World War I’s Pope Benedict XV and the pursuit of peace

Pope Benedict XV was archbishop of Bologna, Italy, in June 1914 when the pistol shots of a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo murdered Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, and echoed throughout the world.
On Aug. 20, 1914, with World War I less than a month old, Pope Pius X died, and on Sept. 3, 1914, Benedict was elected pope, only four months after being created a cardinal. Crowned on Sept. 6, 1914, he possessed the diplomatic experience that the conclave had wanted. The first four years of Benedict’s seven-and-a-half-year papacy were to be consumed by his ultimately unsuccessful attempts to stop a war that he condemned as “the suicide of civilized Europe.”

Born Giacomo della Chiesa in Genoa 1854, the sixth child of an ancient but poor patrician family, Benedict was ordained in 1878, spent much of his life in the Vatican’s diplomatic service and became undersecretary of state in 1901. In 1907, he became archbishop of Bologna.

As archbishop, della Chiesa spoke of the church’s need for neutrality and to promote peace and ease suffering, but his role as a peacemaker and conciliator came up against several obstacles that predated the war. The conflict (“the Roman question”) between Italian state and church, which had existed since 1870, was unresolved. Coolness between the Vatican and Russia stemmed from tensions with the Orthodox church, while the unification of Germany in 1870 had made it a dominant Protestant power in Europe, at the cost of Catholic Austria and thus lessening the Holy See’s influence.

“The Holy See’s calls for peace can have significant positive impact”

Interview with Zion Evrony, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, who gives an analysis on the situation in Gaza

Born in Iran in 1949, Ambassador Zion Evrony speaks Farsi, Hebrew, Italian and English fluently. Before coming to Italy he served as Ambassador to Ireland and Consul General in the U.S. He is also a journalist, and has written for the “International Herald Tribune” and the Israeli daily, “Haaretz”. In this crucial moment, he agreed to reply to questions on key issues of the present crisis between Israel and Hamas.

Ambassador Evrony, What is the purpose of the Israeli ground operation?
The directive for ground action was approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet after we agreed to the Egyptian ceasefire proposal, whereas Hamas rejected it and continued firing rockets at Israeli cities.

Church in Mexico helps collect weapons for disarmament program

For the third year in a row, the Archdiocese of Mexico City is hosting a voluntary disarmament program as part of a campaign to reduce violence in the Mexican capital.

Rosa Icela Rodriguez of Mexico City’s Secretariat for Social Development said the program would not be possible without the assistance of local officials, the Defense ministry and the Church.

“We are very happy because society has responded positively to this call,” she said.

The program is based at Mexico City’s Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The public has until July 25 to turn in their weapons in exchange for cash, groceries, laptops and domestic appliances, the Archdiocese of Mexico City’s news service reports. Children can also turn in their toy guns and receive other kinds of toys.

US Study: College choices can steer men toward thinking about priesthood

The college experience — and the Catholic college experience, especially — can influence a young man’s decision toward considering a priestly vocation, according to a study issued in early July by Boston College.

Among the factors that have helped sway a man’s decision to enter priestly life are access to clergy at the college as well as access to the Mass and other elements of Catholic life.

“College Experience and Priesthood” distills a Boston college-hosted summit last year on priestly vocations, as well as research conducted in 2012 by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington. Both Boston College and Georgetown are Jesuit-run institutions.

In January 2012, Boston College and the Jesuit Conference USA commissioned CARA to assess the impact of Catholic higher education on the vocational discernment of men entering the seminary and religious life in the United States in an effort to identify what led them to the seminary and/or eventual ordination.

Jesuit Astronomer Wins Prestigious Award

Brother Guy Consolmagno Praised for Excellence in Showing How Religion and Science Can Co-Exist

To show the Church is not opposed to science, Catholic scientists should not hesitate to share their love of science with their communities.

This is the view of Jesuit brother and papal astronomer Guy Consolmagno who was just awarded the prestigious Carl Sagan Medal for “outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist” by the American Astronomical Society’s (AAS) Division for Planetary Sciences, according to the Huffington Post.

According to an AAS press release, “Guy has become the voice of the juxtaposition of planetary science and astronomy with Christian belief.” It added he is “a rational spokesperson who can convey exceptionally well how religion and science can co-exist for believers.”