VIS RELEASES:
ANGELUS: GOD WANTS AND LOVES EACH ONE OF
USVATICAN CITY, 8 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning, after celebrating Mass in the Sistine Chapel during which he administered the Sacrament of Baptism to a group of infants, the Pope appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. (IMAGE SOURCE: COMMUNIO BLOG)
"Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord", he said. "I would like to reflect briefly upon our status as children of God, but I would begin first of all by highlighting the simple fact that we are children, a fundamental condition which unities us all. ... Coming into the world is never our choice. ... Yet during our existence we can develop a positive attitude towards life, we can welcome it as a gift. ... This is a sign of maturity in our being, and in our relationship with our parents which is thus filled with recognition".
"All of us are likewise children of God. God is the origin of the existence of all creatures, He is the Father of each individual human being, with each of whom He has a unique personal relationship. God wants and loves each one of us. ... Thanks to the faith, thanks to a profound and personal 'yes' to God as the origin and foundation of my existence, ... I welcome life as a gift of the Father Who is in heaven; a Parent ... Who, in the depths of my heart, I feel to be my Father, the Father or all my brothers and sisters in humanity, a Father Who is intensely good and faithful".
"This faith in God the Father rests upon Jesus Christ. His person and His history reveal the Father to us. ... To believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, enables us 'to be reborn from above', in other words from God Who is Love. ... This is the significance of the Sacrament of Baptism: it is a new birth which comes about thanks to the Holy Spirit".
"This Sunday concludes the period of Christmas. Let us give thanks unto God for this great mystery. ... God became the child of man that man might become the child of God. Let us then renew our joy at being children, ... born of the love of a father and a mother, and reborn in God's love through Baptism".
Following the Angelus, the Pope addressed greetings to the pilgrims in various languages.
ANG/ VIS 20120109 (430)
THE POPE BAPTISES SIXTEEN CHILDREN IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL
VATICAN CITY, 8 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Sistine Chapel the Pope presided at the celebration of the Eucharist for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, during which he baptised sixteen newborn infants.
In his homily Benedict XVI commented on today's responsorial psalm from the Book of Isaiah, to which the faithful respond: "With joy we will draw water from the wells of salvation". He explained: "As adults, we have undertaken to draw from good wells, for our own benefit and that of the people entrusted to our care. You in particular, dear parents and godparents, do so for the benefit of these children. And what are the 'wells of salvation'? They are the Word of God and the Sacraments.
"Adults", the Pope added, "are the first who should draw from these wells, in order to guide young people in their development. Parents must give a great deal, but in order to give they must also receive, otherwise they become empty and dry. Parents are not the well, just as we priests are not the well: we are the channels through which the vital lymph of God's love must pass. If we detach ourselves from the well, ... we are no longer able to educate others".
"The first and most important form of education comes about through witness", the Holy Father went on, turning his attention to the Gospel reading. "John the Baptist was a great educator of his disciples, because he led them to the encounter with Jesus, to Whom he bore witness. ... True educators do not bind people to themselves, they are not possessive. They want their children or disciples to learn to know the truth, and to establish a personal relationship therewith. Educators carry out their responsibilities to the full by maintaining an attentive and faithful presence, but their objective is to ensure that their pupils hear the voice of truth, ... and follow that voice on an individual journey".
St. John the Evangelist writes: "the Spirit is the one that testifies". For this reason "it is very important for parents and godparents to believe strongly in the presence and action of the Holy Spirit, to invoke and accept Him ... through prayer and the Sacraments. It is, in fact, He Who illuminates the minds of educators and warms their hearts, enabling them to transmit knowledge and love of Jesus. Prayer is the main premise for education, because through prayer we put ourselves in a position whereby we leave the initiative to God. ... At the same time, when we pray we listen to God Who inspires us to play our role well, that role which is in any case ours and which we must carry out. The Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance, enable us to undertake our educational activity in union with Christ, in communion with Him and continually renewed by His forgiveness".
The Pope concluded by entrusting the newly baptised infants to the Blessed Virgin, "that they may grow in age, wisdom and grace, and become true Christians, faithful and joyful witnesses of the love of God".
HML/ VIS 20120109 (530)
HOLY FATHER'S ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
VATICAN CITY, 9 JAN 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Sala Regia of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Pope Benedict pronounced his traditional annual address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. Before making his remarks, the Pope was greeted by Alejandro Emilio Valladares Lanza of Honduras, dean of the diplomatic corps, then received the greetings of the ambassadors as a whole formulated in a speech delivered by Jean-Claude Michel of the Principality of Monaco, vice dean.
The Holy See currently maintains full diplomatic relations with 179 States, to which must be added the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. It also has relations of a special nature with the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
Furthermore, the Holy See has observer-State status at the United Nations, as well as being a member of seven organisations and agencies of the UN system, observer in eight others, and member or observer in five regional organisations.
Ample extracts of the Holy Father's address are give below:
"Through you my good wishes extend to all the nations which you represent and with which the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations. It is a joy for us that Malaysia joined this community in the past year. ... A sign of the cooperation existing between the Catholic Church and States is seen in the Accords reached in 2011 with Azerbaijan, Montenegro and Mozambique. ... The Holy See also desires to establish a fruitful dialogue with international and regional organisations, and in this context I note with satisfaction that the member States of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have accepted the appointment of an apostolic nuncio accredited to that organisation. Nor can I fail to mention that last December the Holy See strengthened its longstanding cooperation with the International Organisation for Migration by becoming a full member".
"Finally, I wish to greet South Sudan, which last July became a sovereign State. I am happy that this was achieved peacefully. Sadly, tensions and clashes have ensued in recent months, and I express my hope that all may unite their efforts to enable the people of Sudan and South Sudan to experience at last a period of peace, freedom and development".
"Today's meeting traditionally takes place at the end of the Christmas season, during which the Church celebrates the coming of the Saviour. He comes in the dark of night and so His presence is immediately a source of light and joy. ... Truly the world is dark wherever men and women no longer acknowledge their bond with the Creator and thereby endanger their relation to other creatures and to creation itself. The present moment is sadly marked by a profound disquiet and the various crises - economic, political and social - are a dramatic expression of this.
"Here I cannot fail to address before all else the grave and disturbing developments of the global economic and financial crisis. The crisis has not only affected families and businesses in the more economically advanced countries where it originated, creating a situation in which many people, especially the young, have felt disoriented and frustrated in their aspirations for a serene future, but it has also had a profound impact on the life of developing countries. We must not lose heart, but instead resolutely rediscover our way through new forms of commitment. The crisis can and must be an incentive to reflect on human existence and on the importance of its ethical dimension, even before we consider the mechanisms governing economic life: not only in an effort to stem private losses or to shore up national economies, but to give ourselves new rules which ensure that all can lead a dignified life and develop their abilities for the benefit of the community as a whole.
"The effects of the present moment of uncertainty are felt particularly by the young. Their disquiet has given rise in recent months to agitation which has affected various regions, at times severely. I think first and foremost of North Africa and the Middle East, where young people, among others, who are suffering from poverty and unemployment and are fearful of an uncertain future, have launched what has developed into a vast movement calling for reforms and a more active share in political and social life. ... Initial optimism has yielded to an acknowledgment of the difficulties of this moment of transition and change. ... Respect for the person must be at the centre of institutions and laws; it must lead to the end of all violence and forestall the risk that due concern for popular demands and the need for social solidarity turn into mere means for maintaining or seizing power. I invite the international community to dialogue with the actors in the current processes, in a way respectful of peoples and in the realisation that the building of stable and reconciled societies, opposed to every form of unjust discrimination, particularly religious discrimination, represents a much vaster horizon than that of short-term electoral gains.
"I am deeply concerned for the people of those countries where hostilities and acts of violence continue, particularly Syria, where I pray for a rapid end to the bloodshed and the beginning of a fruitful dialogue between the political forces, encouraged by the presence of independent observers. In the Holy Land, where tensions between Palestinians and Israelis affect the stability of the entire Middle East, it is necessary that the leaders of these two peoples adopt courageous and farsighted decisions in favour of peace. I was pleased to learn that, following an initiative of the Kingdom of Jordan, dialogue has been resumed; I express my hope that it will be maintained, and that it will lead to a lasting peace which guarantees the right of the two peoples to dwell in security in sovereign States and within secure and internationally recognised borders. ... I am also following closely the developments in Iraq, and I deplore the attacks that have recently caused so much loss of life; I encourage the nation's leaders to advance firmly on the path to full national reconciliation".
