PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

Monitor
CBCP

JANUARY 23 - FEBRUARY 5, 2017 VOL 21, NO. 2

CBCPMONITOR@AREOPAGUSCOMMUNICATIONS.COM

The thousands of delegates were treated to a glorious spectacle as the sun goes down during the closing Mass of the 4th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy at the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan on January 20, 2017. ANALYN PERUCHO

Bishops hit killings

in Mercy Congress

Msgr. Ocariz
confirmed as
new prelate
of Opus Dei

By Roy Lagarde

MANILAThe Church
just cant talk about mercy without talking about
the life.
Msgr. Fernando Ocariz, who was elected
Prelate of Opus Dei Jan. 23, 2017. OPUS
DEI COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

ROME Pope Francis on

Monday confirmed the
election of Monsignor
Fernando Ocariz Braa as
Prelate of Opus Dei. The
Opus Dei / A6

The recently held 4th World

Apostolic Congress on Mercy
(WACOM 4) was dominated by talks
on President Rodrigo Dutertes war
on drugs as cases of extrajudicial
killings keep escalating.
Even if Duterte continue to
unleash tirades on the bishops for
criticizing his drug war, the prelates
said they cant stay silent in the
face of increasing human rights

violations in the country.

Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of
Lipa said the Church, with all its
imperfections and weaknesses, will
continue to teach the Gospel of life
because they have a crucial role to
play for their flock.
Churchmen are not perfect.
Nevertheless, they are supposed to
proclaim what is right and proper
even if they themselves fall short
of what they teach, Arguelles said
on Jan. 20.
The fault of some should not be
blamed on all, he said.
The archbishop was responding
to President Rodrigo Dutertes fresh
attack on the Catholic hierarchy for
criticizing his war on drugs which

claimed thousands of lives in nearly

six months.
The outspoken chief executive
said the bishops have no moral
ascendancy to criticize his
administration because of their
supposed failure to address
problems within their ranks.
Arguelles compared the Churchs
moral teachings to a sick doctor,
who is still expected to cure the sick.
Even a sick doctor must still try
to cure ailments of others, and, of
course, his too, said Arguelles.
But the prelate stressed this
should not be seen as the Church
defending those who committed
wrongdoings.
He said the Church is determined

to police its ranks and will continue

to express indignation and sanction
erring priests.
Bishops and priests, who hide
serious misdeeds, are harming
the Church by their infidelities.
If anyone has concrete evidence
of misdeed, the authorities better
know it and clean the ranks, said
Arguelles.
Good intentions but
Cardinal Orlando Quevedo of
Cotabato admitted that he admires
Dutertes determination to end
criminality in the country. Those
are good intentions, he said.
But the killings of suspected
Killings / A6

Popes Amoris Laetitia doctrinally

sound, says Cardinal Quevedo

Christians face alarming situation

in Mindanao, priest says

A FILIPINO cardinal
sees nothing wrong with
Pope Francis most recent
teachings on family life amid
pleads for clarity.
Cardinal Orlando
Quevedo said the Popes
post-synodal exhortation
Amoris Laetitia remains to
be doctrinally sound.
Its clear enough that
the Pope is holding on to
doctrine, Cardinal Quevedo
said in a press conference
held on the sidelines of the 4th
World Apostolic Congress on
Mercy (WACOM) at the UST
Pavillon in Manila on Jan. 17.
I read it twice to find out
what they are saying, he
said. I cannot understand
the justification that the pope
has to clarify his position.
The Cotabato archbishop
was referring to the four
prominent cardinals who
publicly questioned the
pontiff about communion for
the divorced and remarried.

