Pope Leo XIII

1) Altar servers rally for nature: Over 350 altar servers serving Salesian institutions in western India rallied in

ecology/Seminar

Mumbai as part of their efforts to care for creation. Father Edwin D’Souza, the guest of honor for the Nov. 15 rally, urged the youngsters to thank God for creating nature and challenged them to do their part to protect it. They resolved to work for environmental protection on personal and community level.

Cf. http://www.cathnewsindia.com/2010/11/17/altar-servers-rally-for-nature/

2) Without Rain (A film on climate change): Caritas has released a film highlighting the impact of climate change on villagers’ lives in western Nepal. The film Without Rain contrasts the richness of village life and culture with the struggle for survival caused by a lack of water in the foothills of the Himalayas. There are now more months without rain, dry stream beds that used to water crops in the dry season and snowless hilltops that send an ominous message about future water supplies. The film ends with a plea for worldwide action to reverse the dangerous environmental trends and to minimize the impact of irregular climate changes.

http://www.cathnewsindia.com/2010/11/17/nepal-learns-to-cope-in-a-world-without-rain/

3) Seminary Rectors of India promoting the cause of ecology: According to Jesuit ecologist Fr. Robert Athickal, the main resource person of the Nov 7-13, 2010, meeting of ARMS (Association of Rectors of Major Seminaries), asserted the Church would experience positive changes if one fourth of those involved in training priests and Religious decided to promote ecology.

Cf. http://www.cathnewsindia.com/2010/11/16/ARMS

4) Research Seminar on Ecology at Mount St. Thomas, Kochi (24-26 November, 2010)

Keynote address   Rev.  Dr. Francis Vineeth CMI,   Acharya, Vidyavanam Ashram, Bangalore.

1. Eco in Bible:  Rev. Dr. Sebastian Kizhakkayil MST,   Director, Santhome Bible Centre, Pariyaram, Kannur

2. Eco in the Fathers of the Church:  Rev. Dr. Emmanuel   Kaniamparambil OCD, Carmelaram, Bangalore  

3. Eco – Spirituality: Rev. Sr. Dr. Ancil FCC,   Generalate,   Aluva

4. Eco – Ethics: Rev. Dr. Jacob Koippally,   Director, John Paul 11 Institute of Studies   for        Marriage   and   Family, Cana, Changanacherry

5   Eco – Science: Rev. Dr. Augustine  Pamplany  CST,  Little Flower  Seminary,   Aluva

6   Panel discussion on Eco -resemblance in Christian Art, Culture and Literature.

I       Eco – resemblance in Poetry and Fiction: Prof. Dr. Kurias Kumblakkuzhy, Malayalam   Literary Critic; Chief Editor,   Pratichaya

2      Eco – resemblance in Theatre and Movie:     Dr. C.K   Thomas,    Direction, Doordarshan

3      Eco – resemblance in Children’s Literature: Sri Sippy Pallipuram,   Balasahityam   Award

Winner,   Kendra   Sahitya   Academy

4      Eco – resemblance in Music: Rev. Dr. Philip Vysanethu OIC,   Musicologist,

Bethany   Ashram,   Thiruvalla

Pope Benedict has issued the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini [The Word of the Lord], the most important Church document devoted to Sacred Scripture since the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), which was promulgated in 1965.

The publication of Verbum Domini follows the twelfth ordinary general assembly of the Synod Of Bishops, which took place in 2008 and was devoted to “The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church.”

The document, though released on November 11, is dated September 30, the memorial of St. Jerome. The full text was made public in Latin, Italian, English, French., Spanish, German, Portuguese and Polish.

Verbum Domini is divided into three major sections. The first section, entitled Verbum Dei, explains “the Trinitarian dimension of revelation,” in which “God the Father, source and origin of the Word,” reveals Himself to mankind. This revelation is completed in Christ, and the first chapter explores the relationship between the Eucharist and revelation. The Pope goes on to explore man’s response to God’s revelation, appropriately through prayer. Next the Pontiff writes about the interpretation of Scripture, the role of Church authority in guiding that interpretation, and the need to avoid the twin dangers of fundamentalist or secularist approaches.

The second section, Verbum in Ecclesia, explains how the Word of God remains alive and active in the ministry of the Church. This section points out the heavy reliance on Scripture in the Eucharistic liturgy and the importance of regular Bible reading. The Pope notes that Christians and Jews are bound together in part because of their shared devotion to the use of the Scriptures in worship.