"Education is a crucial theme for every generation, for it determines the healthy development of each person and the future of all society. ... In addition to a clear goal, that of leading young people to a full knowledge of reality and thus of truth, education needs settings. Among these, pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman. This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself. ... There is a need for policies which promote the family and aid social cohesion and dialogue. It is in the family that we become open to the world and to life. ... In this context of openness to life, I note with satisfaction the recent sentence of the Court of Justice of the European Union forbidding patenting processes relative to human embryonic stem cells, as well as the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe condemning prenatal selection on the basis of sex. More generally, and with particular reference to the West, I am convinced that legislative measures which not only permit but at times even promote abortion for reasons of convenience or for questionable medical motives compromise the education of young people and, as a result, the future of humanity.
"A similarly essential role in the development of the person is played by educational institutions. ... There is a need to implement educational policies which ensure that schooling is available to everyone and which, in addition to promoting the cognitive development of the individual, show concern for a balanced personal growth, including openness to the Transcendent. The Catholic Church has always been particularly active in the field of education and schooling, making a valued contribution alongside that of State institutions. It is my hope that this contribution will be acknowledged and prized also by the legislation of the various nations.
"In this perspective. it is clear that an effective educational programme also calls for respect for religious freedom. This freedom has individual, collective and institutional dimensions. We are speaking of the first of human rights, for it expresses the most fundamental reality of the person. All too often, for various reasons, this right remains limited or is flouted. I cannot raise this subject without first paying tribute to the memory of the Pakistani Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, whose untiring battle for the rights of minorities ended in his tragic death.
"Sadly, we are not speaking of an isolated case. In many countries Christians are deprived of fundamental rights and sidelined from public life; in other countries they endure violent attacks against their churches and their homes. ... In other parts of the world, we see policies aimed at marginalising the role of religion in the life of society, as if it were a cause of intolerance rather than a valued contribution to education in respect for human dignity, justice and peace. In the past year religiously motivated terrorism has also reaped numerous victims, especially in Asia and in Africa. ... Religion cannot be employed as a pretext for setting aside the rules of justice and of law for the sake of the intended 'good'".
"I would also like to bring up several encouraging signs in the area of religious freedom. I am referring to the legislative amendment whereby the public juridical personality of religious minorities was recognised in Georgia; I think too of the sentence of the European Court of Human Rights upholding the presence of the crucifix in Italian schoolrooms. ... I hope that Italy will continue to foster a stable relationship between Church and State, and thus serve as an example to which other nations can look with respect and interest.
"On the continent of Africa ... it is essential that cooperation between Christian communities and governments favour progress along the path of justice, peace and reconciliation, where respect is shown for members of all ethnic groups and all religions. It is painful to realise that in different countries of the continent this goal remains distant. I think in particular of the renewed outbreak of violence in Nigeria, ... the aftermath of the civil war in Cote d'Ivoire, the continuing instability in the Great Lakes region and the humanitarian emergency in the countries of the Horn of Africa. I once again appeal to the international community to make every effort to find a solution to the crisis which has gone on for years in Somalia.
"Finally I would stress that education, correctly understood, cannot fail to foster respect for creation. We cannot disregard the grave natural calamities which in 2011 affected various regions of South-East Asia, or ecological disasters like that of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. Environmental protection and the connection between fighting poverty and fighting climate change are important areas for the promotion of integral human development. For this reason, I hope that, pursuant to the seventeenth session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change recently concluded in Durban, the international community will prepare for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20) as an authentic 'family of nations' and thus with a great sense of solidarity and responsibility towards present and future generations".
"Inspired by the certainty of faith, the Holy See continues to offer its proper contribution to the international community in accordance with the twofold desire clearly enunciated by Vatican Council II, whose fiftieth anniversary takes place this year: to proclaim the lofty grandeur of our human calling and the presence within us of a divine seed, and to offer humanity sincere cooperation in building a sense of universal fraternity corresponding to this calling".