Fr. Sebastian DAmbra of Silsilah Dialogue Movement speaks at the 4th World Apostolic
Congress on Mercy at the UST Pavilion in Manila, January 17, 2017. ROY LAGARDE

Cardinal Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato whispers to Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, vicepostulator for Sr. Maria Faustinas canonization cause, during a press briefing at the
UST Pavillon in Manila, Jan. 17, 2017. ROY LAGARDE

Cardinals Walter
Brandmller, Raymond Burke,
Carlo Caffarra, and Joachim
Meisner said the Pope must
resolve the uncertainties and
bring clarity.
But Cardinal Quevedo said
the papal document only
seeks to find out pastoral

applications of the doctrine

that would show compassion
and mercy to those in
troubled circumstances.
He is not questioning the
doctrine. He is only suggesting
how the Church can be more
compassionate to those in
difficult circumstances of

marriage, divorced and so

on, he said.
The prelate added that
publicly challenging the
Pope from supposedly his
defenders is divisive of the
Church.
We are advisers of the
Pope and these are given at
the proper forum, he added.
In his talk to the delegates
of WACOM, he also lamented
that how a vocal minority is
questioning the Popes vision
of Church of the poor.
He said some people think
of that vision as ideological
that comes from the left.
They are raising doctrinal
objections to the pastoral
concern of the Holy Father
for mercy and compassion
and those in great need, said
Cardinal Quevedo.
But it is really a vision that
truly comes from the early
times of Christianity the
Church of the poor, he said.
(CBCPNews)

AN Italian Catholic
missionary working for
interreligious dialogue and
peace in Mindanao said the
situation of Christians in
some parts of the region is

becoming alarming.
Fr. Sebastian DAmbra
of the Silsilah Dialogue
Movement based in
Zamboanga City said the
Alarming / A7

Public warned: Beware of fake news

WITH Europe fast becoming a hotbed for

religious intolerance and discrimination,
Europeans are pointing to the Divine
Mercy for being the force that challenges
them to continue proclaiming Jesus in
an increasingly secular society.
In France now Catholics are
persecuted because [of a] conception
of life that is very, very against any
religion, said Myriam Michelin, a retired
principal from the South of France,
who was at the UST Quadricentennial
Pavilion yesterday, Jan. 17 for day 2 of
the ongoing World Apostolic Congress
on Mercy (WACOM) 4.
Citing Lingayen Dagupan
Archbishop Socrates Villegas homily

on the need to counter the fear of

opposition in the name of mercy, the
consecrated lay person who is based
in Taiwan said French Catholics are
challenged even more to stand by their
faith.
God loves you stickers
We should not be afraid to be in
contradiction, Michelin said of her
country which has seen a rise in antiChristian acts like the killing of French
priest Fr. Jacques Hamel during
morning Mass in July 2016.
According to her, more French
Christians are also responding to the
Divine Mercy by rediscovering the

power of silence.
I think the strong discovery of what
the bishop said today in his homily
is to be quiet, be still to pray, and let
God come into you. That is the point,
explained Michelin.
For 22-year old Maria Lechner,
Austrias anti-Christian environment
is perfect for her own personal New
Evangelization initiative of God loves
you stickers.
Also in our place its very difficult to
show to the people around you that you
are Christian, that you are CatholicI
think it is always the best to be like a
model, to live freely, said the nurse
Persecution / A7

BROTHERS MATIAS

Divine Mercy counters Christian persecution in Europe

A NUN cautioned netizens

to validate the authenticity
of an article before assuming
it is true.

