ZENIT in Roswell, Georgia, United States "Some Highlights From Day 1 of #PopeinArmenia..." for Friday, 24 June 2016

ZENIT in Roswell, Georgia, United States "Some Highlights From Day 1 of #PopeinArmenia..." for Friday, 24 June 2016
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Some Highlights From Day 1 of #PopeinArmenia by Kathleen Naab

Pope Francis gave two addresses today, his first day of a three-day trip to Armenia. The first was at the cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church. And the second was to Armenian government officials.
The Pope went off-the-cuff in the second address to refer to the massacre of Armenians 100 years ago as a “genocide.” Though he has referred to the massacre with this politically-charged word before, international attention was still on his word choice because of the repercussions with Turkey, which still denies that the massacre was a genocide.
Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, in 310, so even before Constantine opened the Roman Empire to Christianity with the Edict of Milan. The Pope praised the Armenians long history with Christianity, as a springboard for noting how Christians today are suffering attack.
For Armenia, faith in Christ has not been like a garment to be donned or doffed as circumstances or convenience dictate, but an essential part of its identity, a gift of immense significance, to be accepted with joy, preserved with great effort and strength, even at the cost of life itself.
Today Christians in particular, perhaps even more than at the time of the first martyrs, in some places experience discrimination and persecution for the mere fact of professing their faith.
In this regard, it is vitally important that all those who declare their faith in God join forces to isolate those who use religion to promote war, oppression and violent persecution, exploiting and manipulating the holy name of God.
The Pope also underlined the quest for Christian unity. The Armenian Apostolic Church separated from the Catholic Church in the fifth century, when the Council of Chalcedon defined the two natures in Christ. Over 90% of the population of the country are members of the Armenian Church, with less than 10% being Catholic.
The Pope noted some of the highlights in recent efforts to unity, led by his immediate predecessors and the predecessors of the current Catholicos Karekin II.
Tragically, our world is marked by divisions and conflicts, as well as by grave forms of material and spiritual poverty, including the exploitation of persons, not least children and the elderly. It expects from Christians a witness of mutual esteem and fraternal cooperation capable of revealing to every conscience the power and truth of Christ’s resurrection.
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On ZENIT’s Web site:
Full text of Pope’s Address at Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of the Holy Etchmiadzin: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-at-armenian-apostolic-cathedral-of-the-holy-etchmiadzin/
Full text of Pope’s Address to Armenian Authorities, Diplomatic Corps: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-to-armenian-authorities-diplomatic-corps/
Pope’s Address to Armenian Authorities, Diplomatic Corps by ZENIT Staff

Below is the Vatican provided English translation of Pope Francis’ address to Armenian authorities and the diplomatic corps this afternoon. ZENIT has placed in brackets where the Holy Father spoke off the cuff and will publish the final official translation as soon as it is released:
***
Mr President,
Honourable Authorities,
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It gives me great joy to be here, to set foot on the soil of this beloved land of Armenia, to visit a people of ancient and rich traditions, a people that has given courageous testimony to its faith and suffered greatly, yet has shown itself capable of constantly being reborn.
“Our turquoise sky, our clear waters, the flood of light, the summer sun and the proud winter borealis… our age-old stones … our ancient etched books which have become a prayer” (ELISE CIARENZ, Ode to Armenia). These are among the powerful images that one of your illustrious poets offers us to illustrate the rich history and natural beauty of Armenia. They sum up the rich legacy and the glorious yet dramatic experience of a people and their deep-seated love of their country.
I am most grateful to you, Mr President, for your kind words of welcome in the name of the government and people of Armenia, and for your gracious invitation that has made it possible to reciprocate the visit you made to the Vatican last year. There you attended the solemn celebration in Saint Peter’s Basilica, together with Their Holinesses Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All Armenians, and Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, recently deceased. The occasion was the commemoration of the centenary of the Metz Yeghérn, the “Great Evil,” that struck your people and caused the death of a vast multitude of persons. Sadly, that tragedy, [that Genocide] was the first of the deplorable series of catastrophes of the past century, made possible by twisted racial, ideological or religious aims that darkened the minds of the tormentors even to the point of planning the annihilation of entire peoples. […]
I pay homage to the Armenian people who, illuminated by the light of the Gospel, even at the most tragic moments of their history, have always found in the cross and resurrection of Christ the strength to rise again and take up their journey anew with dignity. This shows the depth of their Christian faith and its boundless treasures of consolation and hope. Having seen the pernicious effects to which hatred, prejudice and the untrammelled desire for dominion led in the last century, I express my lively hope that humanity will learn from those tragic experiences the need to act with responsibility and wisdom to avoid the danger of a return to such horrors. May all join in striving to ensure that whenever conflicts emerge between nations, dialogue, the enduring and authentic quest of peace, cooperation between states and the constant commitment of international organizations will always prevail, with the aim of creating a climate of trust favourable for the achievement of lasting agreements.
The Catholic Church wishes to cooperate actively with all those who have at heart the future of civilization and respect for the rights of the human person, so that spiritual values will prevail in our world and those who befoul their meaning and beauty will be exposed as such. In this regard, it is vitally important that all those who declare their faith in God join forces to isolate those who use religion to promote war, oppression and violent persecution, exploiting and manipulating the holy name of God.
Today Christians in particular, perhaps even more than at the time of the first martyrs, in some places experience discrimination and persecution for the mere fact of professing their faith. At the same time, all too many conflicts in various parts of the world remain unresolved, causing grief, destruction and forced migrations of entire peoples. It is essential that those responsible for the future of the nations undertake courageously and without delay initiatives aimed at ending these sufferings, making their primary goal the quest for peace, the defence and acceptance of victims of aggression and persecution, the promotion of justice and sustainable development. The Armenian people have experienced these situations firsthand; they have known suffering and pain; they have known persecution; they preserved not only the memory of past hurts, but also the spirit that has enabled them always to start over again. I encourage you not to fail to make your own precious contribution to the international community.
This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Armenia’s independence. It is a joyful occasion, but also an opportunity, in cherishing the goals already achieved, to propose new ones for the future. The celebration of this happy anniversary will be all the more significant if it becomes for all Armenians, both at home and in the diaspora, a special moment for gathering and coordinating energies for the sake of promoting the country’s civil and social development of the country, one that is equitable and inclusive. This will involve constant concern for ensuring respect for the moral imperatives of equal justice for all and solidarity with the less fortunate (cf. JOHN PAUL II, Farewell Address from Armenia, 27 September 2001: Insegnamenti XXIX/2 [2001], 489). The history of your country runs parallel to its Christian identity preserved over the centuries. That identity, far from impeding a healthy secularity of the state, instead requires and nourishes it, favouring the full participation of all in the life of society, freedom of religion and respect for minorities. A spirit of unity between all Armenians and a growing commitment to find helpful means of overcoming tension with neighbouring countries, will facilitate the realization of these important goals, and inaugurate for Armenia an age of true rebirth.
The Catholic Church is present in this country with limited human resources, yet readily offers her contribution to the development of society, particularly through her work with the poor and vulnerable in the areas of healthcare and education, but also in the specific area of charitable assistance. This is seen in the work carried out in the past twenty-five years by the Redemptoris Mater Hospital in Ashotsk, the educational institute in Yerevan, the initiatives of Caritas Armenia and the works managed by the various religious congregations.
May God bless and protect Armenia, a land illumined by the faith, the courage of the martyrs and that hope which proves stronger than any suffering.[Original text: Italian]
Pope’s Address at Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of the Holy Etchmiadzin by ZENIT Staff

Upon arriving in Armenia this afternoon during his 14th Apostolic Journey abroad, Pope Francis prayed in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of the Holy Etchmiadzin along with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All the Armenians, and a select group of about 100 other dignitaries.
At the high altar, the Pope and His Holiness Karekin II exchanged a sign of peace and prayed Psalm 122 together.
Below is the Vatican-provided translation of the Pope’s address prepared for the occasion:
***
Venerable Brother,
Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All Armenians,
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is very moving for me to have crossed the threshold of this holy place, a witness to the history of your people and the centre from which its spirituality radiates. I consider it a precious gift of God to be able to approach the holy altar from which the light of Christ shone forth in Armenia. I greet the Catholicos of All the Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, with heartfelt thanks for his gracious invitation to visit Holy Etchmiadzin, and all the Archbishops and Bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church. I thank you for your cordial and joyful welcome. Thank you, Your Holiness, for having welcomed me into your home. This sign of love eloquently bespeaks, better than any words can do, the meaning of friendship and fraternal charity.
On this solemn occasion, I give thanks to the Lord for the light of faith kindled in your land, the faith that has given Armenia its particular identity and made it a herald of Christ among the nations. Christ is your glory and your light. He is the sun who has illuminated and enlivened you, accompanied and sustained you, especially in times of trial. I bow before the mercy of the Lord, who willed that Armenia should become, in the year 301, the first nation to accept Christianity as its religion, at a time when persecutions still raged throughout the Roman Empire.
For Armenia, faith in Christ has not been like a garment to be donned or doffed as circumstances or convenience dictate, but an essential part of its identity, a gift of immense significance, to be accepted with joy, preserved with great effort and strength, even at the cost of life itself. As Saint John Paul II wrote: “With the ‘baptism’ of the Armenian community… the people acquired a new identity that was to become a constitutive and inseparable part of Armenian life. It would no longer be possible to think that faith did not figure as an essential element among the components of this identity” (Apostolic Letter for the 1700th Anniversary of the Baptism of the Armenian People [2 February 2001], 2). May the Lord bless you for this luminous testimony of faith. It is a shining example of the great efficacy and fruitfulness of the baptism received over seventeen hundred years ago, together with the eloquent and holy sign of martyrdom, which has constantly accompanied the history of your people.
I also thank the Lord for the journey that the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church have undertaken through sincere and fraternal dialogue for the sake of coming to share fully in the Eucharistic banquet. May the Holy Spirit help us to attain the unity for which our Lord prayed, so that his disciples may be one and the world may believe. I gladly recall the decisive impulse given to developing closer relations and strengthening dialogue between our two Churches in recent years by Their Holinesses Vasken I and Karekin I, and by Saint John Paul II and by Benedict XVI. As significant stages of this ecumenical engagement, I would mention: the commemoration of the Witnesses to the Faith in the twentieth century during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000; the consignment to Your Holiness of the relic of the Father of Christian Armenia, Saint Gregory the Illuminator, for the new Cathedral of Yerevan; the Joint Declaration of His Holiness John Paul II and Your Holiness, signed here in Holy Etchmiadzin; and the visits which Your Holiness has made to the Vatican for important events and commemorations.