ASIA : PALESTINE - ISRAEL - MEETING OF BISHOPS TO SUPPORT HOLY LAND
ASIA NEWS REPORT: The visit took place before the annual
meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support the Church of
the Holy Land. Auxiliary bishop in Birmingham says: “You’re not alone, no one
has given up, have hope and faith in God and the Church”.
.jpg)
Gaza (AsiaNews) - The small Catholic community of Gaza
welcomed the visit of eight bishops from Europe and North America, just one day
before the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in
Support of the Church of the Holy Land, yesterday. Greeted by a band of 40
scouts, the Bishops brought messages of support from their dioceses and
respective Bishops’ Conferences. Bishop William Kenney, auxiliary bishop in
Birmingham told the parishioners: “You are not forgotten, you’re not alone, no
one has given up, have hope and faith in God and the Church”.
The Apostolic Nuncio, archbishop Antonio Franco, presided the Mass, which took place at the Holy Family Parish Church in Gaza. After mass, there was an open meeting with the parishioners. The faithful shared their experiences of living in Gaza, where the economic blockade, the security situation and an increasing fundamentalism affect work and freedom of movement.
On a total population of 1,5 million, the Christian community of Gaza is made up of 2.500. Catholics are about 300. Despite the small figure, Catholics are very active among the community. Along the parish of the Holy Family Church, religious nuns run a home for the elderly, a centre for the disabled, a kindergarden and a Catholic schools.
Since 1998, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has organized the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal conferences in Support of the Church of Holy Land. The aim is to act in solidarity and share the pastoral life with the local Christian community.
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land attended the opening session of today. The meeting will close on January 12nd. Both Israeli and Palestinian ministers and politicians will join the event. During the meeting, the participants will talk about the impact of Arab Spring and the socio-political changes in the region.
Episcopal participants for this year’s Holy Land Coordination are: mgr. Patrick Kelly, archbishop of Liverpool and deputy chairman of Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales; mgr. Richard Smith, archbishop of Edmonton, Canada; mgr. Johan-Enric Vives, archbishop of Urgel, Spain; mgr. Gerald Kicanas, bishop of Tucson, US; mgr. Heinrich Mussinghoff, bishop of Aachen and deputy chairman of Bishops’ Conference of Germany; mgr Michel Dubost, bishop of Evry, France; mgr, Riccardo Fontana, bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, Italy; mgr. William Kenney, auxiliary bishop of Birmingham and spokesperson for European Affairs of Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Catholics-in-Gaza-welcome-8-bishops-from-Europe-and-North-America-23646.html
.jpg)
Gaza (AsiaNews) - The small Catholic community of Gaza
welcomed the visit of eight bishops from Europe and North America, just one day
before the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in
Support of the Church of the Holy Land, yesterday. Greeted by a band of 40
scouts, the Bishops brought messages of support from their dioceses and
respective Bishops’ Conferences. Bishop William Kenney, auxiliary bishop in
Birmingham told the parishioners: “You are not forgotten, you’re not alone, no
one has given up, have hope and faith in God and the Church”.The Apostolic Nuncio, archbishop Antonio Franco, presided the Mass, which took place at the Holy Family Parish Church in Gaza. After mass, there was an open meeting with the parishioners. The faithful shared their experiences of living in Gaza, where the economic blockade, the security situation and an increasing fundamentalism affect work and freedom of movement.
On a total population of 1,5 million, the Christian community of Gaza is made up of 2.500. Catholics are about 300. Despite the small figure, Catholics are very active among the community. Along the parish of the Holy Family Church, religious nuns run a home for the elderly, a centre for the disabled, a kindergarden and a Catholic schools.
Since 1998, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has organized the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal conferences in Support of the Church of Holy Land. The aim is to act in solidarity and share the pastoral life with the local Christian community.
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land attended the opening session of today. The meeting will close on January 12nd. Both Israeli and Palestinian ministers and politicians will join the event. During the meeting, the participants will talk about the impact of Arab Spring and the socio-political changes in the region.