Sr. Adel Abamo, SDS

expressed sadness over the
growing number of people
Fake / A7

A2 NEWS
t

Vatican Briefing

Mafia crime is radically opposed to the Gospel,

Pope says
Frequently an outspoken critic against organized
crime, Pope Francis again came out with harsh words for
those involved in the mafia and other criminal activities,
which he said are stained with blood and go directly
against the faith. The phenomena of the mafia, which
is an expression of a culture of death, is (something)
to oppose and to fight, the Pope said Jan. 23. Pope
Francis spoke to members of the National Anti-Mafia
and Anti-terrorism Bu-reau during an audience with the
organization in the Vaticans Apostolic Pal-ace. (Elise
Harris/CNA)
On Trump presidency, Pope says we must wait
and see
In a new interview published Saturday, Pope Francis
said he will wait to see what U.S. President Donald
J. Trump does before making any judgments, emphasizing Gods own patience with him and his faults.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais Jan.
20, the same day as the U.S. presidential inau-guration,
Pope Francis said he doesnt like to get ahead of himself
or judge people prematurely. We will see. We will see
what he does and will judge. The world is so upside
down, that it needs a fixed point, grounded firmly in
reality: what did you do, what did you decide, how do
you move. That is what I prefer to wait and see, he said.
(Hannah Brockhaus/CNA)
Pope makes a strong call for better marriage
prep
Pope Francis stressed the pressing need for effective
education and prepara-tion for the sacrament of
marriagenot only to guard against invalid marriages, but also to strengthen the faith of the couple as
they prepare for the unique blessings and challenges
of married life. The goal of this preparation consists,
namely, in helping engaged couples to know and
to live the reality of marriage as it is intended to be
celebrated, so that it is possible to do so not only validly
and lawfully, but also fruitfully, so that they are able to
make this celebration a stage of their journey of faith,
Pope Francis said. In this spirit, I would reiterate
the need for a new catechumenate in preparation for
mar-riage, he said in his Jan. 21 address to the judges
of the Roman Rota at the Vaticans Clementine Hall.
(Hannah Brockhaus/CNA)
Siblings arrested in cyber attack that
compromised Vatican computers
Two arrests have been made in a widespread cyberattack that compromised communications of prominent
Italian institutions and individuals, including the
Vatican. Italian police have arrested Giulio Occhionero,
45, and his sister Francesca Maria Occhionero, 49.
The siblings, who also work as engineers and have
dual residencies in London and Rome, are accused of
illegally ac-cessing classified information, and breaching
and intercepting information technology systems and
data communications. The attack reportedly hacked as
many as 18,000 accounts, including computers used by
Cardinal Gianfran-co Ravasi at the Pontifical Council for
Culture, computers at a Vatican guest house regularly
used by prelates visiting Rome, and thousands of e-mail
mes-sages. (CNA)
Youth to be protagonists in upcoming synod of
bishops
With the 2014-2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family
barely falling out of sight, the preparatory document for
the next synod dedicated to youth has been released,
indicating that young people will play an active role in
both the preparation and the discussion. Through every
phase of this Synod, the Church wants again to state her
desire to encounter, accompany and care for every young
person, without exception, a preparatory document for
the 2018 synod read. The Church cannot, nor does she
wish to, abandon them to the isolation and exclusion to
which the world exposes them. The theme for the 2018
50th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Young
People, the Faith and the Discernment of Vocation, was
announced Oct. 6, 2016. (Elise Harris/CNA)
Cardinal OMalley appointed to Vatican office
for Doctrine of the Faith
The Vatican announced that Cardinal Sean OMalley
of Boston has yet another reason to come to Rome,
with his appointment as the newest member of the
Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Already a member of the Popes Council of Cardinals
and President of the Pontifical Commission for the
Protection of Minors, OMalleys appointment to the
CDF, announced in a Jan. 14 communique from the
Vatican, adds yet another major role to the list of duties
he is accumulating. Headed by Cardinal Gerhard Muller,
the CDF is also home to a new judicial section established
by the Pope last June to handle cases of abuse of office
on the part of a bishop or religious superior accused of
being negligent in handling instances of child sexual
abuse. (Elise Harris/CNA)
Conversion is a prerequisite to ecumenism,
Pope says
For Pope Francis, personal conversion is pretty much
the key to the Churchs success in all of her activities,
from Church governance to pastoral work, from Curial
reform to evangelization and dialogue. He reiterated this
point in a Jan. 19 speech to an ecumenical delegation
from Finland, telling them that true ecumenism is
based on a shared conversion to Jesus Christ as our
Lord and Redeemer. If we draw close to him, we draw
close also to one another, he said, and pointed to his
trip to Sweden last fall for a joint-commemoration of
the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Pope Francis
spoke to members of the Ecumenical Delegation of the
Lutheran Church of Finland who traveled to Rome for
their annual pilgrimage marking the feast of St. Henrik,
the coun-trys patron. (Elise Harris/CNA)