The third section, Verbum Mundo, reminds readers of “the duty of Christians to announce the Word of God in the world in which they live and work.” Pope Benedict writes on the universal mission of the Church to spread the Word of God, and the importance of bringing Gospel principles into the secular world.

Verbum Domini joins Dei Verbum and three papal encyclicals– Pope Leo XIII’s Providentissimus Deus (1893), Pope Benedict XV’s Spiritus Paraclitus (1920), and Venerable Pius XII’s Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943)– as a milestone in the development of Catholic teaching on Sacred Scripture, which is summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (nos. 101-141).

Summary

Objective: “In this way I wish to point out certain fundamental approaches to a rediscovery of God’s word in the life of the Church as a wellspring of constant renewal. At the same time I express my hope that the word will be ever more fully at the heart of every ecclesial activity” (No. 1).

Religion of the Word: “The Christian faith is not a ‘religion of the book’: Christianity is the ‘religion of the word of God,’ not of a ‘written and mute word, but of the incarnate and living Word’” (No. 7).

Tradition: “The living Tradition is essential for enabling the Church to grow through time in the understanding of the truth revealed in the Scriptures” (No. 17).

Inspiration and truth: “Sacred Scripture is the word of God set down in writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In this way one recognizes the full importance of the human author who wrote the inspired texts and, at the same time, God himself as the true author” (No. 19).

God hears us: “Thus it is decisive, from the pastoral standpoint, to present the word of God in its capacity to enter into dialogue with the everyday problems which people face. [...] The Church’s pastoral activity needs to bring out clearly how God listens to our need and our plea for help” (No. 23).

Exegesis: “In their work of interpretation, Catholic exegetes must never forget that what they are interpreting is the word of God. Their common task is not finished when they have simply determined sources, defined forms or explained literary procedures. They arrive at the true goal of their work only when they have explained the meaning of the biblical text as God’s word for today” (No. 33).

Jews and Scripture: “I wish to state once more how much the Church values her dialogue with the Jews. Wherever it seems appropriate, it would be good to create opportunities for encounter and exchange in public as well as in private, and thus to promote growth in reciprocal knowledge, in mutual esteem and cooperation, also in the study of the sacred Scriptures” (No. 43).

Ecumenism: “Conscious that the Church has her foundation in Christ, the incarnate Word of God, the Synod wished to emphasize the centrality of biblical studies within ecumenical dialogue aimed at the full expression of the unity of all believers in Christ” (No. 46).

Bible translations and ecumenism: “Promoting common translations of the Bible is part of the ecumenical enterprise. I would like to thank all those engaged in this important work, and I encourage them to persevere in their efforts” (No. 46).

Sacred liturgy: “I encourage the Church’s pastors and all engaged in pastoral work to see that all the faithful learn to savor the deep meaning of the word of God which unfolds each year in the liturgy, revealing the fundamental mysteries of our faith” (No. 52).

The homily: “The homily is part of the liturgical action and is meant to foster a deeper understanding of the word of God, so that it can bear fruit in the lives of the faithful. [...] For this reason preachers need to be in close and constant contact with the sacred text; they should prepare for the homily by meditation and prayer, so as to preach with conviction and passion” (No. 59).

Celebrations of the Word of God: “The synod fathers encouraged all pastors to promote times devoted to the celebration of the word in the communities entrusted to their care. These celebrations are privileged occasions for an encounter with the Lord. This practice will certainly benefit the faithful, and should be considered an important element of liturgical formation” (No. 65).

Acoustics: “Concern should be shown for church acoustics, with due respect for liturgical and architectural norms” (No. 68).

Liturgical song: “As part of the enhancement of the word of God in the liturgy, attention should also be paid to the use of song at the times called for by the particular rite. Preference should be given to songs which are of clear biblical inspiration and which express, through the harmony of music and words, the beauty of God’s word. We would do well to make the most of those songs handed down to us by the Church’s tradition which respect this criterion. I think in particular of the importance of Gregorian chant” (No. 70).

Biblical apostolate: “The synod called for a particular pastoral commitment to emphasizing the centrality of the word of God in the Church’s life, and recommended a greater ‘biblical apostolate,’ not alongside other forms of pastoral work, but as a means of letting the Bible inspire all pastoral work” (No. 73).

