US Bishops Defend the Freedom of Religion in the Face of Growing Threats

• By USCCB
• 10/4/2011
• USCC Office of Media Relations (www.usccb.org)

US Catholic Bishops have taken a strong action to teach and shape public policy in the face of accelerating threats against religious freedom. Archbishop Timothy Dolan named Bishop William Lori as Chair of the new effort. The effort is in response to growing governmnmental hostility.

WASHINGTON, DC (USCCB) - The U.S. bishops have established a new Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty to address growing concerns over the erosion of freedom of religion in America.Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, president of the United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), established the ad hoc committee after consulting with the USCCB Administrative Committee during the Committee's September 13-14 meeting in Washington.

The Administrative Committee meets three times a year and conducts the work of the bishops' conference between plenary sessions. He announced formation of the ad hoc committee in a September 29 letter to the U.S. bishops Archbishop Dolan also named Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut, to chair the new committee.

Support for ad hoc committee work will include adding two full-time staff at the USCCB, a lawyer expert in the area of religious freedom law, and a lobbyist who will handle both religious liberty and marriage issues.

Bishop Lori said he welcomed "the opportunity to work with fellow bishops and men and women of expertise in constitutional law so as to defend and promote the God-given gift of religious liberty recognized and guaranteed by the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States."

"This ad hoc committee aims to address the increasing threats to religious liberty in our society so that the Church's mission may advance unimpeded and the rights of believers of any religious persuasion or none may be respected," he added.

In a letter to bishops to announce the ad hoc committee, Archbishop Dolan said religious freedom "in its many and varied applications for Christians and people of faith, is now increasingly and in unprecedented ways under assault in America."

"This is most particularly so in an increasing number of federal government programs or policies that would infringe upon the right of conscience of people of faith or otherwise harm the foundational principle of religious liberty," he said. "As shepherds of over 70 million U.S. citizens we share a common and compelling responsibility to proclaim the truth of religious freedom for all, and so to protect our people from this assault which now appears to grow at an ever accelerating pace in ways most of us could never have imagined."

Archbishop Dolan said the committee will work closely with national organizations, charities, ecumenical and interreligious partners and scholars "to form a united and forceful front in defense of religious freedom in our nation," and its work will begin immediately.

He added that "the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee is one element of what I expect to be a new moment in the history of our Conference.Never before have we faced this kind of challenge to our ability to engage in the public square as people of faith and as a service provider.If we do not act now, the consequence will be grave."

Archbishop Dolan said that, although he and his predecessor as USCCB President, Cardinal Francis George, had sent private letters to President Obama on religious liberty in the context of redefining marriage, none of those letters received a response.

"I have offered to meet with the President to discuss these concerns and to impress upon him the dire nature of these actions by government," Archbishop Dolan said.

Archbishop Dolan listed six religious liberty concerns arising just since June:

-Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations that would mandate the coverage of contraception (including abortifacients) and sterilization in all private health insurance plans, which could coerce church employers to sponsor and pay for services they oppose. The new rules do not protect insurers or individuals with religious or moral objections to the mandate.

-An HHS requirement that USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services provide the "full range of reproductive services"-meaning abortion and contraception-to trafficking victims and unaccompanied minors in its cooperative agreements and government contracts. The position mirrors the position urged by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the ongoing lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of MRS's contracts as a violation of religious liberty.

-Catholic Relief Services' concern that US Agency for International Development, under the Department of State, is increasingly requiring condom distribution in HIV prevention programs, as well as requiring contraception within international relief and development programs.

-The Justice Department's attack on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), presenting DOMA's support for traditional marriage as bigotry. In July, the Department started filing briefs actively attacking DOMA's constitutionality, claiming that supporters of the law could only have been motivated by bias and prejudice. "If the label of "bigot" sticks to us-especially in court-because of our teaching on marriage, we'll have church-state conflicts for years to come as a result," Archbishop Dolan said.

-The Justice Department's recent attack on the critically important "ministerial exception," a constitutional doctrine accepted by every court of appeals in the country that leaves to churches (not government) the power to make employment decisions concerning persons working in a ministerial capacity.In a case to be heard this term in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Department attacked the very existence of the exception.

-New York State's new law redefining marriage, with only a very narrow religious exemption. Already, county clerks face legal action for refusing to participate in same-sex unions, and gay rights advocates are publicly emphasizing how little religious freedom protection people and groups will enjoy under the new law.

