November 10
Deacon Mark White
Deacon Emeritus, Queen of Peace
Olive Branch
November 19
Father Jack Kurps, SCJ
Catholic Parishes of Northwest Mississippi & Sacred Heart Southern Missions
November 27
Father Tim Murphy
St. James Tupelo & St. Christopher Pontotoc
Thank you for answering the call!
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – St. Charles de Foucauld, a turn-of-the-19th-century hermit, demonstrates how a life of meekness, tenderness and eucharistic adoration evangelizes, Pope Francis said.
The saint was known to remain in prayer “at Jesus’ feet, before the Tabernacle,” for hours a day, “sure that the evangelizing force resides there and feeling that it is Jesus who will bring him close to so many distant brothers and sisters,” the pope said Oct. 18 at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.
“And do we, I ask myself, believe in the power of the Eucharist? Does our going out to others, our service, find its beginning and its fulfillment there, in adoration?” the pope asked, encouraging everyone to rediscover the sense of adoration before the Eucharist.
Continuing a series of audience talks highlighting saints who demonstrate zeal or passion for evangelization, Pope Francis said St. Charles made Jesus and the poor “the passion of his life” after living his youth “far from God, without believing in anything other than the disordered pursuit of pleasure.”
“The first step in evangelizing,” the pope said, is to “fall head over heels” for Jesus so that love will show in one’s life. If this does not happen, “we risk talking about ourselves, our group, a morality or, even worse, a set of rules, but not about Jesus, his love, his mercy.”
The pope said he sees this tendency in some new movements that spend a lot of time talking about their organization, their new spiritual path or “vision of humanity,” and “do not know how to talk about Jesus.”
St. Charles understood the importance of the laity in the life of the church and “he reminds us that ‘there need to be lay people close to priests, to see what the priest does not see, who evangelize with a proximity of charity, with goodness for everyone, with affection always ready to be given,’” he said, citing the saint’s writings.
However, the pope said, they need to be “holy lay people” in love with Jesus, not “climbers” in search of something else.
“We priests need so much to have next to us lay people who seriously believe” in Jesus, he said, and who, with their witness, “teach us the way” and help the priest understand he is not an “official” or administrator, but is “a mediator, he is a priest.”
St. Charles is “a prophetic figure for our time,” Pope Francis said.
He demonstrated “the beauty of communicating the Gospel through the apostolate of meekness,” welcomed everyone as a brother or sister and showed “the evangelizing force of tenderness,” Pope Francis said.
“Goodness is simple and asks us to be simple people, who are not afraid to offer a smile,” he said, encouraging Catholics to imitate “God’s style” of being close, compassionate and tender with others.
By Gina Christian
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – An attack on a Christian hospital in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war has left staff at the U.S. offices of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association reeling.
“Disbelief and horror,” Michael La Civita, director of communications for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, told OSV News, describing his reaction just hours after an Oct. 17 strike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza.
The facility, a humanitarian outreach of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, is Gaza’s oldest hospital, and the only Christian one in the enclave. Opened in 1882, al-Ahli Arab – which was a Baptist Medical Mission from 1954 to 1982 – has been “one of the most important institutions in our network of partners for decades,” said La Civita. “It’s a significant player in the region.”
CNEWA, founded by Pope Pius XI in 1926, supports the hospital as part of its overall mission to support the Catholic Church in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe.
Joseph Hazboun, regional director for CNEWA’s Jerusalem office, said the hospital was sheltering more than 5,000 people at the time of the strike.
Causes and casualties have been contested by both sides. Palestinian officials claimed the al-Ahli Arab Hospital had been struck by Israel, killing some 500, while the Israel Defense Forces countered that intelligence showed the blast was due to a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
The war itself was sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 ambush – coinciding with a Sabbath and Jewish holiday – on some 22 locations in Israel. Hamas members gunned down civilians and took at least 199 hostages, according to Israel, including infants, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Israel declared war on Hamas Oct. 8, placing Gaza under siege and pounding the region with airstrikes as Hamas has returned fire. To date, some 1,400 in Israel, including at least 30 U.S. citizens, and at least 3,500 in Gaza have been killed, according to Palestinian officials. The ensuing humanitarian crisis has left the Middle East “on the verge of the abyss,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
CNEWA, which has had a presence in Gaza since at least 1949, has “a long record of support … with (the) hospital, particularly with programs that provide assistance to children and families suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders,” La Civita told OSV News.
The part of the hospital that was hit “is where most of our psychosocial programs over the last few years were organized,” said La Civita.
At an Oct. 18 press conference by the Jerusalem patriarchs and heads of churches, Jerusalem Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum told media that a few hours before the attack, civilians who had gathered in the courtyard (of the hospital) were “singing for peace, and the children were playing,” but “two hours later they were all struck by … the power of death.”