January 23 - February 5, 2017 Vol 21, No. 2

CBCP Monitor

World Youth Day Panama will take

place January 22-27
PANAMA City Archbishop
Jos Domingo Ulloa Mendieta
of Panama officially anounced
on Jan. 19 the dates of the next
World Youth Day, which is
set to take place in January,
rather than July as is usual,
due to the weather.
He made the announcement
during a Jan. 20 news
conference in the countrys
capital, Panama City, during
which he also reiterated the
gratitude of the Panamanian
Church to Pope Francis for
choosing Panama to host
WYD in 2019.
According to a communiqu
from the archdiocese, the
bishop explained that the
decision to choose Jan. 22-27
for the dates of the gathering,
rather than holding it in July
as is traditionally done, was
done for reasons primarily
linked to the climate and
weather.
Speaking directly to youth,
Ulloa said you are the true
protagonists of this World
Youth Day. Panama awaits
you with an open heart and
with open arms to share the
faith, to feel that you are the
Church!
Pope Francis announced
Panama as the setting for
the next WYD at the closing

World Youth Day pilgrims from Panama July 30, 2016. KATE VEIK/CNA.

Mass of the July 26-31, 2016,

international gathering in
Krakow.
I am happy to announce
that the next World Youth
Dayafter the two that will
be held on the diocesan
levelwill take place in
2019 in Panama, the Pope
said making the July 31
announcement.
In a news conference after
the announcement of Panama
as the next location was made,
the countrys bishops said the
decision is a reflection of his

attention to the peripheries

and voiced their hope to be a
bridge for those who come
from all continents.
I think that it will be an
occasion a revitalization
of the Church in general,
and for the youth in
particular not just from
Panama, but from Central
America and all of Latin
America, Cardinal Jos
Luis LacunzaMaestrojun of
David told CNA July 31.
Panama, he said, will
be an opportunity for a

demographically young Latin

America to charge their
battery in living the Christian
life.
He noted how the decision
to hold the 2019 WYD in
Panama comes just a year
after he was named the
countrys first cardinal, jesting
that Pope Francis made a lot
of mischief, the first of which
was appointing me cardinal. It
was a great mischief!
Now Panamanians have
the opportunity to show
what we really are, he said,
explaining that while Pope
Francis might have made this
mischief in giving Panama
the task of organizing the
2019 event, with a big smile
gives us this challenge to go
forward.
Due to its geographical
location, Panama serves as
a bridge connecting North,
South and Central America,
he said.
Given the fact that many
youth from Central America
will be able to arrive to
Panama by land at a low
cost, the cardinal said that
though hes not 100 percent
sure, this must be one of the
reasons why Pope Francis
elected Panama to be the
host. (CNA)

Cardinal Dolan prays for wisdom as Trump takes office

WASHINGTON D.C. Cardinal
Timothy Dolan of New York prayed for
Gods wisdom as Donald J. Trump was
sworn in as the 45th president of the
United States on Jan. 19.
Give us wisdom, for we are Your
servants, weak and short-lived, lacking
in comprehension of judgment and
of laws. Indeed, though one might be
perfect among mortals, if wisdom which
comes from You be lacking, we count for
nothing, Cardinal Dolan prayed from
the ninth chapter of the Book of Wisdom
at the 58th Presidential Inauguration on
Friday, on the steps of the West Front of
the U.S. Capitol building.
Republican Donald Trump took the
Oath of Office administered by Supreme
Court Chief Justice John Roberts. An
official estimate of the Inauguration
attendance was not made, although
estimates revealed the attendance to
be significantly less than President
Obamas 2009 Inauguration.
Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill
Clinton and George W. Bush were in
attendance, as well as Barack Obama.
Former vice presidents Dan Quayle and
Dick Cheney were also present.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke amidst a
noticeable chorus of Trump! chants
from the crowd.
The prayers at the Inauguration were
openly Christian, with a reading by
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York
and Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez of the
National Hispanic Christian Leadership
Conference, an invocation by Pastor
Paula White-Cain of the New Destiny
Christian Center, and benedictions

by Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon

Wiesenthal Center, Rev. Franklin
Graham of Samaritans Purse, and
Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith
Ministries International.
In his Inauguration reading, Cardinal
Dolan prayed for Gods wisdom for the
country.
Send her [wisdom] forth from your
holy heavens, from your glorious throne
dispatch her, that she may be with us
and work with us, that we may grasp
what is pleasing to you, he read. For
she knows and understands all things,
and will guide us prudently in our affairs
and safeguard us by her glory. Amen.
Chair of the Joint Congressional
Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) called the
ceremony a celebration of democracy
and praised the tradition of a peaceful
transfer of power between rivaling
parties and administrations that dates
back to the beginning of the country.
President Trump, in his First Inaugural
Address with former President Obama
seated behind him, cited the peaceful
transfer of power but immediately pledged
to return power to you, the people.
For too long, he said, Washington
flourished, but the people did not share
in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but
the jobs left and the factories closed.
He described a bleak picture
of American carnage outside of
Washington, D.C.:
Mothers and children trapped in
poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out
factories scattered like tombstones
across the landscape of our nation. An
education system flush with cash, but