Tragically, our world is marked by divisions and conflicts, as well as by grave forms of material and spiritual poverty, including the exploitation of persons, not least children and the elderly. It expects from Christians a witness of mutual esteem and fraternal cooperation capable of revealing to every conscience the power and truth of Christ’s resurrection. The patient and enduring commitment to full unity, the growth of joint initiatives and cooperation between all the Lord’s disciples in service to the common good: all these are like a radiant light in a dark night and a summons to experience even our differences in an attitude of charity and mutual understanding. The spirit of ecumenism takes on an exemplary value also outside of the visible confines of the ecclesial community; it represents for everyone a forceful appeal to settle divergences with dialogue and appreciation for all that unites us. It also prevents the exploitation and manipulation of faith, for it requires us to rediscover faith’s authentic roots, and to communicate, defend and spread truth with respect for the dignity of every human being and in ways that reveal the presence of the love and salvation we wish to spread. In this way, we offer to the world – which so urgently needs it – a convincing witness that Christ is alive and at work, capable of opening new paths of reconciliation among the nations, civilizations and religions. We offer a credible witness that God is love and mercy.
Dear brothers and sisters, when our actions are prompted by the power of Christ’s love, understanding and reciprocal esteem grow, a fruitful ecumenical journey becomes possible, and all people of goodwill, and society as a whole, are shown a concrete way to harmonize the conflicts that rend civil life and create divisions that prove hard to heal. May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Saint Gregory the Illuminator, “pillar of light for the Holy Church of the Armenians”, and Saint Gregory of Narek, Doctor of the Church, bless all of you and the entire Armenian nation. May he preserve you always in the faith you received from your ancestors, and to which you have borne glorious witness throughout the ages.[01063-EN.01] [Original text: Italian] [Vatican-provided translation]
On Flight to Armenia, Pope Comments on Britain’s Referendum by ZENIT Staff

In the wake of Britain’s vote Thursday to leave the European Union, Pope Francis has commented that this change must be followed by “guarantees” for the good of both Britain and countries on the continent.
According to Vatican Radio, while speaking to journalists aboard the papal flight headed from Rome toward the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Francis said the referendum result must be respected because it was wanted by the people.
“It was the will expressed by the people and this requires a great responsibility on the part of all of us to guarantee the good of the people of the United Kingdom, as well as the good and co-existence of the European continent,” he said.
The Pontiff also expressed his satisfaction for the signing of a ceasefire in Columbia between the government and the FARC rebels, noting, “I am happy for this news that I received yesterday. Over 50 years of war, of guerrilla warfare, so much spilt blood.”
“It was good news,” he said.
The Holy Father expressed his hope that the nations that have worked to mediate the accord manage to set it in stone so that it can never be reversed.
Pope Francis concluded, saying, “My best wishes go to Colombia that is now taking this step.”
Pope Francis Arrives in Armenia by ZENIT Staff

The first Pope from the Americas has kicked off his first Apostolic Visit to Armenia.
Pope Francis’ flight touched down about 2:50 p.m. local time (12:50 p.m. Rome time), in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, where he was welcomed by the nation’s President and religious leaders. This April, Francis had accepted the invitation of Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenia, His Holiness Karekin II, the civil authorities, and the Catholic Church in Armenia to visit their nation.
This voyage mark’s the Pontiff’s 14th Apostolic Journey abroad. Armenia, the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion, has a mountainous terrain and borders to the west Turkey, to the north Giorgia, to the east Azerbaijan and to the south Iran.
The Pontiff will visit this region again, when traveling to the countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan, Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. The visit in the Caucasus region at the border of Europe and Asia, situated between the Black and the Caspian seas, follows his accepting the invitation of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, and the two nations’ civil and religious authorities.
Below is the Vatican released program, detailing Pope Francis’ apostolic visit this weekend to Armenia:
***
Pope’s Program: June 24-26
Friday, June 24, 2016
09:00: Departure by plane from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport to Yerevan
15:00: Arrival at the”Zvartnots” International Airport in Yerevan
WELCOME CEREMONY at Airport
15:35: VISIT OF PRAYER AT THE APOSTOLIC CATHEDRAL in Etchmiadzin
(Greetings of the Catholicos and Holy Father)
18:00: COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC at the Presidential Palace
18:30: MEETING with CIVIL AUTHORITIES and the Diplomatic Corps in the Presidential Palace
(Discourse of the Holy Father)
19:30: PERSONAL MEETING WITH THE CATHOLICOS in the Apostolic Palace
Saturday, June 25, 2016:
08:45: VISIT TO THE TZITZERNAKABERD MEMORIAL COMPLEX
10:00: Transfer by plane to Gyumri
11:00: Holy Mass in Vartanants Square in Gyumri
(Homily of the Holy Father)
(Greeting of the Catholicos)
16:45: VISIT TO THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CATHEDRAL OF THE SEVEN PLAGUES in Gyumri
17:15: VISIT TO THE ARMENIAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL OF THE MARTYR SAINTS in Gyumri
18:00: Transfer by plane to Yerevan
19:00: ECUMENICAL MEETING AND PRAYER FOR PEACE in the Republic Square in Yerevan
(Speeches of the Catholicos and the Holy Father)
Sunday, June 26, 2016:
09:15: MEETING with ARMENIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS at the Apostolic Palace in Etchmiadzin
10:00: Participation in the Divine Liturgy in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral
(Homily of the Catholicos) (Holy Father’s Greeting)
ECUMENICAL LUNCH with the Catholicos, archbishops and bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Bishops, and the Cardinals and Bishops of the Papal Entourage in the Apostolic Palace
15:50: MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH AND Benefactors in the Apostolic Palace
16:05: SIGNATURE OF JOINT DECLARATION in the Apostolic Palace
17:00: PRAYER in Khor Virap Monastery
18:15: FAREWELL CEREMONY at Airport
18:30: Departure by plane for Rome
20:40: Arrival at Rome / Ciampino
Time zone
Rome: UTC + 2 hours
Yerevan: UTC + 4 hours
Gyumri: UTC + 4 hours[Program Published by the Holy See Press Office]
***
On ZENIT’s Web page:
Further overview: https://zenit.org/articles/vatican-spokesman-gives-overview-of-popes-trip-this-weekend/
Pope Sends Telegrams on Way to Armenia by ZENIT Staff

Below are the texts of the telegrams Pope Francis sent to the Heads of State of the countries his plane flew over this morning while flying from Rome to Armenia for his 14th Apostolic Visit abroad, June 24-26:
***
TO HIS EXCELLENCY
HONORABLE SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC
PALACE QUIRINALE – 00187 ROMA
IN THE MOMENT IN WHICH I SET OFF TO MAKE MY APOSTOLIC VISIT IN ARMENIA TO DRAW FROM THE ANCIENT WISDOM OF THAT POPULATION, CONFIRM THEM IN THE FAITH, SUPPORT EVERY EFFORT TOWARD PEACE AND RECONCILIATION, I TURN TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND THE NATION OF ITALY TO SEND YOU MY RESPECTFUL GREETINGS AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO ALWAYS KEEP AT THE FOREFRONT SOLIDARITY AND TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH TRUST AND HOPE.
