News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 20 December
DOWNLOAD (Right click to save) (7:05 mins)
• A new Jesuit saint for the Church, Pope Francis’ latest interview
• Tony Abbott announces plans to make adoption easier
• Australian Catholic University and University of Notre Dame Australia sign a historic agreement
• iWitness youth conference wraps up for 2013.
TRANSCRIPT
BOBBIE: In a private audience on Tuesday, Pope Francis bypassed usual canonisation procedures and instantly declared the 16th-century Jesuit Pierre Favre a saint.
St. Pierre Favre was recruited by St Ignatius when the two were roommates while studying at the Sorbonne in Paris along with St. Francis Xavier. He was ordained to the priesthood in July 1534 and, one month later, celebrated the mass on 15 August, during which Ignatius’ first seven companions took vows.
The speedy process with Pope Francis used to canonise his well-loved fellow Jesuit is called equivalent canonisation. It can be used by a pope when a blessed has enjoyed widespread reverence for a long period of time. Pope Benedict used the same process with Hildegard of Bingen, and St John Paul II used it three times, for among others, St Kinga of Poland.
St Pierre Favre spent his ministry preaching all around Europe and died while on his way to the Council of Trent.
He is a favourite of Pope Francis, who recently discussed his message of dialogue with anyone, “even the most remote and even with his opponents”.
In the same decree, Francis also approved a miracle attributed to an American candidate for sainthood, Sr. Maria Teresa Demjanovich of the Sisters of Charity.
Born in New Jersey in 1901, as a member of the Greek Catholic rite, Demjanovich died in 1927 after a serious illness. She enjoyed a reputation for deep holiness because of her spiritual writings and her dedication to religious life.
More details via news.va
—
BOBBIE: Pope Francis has given an interview to Italian-based newspaper La Stampa on Saturday, covering the meaning of Christmas, reactions to Evangelii Gaudium, and relations with other Christian Churches and communities.
The Holy Father stated that for him, Christmas is about “the encounter with Jesus”.
He said that in Christmas we see that “God walks with us; he takes us by the hand like a father does with his child. This is a beautiful thing.”
In speaking on building relationships with Christians outside the Catholic Church, Pope Francis outlined his desire for unity, and the unity that Christians already experience today as victims of persecution.
“For me ecumenism is a priority. Today there is an ecumenism of blood”, the Holy Father said.
“We are united in blood, even though we have not yet managed to take necessary steps towards unity between us and perhaps the time has not yet come. Unity is a gift that we need to ask for.”
Pope Francis also responded sharply to rumours that he was considering admitting women to the College of Cardinals, stating “I don’t know where this idea sprang from. Women in the Church must be valued not clericalised.”
Read the full interview on the La Stampa website.
—
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has this week announced that his Government plans to change adoption laws within 12 months.
Mr Abbott made the announcement at an event in Sydney attended by NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and other dignitaries.
“I’ve always said to be born in Australia is to win the lottery of life and we would like to see more children given this opportunity,” Mr Abbott said.
The decision follows last Friday’s Council of Australian Governments meeting where Mr O’Farrell raised the issue.
NSW Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward said “For too long open adoption has been a dirty word, when we know that open adoption can provide better outcomes for vulnerable children rather than foster care until the child is 18.”
“How can we hope to break the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage if we do not begin by giving each of these children a safe and loving home for life?” Ms Goward added.
Australian actor Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness who have two adopted children were among those present.
Ms Furness said, “I just want to savour this moment. This has been years we have been talking about this issue and now things are going to change.”
The adoption system has long been criticised for its complexity, with statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showing that last financial year there were 339 children adopted in Australia; 129 from overseas and just 210 locally.
—
Two Australian Catholic Universities signed an historic agreement in Sydney this week.
Australian Catholic University and the University of Notre Dame Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding in order to increase collaboration between the two universities.
The agreement was signed by Vice-Chancellors Professor Celia Hammond of Notre Dame and Professor Greg Craven of ACU at Cathedral House in Sydney in the presence of His Eminence George Cardinal Pell.
The universities committed not only to furthering their Catholic mission and Identity, but on a practical level offering courses, exchange programs for staff, conducting research, and sharing facilities.
Teacher education in Sydney will be a particular priority.
Universities first arose during the Middle Ages under the aegis of the Church.
Details via the ACU website
—
In other news, the 2013 iWitness youth conference wrapped up in Stanwell Tops, NSW last weekend.
The conference, which is held annually, was attended by more than 200 young people who explored the legacy of Pope Benedict over the course of four days.
The event was attended by a number of religious and included talks by Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Paul Gallagher and Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous.
In his Saturday evening talk Cardinal Pell reflected on the papacies of Blessed John Paul II, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
His Eminence noted that on a recent trip to Rome he paid a visit to Castel Gandolfo where Emeritus Pope Benedict has retired.
CARDINAL PELL: A wonderful man – many of you would have seen him here when he came for World Youth Day. I popped in to see him about 8 or 9 days ago and he was telling me what wonderful memories he has of the World Youth Day here in Sydney.
BOBBIE: Talks from iWitness 2013 will be available on the Cradio website in the coming weeks.
Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain
