Pope to Journalists: One Can Kill a Person With Words... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Friday, 23 September 2016

Pope to Journalists: One Can Kill a Person With Words... from ZENIT of Roswell, Georgia, United States for Friday, 23 September 2016
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Pope to Journalists: One Can Kill a Person With Words by Deborah Castellano Lubov

“There are few professions that have so much influence on society as journalism does,” Pope Francis has reminded journalists, and given this he has outlined to them three pillars which should always animate their important work.
When receiving in audience Thursday the Italian National Council of the Order of Journalists, Francis expressed this and underscored that journalists possess roles of great importance and of great responsibility. The Pope spoke after interventions were given by the Prefect of the Secretariat for Communication, Monsignor Dario E. Vilano, and of the President of the Order, Enzo Iacopino.
“In some way you write the ‘first draft of history,’ constructing the agenda of the news and introducing persons to the interpretation of events,” he told those present. “And this is so important.”
The Holy Father observed how social media has changed the roles of the media, but stressed that journalists are still important.
“Though the printed paper or television lose relevance in respect to the new media of the digital world – especially among young people – when journalists have professionalism, they remain an important pillar, a fundamental element for the vitality of a free and pluralist society.”
In face of the changes in the world of media, the Pontiff pointed out, “the Holy See has also lived and is living a process of renewal of the communicative system, of which you also should benefit; and the Secretariat for Communication will be the natural reference point for your valuable work.”
In fact, the statutes of the new Secretariat were also released Thursday.
Despite Deadlines, Reflect for a Moment
Francis then went on to reflect on some aspects of the journalistic profession, and how it can serve for the betterment of the society in which we live.
It is indispensable for all of us to pause to reflect on what we are doing and on how we are doing it. In the spiritual life, this often assumes the form of a day of retreat, of deeper interior reflection. I think that in the professional life, there is also need of this, of a bit of time to pause and reflect.
“This,” the Pope admitted, “is certainly not easy in the journalistic realm, a profession that lives with constant ‘delivery times’ and ‘expiration dates.’ But at least for a brief moment, we will try to reflect a bit on the reality of journalism.”
Pope Francis then proposed three essential pillars for all journalists: “to love the truth, something essential for all, but especially for journalists; to live with professionalism, something that goes well beyond laws and regulations; and to respect human dignity, which is much more difficult that one might think at first sight.”
To Love the Truth
To love the truth, the Pope explained, does not only mean to affirm it but to live it, to witness it with one’s work — “to live and work, therefore, with coherence in regard to the words that one uses for a newspaper article or a television service.” He noted that the question here is not whether one is or is not a believer, but rather whether one is or is not being honest with oneself and with others.
“Relationship is the heart of every communication. This is all the more true for one who makes of communication his metier. And no relation can stand and last in time if it rests on dishonesty.”
“I realize that in today’s journalism – an uninterrupted flow of facts and events reported 24 hours a day, and seven days a week – it is not always easy to arrive at the truth, or at least to come close to it. In life not all is white or black. In journalism also, it is necessary to be able to discern between the shades of grey of the events that one is called to report.”
“The political debates, and even many conflicts, are rarely the outcome of clear, distinctive dynamics, where we recognize clearly and unequivocally who is wrong and who is right,” Francis observed, noting, “The confrontations are sometimes clashes; at bottom, they are born in fact from the difficulties of synthesis among the different positions.”
Yet, the Holy Father stressed, this is the work, or even “the mission” of the journalist: “to come as close as possible to the truth of the facts and never say or write something that one knows, in conscience, is not true.”
To Live With Professionalism
The Pope then turned to the second element, namely that “to live with professionalism means first of all – beyond what we can find written in deontological codes – to understand, to interiorize the profound meaning of one’s work.”
“From here stems the need not to subject one’s profession to the logics of partisan interests, whether economic or political. A task of journalism, I dare say its vocation is, therefore – through attention, care in seeking the truth – to have man’s social dimension grow, to foster the building of true citizenship.”
The Pontiff discussed the necessary freedom of journalists, recalling how “in the course of history, dictatorships – of whatever orientation or ‘color’ – have always sought not only to control the means of communication, but also to impose new rules on the journalistic profession.”