FRANCISCUS PP.[Original Text: Italian] [Translation by Deborah Castellano Lubov]
***
CROATIA:
HER EXCELLENCY KOLINDA GRABAR-KITAROVIĆ
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
ZAGREB
AS I FLY OVER CROATIA ON MY WAY TO ARMENIA FOR A PASTORAL VISIT, I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, TOGETHER WITH MY PRAYERS THAT ALMIGHTY GOD WILL BLESS ALL OF YOU WITH PEACE AND WELL-BEING.
FRANCISCUS PP.[Original text: English] [Vatican-provided text]
***
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA:
HIS EXCELLENCY BAKIR IZETBEGOVIĆ
PRESIDENT OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
SARAJEVO
I EXTEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AS I FLY OVER BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA EN ROUTE TO ARMENIA FOR A PASTORAL VISIT. I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY GRANT YOU ALL HIS BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.[Original text: English] [Vatican-provided text]
***
MONTENEGRO:
HIS EXCELLENCY FILIP VUJANOVIĆ
PRESIDENT OF MONTENEGRO
PODGORICA
AS I FLY OVER MONTENEGRO ON MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO ARMENIA, I EXTEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY. I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY BESTOW UPON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
FRANCISCUS PP.[Original text: English] [Vatican-provided text]
***
SERBIA:
HIS EXCELLENCY TOMISLAV NIKOLIĆ
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
BELGRADE
ENTERING SERBIAN AIR SPACE ON MY PASTORAL JOURNEY TO ARMENIA, I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AND I INVOKE DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.[Original text: English] [Vatican-provided text]
***
BULGARIA:
HIS EXCELLENCY ROSEN PLEVNELIEV
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
SOFIA
AS I FLY OVER BULGARIA ON MY WAY TO ARMENIA, I EXTEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. INVOKING UPON ALL OF YOU ALMIGHTY GOD’S BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
FRANCISCUS PP.[Original text: English] [Vatican-provided text]
***
TURKEY:
HIS EXCELLENCY RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
ANKARA
FLYING OVER TURKEY ON MY PASTORAL VISIT TO ARMENIA, I EXTEND BEST WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, WITH PRAYERS THAT THE MOST HIGH WILL BESTOW UPON ALL IN THE NATION HIS CHOICEST BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.[Original text: English] [Vatican-provided text]
Pope Prays at Santa Maria Maggiore Before Departing for Armenia by Deborah Castellano Lubov

Last evening, Pope Francis traveled to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pray for the success of his 14th Apostolic Visit abroad to the nation of Armenia. The Holy Father almost always visits Rome’s Marian Basilica to pray for Mary’s protection and intercession before and after his papal trips.
According to Vatican Radio, the Pope prayed before the ancient image of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, and invoked the Virgin Mary’s protection on his travels and upon the people he will visit in Armenia.
According to a press release from Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, Pope Francis left a bouquet of flowers, in the colors of the Armenian flag at the altar after his prayer.
This morning, Pope Francis, his papal entourage, and journalists boarded the Alitalia plane at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and they arrived in the Armenian capital of Yerevan at about 2:50 local time, 12:50 Rome time.
Surrogacy Problems: Who Gets to Make the Call in Cases of Fetal Abnormality? by Justo Aznar

The Bioethics Observatory at the Catholic University of Valencia offers us this analysis:
The “professional model” defends the right of the surrogate mother to decide whether or not she wishes to have an abortion
As we know, surrogacy consists in initiating a pregnancy in a woman other than the biological mother, with the intention that, when the child is born, he or she is to be handed over to the contracting parents. This usually takes place in couples with infertility issues, single people or even homosexual couples.
There are two well-differentiated types of surrogacy: altruistic and commercial. In the latter, the surrogate is paid to accept the pregnancy, while in the former, acceptance is for any other reason, generally altruistic.
Surrogacy is known to present a multitude of medical, social and ethical problems (read HERE), not least of which is knowing what to do when abnormalities of any type are detected in the unborn child that presuppose that he/she may suffer objective medical problems after birth, many of them serious. Should the pregnancy be continued? Should an abortion be performed? And in this case, to whom does the responsibility fall? The woman carrying the child? Or the biological parents? In the event that the pregnancy must be continued, who should be responsible for the child born disabled?
These are all serious objective issues that very much need reflection, and, if possible, the establishment of objective action guidelines.
An interesting article has recently been published on this topic in Bioethics (29; 529-535, 2015).
The article discusses the difficult moral dilemma that arises for the contracting parents and the surrogate if a foetal abnormality is diagnosed: What should be done with the child? Who should make the decisions?
