The Chinese government has reportedly forced bishops to attend an episcopal ordination that the Vatican considers illicit. Vatican spokes-man Fr Federico Lombardi said “the Holy See would consider such actions as grave violations of freedom of religion and of conscience”.
Fr Lombardi confirmed that Fr Joseph Guo Jincai, who had just been ordained bishop of Chengde, did not have the approval of Pope Benedict to be ordained a bishop. The Vatican also issued a strongly worded condemnation of the illicit ordination of the newly ordained bishop in China.
Ever-increasing rise in female migration
A ever-increasing number of women are leaving their country of origin alone to work abroad to work as nannies or domestic servants. Caritas Internationalis estimates that “half of the world’s 214 million migrants today are women”, and they increasingly suffer from “exploitation, abuse, trafficking and lack (of) labour rights”.
“As poverty, conflict, and climate change force more people from their homes, Caritas is working to protect their rights, especially those of women,” said Caritas secretary general Lesley-Anne Knight. “Supporting migrants continues to be a major part of our work worldwide, from counselling before they leave their homes, to medical, livelihood, and legal support once they have reached their destinations, as well as assistance for those who want to get back to their homes.”
Jesuits want more help for AIDS
The African Jesuit AIDS Network, an AIDS relief group in sub-Saharan Africa, has noted that the international engagement in the struggle against AIDS is waning, and that there is today a serious lack of funding shortages for life-saving anti-retroviral therapy.
The Jesuit organisation said 1.9 million people were newly infected in 2008, and 1.4 million people died of AIDS-related complications.
Burial preferred, but cremation is also allowed
The Archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal Justin Rigali said “while interment of the body remains the preference of the Church… the use of cremation is allowed”.
In his directives he said “if a body is to be cremated, it is preferable that cremation takes place after the funeral liturgy”, and “the cremated remains are to be buried in a cemetery or entombed in a mausoleum ”.
The norms also state that “it is not permitted to scatter cremated remains”, adding that “the permanent storage of cremated remains in a private home, funeral home or any other place is prohibited”.
Church committed to full Christian unity
Pope Benedict XVI said the Catholic Church is firmly committed to achieve full communion with the other Christian Churches. This goal should not be looked at as the result of compromises but as a religious effort to fulfil God’s will. The Pope was addressing members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
It has now been 50 years since Pope John XXIII launched the Vatican Council which had given an impetus to ecumenism. Since then, Catholics have grown in their knowledge, understanding and esteem for other Christian Churches and communities.
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)