On Oct. 14, al-Ahli Arab Hospital’s diagnostic cancer treatment center in Gaza City was struck by Israeli rocket fire, significantly damaging the ultrasound and mammography wards and injuring four staff, according to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
Archbishop Naoum said al-Ahli Arab would “continue to be open” as he and fellow church leaders “are determined to keep our institutions open, to keep our places of worship, our churches, open … as places of sanctuary.”
La Civita told OSV News he is “very concerned about the future (and) the present” of two maternity clinics subsidized by CNEWA and operated by the Near East Council of Churches in Gaza.
He urged the faithful to pray and to “stay informed,” particularly by consulting Catholic media coverage of the situation.
“We want Catholics in particular to be paying attention to Catholic news about this, because … it’s about as close to the truth as we can possibly get,” he said. “It’s reliable and objective.”
In addition, “consider providing support to those who can handle aid responsibly and get it to the hands of those who need it most,” said La Civita.
(Gina Christian is a national reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @GinaJesseReina)
NATION
LAS VEGAS (OSV News) – In a sign of the growing Catholic community of southern Nevada and the Western United States, the Archdiocese of Las Vegas has become the newest archdiocese in America. A solemn Mass Oct. 16 at the Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer in Las Vegas formally celebrated the designation of the archdiocese and the appointment of Archbishop George Leo Thomas by Pope Francis May 30. The new metropolitan archdiocese and province of Las Vegas includes Reno, Nevada, and Salt Lake City as suffragan dioceses of the province. During the Mass, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the pope’s representative as apostolic nuncio to the United States, placed the pallium – a woolen liturgical garment worn by a metropolitan archbishop – upon Archbishop Thomas’ shoulders. The pallium represents a pastor’s care of his flock and his unity with the pope. Pope Francis gave the archbishop the pallium in June at the Vatican. The growth in the presence of Catholics in Las Vegas and southern Nevada was a key factor in its elevation to an archdiocese. The 350,000 Catholics among a total regional population of more than 1 million in 1995 has ballooned to an estimated 750,000 Catholics among more than 2 million residents today, according to the archdiocese. This growth was “a result of the dynamism and the vitality of the church here,” Cardinal Pierre told Massgoers.
NEW YORK (OSV News) – “Catacombs by Candlelight” perhaps conjures images of a subterranean tour in Rome led by a guide wearing a headlamp. In New York, it’s the name of a revenue-generating history lesson told while exploring the cemetery and burial vaults of one of the city’s oldest Catholic churches. At the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, the tour’s tone is respectful and the candles are battery-operated LED models. Frank Alfieri, the basilica’s director of cemetery and columbaria, said the tours were established in 2017 to communicate and monetize the historical significance of the property, which has been an active mainstay of the lower Manhattan area for more than 200 years. When it opened in 1815, St. Patrick’s served as New York’s first cathedral until the new St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue was dedicated in 1879. The Old Cathedral was named a basilica in 2010. The catacombs were developed before the church was built above them and consist of 37 hermetically sealed family and group vaults arrayed along three 120-foot corridors. Most of the vaults have marble facades and bear the now-unfamiliar names of prominent 19th-century New York Catholics of Irish, German, French and Spanish heritage. Eight 80-minute tours are offered five days a week for groups as large as 40.
VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis will celebrate a memorial Mass Nov. 3 for Pope Benedict XVI and cardinals and bishops who have died in the past year. The Mass will take place at the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica at 11 a.m., the Vatican announced. Pope Benedict died Dec. 31 at the age of 95. The previous day, the Nov. 2 feast of All Souls, the pope will celebrate Mass at the Rome War Cemetery, the burial place of members of the military forces of the Commonwealth who died during and immediately after World War II. The 426 men buried there died between November 1942 and February 1947. They came from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa. Also on the pope’s liturgical calendar for November is his celebration of Mass for the World Day of the Poor. He will preside over the liturgy Nov. 19 in St. Peter’s Basilica.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis said a trip to his native Argentina remains on his schedule and that he has been encouraged to travel through Oceania. Asked by an Argentine reporter what important trips remain pending in his pontificate, the pope said “I would like to go” to Argentina in an interview released Oct. 16. “Talking a bit farther away, Papua New Guinea is still left.” He added that someone had told him, “Since I’m going to Argentina, to have a layover in Río Gallegos (Argentina), then the South Pole, land in Melbourne and visit New Zealand and Australia.” Though the 86-year-old pope said, “It would be a bit long.” In the wide-spanning interview recorded in September with the Argentine state news agency Télam, Pope Francis said that while he receives many invitations to visit countries and there is a list of possible papal trips, ideas for trips also originate from the Vatican, such as his Aug. 31-Sept. 4 trip to Mongolia. Pope Francis also spoke about the synod on synodality, relating it to the vision of St. John XXIII at the start of the Second Vatican Council. “It is not only about changing style, it is about a change of growth in favor of people’s dignity,” he said.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Huddled in a stairwell at the Catholic parish and school in Gaza, Rosary Sister Nabila Saleh, another sister and Father Youssef Asaad filmed themselves speaking to Pope Francis on the phone and begging for his continued prayers. Pope Francis phoned Holy Family parish – the only Catholic parish in Gaza – the evening of Oct. 15, Vatican News reported. Sister Saleh said Father Asaad passed her the phone because he doesn’t speak Italian as well as she does. After Hamas launched attacks on Israel Oct. 7 and Israel responded by bombing targets in Gaza, “the Holy Father wanted to know how many people we are hosting in the parish facilities,” Sister Saleh told Vatican News. There are about 500 people, including “the sick, families, children, the disabled, people who have lost their homes and every belonging.” Sister Saleh said, it was “a great blessing” to speak with the pope. “He gave us courage and the support of prayer.”