Although the dilemma appears in principle to correspond to the pregnant woman (the surrogate mother), should the contracting parents not also have a right to decide what to do, and if so, to what extent? In this respect, the authors establish a distinction between commercial and altruistic surrogacy.
In commercial surrogacy, they contend that the surrogacy contract must clearly define who should legally take this decision, which should arguably lie with the parents who contract the surrogacy, the biological parents. In contrast, in altruistic surrogacy, the pregnant woman has the right to take the decision about what to do with the child, although the biological parents have the right to decide — should the surrogate decide to continue the pregnancy — whether or not they wish to adopt.
The study authors consider both strategies to be morally unacceptable, adding further difficulties to those already inherent to the practice of surrogacy itself. Accordingly, they propose what they call a “professional model,” which should recognise the rights and responsibilities of both parties, while establishing legal and institutional support that allows good decision-making. In essence, the “professional model” defends the right of the surrogate to decide whether or not she wishes to have an abortion and, should she decide not to, the obligation of the parents to accept custody of the child.
Our ethical assessment
In our opinion, this is a compromise, which certainly leaves many questions unanswered.
The first, and possibly most important of these, is that commercial surrogacy is practiced in many cases in developing countries, in which the rights of the pregnant woman are unlikely to prevail; this is firstly due to the likely lack of education in these women, who would find it hard to foresee their legal rights in advance.
Secondly, due to the lack of legal regulations in these countries to lawfully regulate surrogacy. It is therefore not difficult to understand that they would be unlikely to respect the opinion of the surrogate if this is not in line with that of the contracting parents. Let’s not forget either the recent case in which in a surrogate in a developing country was pregnant with twins, with the unfortunate circumstance that one of the foetuses had medical abnormalities. In that case, the contracting parents decided that the pregnancy should go to term, and that they would keep the healthy child while the surrogate was left with the disabled one. There are no words. Should the surrogacy take place in a developed country, this legal regulation is more likely to be established, which of course is no obstacle to the moral issues that also continue to present.
Surrogate motherhood unquestionably presents objective ethical problems, not least of which is exploitation of the woman and commodification of the child, both of such magnitude that they themselves invalidate the moral licitness of any type of surrogacy; moreover, in the event that a foetal abnormality is detected, the simple proposal to abort the child adds the ethical problems of abortion to those posed by surrogacy.
It is clearly impossible to tackle all the medical, social and ethical problems posed by commercial surrogacy in a report like this one, hence we have only referred to those issues that can arise when foetal abnormalities are detected.
Justo Aznar
Bioethics Observatory
Catholic University of Valencia
The Exodus Toward Life, Giving Life by Archbishop Francesco Follo

Roman rite
1 Kings 19, 16.19-21; Ps 16; Gal 5, 1.13-18; Lk 9.51 to 62
Ambrosian Rite
Es 24.3 to 18; Ps 49; B 8, 6-13a; Jn 19.30 to 35
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
1) The final journey to Jerusalem.
In chapter 9 of Saint Luke, the last part of which is read in of today’s liturgy, some important moments in the life of Christ are described.
Let me recall them briefly.
First of all, Jesus sends the Twelve Apostles on a mission. They have heard and received his announcement and then they can spread it (see Lk 9, 1-6). When they come back, he involves them in the multiplication of the loaves that is not only a symbolic anticipation of the Eucharist, but a true and profound revelation of Jesus and of his existence and, therefore, a true revelation of the Eucharistic gesture. For the evangelist St. Luke the distribution of loaves, the Last Supper and the supper at Emmaus are the pillars that show the logic of the existence Jesus: a life as a gift. (ibid. 9.10 to 17).
Then, Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah awaited by the people of Israel (ibid. 9.18 to 21). This is a very important moment because Jesus is recognized as the Christ of God. However, in order to discover it completely, his death and resurrection are required. Jesus then begins to announce his own destiny of passion (Ibid. 9, 22- 23). It is a vocation that requires sacrifices. Who wants to follow Jesus must, like him, give up his life in order to find it (ibid. 9.23 to 26).
Furthermore, to support his apostles on this journey, Jesus gives to the three Apostles he likes more, a “taste” of his glory: Transfiguration (Ibid. 9.28 to 36). After he has descended from the mountain, he reveals once again his strength against the evil (healing of the epileptic boy: Ibid. 9.37 to 43) and announces again his passion and death (Ibid. 9.43 to 45). However, the disciples do not understand and they start arguing about who is the greatest among them (Ibid. 9, 46-50).
Here we are at the end of Chapter 9. In this passage (verses 51-62) are described the firm decision of Christ to carry out his exodus going to Jerusalem, and the three answers He gives of how the disciple should follow the Master.
It is worth to notice that, in this final part of the exodus of Christ to the Father, the acts of mercy, miracles and teachings continue.
2) The demands of discipleship.
Jesus takes the road to Jerusalem where -with awareness, courage and determination – he goes to give his life for those who will kill him (Ibid. 9:51). The Son of God walks resolutely towards Jerusalem, strong and determined he turns his face (actually the Greek text uses this expression: “Made his face like stone” and it has been translated as “Jesus took the firm decision “) towards the Easter of Liberation for us. It is a journey made with great effort and firm decision, but it is a free and a freedom journey.
Christ has set us free for the freedom of the children of God. To be free following Jesus, one must walk in the Spirit and keep the commandments given by God for love. The Ten Commandments are not a hymn to a “do not”, they are the “I do” A “yes” to God, the “yes” to love. If I say “yes” to love, I say “no” to not loving, but this “no” is a consequence of the “yes” that is from God and makes us love.