Pope Benedict XVI (C) is welcomed by Mexican President Felipe Calderon (R) ...

abcnews.go.com

http://www.zenit.org/article-34517?l=english

ZE12032603 - 2012-03-26
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-34517?l=english

POPE: HUMAN EVIL CANNOT THWART DIVINE PLAN

Benedict XVI Addresses Bishops of Mexico and Latin America

LEON, Mexico, MARCH 26, 2012 (Zenit.org).- On Sunday Pope Benedict XVI presided over vespers held in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Light, in León.

He started his homily by noting how in the painting in the Church that depicts Our Lady she is seen as holding her Son in one hand and with the other reaches out to sinners.

“For this reason, we invoke her frequently as ‘our hope’ because she has shown us Jesus and passed down to us the great things which God constantly does for humanity,” he said.

Passing on to comment on the reading they had heard at vespers he said: “The people of Jerusalem and their leaders did not acknowledge Christ, yet, by condemning him to death, they fulfilled the words of the prophets.

“Human evil and ignorance simply cannot thwart the divine plan of salvation and redemption,” he added.

“There is no reason, then, to give in to the despotism of evil” the Pope said. “Let us instead ask the risen Lord to manifest his power in our weakness and need.”

The Pontiff said that he had been looking forward to this meeting with the bishops of Mexico and Latin America.

“I see this meeting as an occasion to turn our gaze together to Christ, who has entrusted you with the splendid duty of preaching the Gospel among these peoples of sturdy and deep-rooted Catholic faith,” he told them.

The Pope acknowledged the challenges and difficulties facing their dioceses, but added that they are able to move forward with confidence, knowing that the Lord is risen and “that evil does not have the last word in human history.”

Confirming in faith

He thanked the bishops for their patience and work carried out with humility.

“Know that you can count on a special place in the prayers of the one who has received from Christ the charge of confirming his brethren in faith,” he said.

Referring to the anniversary of two centuries of independence for countries in Latin America Benedict XVI referred to the work carried out by missionaries who proclaimed Christ.

“They gave their all for Christ, demonstrating that in him men and women encounter the truth of their being and the strength needed both to live fully and to build a truly humane society in accordance with the will of their Creator,” he observed.

Speaking about the forthcoming Year of Faith the Pope said it would be an opportunity for people to liberate themselves from sin and slavery, and to be able to achieve authentic freedom.

He recommended the study and reading of Scripture. “I encourage you to continue to share freely the treasures of the Gospel, so that they can become a powerful source of hope, freedom and salvation for everyone.”

Before finishing the Pope urged the bishops to care well for their seminarians and also to ensure good faith formation for the lay faithful involved in catechesis, the liturgy and other areas of the Church’s activities.

“I urge you to be vigilant in proclaiming day and night the glory of God, which is the life of mankind,” the Pope added.

--- --- ---

On ZENIT’s Web page:

Full text: http://www.zenit.org/article-34511?l=english

Feast of the Annunciation

The Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, is one of the most important in the Church calendar. It celebrates the actual Incarnation of Our Savior the Word made flesh in the womb of His mother, Mary.

The biblical account of the Annunciation is in the first chapter of the Gospel of Saint Luke, 26-56. Saint Luke describes the annunciation given by the angel Gabriel to Mary that she was to become the mother of the Incarnation of God.

Here is recorded the "angelic salutation" of Gabriel to Mary, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee" (Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum - Lk 1:28), and Mary's response to God's will, "Let it be done to me according to thy word" (fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum) (v. 38)

This "angelic salutation" is the origin of the "Hail Mary" prayer of the Rosary and the Angelus (the second part of the prayer comes from the words of salutation of Elizabeth to Mary at the Visitation).

The Angelus, a devotion that daily commemmorates the Annunciation, consists of three Hail Marys separated by short versicles. It is said three times a day -- morning, noon and evening -- traditionally at the sound of a bell. The Angelus derives its name from the first word of the versicles, Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae (The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary).

Mary's exultant hymn, the Magnificat, found in Luke 1:46-55, has been part of the Church's Liturgy of the Hours, at Vespers (evening prayer), and has been repeated nightly in churches, convents and monasteries for more than a thousand years.

The Church's celebration of the Annunciation is believed to date to the early 5th century, possibly originating at about the time of the Council of Ephesus (c 431). Earlier names for the Feast were Festum Incarnationis, and Conceptio Christi, and in the Eastern Churches, the Annunciation is a feast of Christ, but in the Latin Church it is a feast of Mary. The Annunciation has always been celebrated on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas Day.