which leaves our young and beautiful

students deprived of all knowledge.
And the crime and the gangs and the
drugs that have stolen too many lives
and robbed our country of so much
unrealized potential.
This American carnage stops right
here, and stops right now, he said.
President Trump pleaded with
Americans to look to the future and
promised to put America first
economically and in foreign policy.
Every decision on trade, on taxes, on
immigration, on foreign affairs will be
made to benefit American workers and
American families, he said. We must
protect our borders from the ravages of
other countries making our products,
stealing our companies, and destroying
our jobs.
He promised to get our people off
of welfare and back to work, rebuilding
our country with American hands and
American labor.
Regarding foreign policy, Trump
promised to unite the civilized world
against radical Islamic terrorism which
we will eradicate completely from the
face of the earth.
And the new president cited the Bible
in promoting a solidarity among
Americans, albeit one first rooted in
patriotism and allegiance to the
country.
At the bedrock of our politics will be
a total allegiance to the United States of
America, and through our loyalty to our
country, we will rediscover our loyalty
to each other, he said. When you open
your heart to patriotism, there is no
room for prejudice. (CNA)

Cardinal Gracias: Soon the holy martyrs of Orissa

INDIA The Vatican is willing
to open the canonization
of100 Christian martyrs
killed in 2008 in Kandhamal
districtin the Indian state of
Orissa.This was announced
by CardinalOswald Gracias,
archbishop of Mumbai
and president of the
Federation of Asian Bishops
Conferences (FABC),
reporting an interview with
C a r d . F e r n a n d o F i l o n i ,
Prefect of the Congregation
for the Evangelization of
Peoples.
ToAsiaNewsOrissa
Christians express deep joy
in seeing recognized the
sacrifice of so many who
have given their lives rather
than deny Christ.
Father Ajaya Kumar Singh,
a prominent activist and
director Odisha Forum for
Social Action, says: They
did not know what would
become of the martyrs, have
defended what they believed,
that Jesus is the Christ.He
had much more importance

for them to follow Jesus than

to have saved his life.There
have been many occasions
in which these martyrs could
escape the death denying
Jesus. But they chose to
embrace death.
In August 2008, the
Hindu radicals in Orissa
have implemented the most
fierce persecution against
Christians, blamed the
murder of the guru Swami
Lakshmananda, leader
of the Hindu nationalist
group Vishva Hindu
Parishad.In four months
of violence, more than 100
people were killed;6,500
homes destroyed;about
395 churches and places
of worship damaged or
demolished;more than 56
thousand people forced to
flee.
In January 2016, the
Catholic Church of India
has decided to open the
canonization causeand
wasentrusted to Msgr.John
Barwa, Archbishop of

Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar,
collecting information on the
murdered Christians.
Martyrdom, continues
p.Singh, is nothing more
than the recognition that
even ordinary people find
more meaning in death than
in life;for them, faith in Jesus
is the greatest witness and
life meaning. Heartened
that the cardinal recognized
that.It is not only a tribute to
Christians who were killed,
but their faith in Christ.And
above all is the recognition
t h a t t h e v a l u e s a n d
principles set out by Jesus
are implemented by simple
Christians of Kandhamal.
The announcement of the
card.Gracias has rekindled
hope for the relatives of
victims.One of them is
Kanakarekha Nayak, who
lost her husband during the
persecutions.Im happy he says - that the cardinal
has assumed the leadership
of the process, which has
allowed an acceleration of

the cause.This gives me great

confidence and consolation
.The woman he met in
person the archbishop of
Mumbai during the National
Eucharistic Congress, and
reported the story of her
husband.I said that I firmly
believe - says - that his faith
in Jesus, and his subsequent
death for refusing to recant,
would not have been in
vain.
Paul Pradhan, a Catholic
lawyer whose home was
destroyed during the
pogroms, adds: The martyrs
who sacrificed their lives for
the faith.Martyrdom is the
crown of faith.Their sacrifice
purifies and strengthens our
faith as followers of Jesus.
They will live in our minds
and in our hearts. It is our
task, concludes, keep alive
their memory.We must do
this not only for us but also
for the coming generations,
who face the challenges
of religious fanaticism.
(AsiaNews)