Let’s rediscover and live the Ten Words of God (in the Greek text it is written “logoi” which is almost always translated as commandments but literally means “words”). We say “yes” to these “ten ways of love” perfected by Christ to defend man and guide him to true freedom.
If we want to fully live this ways we must follow Christ in his exodus to Jerusalem, which is not only in the one to the Holy Land but also the one to Heaven.
This following has at least three characteristics.
The first characteristic is that of the detachment from or of the true relationship with material goods.
In fact, in today’s Gospel we see that a man on the road to freedom, asks Jesus permission to follow him. This man is already aware that discipleship involves an itinerant life: “I will follow you wherever you go” (Ibid. 9, 57). But there is something more that he needs to know: required are not just material poverty or the simply fatigue of a pilgrim life. The first gift that Jesus gives us if we follow him in poverty, is that of freedom from things. In fact, if we want to possess them, they possess us, if we make them the objective of our life, we are used as a means of production of things. If they are not goals but means, we can use them and we need them. They are needed to make a human life that is the life of sons and brothers. It is the life of communion, while too often we fight until our death. The first condition for following Christ and be free people that is the first gift that God wants to give us is spiritual poverty. If someone is called, even material poverty is a great gift of God. This poverty means that we are not what we have, otherwise we identify ourselves with things that become our god or, to be more precise, our idol, our goal for which we destroy others and, finally, ourselves.
The second characteristic is the one of the relationship with people so that nothing is to be preferred to God.
Faced with the request of Jesus to follow him to live in the light and in love, the second man in today’s Gospel asks for a postponement. Jesus’ answer is categorical: “Let the dead bury their dead” (Ibid. 9, 59 -60). Certainly it is a paradoxical language. It is not a question of burying or not burying the loved ones. It’s a matter of realizing that a novelty has come and that this novelty makes everything fade.
I hope not to be wrong if I say that this is an invitation to chastity, to which all are called: no person, no duties, no affection is absolute. Only God, whom we have never seen, is absolute. Everything else is relative and above all never to be owned. The relationship of mutual love, that is the same love that God has a free gift for us, it is the same love that we have for each other, mutual forgiveness and donation of self.
If the first characteristic of discipleship is detachment from things and the second is detachment from people, the third is detachment from self, which is not reducible to past history. The human being is structure of demand, desire of infinity, and openness to God’s promise.
In fact, in the third dialogue, we read of another stranger who is willing to follow Jesus but asks for time to say goodbye to those at home. The Greek verb means to say goodbye and leave. Jesus answers with a kind of proverb: “He who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.” If the farmer wants to plow, goes ahead and cannot afford to look back. In other words, discipleship does not tolerate delays, distractions or nostalgia,
Said briefly: following Christ is a choice of freedom that comes from detachment from things and people and trust in God.
3) The following of the consecrated Virgins in the world.
We understand, with the mind and also with the heart, that following Jesus means to be rooted in his word and accept His Person of Messiah and Son of God without reserve, without putting our thoughts and our family affections before him.
In this regard, the consecrated Virgins in the world testify that no affection is preferred to God. It is the chastity of the soul and of the body, their being “wives” of a God to love absolutely. At the first place is God. Looking back is regret, hesitation. The choice for Christ is the continuous conversion that virginity makes steady and turns onto an offer and in a sacrifice pleasing to God.
To follow Jesus virginally means to follow him unconditionally. Following Christ calls for fidelity and love that always put in first place God and His kingdom. The result is a fruitful and joyful life. Indeed, the Savior said: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his daily cross, and follow me because who would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it “(Lk 9.23 to 24). Therefore, the following of Christ is a way of the cross not because pain and death should be the ultimate call of life, but because, as it was for Christ, the mystical grain of wheat fallen into the earth, from his redeeming death new life was born.
Any sacrifice made to follow the Son of God, does not simply mark a journey of sterile mortification, but opens the way to a life that unceasingly is renewed in grace and makes the person able to walk the path of true freedom, one that is given to us in Christ. The Virgins witness it significantly so that all Christians may respond to this vocation: “You, my brothers, were called to freedom, as long as this freedom is not as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love you may be servants of each other … I say then, walk in the Spirit.”
Therefore, the vocation of each of us to follow Christ is a call to authentic freedom that is a gift of the Father in the Son through the Spirit that enlightens and leads to the fullness of life.
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Patristic Reading
Saint Augustin of Hyppo
Sermo 50
On the words of the gospel, Lc 9,57 etc., Where the case of the three persons is treated of, of whom one said, “I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest,” and was disallowed: another did not dare to offer himself, and was aroused; the third wished to delay, and was blamed.
Give ye ear to that which the Lord hath given me to speak on the lesson of the Gospel. For we have read, that the Lord Jesus acted differently, when one man offered himself to follow Him, and was disallowed; another did not dare this, and was aroused; a third put off, and was blamed. For the words, “Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest,”1 what is so prompt, what so active, what so ready, and what so filly disposed to so great a good, as this “following the Lord whithersoever He should go”? Thou wonderest at this, saying, “How is this, that one so ready found no favour with the Good Master and Lord Jesus Christ, though He was inviting disciples to give them the kingdom of Heaven?” But inasmuch as He was such a Master as could see beforehand things to come, we understand, Brethren, that this man, if he had followed Christ, would have been sure to “seek his own things, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.”2 For He hath said Himself, “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”3 And of such was this man, nor did he know himself so well as the Physician knew him. For if he saw himself to be a dissembler now, if he had known himself at this time to be full of duplicity and guile, then he did not know with Whom he was speaking. For He it is of whom the Evangelist says, “He had no need that any one should testify to Him of man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”4 What then did He answer? “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His Head.”5 But where hath He not? In thy faith. For in thy heart foxes have holes, thou art full of guile; in thy heart birds of the air have nests; thou art lifted up. Full of guile and self-elation as thou art, thou shalt not follow Me. How can a guileful man follow Simplicity?