On 03/25/2007 Pope Benedict spoke movingly of the Annunciation:

Mary’s “Yes” to the Angel’s Annunciation and Christ’s “Yes” to fulfilling His Father’s will find renewal in history in the Saints’ “Yes”, especially that of the Martyrs who are killed because of their faith in the Gospel. ...
“The Annunciation is a humble, hidden event that no one saw or knew,” the Pope said, “except for Mary. But at the same time it is a decisive moment in the history of humanity. When the Virgin said ‘Yes’ to the Angel’s Annunciation, Jesus was conceived and with Him began a new era in history, which was eventually sanctioned by the ‘new and eternal covenant.”

“In fact,” the Pontiff said, “Mary’s Yes was the perfect reflection of that by Christ when he came into the world as one can read in the way the Letter to the Hebrews interprets Psalm 39: “Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God' (Heb 10: 7).”

The Son’s obedience mirrors that of the Mother and thus, thanks to the meeting of these two “Yes”, God was able to take a human form. Since it celebrates a central mystery of Christ, His incarnation, the Annunciation is also a Christological event.”

”Mary’s response to the Angel continues in the Church, which has been called to make Christ present in history, making itself available so that God may continue to visit humanity with His Mercy.” ...

Finally, the Pope noted that “in this time of Lent, more frequently do we contemplate Our Lady who on Calvary seals the “Yes” she pronounced in Nazareth. United with Jesus, Witness of the Father’s love, Mary experienced the martyrdom of the soul. We invoke with confidence her intercession that the Church, faithful in its mission, may bear courageous witness to God’s love before the whole world.”

“Lux in Arcana" (Light Amid Hidden Things)

http://www.zenit.org/article-34460?l=english

LIGHT AMID HIDDEN THINGS; A SECRET DISCOVERED

"Lux in Arcana" Worth a Trip to Rome

By Elizabeth Lev

ROME, MARCH 15, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican Secret Archives evoke all kinds of mysterious associations in people’s minds. Some think conspiracy, others, the deepest mysteries and revelations of the universe. Others see it as history tantalizingly preserved on scraps of parchment and leather-bound tomes, or sometimes peeking out from a few faded lines of ink.

For the first time in its 400-year history, the treasures of the Vatican Archives are on display in a captivating exhibit at the Capitoline Museums. The show, romantically titled “Lux in Arcana" (Light Amid Hidden Things), alludes to light as truth and reality, illuminating things that are hidden by age, ignorance or a nebulous context. The venue, the world’s first museum, opened by Sixtus IV, next door to the office of the mayor of Rome and the place where the European Union treaty was signed into existence, hints at the colliding of worlds, secular and sacred, as well as the common body of knowledge and experience that the West shares through the written word.

From the 85 kilometers (53 miles) of shelves, 650 archival fonds and the millions of documents of the Vatican Secret Archives, 100 were selected for this exceptional show, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to look at history in the making.

The first room opens with a flourish. Twenty four documents from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, printed on paper, silk, bark and parchment, show the wealth of creativity and the vast reaches of man and his desire to communicate.

Each case is a treasure trove, with something for everyone. A document by Emperor Otto I on purple parchment with gold letters, a letter from 1603 written in the Quechua language by Pope Clement VIII to the Peruvian city of Cuzco, or a letter written on silk from Empress Helena of China, make visitors feel like they have been transported to an epistolary candy store.

Famous personages parade through the displays: Abraham Lincoln’s ambassador, Bernini’s accounts, Michelangelo at work on the basilica, and the brief yet memorable passage of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through Rome.

The convocation of Church councils is recorded among these documents as well as papal bulls dating back to the 10th century, when Pope St. Gregory VII battled Emperor Henry IV in the investiture controversy.

Several documents are perpetually surrounded by a giant cluster of onlookers. The first is an immense parchment almost three feet long. Sent by the members of the English parliament to Clement VII, it regards the “Secret Matter” of Henry VIII and his desired divorce from Queen Catherine to marry Ann Boleyn.

Another visitor magnet are the proceedings of the trial of Galileo Galilei. Sadly, as with most presentations of the ambitious Florentine scholar, the didactic accompaniment smacks of the stereotypical “persecuted scientist” refrain.

