Speaking to leaders of the Christian Democrat International Pope Benedict said: “The commitment to respecting life in all its phases from conception to natural end – and the consequent rejection of abortion, euthanasia and any form of eugenics – is, in fact, interwoven with respecting marriage as an indissoluble union between a man and a woman and, in its turn, as the foundation for the community of family life. Thus, the family, the basic cell of society, is the root which nourishes not only the individual human being, but the very foundations of social coexistence.”
He also urged them to work for the common good and resist the limits of the market logic.
Living the Year of Faith
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops is suggesting 10 ways how to live the Year of Faith, which begins on October 11 and will end in November 2013. They include going to Mass and Confession; reading the Bible, saints’ lives, the Catechism, and the documents of the Second Vatican Council; helping the needy, inviting others to Mass, volunteering at a parish, and striving to follow the Beatitudes.
Catholics for Obama
Last week this column quoted the Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate which said opinion studies showed the vote of Catholics in the US presidential election is evenly split between the candidates.
But according to the latest voter study by the Pew Research Centre for the People and the Press, President Barack Obama holds a 54 per cent to 39 per cent advantage over Mitt Romney among Catholics.
Among Catholics who attend Mass weekly, Romney holds a 51 per cent to 42 per cent lead. Those who attend Mass ‘monthly’ or ‘yearly’ favour Obama by a 53 per cent to 39 per cent advantage, while those who attend Mass ‘seldom’ or ‘never’ back Obama by a 61 per cent to 32 per cent margin. The survey also found that white Catholics favour Obama by 47 per cent to 46 per cent.
Romney is the candidate favoured by Protestants by a 50 per cent to 42 per cent margin, and more so the candidate of the white evangelical Protestants, who would vote for Romney 74 per cent to 19 per cent.
Muslims, Christians and fundamentalism
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, told Vatican Radio that Islamic fundamentalism is “an enemy not only of Christians but also of Muslims themselves”.
The cardinal was reflecting upon Pope Benedict’s recent apostolic journey to Lebanon.
Mgr Tauran commented that fundamentalism “destroys rather than builds… It is no exaggeration to say that Islamic fundamentalism is a danger to everyone.”
He said that during the Pope’s visit, Lebanese Christian youths stood side by side Lebanese Muslim youths welcoming the Pope by the phrase: ‘We love you’.
For Mgr Tauran this proves that Christian and Muslims can live together.
Record number of women for synod
Pope Benedict nominated 45 experts and 49 observers for the upcoming World Synod of Bishops.
The synod, which starts next Sunday, will include 10 women experts and 19 observers. This is the largest number of women ever to participate in the synod.
They will serve as resources for the more than 200 synod members as they discuss the theme New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)