Respecting Human Dignity
While noting that respecting human dignity is important in every profession, the Pope stressed this is especially true in journalism, “because behind the simple reporting of an event there are also sentiments, emotions, and, in short, the life of individuals.”
“I have often spoken of gossip as ‘terrorism,’ about how one can kill a person with the tongue. If this is true for individual persons, in the family or at work, it is all the more true for journalists, because their voice can reach all, and this is a very powerful weapon. Journalism must always respect a person’s dignity. An article is published today and, tomorrow, it will be replaced by another, but the life of a person unjustly defamed can be destroyed forever. Criticism is certainly legitimate, and I will say more, necessary, as is the denunciation of evil, but this must always be done respecting the other, his life, his affections. Journalism cannot become a “weapon of destruction” of persons and even of peoples. Nor must it fuel fear in face of the changes and phenomenons such as migrations forced by war and famine.”
Pope Francis concluded with his prayers and expressing his hope “that increasingly and everywhere journalism is an instrument of construction, a factor of common good, an accelerator of processes of reconciliation, which is able to reject the temptation to foment clashes, with a language that blows on the fire of divisions, and, instead, that it foster the culture of encounter.”
“You journalists can remind all every day that there is no conflict that cannot be resolved by women and men of good will,” he said.
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full Text: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-to-italian-journalists/
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Cardinal Parolin to UN: Without Peace, Integral Human Development Is Impossible by ZENIT Staff

Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gave an addressThursday at the opening of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Below is the text of the intervention:
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Mr President,
Last year, in his address in this Hall, His Holiness Pope Francis defined the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as “an important sign of hope.” Just a few days ago[1], he reiterated his appreciation for the actions taken last year by the United Nations, encouraging all to put these ambitious objectives into practice: “The protection of our common home requires a growing global political consensus. Along these lines, I am gratified that in September 2015 the nations of the world adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, and that, in December 2015, they approved the Paris Agreement on climate change, which set the demanding yet fundamental goal of halting the rise of the global temperature. Now governments are obliged to honour the commitments they made, while businesses must also responsibly do their part. It is up to citizens to insist that this happen, and indeed to advocate for even more ambitious goals.”[2]
The achievement of the 2030 Agenda involves an important assumption of responsibility on the part of Governments and the commitment of all for the common good. This commitment entails recognizing the need to strive not only for great macroeconomic goals but for outcomes that are specific, lasting, and equitably distributed. Without a stable financial situation, lasting investments and a commercial appraisal that favours internal growth, however, the 2030 Agenda will be impossible to achieve.
Pope Francis has emphasized that “economics and politics, society and culture cannot be dominated by thinking only of the short-term and immediate financial or electoral gains. Instead, they urgently need to be redirected to the common good, which includes sustainability and care for creation. One concrete case is the ‘ecological debt’ between the global north and south. Repaying it would require treating the environments of poorer nations with care and providing the financial resources and technical assistance needed to help them deal with climate change and promote sustainable development.”[3]
We always must remember that development – especially integral human development – cannot be imposed. Men and women, as individuals, must be the principal agents of the 2030 Agenda. Last year, in this very chamber, Pope Francis affirmed that this “presupposes and requires the right to education, … which is ensured first and foremost by respecting and reinforcing the primary right of the family to educate its children, as well as the right of churches and social groups to support and assist families in the education of their children.”[4] Therefore, Pope Francis continued, “the simplest and best measure and indicator of the implementation of the new Agenda for development will be the effective, practical and immediate access, on the part of all, to essential material and spiritual goods: housing, dignified and properly remunerated employment, adequate food and drinking water, religious freedom and, more generally, spiritual freedom and education.”[5]
Such a process of bringing about integral human development – a concept that includes, but is not exhausted by, economic development – should, through multilateral initiatives, stimulate also the quest for complementary, alternative finance systems capable of ensuring that financial resources are both accessible to and sustainable for the poorest.
As Pope Francis said here last year, “The pillars of integral human development have a common foundation, which is the right to life,”[6] which presumes that “we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one that includes the natural difference between man and woman (cf. Laudato Si’, 155), and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions.”[7]
Integral human development is, moreover, impossible without peace. Only two days ago in Assisi, Pope Francis, together with numerous other world religious leaders, stressed the importance of dialogue as a privileged way to be peacemakers. Conflicts not only render the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals at the regional level absolutely impossible, but also destroy so many human resources, means of production and cultural heritage. Today, as during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, there is the recurrence of the threat of nuclear conflict with its terrible consequences.