Catechesis: “Catechetical work always entails approaching Scripture in faith and in the Church’s Tradition, so that its words can be perceived as living, just as Christ is alive today wherever two or three are gathered in his name” (No. 74).

Lectio Divina: “The documents produced before and during the Synod mentioned a number of methods for a faith-filled and fruitful approach to sacred Scripture. Yet the greatest attention was paid to lectio divina, which is truly capable of opening up to the faithful the treasures of God’s word, but also of bringing about an encounter with Christ, the living word of God” (No. 87).

Holy Land: “The synod fathers recalled the felicitous phrase which speaks of the Holy Land as ‘the Fifth Gospel.’ How important it is that in those places there be Christian communities, notwithstanding any number of hardships! The Synod of Bishops expressed profound closeness to all those Christians who dwell in the land of Jesus and bear witness to their faith in the Risen One” (No. 89).

Proclamation and the new evangelization: “Many of our brothers and sisters are ‘baptized, but insufficiently evangelized.’ In a number of cases, nations once rich in faith and in vocations are losing their identity under the influence of a secularized culture. The need for a new evangelization, so deeply felt by my venerable Predecessor, must be valiantly reaffirmed, in the certainty that God’s word is effective” (No. 96).

Justice: “God’s word inspires men and women to build relationships based on rectitude and justice, and testifies to the great value in God’s eyes of every effort to create a more just and more liveable world” (No. 100).

Reconciliation and peace: “In the present context it is more necessary than ever to rediscover the word of God as a source of reconciliation and peace, since in that word God is reconciling to himself all things: Christ ‘is our peace,’ the one who breaks down the walls of division” (No. 102).

Creation: “The arrogance of human beings who live ‘as if God did not exist’ leads them to exploit and disfigure nature, failing to see it as the handiwork of the creative Word” (No. 108).

Internet: “In the world of the internet, which enables billions of images to appear on millions of screens throughout the world, the face of Christ needs to be seen and his voice heard, for “ if there is no room for Christ, there is no room for man” (No. 113).

Interreligious dialogue: “The Church considers an essential part of the proclamation of the word to consist in encounter, dialogue and cooperation with all people of good will, particularly with the followers of the different religious traditions of humanity. This is to take place without forms of syncretism and relativism, but along the lines indicated by the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration ‘Nostra Aetate’ and subsequently developed by the magisterium of the Popes” (No. 117).

Churches and Synagogues and other places of worship that bring people together in shared belonging and mutual responsibility. Religious people, coming together to worship,  make better neighbours.

An extensive survey in the US showed that Church goers are more likely to give money to charity, regardless of whether the charity is religious or secular. They are also more likely to do voluntary work for charity, give money to homeless person, give excess change back to a shop assistant/keeper, donate blood, help neighbour with housework, spend time with someone who is depressed, allow another driver to cut in front of them, offer a seat to a stranger, or help someone find a job.

[Robert D. Putnam (Harvard University) and David E. Camdpbell (Notre Dame University), American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us, New York: Simon & Scutter, 2010]:

Other Findings:

1. Young people are more opposed to abortion than their parents but more accepting of gay marriage;

2. Even fervently religious Americans believe that people in other faiths can get to heaven;

3. Religious Americans are better neighbors than secular Americans—more generous with their time and treasure, even for secular causes—but the explanation has less to do with faith than with communities of faith.

One of the authors, Robert D. Putnam became famous a decade ago when he coined the phrase “bowling alone”, for our increasingly individualistic, atomistic, self-preoccupied culture.  Things we did together, we now do alone. Our bonds of belonging – what sociologists call “social capital” were growing thin. = Robert D Putnam, Bowling Alone, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.

Anti-Christian repression continues in the Kandhamal district of Orissa, eastern India, despite the government’s claims of normalcy, a fact-finding team has revealed.

Although police contingents now guard several villages, Hindu radical groups’ social and economic boycott of Christians persists, the team reports.

The four-member group that visited Kandhamal district on Nov. 5 said lawlessness still prevails in villages with Christians living in fear and insecurity.

The district was the epicenter of unprecedented anti-Christian violence for seven weeks starting Aug. 24, 2008.