A special set-up is reserved for the section on Crusades, Heretics and Knights. A video screen projects flames around the room, no doubt intended to allude to the perceived constant menace of the stake during the years of the Papa Rex. Here one finds the bull of excommunication for Martin Luther, who declared in response that he “despised alike Roman fury and Roman favor." The 180-foot scroll containing the trial of the Knights Templar with its 231 depositions is stunning, as is the list of the heretical teachings of Giordano Bruno.

The next room is reserved for the gentler sex. The hopeful letter of Bernadette of Lourdes to Pope Pius IX recounting her vision of Our Lady sits across from the despairing note from Marie Antoinette a few weeks before her execution. Saints and superstars share the stage in this wonderful space.

The exhibit does not only focus on the collection, but also the efforts made to preserve the documents. The third floor reveals the variety of damage threatening manuscripts: insects, water, rodents, fire and mold are constant threats to the fragile written word, but the archive has battled valiantly to preserve these works. One can also see a day in the life in the archive, both above in the reading room and below in the stacks. The show cast light in every aspect of the archive, its treasures, its custodians and its students.

The Vatican Archive was founded by Pope Paul V Borghese in 1612, and opened to scholars in 1881 under Pope Leo XIII. But now, 400 years later, all visitors can feel the excitement of history and thrill of knowledge by visiting the diverse and encyclopedic collection of documents in this exhibit.

The Lux In Arcana show will run until Sept. 9, 2012. Don’t miss it. Indeed, come to Rome for it!

* * *

A Letter on Marriage from Archbishop Vincent Nichols

Full text: A Letter on Marriage from the President and Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

http://www.rcdow.org.uk/

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

This week the Coalition Government is expected to present its consultation paper on the proposed change in the legal definition of marriage so as to open the institution of marriage to same-sex partnerships.

Today we want to put before you the Catholic vision of marriage and the light it casts on the importance of marriage for our society.

The roots of the institution of marriage lie in our nature. Male and female we have been created, and written into our nature is this pattern of complementarity and fertility. This pattern is, of course, affirmed by many other religious traditions. Christian teaching fills out this pattern and reveals its deepest meaning, but neither the Church nor the State has the power to change this fundamental understanding of marriage itself. Nor is this simply a matter of public opinion. Understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, and for the creation and upbringing of children, marriage is an expression of our fundamental humanity. Its status in law is the prudent fruit of experience, for the good of the spouses and the good of the family. In this way society esteems the married couple as the source and guardians of the next generation. As an institution marriage is at the foundation of our society.

There are many reasons why people get married. For most couples, there is an instinctive understanding that the stability of a marriage provides the best context for the flourishing of their relationship and for bringing up their children. Society recognises marriage as an important institution for these same reasons: to enhance stability in society and to respect and support parents in the crucial task of having children and bringing them up as well as possible.

The Church starts from this appreciation that marriage is a natural institution, and indeed the Church recognises civil marriage. The Catholic understanding of marriage, however, raises this to a new level. As the Catechism says: ‘The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, by its nature is ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptised persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.’ (para.1601)

These rather abstract words are reflected however imperfectly in the experience of married couples. We know that at the heart of a good marriage is a relationship of astonishing power and richness, for the couple, their children, their wider circle of friends and relations and society. As a Sacrament, this is a place where divine grace flows. Indeed, marriage is a sharing in the mystery of God’s own life: the unending and perfect flow of love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We know, too, that just as God’s love is creative, so too the love of husband and wife is creative of new life. It is open, in its essence, to welcoming new life, ready to love and nurture that life to its fullness, not only here on earth but also into eternity.

This is a high and noble vision, for marriage is a high and noble vocation. It is not easily followed. But we are sure that Christ is at the heart of marriage, for his presence is a sure gift of the God who is Love, who wants nothing more than for the love of husband and wife to find its fulfilment. So the daily effort that marriage requires, the many ways in which family living breaks and reshapes us, is a sharing in the mission of Christ, that of making visible in the world the creative and forgiving love of God.

In these ways we understand marriage to be a call to holiness for a husband and wife, with children recognised and loved as the gift of God, with fidelity and permanence as the boundaries which create its sacred space. Marriage is also a crucial witness in our society, contributing to its stability, its capacity for compassion and forgiveness and its future, in a way that no other institution can.