The enormous and ill-fated effect of war is a downward spiral from which there is often no escape, triggers an increase in political polarization at the global level and narrows the spaces in which the same international community can propose effective solutions for a stable and lasting peace.
Among the factors that degrade social coexistence in countries and undermine the whole international community, we must count the scourge of terrorism. In the course of recent years, we have seen the metastasis of terrorism to so many parts of the world. Neighbors to Syria and Iraq have increasingly become victims of innumerable barbaric acts. Beyond the Middle East, atrocious acts of terrorism have instilled fear in the daily life of so many across the globe.
In the Middle East, we see the terrible consequences of a spiral of war: many lives destroyed; fallen states; collapsed ceasefires; unsuccessful peace initiatives; and failed attempts to resolve the fundamental causes of conflict in Syria, Iraq and Libya, to find a solution to the crisis of the presidency in Lebanon, and to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This persistent failure has dampened the hopes and promises of all who consider that region sacred and holy.
We can also witness these failures in the long-standing conflicts that continue to oppress and take the lives of so many in South Sudan, the Great Lakes, and now for two and half years in Eastern Ukraine. Although these situations have all been high profile and have brought an immense amount of human suffering, we are still very far from resolving their root causes. It almost seems that we have accepted conflict, war and terrorism as part of our new normal.
Beyond the urgency of the need for ceasefires, for respect for the dignity and the rights of affected peoples, and for access to humanitarian aid, there is also the necessity to facilitate negotiation with those who have direct or indirect responsibility for particular conflicts. Thankful for the positive outcome in Colombia, the heartfelt hope of the Holy See is that, through the facilitation of the international community, various forms of contact and dialogue will be pursued to resolve ongoing conflicts.
In particular, from the beginning of the conflict in Syria, the Holy See has invited all Parties to dialogue and the international community to spare no efforts in facilitating an end to violence and in promoting the conditions for dialogue aimed at finding a political solution. Syria, however, has been overrun by all kinds of armed groups. The uproar of arms must cease so that peace may stand a chance, and above all so that humanitarian assistance may be brought to those who most need it. The Holy See is convinced that this is possible provided that there is the political will to bring an end to the fighting.
Despite present difficulties, one can still gratefully find in Lebanon the conviction that the common good requires the participation and cooperation of all sectors of society, based on the rule of law and the idea that institutions are founded on respect for the innate dignity of every human being. The Lebanese constitutional arrangement, in which diverse ethnic groups, cultures and religions are an asset and contribute to a peaceful coexistence, can also be a model for a political solution in the region.
The Holy See also believes that in the Middle East a renewed commitment in favour of the rule of law and of freedom of religion and of conscience is the most effective way to safeguard the dignity of all. In this context, the 2015 Global Agreement that the Holy See signed with Palestine and that has subsequently been ratified by both Parties sets out in law the defence of the most basic human rights, among which are freedom of religion, the right to peaceful assembly, and the freedom publicly to profess one’s own religious beliefs. In the complex situation of the Middle East, and in particular in Iraq and Syria, the Holy See maintains that the Global Agreement with Palestine can serve as a template for other Countries with analogous social structuring.
In the context of renewed efforts to relaunch the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, the Holy See renews its appeal to both Parties to abstain from unilateral or illegal measures of whatever kind, which may constitute an obstacle to the search for peace and to the advancing of the two-State Solution.
When we look at the phenomenon of forced migration, we find ourselves before a population of people on the move greater than that of many of the States represented here: sixty-five million people have been compelled to flee from their homes and communities, because of persecution, conflict, widespread violence and hunger, and devastated lands. A word of praise must go to Lebanon and to Jordan for the hospitality they are offering to all who have escaped from war and destruction in Iraq and Syria as well as to Turkey, which is hosting millions of Syrian refugees.
