Catholic News

• Pope sends letter of closeness to Ukraine, marking 1,000 days of war (Vatican News)
  Pope Francis has written a letter to Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, marking the 1,000th day since the Russian invasion. “I am well aware that no human words can protect their lives from daily bombings, console those mourning their dead, heal the wounded, bring children back home, free prisoners, or restore justice and peace,” the Pope wrote. “May the Lord comfort our hearts and strengthen the hope that, while gathering every tear shed and holding all accountable, He remains close to us even when human efforts seem fruitless and actions inadequate,” he added.
• Ukrainian Catholic leader marks 1,000 days of death, hope (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
  In a message marking 1,000 days since the Russian invasion, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said that “it is fair to say that for a thousand days, the enemy has relentlessly sought to kill, destroy, and annihilate. But at the same time, this has been a period of great hope for the Ukrainian people. A thousand days of hope.” Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk added: We are a people who rely on the power of the resurrected Savior and bear witness to this power daily in our personal history. That is why we now declare to the whole world: Ukraine stands, fights, and prays! Ukraine trusts in God’s power, which is revealed even through our wounds, tears, and grief! Ukraine is rising today with our risen Savior!
• Armenian leader discusses peace with Pontiff (Prime Minister of Armenia)
  Pope Francis received Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on November 18. The prime minister “emphasized Armenia’s full support for the peace agenda of the Holy See,” his office stated following the meeting. He also “informed His Holiness about the latest developments in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process” and “thanked His Holiness for the continuous efforts of the Holy See to release the Armenian prisoners of war.” Since 1988, predominantly Christian Armenia and predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan have been in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan. Tens of thousands of Armenians fled the enclave in 2023, amid an Azeri military offensive.
• Abuse is a 'betrayal of life,' Pope tweets (@Pontifex_it)
  “I join the Church in Italy, which today proposes again the Day of Prayer for the victims and survivors of abuse,” Pope Francis tweeted on November 18. He continued, “Every abuse is a betrayal of trust, it is a betrayal of life! Prayer is indispensable to ‘rebuild trust.’” In a departure from typical practice, the Pope’s tweet, published on his Italian X account, was not also published on his English-language account.
• Priest executed by Nazis is beatified in Germany (Erzbistum Freiburg)
  Father Max Josef Metzger (1887-1944), an advocate for peace and Christian unity who was imprisoned and executed by the Nazi regime, was beatified as a martyr in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, on November 17. Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, was the principal celebrant at the beatification Mass (video). “Today’s beatification is a great honor for the Archdiocese of Freiburg,” Cardinal Koch preached. “At the same time, however, this also means that we are called to bear witness to peace and unity in today’s world in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.”
• Vatican 'foreign minister' offers overview of diplomatic activity in Africa (Vatican News)
  Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, visited Cameroon to receive an honorary degree and delivered a speech in which he offered an historical overview of the Holy See’s diplomatic activity in Africa. The Holy See, he said, has been focused on maintaining the Church’s autonomy and fostering the common good. The Holy See has diplomatic relations with 51 of Africa’s 54 nations.
• Iranian convert sentenced to 10 years for evangelizing (AsiaNews)
  A judge in the Islamic Republic of Iran has sentenced a Christian to ten years in prison on several charges, including “propagandizing” Christianity. Toomaj Aryan-Kia, a convert to Christianity, was also charged with collaboration with the governments of Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• 'Red Wednesday' puts persecution of Christians in spotlight (Our Sunday Visitor)
  Buildings around the world—including 26 Irish cathedrals—will be illumined in red on November 20 to draw attention to the persecution of Christians. ‘Red Wednesday” is an initiative of Aid to the Church in Need. Some 300 associated events are taking place, including events at the houses of Parliament in London and Edinburgh, Scotland.
• USCCB awards $8.8M to 329 projects in Central, Eastern Europe (USCCB)
  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published an annual report for its Collection for the Church in Eastern and Central Europe. In 2023, the collection had $9,446,185 in revenue and $9,665,263 in expenses, of which 91% ($8.76 million) was expended on 329 grants, 5% on program costs, 3% on promotions and fundraising expenses, and 1% on administrative expenses. The grants were divided into eleven categories, of which the largest were construction, emergency humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and evangelization. Despite the $219,000 operating deficit, the collection’s assets grew by over $3.1 million, to $23.96 million, because of investment gains.
