Bishop Williamson says he regrets remarks denying Holocaust

By Catholic News Service

LONDON (CNS) -- Ultratraditionalist Bishop Richard Williamson said he regrets the remarks he made denying the extent of the Holocaust.

In a statement released Feb. 26, a day after he arrived in London, Bishop Williamson said his superior, Bishop Bernard Fellay, and Pope Benedict XVI "have requested that I reconsider the remarks I made on Swedish television four months ago because their consequences have been so heavy."

"Observing these consequences I can truthfully say that I regret having made such remarks, and that if I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them," he said.

This is the second public apology from the British-born bishop, whose excommunication recently was lifted by the pope. According to a letter posted on his blog Jan. 30, the bishop apologized to Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos for "having caused to yourself and to the Holy Father so much unnecessary distress and problems." Cardinal Castrillon heads the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," which oversees the reconciliation of ultratraditionalist Catholics with the church.

Bishop Williamson left Argentina Feb. 24 after the government told him he must leave or face expulsion. Argentina's Interior Ministry said Feb. 19 that Bishop Williamson "has concealed the true motive for his stay in the country" because he said he was an employee of a nongovernmental group when he was serving as rector of the seminary of the Society of St. Pius X in La Reja for the past five years. The bishop was removed as head of the seminary in early February.

The Argentine government also said Bishop Williamson's remarks that the Holocaust was exaggerated and that no Jews died in Nazi gas chambers insulted and offended Argentine society and the Jewish community.

An Argentine news station showed the bishop, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, shaking his fist at a reporter as he left Buenos Aires.

Upon his arrival in London, Bishop Williamson was escorted by police to a waiting car. Although the bishop and police were surrounded by journalists with cameras and microphones, the bishop made no comment.

In January Pope Benedict lifted the excommunication of Bishop Williamson and three other traditionalist bishops. The bishops were ordained against papal orders in 1988 by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of St. Pius X.

The Vatican later published a statement saying that Bishop Williamson would not be welcomed into full communion with the church unless he disavowed his remarks about the Holocaust and publicly apologized.

In his late-February apology, Bishop Williamson said: "On Swedish television I gave only the opinion ... of a nonhistorian, an opinion formed 20 years ago on the basis of evidence then available and rarely expressed in public since.

"However, the events of recent weeks and the advice of senior members of the Society of St. Pius X have persuaded me of my responsibility for much distress caused. To all souls that took honest scandal from what I said, before God I apologize," he said. "As the Holy Father has said, every act of unjust violence against one man hurts all mankind."

END

WILLIAMSON-ENGLAND (UPDATED) Feb-26-2009 (540 words) Follow-up. With photos posted Feb. 24 and 25. xxxi

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Catholic tradition of almsgiving gets special emphasis during Lent

By Chaz Muth
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Almsgiving is a practice in generosity expected from all Catholics, but the focus of it is even stronger during the season of Lent.

Mary Schultz of Exeter, N.H., told Catholic News Service she began to give a portion of her allowance to charitable causes from the time she was 10, and her parents increased her weekly fee for chores from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday so that she could donate even more money during Lent.

"I was told by my parents, my teachers and the priest at our church that it was even more important to give to the needy during Lent, because we were honoring the fact that Jesus sacrificed so much for us," said the 38-year-old mother of two young children.

"That has stayed with me all of these years and I think it's an important virtue and a way of celebrating our Catholicism," she said. "I'm teaching these same values to my children."

The Catholic Encyclopedia says almsgiving implies a material service rendered to the poor for Christ's sake.

Promoting almsgiving in the current economic climate, however, creates a challenge, but the need for charitable giving couldn't be greater this Lenten season, said Father William A. Moorby, pastor of Blessed Trinity and St. Patrick's churches in Owego, N.Y.

"Lent is a time for self-sacrifice and to be more aware of the poverty that exists in the world, so I'm hoping our parishioners will remember that during this year of economic turmoil, when so many people are in need," Father Moorby said.

"It's a lesson to our young people as well about compassion. It's not just about almsgiving, but it's educational and helps them develop spiritually during those 40 days of Lent," he said.

To drive that point home, both his parishes in the Diocese of Rochester, N.Y., participate in Operation Rice Bowl, Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services' annual Lenten program.

Now in it's 34th year, Operation Rice Bowl allows Catholics in the U.S. to focus on almsgiving, self-sacrifice and people living in poverty all over the world, said Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services and a parishioner of St. Louis Church in Clarksville, Md.

"Each Lent, Catholic families, parishes and schools use symbolic rice bowls during the 40 days of Lent as the focal point for their prayer, fasting and learning," Hackett said about Operation Rice Bowl.

"Participants fast in solidarity with those who hunger and make the small sacrifice of preparing simple, meatless recipes from developing countries each week, putting the money they would have spent on a big meal into the rice bowls," he explained. "That money goes to support CRS' mission to fight global hunger."

In 2008, Catholics raised more than $7 million through Operation Rice Bowl, 75 percent of which was used to address hunger in 40 countries, he said.

The remaining 25 percent was given to U.S. dioceses to support programs -- like parish food pantries -- that help feed Americans affected by rising food prices, Hackett said.

"We've seen the need for that 25 percent arise in our community in the past year," Father Moorby said. "I'm hoping our parishioners recognize that this year when they participate in the program. It's not only almsgiving for people in foreign lands. It's going to help their neighbors in need too."

According to Creighton University's Online Ministries program, "Praying Lent 2009," practicing generosity is an important element of the 40-day season.

"Almsgiving has always been an important part of Lent," said the Web site of the university in Omaha, Neb., especially when it is mixed with the self-sacrifice that is prescribed for Catholics on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays leading up to Holy Saturday.

"It is important to give ourselves the experience of fasting from being ungenerous," the site said. "Generosity is not simply giving my excess clothes to a place where poor people might purchase them. It's not even writing a 'generous' check at the time a collection is taken up for a cause that benefits the poor. These are wonderful practices. Generosity is an attitude. It is a sense that no matter how much I have, all that I have is a gift and given to me to be shared."

Schultz, who attends St. Michael's Church in Exeter, said she stresses almsgiving to her children during Lent, because self-sacrifice is something they need to practice in order to incorporate it into their lives throughout the year.

"My hope is they will come to realize that material wealth isn't as important as making the world a better and safer place for everyone," she said. "I want my children to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem, and the season of Lent is a great opportunity for them to learn those lessons."

END


LENT-ALMSGIVING Feb-24-2009 (810 words) With photos posted Feb. 6. xxxn

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Catholic legislators must protect life, pope tells Speaker Pelosi

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI met privately with U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, and told her that all Catholics, especially those who are lawmakers, must work to protect human life at every stage.

Pelosi, a Catholic Democrat from California, has been criticized by many Catholics for her support for keeping abortion legal.

"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death," the Vatican said in a statement about the Feb. 18 meeting.

Natural law and the church's own teaching require "all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development," the statement said.

Pelosi was making an official visit to Italy to meet members of the U.S. military stationed in the country and to discuss common security concerns with Italian government leaders.

Her 15-minute meeting with Pope Benedict took place in a small room in the Vatican audience hall after the pope's weekly general audience.

In a statement released by her staff, Pelosi said, "In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the church's leadership in fighting poverty, hunger and global warming, as well as the Holy Father's dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel." The papal trip is scheduled for the second week of May.

Pelosi also said, "I was proud to show His Holiness a photograph" from a papal audience she had with her parents in the 1950s, "as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren." Pelosi's husband, Paul, accompanied her to the meeting with the pope.

The speaker has made no secret of her belief that while efforts are needed to reduce the number of abortions in the United States and to help women faced with problem pregnancies, she believes abortion must remain safe and legal.

Coinciding with the 2009 March for Life in Washington, Pelosi issued a statement Jan. 22 saying, "I will work with President Obama, as I have worked throughout my entire career, to ensure a woman's right to choose.

"Decisions about whether to have a child do not and should not rest with the government. We believe a woman -- in consultation with her family, her physician and her faith -- is best qualified to make that decision," Pelosi said.

As a publicly practicing Catholic and a public opponent of efforts to make abortion illegal, Pelosi has come under sharp criticism by some bishops and other Catholics who believe that a politician who supports legalized abortion should not be allowed to receive Communion.

Other bishops, including Pelosi's own Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San Francisco, have recognized the public service of such politicians and have opted to engage them in a dialogue on promoting respect for human life in a wide range of public policies.

But Pelosi angered many bishops and other Catholics in August when she told the television program "Meet the Press" that church leaders for centuries had not been able to agree on when life begins.

She told interviewer Tom Brokaw, "We don't know" when life begins.