Beyond the necessary urgent consideration of how to resolve the causes of this forced exodus, we must note that migration and development are tightly linked. The consequences of the mass movement of refugees and migrants threaten to weaken our commitment to the values of solidarity and hospitality towards those in need. These values stand at the heart of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy to which Pope Francis has been summoning the world. As Pope Francis has emphasized, “Mercy is the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life,”[8] especially those who are the weakest and most vulnerable.
Drawing special attention to those who are in prison, the Pope has renewed his pressing appeal “to the consciences of leaders, that they come to an international consensus aimed at abolishing the death penalty.”[9]
Without authentic and absolute respect for life, there can be no development that is truly human, integral and sustainable. Precisely to foster this development, Pope Francis has instituted a new Dicastery or department of the Holy See, the purpose of which is to promote justice, peace, the safeguarding of the environment, and the care of those most in need. The poor and needy are the human face of the sustainable development that we wish to keep ever before us, so that we may become responsible agents of a more just and truly human society.
Thank you.
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[1] Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the Celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, 1 September 2016.
[2]–[7] Ibid.
[8] Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (11 April 2015), 2.
[9] Ibid.
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Pope Mourns 2 Slain Mexican Priests; Another Is Missing by Kathleen Naab

Pope Francis has again condemned violence against life and human dignity, in reacting to the slaying of two Mexican priests whose bullet-ridden bodies were found Monday.
The Pope’s secretary of state sent the Holy Father’s condolences to Bishop Trinidad Zapata of Papantla, Mexico, for the killing of the two priests of his diocese, Father Alejo Nabor Jimenez and Father Alfredo Suarez de la Cruz.
Papantla is in the state of Veracruz in central Mexico, on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico.
Also on Monday, Father José Alfredo López Guillen of the state of Michoacán, was kidnapped and it is not known if he is still alive or where he is being held.
The Holy Father’s message urged the clergy and pastoral workers of Papantla to “continue energetically your ecclesial mission despite the obstacles, following the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.”
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Vatican Updates Regulations for Doctors Who Examine Alleged Miracles in Sainthood Cases by ZENIT Staff

The Regulation of the Medical Board of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints was published today, signed by Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and Archbishop Marcello Bartolucci, secretary of the same dicastery.
In a brief introduction it is explained that the miracle required for the beatification of Venerable Servants of God and for the canonisation of Blesseds has always been examined with the utmost rigour. Already in medieval times consultation was sought from medical experts for whom, on 17 September 1743, a specific Order was created by Benedict XIV. More recently, Pious XII instituted, at the Congregation of Sacred Rites, on 20 October 1948, a Commission of Doctors to which he added, on 15 December 1948 a special Medical Council.
On 10 July 1959 John XXIII unified these two bodies to form a Medical Board, approved by the Regulation. In the light of new demands and on the basis of the Apostolic Consultation Sacra Rituum Congregatio of 8 May 1969, a further revision of the provisions of the Regulation was undertaken, and approved by Paul VI on 23 April 1976.
The promulgation of John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution Divinus perfectionis Magister on 25 January 1983 and the experience of recent years on the part of this Congregation have demonstrated the need to further update the Regulation of the Medical Board. To this end, revised provisions of the Regulation of the Medical Board of the Congregation for the Causes of Series have been drafted.
The current text, explains Archbishop Bartolucci, “is inspired by the previous Regulation approved by Paul VI on 23 April 1976 and, aside from the linguistic and procedural updating, introduces some new elements, such as: the qualified majority, to proceed ad ulteriora to the examination of a presumed miracle, is at least 5/7 or 4/6; the case cannot be re-examined more than three times; for the re-examination of the presumed miracle a Board of nine members is required; the mandate of the president of the Board can be renewed only once (five years, plus another five year term); all those who are occupied with a presumed miracle (promoters of the cause, tribunal, postulators, experts, officials of the Dicastery) are held to secrecy; remuneration for experts shall be paid only via bank transfer; and the under-secretary shall perform for miracles the functions that the Apostolic Constitution Divinus perfectionis Magister attributes to the Relator”.
“The purpose of the Regulation can be none other than the good of the Causes, which can never neglect the historical and scientific truth of the alleged miracles. Just as it is necessary for the legal checks to be complete, convergent and reliable, it is also necessary that their study be performed with serenity, objectivity and sure competence by highly specialised medical experts and then, at a different level, by the Congress of theological consulters and by the Session of cardinals and bishops, eventually reaching the decisive approval of the Holy Father, who has the exclusive competence of acknowledging an extraordinary event as a true miracle. This Regulation obviously concerns only the good functioning of the Medical Board, whose task appears increasingly delicate, demanding and, thanks be to God, appreciated both inside and outside the Church”.