WORLD
NAIROBI, Kenya (OSV News) – On the day the world celebrates efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity, a bishop in Ethiopia was warning that his people were still dying of hunger, a year after a ceasefire ended a deadly conflict in the northern region of Tigray. Bishop Tesfasellassie Medhin of Adigrat said he wanted the world to know the situation in the region was still critical, and deaths were occurring due to serious food shortages and malnutrition. “The situation is very bad. Many parts of the region experienced failed harvests due to drought, and food aid distribution had also stopped,” Bishop Medhin told OSV News in an interview ahead of the World Food Day. “People are dying of hunger. The hospitals are also reporting increased cases of malnutrition. It is very frustrating.” More than 20 million people need food assistance in Africa’s second most populous nation after the Horn of Africa’s worst drought in decades and a two-year conflict in the Tigray region on top of it. On Oct. 16, the globe rallied to mark the World Food Day, an annual awareness and action day against hunger and malnutrition, reminding of the importance of food security and access to nutritious food for all. It also addresses the importance of sustainable agriculture and food production.
OSLO, Norway (OSV News) – Church leaders in Norway have welcomed the award of the Nobel Prize for Literature to Jon Fosse, a Catholic convert, predicting the honor could raise Catholicism’s profile in the traditionally Protestant country. “Fosse gives voice, with elegance and beauty, to the mystery of faith. … I think our country is blessed to have a poet of his stature,” said Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim. “A Catholic writer is someone who assimilated the grace of belonging to the church in such a way that it’s perfectly innate and natural to their self-expression. In that sense, Fosse is very much a Catholic writer.” The novelist and playwright will receive the 2023 prize in Stockholm Dec. 10. Born in 1959 at Haugesund on Norway’s west coast, Fosse has published over 30 novels, as well as poetry collections, essays, children’s books and translations. His theater works, performed worldwide, have made him Norway’s most performed playwright since Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906). Fosse was received into the Catholic Church at St. Dominic’s Monastery, Oslo, in 2012. His multivolume work, “Septology,” centering on a Catholic convert-painter, was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize and National Books Critics Award. In a November 2022 interview with The New Yorker, Fosse described his style as “slow prose” and “mystical realism,” adding that he had turned to religious faith while struggling with alcoholism and other problems.
By Kurt Jensen
NEW YORK (OSV News) – “Early on in the history of film, stage actors had to make the transition from the outsized gestures and expressions needed to convey emotion to a crowded theater to the restraint required by the intimacy of the camera. The same contrast is always likely to be highlighted in a movie dedicated to capturing a lavish stadium music concert.
Those attending “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” (AMC Theaters) will discover that the titular singer-songwriter – the current doyenne of breakup songs – is aware of this. Just as the smirks and eye rolls of some of her numbers become cloying, the solo balladeer emerges and equilibrium is restored.
While Swift can be credited with aesthetic insight, parents of teens clamoring to see her on screen will be concerned with other matters. In a world of ultra-raunchy rap and the obscenity-laden lyrics often found even outside that genre, Swift shows considerable moderation. A smattering of vulgar words aside, her performance is more glitzy than gritty. So, although her preteen fans may have to be kept away from this production, older teens can probably be given the green light.
They’ll find “Eras” a lively recap of all 10 of her studio albums across 17 years. Directed by Sam Wrench, the footage was compiled from concerts at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, outside Los Angeles, during Swift’s ongoing tour.