CBCP Monitor

NEWS A3

January 23 - February 5, 2017 Vol 21, No. 2

What do the rays in the Pope Francis makes a strong

Divine Mercy mean? call for better marriage prep
MANILA Ever wondered
why Jesus in the Divine
Mercy image is shown
with a white and red rays
emitting from his heart?
Giving talk 3 of the ongoing
World Apostolic Congress
on Mercy (WACOM) 4, The
Church is the Servant and
Witness of Gods Mercy,
Fr. Seraphim Michalenko,
M.I.C. said the meaning
behind the images two rays
is found in Scripture and is
closely linked to how the
human body functions.
The basic meaning of the
rays is what we read in the
Gospel of JohnSt. John
said he handed over His
spirit. And the spirit is the life of
Jesus, said the priest.

Life of the soul

Their (bloods) separation into
two colors happens only after a
persons death, he said, noting
the close relationship between the
Sacraments and Christs death.
According to Michalenko, the
white ray is linked to how the
white blood cells act to protect the
body against diseases and foreign
invaders, which in turn symbolize
the Sacraments of Baptism, of
Reconciliation, and Anointing of
the Sick.
The white component, explained
the priest, carries toxins out of the
body, which is similar to how the
three Sacraments acts on the soul
as well.
On the other hand, the red ray,
said the priest, signifies the red
component of the blood [which]
carries oxygen, the life-giving
oxygen to every cell.
According to him, the red ray
symbolizes the Eucharist, which
is the life of the soul.
Speaking to thousands of
WACOM4 delegates gathered at
the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion
earlier today, Michalenko said:
Those raysfulfill the last part of
the creed. The rays represent the

coming forth of Mother Church,

which through baptism gives birth
to children.
No exaggeration
These are the very basics of our
faith graphically pointed out. As we
venerate that image, we allow the
grace of God to penetrate us, said
the priest, appealing to deeper faith.
Michalenko was quick to stress
that the Divine Mercy devotion is
more than just sentimental piety.
This is not an exaggeration. This
is an act of faith we put in our Lords
promise Everything we need
for a right life, for a good death,
and salvation [is here], he said,
noting that a good life is not only
forgiveness of sins.
It is also health and total wellbeing in every aspect of our life,
added Michalenko.
For day 2 of WACOM4, delegates
heard Cotabato Archbishop
Orlando Quevedo give talk 1
on The Church Called to be a
Communion in the Love and Mercy
of God and the second talk by
Fr. Patrice Chocholski on The
Church Receives and Celebrates
the Mercy of God through the
Word and Sacraments Especially
the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
(Nirvaana Ella Delacruz/
CBCPNews)

This Spanish prison ministry is

helping rehabilitate in-mates

VATICAN In his annual speech

to the Holy Sees main court on
Saturday, Pope Francis stressed
the pressing need for effective
education and preparation for the
sacrament of marriagenot only
to guard against invalid marriages,
but also to strengthen the faith of
the couple as they prepare for the
unique blessings and challenges of
married life.
The goal of this preparation
consists, namely, in helping
engaged couples to know and to
live the reality of marriage as it is
intended to be celebrated, so that it
is possible to do so not only validly
and lawfully, but also fruitfully,
so that they are able to make this
celebration a stage of their journey
of faith, Pope Francis said.
In this spirit, I would reiterate
the need for a new catechumenate
in preparation for marriage, he
said in his Jan. 21 address to the
judges of the Roman Rota at the
Vaticans Clementine Hall.
Welcoming the guidance of the
Fathers of the last Ordinary Synod,
it is urgent to implement effectively
what has already been proposed
inFamiliaris Consortio(no. 66),
he said.
That is, as for the baptism of
adults the catechumenate is part
of the sacramental process, so the
preparation for marriage must
become an integral part of all
sacramental marriage procedure,
as an antidote that prevents the
increase of invalid or tenuous
marriage celebrations.
The Pope delivers a speech to
the members of the Rota, a court
of higher instance at the Holy See,
each January to inaugurate the
courts judicial year.
In this years speech, Francis
noted that the breakdown of faith,
religious values, and belief in eternal
truths, particularly regarding the
family, has become widespread
even among Christians, which can
impact the awareness and consent
with which people enter into the
sacrament.
At the same time, the different
backgrounds and experiences of
faith of those seeking Christian
marriage cannot be ignored, he
said. Some participate actively in
parish life; others will come for the
first time; some also have a life of
intense prayer; others are, however,
driven by a more generic religious
sentiment.
Faced with this situation, we
need to find valid remedies, the
Pope emphasized.
The first remedy he proposed

