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Pope’s June Prayer Intentions Span Old and Young by ZENIT Staff
This month, Pope Francis will be praying for the elderly, as well as young people just starting off in their vocations.
The Apostleship of Prayer announced the intentions chosen by the Pope for June.
The Holy Father’s universal prayer intention for June is: “That the aged, marginalised, and those who have no-one may find, even within the huge cities of the world, opportunities for encounter and solidarity.”
His intention for evangelisation is: “That seminarians and men and women entering religious life may have mentors who live the joy of the Gospel and prepare them wisely for their mission.”
History of Deaconesses by Fr. Edward McNamara
Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: Could you please explain why historically the Church accepted women deacons and yet since the second century this has been stopped? The Church of England allowed women priests, and the number of its clergy almost doubled in five years. Considering that Benedict XVI allowed married men into the Catholic priesthood to open the Anglican door, could this not be considered a key for Western rules on celibacy to be relaxed in the future? — T.B., Salford, United Kingdom
A: There are several questions in one. The decisions of the Church of England regarding this question have no bearing on the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II effectively closed this debate with a declaration that the Church does not have the power to ordain women priests.
Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to allow married Anglican clergy to be ordained to the Catholic priesthood (which John Paul II had already allowed in a more-restricted manner) does not indicate a relaxation of the celibacy rule, as the norms in place foresee that newly ordained clergy of the Anglican-use ordinariates will be celibate.
Perhaps the principal question regards deaconesses in the Church. Pope Francis agreed to a proposal to set up a commission to study this question. This question had already been touched upon in 2002 by a document of the International Theological Commission: “From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles.” The whole document is available on the Vatican website and is worthwhile reading so as to have the full context of the part regarding deaconesses which we report below.
“In the apostolic era different forms of diaconal assistance offered to the Apostles and communities by women seem to have been institutional. Thus Paul recommends to the community at Rome ‘our sister Phoebe, servant [he diakonos] of the Church at Cenchreae’ (cf. Romans 16:1-4). Although the masculine form of diakonos is used here, it cannot therefore be concluded that the word is being used to designate the specific function of a ‘deacon’; firstly because in this context diakonos still signifies servant in a very general sense, and secondly because the word ‘servant’ is not given a feminine suffix but preceded by a feminine article. What seems clear is that Phoebe exercised a recognized service in the community of Cenchreae, subordinate to the ministry of the Apostle. Elsewhere in Paul’s writings the authorities of the world are themselves called diakonos (Romans 13:4), and in Second Corinthians 11:14-15 he refers to diakonoi of the devil.
“Exegetes are divided on the subject of First Timothy 3:11. The mention of ‘women’ following the reference to deacons may suggest women deacons (by parallel reference), or the deacons’ wives who had been mentioned earlier. In this epistle, the functions of the deacon are not described, but only the conditions for admitting them. It is said that women must not teach or rule over men (1 Timothy 2:8-15). But the functions of governance and teaching were in any case reserved to the bishop (1 Timothy 3:5) and to priests (1 Timothy 5:17), and not to deacons. Widows constituted a recognized group in the community, from whom they received assistance in exchange for their commitment to continence and prayer. First Timothy 5:3-16 stresses the conditions under which they may be inscribed on the list of widows receiving relief from the community, and says nothing more about any functions they might have. Later on they were officially ‘instituted’ but ‘not ordained’; they constituted an ‘order’ in the Church, and would never have any other mission apart from good example and prayer.
“At the beginning of the second century a letter from Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, mentioned two women who were described by the Christians as ministrae, the probable equivalent of the Greek diakonoi (10, 96-97). It was not until the third century that the specific Christian terms diaconissa or diaconal appeared.
“From the end of the third century onwards, in certain regions of the Church (and not all of them), a specific ecclesial ministry is attested to on the part of women called deaconesses. This was in Eastern Syria and Constantinople. Towards 240 there appeared a singular canonico-liturgical compilation, the Didascalia Apostolorum (DA), which was not official in character. It attributed to the bishop the features of an omnipotent biblical patriarch (cf. DA 2, 33-35, 3). He was at the head of a little community which he governed mainly with the help of deacons and deaconesses. This was the first time that deaconesses appeared in an ecclesiastical document. In a typology borrowed from Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop held the place of God the Father, the deacon the place of Christ, and the deaconess that of the Holy Spirit (the word for ‘Spirit’ is feminine in Semitic languages), while the priests (who are seldom mentioned) represented the Apostles, and the widows, the altar (DA 2, 26, 4-7). There is no reference to the ordination of these ministers.
“The Didascalia laid stress on the charitable role of the deacon and the deaconess. The ministry of the diaconate should appear as ‘one single soul in two bodies.’ Its model is the diakonia of Christ, who washed the feet of his disciples (DA 3, 13, 1-7). However, there was no strict parallelism between the two branches of the diaconate with regard to the functions they exercised. The deacons were chosen by the bishop to ‘concern themselves about many necessary things,’ and the deaconesses only ‘for the service of women’ (DA 3, 12, 1). The hope was expressed that ‘the number of deacons may be proportionate to that of the assembly of the people of the Church’ (DA 3, 13, l). The deacons administered the property of the community in the bishop’s name. Like the bishop, they were maintained at its expense. Deacons are called the ear and mouth of the bishop (DA 2, 44, 3-4). Men from among the faithful should go through the deacons to have access to the bishop, as women should go through the deaconesses (DA 3, 12, 1-4). One deacon supervised the entries into the meeting place, while another attended the bishop for the Eucharistic offering (DA 2, 57, 6).