This is, then, no valedictory. Rather, it’s a powerful summation of Swift’s life and work so far. The idea is to craft an experience just as communal and immersive as the vocalist’s live events. Audience members, for instance, are encouraged to sing along. Yet in a movie theater the noise is not overwhelming, making it possible to concentrate on Swift in all her sparkly glory throughout.
Little exposition is provided. Instead, there’s continuous music, enhanced by CGI special effects and a bit of dancing. By contrast to some of the documentaries in which Swift has featured in the past, no backstage segments are included and no forum is given to her opinions.
Her lyrics do, however, address the loneliness of her level of stardom and hint, pretty consistently, at past heartbreak. At their poignant best, her songs somehow manage to combine the varied qualities of honky-tonk blues and the sophisticated work of German-born American composer Kurt Weill.
It’ll cost you a lot more than three pennies, though, to have a look.
The film contains fleeting rough and crude language. The OSV News classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
(Kurt Jensen is a guest reviewer for OSV News.)
By John Mulderig
NEW YORK (OSV News) – Although the horror sequel “The Exorcist: Believer” (Universal) gets off to a reasonably promising start, it degenerates quickly. In fact, it ends up being a muddle both dramatically and, more significantly, in its treatment of religion.
Director and co-writer David Gordon Green’s take on the demonic possession theme follows the ordeal of widowed father Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.). Victor’s life is initially disrupted when his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) disappears in the company of her schoolmate and friend, Katherine (Olivia O’Neill).
Although Victor agonizes over Angela’s absence, he gets more than he bargained for when both girls eventually return. As the audience knows, the pals had gone into the woods to practice amateur spiritualism in the hope of communicating with Angela’s late mother. To that extent, the screenplay – penned with Peter Sattler – presents a cautionary tale applicable in real life.
As Victor and Katherine’s parents, Miranda (Jennifer Nettles) and Tony (Norbert Leo Butz), try to cope with the duo’s bizarre subsequent behavior – as well as some inexplicable phenomena – they get religious guidance from nun-turned-nurse Ann (Ann Dowd). They also get less specific advice from self-described exorcism expert Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn).
Chris is, of course, the mother of Regan, the victim in a similar incident showcased in the 1973 film that inaugurated the franchise. Although the current movie is intended as a direct sequel to the original and, in that respect, a reboot of the series, the approach of this script to its subject matter departs markedly from the earlier tale.
As adapted from his own fact-based novel by screenwriter William Peter Blatty, and directed by William Friedkin, the Watergate-era picture may have sensationalized matters but at its center was a fairly straightforward confrontation between Regan’s tormentor and two Catholic priests.
The driving away of the devil here, by contrast, takes on the qualities of a circus.
In part, that’s probably attributable to the fact that the more-or-less church-friendly attitude of the earlier movie would jar on contemporary Hollywood sensibilities. What’s presented to the audience, as a result, is a spiritual free-for-all.
There is a well-meaning cleric, Father Maddox (E.J. Bonilla), hovering around. But his superiors won’t authorize an exorcism. So Ann decides she’ll read from the Roman Ritual herself. Miranda and Tony’s unnamed minister (Raphael Sbarge) also is on hand, loudly reciting verses from the Bible.
This interdenominational broadmindedness is further extended by the inclusion of a female shaman, Dr. Beehibe (Okwui Okpokwasili). She’s out to see what her version of African animism can contribute to the overheated shouting match.
The good doctor’s practices are shown to be just as effective as the prayers of priest or pastor. But the dialogue in some quieter scenes assures us that it’s really interpersonal solidarity that will ultimately send Satan packing.
The production thus promotes a syncretist, humanistic and even vaguely anti-Catholic outlook that could be spiritually dangerous for anyone inclined to take it seriously. On the whole, however, this half-a-century-later follow-up is best dismissed as a bit of chaotic schlock.
The film contains misguided spiritual ideas, brief gory images, mature references, including to abortion, a handful of mild oaths, a few rough terms and at least one crass expression. The OSV News classification is O – morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R – restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
(John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @JohnMulderig1.)
PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
CHATAWA – Our Lady of Hope and Camp Chatawa, Christmas in Chatawa, Saturday, Dec. 16 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Enjoy a live Nativity, pancake breakfast, train rides, caroling hay ride, Santa and Mrs. Claus, reindeer games, crafts and hot chocolate bar. Cost: $20 per person. Details: RSVP at ourladyofhopems.com.
FLOWOOD – St. Paul, Women’s Ministry Bingo Night, Saturday Nov. 11 after 4:30 p.m. Mass. All veterans will receive a free card to play. All adults 18 and up are welcome to play. Details: church office (601) 992-9547.
St. Anthony School, Starry Night Gala, Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Sheraton Flowood. VIP preview party from 6-7 p.m. with general admission opening at 7 p.m. Cost: Event tickets $150 per couple. You do not need to be present to win the $5,000 raffle and tickets are only $10 per chance. Details: purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/StarryNight2023.
GREENWOOD – St. Francis, Bingo night, Monday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria. Refreshments available for purchase. Prizes include home items, gift cards and more. Details: church office (662) 453-0623.
JACKSON – Christ the King, Mass and Feast of Christ the King potluck, Sunday, Nov. 26. Join Bishop Kopacz for the celebration and meal. Details: church office (601) 948-8867.
St. Richard School, Krewe de Cardinal, Save the date: Friday, Feb. 2 from 7-11 p.m. at The South Warehouse. Details: school office (601) 366-1157.
MADISON – St. Joseph School, Jeans, Jazz and Bruin Blues $10,000 Draw Down, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024 at the Reunion Country Club. Sponsorships available. Details: www.stjoedrawdown.com.
St. Joseph School, Christmas Art Camp, Saturday Dec. 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the St. Joe Fine Arts Building. Grades K thorugh sixth welcome. Cost: $75 includes art supplies and snacks. Limited to 22 artists. Details: contact Vicki at vrunnels@stjoebruins.com.
St. Joseph School, Thursday in Tuscany, Nov. 16 in the St. Joe Cafeteria. Cost is $10 per plate and includes spaghetti, salad, bread, cookie and water. Proceeds support the cheer program. Details: contact sjcheer@stjoebruins.com.
MAGNOLIA – St. James, Garage Sale, Saturday Dec. 2, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (125 E Bay Street) Details: call (985) 665-0868.
MERIDIAN – St. Patrick, Candy Cane 5k Dash and Fun Run, Saturday, Dec. 2. Details: register at https://bit.ly/CandyCane2023.
St. Patrick, Fall Musical Variety, Dinner and Fashion Show, Saturday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Proceeds for church repairs. Seats are limited. Details: Reserve your tickets by contacting Rory at (601) 917-7343 or purchase at the parish office.
NATCHEZ – St. Mary Basilica, Thanksgiving Parish Potluck Dinner, Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. in the Family Life Center. No charge. The church will provide turkey and dressing and you are invited to bring your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
PEARL – St. Jude, Smokin’ fundraiser for Young Apostles group, holiday meat sale after each Mass through Nov. 5. Details: Lauren at roberts0677@bellsouth.net.
TUPELO – St. James, Rummage Sale, Saturday, Nov. 4 from 7:30-11 a.m. in Shelton hall. Details: Bobbie at (662) 372-1087.
VICKSBURG – Knights of Columbus 898, Holiday smoked meat sale. Butts, turkey and loins $50; Half Chicken 2 for $8; Turkey breast $35; and Half ham $40. Order by Nov. 15 at https://kc898.square.site. Pick up Sunday, Nov. 19 from 12-4 p.m. at KC Hall, 310 Fisher Ferry Road. Details: Paul at (601) 529-1710.
WINONA – Sacred Heart, Communi-tea Festivi-tea event, Saturday, Nov. 11 from 12-3 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Cost: adults $15 and children (under 12) $12. Tickets available at Crossroads Jewelers or call Marlene at (662) 307-0831. Details: Barbara at (256) 506-5007.
SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
NATCHEZ – 2nd annual Believe Conference, April 19-21, 2024. Featured speakers are Anne Trufant, Catholic speaker and founder of The Mission on the Mountain; Barbara Heil, Catholic speaker and founder of From His Heart Ministries; and Joanne Moody, minister author, and founder of Agape Freedom Fighters. Cost: $100 for the weekend; $50 for students. Lunch included on Saturday. Details: visit https://www.themissiononthemountain.com.
PINE MOUNTAINS, GA – The Girls Garden Retreat , April 4-7, 2024 at Callaway Resort and Gardens. Retreat is for any woman who seeks goodness of God through beauty, rest, prayer and small community. Featured speaker is Laura Huval, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, Catholic speaker, author and more. Details: for registration, information and pricing visit www.girlsgardenretreats.com.
Por Cindy Wooden
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – Una “iglesia sinodal” en la que todos los bautizados participen y se responsabilicen de la misión necesitará estructuras y procesos que ayuden a los miembros de la Iglesia a escuchar al Espíritu Santo y a escucharse unos a otros, se dijo a los miembros del sínodo sobre la sinodalidad.
Mientras “los grandes medios de comunicación” buscan cambios en las prácticas católicas en unos pocos temas, “incluso las personas más cercanas a nosotros, nuestros colaboradores, los miembros de los consejos pastorales, las personas que están implicadas en las parroquias se preguntan qué cambiará para ellos, cómo podrán experimentar concretamente en sus vidas ese discipulado misionero y esa corresponsabilidad sobre los que hemos reflexionado en nuestro trabajo”, dijo a la asamblea el 18 de octubre el cardenal Jean-Claude Hollerich, relator general del Sínodo.
Esos colaboradores, dijo, “se preguntan cómo es posible en una Iglesia todavía poco sinodal, en la que sienten que su opinión no cuenta y que son unos pocos o uno solo los que deciden todo”.
Los miembros de la asamblea sinodal pasaron el 18 de octubre al tema de la “participación” y se prepararon para pasar cuatro días debatiendo el ejercicio de la autoridad y la responsabilidad en la Iglesia, así como los procesos y estructuras necesarios para promover una mayor participación en la vida y la misión de la Iglesia.
La sección iba a incluir un debate sobre las formas de fomentar el desarrollo de “prácticas de discernimiento y procesos de toma de decisiones” que involucren a todos los católicos en la búsqueda de la guía del Espíritu Santo y una mirada a cómo armonizar “las dimensiones sinodal y jerárquica” de la Iglesia.
Durante la Misa, como parte del Sínodo de los Obispos, celebrada por el Cardenal congoleño Fridolin Ambongo de Kinshasa en el Altar de la Cátedra en la Basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano en octubre 13 de 2023. (izq. y der.) Los participantes en la asamblea del Sínodo de los Obispos intercambian un signo de paz durante la Misa y (centro) Julia Oseka, miembro del Sínodo y estudiante de tercer año en la Universidad St. Joseph en Filadelfia, camina después de recibir la comunión. (Fotos CNS/Lola Gómez)
El documento de trabajo del sínodo también pedía a los miembros de la asamblea que consideraran cómo “fomentar la participación de las mujeres, los jóvenes, las minorías y las voces marginales en los procesos de discernimiento y toma de decisiones”.
El documento de trabajo señalaba: “La exigencia de una reforma de las estructuras e instituciones y de los mecanismos de funcionamiento en ordena a una mayor transparencia es particularmente fuerte en los contextos más marcados por la crisis de los abusos: sexuales, económicos, espirituales, psicológicos, institucionales, de conciencia, de poder, de jurisdicción”.
Al examinar la participación, el poder y la autoridad en la Iglesia – “temas delicados”, dijo el cardenal Hollerich – no se pide a la asamblea que aporte soluciones, sino sugerencias, que se estudiarán, discutirán y sobre las que se rezará a lo largo del próximo año antes de presentarlas a la asamblea sinodal prevista para 2024.
“Son temas que hay que abordar con precisión de lenguaje y de categorías”, dijo el cardenal. “Son cuestiones delicadas porque afectan a la vida concreta de la Iglesia y también el dinamismo de crecimiento de la tradición: un discernimiento equivocado podría cortarla o congelarla. En ambos casos la mataría”.
El padre Dario Vitali, profesor de teología en la Pontificia Universidad Gregoriana de Roma y coordinador de los teólogos que asisten al sínodo, dijo a los miembros que le llamaba la atención la frecuencia con que los participantes en la sala se hacían eco de la descripción del Concilio Vaticano II de la Iglesia como “sacramento”, “signo e instrumento” de unidad con Dios y con la humanidad, pero cuán pocas veces alguien utilizaba la descripción del Vaticano II de la Iglesia como “Pueblo de Dios”.
Al hablar de “participación, responsabilidad y autoridad”, dijo, los miembros del sínodo harían bien en reconocer la insistencia del Vaticano II en que “antes que las funciones está la dignidad de los bautizados; antes que las diferencias, que establecen jerarquías, está la igualdad de los hijos de Dios”.
Los dones, carismas y oficios en la Iglesia – incluido el ministerio sacerdotal ordenado, el oficio de obispo y el de Papa – están destinados a servir a la misión de todo el cuerpo, dijo.
La Constitución Dogmática sobre la Iglesia del Concilio Vaticano II se refería al “‘sacerdocio común de los fieles y al sacerdocio ministerial o jerárquico’ como formas distintas de participación en el sacerdocio de Cristo”, dijo el padre Vitali. “Este pasaje fue innovador por la elección de volcar los dos temas en juego; anteponer el sacerdocio común al sacerdocio ministerial significa romper una relación asimétrica de autoridad-obediencia que estructuraba la Iglesia piramidal”.
El padre dominico Timothy Radcliffe, antiguo superior de su orden que actúa como guía espiritual del sínodo, dijo a los miembros que mucha gente le ha dicho: “Este sínodo no cambiará nada”.
Agunos lo decían con esperanza, mientras que otros lo decían con miedo, dijo. Pero para él, “eso es una falta de fe en el nombre del Señor”, que ha prometido estar con la Iglesia y renovarla, “aunque quizá de maneras que no son inmediatamente obvias”. Esto no es optimismo, sino nuestra fe apostólica”.
El padre Radcliffe también pidió a la asamblea que reflexionara: “¿Cómo podemos ser un signo de paz si estamos divididos entre nosotros?”
Mientras los miembros del Sínodo buscan formas de fortalecer la sinodalidad de la Iglesia, les instó a fijarse en lo que Dios ya está haciendo.
“Hoy nuestro Dios ya está dando vida a una Iglesia que ya no es principalmente occidental: una Iglesia que es católica oriental, asiática, africana y latinoamericana”, dijo. “Es una Iglesia en la que las mujeres ya están asumiendo responsabilidades y renovando nuestra teología y espiritualidad. Ya hay jóvenes en todo el mundo, como vimos en Lisboa, que nos están llevando en nuevas direcciones, hacia el continente digital”.
Así que, aunque “¿qué debemos hacer?” es una pregunta legítima, dijo, “una pregunta aún más fundamental es: ¿qué está haciendo Dios?”
En cuanto al miedo, dijo, “lo nuevo es siempre una renovación inesperada de lo viejo. Por eso, cualquier oposición entre tradición y progreso es totalmente ajena al catolicismo”.
Por Cindy Wooden
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – Tomar en serio la lección de la parábola del buen samaritano es la clave para ayudar a los millones de migrantes y refugiados obligados a viajar lejos de sus países de origen y a menudo explotados en el camino, dijo el Papa Francisco.
“El camino que conducía de Jerusalén a Jericó no era una vía segura, como tampoco lo son hoy las numerosas rutas migratorias que atraviesan desiertos, bosques, ríos, y mares”, dijo el Papa el 19 de octubre mientras guiaba un servicio de oración por los migrantes y refugiados con los miembros del sínodo sobre la sinodalidad.
Tomar en serio la lección de la parábola del buen samaritano es la clave para ayudar a los millones de migrantes y refugiados obligados a viajar lejos de sus países de origen y a menudo explotados en el camino, dijo el Papa Francisco.
“El camino que conducía de Jerusalén a Jericó no era una vía segura, como tampoco lo son hoy las numerosas rutas migratorias que atraviesan desiertos, bosques, ríos, y mares”, dijo el Papa el 19 de octubre mientras guiaba un servicio de oración por los migrantes y refugiados con los miembros del sínodo sobre la sinodalidad.
“¿Cuántos hermanos y hermanas se encuentran hoy en la misma condición del caminante de la parábola?” preguntó el Papa. “¿Cuántos son asaltados, despojados y golpeados a lo largo del camino?”
El servicio de oración de la tarde tuvo lugar alrededor de “Angels Unawares”, una escultura del canadiense Timothy Schmalz, que se encuentra en la Plaza de San Pedro desde 2019. El barco de bronce está lleno de 140 figuras que representan a inmigrantes de varios períodos históricos y de varias naciones.
El servicio de oración “simboliza efectivamente caminar junto con algunas de las personas más vulnerables de nuestro planeta, es decir, aquellos que huyen, aquellos que se ven obligados a desplazarse, aquellos a quienes llamamos migrantes y refugiados”, dijo el cardenal Michael Czerny, prefecto del Dicasterio para el Servicio del Desarrollo Humano Integral.
Personal del dicasterio, un refugiado de Camerún y un refugiado de Ucrania leyeron las oraciones durante el servicio.
En su reflexión, el Papa Francisco llamó a reformar las políticas migratorias para incrementar los canales regulares y legales de migración, reconociendo las políticas económicas y demográficas nacionales, pero siempre poniendo “en el centro a los más vulnerables”.
Y, dijo, esas políticas deberían reconocer los beneficios que los inmigrantes aportan a sus nuevos países de origen, incluido “el crecimiento de sociedades más inclusivas, más hermosas y pacíficas”.
“Todos debemos comprometernos a hacer más seguro el camino, para que los viajeros de hoy no sean víctimas de los bandidos”, dijo el Papa. “Es necesario multiplicar los esfuerzos para combatir las redes criminales, que especulan con los sueños de los migrantes”.
Los inmigrantes y refugiados a menudo “parten engañados por traficantes sin escrúpulos. Luego son vendidos como mercancías. Son secuestrados, encarcelados, explotados y convertidos en esclavos”, afirmó. “Son humillados, torturados, y violentados. Y muchos, muchos mueren sin llegar nunca a su destino”.
“Las rutas migratorias de nuestro tiempo están pobladas por hombres y mujeres heridos y abandonados medio muertos; por hermanos y hermanas cuyo dolor clama ante la presencia de Dios”, dijo el Papa Francisco.