Newly married couples meet Pope Francis in St. Peters Square on Sept. 9, 2015. LOSSERVATORE ROMANO

is the training of young people:

through an adequate process of
preparation aimed to rediscover
marriage and the family according
to Gods plan, he said.
The meetings between a priest and
an engaged couple are, of course, a
fundamental and important part
of their preparation. But more
than that, Francis said, the period
of a couples engagement becomes
an extraordinary opportunity for
mission for the whole community.
The Christian community to
which the engaged turn is called
to cordially announce the Gospel
to these people, because their
experience of love can become a
sacrament, an effective sign of
salvation. In this circumstance,
the redemptive mission of Jesus
reaches the men and women in
the concreteness of their love life.
For many young people, the
approach of marriage with all of the
changes involved, can be a period
of increased openness to a renewal
of faith and encounter with Jesus
Christ, with the message of the
Gospel and the Churchs doctrine,
the Pope said.
In this regard, teaching the truth
about marriage and love becomes
extremely important, Francis
reminded the judges.
He quoted from Benedict XVIs
last speech to the Rota on Jan. 26,
2013, in which he said that only in
being open to the truth of God [...]
is it possible to understand, and to
achieve in the concreteness of life,
even marriage and family, the truth
of man
The rejection of the divine
proposal, Benedict said, in fact
leads to a profound imbalance in all
human relationships [...], including
the matrimonial one.

Pope Francis went on to quote

fromLumen fidei, his first encyclical,
which says that Love needs truth.
Just as it is based on truth, love
can last in time, overcome the
ephemeral moment and stand firm
to support a common path.
If love has no relationship
to the truth, it is subject to the
changing feelings and does not
pass the test of time,Lumen
fideicontinues. True love instead
unifies all the elements of our
person and becomes a new light
towards a great and full life.
From this perspective, another
vital aspect of building up the
truth of marriage is in continuing
to support and strengthen couples
even after the wedding, Francis
said.
You need to identify with courage
and creativity, a training project
for young married couples, with
initiatives aimed at increasing
awareness of the sacrament
received.
Often, he said, a young couple
is left to themselves, perhaps
because they are not even seen in
the parish, or the birth of children
keeps them busy, but it is in
these first moments of family life
they must be guaranteed greater
proximity and a strong spiritual
support.
The Pope concluded his speech by
wishing the judges a good new year,
reminding them that it requires
great courage to get married in the
time in which we live.
And the many who have the
strength and the joy of making
this important step should
feel next to them the love
and concrete closeness of the
Church.(Hannah Brockhaus/
CNA/EWTN News)

Mother & son survived two years under the thumb of the Islamic State

Carcel Pgarralda.

CNA

MADRID, Spain The prison

ministry founded by a Spanish
Jesuit in the 1960s has had such
fruits as a group of inmates donating
their own money to help the needy
at Christmas, according to the head
of the foundation.
At Christmas of 2015, a group
of prisoners in the Estremera
prison in Madrid did their own
food drive to buy non-perishable
food with their own money from
the prison store, Lola Navarro,
president of the Father GarraldaHorizontes Abiertos Foundation,
told CNA.
All the prisoners who participated
agreed to deliver the more than 220
pounds of food to the Fr. Garralda
Foundation to help those they were
thinking of, because they knew that
there are people who needed it more
than they did.
Helping prisoners rebuild their
lives, overcome addictions, and reenter the workforce is a challenge
that the Father Garralda-Horizontes
Abiertos Foundation has been
working toward for 40 years.
Navarro said Fr. Jaime Garralda
began to work with prisoners and
now serves, through his foundation,
more than 200 people in prison,
halfway homes for parolees, and
with workshops on re-entering the
workforce.

