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25th Anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II’s “The Gospel of Life”
Twenty-five years ago, Pope St. John Paul II wrote that the Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus’ saving message to the world (Evangelium vitae, #1). In taking on human flesh, dwelling among us, and sacrificing his very life for our redemption, Christ reveals the profound dignity of every human person. This God- given dignity does not change with our stage of life, abilities, level of independence, or any other varying circumstance.
Read more 25th Anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II’s “The Gospel of Life”
Ants Carrying an Elephant—The Prophetic Message of Gospel Justice
I’m reminded of a proverb that I learned from a Sister from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa. The proverb says: “It is only by uniting together that ants can carry an elephant.” Let me repeat – It’s only by uniting together that ants can carry an elephant.
...we have heard about the many elephants in ...our church and our world that are weighing us down. The proverb reminds us that we can bring change if we join with others; it reminds us that it’s not enough to know scripture and the social teachings of the Church but that we must put them into practice in our lives and in our society if we want to make a difference...
There are many other elephants that we can carry if we come together and work for a common cause. I am struck by the skillful blending of all the different pieces of (our Catholic understanding of social justice) to create a coherent and meaningful whole. The prophetic message of Gospel Justice (is) woven into (a pattern) ... that catches the eye, touches the heart and opens the mind.
Read more Ants Carrying an Elephant—The Prophetic Message of Gospel Justice
Racism and Human Dignity
“The joy and pain of being a missionary” was the first testimonial experience I ever heard from a missionary when I entered our Missionary Religious Order, the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM).
The joy and pain of learning by doing
The confrere who shared that experience was a Congolese missionary in the Dominican Republic. He was referring to the joy he experienced in his missionary life and the mistakes and awkward moments it took him to immerse in the culture of his missionary country. Before that, all I knew about missionaries were the wonderful memories I had of Belgian missionaries who evangelized my home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Pope Francis’ encyclical tries to shed light on a dark time
A great global crisis has rocked the world, leaving millions afflicted and sowing fear everywhere. The shock polarizes societies, radicalizes opinion, and reinforces trends to a new kind of politics – loud, angry, premised on demonizing others and promising to restore lost national glory.
Is the turbulent time of the past much like our own?
Time Magazine Cover Featuring Pope Pius XI on June 16, 1924Unless something dramatic changes, the stage seems set for a long, bloody conflict. In that context, a pope writes an encyclical letter attempting to offer an alternative before it’s too late.
That could easily be a description of Pope Francis and Fratelli Tutti, the new encyclical he signed October 3, 2020, in Assisi and which was released by the Vatican. In fact, however, it’s the background to Quadragesimo anno, the social encyclical published by Pope Pius XI in 1931, now almost a century ago. It was written as the Great Depression was raging, Benito Mussolini was firmly in control in Italy, and Adolph Hitler was moving inexorably towards power in Germany.
In the encyclical, Pius XI laid out the insufficiencies of both free-market capitalism and socialist communism and tried to sketch a third way, rooted in traditional Catholic social teaching but sensitive to the realities of the time.
In a sense, Quadragesimo anno was Pius XI’s attempt to defuse the bomb before it went off. (It would become ever more explicit six years later in Mit Brennender Sorge, Pius XI’s encyclical denouncing National Socialism.) Those efforts failed, and the explosion Pope Pius saw coming turned out to be worse than even he could have imagined. Time will tell what impact Fratelli Tutti may have, but the parallels are striking.
This is Francis’s third encyclical letter, after “Lumen Fidei” in 2013 (a text largely prepared under Pope emeritus Benedict XVI) and “Laudato Si” in 2015, and by far his most comprehensive. One has the sense it’s almost this pope’s social and political testament, an encapsulation of his entire papacy in a little over 40,000 words.
Read more Pope Francis’ encyclical tries to shed light on a dark time
Bro. Mickey McGrath uses his art to heal wounds of racism
Oblate Brother Mickey McGrath is a liturgical artist attempting to foster healing and justice in the struggle against racism through his work. As the nation continues to grapple with the issue of racism, an acclaimed liturgical artist and retreat leader is using his gifts to foster healing and justice.