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Holy See Accedes to UN Convention Against Corruption by ZENIT Staff

On Monday at the United Nations Offices in New York, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin formally deposited the instrument of accession to the Holy See in the United Nations Convention against Corruption, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 31 October 2003.
In expressing its consent to the obligations of this treaty, also in the name of and on behalf of Vatican City State, the Holy See formulated two reservations and three interpretative declarations, which constitute an integral part of the instrument of accession.
Therefore, pursuant to Article 68, paragraph 2 of the same Convention, which provides for the adoption of effective measures to prevent and combat crimes committed in the field of public functions, it will enter into force for the Holy See and for Vatican City State this coming 19 October.
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Canadian Bishops Write Letter Affirming Importance of Laity by ZENIT Staff

The Episcopal Commission for Doctrine of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has released a new document entitled “The Co-responsibility of the lay Faithful in the Church and the World.”
This pastoral letter explores the great responsibility of the laity in God’s plan for the world, in which they are not simply collaborators of the clergy but are truly “co-responsible” for the Church’s being and acting. It notes the unique mission of the laity as being “in the world” and transforming it from within through their life and witness. It also discusses the danger of clericalism, and considers several areas of society today that stand in need of the transforming power of the Gospel brought by the Church’s lay faithful in communion with members of the clergy and consecrated life.
The Bishops of the Commission insist on the importance of promoting the lay vocation. “Bishops and priests must do their utmost to foster the sense of the co- responsibility of the laity. The daily contact with the internal life of the Church must not lead the hierarchy and clergy to mistrust the authentic responsibility of the laity, even implicitly, nor should it lead them to reduce that responsibility merely to consultation on material or worldly matters” (no. 9).
Dated the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, 2016, the Bishops conclude their document by expressing their hope that “all the members of the Body of Christ take up together the responsibility of bringing Christ, the only Saviour, to the world, in a spirit of family, friendship, and communion.”
Printed copies of the document are on sale from CCCB Publications (or by emailing publi@cccb.ca).
Link to the Document (PDF)
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The Poor Person at the Door Is Christ by Archbishop Francesco Follo

Roman Rite
Am 6, 1.4-7; Ps 146; 1 Tim 6.11 to 16; Lk 16, 19-31
Ambrosian Rite
Pr 9, 1-6; Ps 33; 1 Cor 10.14 to 21; Jn 6.51 to 59
Fourth Sunday after the martyrdom of St. John the Precursor
1) The beggar at the door.
The Gospel of this XXVI Sunday in Ordinary Time presents the parable of the rich bon vivant glutton and the poor Lazarus. We are called to look at the poor that is thrown at our door by famine and war, recognizing him as the Christ who saves us. Salvation appears at the door of our lives with the ragged clothes of the beggar wounded and hungry: “The real protagonist of the story is the beggar: Christ who begs for the heart of man, and the heart of man beggar of Christ” (Msgr. Luigi Giussani).
Instead of erecting walls, we are called to build bridges of charity for the poor who is the beggar par excellence: Christ the Savior.
Instead of watching the poor with annoyance, let’s welcome him with love and sharing.
To better understand the teaching of Christ, let’s have a closer look at today’s parable.
In this story, the Messiah speaks of a rich man whose selfishness prevents him to help the poor, and who, rejecting him as a brother, rejects God who is Father of both.
This rich man, of whom Jesus does not say the name, is the typical well-off person who cares only to enjoy life, without thinking neither of God and the others, nor of eternal life.
Apparently, the wealthy man in enjoying life, does nothing wrong, but is so taken by this fleeting joy that does not even realize that at the door of his house lies a poor man, who is also ill and covered in sores. Moreover, the poor man has a name, Lazarus (a name that means “God helps”. God helps us in the poor). He is tormented by a hunger that he cannot satisfied because he is outside the door and cannot even take the crumbs that fall from the table of the rich man. Only dogs have mercy of him and lick his wounds.