Fr. Jaime Garralda, S.J., lived

for 16 years in in a shanty town
during the 60s. Many women there
wanted to visit their husbands or
children who were in prison. Fr.
Garralda and some volunteers
began to accompany them and
began a social action work in the
prisons, also addressing all those
realities related to the prisons,
Navarro explained.
We also have the figure of the
volunteer resident, or prisoners
who are at the end of their sentence
who help others in the prison
achieve their goals so they can set
out on an itinerary so their stay
in the prison is as bearable as
possible.
She pointed out how this is
beautiful, because that person
sees that you have helped them
and now theyre the ones who get
involved with the other prisoners to
give back what was given to them,
and the horizons that were opened
up for them.
The foundation has a
rehabilitation center for prisoners
who are addicted to drugs where
more than 100 people live, with
floors for HIV patients, and they
vouch for prisoners who meet
certain requirements so they
can request a supervised leave.
(Blanca Ruiz/CNA)

IRAQ Late last year,

Ismail fled Mosul with his
mother Jandark Behnam
Mansour Nassi (55), the
two having survived ISIS
reign of terror for two
years. From the safety
of Erbil, Kurdistan, the
Iraqi Christians, former
residents of the town of
Bartella, on the Nineveh
plain, told their story to
international Catholic
charity Aid to the Church
in Need.
I was put in the
prison of Bartella,
confirms Ismail. One
day a Shiite was shot
dead right in front
of me. The terrorists
told me: If you do not
convert to Islam, we will
shoot you as well. That
is when I converted to
Islam. From that time
on, we concealed that
we were Christians.
We received a
document from ISIS
stating that we were
Muslims, continues
Ismail. That way, I
could go out on the street
in Mosul, though you
could not be sure of your
life. Once, I was beaten
up because my trousers
were too long.
Another time, when I
was going to the mosque
with the jihadists,
our path was blocked.
Suddenly we were

passed by men
in orange suits,
held at gunpoint
by a group of
ISIS children.
The children
executed them
with pleasure.
Another time
I ran into a big
crowd on the
street. There was
a woman; her
hands and feet
were tied. The
ISIS terrorists
drew a circle
Ismael and his mother. JACO KLAMER/ACN
around her. If
she got out of the
ISIS to practice Islam
circle, she would live, and I was tortured for not
but that was impossible knowing anything about
because she was tied up. Islam and the Koran,
While her relatives were says his mother. I am
crying and begging for embarrassed for having
a pardon, the jihadists had to profess Islam,
threw stones at her until says Ismail.
she died.
He adds: Men were
I s m a e l s s t o r y forced to pray in the
continues: ISIS put me m o s q u e o n F r i d a y .
in a correctional camp. I Anyone who would walk
had to grow out my hair the streets during Friday
and grow my beard. My prayers would be beaten.
mother got a black, all- Preachers proclaimed
concealing robe, but she that Assyrians were evil
was not allowed to go and that Christians did
outside. ISIS warriors not believe in the right
wanted me to marry, so way.
I would be one of them.
Then the ISIS warriors
I objected, stating that discovered my necklace
I was too young: just with a cross. They beat
1 5 . B u t e v e n b o y s a s me and I had to study the
young as 13 were getting Koran for a month. I was
married.
hit whenever I could not
My son was forced by answer their questions

the way they wanted me

to, and my mother was
stung with long needles
because she had not
studied anything from
the Koran.
Then the battle for the
liberation of Mosul began
in the fall of 2016. When
the terrorists grew too
busy with the battle,
they abandoned us,
says Ismael, continuing:
We took a taxi to the
front, heading towards
our freedom, but ISIS
snipers tried to shoot
us. We ran for cover into
a house. After hours of
fighting, my mother and
I were able to leave the
house, waving a white
flag. Soldiers of the
Iraqi army welcomed
us. We were free!

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