Oblate Brother Mickey McGrath, a liturgical artist, in his workshop in Camden, N.J.; photo: CNS photo/courtesy Oblate Brother Mickey McGrathOblate Brother Mickey McGrath has created a series of images that take a faith-based look at the struggle for racial equality. From his studio in Camden, New Jersey, Brother McGrath has been posting his recent work on Facebook, often in the form of coloring pages that viewers can download and use as meditative art exercises.
The painting: I can’t breathe
One image in particular has received international attention: a striking portrait of Christ falling under the weight of the cross, above which the words "I can't breathe" are painted in red. The phrase was among the last uttered by George Floyd, who died May 25 after close to nine minutes in a Minneapolis police knee-to-neck restraint. Floyd's killing has sparked global waves of protest, with calls for police reform and a renewed look at race relations.
Read more Bro. Mickey McGrath uses his art to heal wounds of racism
Access to broadband – a defining issue of our time
About 25 years ago, the World Wide Web was becoming a "thing." By the time of the new millennium, growing numbers of Americans were sending e-mails (with a hyphen) over the capital "I" Internet.
Today, a great deal of the United States is connected online via more powerful devices than were even thought of a couple of decades ago, tapping into speedier networks with greater capacity to transmit information and data. As many people may be reading this story online as may read it in a newspaper.
However, far from all in the United States enjoy the access to broadband that hundreds of millions take for granted, and the deepening digital divide may turn out to be one of the defining issues of our time. Want a job? What if you have to apply for it online, and you can't?
Read more Access to broadband – a defining issue of our time
How the Church can evangelize by example on racial justice
Although the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is far from over, already assessments are being delivered of how various countries around the world responded, and the overall verdict so far is fairly grim.
Experts charge there have been critical failures of both long-term preparedness, exemplified in the U.S. by the Trump administration dismantling a pandemic-readiness arm of the National Security Council two years ago, and short-term measures once the contagion was upon us.
Issues on Racial Injustice come to a head
Korean American Christian evangelists demonstrate near Statue of Liberty, June 7, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic; photo: CNS/Ed Wilkinson, The TabletMuch the same, in all honesty, could be said of the U.S. response to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the convulsions that have gripped the country since. Let’s face it, anger over racial injustice in America is a pandemic all of us should have seen coming.
Read more How the Church can evangelize by example on racial justice
Making streaming TV safer for families
One Wednesday night in February, Kent Dodds wanted a movie recommendation. Logging on to Twitter, he posted his criteria for his nearly 90,000 followers. “Action/adventure,” he wrote. “Light on violence. No sex/nudity. Interesting plot and good execution is a bonus. What you got for me?”
Recommendations poured in. But finding a film that met all those criteria was easier said than done. When one user suggested “District 9,” Dodds responded, “Looks interesting, but wow that movie sure does love the f-word!” Another recommended “Captain Fantastic.” “Interesting premise!” Dodds noted, before someone commented, “This would fail the no nudity test though.”
U.S. is painfully far from Martin Luther King’s dream
The example of Martin Luther King, Jr., is still sorely needed in the United States, given continued injustices, racism and discrimination against minorities, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a message for MLK Day.
“As our nation commemorates the life and witness of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are grateful for his courageous stand in solidarity with all who suffer injustice and his witness of love and nonviolence in the struggle for social change,” Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Jan. 16. “But we are once again painfully aware that we are still far off from his dream for America, the ‘beloved community’ for which he gave his life.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday in U.S.
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. smiles during a talk with President Lyndon B. Johnson, not pictured; photo: CNS photo/Yoichi Okamoto, courtesy LBJ LibraryKing is remembered as an African-American Baptist minister and the most visible leader of the civil rights movement, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was the founding president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Read more U.S. is painfully far from Martin Luther King’s dream
U.S. Bishops emphasize human dignity and mercy in death penalty discussion
The Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty stems from its view on the sacredness of human life and the value of mercy, said U.S. bishops in a roundtable discussion about capital punishment Oct. 10, 2019
Carol Zimmermann moderates a roundtable on the death penalty with (from left) Archbishops Paul The discussion, which was livestreamed by Catholic News Service, took place on the World Day Against the Death Penalty and highlighted not only the consistency of Church teaching against capital punishment but also what Catholics could do to learn more about what the Catholic Church has to say on this issue.
Read more U.S. Bishops emphasize human dignity and mercy in death penalty discussion