Caritas leader: ‘The whole Middle East is at stake’

The secretary-general for Caritas International has voiced his concern over the lack of aid being provided to those suffering from conflicts, urging the faithful to get involved and break the “cycle of indifference.”

“It’s difficult to raise funds for the whole Middle East. For Syria there’s a lot to be done inside and outside with refugees, what is happening right now with Israel and Palestine again, will have consequences where we will have to intervene as well,” Michel Roy said.

“So the whole Middle East is at stake right now, and there are people dying of hunger, or malnourished among the people in Syria that are not reachable by the humanitarian organizations.”

“This is tragic for all to see that the world is not able to help those people, those nations come to an end with their conflicts,” he lamented.

Legalizing pot erodes communities, panel warns

Efforts in several states to legalize recreational marijuana use poses serious harm to individuals as well as to communities that are already broken, said members of a recent panel.

“For the state to say something that’s really manifestly harmful – though it might have some benefits, manifestly harmful – is legal, is just short-sighted and irresponsible,” Dr. E. Christian Brugger stated at a July 1 panel discussion at Denver’s Holy Ghost Catholic Church.

Brugger is the J. Francis Cardinal Stafford professor of Moral Theology at Denver’s St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. He was one of several panel members discussing moral, legal, pastoral and personal concerns with recreational marijuana use.

Brugger argued that recreational marijuana use carries many long-term negative side-effects and is morally wrong because users intend to impair their cognition.

Legalization of the drug teaches that its use is permissible, he cautioned.

Catholics, Jews and Muslims sign peace statement in Colombia

Catholic, Jewish and Muslim representatives in Colombia have signed a historic joint statement for peace in a July 1 ceremony at the residence of the Archbishop of Bogota.

Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez, Rabbi Alfredo Goldschmidt, and Sheik Ahmad Tayel led the ceremony which included prayer, song and the presentation of commemorative plaques. The three representatives concluded the event with the signing of an inter-religious declaration for peace.

Lamenting the “rivalries” that have existed between different faith groups throughout history, Cardinal Salazar noted that Pope Francis “wanted to make a gesture of reconciliation from Rome between two enemies who today seem to be irreconcilable: Israel and Palestine.”

“In imitation of this gesture, the community has come together for a time of prayer to pray for peace in the whole world, but especially for peace in Colombia,” he said.

15th Sunday of Ordinary Time A

Reading I: Isaiah 55:10-11
Responsorial Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14
Reading II: Romans 8:18-23
Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.” (Gospel)

A Meta-Narrative of Consolation

Several years ago, I was at a symposium at which we were discussing the struggle that many young people have today with their faith. One of the participants, a young French Canadian Oblate, offered this perspective:

“I work with university students as a chaplain. They have a zest for life and an energy and color that I can only envy. But inside of all this zest and energy, I notice that they lack hope because they don’t have a meta-narrative. They don’t have a big story, a big vision, that can give them perspective beyond the ups and downs of their everyday lives. When their health, relationships, and lives are going well, they feel happy and full of hope; but the reverse is also true. When things aren’t going well the bottom falls out of their world. They don’t have anything to give them a vision beyond the present moment.”

In essence, what he is describing might be called “the peace that this world can give us.” In his farewell discourse, Jesus contrasts two kinds of peace: a peace that he leaves us and a peace that the world can give us. What is the difference?

Indian bishop-elect aims to show God’s love to new flock

Fr. Theodore Mascarenhas, who was appointed Wednesday to be an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Ranchi in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand, has voiced his enthusiasm for the task.

“I would like to be what Pope Francis asks us to be: a pastor who feels the smell of the sheep, who has the sheep close to him,” Fr. Mascarenhas said, the day following his appointment, expressing his desire to follow in the Pope’s pastoral footsteps.

“I will try my best, in spite of my human limitations and shortcomings, to be good to the clergy, to be good to the priests, to be close to the laity, and above all to try and show them the love and mercy of God. And I hope they too show the love and mercy of God to me. That’s my hope.”

Recalling the moment earlier this month when he was informed of his appointment, Fr. Mascarenhas, who is an official of the Pontifical Council for Culture, noted that there were just two others from the council present, as well as a crucifix on the wall.

Cana film fest lays red carpet for Catholic social teaching

A recent film festival held in Singapore gathered filmmakers and faithful to consider and to share Catholic social doctrine through the storytelling of movies.

“Cana Film Festival is a platform for documentaries, short and independent feature films for Catholics, family and friends to be initiated into media literacy and the social teachings of the Church,” Winifred Loh, director of the festival, said.

The festival, held June 7-8 at the Catholic Centre in Singapore, aimed at “capturing the essence of Church’s social mission and the importance of its members living out our faith in daily life.”

“The Cana Catholic Centre is a gathering place in Singapore for Catholics and friends to share, support, learn and grow in the spirit of love, joy and peace in each other through our faith,” Loh continued.

Catholics in Holy Land pray for peace, reconciliation

Under the back and forth of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rockets, concerned Catholic migrants from India are praying for peace in the Holy Land.

“So far, the migrants are safe and no casualties have been reported,” Fr. Tojy Jose, OFM, head of the Indian Chaplaincy in the Holy Land, told CNA July 11.

“Migrants and tourists are apprehensive about the current situation, especially the newly arrived ones: for them it’s a new and terrifying experience.”

The community of Indian emigrants in the Holy Land have entrusted their protection to Mary, the “protector and patroness” of the Indian chaplainsy, Fr. Jose said.

Since July 7 Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip have fired hundreds of rockets on Israel, and the Israelis have responded with a comparable number of airstrikes on the Gaza strip.

More than 100 Palestinians have died in the airstrikes, according to the Palestinian health ministry, which has also reported that 675, most of the civilians, have been injured.