Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow said: “Along with the bishops of Scotland, who are deeply conscious of the importance of this referendum, I encourage and urge all those eligible to vote to do so with complete freedom of choice and in accordance with their prayerful judgment of what is best for the future. May God guide us and bless us in whatever choice we make in good conscience.”
Pope’s September prayer intentions
The Pope’s universal prayer intention for September is: “That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life”.
His intention for evangelisation is: “That Christians, inspired by the Word of God, may serve the poor and suffering”.
‘Martyrdom’ in Ukraine
Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halych, headof the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said: “Our Church in Donetsk and Luhansk is experiencing martyrdom, and it needs prayer and support”, when referring to the state of the Catholic Church in the part of Ukraine occupied by pro-Russian separatists.
While blessing an icon of Jesus, Shevchuk dedicated it to the Catholics in Donetsk, saying: “This icon represents God’s blessing on this long-suffering city, which today is bleeding.” He added: “and may the Lord hear our prayers and pleas for peace and stop the bloodshed”.
In recent weeks, the cathedral in Donetsk and a nearby convent have been seized by armed rebels. Local church sources in Luhansk report that priests are in constant danger.
The danger of ‘watered down’ Christians
During the Angelus last Sunday, Pope Francis said: “We Christians live in the world, fully integrated in the social and cultural reality of our time, and it is right that it is so; however, this carries the risk that we become ‘worldly’, that the salt loses its flavour, as Jesus would say; that is, that the Christian is ‘watered down’, losing the inspiration of newness that comes from the Lord and the Holy Spirit. Instead, they should be the opposite: when the strength of the Gospel remains alive in Christians, they can transform “mankind’s criteria of judgement, determining values, points of interest, lines of thought, sources of inspiration and models of life.
“It is sad to meet Christians who are watered down, like wine; you cannot tell whether they are Christians or worldly, like watered wine; it is impossible to tell whether it is wine or water.
“It is sad to meet Christians who are no longer the salt of the earth… because they have committed themselves to the spirit of this world, that is, they have become worldly.
“Therefore, it is necessary to renew oneself continuously, to draw strength from the Gospel… by reading and meditating the Gospel every day, so the word of Jesus may always be present in our life.”
Iraqi Christian hailed as yet another martyr
Salem Matti Kourki, a resident of Bartala, in the Nineveh Plains, is being hailed a martyr for the faith as he died under torture in northern Iraq after refusing to renounce his faith. The report of this martyrdom was carried by the AsiaNews service.
Kourki evaded capture by the Islamic State for three weeks but eventually ran out of food and had to leave the house where he was hiding. He was discovered and tortured to embrace Islam. He refused to do so and succumbed to the wounds inflicted on him. After he died, his body was left in the street.
The Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad saluted Kourki as “another martyr, a victim of extremist folly”.
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)