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A New Pontifical Council
Benedict XVI is establishing a new pontifical council aimed at warding off secularization in nations with centuries-old Christian roots. The council, dedicated to a "renewed evangelization," will be the Roman Curia's 12th. There are also nine congregations. The Pope said that he decided to set up the council with an eye toward countries "which are going through a progressive secularization of society and a sort of 'eclipse of the sense of God.'" A council president has yet to be named.
What Priests Face
Every attempt to analyze the challenges facing the priest of the third millennium must start with a reflection about his own identity. This is a key point made by Father Luis Garza, L.C., writing in L'Osservatore Romano on the occasion of the Year for Priests. "Above all," he affirmed, "the priest should be seen, in his deepest meaning, as a gift and mystery…. God fixes his gaze on a man to configure him ontologically to his son Jesus Christ for all eternity in a totally free and unmerited way. The priesthood is a gift from God for the chosen man, and this chosen man -- the priest -- is a gift of God’s love for others."
News Bytes for Your Parish Bulletin
- Belfast Sees Pro-Life Victory
- Theology of the Body Congress Offered Online
- Americans Offering More Than 1M Prayers for Pope
- Salesians Affirm: Soccer Needs a Patron
- Catholic Journalists Heading to Africa
Prayer and Purity
Benedict XVI is emphasizing the importance of prayer for the Church's purity and holiness, especially through the intercession of consecrated souls. In a homily to a community of cloistered Dominican nuns in Rome, the Pope told them that through prayer "your consecration to the Lord in silence and seclusion becomes fecund and full of fruits." He added that these fruits are attained "not only for the path of sanctification and purification, but also for the apostolate of intercession that you carry out for the whole Church, so that it can appear pure and holy in the presence of the Lord."
Ethics of Abortion
Direct abortion is never morally justifiable, but there are some medical procedures that are legitimate to protect the life of a pregnant mother, even if they result in the death of the unborn child, says a U.S. bishops' panel. The episcopate's Committee on Doctrine made that point in a statement on a 2009 abortion performed at a Catholic hospital in Arizona. The local bishop, Thomas Olmstead, later publicly judged the abortion as morally wrong. The bishops' committee noted "confusion among the faithful" regarding the principles in the case, and they offered observations on the "distinction between medical procedures that cause direct abortions and those that may indirectly result in the death of an unborn child.