“Deaconesses should carry out the anointing of women in the rite of baptism, instruct women neophytes, and visit the women faithful, especially the sick, in their homes. They were forbidden to confer baptism themselves, or to play a part in the Eucharistic offering (DA 3, 12, 1-4). The deaconesses had supplanted the widows. The bishop may still institute widows, but they should not either teach or administer baptism (to women), but only pray (DA 3, 5, 1-3, 6, 2).
“The Constitutiones Apostolorum, which appeared in Syria towards 380, used and interpolated the Didascalia, the Didache and the Traditio Apostolica. The Constitutiones were to have a lasting influence on the discipline governing ordinations in the East, even though they were never considered to be an official canonical collection. The compiler envisaged the imposition of hands with the epiklesis of the Holy Spirit not only for bishops, priests and deacons, but also for the deaconesses, sub-deacons and lectors (cf. CA 8, 16-23).The concept of kleros was broadened to all those who exercised a liturgical ministry, who were maintained by the Church, and who benefited from the privileges in civil law allowed by the Empire to clerics, so that the deaconesses were counted as belonging to the clergy while the widows were excluded. Bishop and priests were paralleled with the high priest and the priests respectively of the Old Covenant, while to the Levites corresponded all the other ministries and states of life: ‘deacons, lectors, cantors, door-keepers, deaconesses, widows, virgins and orphans’ (CA 2, 26, 3; CA 8, 1, 21). The deacon was placed ‘at the service of the bishop and the priests’ and should not impinge on the functions of the latter. The deacon could proclaim the Gospel and conduct the prayer of the assembly (CA 2, 57, 18), but only the bishop and the priests exhorted (CA 2, 57, 7). Deaconesses took up their functions through an epithesis cheirôn or imposition of hands that conferred the Holy Spirit, as did the lectors (CA 8, 20, 22). The bishop pronounced the following prayer: ‘Eternal God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, creator of man and woman, who filled Myriam, Deborah, Anne and Hulda with your spirit; who did not deem it unworthy for your Son, the Only-Begotten, to be born of a woman; who in the tent of witness and in the temple did institute women as guardians of your sacred doors, look now upon your servant before you, proposed for the diaconate: grant her the Holy Spirit and purify her of all defilement of flesh and spirit so that she may acquit herself worthily of the office which has been entrusted to her, for your glory and to the praise of your Christ, through whom be glory and adoration to you, in the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.’
“The deaconesses were named before the sub-deacon who, in his turn, received a cheirotonia like the deacon (CA 8, 21), while the virgins and widows could not be ‘ordained’ (8, 24-25). The Constitutiones insist that the deaconesses should have no liturgical function (3, 9, 1-2), but should devote themselves to their function in the community which was ‘service to the women’ (CA 3, 16, 1) and as intermediaries between women and the bishop. It is still stated that they represent the Holy Spirit, but they ‘do nothing without the deacon’ (CA 2, 26, 6). They should stand at the women’s entrances in the assemblies (2, 57, 10). Their functions are summed up as follows: ‘The deaconess does not bless, and she does not fulfill any of the things that priests and deacons do, but she looks after the doors and attends the priests during the baptism of women, for the sake of decency’ (CA 8, 28, 6).
“This is echoed by the almost contemporary observation of Epiphanius of Salamis in his Panarion, in around 375: ‘There is certainly in the Church the order of deaconesses, but this does not exist to exercise the functions of a priest, nor are they to have any undertaking committed to them, but for the decency of the feminine sex at the time of baptism.’ A law of Theodosius of 21 June 390, revoked on 23 August of the same year, fixed the age for admission to the ministry of deaconesses at 60. The Council of Chalcedon (can. 15) reduced the age to 40, forbidding them subsequent marriage.
“Even in the fourth century the way of life of deaconesses was very similar to that of nuns. At that time the woman in charge of a monastic community of women was called a deaconess, as is testified by Gregory of Nyssa among others. Ordained abbesses of the monasteries of women, the deaconesses wore the maforion, or veil of perfection. Until the sixth century they still attended women in the baptismal pool and for the anointing. Although they did not serve at the altar, they could distribute communion to sick women. When the practice of anointing the whole body at baptism was abandoned, deaconesses were simply consecrated virgins who had taken the vow of chastity. They lived either in monasteries or at home. The condition for admission was virginity or widowhood and their activity consisted of charitable and health-related assistance to women.
“At Constantinople the best-known of the fourth-century deaconesses was Olympias, the superior of a monastery of women, who was a protégée of Saint John Chrysostom and had put her property at the service of the Church. She was ‘ordained’ (cheirotonein) deaconess with three of her companions by the patriarch. Canon 15 of the Council of Chalcedon (451) seems to confirm the fact that deaconesses really were ‘ordained’ by the imposition of hands (cheirotonia). Their ministry was called leitourgia and after ordination they were not allowed to marry.
