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All faiths lead to God, Pope tells youth in Singapore
“All religions are paths to reach God,” Pope Francis told a gathering of young people in Singapore on September 13.“They are like different languages in order to arrive at God, but God is God for everyone,” the Pontiff said, having set aside a prepared text to speak extemporaneously. “Since God is God for all, then we are all children of God.”
“If you start to fight—‘My religion is more important than your’s; mine is true and your’s isn’t’—then where will that lead us?” the Pope continued.
Making an argument that seemed clearly in conflict with the constant teaching of the Catholic Church—as expressed most recently in Dominus Jesus in its warning against religious indifferentism—Pope Francis said: “There is only one God, and each of us has a language to reach God. Some are Sikh, some Muslim, Hindu, Christian. And they are all paths to God.”
French parish church devastated by fire; cause unknown
The parish church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer was badly damaged by fire on September 1: the latest in a series of fires in French Catholic churches.The fire broke out in the sacristy sometime in the early-morning hours on Sunday. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze.
”This is a tragedy for our city,” said Mayor Francois Decoster of Saint-Omer.
Ukraine’s new law enrages Moscow, splits Orthodox leaders
The Patriarchate of Moscow has released an angry statement protesting the Ukrainian parliament’s passage of a new law that bans religious groups affiliated with the Russian Orthodox...Latest study confirms Shroud of Turin is 2000 years old
A new scientific study has confirmed that the cloth of the Shroud of Turin is approximately 2000 years old.Researchers in the 1980s had suggested that the cloth could have been woven sometime several centuries ago. But a new X-ray technique has established that the cloth dates back to the time of Christ, lending support to the belief that the Shroud is the cloth in which Jesus was buried.
Supreme Court halts Title IX transgender mandate in schools in 26 states
Upholding lower court decisions, the Supreme Court has temporarily halted the enforcement of the Biden administration’s new K-12 Title IX regulations in 26 states whose attorneys-general...Nicaragua extinguishes legal status of several religious orders
As the Nicaraguan regime cancelled the legal status of 1,500 non-governmental organizations, it extinguished the legal status—and seized the assets—of the Capuchin Friars Minor, the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, the Augustinian monks and nuns, the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz, the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, and the Brothers of Charity.Last year, the Ortega regime likewise cancelled the legal status of the Society of Jesus. Daniel Ortega, a leader of the Marxist Sandinistas who overthrew the authoritarian regime of Gen. Anastasio Somoza Debayle, ruled Nicaragua from the 1979 Sandinista takeover until his loss in the 1990 presidential election; he returned to power in 2007. A prominent Jesuit, Father Fernando Cardenal, served as Ortega’s Minister of Education from 1984 to 1990—resulting in his suspension by Pope St. John Paul II.
Pope denounces Ukraine’s ban on Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church
At the conclusion of his August 25 Angelus address, Pope Francis denounced Ukraine’s newly enacted ban on religious groups affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church—a measure that effectively outlaws the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).“I continue to follow with sorrow the fighting in Ukraine and the Russian Federation,” Pope Francis said. “And in thinking about the laws recently adopted in Ukraine, I fear for the freedom of those who pray, because those who truly pray always pray for all.”
“A person does not commit evil because of praying,” the Pope continued. “If someone commits evil against his people, he will be guilty for it, but he cannot have committed evil because he prayed.”
The Pope added:
So let those who want to pray be allowed to pray in what they consider their church. Please, let no Christian church be abolished directly or indirectly. Churches are not to be touched!
Incoming Boston archbishop speaks candidly on abuse, confession, seminary formation
Archbishop Richard Henning, who has been named by Pope Francis to become Archbishop of Boston, spoke with unusual candor about the problems facing the Church in an interview with Our Sunday Visitor.Archbishop Henning emphasized that he would be honest with the people, and planned to listen carefully to the Catholic people of Boston. But he also expressed some strong opinions about a secularized society, his own seminary formation, and the sacrament of confession.
“The reconciliation room is a problem,” the archbishop said, noting that the setup “certainly is a risk that a predator could exploit.” He suggested that confessionals, with screens separating priest and penitent, would be preferable.
Observing that we live in a highly secularized society, Archbishop Henning said “it’s an environment that is hedonistic, it is hyper-secularized, it’s constantly telling us to do what feels good and to avoid anything that challenges us or is difficult.” The influence on children is damaging, he added: “If you raise a child in a polluted city, that child’s gonna end up with asthma, right?”
The incoming Boston archbishop, who will be installed in October, said that he placed a heavy emphasis on formation of new priests, remarking that his own formation “was too shallow, and it was insufficiently kind of faithful to the Church’s own teaching at times.”
Nicaragua ends religious tax exemptions
Nicaraguan lawmakers have voted to end the tax exemption for religious institutions. In doing so, the Central American nation has imposed a tax on offerings and other donations.“The elimination of tax exemptions will have a severe impact on the operational and financial capabilities of religious communities, which are engaged in educational, social, and assistance efforts, with significant consequences particularly for the most vulnerable social groups” noted Vatican News, the news agency of the Dicastery for Communication.
Pope begins longest foreign voyage
Pope Francis left Fiumicino Airport in Rome late on Monday afternoon, September 3, to begin the 45th foreign trip of his pontificate: a voyage that will take him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.The 12-day trip— the longest that Pope Francis has made— begins with a 13-hour flight to Jakarta, Indonesia, where the Pontiff is due to arrive just before noon on Tuesday, local time. After a brief welcoming ceremony, he will spend the remainder of the day resting, before embarking on a series of events in Jakarta on Wednesday through Friday.
On Friday the papal plane will head to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, where he will tackle another schedule of meetings. Sunday afternoon he will make a quick plane trip to Vanimo, also in Papua New Guinea, returning to Port Moresby in the evening.
On Monday, September 9, the Pope leaves for East Timor. Then on Friday he continues to Singapore, ending his voyage with a return flight to Rome on Friday, September 13.
The entire trip will cover more than 20,000 miles. About 70 journalists are accompanying the Pontiff on the flights, and expecting the usual question-and-answer session during the trip.