This first part of the scene described in the parable presents the apparent strength of wealth, which allows to savor the fleeting joys of a life that flows very quickly and does not prevent the dramatic pain of death. The second part describes what happens after the death of the two men. Lazarus is in everlasting joy and the rich man in endless pain.
It should be recognized that the words used by St. Luke are very strong. He writes them to make clear that the episode is symbolic, but this does not imply that the message it communicates can be minimized or misunderstood.
The parable of the rich glutton and the poor hungry Lazarus, in dramatic form, presents all the provisional and destructive force of misused wealth. When wealth is reduced to being just a means of personal satisfaction, it closes the hearts to the needs of our neighbor to the point of making us incapable of seeing those in need and, worse still, of erecting a wall in front of the door so as not to see the beggars and exclude them from our lives. Instead of solving it with true charity, the problem is hypocritically censored.
In short, the parable not only shows the contrast between the poor and the rich, but it highlights that the two men are neighbors, but the rich one does not or does not want to notice the poor.
Living as selfish rich men makes us blind to the poor even if he is at our door and blind to the Scripture that tells us to recognize God in the poor. The selfish rich man does not oppose God and does not oppress the poor, just does not see him. Here lies the great danger of wealth, and this is perhaps the main lesson of the parable.
2) Angelic purity and poverty.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta said that to recognize Christ in the poor we need angelic purity. If our eyes and hearts are pure in Lazarus they can recognize Jesus.
The Redeemer has “assumed” our nature as poor Lazarus: it is He who, today, lies at our door, on the threshold of our life satified with material, proud and overbearing goods. Jesus became Lazarus for us to recognize our reality of infinite beggars, nostalgic of eternity. He, the Beggar, knocks at the door of our hearts longing for a happiness true, namely pure.
To have the purity that recognizes Christ in the poor man who is content with the crumbs from our table, it is necessary -as first step- to ask for forgiveness with a contrite heart.
The second step is to “look up” to Christ, in the same way the rich man did to Lazarus sitting in heaven with Abraham, and to beg Christ to have the same fate of Lazarus, the brother who knew how to love in the midst of poverty and disease. Let’s beg for a pure heart that allows our eyes to see, close to us, Jesus, who –as Lazarus- begs our attention and our mercy.
The third step is to open the door of our heart to which Jesus, robed in our weakness, knocks to awaken us from the slumber of a superficial life, abundant of material goods.
The fourth step is to humbly recognize ourselves as poor “dogs” that -as the parable says- are cast by all, but that “notice the pain” of Lazarus-Christ and heal the wounds that save them.
Finally, to convert is to ask, humble and contrite, that someone “wet the tip of his finger to bathe our tongue” and give us communion of life. In this vital communion of love all the barriers between husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and colleagues, rich and poor, the refugees and us, are overcome.
By opening our door to our neighbor, we will be able to open it to Christ, the Emmanuel, the God who is always with us and that is closer to us than we are to ourselves.
We are all called to live this purity to recognize Christ in the poor and be beggars of the Savior, but the consecrated Virgins in the world testify that virginity is the “poverty in love” (Jacopone of Todi) that leaves all other loves behind to give itself to Christ. With a virgin heart they look to Christ as did Veronica, and become what they contemplate, just begging for His love.
Thanks to this virginal love that contemplates the Beloved, the heart of the virgin becomes the place where the face of Christ, truth icon, is printed. With the life of beggars of the Bridegroom, they testify that it is possible to happily leave everything behind because with him nothing is lost, but all is brought to fulfillment. From him comes the perfection of light that shines in the acts, in the words, in the eyes of the creatures that make our lives a song that says:
“Is to live the aim of life? Will the children of God remain with steady feet on this miserable earth? Not to live, but to die and not to diminish the cross, but to go on it and give happily what we have. Here is joy, freedom, grace and the eternal youth!” (Paul Claudel, L’Annonce faite à Marie). Their hearts are in tune with mercy and their consecrated life is a sign that each of us is called to be “the place” inhabited by God, whose powerful love forgives and recreates.
Patristic Reading
Golden Chain
10619 Lc 16,19-21
BEDE; Our Lord had just before advised the making friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, which the Pharisees derided. He next confirms by examples what he had set before them, saying, There was a certain rich man, &c.