“In eighth-century Byzantium, the bishop still imposed his hands on a deaconess, and conferred on her the orarion or stole (both ends of which were worn at the front, one over the other); he gave her the chalice, which she placed on the altar without giving communion to anyone. Deaconesses were ordained in the course of the Eucharistic liturgy, in the sanctuary, like deacons. Despite the similarities between the rites of ordination, deaconesses did not have access to the altar or to any liturgical ministry. These ordinations were intended mainly for the superiors of monasteries of women.
“It should be pointed out that in the West there is no trace of any deaconesses for the first five centuries. The Statuta Ecclesiae antiqua laid down that the instruction of women catechumens and their preparation for baptism was to be entrusted to the widows and women religious ‘chosen ad ministerium baptizandarum mulierum.‘ Certain councils of the fourth and fifth centuries reject every ministerium feminae and forbid any ordination of deaconesses. According to the Ambrosiaster (composed at Rome at the end of the fourth century), the female diaconate was an adjunct of Montanist (‘Cataphrygian’) heretics. In the sixth century women admitted into the group of widows were sometimes referred to as deaconesses. To prevent any confusion the Council of Epaone forbade ‘the consecrations of widows who call themselves deaconesses.’ The Second Council of Orleans (533) decided to exclude from communion women who had ‘received the blessing for the diaconate despite the canons forbidding this and who had remarried.’ Abbesses, or the wives of deacons, were also called diaconissae, by analogy with presbyterissae or even episcopissae.
“The present historical overview shows that a ministry of deaconesses did indeed exist, and that this developed unevenly in the different parts of the Church. It seems clear that this ministry was not perceived as simply the feminine equivalent of the masculine diaconate. At the very least it was an ecclesial function, exercised by women, sometimes mentioned together with that of sub-deacon in the lists of Church ministries. Was this ministry conferred by an imposition of hands comparable to that by which the episcopate, the priesthood and the masculine diaconate were conferred? The text of the Constitutiones Apostolorum would seem to suggest this, but it is practically the only witness to this, and its proper interpretation is the subject of much debate. Should the imposition of hands on deaconesses be considered the same as that on deacons, or is it rather on the same level as the imposition of hands on sub-deacons and lectors? It is difficult to tackle the question on the basis of historical data alone. In the following chapters some elements will be clarified, and some questions will remain open. In particular, one chapter will be devoted to examining more closely how the Church through her theology and Magisterium has become more conscious of the sacramental reality of Holy Orders and its three grades. But first it is appropriate to examine the causes which led to the disappearance of the permanent diaconate in the life of the Church.”
The document at a later stage describes the disappearance of deaconesses:
“After the tenth century deaconesses were only named in connection with charitable institutions. A Jacobite author of that time notes: ‘In ancient times, deaconesses were ordained. Their function was to look after women so that they should not have to uncover themselves before the bishop. But when religion spread more widely and it was decided to administer baptism to infants, this function was abolished.’ We find the same statement in the Pontifical of Patriarch Michael of Antioch (1166-1199). When commenting on can. 15 of the Council of Chalcedon, Theodore Balsamon, at the end of the twelfth century, observed that ‘the topic of this canon has altogether fallen into disuse. For today deaconesses are no longer ordained, although the name of deaconesses is wrongly given to those who belong to communities of ascetics.’ Deaconesses had become nuns. They lived in monasteries which no longer practiced works of diakonia except in the field of education, medical care, or parish service.
“The presence of deaconesses is still attested in Rome at the end of the eighth century. While the Roman rituals had previously not mentioned deaconesses, the sacramentary Hadrianum, sent by the pope to Charlemagne and spread by him throughout the Frankish world, includes an Oratio ad diaconam faciendum. It was in fact a blessing, placed as an appendix among other rites of first institution. The Carolingian texts often combined deaconesses and abbesses. The Council of Paris of 829 contained a general prohibition on women performing any liturgical function. The Decretals of Pseudo-Isidore contain no mention of deaconesses; and neither does a Bavarian Pontifical from the first half of the ninth century. A century later, in the Pontifical Romano-Germanique of Mainz, the prayer Ad diaconam faciendum is to be found after the ordinatio abbatissae, between the consecratio virginum and the consecratio viduarum. Once again, this was merely a blessing accompanied by the handing over of the stole and veil by the bishop, as well as the nuptial ring and the crown. Like widows, the deaconess promised continence. This is the last mention of ‘deaconesses’ found in the Latin rituals. In fact the Pontifical of Guillaume Durand at the end of the thirteenth century speaks of deaconesses only with reference to the past.
“In the Middle Ages, the nursing and teaching religious orders of nuns fulfilled in practice the functions of diakonia without, however, being ordained for this ministry. The title, with no corresponding ministry, was given to women who were instituted as widows or abbesses. Right up until the thirteenth century, abbesses were sometimes called deaconesses.”