In putting before you these thoughts about why marriage is so important, we also want to recognise the experience of those who have suffered the pain of bereavement or relationship breakdown and their contribution to the Church and society. Many provide a remarkable example of courage and fidelity. Many strive to make the best out of difficult and complex situations. We hope that they are always welcomed and helped to feel valued members of our parish communities.

The reasons given by our government for wanting to change the definition of marriage are those of equality and discrimination. But our present law does not discriminate unjustly when it requires both a man and a woman for marriage. It simply recognises and protects the distinctive nature of marriage.

Changing the legal definition of marriage would be a profoundly radical step. Its consequences should be taken seriously now. The law helps to shape and form social and cultural values. A change in the law would gradually and inevitably transform society’s understanding of the purpose of marriage. It would reduce it just to the commitment of the two people involved. There would be no recognition of the complementarity of male and female or that marriage is intended for the procreation and education of children.

We have a duty to married people today, and to those who come after us, to do all we can to ensure that the true meaning of marriage is not lost for future generations.

With every blessing

Most Reverend V. Nichols Most Reverend P. Smith 11th March 2012

BENEDICT XVI CALLS CHRISTIANS TO REDISCOVER CHASTITY

http://www.zenit.org/article-34433?l=english
ZE12030907 - 2012-03-09

Addresses US Bishops on Issues of Marriage, Sexuality
By Kathleen Naab

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 9, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says that chastity might be countercultural and challenging, but the entire Christian community should recover an appreciation for it.

The Pope said this today in an address to a group of bishops from the midwest of the United States, who are in Rome for their five-yearly ad limina visit.

The Holy Father's talk, which he presented as a continuation of reflections on "certain aspects of the evangelization of American culture," resonated in the social and political climate of the United States, in the throes of a battle over religious freedom and a government mandate to include abortifacients and sterilization in health insurance as "preventive care."

The Pontiff alluded to his speech to the last group of bishops from the US -- given the day before the health insurance mandate was announced -- and mentioned "our concern about threats to freedom of conscience, religion and worship which need to be addressed urgently, so that all men and women of faith, and the institutions they inspire, can act in accordance with their deepest moral convictions."

In today's address, the Holy Father turned specifically to the issue of "the contemporary crisis of marriage and the family, and, more generally, of the Christian vision of human sexuality."

Benedict called attention to the "powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage," and he said that the Church needs to give a "reasoned defense of marriage as a natural institution consisting of a specific communion of persons, essentially rooted in the complementarity of the sexes and oriented to procreation."

"Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage," he affirmed. "Defending the institution of marriage as a social reality is ultimately a question of justice, since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike."

Catechesis problems

Benedict XVI acknowledged the "deficiencies in the catechesis of recent decades" in regard to the Church's teaching on marriage and family life. He called for strengthening marriage preparation programs -- echoing recommendations he has made in the past, when he has even suggested that parishes need to have support systems for married couples through the first decade of marriage.

He also pointed out the problem of cohabitation, saying couples often seem "unaware that it is gravely sinful, not to mention damaging to the stability of society."

The Pope lauded the bishops' efforts to promote marriage. And he observed: "In this great pastoral effort there is an urgent need for the entire Christian community to recover an appreciation of the virtue of chastity. The integrating and liberating function of this virtue (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2338-2343) should be emphasized by a formation of the heart, which presents the Christian understanding of sexuality as a source of genuine freedom, happiness and the fulfilment of our fundamental and innate human vocation to love. It is not merely a question of presenting arguments, but of appealing to an integrated, consistent and uplifting vision of human sexuality. The richness of this vision is more sound and appealing than the permissive ideologies exalted in some quarters; these in fact constitute a powerful and destructive form of counter-catechesis for the young.

"Young people need to encounter the Church’s teaching in its integrity, challenging and countercultural as that teaching may be; more importantly, they need to see it embodied by faithful married couples who bear convincing witness to its truth."

He called for support of young people "as they struggle to make wise choices at a difficult and confusing time in their lives" and recognized that society "increasingly tends to misunderstand and even ridicule [chastity,] this essential dimension of Christian teaching."

The Pope concluded by recalling that efforts to present the Church's teaching on sexuality "are ultimately concerned with the good of children, who have a fundamental right to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. Children are the greatest treasure and the future of every society: truly caring for them means recognizing our responsibility to teach, defend and live the moral virtues which are the key to human fulfillment."

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What is Chastity?

"When you decide firmly to lead a clean life,

Chastity will not be a burden on you;

It will be a crown of triumph."