Episcopal participants for this year’s Holy Land Coordination are: mgr. Patrick Kelly, archbishop of Liverpool and deputy chairman of Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales; mgr. Richard Smith, archbishop of Edmonton, Canada; mgr. Johan-Enric Vives, archbishop of Urgel, Spain; mgr. Gerald Kicanas, bishop of Tucson, US; mgr. Heinrich Mussinghoff, bishop of Aachen and deputy chairman of Bishops’ Conference of Germany; mgr Michel Dubost, bishop of Evry, France; mgr, Riccardo Fontana, bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, Italy; mgr. William Kenney, auxiliary bishop of Birmingham and spokesperson for European Affairs of Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Catholics-in-Gaza-welcome-8-bishops-from-Europe-and-North-America-23646.html
AUSTRALIA : BEST FILM OF 2011 - ORANGES AND SUNSHINE
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese
RELEASE:
10 Jan 2012
Oranges and
Sunshine, the moving often confronting film about the forced removal of
thousands of British children to Australia has been named Best Film of 2011 by
the Australian Catholic Film Office (ACFO).
Directed by Ken Loach and starring Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham, the film tells the true story of Nottingham social worker, Margaret Humphreys (Watson) and her search in the 1980s to locate victims of an official policy between the Australian and UK governments to ship poor British children to Australia.
The two Governments continued this policy over several decades in a bid to ensure populations in "the Colonies" remained predominantly white and Anglo Saxon. The more than 130,000 children forcibly deported to Australia, however, were simply told they were going to a better life filled with "sunshine and oranges."
Often taken from their single unwed mothers without permission, the children were usually told their mother or parents and died. They were forced to live in charitable orphanages on their arrival in Australia but often endured unhappy, lonely, loveless lives filled with drudgery and despair.
It took the determination of Margaret Humphreys to uncover the scandal and eventually help reunite many of these broken children, who by now were adults, with their British mothers, families and relatives.
"One of the most remarkable aspects of the film is that it
treats these events with a complete lack of sensationalism, giving the movie
great power," says Fr Richard Leonard, SJ, Director of the ACFO and chairman of
the Jury convened to decide on the best film for 2011.
The film dramatizes what the children and their families went through and focuses on the effects of the injustice on the children, who as adults, are still coping with a loss of identity.
"The jury felt that while the film is rightly critical of the way church-run institutions, orphanages and schools in Australia were often complicit in the terrible injustices done to these children, we also believe it throws light on the damage done to innocent victims, the devastating consequences for some, and the possible healing for others. Things to which the Catholic Church in Australia is totally committed," explains Fr Leonard.
Between the mid 1940s until the 1970s as many as 130,000 children were forcibly shipped to Australia, with more than 7000 of these youngsters in the protection of UK social services which deemed them "unfit" and "degenerate."
The ACFO praised Emily Watson's performance as Margaret
Humphreys and lauded Jim Loach for offering a social-issues film of great
restraint, demonstrating a passionate commitment to justice as he searched for
the truth behind a terrible wrong.
Among the ACFO's highly commended films released during 2011 were Jonathan Teplitzky;'s Burning Man, and what the Jury described as a very strong and compelling sextet of films relating to the experiences of indigenous Australians: Toomelah, The Tall Man, Mad Bastards, Red Hill, Here I Am and Murrandak.
Last year's winner of the ACFO's Film of the Year for 2010 was Claire McCarthy's The Waiting City and the previous year Best Film went to Samson and Delilah, the tender compelling tale of young love in a remote indigenous community.
Other winners of the past decade include The Black Balloon, Ten Canoes, Look Both Ways, Rabbit Proof Fence, Black and White, Australian Rules and Looking for Alibrandi.
http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2012/2012110_1836.shtml
10 Jan 2012
Oranges and Sunshine named ACFO's
Best Film of 2011
Directed by Ken Loach and starring Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham, the film tells the true story of Nottingham social worker, Margaret Humphreys (Watson) and her search in the 1980s to locate victims of an official policy between the Australian and UK governments to ship poor British children to Australia.
The two Governments continued this policy over several decades in a bid to ensure populations in "the Colonies" remained predominantly white and Anglo Saxon. The more than 130,000 children forcibly deported to Australia, however, were simply told they were going to a better life filled with "sunshine and oranges."