Finally, having analyzed the theology of the various degrees of the sacrament of orders, the document reached the following conclusion:
“With regard to the ordination of women to the diaconate, it should be noted that two important indications emerge from what has been said up to this point:
“1. The deaconesses mentioned in the tradition of the ancient Church — as evidenced by the rite of institution and the functions they exercised — were not purely and simply equivalent to the deacons;
“2. The unity of the sacrament of Holy Orders, in the clear distinction between the ministries of the bishop and the priests on the one hand and the diaconal ministry on the other, is strongly underlined by ecclesial tradition, especially in the teaching of the Magisterium.
“In the light of these elements which have been set out in the present historico-theological research document, it pertains to the ministry of discernment which the Lord established in his Church to pronounce authoritatively on this question.”
The documents of the International Theological Commission are authoritative but are not magisterium as such. Any future commission will certainly have to take its research and conclusions into account.
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Follow-up: A Risen Christ on the Cross
After our May 10 column on images of the Risen Christ and the crucifix, a reader wrote, “I have to ask about why Protestants say it’s a cross without Jesus because he already rose.”
There are many possible answers to this question. By the way, not all Protestants reject the use of the crucifix. It is also used by many Eastern Churches albeit less than among Latin Catholics.
As we saw in the previous article both the crucifix and the plain cross have been used from the fifth century on, and there was no great difficulty in using both.
The cross with the figure of the crucified Christ serves as a reminder of his sacrifice and his suffering; the cross without the figure, especially when richly decorated, served as a reminder of his victory through the cross. As St. Paul wrote: “But we preach Christ crucified: unto the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness” (Corinthians 1:23).
Neither crucifix nor cross denies the resurrection — at least no more than the use of the Christmas crèche denies that Christ ever grew up. Indeed, the use of the any form of cross would make no sense without the Resurrection because it is precisely the Resurrection that transforms the symbol of the cross into a sign of triumph. Once more as St. Paul declares: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
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Readers may send questions to zenit.liturgy@gmail.com. Please put the word “Liturgy” in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive.
Hey Moms: Do You Need a Makeover? by Kathleen Naab
What mom doesn’t need an occasional chance to escape home life and indulge in a little pampering? We all do. But mom philosopher Carrie Gress says that while those little getaways are fine, the real (and best) makeover is actually already — and perpetually — underway. Gress says in her latest book that motherhood itself is the ultimate makeover.
ZENIT asked her to explain:
ZENIT: What prompted you to write this book?
Gress: It started with a very small idea: motherhood is hard. I was overwhelmed with how challenging being a mom was and grappled for a long time with how to make some sense of it. I will never forget when the idea finally hit me that motherhood was made to be difficult. Suddenly all the things I had been struggling with didn’t seem to hard. Being a mom became almost (almost) easy because I saw the challenges in a completely different light.
It also occurred to me that the most common reason why couples aren’t open to having more children is precisely because it is so difficult. But what if we could give women a new way to look at their circumstances and what the future holds for them because of the challenges of motherhood? That is what this book does. It challenges the idea that the struggles we face in motherhood are in vain and looks to the bigger picture of what we gain when we give so much of ourselves for others.
ZENIT: One of the quotes from a chapter heading is: “Women don’t need to imitate men, but simply to be themselves.” Tell us about this.
Gress: Much of the message that we get from the culture is that women are just the same as men, but not quite as strong – but that seems to miss the mark completely. Women have their own gifts to revel in – if we have the eyes to see them.
One doesn’t have to look around too far to see just how many women are unhappy. The data, compiled from statistics about divorce, abortion, drug abuse, and obesity rates, is overwhelming. Women really aren’t happy, but part of that unhappiness seems to stem from not really knowing who we are, what we are supposed to be doing and how to find happiness.
I also looked at the example of older women, those women who exude wisdom and grace, who don’t take themselves too seriously while knowing how to respond to the important details of life, like faith and family. These women are harder and harder to find. Again, some of that is because of the confusion about who women are.
I spend a lot of time looking at what the feminine vocation is and the unique ways God moves through us. I discovered beautiful patterns between the biological and spiritual, for example, often God will plant an idea in the heart of a woman that only comes to maturity years later – mimicking the way children are brought into the world. The seed is planted but maturity takes a lot of time, energy and prayer to bring that child to maturity.
While the book is directed toward moms, I think there are large swaths of it that will reverberate with most woman. Every woman is called to some form of motherhood (physical and spiritual), whether she has biological children or not.
ZENIT: Project Rachel founder, Vicki Thorn, wrote in the foreword of your book that Ultimate Makeover is an “outside the box” book on motherhood. What does she mean by that?
Gress: Probably a couple of things. First, as I mention in the book, it does not have practical tips about how to manage meals or organize your home. It does, however, offer very concrete ideas about how to manage the struggle of motherhood through a personal inventory of your own vices and virtues. Women have a predictable set of vices that, if we are aware of them in our lives and souls, our daily challenges such as fatigue, spilled bowls of cereal, piles of laundry, can be used to transform those vices into virtues.