And then forthwith to another who was silent, and said nothing, and promised nothing, He saith,” Follow Me!” As much evil as He saw in the other, so much good saw He in this man. “Follow Me,”6 Thou sayest to one who hath no wish for it. Lo, here is a man quite ready, “I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest;” and yet Thou sayest to another who hath no such wish, “Follow thou Me.” “The first,” saith He, “I decline, because I see in him holes, I see nests.” “But then why dost Thou press this other, whom Thou dost challenge to follow Thee, and he makes excuses? Lo, Thou dost even force him, and he doth not come; Thou dost exhort him, and he doth not follow. For what doth he say? ‘I will go first to bury my father.’“ The faith of his heart showed itself to the Lord; but his dutiful affection made him delay. But the Lord Christ when He is preparing men for the Gospel, will have no excuse from this carnal and temporal affection interfere. It is true that both the law of God prescribes these duties, and the Lord Himself reproves the Jews, because they destroyed this very commandment of God. And the Apostle Paul has in his Epistle laid it down, and said, “This is the first commandment with promise.” What? “Honour thy father and thy mother.”7 God of a surety spake it. This young man then wished to obey God, and to bury his father; but it is place, and time, and circumstance, which is in this case to give way to place, and time, and circumstance. A father must be honoured, but God must be obeyed. He that begat us must be loved, but He that created us must be preferred. “I am calling thee,” saith He, “to My Gospel; I have need of thee for another work: this is a greater work than that which thou wishest to be doing. ‘Let the dead bury their dead.’8 Thy father is dead: there are other dead men to bury the dead.” Who are the dead who bury the dead? Can a dead man be buried by dead men? How can they lay him out, if they are dead? How can they carry him, if they are dead? How can they bewail him, if they are dead? Yet they do lay him out, and carry, and bewail him, and they are dead; because they are unbelievers. That which is written in the Song of Songs is a lesson to us, when the Church says, “Set in order love in me.”9 What is, “Set in order love in me”? Make the proper degrees, and render to each what is his due. Do not put what should come before, below that which should come after it. Love your parents, but prefer God to them. Marc the mother of the Maccabees,” ‘My sons, I know not how ye appeared in my womb.’10 Conceive you I could, give you birth I could; but ‘form you I could not:’ hear Him therefore, prefer Him to me: trouble not yourselves, that I must remain here without you.” Thus she commanded them, and they followed her. What this mother taught her children, did the Lord Jesus Christ teach him to whom He said, “Follow Me.”
See now how another disciple presented himself, to whom no one said anything: he said, “Lord, I will follow Thee, but I will first go to bid them farewell which are at my house.”11 I suppose this is his meaning, “Let me tell my friends, lest haply they seek me as usual.” And the Lord said, “No man putting his hand on the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”12 The East calls thee, and thou art looking toward the west. In this lesson we learn this, that the Lord chooses whom He will. But He chooses them, as the Apostle says, both according to His Own grace, and according to their righteousness. For such are the words of the Apostle; “Attend,” he says, “to what Elias saith: Lord, they have killed Thy Prophets, they have overthrown Thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God to him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal.”13 Thou thinkest that thou art the only servant who is working faithfully: there are others too who fear Me, and they not few. For I have “seven thousand” there. And then he added, “Even so then at this present time also.” For some Jews believed, though the most were reprobate; like him who carried holes for foxes in his heart. “Even so then,” saith he, “at this present time also, there is a remnant saved through the election of grace:” that is, there is the same Christ even now, as then, who also then said to that Elias, “I have reserved to Myself.” What is, “I have reserved to Myself”? I have chosen them, because I saw their hearts that they trusted in Me, and not in themselves,nor in Baal. They are not changed, they are as they were made by Me. And thou who art speaking, except thou hadst placed thy trust in Me, where wouldest thou be? Except thou wert replenished by My grace, wouldest not thou too be bowing the knee before Baal? But thou art replenished by My grace; because thou hast not put thy trust at all in thine own strength, but wholly in My grace. Do not therefore glory in this, as to suppose thou hast no fellow-servants in thy service; there are others whom I have chosen, as I have chosen thee, those, namely, who put their trust in Me; as the Apostle says, “Even now also a remnant is saved through the election of grace.”
Beware, O Christian, beware of pride. For though thou art a follower of the saints, ascribe it always wholly to grace; for that there should be any “remnant” in thee, the grace of God hath brought to pass, not thine own deserts. For the Prophet Isaiah again having this remnant in view, had said already, “Except the Lord of Hosts had left us a seed, we should have become as Sodom, and should have been like unto Gomorrah.”14 “So then,” says the Apostle, “at this present time also a remnant is saved through the election of grace. But if by grace,” says he, “then is it no more of works” (that is, “be now no more lifted up upon thine own deserts”);” otherwise grace is no more grace.”15 For if thou dost build16 on thine own work; then is a reward rendered unto thee, not grace freely bestowed. But if it be grace, it is gratuitously given. I ask thee then, O sinner, “Dost thou believe in Christ?” Thou sayest, “I do believe.” “What dost thou believe? That all thy sins may be forgiven thee freely through Him?” Then hast thou what thou hast believed. O grace gratuitously given! And thou, righteous man, what dost thou believe, that thou canst not keep thy righteousness without God? That thou art righteous then, impute it wholly to His mercy; but that thou art a sinner, ascribe it to thine own iniquity. Be thou thine own accuser, and He will be thy gracious Deliverer. For every crime, wickedness, or sin comes of our own negligence, and all virtue and holiness come of God’s gracious goodness. “Let us turn to the Lord.”