CHRYS. There was, not is, because he had passed away as a fleeting shadow.
AMBROSE; But not all poverty is holy, or all riches criminal, but as luxury disgraces riches, so does holiness commend poverty.
It follows, And be was clothed in purple and fine linen.
BEDE; Purple, the color of the royal robe, is obtained from sea shells, which are scraped with a knife. Byssus is a kind of white and very fine linen.
GREG. Now if the wearing of fine and precious robes were not a fault, word of God would never have so carefully expressed this. For no one seeks costly garments except for vainglory, that he may seem more honorable than others; for no one wishes to be clothed with such, where he cannot be seen by others.
CHRYS. Ashes, dust, and earth he covered with purple, and silk; or ashes, dust, and earth bore upon them purple and silk. As his garments were, so was also his food. Therefore with us also as our food is, such let our clothing be Hence it follows, And he fared sumptuously everyday.
GREG. And here we must narrowly watch ourselves, seeing that banquets can scarcely be celebrated blamelessly, for almost always luxury accompanies feasting; and when the body is swallowed up in the delight of refreshing itself, the heart relaxes to empty joys.
It follows, And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus.
AMBROSE; This seems rather a narrative than a parable, since the name is also expressed.
CHRYS. But a parable is that in which an example is given, while the names are omitted. Lazarus is interpreted, “one who was assisted.” For he was poor, and the Lord helped him.
CYRIL; Or else; This discourse concerning the rich man and Lazarus was written after the manner of a comparison in a parable, to declare that they who abound in earthly riches, unless they will relieve the necessities of the poor, shall meet with a heavy condemnation. But the tradition of the Jews relates that there was at that time in Jerusalem a certain Lazarus who was afflicted with extreme poverty and sickness, whom our Lord remembering, introduces him into the example for the sake of adding greater point to His words.
GREG. We must observe also, that among the heathen the names of poor men are more likely to be known than of rich. Now our Lord mentions the name of the poor, but not the name of the rich, because God knows and approves the humble, but not the proud. But that the poor man might be more approved, poverty and sickness were at the same time consuming him; as it follows, who was laid at his gate full of sores.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. He lay at his gate for this reason, that the rich might not say, I never saw him, no one told me; for he saw him both going out and returning. The poor is full of sores, that so he might set forth in his own body the cruelty of the rich. You see the death of your body lying before the gate, and you pity not. If you regard not the commands of God, at least have compassion on your own state, and fear lest also you become such as he. But sickness has some comfort if it receives help. How great then was the punishment in that body, in which with such wounds he remembered not the pain of his sores, but only his hunger; for it follows, desiring to be fed with the crumbs, &c. As if he said, What you throw away from your table, afford for alms, make your losses gain.
AMBROSE; But the insolence and pride of the wealthy is manifested afterwards by the clearest tokens, for it follows, and no one gave to him. For so unmindful are they of the condition of mankind, that as if placed above nature they derive from the wretchedness of the poor an incitement to their own pleasure, they laugh at the destitute, they mock the needy, and rob those whom they ought to pity.
AUG. For the covetousness of the rich is insatiable, it neither fears God nor regards man, spares not a father, keeps not its fealty to a friend, oppresses the widow, attacks the property of a ward.
GREG. Moreover the poor man saw the rich as he went forth surrounded by flatterers, while he himself lay in sickness and want, visited by no one. For that no one came to visit him, the dogs witness, who fearlessly licked his sores, for it follows, moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. Those sores which no man deigned to wash and dress, the beasts tenderly lick.
GREG. By one thing Almighty God displayed two judgments. He permitted Lazarus to lie before the rich man’s gate, both that the wicked rich man might increase the vengeance of his condemnation, and the poor man by his trials enhance his reward; the one saw daily him on whom he should show mercy, the other that for which he might be approved.
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From Apostolic Times to Today … by Bishop James Conley

Here is the latest column from Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, reprinted from the Southern Nebraska Register.
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Eleven of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ were martyred. So was St. Paul. Thirty of the first 33 popes of the Catholic Church were also martyred, along with many of the first bishops, priests, and deacons. In the Book of Acts, St. Stephen was martyred shortly after Christ’s Ascension. Thousands of Christian disciples have followed the path of his martyrdom.