In the book, I spend a lot of time explaining virtues and vices and how ultimately the virtues are the best source for authentic happiness. Like muscles in the body, they can’t be strengthened unless they are stressed and motherhood certainly provides the necessary stress, although offered in a sweet package, to help the virtues grow.
ZENIT: Dynamic Catholic published your book. Its founder, Matthew Kelly, has spoken a lot about “becoming the best version of yourself” in his work. Did you get the idea from him?
Gress: I’ve known Matthew for a long time, but the idea came from another source. While studying for my doctorate in philosophy, I spent a lot of time reading ancient Greek and Medieval philosophy as well as contemporary virtue ethics. I have long been fascinated by the idea that we have muscles in our soul that are waiting for us to strengthen. The growth of virtues offers tremendous hope that those elements we don’t like about ourselves can be conquered.
The book includes a lot of ideas from those years spent studying philosophy, but without the intellectual trappings. It is tailored for a mom’s life – short chapters with a few questions at the end to mull over when you have time, perhaps while doing the dishes or driving.
ZENIT: If you had one thing you wanted women to take away from this book, what would it be?
Gress: It would be that women have a unique and beautiful role to play in society and culture. Much of what ails us comes because women have forgotten this. Although we are generally told that our work is dispensable, mothers are actually in desperate need today. There is a raw-ness to our world that is crying out for a maternal balm. Every woman can offer this to her children, to her friends, her neighbors, even to strangers. If only we understood how powerful we are, as Mother Theresa said, just performing the small things that we do everyday with great love. This is the balm the world currently craves. And doing what God made us to do makes our true beauty shine forth … more than any makeover with make-up ever could!
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Carrie Gress’ latest book is Ultimate Makeover: The Transforming Power of Motherhood (Beacon Press, 2016); she is also author of Nudging Conversions: Bringing Those You Love Back to the Church, and co-author with George Weigel of City of Saints: A Pilgrimage to John Paul II’s Krakow. She is a homeschooling mother of four. Find out more at www.carriegress.com
Quebec Cardinal: There’s No Deadline for Dignity by ZENIT Staff
OPEN LETTER FROM CARDINAL LACROIX
“Assistance in Dying” : No Deadline for Dignity
On June 6th, the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision concerning “medical assistance in dying” will take effect with or without a federal law to control it.
The adoption of bill C-14 or the Carter decision’s coming into effect will certainly give place to appeals within the court system to widen the use of euthanasia in Québec, available to its citizens for the past 5 months. Pressures will also be felt to provide assisted suicide as defined by Bill C-14: “the prescribing or providing by a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner of a substance to a person, at their request, so that they may self-administer the substance and in doing so cause their own death”.
Today, I wish to address myself especially to the persons that have “a grievous and irremediable medical condition, (including an illness, disease or a disability) that causes enduring suffering that is intolerable 1 ”.
The life you have received, the breath that sustains you, the personality that characterizes you are imprinted with beauty, nobility and greatness. The love you have received, the love you have given are always present and make you – like all of us – people that are vested with great dignity in all circumstances. What you have been, what you are today require, among other things, respect, accompaniment and appropriate care to help you grow to the very end.
To respect the sanctity of life, the Catholic Church firmly opposes euthanasia and assisted suicide. She deplores that all the scenarios put forward by the federal government eventually allow a growing number of people to ask to end their life.
Oftentimes, I repeat that the Church’s position is not to highlight the value of suffering. Yes, faith can give a sense to suffering, but Christians, just like Jesus, wish to avoid suffering when possible: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). I am firmly convinced that God loves us with an eternal love, just as we are here and now, and until our death when he will receive us with open arms. Just listen to our emeritus Archbishop Maurice Couture’s recent conference on our diocesan web television ECDQ.tv to be convinced of it.
Until next June 6th, I collectively challenge ourselves. You surely know a person who can recognize him or herself in the Québec and (soon to be) Canadian criteria for access to medical assistance in dying. Listen to that person express to the very end his or her suffering and fear. Tell that person that he or she has a great worth in your eyes and will always be able to count on your presence. Remind him or her of your unconditional love.
The calls for assistance in dying usually disappear when suffering people are well accompanied. Doctors and palliative care personnel have so many times witnessed it to me. I thank them for pursuing their role in this new legislative context in Québec. Their efforts to relieve physical and moral suffering carry real fruits and investments in palliative care must continue. For those who oppose euthanasia – still a majority – , their objection of conscience must be protected. If a doctor does not wish to refer a patient to his medically provoked death, the doctor’s wish must be respected without being questioned.
I also want to thank the caregivers. The present debate puts us at risk to forget their dedication, courage, strength, but also their sense of presence to others and their respect for life. These persons have a great need to be recognized and supported.
My personal journey in accompanying people in end of life situations confirms to me that it is dangerous to allow permission to provoke the death of another person, even with his or her consent. Not only does the law dictate, but it educates and gives a demand of the right and a suggestion of duty. With time, customs are affected and the rarity of the gesture cedes way to habit. In my humble opinion, it is a very sad “progress”. We have the responsibility, the mission to accompany with gentleness and tenderness the life of our close ones who suffer, and that, without recourse to a law that promotes death. In this context, we are invited to prevent this suicidal mode by choosing to recognize the dignity of life.