"I don't think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins. As I say, the Catholic Church for centuries has been discussing this," she said.

The chairmen of the U.S. bishops' pro-life and doctrine committees criticized Pelosi, saying she "misrepresented the history and nature of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church on abortion" in the interview.

Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., said the church since the first century "has affirmed the moral evil of every abortion."

"The teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable," their statement said. "Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law."

In an April teleconference with Catholic News Service and other media representatives, Pelosi said, "I have a sort of serenity" about receiving Communion even though her position on abortion differs from the church's.

"The church sees it another way, and I respect that," she said, adding, however, that she hoped the U.S. bishops would not use the refusal of holy Communion as a way of punishing Catholic politicians who don't heed church teachings on abortion.

"Think of that word Communion, that which brings us all together as Christians, as Catholics," Pelosi said. Denying a Catholic the Eucharist "would be something that would shatter that union," she said.

END
POPE-PELOSI (UPDATED) Feb-18-2009 (800 words) xxxi

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With its diversity, Catholic Church is united in Christ, pope says

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church is not limited to one particular culture or language, but with its diversity it is united in Christ, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The catholicity of the church reflects a "fidelity to tradition together with being open to developments in history" and to the search for unity in the diversity of cultures, the pope said Feb. 18 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

The pope's talk focused on St. Bede the Venerable, an eighth-century Christian writer and doctor of the church.


The British saint saw the church grow from being rooted in Jewish, Greek and Roman cultures to becoming a truly universal body, he said.

"The church is not restricted to one particular culture, but is made up of all cultures of the world that are open and they find their point of destination in Christ," he said.

Due to the large numbers of pilgrims in attendance, the general audience was held outside in St. Peter's Square even though temperatures hovered near freezing.

The pope apologized for the cold weather to the more than 15,000 people bracing against 30 mph gusts of wind, which at one point swept away his white zucchetto.

But on the bright side, he said, "at least it's not raining or snowing so we are thankful for that."

The pope said St. Bede's "rich ecclesial, liturgical and historical vision enabled his writings to serve as a guide" that is still useful today for Catholic teachers, pastors and parents.

The saint said one important task for teachers is to study "the wonders of the word of God and to present them in an attractive manner to the faithful," said the pope.

Priests must place their priority on preaching, which can be done with more than just the spoken word and can include the use of icons, processions and pilgrimages, the pope said St. Bede taught.

St. Bede urged pastors to use the local language, just as he had done. For example, the British scholar always taught and explained the Gospel, the Lord's Prayer and the Creed in the local dialect of Northumberland, said the pope.

The saint also maintained that parents "can exercise the priestly office of shepherd and guide" in their own homes by educating and raising their children in a Christian atmosphere, Pope Benedict said.

St. Bede taught that Christ wants an industrious, hardworking church that shows the signs of toiling under the bright sun, evangelizing new lands and sowing the seeds of God's word, he said.

"The church must till new fields or vineyards and establish among new peoples not a temporary hut, but a solid home, which means to insert the Gospel in the social fabric and cultural institutions" of new missionary lands, said the pope.

Pope Benedict underlined how St. Bede successfully contributed to the building of a Christian Europe in which different cultures and peoples were bound together and inspired by the Christian faith.

The pope prayed that even today there would be public figures like this British doctor of the church working "to keep the whole continent united."

He asked that "everyone be willing to rediscover our common Christian roots in Europe and be builders of a Europe that is authentically Christian and deeply human."

- - -

Editor's Note: The text of the pope's audience remarks in English will be posted online at: www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20090218_en.html.

The text of the pope's audience remarks in Spanish will be posted online at: www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20090218_sp.html.

END

POPE-AUDIENCE Feb-18-2009 (590 words) With photo. xxxi
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Pope names Nigerian cardinal to lead Lenten retreat

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has asked the former head of the Vatican's worship and sacraments congregation, Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, to lead his 2009 Lenten retreat.

During the March 1-7 retreat, the 76-year-old cardinal will focus on the theme "The Priest Encounters Jesus and Follows Him."

Top Vatican officials also attend the annual retreat with the pope, who clears his schedule of all audiences for the week.

The choice of the Nigerian cardinal comes the same year Pope Benedict is making an apostolic visit to Cameroon and Angola in March and presiding over a special Synod of Bishops for Africa in October.

Cardinal Arinze is one of the three African cardinals the pope has named as his delegated presidents for the special synod. The cardinal also served as a delegate president during the 1994 Synod of Bishops for Africa.

Cardinal Arinze was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1985.

He served as head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments for six years until his retirement in December 2008. Before that, he had served as president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue for 17 years.

As a convert from a traditional African religion, the cardinal firmly advocates inculturation as a means of making Christianity less foreign to non-Westerners.

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POPE-RETREAT Feb-18-2009 (230 words) xxxi

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Traditionalist bishop says reconciliation with Vatican may not be easy

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- The head of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X said reconciliation with the Vatican on doctrinal issues may be difficult because of different perspectives on the Second Vatican Council.

Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Swiss-based society, said Pope Benedict XVI's recent lifting of the excommunications of himself and three other bishops was a positive step toward establishing full communion.

"We have already responded by affirming our desire to proceed with a positive spirit along the path of discussion indicated by the Holy Father," Bishop Fellay said in an interview Feb. 16 with the Swiss newspaper Le Nouvelliste.

"But we do not want to do this in haste. When one walks through a minefield, prudence and moderation are necessary," he said.

Asked whether he had hope of reaching a doctrinal consensus with the pope, Bishop Fellay responded: "That seems difficult. Certainly he seems close to us on the question of liturgy. On the other hand, he holds very deeply to the innovations of Vatican II."

In early February, the Vatican emphasized in a statement that the traditionalist society would have to recognize the teachings of Vatican II in order to be in full communion with the church.

Bishop Fellay said discussions on those issues could take a long time, since the society will insist on clarifying the council's teachings before an agreement can be reached. In doing so, he said, the society will be performing a service to the whole church.

"The texts are not clear, and there are a multitude of diverse interpretations that have gained currency in the church. If one does not desire the collapse of the church, clarifications on this council -- which was supposed to be pastoral and not dogmatic -- are urgently needed," he said.

He said the teachings of Vatican II were never intended to be infallible, and "will never be superdogma."

He added that the society is not seeking a "strictly canonical agreement" with the Vatican, but "a solution that concerns the foundation of the problem, which is the doctrinal and moral crisis in the church."

Bishop Fellay and three other bishops were ordained against papal orders in 1988 by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of St. Pius X. One of the four, British-born Bishop Richard Williamson, recently provoked widespread indignation by asserting that the Holocaust was exaggerated and that no Jews died in Nazi gas chambers.

The Vatican responded by saying that Bishop Williamson must disavow his positions on the Holocaust before he will be accepted into full communion with the church.

In the interview, Bishop Fellay said Bishop Williamson was "studying the matter" and would fulfill his responsibilities.

"But he must be given time, because he wants to study it seriously in order to give a sincere and true response," he said.

END

FELLAY-VATICAN Feb-18-2009 (480 words) xxxi

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POPE'S LENTEN MESSAGE FOR 2009

"Fasting Is a Great Help to Avoid Sin and All That Leads to It"

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 3, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is Benedict XVI's Lenten message for 2009, dated Dec. 11 and released today. The theme of the letter is "He Fasted for Forty Days and Forty Nights, and Afterward He Was Hungry."

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

At the beginning of Lent, which constitutes an itinerary of more intense spiritual training, the Liturgy sets before us again three penitential practices that are very dear to the biblical and Christian tradition -- prayer, almsgiving, fasting -- to prepare us to better celebrate Easter and thus experience God's power that, as we shall hear in the Paschal Vigil, "dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles earthly pride" (Paschal Præconium). For this year's Lenten Message, I wish to focus my reflections especially on the value and meaning of fasting. Indeed, Lent recalls the forty days of our Lord's fasting in the desert, which He undertook before entering into His public ministry. We read in the Gospel: "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry" (Mt 4,1-2). Like Moses, who fasted before receiving the tablets of the Law (cf. Ex 34,28) and Elijah's fast before meeting the Lord on Mount Horeb (cf. 1 Kings 19,8), Jesus, too, through prayer and fasting, prepared Himself for the mission that lay before Him, marked at the start by a serious battle with the tempter.

We might wonder what value and meaning there is for us Christians in depriving ourselves of something that in itself is good and useful for our bodily sustenance. The Sacred Scriptures and the entire Christian tradition teach that fasting is a great help to avoid sin and all that leads to it. For this reason, the history of salvation is replete with occasions that invite fasting. In the very first pages of Sacred Scripture, the Lord commands man to abstain from partaking of the prohibited fruit: "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Gn 2, 16-17). Commenting on the divine injunction, Saint Basil observes that "fasting was ordained in Paradise," and "the first commandment in this sense was delivered to Adam." He thus concludes: "'You shall not eat' is a law of fasting and abstinence" (cf. Sermo de jejunio: PG 31, 163, 98). Since all of us are weighed down by sin and its consequences, fasting is proposed to us as an instrument to restore friendship with God. Such was the case with Ezra, who, in preparation for the journey from exile back to the Promised Land, calls upon the assembled people to fast so that "we might humble ourselves before our God" (8,21). The Almighty heard their prayer and assured them of His favor and protection. In the same way, the people of Nineveh, responding to Jonah's call to repentance, proclaimed a fast, as a sign of their sincerity, saying: "Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?" (3,9). In this instance, too, God saw their works and spared them.

In the New Testament, Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting, condemning the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions of the law, but whose hearts were far from God. True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who "sees in secret, and will reward you" (Mt 6,18). He Himself sets the example, answering Satan, at the end of the forty days spent in the desert that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mt 4,4). The true fast is thus directed to eating the "true food," which is to do the Father's will (cf. Jn 4,34). If, therefore, Adam disobeyed the Lord's command "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat," the believer, through fasting, intends to submit himself humbly to God, trusting in His goodness and mercy.

The practice of fasting is very present in the first Christian community (cf. Acts 13,3; 14,22; 27,21; 2 Cor 6,5). The Church Fathers, too, speak of the force of fasting to bridle sin, especially the lusts of the "old Adam," and open in the heart of the believer a path to God. Moreover, fasting is a practice that is encountered frequently and recommended by the saints of every age. Saint Peter Chrysologus writes: "Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God's ear to yourself" (Sermo 43: PL 52, 320. 322).

In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterized by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one's body. Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a "therapy" to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God. In the Apostolic Constitution Pænitemini of 1966, the Servant of God Paul VI saw the need to present fasting within the call of every Christian to "no longer live for himself, but for Him who loves him and gave himself for him, he will also have to live for his brethren" (cf. Ch. I). Lent could be a propitious time to present again the norms contained in the Apostolic Constitution, so that the authentic and perennial significance of this long held practice may be rediscovered, and thus assist us to mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbor, the first and greatest Commandment of the new Law and compendium of the entire Gospel (cf. Mt 22, 34-40).

The faithful practice of fasting contributes, moreover, to conferring unity to the whole person, body and soul, helping to avoid sin and grow in intimacy with the Lord. Saint Augustine, who knew all too well his own negative impulses, defining them as "twisted and tangled knottiness" (Confessions, II, 10.18), writes: "I will certainly impose privation, but it is so that he will forgive me, to be pleasing in his eyes, that I may enjoy his delightfulness" (Sermo 400, 3, 3: PL 40, 708). Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God.

At the same time, fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live. In his First Letter, Saint John admonishes: "If anyone has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, yet shuts up his bowels of compassion from him -- how does the love of God abide in him?" (3,17). Voluntary fasting enables us to grow in the spirit of the Good Samaritan, who bends low and goes to the help of his suffering brother (cf. Encyclical Deus caritas est, 15). By freely embracing an act of self-denial for the sake of another, we make a statement that our brother or sister in need is not a stranger. It is precisely to keep alive this welcoming and attentive attitude towards our brothers and sisters that I encourage the parishes and every other community to intensify in Lent the custom of private and communal fasts, joined to the reading of the Word of God, prayer and almsgiving. From the beginning, this has been the hallmark of the Christian community, in which special collections were taken up (cf. 2 Cor 8-9; Rm 15, 25-27), the faithful being invited to give to the poor what had been set aside from their fast (Didascalia Ap., V, 20,18). This practice needs to be rediscovered and encouraged again in our day, especially during the liturgical season of Lent.

From what I have said thus far, it seems abundantly clear that fasting represents an important ascetical practice, a spiritual arm to do battle against every possible disordered attachment to ourselves. Freely chosen detachment from the pleasure of food and other material goods helps the disciple of Christ to control the appetites of nature, weakened by original sin, whose negative effects impact the entire human person. Quite opportunely, an ancient hymn of the Lenten liturgy exhorts: "Utamur ergo parcius, / verbis cibis et potibus, / somno, iocis et arctius / perstemus in custodia" (Let us use sparingly words, food and drink, sleep and amusements. May we be more alert in the custody of our senses).

Dear brothers and sisters, it is good to see how the ultimate goal of fasting is to help each one of us, as the Servant of God Pope John Paul II wrote, to make the complete gift of self to God (cf. Encyclical "Veritatis splendor," 21). May every family and Christian community use well this time of Lent, therefore, in order to cast aside all that distracts the spirit and grow in whatever nourishes the soul, moving it to love of God and neighbor. I am thinking especially of a greater commitment to prayer, lectio divina, recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and active participation in the Eucharist, especially the Holy Sunday Mass. With this interior disposition, let us enter the penitential spirit of Lent. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, "Causa nostrae laetitiae," accompany and support us in the effort to free our heart from slavery to sin, making it evermore a "living tabernacle of God." With these wishes, while assuring every believer and ecclesial community of my prayer for a fruitful Lenten journey, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 11 December 2008

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

ZE09020303 - 2009-02-03
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-24990?l=english

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PAPAL ADDRESS ON DAY FOR CONSECRATED LIFE

"Paul Lives For, With and In Christ"

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 13, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple.

A Mass was held in St. Peter's Square to mark the 13th World Day of Consecrated Life. The Pope delivered this message after the Mass.

* * *

Your Eminence,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I meet you with great joy at the end of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, on this liturgical Feast which for 13 years now has gathered men and women religious for the Day for Consecrated Life. I cordially greet Cardinal Franc Rodé, with special gratitude to him and to his collaborators at the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life for their service to the Holy See and to what I would call the "cosmos" of consecrated life. I greet with affection the men and women Superiors General present here and all of you, brothers and sisters who, with your witness as consecrated persons modeled on the Virgin Mary, carry Christ's light in the Church and in the world. In this Pauline Year, I make my own the Apostle's words: "I give thanks to my God every time I think of you which is constantly, in every prayer I utter rejoicing, as I plead on your behalf, at the way you have all continually helped promote the gospel from the very first day" (Phil 1: 3-5). In this greeting addressed to the Christian community of Philippi, Paul expresses the affectionate remembrance he cherishes of all who live the Gospel personally and toil to pass it on, combining the care of their interior life with the effort of the apostolic mission.

In the Church's tradition, St Paul has always been recognized as father and teacher of those, called by the Lord, who have chosen unconditional dedication to him and to his Gospel. Various religious Institutes are named after St. Paul and draw from him a specific charismatic inspiration. One can say that he repeats to all consecrated men and women a forthright and affectionate invitation: "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Cor 11: 1). What in fact is consecrated life other than a radical imitation of Jesus, a total "sequela" of him? (cf. Mt 19: 27-28). Well, in all this Paul represents a sound pedagogical mediation: imitating him in the following of Jesus, dear friends, is the privileged way to correspond fully to your vocation of special consecration in the Church.

Indeed, from his own voice we can recognize a lifestyle that expresses the substance of consecrated life inspired by the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. He sees the life of poverty as the guarantee of a Gospel proclamation carried out totally gratuitously (cf. 1 Cor 9:1-23), while at the same time he expresses concrete solidarity to his brethren in need. In this regard we all know of Paul's decision to support himself with the work of his hands and of his commitment to collecting offerings for the poor of Jerusalem (cf. 1 Thes 2: 9; 2 Cor 8-9).

Paul is also an apostle who, in accepting God's call to chastity, gave his heart to the Lord in an undivided manner to be able to serve his brethren with even greater freedom and dedication (cf. 1 Cor 7: 7; 2 Cor 11: 1-2). Furthermore, in a world in which the values of Christian chastity were far from widespread (cf. 1 Cor 6: 12-20) he offered a reliable reference for conduct. Then concerning obedience it suffices to note that doing God's will and the "daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches" (2 Cor 11: 28) motivated, shaped and consummated his existence, rendered a sacrifice that found favor with God. All this brought him to proclaim, as he wrote to the Philippians: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil 1: 21).

Another fundamental aspect of Paul's consecrated life is the mission.

He belongs wholly to Jesus in order, like Jesus, to belong to all; indeed, to be Jesus for all: "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor 9: 22). In him, so closely united to the person of Christ, we recognize a profound capacity for combining spiritual life and missionary action. In him the two dimensions refer to each other reciprocally. And thus we can say that he belongs to the ranks of those "mystical builders" whose existence is both contemplative and active, open to God and to the brethren, in order to carry out an effective service to the Gospel. In this mystic and apostolic tension, I would like to remark on the Apostle's courage as he faced the sacrifice of confronting terrible trials, even to the point of martyrdom (cf. 2 Cor 11: 16-33) and on his steadfast faith based on the words of his Lord: "my grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection" (2 Cor 12: 9-10). His spiritual experience thus appears to us as a lived-out expression of the Paschal Mystery, which he investigated intensely and proclaimed as a form of Christian life. Paul lives for, with and in Christ. "I have been crucified with Christ", he writes, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2: 20); and again: "for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil 1: 21).

This explains why he does not tire of urging us to behave in such a way that Christ's word may dwell within us in its richness (cf. Col 3: 16). This brings to mind the invitation addressed to you in the recent Instruction on The Service of Authority and Obedience, to seek "every morning... a living and faithful contact with the Word which is proclaimed that day, meditating on it and holding it in [your] heart as a treasure, making of it the root of every action and the primary criterion of each choice". I therefore hope that the Pauline Year will nourish still more in you the determination to accept the testimony of St Paul, meditating every day upon the word of God with the faithful practice of lectio divina, praying with "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness..." (Col 3: 16). May he also help you to carry out your apostolic service in and with the Church with a spirit of communion without reservation, making a gift of your own charisms to others (cf. 1 Cor 14: 12), and witnessing in the first place to the greatest charism which is charity (cf. 1 Cor 13).

Dear brothers and sisters, today's liturgy urges us to look at the Virgin Mary, the "consecrated one" par excellence. Paul speaks of her with concise but effective words that describe her greatness and her task: she is the "woman" from whom, in the fullness of time, the Son of God was born (cf. Gal 4: 4).

Mary is the Mother who today presents her Son to the Father at the Temple, also continuing in this action the "yes" she spoke at the moment of the Annunciation. May she once again be the mother who accompanies and sustains us, God's children and her children, in carrying out a generous service to God and to the brethren. To this end, I invoke her heavenly intercession as I warmly impart the Apostolic Blessing to all of you and to your respective religious families.

© Copyright 2009 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

ZE09021305 - 2009-02-13
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-25088?l=english

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MEDIA AND EVANGELIZATION

"Church Is Committed to Engaging With The New Media"

DALLAS, Texas, FEB. 2, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of a conference given by Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, on the theme of "The Role of Mass Communications in Evangelization."

The conference was given Friday at a congress sponsored by the New Evangelization of America, lasting through Sunday, in Dallas, Texas.

* * *

I would like to begin my talk this afternoon with two quotations from the recently deceased Cardinal Avery Dulles. The first quotation sees Dulles grappling with the inner mystery of the Trinity: "The Trinity is communication in absolute, universal perfection, a totally free and complete sharing among equals. In generating the Son as word, the Father totally expresses himself ... the Holy Spirit completes the intradivine process of communication" (The Craft of Theology, From Symbol to System. 1992). The second quote finds Dulles teasing out the implications of his understanding of the Trinity for the life of the Church: "The entire work of creation, redemption, and sanctification is a prolongation of the inner processions within the Trinity. Creation is ascribed to the Father, who thereby fashions finite images and vestiges of his Son. Redemption is attributed to his Son, who communicates himself to human nature in the Incarnation. Sanctification is appropriated to the Holy Spirit who communicates himself to the Church, the communion of saints. The mystery of divine communication, therefore, permeates any area of theology … Because Christianity is the religion of the Triune God, it is pre-eminently a religion of communication" (The Craft of Theology, From Symbol to System. 1992).

I have taken these very rich insights as my starting point, not simply to evoke the memory of a great theologian, but because they remind us that communication is not just another activity of the Church but is at the very essence of its life. The communication of the Good News of God's love for all people, as expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is what unifies and makes sense of all the other aspects of the life of the Church. This is particularly true of evangelization: Communication is not simply one dimension of evangelization, without communication there can be no evangelization. Proposition 38 from the recent Synod on the Word of God echoes this insight: The mission to announce the Word of God is the responsibility of all the disciples of Jesus Christ by virtue of their baptism. The awareness must be deepened in every parish, and in every Catholic community and organization: They must find ways to bring the Word of God to all, especially to those who have been baptized but who have not been adequately evangelized. The Word of God became flesh so as to communicate himself to all men and women; a particularly privileged way of knowing this Word is therefore in encountering witnesses who make it present and alive. This proposition serves to remind us, also, that communication is not simply a verbal activity but that every aspect of the life of the church can be and ought to be communicative.

It is in this context, that I want to begin to focus on my precise topic -- the role of mass communications in evangelization. The mass media and the new ICTs have a very important role in the communications mission of the Church but they are, in the final analysis, only part of the story of that communicative reality. The preferred use of the term, social communications, in many of our Church documents serves to remind us that there is a communicative dimension to every aspect of Church life and that we must not think exclusively in terms of our relations with the mass media or the new emerging media. Notwithstanding these qualifications, it remains true that the mass media -- traditional and new alike -- provides us with a privileged way of bringing our message to ever greater audiences and in a variety of different ways. This role was recognized again at the recent Synod -- in their Message, the Synod members reminded us: The voice of the divine word must echo even through the radio, the information highway of the internet, the channels of "online" virtual circulation, CDs, DVDs, podcasts, etc. It must appear on all television and movie screens, in the press, and in cultural and social events.

The Synod, however, was equally attentive to the cultural aspects of this mission. This new communication, in relationship to the traditional one, has created its own specific and expressive grammar and, therefore, makes it necessary not only to be technically prepared, but also culturally prepared for this task. Those wishing to communicate effectively and fruitfully must be both technically competent and fully attentive to the culture of the environment within which they are operating. I would suggest that there are two dimensions to this required cultural attentiveness; in the first place, it is important for the communicator or evangelist to know the general culture of his or her intended audience -- to know their cares and concerns, their fears and their hopes; in the second place, he or she must be familiar with the specific culture challenges presented by the new media environment where significant changes in patterns of media consumption have been brought about by the changes in technologies.

In terms of the general cultural context, I would contend that we must remain very hopeful. My reason for this is ultimately theological. Christian anthropology, the Christian understanding of what it means to be human, begins from the insight that all human beings are made in the image and likeness of God: This is seen as a universal truth about our nature and does not depend on whether humans themselves recognize God or not. To be human, therefore, is to exist in relation to God whether one believes or not. Having been created in the image and likeness of God, it is rooted in our human nature that we should desire to be loved and to love. This insight gives me absolute confidence that the core message of the Gospel will continue to resonate in the hearts of humans. Moreover, the basic command of Jesus that we should love one another and that we should express that love in the service of our neighbor, especially our poorest neighbor, offers to humans a way of living that will enable them to be fully human, and societies to flourish.

It can seem at times in our increasingly secularized West that people are moving ahead and getting on with their lives without any obvious need of God. If they have any idea of God at all, it seems to be an image of a God who is very far removed from the reality of their lives. In good times, people seem to make sense of life and find purpose in the everyday realities of work, family and recreation. There are times, however, when people find themselves forced to confront deeper questions -- this is particularly true at times of death and illness, at times of personal or economic insecurity and even on occasions of profound joy and happiness when the ordinary narratives of secularism and consumerism prove inadequate to the task of making sense of life. The French theologian, Rene Latourelle, spoke of these moments as "points of insertion" as times when people are particularly open to the Gospel message.

Pope Benedict XVI, during his visit to Lourdes last September, noted this current situation and the challenge of belief in our modern societies. He said: "Now, and above all, it is time to work toward a genuine spiritual liberation. Man is always in need of liberation from his fears and his sins. Man must ceaselessly learn or relearn that God is not his enemy, but his infinitely good Creator. Man needs to know that his life has a meaning, and that he is awaited, at the conclusion of his earthly sojourn, so as to share for ever in Christ's glory in heaven. Your mission is to bring the portion of the People of God entrusted to your care to recognize this glorious destiny" (Meeting with the French Bishops' Conference, Lourdes, 14 September 2008).

Our mission is to bring the Good News of God's infinite love for all to our brothers and sisters as the greatest service we can give to them. Our evangelization is never about building up our own numbers or about increasing our influence but is always concerned with liberating people from the false gods that can so easily and stealthily invade their existences. John Paul II brought to the fore the drama of this situation when speaking about Europe in 1995, but what he had to say was by no means relevant only to Europe: "At the root of this loss of hope is an attempt to promote a vision of man apart from God and apart from Christ. This sort of thinking has led to man being considered as 'the absolute centre of reality, a view which makes him occupy -- falsely -- the place of God and which forgets that it is not man who creates God, but rather God who creates man. Forgetfulness of God led to the abandonment of man.' It is therefore 'no wonder that in this context a vast field has opened for the unrestrained development of nihilism in philosophy, of relativism in values and morality, and of pragmatism -- and even a cynical hedonism -- in daily life.' European culture gives the impression of "silent apostasy" on the part of people who have all that they need and who live as if God does not exist."

In addition to the general cultural awareness, about which I have been talking, there is also the need to attend to the specific media culture that is coming into being in the context of the ongoing revolution in the technologies of communication. We are living through a time of profound change in the world of communications. Commentators often speak of a digital revolution to indicate the extraordinary developments in the technologies of communications we have witnessed over the last two decades -- computers are smaller, more powerful and more affordable, mobile telephony has connected people all over the world, satellites allow simultaneous global transmission of news and events and the Internet itself has created new possibilities for the communication of information, knowledge and learning. It would be a mistake, however, to see these changes as merely technological; they have also revolutionized the culture of communications. They have changed the ways people communicate, the ways they associate and form communities, the ways by which they learn about the world, the ways in which they engage with political and commercial organizations.

As a community of believers committed to making known to all people the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Church is challenged to consider how it will seek to communicate its message in the context of a new emerging culture of communications. Traditionally, we have thought of new means and technologies of communication as instruments to be put into the service of the transmission of the Word -- "Evangelii Nuntiandi" characterized the new means as a "modern and effective version of the pulpit." The challenge today is to understand that the new technologies are not just instruments of communication but are profoundly affecting the very culture of communications.

Commentators point out that "digital communication" is marked by multi-mediality (users of new media often are engaging simultaneously with different forms of media), inter-mediality (the convergence and integration of different types of media) and portability. Taken together these phenomena have transformed patterns of media use and consumption. Whereas in the past, we tended to see the reader, listener or watcher of media as a passive spectator of centrally generated content, it is clear that today we must understand the audience as more selectively and interactively engaging with a wider range of media. The logic of communications has been radically changed -- the focus on the media has been replaced by a concentration on the audience which is increasingly autonomous and deliberative in its consumption of media.

The new media undoubtedly offer the Church a greater opportunity to disseminate the Word of God more widely and more directly. It is possible, using the new technologies, to present the timeless message of God's love for his people more attractively and in ways that may engage new audiences. We need to study and understand the new patterns of media use and how they affect the formation of public opinion. We need to understand better how our message is being heard and understood by different audiences. We have always, and rightly, been attentive to the content of our teaching; today we must be more attentive to our audience, or the multiple audiences we address, and understand their concerns and questions. We need to understand better, and take account of, the contexts and environments in which they will encounter the Word of God. The emergence of the Internet as an interactive medium, where users seek to engage as subjects and not just as consumers, invites us to develop more explicitly dialogical forms of teaching and presentation.

The Word of God forges communities of believers. Proclamation of the Word of God in a digital age requires that we are attentive to the importance of digital communities and networks. These communities are formed by the active engagement and contributions of the participants who create them. We must enable the believers of our times to bring the Eternal Word into these new communities; we must form them so that they can address the questions and needs of their contemporaries. In his recently published Message for World Communications Day, Pope Benedict addressed himself particularly, albeit not exclusively, to the digital generation. He entrusted the evangelization of the digital continent to young Catholics: It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this "digital continent." He also alerted them to be attentive to the specific culture of this continent: The proclamation of Christ in the world of new technologies requires a profound knowledge of this world if the technologies are to serve our mission adequately.

This "digital continent" is a virtual one, with no physical dimensions but where almost one-third of all humans -- especially the young and children, but also common citizens, scientists, academics and businesspeople -- come together to seek information, to express their views and to grow in understanding. In this nowhere land of shared time and meanings, individuals encounter other individuals, communities, associations, and institutions. The old means of communications are integrated in a new paradigm of interaction: books, press, radio, movies and TV reinforce their contents and echo through the Internet.

There they are re-interpreted by millions of people who recreate and transform the messages by giving them their own new meaning and by sharing them with others. God and religion are not excluded from this mediasphere; quite the opposite, both have a new social role in it, and are subject of debate in a kind of global "search for meaning." The Church is part of this chorus, one voice among others, proclaiming the image of God which the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospel.

The Church is already well established on this continent. The Holy See, many Episcopal Conferences and Dioceses and significant numbers of parishes, religious orders and Catholic organization have Websites. Many bishops, priests, religious and lay people are present on the Web with blog sites, podcasts and video content. Others have developed Web sites that promote spirituality, justice, care of the environment and promotion of the value of life. There is even a social network developed specifically for Catholics, XT3.com, as well as many personal and institutional presences on the better-known social networks. The Church is present, but so far we are just at the beginning of a journey. We need to develop a more strategic and integrated presence. We must move forward together to ensure a more efficient, articulated and cohesive presentation of the Good News. We must enhance communion between the thousands of initiatives that are already emerging. Each one has it own particular charism and rationale, but each one is called to reflect the universal mission of the Church. The new digital culture has strengthened the possibilities for networking and is leading to various forms of collaboration; the Church has always understood itself as a "network." In the best networks, each node continues to be itself but it is integrated into a greater unity to which it makes its contribution while being supported and complemented by the contributions of other nodes.

In this regard, I wish to highlight a project currently being developed in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Intermirifica.net is a new universally accessible Web database of Catholic radio and television broadcasters and producers. The database will be interactive so that registered users can update their own profile. The goal is to help Catholic media personnel to network with one another through a centralized, and in part, user-managed database. The site is still being tested and has yet to be translated into English and French, and hopefully other languages. The hope is also to expand the database to include listings of Catholic podcasting, news agencies, newspapers, and the communications departments of Catholic universities.
I would like to conclude my speech by commenting on the recent initiative of the Holy See to launch its own channel on Youtube. This event, which attracted extraordinary levels of media attention, is just one example of how the Church is looking to the new media as a way of communicating its message to the world. I was somewhat surprised with some of the reactions to this initiative. One of my colleagues said he thought the Pope was "letting himself down" and that the initiative was "beneath" him. I think this attitude betrays a lack of awareness of the motivation for this initiative; it is not a "media stunt" to attract attention but is a sincere effort to bring the Pope's message to one of the places where young people, especially, are to be found. It provides them with direct access to his presence and his teaching. Just as recent Popes have made great pilgrimages to every corner of our world; it should not surprise us that Pope Benedict is setting out to the corners of the digital world in his determination to bring the Good News to all. This initiative also represents an effort to take a step into the world of "inter-activity," the new service allows those who visit it the site to post comments. While these comments are not being published and it is not yet possible to begin to respond to them; they will be studied with attention and will help the Church to listen to new voices.
The Church is committed to engaging with the new media and the new culture of communication they are bringing into being: We must be willing to venture forth with faith and with a willingness to learn as we journey. The commitment to reach out to others requires that we are willing to change in order to be more eloquent and more authentic witnesses to the faith that we proclaim. The evangelization of the media and by the media cannot happen without "metanoia" or conversion in our lives. The often quoted observation of Marshall McLuhan -- the medium is the message -- finds a renewed pertinence in this context. "For from the fullness of the heart, the mouth sings. A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness" (Matt 12, 34-35).

In this year of Saint Paul, we must be attentive to the example of the Apostle of the Nations, whose commitment to proclaim the Good News to all people lead him not just to travel tirelessly but also to strive selflessly to understand those he wished to evangelize.

Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law -- though I myself am not under the law -- to win over those under the law. To those outside the law I became like one outside the law -- though I am not outside God's law but within the law of Christ -- to win over those outside the law.

To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it (1 Cor. 9, 19 -23).

ZE09020205 - 2009-02-02
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-24981?l=english
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POPE'S MESSAGE FOR 2009 WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

"The Witness of Charity Is Part of the Very Life of Every Christian Community"


VATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of Benedict XVI's message for the 17th World Day of the Sick, which was celebrated Wednesday on the diocesan level.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The World Day of the Sick, which will be celebrated next 11 February, the liturgical Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, will see the diocesan communities gathering with their Bishops at prayer meetings in order to reflect and decide on initiatives of sensitization concerning the reality of suffering.

The Pauline Year that we are celebrating is a favorable opportunity to pause and meditate with the Apostle Paul on the fact that "as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too" (2 Corinthians 1:5).

The spiritual connection with Lourdes also calls to mind the motherly concern of the Mother of Jesus for the brethren of her Son, "who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into their blessed home" ("Lumen Gentium," No. 62).

This year our attention focuses in particular on children, the weakest and most defenseless creatures, and on those of them who are sick and suffering. There are tiny human beings who bear in their bodies the consequences of incapacitating diseases, and others who are fighting illnesses that are still incurable today, despite the progress of medicine and the assistance of qualified researchers and health-care professionals.

There are children injured in body and in mind, subsequent to conflicts and wars, and other innocent victims of the insensate hatred of adults. There are "street" children, who are deprived of the warmth of a family and left to themselves, and minors defiled by degenerate people who violate their innocence, causing them psychological damage that will mark them for the rest of their lives.

Then we cannot forget the incalculable number of minors who die of thirst, hunger and the lack of medical help, as well as the small exiles and refugees who flee from their countries together with their parents in search of a better life. A silent cry of pain rises from all these children which questions our consciences as human beings and believers.

The Christian community, which cannot remain indifferent to such tragic situations, feels the impelling duty to intervene. Indeed, as I wrote in the Encyclical "Deus Caritas Est," the Church "is God's family in the world. In this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life" (No. 25,b).

I therefore hope that the World Day of the Sick will offer the parish and diocesan communities an opportunity to be ever more aware that they are the "family of God" and will encourage them to make the love of the Lord, who asks that "within the ecclesial family no member should suffer through being in need", visible in villages, neighborhoods and cities (ibid).

The witness of charity is part of the very life of every Christian community. And from the outset the Church has expressed the Gospel principles in practical gestures, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles.

Today, given the changed conditions of health-care assistance, people are feeling the need for closer collaboration between health-care professionals who work in the various health-care institutions and the ecclesial communities present in the territory. In this perspective the value of an institution linked to the Holy See such as the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital this year celebrating its 140th anniversary is confirmed in every way.

But this is not all. Since the sick child belongs to a family that frequently shares in his or her suffering with serious hardship and difficulties, Christian communities cannot but also feel duty-bound to help families afflicted by the illness of a son or daughter.

After the example of the "Good Samaritan", it is necessary to bend over the people so harshly tried and offer them the support of their concrete solidarity.

In this way the acceptance and sharing of suffering is expressed in the practical support of sick children's families, creating in them an atmosphere of serenity and hope and making them feel that they are in the midst of a larger family of brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jesus' compassion for the widow of Nain (cf. Luke 7:12-17) and for Jairus' supplication (cf. Luke 8:41-56) constitute, among others, useful reference points for learning to share in the moments of physical and moral suffering of the many sorely tried families.

All this implies disinterested and generous love, a reflection and a sign of the merciful love of God who never abandons his children in trial but always provides them anew with wonderful resources of heart and mind to equip them to face life's difficulties adequately.

The daily devotion and continuous commitment to serving sick children is an eloquent testimony of love for human life, particularly for the life of those who are weak and dependant on others in all things and for all things.

In fact, it is necessary to assert vigorously the absolute and supreme dignity of every human life. The teaching that the Church ceaselessly proclaims does not change with the passing of time: Human life is beautiful and should be lived to the full, even when it is weak and enveloped in the mystery of suffering.

We must turn our gaze to the Crucified Jesus: in dying on the Cross he wished to share in the suffering of all humanity. We may discern in his suffering for love a supreme sharing in the plight of little ones who are ill and of their parents.

My venerable Predecessor John Paul II who offered a shining example of patient acceptance of suffering, particularly towards the end of his life, wrote: "On this Cross is the "Redeemer of man', the Man of Sorrows, who has taken upon himself the physical and moral sufferings of the people of all times, so that in love they may find the salvific meaning of their sorrow and valid answers to all of their questions" ("Salvifici Doloris," No. 31).

I would like here to express my appreciation and encouragement to the international and national organizations which care for sick children, especially in the poor countries, and which with generosity and abnegation make their contribution to assuring them adequate and loving care.

At the same time, I address a heartfelt appeal to the leaders of nations that they will strengthen the laws and provisions for sick children and their families. For her part, the Church always, but especially when a child's life is at stake is prepared to offer cordial collaboration with the intention of transforming the whole human civilization into a "civilization of love" ("Salvifici Doloris," No. 30).

To conclude, I would like to express my spiritual closeness to all of you, dear brothers and sisters who are suffering from an illness. I address an affectionate greeting to all those who assist you: the Bishops, priests, consecrated people, health-care workers, volunteers and all who devote themselves lovingly to treating and alleviating the sufferings of those who are grappling with illness.

Here is a special greeting for you, dear sick and suffering children: the Pope embraces you with fatherly affection together with your parents and relatives, and assures you of his special remembrance in prayer, as he asks you to trust in the maternal help of the Immaculate Virgin Mary who last Christmas we once again contemplated joyfully holding in her arms the Son of God who became a Child. As I invoke upon you and upon every sick person the motherly protection of the Blessed Virgin, Health of the Sick, I cordially impart to all a special Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 2 February 2009

© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

ZE09021501 - 2009-02-15
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-25096?l=english

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VATICAN: MIGRANTS ARE FAMILY

Archbishop Marchetto Says All Are Equals

By Roberta Sciamplicotti

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The starting point for addressing the problem of migration is recognizing the unity of the human family, says the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers.

Archbishop Agostino Marchetto said this Friday in Rome at a symposium on the theme "Human Dignity and Human Rights in the Time of Globalization," sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in cooperation with the Community Sant'Egidio.

The archbishop began his talk, titled "Human Rights and the Dignity of Migrants in the Age of Globalization," by observing that migration "constitutes one of the most complex challenges of our globalized world."

"The human and ecclesial starting points," he said, are "the affirmation of equality among persons -- completely beyond questions of ethnicity, language and origin -- and the unity of the human family."

The archbishop explained that this is why the Church is "extremely attentive" to the welcoming and pastoral care of migrants, not forgetting that the phenomenon of migration also carries with it "a complex mix of duties and rights, the first of which is the right to migratory relocation."

The right of governments to handle migration must, for its part, he continued, "provide clear and viable measures for regular entrance into the country, oversee the labor market to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers, enact measures for regular integration, combat xenophobic behavior, and promote the social, cultural and religious coexistence that every pluralistic society demands."

The archbishop said the government must also "correspond to its duty/right to guarantee lawfulness, punish criminal behavior and delinquency and deal with people in irregular situations," but always doing so "with respect for human dignity, human rights and international agreements."

Global approach

Archbishop Marchetto explained that the safeguarding of human dignity "highlights the necessity of a specific pastoral care for first and second generation migrants" that should consider "respect for the use of the mother tongue in catechesis, preaching and the administration of the sacraments, attention to the particular demands of popular piety, and the assignment of expressly designated missionaries."

The pastoral structures, he added, must "guarantee a progressive process of active integration into the local Church, that overcomes, on the one hand, the temptations of 'religious colonization' and total assimilation, and avoids, on the other hand, the formation of a ghetto."

Along with pastoral care, Archbishop Marchetto continued, "adequate social, civil and political interventions must not be lacking."

The prelate said migration "almost obliges us to put the human person at the center for the sake of a profitable development of the whole family of peoples and nations, urging priorities and precise criteria for intervention."

Dialogue

Archbishop Marchetto stressed that there is a need to "improve society's level of 'humanism,' renewing the culture and education in its many ramifications." From this perspective the knowledge of various ethnic groups and their cultures is seen as "an obligatory step that should be inserted into educational programs and catechesis."

The structures for the pastoral care of migrants, Archbishop Marchetto pointed out, "need to value occasions of meeting and dialogue, that can help to improve interpersonal relations and also favor a more complete and convinced witness to the evangelical message."

Toward this end it is necessary to emphasize "formation, especially of young people, but also of leaders of groups and communities."

"What is urgent today and is the secret of the future is dialogue between persons, communities, peoples, cultures, religions and ethnic groups because closure and intolerance come from making ourselves and our own group into idols," he added.

"To have a positive and lasting effect," Archbishop Marchetto concluded, "globalization must be founded on a vision of the human person that responds to Christian criteria that are profoundly human, totally beyond materialist and atheist ideologies, which are wedded to relativism, and in the end relativize the fundamental dignity of every human person."


ZE09021505 - 2009-02-15
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-25100?l=english

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CARDINAL: VATICAN CITY IS SMALL BUT GREAT

Congress Marks 80 Years of Lateran Pacts

By Carmen Elena Villa

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 13, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Despite its small size, Vatican City State is great in other aspects, according to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

Benedict XVI's secretary of state said Thursday at the opening of the congress "A Small Territory for a Great Mission," held in Rome's Lateran palace, that the Vatican is "small but great; the greatest in the world from any point of view."

The event, organized by the Governorate of the Holy See, marks the 80th anniversary of the Feb. 11, 1929, accords that recognized the independence and sovereignty of the Holy See, created the Vatican City State, and defined the civil and religious relationship between the government and the Church in Italy.

The congress will end Saturday with an audience with the Pope.

Cardinal Bertone said the anniversary "is an appropriate moment to recall the lofty objective of its existence and action, to evaluate how this objective has been applied in the course of the past eight decades, and to attempt to intuit the future modalities that the state's mission might assume."

On reviewing the history of Vatican State, the cardinal recalled in particular the work of Pope Pius XI: "This great Pontiff is the real creator and founder of Vatican City State."

The signing of the Lateran Pacts put an end to the so-called "Roman question" that began in 1870 when Italy invaded and took possession of Church properties.

Cardinal Bertone referred to Pius XI, saying that Vatican State "is, in fact, the result of his tenacity, realism, culture and clairvoyance, demonstrated on so many other occasions and in face of many serious problems that marked the Church and society during his pontificate.

World War II

The secretary of state also reviewed the main historical events the small nation has addressed since its birth, the first being the Second World War (1939-1945).

He noted that during the war the Holy See carried out "an intense action to promote peace and charity, but with notable limitations."

"Let us reflect on the fact that diplomats accredited to the Holy See of countries at war with Italy had to leave Rome and that the ecclesial, diplomatic and charitable action of the Holy See was conditioned by the control of the Italian state," noted the cardinal.

The cardinal also pointed to the works of charity that Pius XII was able to carry out in Europe during the war, which offered aid and help to put into contact "those whom the war had separated."

Cardinal Bertone noted that Rome was under German occupation from September 1943 to June 1944: "Vatican City State was surrounded by a political-military power, the German Reich, with which the Holy See had not a few open conflicts."

The cardinal also mentioned the places of refuge that served to shelter many victims during World War II: the Lateran's Major Pontifical Seminary, the Abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo, as well as monasteries, convents, institutes and parishes of Rome.

He also mentioned the important events that have taken place in Vatican State during its 80-year history: The Second Vatican Council, the synods of bishops, the celebrations of the jubilee years, especially the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

Cardinal Bertone noted in a special way the funeral of John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI, "which brought to Rome the top political authorities of the world and massive crowds."

ZE09021308 - 2009-02-13
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-25091?l=english
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BENEDICT XVI LAUDS PIUS XI'S OPPOSITION TO NAZISM

Affectionately Recalls the "Pope of His Childhood"

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 16, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is recognizing Pope Pius XI's work in opposition of Nazism and totalitarianism in the 1930s.
The German Pope recalled the papacy of Achille Ratti (1922-1939) in an address Saturday on the 80th anniversary of the creation of Vatican City State.

He acknowledged Pope Pius XI as "the first and main architect and protagonist of the Lateran Pacts," which led to the birth of the Vatican state. At this moment, the Holy See was given sovereignty over this small piece of land, ensuring the pope's governance of the Church outside of the taxation policies of Italy, which was then ruled by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.

Benedict XVI recalled "the Pope of my childhood, whom we looked upon with so much veneration and love."

He continued: "Precisely in these days his name has resonated on several occasions, as with the lucidity of a lofty outlook and indomitable will he was the real founder and first builder of Vatican City State.

"Moreover, the historical studies on his pontificate, which continue to take place, make us perceive increasingly the greatness of Pope Ratti, who guided the Church in the difficult years between the two World Wars."

The Holy Father acknowledged how his predecessor "stimulated ecclesial action in its many dimensions: Let us recall the missionary expansion, attention to the formation of God's ministers, promotion of the activity of the lay faithful in the Church and in society, and the intense relationship with the civil community."

He added: "During his pontificate, the 'librarian Pope' had to address the difficulties and persecutions that the Church was suffering in countries such as Mexico and Spain, and the confrontations triggered by totalitarianism -- national socialism and fascism -- which arose and were consolidated in those years.

"In Germany, his great encyclical 'Mit Brennender Sorge' has not been forgotten, as a strong sign against Nazism." The encyclical's impact was so evident that Adolf Hitler ordered Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Gestapo, to seize and destroy all copies.

Benedict XVI asserted: "The wise and strong work of this Pontiff truly awakens admiration, who only wished for the Church the freedom that would allow her to carry out her mission integrally.

"Vatican City State […] was also considered by Pius XI as an instrument to guarantee the necessary independence from all human authority, to give the Church and her supreme Pastor the possibility to fully comply with the mandate received from Christ the Lord.

The usefulness and benefit of this small but complete reality for the Holy See, for the Church, as well as for Rome and the whole world, was seen just 10 years later, when World War II broke out, a war whose violence and sufferings reached the doors of the Vatican."


ZE09021606 - 2009-02-16
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-25109?l=english
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Public policies must reflect ethical values, pope says

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Ethical values can and must inform government policies for the good of a nation's own citizens and for the good of the world, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Welcoming Timothy Fischer as Australia's new ambassador to the Vatican Feb. 12, Pope Benedict first offered his condolences for the February bush fires that left more than 180 people dead in Victoria state.

The pope also praised the way Australia values cultural diversity, is working to address historic discrimination against the Aboriginal peoples, facilitates interreligious dialogue, promotes peace throughout the Pacific region and Asia, and defends the environment.

"I note with interest the Australian government's determination to establish relations of cooperation based on the values of fairness, good governance and the sense of a regional neighborhood," the pope said.

"A genuinely ethical stance is at the heart of every responsible, respectful and socially inclusive development policy," he said.

Ethics make responses to poverty more compassionate and generous, the pope said. And an ethical approach makes governments of the most developed nations see how excessive measures to protect their own industries locks producers in poor countries out of the global market, he said.

In providing health care around the world, the Catholic Church places ethical concerns and the good of the person at the heart of its policies, the pope said.

"Of particular concern is the provision of medical care for families, including high-quality obstetrical care for women," Pope Benedict said.

"How ironic it is, however, when some groups, through aid programs, promote abortion as a form of 'maternal' health care: taking a life, purportedly to improve the quality of life," the pope said.

Pope Benedict praised the Australian government's efforts to respond in an ethical way to the challenge of the global financial crisis and to "the menacing threats to God's creation" caused by global warming and environmental damage.

"Perhaps more than ever before in our human history the fundamental relationship among the Creator, creation and creature needs to be pondered and respected," he said. "From this recognition we can discover a common code of ethics, consisting of norms rooted in the natural law inscribed by the Creator on the heart of every human being."

END


POPE-AUSTRALIA Feb-12-2009 (370 words) xxxi
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Pope says Holocaust denial is 'intolerable ... unacceptable'

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Denying or minimizing the Holocaust "is intolerable and altogether unacceptable," Pope Benedict XVI told a group of U.S. Jewish leaders.

"This terrible chapter in our history must never be forgotten," the pope said during a Feb. 12 meeting at the Vatican with members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

The papal audience came less than three weeks after the Vatican announced the pope had lifted the excommunication of several traditionalist bishops, including Bishop Richard Williamson, who has said reports about the Nazi slaughter of the Jews have been exaggerated and who claimed no Jews died in Nazi gas chambers.

The Vatican later published a statement saying that Bishop Williamson would not be welcomed into full communion with the church unless he disavowed his remarks and publicly apologized.

While the pope publicly reaffirmed his recognition of the Holocaust and expressed his respect and esteem for the Jewish people in late January, the February audience was the first time since the Bishop Williamson scandal that the pope met with Jewish leaders to express his feelings and beliefs personally.

Telling the Jewish leaders he wanted to make his own a prayer by Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict prayed, "God of our fathers, you chose Abraham and his descendants to bring your name to the nations: We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer and, asking your forgiveness, we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant."

The prayer was the text of the note Pope John Paul left in Jerusalem's Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites, during a March 2000 visit.

Pope Benedict also told the Jewish leaders about his own visit to the Nazis' Auschwitz death camp in 2006.

"As I walked through the entrance to that place of horror, the scene of such untold suffering, I meditated on the countless number of prisoners, so many of them Jews, who had trodden that same path into captivity at Auschwitz and in all the other prison camps," the pope said.

"How can we begin to grasp the enormity of what took place in those infamous prisons?" he asked.

The pope told the leaders, "The hatred and contempt for men, women and children that was manifested in the Shoah was a crime against God and against humanity.

"This should be clear to everyone," the pope said.

"It is beyond question that any denial or minimization of this terrible crime is intolerable and altogether unacceptable," Pope Benedict said.

The German-born pope repeated what he had said during his visit to Auschwitz: "The rulers of the Third Reich wanted to crush the entire Jewish people, to cancel it from the register of the peoples of the earth. Thus the words of the psalm, 'We are being killed, accounted as sheep for the slaughter,' were fulfilled in a terrifying way."

The pope also told the Jewish leaders that the Catholic Church "is profoundly and irrevocably committed to reject all anti-Semitism" and to build good and lasting relations with the Jewish community.

Reaffirming the importance of remembering the Holocaust, the pope said, "it is my fervent prayer that the memory of this appalling crime will strengthen our determination to heal the wounds that for too long have sullied relations between Christians and Jews."

Rabbi Arthur Schneier of New York's Park East Synagogue, which Pope Benedict visited last April, told the group it was "a trying moment in Catholic-Jewish relations" because Bishop Williamson's excommunication was lifted.

The 78-year-old Austrian-born rabbi told the pope, "As a Holocaust survivor these have been painful and difficult days when confronted with Holocaust denial by no less than a bishop."

"The Shoah claimed the lives of 6 million Jewish men, women and children, including my own family in Auschwitz and Terezin," a camp in what is now the Czech Republic, he told the pope.

Addressing the 81-year-old pope, he said, "Your Holiness, we and so many others, who have seen man's inhumanity to man, how can we but revolt at Holocaust denial?"

"In our autumn years," he told the pope, "we must transmit 'never again' through Holocaust education to future generations."

Meeting reporters after the papal audience, Rabbi Schneier said, "This is a historic day," adding that it was "so reassuring to hear the pope say what he had to say about the Shoah."

Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the U.S. Jewish leaders' group, said, "We came here with heavy hearts" because of the lifting of the excommunication of Bishop Williamson.

But the leaders were pleased by the pope's reaffirmation of the principles of the Second Vatican Council regarding relations with the Jews and his condemnation of anti-Semitism and of Holocaust denial "in the strongest possible words," Hoenlein said.

But Abraham Foxman, U.S. director of the Anti-Defamation League, said "it is always significant when the pope meets with a Jewish group and his words were very important, but it did not bring closure."

While Foxman said he believes in forgiveness, he also believes that Bishop Williamson should not be considered a Catholic until he recants.

"Every moment that he stays in the church, it gives credibility to him and to his hideous beliefs," he said.

Rabbi David Rosen, director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee, said the meeting was important for assuring the Jewish community that the Catholic Church and the pope personally are committed to upholding the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and its positive attitude toward the Jewish people and their faith.

"It was a very strong and, I would say, quite moving affirmation of his commitment to Catholic-Jewish reconciliation and opposition to Holocaust denial and any other form of anti-Semitism," he said.

The rabbi also said he believed the uproar surrounding Bishop Williamson could have the positive effect of ensuring uniform acceptance of Vatican II. He expressed hope that the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, to which Bishop Williamson belongs, would not be fully reintegrated into the Catholic Church without a serious investigation into the society's teaching on Jews and Judaism and its acceptance of the teachings of Vatican II, which it has opposed.

END
POPE-JEWS (UPDATED) Feb-12-2009 (1,050 words) With photos. xxxi
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Tokoh Agama Dorong Pemilu Damai

PEMILU DAMAI – Tim Pastoral Kevikepan Ende bekerja sama dengan Departemen Agama menyelenggarakan panel diskusi bagi para penyuluh lintas agama di Detusoko, Rabu (12/1). (Dari kiri ke kanan) P Paul Budi Kleden SVD, Anom B Triyadna, Romo Felix Djawa Pr, Pdt Yan Leymani, dan Basirun Samlawi.

Oleh Frans Obon

ENDE -- Tokoh dari berbagai agama dalam pertemuan mereka di aula Wisma St Fransiskus Detusoko, Rabu (11/2) mendorong terlaksananya Pemilu nasional mendatang secara damai dan mengajak masyarakat untuk memilih para calon yang akan duduk di lembaga legislatif dengan cerdas tanpa didasarkan pada unsur-unsur primordial.

Pertemuan ini digelar atas kerja sama Tim Pastoral Hubungan Antar Agama dan Kepercayaan (HAK) Kevikepan Ende dan Departemen Agama Kabupaten Ende.
Vikaris Episkopus (Vikep) Ende Romo Ambros Nanga Pr dalam sambutan penutup menjelaskan, pertemuan ini digelar sebagai bagian dari rancangan bangun hubungan yang harmonis antaragama dan terutama dalam konteks pelaksanaan Pemilu nasional mendatang.

Tim pastoral Kevikepan sendiri akan memasukkan hasil diskusi panel ini ke dalam bahan katekese politik yang tengah disusun dan dirancang tim pastoral. Pertemuan ini juga dimaksudkan sebagai bentuk kerja sama dan tanggung jawab agama-agama untuk mendorong proses demokratisasi demi mencapai cita-cita bersama.

Diskusi panel yang mengambil tema “Orientasi Penyuluh Lintas Agama Kabupaten Ende” menghadirkan empat pembicara mewakili agama masing-masing. Pater Paul Budi Kleden SVD (Katolik), Basirun Samlawi (Islam), Pdt Yan YO Leymani (Protestan) dan Anom B Triyadna (Hindu), dengan moderator Romo Felix Djawa Pr.

Vikjen Keuskupan Agung Ende P Yosef Seran SVD, Direktur Pusat Pastoral Keuskupan Agung Ende Romo Cyrilus Lena Pr, Ketua Tim HAK Kevikepan Ende Frans Tasso Ve, Kakandepag Agustinus T Gempa dan utusan dari berbagai agama hadir dalam pertemuan ini.

“Basirun Samlawi yang bicara pertama menegaskan kebersamaan umat beragama akan menjadi satu kekuatan jika bersama-sama umat berabagai agama membangun komitmen bersama untuk menyelesaikan berbagai persoalan dengan cara santun dan damai. Demokrasi mengakibatkan adanya perbedaan kepentingan, tetapi konflik kepentingan yang terjadi mesti diselesaikan secara demokratis dan secara santun.

“Hindari pencederaan demokrasi dengan kekerasan, anarkisme, ekstrimisme, sebaliknya mesti ada kesantunan dalam ruang publik demokratis,” katanya.

Sementara Pdt Yan bicara soal potensi konflik di dalam pemilu. Konflik yang dipicu oleh kepentingan, oleh suku dan agama. Namun dia percaya bahwa demokrasi akan memberi ruang bagi penyelesaian damai.

Dia mengkritik pendekatan yang dilakukan para calon, yang baru datang hidup bersama masyarakat menjelang Pemilu. Dia juga menekankan pentingnya memperhatikan etika dan moralitas politik dalam pencapaian tujuan berpolitik.

“Ada calon yang tidak datang dan hidup bersama masyarakat. Karena dia mengandalkan kekuatan lain,” katanya.

Anom Triyadna dari PHDI Kabupaten Ende juga bicara mengenai pentingnya perdamaian dalam proses pemilu mendatang. Dia mengibaratkan penggunaan hak dan kewajiban di dalam pemilu itu seperti ruas dan buku pada bambu di mana antara hak dan kewajiban selalu bertemu dan sambung menyambung.

Pater Budi Kleden yang bicara perspektif Katolik menegaskan lagi prinsip-prinsip politik di dalam Gereja Katolik. Dosen Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat Katolik Ledalero ini mengatakan, Pemilu adalah alat kontrol warga terhadap pelaksanaan dan penyelenggaraan pemerintahan. Pemilu tidak saja sebagai legitimasi kekuasaan, melainkan alat ukur dan evaluasi terhadap pelaksanaan penyelenggaraan pemerintahan yang dipilih melalui Pemilu.

Karenya Pemilu dilihat sebagai kesempatan ditahbiskan untuk mengamankan iman, sehingga politisi Katolik dalam keterlibatan mereka dengan kegiatan politik mengemban tugas penting,” katanya.

Pemilu yang damai, kata dia, tidak hanya diukur dari keterlibatan banyak pemilih dan tidak terjadinya konflik dalam pelaksanaannya, melainkan terutama diukur dari kontribusinya pada perdamaian. Sehingga menurut dia, damai itu tidak hanya terbatas pada saat Pemilu, melainkan terutama bagaimana penyelenggaraan pemerintahan hasil pemilu tersebut menjamin perdamaian.

Ada empat komponen yang menjamin pemilu damai yakni regulasi, penyelenggara pemilu, kontestan pemilu, dan masyarakat.

Dalam diskusi yang hanya berlangsung dua sesi para peserta lebih banyak membicarakan kompetensi para calon legislatif, moralitas yang membingkai politik para calon dan kegamangan para calon dan partai terhadap ideologi partai, serta diskusi mengenai fenomena menggunakan dan tidak menggunakan hak pilih.

Dimuat pada Flores Pos, 12 Februari 2009 pp 1,15

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