Aunque el Papa no mencionó situaciones específicas, hizo referencias fácilmente comparadas con la situación de las personas que tuvieron que abandonar Ucrania debido a la invasión rusa o que están abandonando el norte de Gaza después del ataque de Hamás a Israel y las represalias de Israel.
A menudo, dijo, las personas que dejan sus países “a menudo son personas que escapan de la guerra y del terrorismo, como vemos lamentablemente en estos días”.
El cardenal Czerny dijo a Catholic News Service que, si bien los inmigrantes y refugiados tal vez no estén en los titulares de la cobertura mediática del sínodo, “de hecho, el sínodo abarca todas esas realidades de nuestra vida diaria, que debemos acompañar, o utilizar la palabra sínodo: caminar con”.
Por eso, dijo, después de un largo día de trabajo en la sala del sínodo, los miembros caminaron hacia la Plaza de San Pedro y hacia la estatua, un monumento a “las personas vulnerables en movimiento, personas en fuga, de todas las edades, de todos los lugares y de todos los tiempos. Así que esos somos nosotros, todos nosotros”.
Los miembros del Sínodo, dijo, orarán por personas que conocen, por situaciones en sus propios países y por “las personas vulnerables en situaciones urgentes que conocemos, como la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México o el Mediterráneo, o muchos otros lugares donde, desafortunadamente, la gente se ve obligada a huir del peligro hacia una enorme inseguridad”.
Personalmente, dijo, el ora por “cualquiera que sea la situación o muchas situaciones que escucho en el transcurso de mi trabajo, y cada una de ellas te rompería el corazón y vienen de todas partes del mundo”.
La migración fue un tema importante en la sesión informativa del sínodo más temprano ese día con el cardenal Czerny; el obispo Daniel E. Flores de Brownsville, Texas; el arzobispo Dabula Anthony Mpako de Pretoria, Sudáfrica; y el padre misionero maronita Khalil Alwan, el secretario general con sede en el Líbano del Consejo de los Patriarcas Católicos de Oriente Medio.
El obispo Flores, cuya diócesis está en la frontera con México, dijo que su gente no es adinerada, pero sí generosa.
Y, dijo, al recibir, acoger y ayudar a las familias que cruzan la frontera, generalmente con el permiso del gobierno de Estados Unidos, los católicos trabajan con otras iglesias cristianas, así como con las comunidades musulmana y judía. También hay comunicación y coordinación constante con el obispo de Matamoros, México, al otro lado del río, quien también acoge y atiende a inmigrantes procedentes de América del Sur y Central.
El Papa Francisco dijo a los presentes en el servicio de oración que si bien es fácil mirar hacia otro lado (o caminar al otro lado del camino como lo hicieron los personajes de la parábola), el Evangelio llama a los cristianos “a ser prójimos de todos los caminantes de hoy, para salvar sus vidas, curar sus heridas y aliviar su dolor”.
“Lamentablemente, para muchos es demasiado tarde y no nos queda más remedio que llorar sobre sus tumbas, si las tienen”, dijo. “Pero, el Señor conoce el rostro de cada uno de ellos y no los olvida”.
“¿Cuántos hermanos y hermanas se encuentran hoy en la misma condición del caminante de la parábola?” preguntó el Papa. “¿Cuántos son asaltados, despojados y golpeados a lo largo del camino?”
El servicio de oración de la tarde tuvo lugar alrededor de “Angels Unawares”, una escultura del canadiense Timothy Schmalz, que se encuentra en la Plaza de San Pedro desde 2019. El barco de bronce está lleno de 140 figuras que representan a inmigrantes de varios períodos históricos y de varias naciones. El servicio de oración “simboliza efectivamente caminar junto con algunas de las personas más vulnerables de nuestro planeta, es decir, aquellos que huyen, aquellos que se ven obligados a desplazarse, aquellos a quienes llamamos migrantes y refugiados”, dijo el cardenal Michael Czerny, prefecto del Dicasterio para el Servicio del Desarrollo Humano Integral.
En su reflexión, el Papa Francisco llamó a reformar las políticas migratorias para incrementar los canales regulares y legales de migración, pero siempre poniendo “en el centro a los más vulnerables”.
Y, dijo, esas políticas deberían reconocer los beneficios que los inmigrantes aportan a sus nuevos países de origen, incluido “el crecimiento de sociedades más inclusivas, más hermosas y pacíficas”. Los inmigrantes y refugiados a menudo “parten engañados por traficantes sin escrúpulos. Luego son vendidos como mercancías. Son secuestrados, encarcelados, explotados y convertidos en esclavos”, afirmó. “Son humillados, torturados, y violentados. Y muchos, muchos mueren sin llegar nunca a su destino”.