Gérald C. Cardinal Lacroix
Archbishop of Québec
May 30, 2016
1 This description corresponds to the Canadian Supreme Court’s decision to amend our criminal code by June 6th to offer “medical assistance in dying” .
Caritas President Praises 2 US Farm-to-Table Initiatives in Address at FAO by ZENIT Staff
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila and president of Caritas Internationalis, spoke Monday at the conference held at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, dedicated to “concrete initiatives to reduce food loss and waste in the context of food safety. A challenge for the international community”.
“The problem of food loss is very present among the concerns of the Catholic Church, as an issue that hampers availability of food for all, therefore undermining human development”, said Cardinal Tagle. “In the practice of Caritas organisations, one of the challenges in the implementation of projects at all levels is the food loss that farmers and communities experience, year in year out. Food loss is occurring in all stages of agricultural value chains development after harvest, including during transport from field to the homestead, during threshing or shelling, during storage, during transport to the market and during marketing. It is especially damaging for small-scale farmers, whose food security and capacity to earn from their work can be severely threatened. The fruits of the earth are to benefit everyone. This requires to adopt a social perspective which takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged. According to the Catholic Social Doctrine private property is subordinated to the universal destination of goods.”
“The experience of Caritas organisations shows that, often, small-scale farmers lack of capacity in managing post-harvest losses”, he continued. “The human right to adequate food requires equal access to resources for food: thus, apart from the ownership of property, rural people must have access to means of technical education, credit, insurance, and markets. This is also the kind of accompaniment Caritas provides, through the promotion of improved methods of harvest, training in proper harvest timing and storage techniques, awareness-raising on the right to food, as well as advocacy towards governments for the formulation of specific policy and strategies to guide the work of all those involved with post-harvest losses, like researchers, extension workers, private sector players, government, NGOs international aid organisations and farmers.”
In this regard he provided the example of two Caritas initiatives in the United States. The first, in Maine, aims to provide nutrient-rich, organic vegetables to needy people who resort to food pantries. “Some of the produce is distributed right out of the field, while most of it is processed in partnership with small women-owned business, for distribution over the winter months”, he explained. “This partnership fosters employment and cooperation, beyond allowing to keep vegetables long into the harsh Maine winter when the need is the greatest.”
The other is in Washington State, and involves the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income households. “Catholic charities of the city of Spokane have created extensive connections with over fifty farming enterprises to feed a community in which 17 per cent of residents receive food through food stamps provided by the government. A robust ‘farm-to-food bank’ system was built, working with multiple partners including universities to provide nutrition education programs and to build supply-chain capacity. Farmers were connected to supply routes culminating in the city, feeding distribution sites at close proximity, allowing to deliver food without substantial transportation infrastructure. Equipment like a delivery vehicle, refrigerators and coolers for storage improved the capacity of distribution sites.”
“In sum, the ways Caritas addresses food losses do not consist only of technical solution. Rather, they respond to a vision based on human development that is integral and ecological: Caritas programmes are always oriented to the most vulnerable and marginalised people; they ensure sustainable development by respecting the environment, human health and well-being, and fostering employment creation; they aim at achieving social justice, by creating virtuous alliances based on solidarity and cooperation, favouring social inclusion”, concluded the cardinal.
Msgr. Fernando Chica Arellano, Holy See Permanent Observer at the FAO, after recalling that the Church supports every genuine effort to nurture the goods that are the fruit of human labour, affirmed that the meeting was intended to sound “an urgent wake-up call to the conscience of humanity, so that no-one remains an observer before this scourge, and so that no person remains impassive before the many men, women and children whose sacred right to life is at risk because they have little or nothing to eat. Frequently, faced with wars, injustice, the degradation of the environment or deficiencies in healthcare we need to take urgent measures to avoid exposing the population to the serious danger of being unable to meet basic needs. This must be our conviction in inspiring action to eliminate the loss of food products. If we do not act before tragedy occurs, or if we prefer to continue in silence or ambiguity, then selfishness will win. Our paralysis will be the triumph of vested interests, that end up condemning the most vulnerable to starvation or at a high risk of malnutrition.”
“Here in the FAO, today we would all like to proclaim together, seriously and with conviction: instead of wasting food, let us make sure everything is used; may no produce be thrown away because it has suffered superficial damage. If we ensure no produce is lost, we will have passed from death to life. Indeed, faced with the loss of food, which is linked symbolically to death, we must promote a culture of care and devotion, which must be linked to the promotion of life, solidarity and support for people in need. Wasted food is food stolen from the poor and the disadvantaged.”
Pope’s Message to Prison Chaplains by ZENIT Staff
Through his Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis addressed a message to the participants of the European Meeting of Prison Chaplains.
The three-day meeting is underway in Strasbourg, France, through Wednesday.
Here is his message:
His Holiness Pope Francis was pleased to learn of the European meeting of prison chaplains, entitled “Radicalisation in prisons: a pastoral view”, to be held at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 30 May to 1 June 2016. With appreciation to the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care and the Permanent Mission of the Holy See for organizing this important event, the Holy Father sends cordial greetings to all those participating.
He especially wishes to assure all who are serving prison communities of his prayerful solidarity and deep gratitude for their efforts in upholding the human dignity of all those incarcerated. So too Pope Francis thanks prison chaplains for assisting prisoners to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy fruitfully:”May the gesture of directing their thought and prayer to the Father each time they cross the threshold of their cell signify for them their passage through the Holy Door, because the mercy of God is able to transform hearts, and is also able to transform bars into an experience of freedom. (Letter according to which an Indulgence is granted on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, 1 September 2015).
With these sentiments, Pope Francis willingly invokes upon you and all gathered the divine blessings of peace and joy.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
In Morning Homily, Pope Praises Courageous Women of the Church by Kathleen Naab
Mary’s example of reaching out and serving with joy is one that all Christians must follow if we are to be authentic, Pope Francis said today during morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta.
According to Vatican Radio, the Pope drew from the readings for today’s Feast of the Visitation to encourage Mary’s attitude of service, which resulted in her reaching out to Elizabeth. He lauded the generations of women in the Church who have followed Mary’s example.
“Christians with a grimace or disgruntled expression on their faces, sad Christians, are a very ugly thing. It’s really ugly, ugly, ugly. However, they are not fully Christian. They think they are (Christians) but they are not fully so. This is the Christian message,” he said. “And in this atmosphere of joy that today’s liturgy gives us like a gift, I would like to underline just two things: first, an attitude; second, a fact. The attitude is one of service or helping others.”
The Pope pointed out how the Gospel describes Mary as setting off immediately and without hesitation to visit her cousin, despite being pregnant and despite the dangers. This young girl of 16 or 17, he said, showed her courage in getting up straightaway and setting out on her journey.
“The courage of women. The courageous women who are present in the Church: they are like Mary. These women who bring up their families, these women who are responsible for rearing their children, who have to face so many hardships, so much pain, women who look after the sick…. Courageous: they get up and help other people. Serving others is a Christian sign. Whoever doesn’t live to serve other people, doesn’t serve to live. Serving others and being full of joy is the attitude that I would like to underline today. There is joy and also service towards others.”
The Holy Father pointed out that Mary was able to serve Elizabeth because she reached out to her.
Pope Francis said if we could learn these two things: to serve others and reach out to them, how much our world would change:
“Reaching out to others is another Christian sign. Persons who describes themselves as Christian and who are unable to reach out to others, to go and meet them are not totally Christian. Being of service and reaching out to others both require going out from themselves: going out to serve and meet others, to embrace another person. Through Mary’s service towards others, through that encounter, our Lord’s promise is renewed and makes it happen now, just as it did then. And it is really our Lord – as we heard during the first Reading: ‘The Lord, your God, is in your midst’ – the Lord is about helping other people, the Lord is about meeting other people.”
Readings provided by the US bishops’ conference:
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 572
Reading 1 ZEP 3:14-18A
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Or ROM 12:9-16
Brothers and sisters:
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.
Responsorial Psalm ISAIAH 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6
R. (6) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Gospel LK 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
Auxiliary Bishops Named for Korea, Philippines, Philadelphia by ZENIT Staff
A handful of bishops’ appointments were announced today by the Vatican.
Korea
Fr. John Bosco Chang Shin-Ho was named auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Daegu, Korea.
He is the only auxiliary assisting Archbishop Thaddeus Cho Hwan-Kil.
Born in Daegu, Korea, in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1998, the bishop-elect holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome, and a licentiate and doctorate in liturgy from the St. Anselm Pontifical Liturgical Institute, Rome. He has served in a number of roles, including parish vicar and lecturer in the major seminary of Daegu. He is currently executive secretary of the liturgical committee of the Korean Episcopal Conference.
The Archdiocese of Daegu has a population of more than 4.5 million, but with less than a half million Catholics. They are served by around 500 priests and 1,500 religious. According to a 2010 survey, Korea is about 32% Christian, and 24% Buddhist, with close to half of the population (43%) professing no religion.
Philippines
Msgr. Josè Elmer Imas Mangalinao was named auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, Philippines.
He is the only auxiliary assisting Archbishop Socrates Buenaventura Villegas.
Born in Cabiao, Philippines, in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1985, the bishop-elect holds a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and has served in a number of roles including spiritual director of the Maria Assunta Seminary in Cabanatuan City, parish vicar, episcopal vicar for pastoral planning, parish priest, and member of the College of Consultors. He is currently vicar general and head of the College of the Immaculate Conception in Cabanatuan City.
The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan has a population of some 1.37 million and virtually all of the population is Catholic. They are served by just over 100 priests and about the same number of religious.
United States
Msgr. Edward M. Deliman was named auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He joins three other auxiliaries in assisting Archbishop Charles Chaput.
