwilling said that Venerable Fulton Sheen had expressly stated that he be buried in New York and that the Archdiocese would like to respect those wishes.
“To date, the only official instruction that the Archdiocese of New York has received from the Holy See regarding this matter was, from a decade ago, that his body not be moved to Peoria,” Mr Zwilling said.
“To date, we have not received any further direction or request from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In addition, Archbishop Sheen’s closest surviving family members have also expressed their desire that their uncle’s wishes be respected and that his body remain in New York,” he said.
Mr Zwilling went on to say that Cardinal Dolan did express his hesitance to exhume the body without explicit direction from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and unless the family approved.
“Regarding first-class relics,” Mr Zwilling said, “Cardinal Dolan does object to the dismemberment of the Archbishop’s body. However, if the body is exhumed, there is the strong likelihood that some relics would be present in the coffin, which could be reverently collected without disturbing the body, and then shared generously with the Diocese of Peoria. The family is at peace with this; and we will await directions from Rome,” he said.
View statements from the Diocese of Peoria and the Archdiocese of New York.
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The Australian Government has increased its involvement in the resistance against Islamic State Militants in Iraq this week.
In a statement released on Tuesday night the Australian Defence Force said that following successful airdrops of food and water supplies over the last two weeks with the US and Britian, Australia has now provided ammunition to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces that are currently in battle with IS in Northern Iraq.
On Sunday Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that Australia would deliver another humanitarian aid drop of vital supplies, as well as supplying weapons to the Kurds. It is understood that there are currently no plans to have Australian troops involved in the battle with IS. Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has said it is unlikely that Australia will send ground troops, but that airstrikes are a possibility.
Iraq’s Ambassador to Australia Mouayed Saleh told the ABC that there was no chance of military equipment sent to Iraq falling into IS control.
“First of all, we need weapons to fight the terrorists and we’re making very sure it gets delivered to Peshmerga, or to the Iraqi army, so there is no chance it would fall into the wrong hands,” Mr Saleh said.
Meanwhile the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference released a statement last week praising the Australian Government for its action.
“We support and thank the Australian Government for its decision to offer humanitarian relief to the tens of thousands of displaced people,” the statement said.
“Australia has an important role to play as a member of the United Nations Security Council in securing the future of the people of Iraq.”
In an exclusive interview with Cradio Apostolic Nuncio to Australia Archbishop Paul Gallagher offered his thoughts on the question of foreign intervention.
ARCHBISHOP GALLAGHER: We see that this is a delicate time when everybody should be seeking to consolidate with the democratic institutions in Iraq to support the whole process of bringing peace and solidity and prosperity back to Iraq after many, many difficult years. We’re also concerned about the fate of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and we feel that this is something in which the International community needs to give its attention. Obviously one would like to think that it would be possible to engage the Islamic State of Iraq in dialogue in negotiated peace. Well we’ll have to see if that is possible. At the moment obviously it is necessary to offer resistance. But I think as Christians and as Catholics we always see violence, and ultimately war, as a failure.
You can access the full interview on the Cradio website.
More details via ACBC Media Blog, the Department of Defence and ABC.
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Hundreds of Sydney Catholics gathered to celebrate their Catholic faith in Sydney last Saturday night at Gracefest, an annual event hosted by Sydney’s Catholic Youth Services.
The night, led by members of Sydney’s NET team, consisted of praise and worship, adoration, catechesis, a testimony, a free dinner and opportunities for confession.
Praise and worship was lead by contemporary Catholic singer songwriter Stephen Kirk, who had run a music workshop earlier that day for aspiring Catholic church musicians.
Father Dave Callaghan of the Missionaries of God’s Love gave catechesis on the meaning of Grace, explaining the need for compassion toward those within our community who may not adhere to Church teaching. He also touched upon the message that Christ looks at what is on the heart, rather than just one’s sinful actions, thereby addressing the ‘disease’ rather than the ‘symptom’.
The festive spirit of the evening quickly transitioned to a more reverent and solemn atmosphere, as the Blessed Sacrament was processed down the center of the hall for adoration.
For more information on Catholic Youth Services’ upcoming events you can find them on Facebook.
Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.