In Bodimunda village, the team visited a Protestant pastor who now lives as a Hindu. He said he was forced to become a Hindu to save his ailing mother.

In another village, the team found a pastor who was fined 1,051 rupees (US$24) for hiring a three-wheeler taxi to take a sick Christian to hospital. The taxi driver told the team that they were fined even after complaining to the police.

The team also met a group of distraught Christians in another house. Among them was a man whose two daughters are Catholic nuns. “We are in shock. Those slightly wealthy have moved out and others are left behind,” he said.

The man alleged that the administration and the police collude with the local members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS, national volunteers’ corps), the umbrella body of Hindu extremists.

The team also met a Hindu, who had to pay 5,000-rupee (US$112) fine for carrying housing materials for a Christian working with the Border Security Force.

The soldier’s mother told ucanews.com that his son left the village in disgust after the RSS confiscated the housing materials. “Our life is hell here,” she added.

Source: ucanews.com

The martyrs of the Church of Our Lady of Salvation showed the world once again who we are, the Christians of Iraq, and

iraq/Church/Attack

they joined the martyrs of our Church, those who sacrificed their lives to Christ our Lord, who taught us to bear witness to the resurrection of life, for forgiveness, for hope, for love, for faith, joy.

The blood of our fallen heroes cries out to the world and all humanity, and urges the Christians of Iraq, wherever we are, to “preach” to the world about the suffering and risen Christ who lives in our wounded land.

Yes, I say “preach” because our faith is good news, as it “was and will always be.” Who has ears to hear, hear us now, and know that Christ lives in the Christians of Iraq. It’s a witness that lives and will continue to live. And if there is someone who does not feel the importance of witnessing in life, we would only say to him and to the whole world, that for us it is life itself. What the world calls “nothing,” for us it is “everything”!

The Christians of Iraq are well aware that the risen Christ has conquered death, not because they are baptized believers, but rather because, with him, they have experienced death on the cross several times, and with him they drank the bitter cup, and have experienced the abandonment of others. And side by side with him they walked the way of his cross, and fell under the weight of their cross — once in the attack on their churches, one with death, and yet another with the massacre of Our Lady of Salvation. Yet, they continue to stand up and live their faith as they have always done throughout history, walking along the path of suffering.

For Christians in Iraq, Oct. 31 was not the first time they have suffered, and no human being, especially those who claim to want peace, but really don’t, can pretend that this will be the last time. But they do not interest us, because our hope has never been, and never will be, in them, but in the One who took up his cross and walked the path of death to ensure that life will continue and eventually win.

Joy and tragedy

Iraq’s Christians have experienced deeply the meaning of life because they have experienced its joys after having tasted the bitterness of grief. They have lived in hope after experiencing the power of tragedy. They experienced laughter after having paid tears, and have experienced smiles after seeing their will broken by violence. These are really the Christians of Iraq with their good hearts, who love everyone, their country, and life, and these are those who forgive their enemies, and sow goodness wherever they are, spreading the spirit of peace. And despite their great suffering, they never forgot to live their Christian spirit in every place they went.

As an example of all this I can show you the Church of Our Lady of Salvation, which speaks on behalf of all Christians in Iraq, and which give examples written with the blood of its martyrs.

Have you heard how they died in this massacre, the two brave priests, and Wasim Sabieh and Thaier Saad Abdal? Did you know that they defended the faithful and tried to save their lives by offering their own from the first moment the criminals set foot in church? Did you know that a father protected his son by covering him completely with his own body while they were lying on the floor, and died in a hail of bullets so that the child would survive? Have you heard that the killers murdered a four-month-old baby girl and a young woman who, on the day of her death, had received the best news, namely that she was pregnant, and so went to church to thank God for this gift?

O people of the world, these are the Christians of Iraq. Hear and evangelize to everyone!

And you Christians of Iraq, when sadness fills your soul and you cannot imagine the future, look up there, to the God of Heaven and Earth, and remember well who you are and let the world know! Christ will not leave us alone, we are his “little flock,” and he wants us to remain forever with him, to live our faith and our love for all as we have always done, because as he tells us, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples” (John 13: 35).