Often taken from their single unwed mothers without permission, the children were usually told their mother or parents and died. They were forced to live in charitable orphanages on their arrival in Australia but often endured unhappy, lonely, loveless lives filled with drudgery and despair.
It took the determination of Margaret Humphreys to uncover the scandal and eventually help reunite many of these broken children, who by now were adults, with their British mothers, families and relatives.
130,000 poor British children were forcibly
deported
to Australia with promsies of oranges and
sunshine
The film dramatizes what the children and their families went through and focuses on the effects of the injustice on the children, who as adults, are still coping with a loss of identity.
"The jury felt that while the film is rightly critical of the way church-run institutions, orphanages and schools in Australia were often complicit in the terrible injustices done to these children, we also believe it throws light on the damage done to innocent victims, the devastating consequences for some, and the possible healing for others. Things to which the Catholic Church in Australia is totally committed," explains Fr Leonard.
Between the mid 1940s until the 1970s as many as 130,000 children were forcibly shipped to Australia, with more than 7000 of these youngsters in the protection of UK social services which deemed them "unfit" and "degenerate."
Hugo Weaving and Emily Watson gave powerful
performances in Oranges and
Sunshine
Among the ACFO's highly commended films released during 2011 were Jonathan Teplitzky;'s Burning Man, and what the Jury described as a very strong and compelling sextet of films relating to the experiences of indigenous Australians: Toomelah, The Tall Man, Mad Bastards, Red Hill, Here I Am and Murrandak.
Last year's winner of the ACFO's Film of the Year for 2010 was Claire McCarthy's The Waiting City and the previous year Best Film went to Samson and Delilah, the tender compelling tale of young love in a remote indigenous community.
Other winners of the past decade include The Black Balloon, Ten Canoes, Look Both Ways, Rabbit Proof Fence, Black and White, Australian Rules and Looking for Alibrandi.
http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2012/2012110_1836.shtml
EUROPE : GREAT BRITAIN : CONFESSION INITIATIVE : JESUS OFFERS FORGIVENESS
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AFRICA : KENYA : NEW BISHOP MBATIA OF NYAHURURU
CISA REPORT: NAIROBI, January 6, 2012 (CISA) -Pope
Benedict XVI has appointed Fr Joseph Mbatia as new Bishop of Nyahururu Diocese,
in Kenya, succeeding Bishop Luigi Paiaro, who has attained his retirement
age.Pope Benedict announced the appointment of Fr Mbatia as the new bishop on December 24, 2011.
The new bishop has been the Vicar-General of the Diocese of Nyahururu since 2005 and parish priest in Manunga Parish in Nyahururu Diocese.
He was born on May 10, 1961 and attended Passenga Primary School 1969 – 1976.
Thereafter he went to Nyandarua High School 1977 – 1980. He joined Mabanga Senior Seminary in 1982 before going to St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary-Nairobi in 1984.
He was ordained deacon in October 1988 and a priest in February 1989.
According to the Secretary General, Kenya Catholic Secretariat (KCS), Fr Vincent Wambugu, the new bishop will be consecrated and installed as Ordinary Bishop for Nyarururu Diocese on March 24, 2012.
SOURCE: http://www.cisanewsafrica.com/?p=3782
AMERICA : CHILE : ARCHBISHOP APPEALS FOR FIRE VICTIMS
Agenzia
Fides REPORT - An urgent appeal was launched by the Archbishop of Concepción,
His Exc. Mgr. Fernando Chomali, to express solidarity to families who are
suffering from the tragedy of the fires occurred in several municipalities in
the area. The fires have left more than 500 people homeless, caused a victim,
over one hundred houses and a large company destroyed, more than 10,000 hectares
of forest burned. "The Church of Concepcion is shocked by what is happening and
my appeal to solidarity is for those who suffer, because many families have lost
their homes and there are also people who have lost their jobs", said Mgr.
Chomali . In the note sent to Fides, the Archbishop says that due to the danger
of fire in the NIPAS area, the Nursing home San Jose was also evacuated: the 20
elders are safe and in good condition, temporarily transferred to the School of
Portezuelo.