1 (Lc 9,57
2 (Ph 2,21
3 (Mt 7,21
4 (Jn 2,25
5 (Lc 9,58
6 (Lc 9,59).
7 (Ep 6,2
8 (Lc 9,60
9 (Ct 2,4 Sept.
10 (2M 7,22
11 (Lc 9,61
12 (Lc 9,62
13 (Rm 11,3 etc.
14 (Is 1,9
15 (Rm 11,5-6.
16 Praesumis).
Message for World Tourism Day by ZENIT Staff

Here is the Vatican-provided text of the message of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People on the occasion of World Tourism Day which, as usual, will be celebrated on September 27, this year on the theme: “Tourism for All – Promoting Universal Accessibility:”
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“Tourism for All – Promoting Universal Accessibility”
1. “Tourism for All – Promoting Universal Accessibility” is the theme chosen by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for World Tourism Day 2016, which will take place, as is custom, on September 27th. The Holy See has adhered to this initiative ever since its inception, being well aware of the great importance that this tourism has, as well as the challenges this phenomenon poses and the opportunities it creates for evangelization.
In recent decades, the number of persons that have the opportunity of enjoying vacation time has greatly increased. According to the recent statistics from 2015 of the World Tourism Organization, there were 1.184 billion arrivals of international tourists in the world: a number, which – according to predictions – will reach 2 billion in 2030. To this number, one must add the number of tourists arriving at a local level.
2. Along with this numeric increase, there has also been a growing awareness of the positive influence that tourism can have on different aspects of life, with its numerous virtues and great potential. Without ignoring the negative or ambiguous aspects, we are convinced that tourism humanizes, because it is – to name just a few positive characteristics – a chance for recreation, an opportunity for mutual understanding between peoples and cultures, an instrument for economic development, a promoter of peace and dialogue, a possibility for education and for personal growth, a moment of encounter with nature, and an environment for spiritual growth.
3. On the basis of this positive evaluation, being well-aware that tourism (in particular) and free time (in general) are “a need present in human nature that manifests an unrenounceable value in itself”1, we must surmise (in accordance with Church Magisterium2) that tourism is not only an opportunity, but is a right of every person and cannot be limited to certain social classes or to certain specific geographical areas. The World Tourism Organization itself affirms that tourism “constitutes a right equally open to all the world’s inhabitants […], and obstacles should not be placed in its way”3.
Therefore, it is possible to speak of a “right to tourism”, which is most definitely a concrete expression of the right “to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay”, recognized by Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948.
4. However, reality demonstrates that it is currently not available to all, and that there are many people that continue to be excluded from executing this right.
First of all, in many developing countries, where basic need have not yet been guaranteed, the right to tourism appears to be something very distant. To speak of the subject may even seem frivolous, even though tourism can be a resource in the battle against poverty. Yet, even in well-developed nations, we discover that there are significant portions of society that do not have easy access to tourism.
For this reason, a so-called “tourism for all” that can be made use of by anyone is being promoted at an international level. It is a concept which integrates the ideas of “accessible tourism”, “sustainable tourism” and “social tourism”.
5. By the term “accessible tourism”, one intends the effort made to guarantee that tourist destinations and services are accessible to all, regardless of a person’s cultural profile, their permanent or temporary limitations (physical, mental or sensorial), or the special needs required by them (e.g.: the needs of children or the elderly).
6. The concept “sustainable tourism” includes the commitment of obtaining a quality of tourism that is respectful of the cultural and environmental diversity of the place that welcomes, taking into consideration both present and future repercussions. The encyclical letter of Pope Francis, Laudato si’, can be of great assistance in the good management of Creation, which has been entrusted to all of humanity4.
7. The term “social tourism”, on its part, demands that no one be excluded on the basis of a different culture, on a lack of resources, or because they live in less-developed regions. Among the target groups of the interventions in this sector are young persons, families with many children, special needs persons and the elderly, as is stated in theGlobal Code of Ethics for Tourism5.
8. Therefore, it is necessary to promote a “tourism for all” that is ethical and sustainable; physically, economically and socially accessible; and one that avoids all forms of discrimination. To attain such a goal is only possible through the collaboration of all: politicians, entrepreneurs, consumers, as well as associations involved in this field.
The Church positively evaluates the efforts already made in favour of a “tourism for all” – initiatives “that really put tourism at the service of personal realization and social development”6. The Church has and continues to offer Her contribution both through theoretical reflection and through concrete initiatives (many of which are innovative), accomplished despite limited economic resources, with much dedication, and having attained good results.
May ecclesiastical commitment in favor of a “tourism for all” be both experienced and understood as a “witness to God’s particular predilection for the humble”7.
Vatican City, 24 June 2016
Antonio Maria Card. Vegliò
President
+ Joseph Kalathiparambil
Secretary
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1 Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of Tourism, June 29, 2001, No. 6
2 Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral ConstitutionGaudium et Spes, December 7, 1965, Nos. 61 and 67; Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of Tourism, No. 6.
3 World Tourism Organization, Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, 1 October 1999, Art. 7, para. 1.
4 Cf. Francis, Encyclical Letter Laudato si’ on care for our common home, May 24, 2015.
5 Cf. World Tourism Organization, Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, Art. 7, para. 4.
6 Cf. Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of Tourism, No. 24.
7 Ibidem.[01099-EN.01] [Original text: Italian]
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