We witness with our lives, so that the world can see what is happening to us, so that those who have plugged their ears and those who have shut their mouths will speak about who we are. We are the Christians of Iraq!( Zanit)

Br Philip of the Holy Cross School, Whitefield was assaulted by a bunch of hooligans on Saturday, 23rd October 2010 by

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forcing him out from a public transport bus and taking him back to his school with a pre-planned programme.  This act was also aimed at defaming the institution of the Holy Cross School where he now functions as the Vice-Principal and the Head of his religious community.  What shocked the public was the manner in which Brother was assaulted on a fictitious charge in order to legitimize the unruly action of 300 people in front of the cameras and the press.

St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore responds to the assault on Br. Philip Noronha, CSC              Br Philip of the Holy Cross School, Whitefield was assaulted by a bunch of hooligans on Saturday, 23rd October 2010 by forcing him out from a public transport bus and taking him back to his school with a pre-planned programme.  This act was also aimed at defaming the institution of the Holy Cross School where he now functions as the Vice-Principal and the Head of his religious community.  What shocked the public was the manner in which Brother was assaulted on a fictitious charge in order to legitimize the unruly action of 300 people in front of the cameras and the press.             Brother Philip was a staff member of this college for three years – from June 2007 to May 2010 and functioned both as Registrar of the institution and the Warden of the Hostel. There were no allegations of the kind against him. While we do not desire to defend or denounce actions of any individual or group, in the case of Brother Philip if there were any allegations against his behavior, there are forums within the school and outside the institution in the state to complain and seek redress. Individuals and groups are not permitted to take the law into their own hands. That a group from the Public, several of whom have nothing to do with the school, make an allegation and take the law into their own hands to settle scores is against the rule of law. What stunned us was that the Police and the media, expected to be the protectors of the law colluded with the assaulters and desecrated the sanctity of the law.
That the incident was pre-planned needs no proof. How were the people mobilized and the TV cameras present there at the time of the assault then?  Why did the media collude with the attackers? How did they agree to be there at the time of the incident? Is what happened to Brother Philip an isolated case or the normal practice of the media for gain and profit? The whole episode makes mockery of the role of the media meant to protect the democratic citizenship and the rule of law. They have connived with the breakers of law for serving vested interests.  In the whole commentary in the more than three channels that the listeners heard, Brother Philip was made a culprit. No channel was prepared to unearth the truth. In a democracy the primary role of the media is to denounce anti-social forces to make democracy possible for ordinary and average citizens. Those with power and influence were allowed to be the accusers, Judges and implementers of that judgment.
The Police were no better. It was a horrible sight to watch that in the presence of the Police a person is assaulted, slapped and insulted and the police remain mere spectators or even join the attackers. What was more shocking was a police person slapping the Brother  watched by citizens in the various TVs. Is there anything worse than this that can happen to an individual? When the protectors of the state law turn into violators of individual rights to please vested interests in society, what are the avenues left to individuals for justice? What we have witnessed is the worst form of cruelty that can happen to any individual in the state of Karnataka. That is why it is important that citizens do not remain as mere spectators to this kind of state violence. It can happen to any person in this state if we have to go by the recent attacks on individuals and groups.
We are witnessing a total disregard to the process of law. A person is intimidated, threatened, beaten up, defamed and made to feel a criminal in front of the whole society. What if he is totally innocent? Defamation of an individual and physical assault with a threat to kill is a criminal act. Why is the state not acting? As an educational institution that is premised on the rule of law and is committed to form students to follow that law, we denounce this action of anti-social forces on Brother Philip, a former colleague of ours and demand from the state immediate action. Those who have erred should be dealt with in accordance with law. If we replace democracy with mobocracy, society will be taken over by anti-social elements. As citizens and individuals committed to build a democratic state and society, we demand the hooligans who attacked Brother, the police officer and the others who slapped him in Public, those who forced him out from the bus and all others should be booked in order to save democratic society and guarantee safety to its citizens.  A week has gone by and that no arrests have been made on the case is frightening. On the other hand, the physically wounded, mentally tortured and psychologically humiliated and socially defamed victim has to go to the courts and police station for bail to defend himself on charges that are manufactured.
Should we constantly fear and face unthinking violence of the state on innocent people? Should we tolerate the gross travesty of law? Should be remain silent when violence is heaped on common folk like Br Philip? As citizens of the state and as former colleagues of Br. Philip, we demand that the state acts immediately to book the assaulters, charge them under the law with criminal offence and deliver justice as speedily as possible.