• Vatican approves special norms for Mayan liturgy (Pillar)
  The Vatican has given formal recognition to special liturgical changes presented by the Mexican bishops’ conference for use in the diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas. Cardinal Arthur Roche, the prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, wrote to give approval for the liturgical changes, to be used “for some indigenous peoples of Mexico,” specifically in the southern diocese which developed the special liturgy. He said that the Vatican would now consider whether the special liturgy would be approved for other Mexican dioceses, with minor changes “to respect the specific characteristics of each ethnic group.” The liturgical changes that the Vatican approved include the use of a lay man or woman to “guide the people, at the invitation of the priest presiding at the celebration, in moments of communal prayer;“ and a prayer of thanksgiving after Communion in which the people are invited to join in a sort of dance: “a rhythmic pendulum movement.” Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, the retired bishop of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, emphasized the importance of the Vatican approval for this special liturgy. He noted that only once before has the Vatican approved such special adaptations of the post-conciliar liturgy: the “aboriginal liturgy” approved earlier this year for the Australian Diocese of Broome.
• End the scourge of hunger, Pope urges G20 leaders (Vatican Press Office)
  In a message to the G20 Summit in Brazil, Pope Francis called on the world’s wealthiest nations to work together to end hunger. “It is a matter of great concern that society has not yet found a way to address the tragic situation of those facing starvation,” the Pope wrote in his November 18 message. “The silent acceptance by human society of famine is a scandalous injustice and a grave offense.” “Those who, through usury and greed, cause the starvation and death of their brothers and sisters in the human family are indirectly committing a homicide, which is imputable to them (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2269),” the Pope continued. “No effort should be spared to lift people out of poverty and hunger.” The Pope added: It is important to keep in mind that the issue of hunger is not merely a matter of insufficient food; rather, it is a consequence of broader social and economic injustices. Poverty, in particular, is a significant contributing factor to hunger, perpetuating a cycle of economic and social inequalities that are pervasive in our global society. The relationship between hunger and poverty is inextricably linked. It is thus evident that immediate and decisive action must be taken to eradicate the scourge of hunger and poverty. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope’s Secretary of State, is attending the summit and delivered the papal message.
• World needs more international cooperation, Cardinal Parolin tells G20 (Vatican News)
  Cardinal Pietro Parolin called for “rethinking of the frameworks that should facilitate effective international cooperation” in an address to the G20 meeting in Brazil. The Vatican Secretary of State said that political leaders should work together to establish “global mechanisms that can respond to environmental, public health, cultural and social issues, as well as artificial intelligence.” At the same time—citing the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum by Pope Francis—he warned against any “global authority concentrated in one person or in an elite with excessive power.” To guard against such a concentration of power, Cardinal Parolin recommended adhering to the principle of subsidiarity and allowing the widest participation in the decision-making process.
• Dioceses should commemorate local saints, blesseds each year, Pope writes (CNS)
  Pope Francis has asked dioceses around the world to “remember and honor” local saints, blesseds, and other examples of holiness each November 9, on the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica. “During the course of the liturgical year, the Church publicly honors the Saints and Blesseds, on pre-established dates and in predetermined ways,” he noted in a letter released on November 16. “However, it seems important to me that all particular Churches commemorate the Saints and Blesseds on a single date, as well as the Venerables and Servants of God of their respective territories.” The Pontiff explained: It is not a matter of inserting a new memorial into the liturgical calendar, but of promoting with appropriate initiatives outside the liturgy, or of recalling within it, for example in the homily or at another time deemed appropriate, those figures who have characterized the local Christian path and spirituality.
• Make prison visits a priority, Pope tells Spanish seminarians (Vatican Press Office)
  Pope Francis received seminarians from two Spanish dioceses and emphasized the importance of visiting prisoners. “We must go into the prisons; certainly, into the government prisons, to offer to those who are detained in them the oil of consolation and the wine of hope, but also to all those prisons that confine the men and women of our society: ideological prisons, the moral ones, those that create exploitation, discouragement, ignorance or forgetfulness of God,” the Pope said to seminarians of the Archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela, the Diocese of San Sebastián, and the Neocatechumenal Way. “I return to prisons: please, go into the prisons, go, make the effort,” the Pope continued. “Ever since I became bishop, on Holy Thursday, I perform the washing of the feet in a prison. They are those who most need us to wash their feet.”
