Quotes and news
Ignorance of faith: a great obstacle – Pope
Speaking to a group of French bishops on their ad limina visit to the Vatican, Pope Benedict said: “One of the gravest problems of our time is the ignorance of religion on the part of many men and women, also among the Catholic faithful.”
He added that the people’s ignorance of the faith “produces an inability to understand history or to recognise themselves as heirs to this tradition, which has shaped European life, society, art and culture.”
The Pope referred to the past of Catholicism in France, which he described as “glorious” and said this should make people hopeful that the efforts of evangelisation in France would bear fruit.
He also noted as encouraging the “signs of vitality and involvement of the laity in French society”. Advancement in Catholic education and the dialogue between faith and culture were singled out by the Pope as initiatives that should be stressed.
Cardinal reflects on Church’s social teaching
Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, told Vatican Radio that the Church’s social doctrine, which “should not be a secret anymore” is still in some cases being neglected even in houses of formation.
“In the past we looked at the Church as the mystical body of Christ, the emphasis was on spiritual relationships. Then Vatican II opened that up, it brought us to recognise that we are a family, the sense of the Church in terms of social commitments,” added the cardinal.
He described the Church’s social teaching by the content of the answer that should be given to two questions: ‘What am I, with my Christian faith, invited to witness to the love of Christ?’ and ‘How do I engage the social order, the political and economic life?’
Austrian ‘rebel’ is no longer a monsignor
The Vatican announced it was stripping Helmut Schueller, former vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Vienna, of the title of monsignor. Schueller is the leader of the movement of Austrian priests that is asking for ecclesiastical reforms in areas such as obligatory celibacy and the administration of communion to divorcees and same-sex couples.
This decision does not in any way effect his priestly functions. He will continue to serve as the parish priest of St Stephan in the village of Probstdorf near Vienna.
Schueller had recently an-nounced the holding of an international meeting of movements that have sprung up across the world in recent years, either following in the footsteps of the Austrian rebel priests or presenting their own requests. The meeting, which will be held in 2013, is expected to attract participation from several countries.
About 10 per cent of the entire Austrian clergy are members of the ‘rebel’ movement which was launched in 2005.
Pope’s December prayer intentions
Pope Benedict XVI is dedicating the month of December to pray for all migrants throughout the world.
The Apostleship of Prayer an-nounced the intentions chosen by the Pope for this month. His general intention is: “That migrants throughout the world may be welcomed with generosity and authentic love, especially by Christian communities.”
The Pope’s apostolic intention for December is: “That Christ may reveal himself to all humanity with the light that shines forth from Bethlehem and is reflected in the face of his Church.”
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)