--St Josemaría Escrivá

Jason Evert holds a Master's degree in Theology and undergraduate degrees in Theology and Counseling, with a minor in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Jason is a staff apologist and speaker with Catholic Answers, giving presentations to teens at seminars and conferences all over the world. He has appeared on worldwide television defending the faith, and as a radio guest on Catholic Answers Liveand on radio programs throughout the country. He has authored several books including: Pure Love, Answering Jehovah’s Witnesses, If You Really Loved Me: 100 Questions On Dating, Relationships, and Sexual Purity, and Love, Sex and Babies which challenge young people to embrace the virtue of chastity. Jason and his wife Crystalina are on the Board of Advisors for the National Abstinence Clearinghouse. Their television appearances include Donahue, Fox News, BBC, WGN, and EWTN.

http://chastity.com/

Life is still valuable even when it is no longer useful

We need strong voices like Jean Vanier’s to fight against utilitarianism

The Catholic Herald:

By FRANCIS PHILLIPS on Monday, 16 January 2012

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2012/01/16/life-is-still-valuable-even-when-it-is-no-longer-useful/

"In my last blog there was an oblique reference to the Holy Father’s age. At the same time my brother, who works for L’Arche, the organisation begun by Jean Vanier in the 1960s to create small community homes for people with learning disabilities to live alongside their carers, has sent me Vanier’s January “Letter to his Friends”.

Jean Vanier, like the Holy Father, is now in his mid-eighties and his friends have finally got him to move to a little house next to the chapel in the L’Arche community at Trosly, in France. It means that he will not have to walk far to be in the company of Christ in the tabernacle. Yet leaving his familiar surroundings where he has spent the last 36 years is a wrench, Vanier writes: “We do not know what new birth will bring. Little ones are in the womb of their mother for nine months. ..For the little ones, it is also a time of mourning because they have had nine months of a protected life (in my case, 36 years). So it is for me, living a time of surprise and mourning. Pray that I will welcome everything with joy.”

He speaks movingly of living in a hermitage “where I can live the last years of my life on the path of weakening that leads to the final and first encounter face to face and heart to heart with God.” And answering the question, what makes an old person’s life still worthwhile? He responds, “I can do small acts of tenderness and love to reveal to the different ‘others’ {those with learning disabilities] their beauty. At L’Arche we are not militants for a cause, but rather witnesses of hope.” Looking at the wider society with all its problems, Vanier finds the answer in “creating communities of welcome where people can grow, develop, find confidence in themselves and discover the deep meaning of their lives.”

For Jean Vanier and for Pope Benedict, as for all Christians, it is their faith that gives both present and ultimate purpose to life. And it is the same faith that finds life valuable and precious even in old age. This will be the battle-ground of the future, as our society increasingly ages: between those whose religious faith teaches them that life is still valuable when it is no longer useful and those whose pragmatic, utilitarian outlook will increasingly urge the opposite. Lord Falconer and his ilk haven’t gone away; they are waiting in the wings for a more propitious moment. We need strong prophetic voices like Jean Vanier’s to challenge them.

Bishop urges faithful to face ‘the reality of hell’ in Lent

By MADELEINE TEAHAN on Friday, 24 February 2012

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2012/02/24/bishop-urges-faithful-to-face-‘the-reality-of-hell’-in-lent/

The Bishop of Shrewsbury will urge Catholics to confront the “terrifying reality” of hell in a Lenten pastoral letter this Sunday.

Quoting from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Bishop Mark Davies will remind his flock of the “terrifying reality of which the Gospel repeatedly speaks: ‘immediate and everlasting damnation’”.

“For ‘to die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love,’ the Catechism explains, ‘means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice.’ Yes, this is the real and everlasting choice of our lives,” he will say.

Bishop Davies will also encourage the faithful to regain their “perspective of eternity” during Lent.

He will say: “Being aware of this limited time on earth and all that is to follow – our judgment, our purgatory, heaven or hell forever – becomes an urgent invitation to conversion in our lives.”

The bishop will also note the observation of Blessed Pope John Paul II in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, that many have lost a sense of the “Last Things”, the body of teaching that deals with death, judgment, the destination of immortal souls and bodily resurrection.

“This is the urgency to which Lent and Easter now recalls us with the poignant mark of ashes,” he will say. “It is the realisation of what the Psalmist calls ‘the shortness of lives’ which helps shape our priorities and gives each day a new urgency in the light of all eternity before us.”