• Lebanon's Christians fear effects of Israeli attacks (Aid to the Church in Need)
  Less than two months after Israel attacked and invaded Lebanon, many of the nation’s Christians live in fear of becoming “collateral damage,” according to a project coordinator for Aid to the Church in Need. “We are free to move, but it can be dangerous on the roads, as sometimes the Israelis target Hezbollah operatives in cars, so you can be driving, and the car next to you might be struck,” said Marielle Boutros. “At the moment, we have 1.5 million displaced people: that is one in every four citizens in the country,” she added. “They are welcomed in shelters, such as schools, churches, retreat centers, or private houses. They need everything—food, medication, water, clothes, sanitary products—because they left their houses very quickly.” Boutros worries that the Israeli attacks might increase sectarian tensions within Lebanon. She also spoke of exhaustion among Church workers in the beleaguered nation: The Church had a very quick response and is still welcoming the people with a large smile and lots of charity, but although they are doing a great job, you can feel that they are tired ... We should not forget that they lost their savings in the 2019 financial crisis, and despite this, they have continued with most of their other pastoral services.
• Pope offers criteria for libraries (Vatican News)
  In an Italian-language address to participants in a library conference organized by the Vatican Apostolic Library, Pope Francis offered four criteria for the work of libraries: “time is greater than space; unity prevails over conflict; reality is greater than the idea; the whole is greater than the part.” These principles are also found in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), his inaugural apostolic exhortation. Pope Francis also recalled the figure of Pope Pius XI, who once led the Vatican Library, updating its technology and making the Library “a secure place for many scholars, even for those persecuted by totalitarian regimes, which the Pope always firmly opposed.” In doing so, Pope Francis encouraged the libraries of today to be “places of peace, oases of encounter, and platforms for open discussion.”
• 2 martyred Albanian priests beatified (Vatican News (French))
  Two priests martyred in the early twentieth century were beatified in Shkodër, Albania, on November 16. Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, celebrated the Mass of beatification. Father Luigi Palić, OFM (1877-1913) suffered torture and martyrdom rather than convert to Eastern Orthodoxy. At his execution, he said, “O Jesus, be it for thy love!” Father Gjon Gazulli (1893-1927), a diocesan priest, was martyred under the Muslim Prime Minister Ahmed Zogu (later King Zog I) for opposing the suppression of Catholic schools. Falsely accused of fomenting a revolt, he said before his hanging, “I die an innocent. Long live Christ our King! Long live the Catholic Church! Long live the Pope! Long live Albania!”
• Kenya archdiocese rejects donations from president (BBC)
  The Archdiocese of Nairobi has rejected donation from President William Ruto and from Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja. “The Church must remain a neutral entity, free from political influence,” explained Archbishop Philip Anyolo. He said that gifts from the two political leaders, which had been offered to a parish in Nairobi, would be returned “to safeguard the Church from being used for political purposes.” The Kenyan Catholic bishops have been critical of Ruto’s political leadership.
• Papal encouragement to Italian youth to encounter Jesus (Vatican Press Office)
  Pope Francis received a delegation from the Italian National Youth Council and encouraged the young people to encounter Jesus. “If He lives, then hope is not in vain,” the Pope said. “Evil, pessimism, and skepticism will not have the last word. And so many young people fall prey to this skepticism, also sustained by drugs.” “At the start of being Christian there is not an ethical decision or a grand idea, but the encounter with a Person, it is the encounter with Jesus, who gives life a new horizon,” the Pope continued. “Hope, the state of mind in which today Italians most identify themselves, for us Christians as a name and a face: the face of the Lord, the face of Jesus.” In his wide-ranging remarks, the Pope also encouraged the young people to maintain their hope, to network and “make noise,” to “witness to the beauty and newness of life,” and to work to overcome conflicts with the help of others.
• Haitian bishop: international help needed to restore order (Vatican News)
  With Haitian police unable to restrain gang violence, people are forming their own self-defense forces, creating an even more volatile situation, Bishop André Dumas of Anse-a-Veau told Vatican News. “There is violence that affects all levels, and it is the poorest who pay the price,” he remarked. Bishop Dumas said that international help is needed to restore order, and to help the people of Haiti rebuild their communities. He emphasized that intervention should aim “to support the Haitian people more, not decide for them—and ensure that solutions come from within.”
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