"As a Church we cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of the people - said Mgr. Chomali -, and therefore launches an appeal so that aid is brought to the parishes, the Cathedral and the offices of the Social Pastoral, in order to assist and support people faced with a very complex situation. The quality of a society is measured in the ability of solidarity with those who suffer. The Church cooperates with the State, by providing pastoral structures to bring support to those affected by this tragedy. We are faced with an emergency, and the government declared red alert, and as a community of faith we cannot remain indifferent".
The data of the damage has not yet been updated completely, unfortunately there are already 7 firefighters who have died while they were fighting against the fire in the municipality of Carahue, about 730 kilometers south of Santiago. According to the National Forest Coorporazione (CONAF), between December 30, 2011 and Friday, January 6, 2012, 34,000 hectares of forests burned in the Bio Bio region and Araucania; 171 homes were destroyed by fire, and there are 17 locations considered alive to the danger of fire, while the high temperature these days is not conducive to the full shutdown of the outbreaks. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 09/01/2012)
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=30722&lan=eng
"As a Church we cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of the people - said Mgr. Chomali -, and therefore launches an appeal so that aid is brought to the parishes, the Cathedral and the offices of the Social Pastoral, in order to assist and support people faced with a very complex situation. The quality of a society is measured in the ability of solidarity with those who suffer. The Church cooperates with the State, by providing pastoral structures to bring support to those affected by this tragedy. We are faced with an emergency, and the government declared red alert, and as a community of faith we cannot remain indifferent".
The data of the damage has not yet been updated completely, unfortunately there are already 7 firefighters who have died while they were fighting against the fire in the municipality of Carahue, about 730 kilometers south of Santiago. According to the National Forest Coorporazione (CONAF), between December 30, 2011 and Friday, January 6, 2012, 34,000 hectares of forests burned in the Bio Bio region and Araucania; 171 homes were destroyed by fire, and there are 17 locations considered alive to the danger of fire, while the high temperature these days is not conducive to the full shutdown of the outbreaks. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 09/01/2012)
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=30722&lan=eng
TODAY'S GOSPEL AND MASS ONLINE : JAN. 9, 2012
| Mark
1: 7 - 11
| |
| 7 | And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. |
| 8 | I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." |
| 9 | In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. |
| 10 | And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; |
| 11 | and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased." |
TODAY'S SAINT : JAN. 9 : ST. ADRIAN OF CANTERBURY
St. Adrian of Canterbury
ABBOT AT CANTERBURY
Feast: January 9
 Information:
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Divine Providence conducted this holy man to Britain, in
order to make him an instructor of innumerable saints. Adrian was an African by
birth, and was abbot of Nerida. not far from Naples, when pope Vitalian, upon
the death of St. Deusdedit the archbishop of Canterbury, judged him, for his
skill in sacred learning, and experience in the paths of true interior virtue,
to be of all others the most proper person to be the doctor of a nation, zealous
in the pursuit of virtue, but as yet ignorant in the sciences, and in the canons
of the church. The humble servant of God found means to decline that dignity, by
recommending St. Theodorus as most capable, but refused not to share in the
laborious part of the ministry. The pope therefore enjoined him to be the
companion, assistant, and adviser of the apostolic archbishop, which charge
Adrian willingly took upon himself. In traveling through France with St.
Theodorus, he was stopped by Ebroin, the jealous mayor of the palace, who feared
lest the emperor of the East had given these two persons, who were his born
subjects, some commission in favor of his pretensions to the western kingdoms.
Adrian stayed a long time in France, at Meaux, and in other places, before he
was allowed to pursue his journey. St. Theodorus established him abbot of the
monastery of SS. Peter and Paul, afterward called St. Austin, near Canterbury,
where he taught the learned languages and the sciences, and principally the
precepts and maxims of our divine religion. He had illustrated this island by
his heavenly doctrine, and the bright example of his virtues, for the space of
thirty-nine years, when he departed to our Lord on the 9th of January, in he
year 710. His tomb was famed for miracles, as we are assured by Joscelin the
Monk, quoted by William of Malmesbury and Capgrave, and his name is inserted in
the English calendars.
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SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/A/stadrianofcanterbury.asp#ixzz1j18setvP
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