Find within these pages a clearinghouse of articles, news, links, events, collaboration tools and other resources shared with fellow priests. New pages every week — look forward to an expanding toolbox of practical resources at your fingertips!
Proxy Consent
Ethical issues arise when parents of children or the care-givers responsible for older but incompetent persons are asked by doctors to allow these "voiceless" subjects to take part in "non-therapeutic" experiments. These are experiments that are not designed to be of benefit to the children or incompetent persons but rather to gain knowledge that may be of great benefit to others. Is such "proxy" or "surrogate" consent by parents or care-givers morally permissible? Yes, says theologian William E. May says, but only under certain conditions.
On Priestly Priorities
At a dialogue with clergy on the vigil of the international meeting of priests, Benedict XVI spoke about the "three pillars of our being priests." The first pillar is the sacraments, especially making present the Eucharist for as many people as possible, above all on Sundays. Second comes the proclamation of the Word. The third pillar for the Pope is "caritas", the love of Christ: to be present for the suffering, for the little ones, for the children, for people in difficulty, for the marginalized." A further priority stressed by the Holy Father is a priest's personal relationship with Christ.
News Bytes for Your Parish Bulletin
- Pope to Mideast Christians: Stay in Homeland
- Church in Japan Notes Falling Numbers
- Little Flower Relics Arrive to South Africa
- Pontiff Inaugurates Renovation of Pauline
Bracing for the New Missal
Benedict XVI is welcoming the news that the English translation of the Roman Missal will be published soon. But he cautions that the liturgical changes need to be made with sensitivity. "Many will find it hard to adjust to unfamiliar texts after nearly 40 years of continuous use of the previous translation," the Pope told members of the Vox Clara Committee. The committee advises the Holy See about English-language liturgical books. The change to the new texts "will need to be introduced with due sensitivity," the Pontiff said, "and the opportunity for catechesis that it presents will need to be firmly grasped."
Faithfulness as Love
The greatest concern for priests and consecrated men and women must be fidelity, says Benedict XVI. "Faithfulness over time is the name of love," the Holy Father said at a celebration of vespers with priests, religious, seminarians and deacons. "Each one of us," the Pope said during his recent trip to Fatima, "is called to be with Mary and like Mary, a humble and simple sign of the Church who offers herself constantly as a spouse into the hands of her Lord."