The word martyr simply means witness, and, in one sense, we are all called to the martyrdom of witness—to live our entire lives in witness to Jesus Christ, in witness to his passion, death, and resurrection. To be sure, we will face obstacles—we will be challenged, or marginalized, or ignored because of our faith. Faith in Jesus Christ seems foolish to the world. It always has. The confidence of believers in the truth of the Gospel provokes outrage. Our fidelity to God is an affront to tyrants. Our prophetic voice makes sin uncomfortable. Our witness to charity, even, when juxtaposed with greed and evil in this world, is seen as a threat by those who seek to advance themselves by immorality or selfishness.
Believers live in this world, but they do not live like the world lives. For that, since the first days of the Church’s life, we face trials and challenges.
Some Christians, though, are called beyond the martyrdom of witness in their lives. Last week in Rome, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass for Father Jacques Hamel, who was killed in July while celebrating Mass in Rouen, France. The pope said that “this is a story that repeats itself in the Church, and today, he said, there are more Christian martyrs than there were at beginning of Christianity.”
The death of Father Hamel was shocking, but not surprising. And his death called to mind the recent killings of the Missionaries of Charity Sisters who operate a nursing home in Yemen, and the 30 Ethiopian Christians beheaded on a beach last year by ISIS. The image of this killing is horrific, and unforgettable.
But while those killings made headlines, and drew attention, Christians are martyred around the world, with startling and sobering frequency, and very rarely are we aware of it. Low estimates suggest that seven or eight thousand Christians are killed because of their faith each year. This means that today a Christian is killed for his faith nearly every hour of every day!
Martyrdom has been a part of the Church’s life since the beginning. And as believers, there are three things that Christian persecution requires of us.
The first is that we pray for Christians in parts of the world where persecution and martyrdom are common: the Middle East, of course, especially those places governed by the barbaric ISIS; also parts of Asia, where Christians also face serious persecution at the hands of governments, and the hands of militant extremists. In fact, we need to pray for believers in every part of the world: the death of Father Hamel demonstrates that dangerous and violent anti-Christian ideologies do not confine themselves to regional or national boundaries.
Our prayers are an expression of solidarity with persecuted Christians, an act of entrusting their needs to Almighty God. Our prayers are a source of unity and a plea for their safety to the Lord. And our prayers have real effect on their situation. Scripture says that the fervent prayers of the righteous bear true fruit. Our prayers help the persecuted Christians around the world bear their circumstances with courage, grace, and the truest kind of freedom.
The second is that we work to help end Christian persecution through the democratic and political tools available to us. As Americans, we live in the most influential nation in the world. We are free to contact our lawmakers and leaders to express our concerns for persecuted Christians around the world. We are free to expect our nation to help find solutions for persecuted Christians, and to hold them accountable to that expectation. The leadership of our own Congressman, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, has already impacted the situation of Middle Eastern Christians for good. Our obligation as Christians is to use the political influence and opportunities we have for the welfare of persecuted and martyred Christians.
Finally, our obligation is to build the kind of robust Christian culture that helps to defeat the ideologies and efforts of anti-Christian terrorists and organizations. The French philosopher Pierre Manet says that “The universal Church alone is up to the task of holding together a… form of life that has the capacity to offer hospitality to Judaism, Islam, evangelical Protestantism, and the doctrine of human rights.”
The Church has the fullest view of the common good, and the fullest view of what human rights really are. In a society shaped by real Gospel truths, in which real freedom is paramount, and human dignity is at the forefront of social and cultural life, the appeal of anti-Christian terrorism and persecution rings hollow. In a vision of the world shaped by the vision of Jesus Christ, murders like those of Father Jacques Hamel make no sense. And in a world confident in the truth of Gospel, the evil of Christian persecution is named and addressed quickly, without the hand-wringing characteristic of relativism.
In the second century, the Christian author Tertullian wrote that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity.” He meant that when martyrs are unified in death to the cross of Christ, grace abounds. In that grace is the spread of the Gospel. But we should do all we can to protect the right of Christians to practice the faith freely and safely. We need to continue to pray for persecuted Christians, to work to end religious persecution, and to build robust and free societies, rooted in the truth of Jesus Christ.
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