Born in 1947 in Lorain, Ohio, and ordained a priest in 1973, the bishop-elect has served in a number of roles including pastor of several parishes in Philadelphia, and associate director of the archdiocesan office of youth pastoral ministry, defender of the bond at the Metropolitan Tribunal of Philadelphia, spiritual director of the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, mentor of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Leadership Institute, coordinator of priestly vocations for the county of Chester in Pennsylvania, member of the Diocesan Priest Continuing Formation Committee, and member of the presbyteral council. He was named Prelate of Honour of His Holiness in 1991. He is currently pastor of the St. Charles Borromeo parish.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has a population of more than 4 million, with about 1.5 million Catholics. They are served by some 780 priests and more than 3,000 religious, as well as around 285 permanent deacons.
Zimbabwe
On Saturday, Pope Francis appointed Fr. Paul Horan, O. Carm., as bishop of Mutare, Zimbabwe.
Born in Drangan, Ireland, in 1962, he gave his religious vows in 1995 and was ordained a priest in 1997. He holds a Master of Arts in spiritual theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and transferred to Zimbabwe as a missionary in 2001, where he has served in a number of roles including director of postulants and subsequently director of novices of the Carmelite Fathers in Rusape, Mutare. He is currently director of the Kriste Mambo Catholic school in Rusape. He succeeds Bishop Alexio Churu Muchabaiwa, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
The Diocese of Mutare has a population of some 2.2 million but with only some 227,000 Catholics. They are served by about 60 priests and 170 religious. Zimbabwe is about 80% Protestant.
Ukraine
Finally, Bishop Vitaliy Skomarovskyi of Lutsk, Ukraine, was named apostolic administrator “sede vacante” of the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, Ukraine.
The Holy Spirit Knows No Delay by Thomas Rosica
Today’s feast of the Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth invites us into a deeply personal moment of the Scriptures (Luke 1:39-56). The Precursor and the Lord are both hidden from each other. Yet even before the two women embrace, John leaped for joy in his mother’s womb, having recognized the presence of the Lord and Messiah in the womb of Mary. Both births are hailed by two beautiful canticles: the Benedictus sung by Zechariah, father of the Baptist at his son’s birth (1:68-79) and the Nunc Dimittis prayed by Simeon, the “righteous and devout” man in the Jerusalem temple, as he takes the infant Jesus in his arms (2:22-35).
There are two aspects of the Visitation scene to consider. The first is that any element of personal agenda of Mary and Elizabeth is put aside. Both had good reason to be very preoccupied with their pregnancies and all that new life brings. Both women had a right to focus on themselves for a while as they made new and radical adjustments to their daily lives. Mary reaches out to her kinswoman to help her and also to be helped by her. These two great biblical women consoled each another, shared their stories, and gave each other the gift of themselves in the midst of the new life that they must have experienced: Elizabeth after her long years of barrenness and now sudden pregnancy, and Mary, after her meeting with the heavenly messenger, and her “irregular” marriage situation and pregnancy.
The second point of this moving story is Mary’s haste. Luke tells us that she undertook in haste the long and perilous trek from Nazareth to a village in the hill country of Judea. She knew clearly what she wanted and did not allow anyone or anything to stop her.
In his commentary on Luke’s Gospel, St. Ambrose of Milan describes this haste with an almost untranslatable Latin phrase, “nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia” which could mean: “the grace of the Holy Spirit does not know delayed efforts’ or ‘delayed efforts are foreign to the grace of the Holy Spirit.” Mary’s free choice to move forward and outward is reflective of a decision taken deep within her heart followed by immediate action.
How many things exist in our lives that we dreamed of doing, should have done, and never did? Letters that should have been written, dreams that should have been realized, gratitude that was not expressed, affection never shown, words that should have been said, etc.? Postponements and delays weigh heavily upon us, wear us down and discourage us. They gnaw away at us. How true St. Ambrose described Mary’s haste: the Spirit completely possessed the Virgin Daughter of Nazareth and compelled her to act. Such possession by God’s Spirit is the only possession worthwhile, life-giving, hopeful and joyful.
The story of the Visitation teaches us an important lesson: when Christ is growing inside of us, we will be led to people, places and situations that we never dreamed of. We will bear words of consolation and hope that are not our own. In the very act of consoling others, we will be consoled. We will be at peace, recollected, because we know that however insignificant our life and issues seem to be, from them Christ is forming himself. The women of today’s Gospel show us that it is possible to move beyond our own little personal agendas and engage in authentic ministry.
Ministry is not simply doing things for others, loving difficult people, serving the poor, teaching others. Authentic ministers allow themselves to serve and be served, taught, cared for, consoled and loved. Such moments liberate us and enable us to sing Magnificat along the journey, and celebrate the great things that God does for us and our people.
Consider the words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) on this feast:
In the mystery of the Annunciation and the Visitation, Mary is the very model of the life we should lead. First of all, she welcomed Jesus in her existence; then, she shared what she had received. Every time we receive Holy Communion, Jesus the Word becomes flesh in our life – gift of God who is at one and the same time beautiful, kind, unique. Thus, the first Eucharist was such: Mary’s offering of her Son in her, in whom he had set up the first altar. Mary, the only one who could affirm with absolute confidence, “this is my body”, from that first moment offered her own body, her strength, all her being, to form the Body of Christ.
—
Father Rosica is the CEO of Canada’s Salt and Light Media Foundation and the English-language assistant to the Vatican press office.
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