Pope Horrified by Shocking Massacre
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Single Issue: $1.00 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40030139 CATHOLIC JOURNAL Vol. 94 No. 42 April 12, 2017 No issue next week Pope horrified by The Prairie Messenger will take a one-week break after Easter Sunday. There shocking massacre will be no April 19 issue. We will be back to a By Junno Arocho Esteves and the country’s military of per - weekly schedule with the petrating the attack, based on re - April 26 issue. VATICAN CITY (CNS) — ports that warplanes dropped Towards Unity Pope Francis strongly condemned chemical bombs in the early a shocking chemical attack in morning. A new book on “Ecumenical Syria that left some 70 people, in - According to The New York Dialogue 500 Years after the cluding at least 10 children, dead. Times, the Syrian military denied Reformation” has recently “We are horrified by the latest attacking the town and said the events in Syria. I strongly deplore attack was caused by insurgents been released internationally. the unacceptable massacre that who blame the Syrian govern - It was co-edited by Regina took place yesterday in the Idlib ment for similar attacks “every Archbishop Donald Bolen. province, where dozens of civil - time they fail to achieve the goals — page 3 ians, including many children, of their sponsors.” Addiction crisis were killed,” the pope said April Pope Francis encouraged those CNS/EPA 5 before concluding his weekly helping with relief efforts in Idlib SYRIAN CHEMICAL ATTACK — A child receives treatment inside a While educators, law general audience in St. Peter’s province, and he appealed to field hospital in Idlib, Syria, after an April 4 chemical attack. Pope enforcement and the medical Square. world leaders to put an end to the Francis strongly condemned the attack, which left more than 70 peo - community have all tried to Images of dead men, women violence. ple, including at least 10 children, dead. tackle the drug problem, the and children lying on the streets “I appeal to the conscience of overdoses, addictions and provoked international outrage those who have political responsi - who for too long have been dev - in Brussels for an April 4 - 5 con - deaths keep piling up. following the attack April 4 in a bility at the local and internation - astated by war,” the pope said. ference on resolving the humani - — page 3 rebel-held area. al level, so that this tragedy may The attack occurred the same tarian crisis in Syria and to dis- Western leaders have accused come to an end and relief may day representatives from more Marriage mentoring Syrian President Bashar Assad come to that beloved population than 70 countries were gathering — HUMANITARIAN , page 15 The strength of marriage mentoring is that it is low- CNEWA finds success in unique mission key, relational and grounded in real-life experience, By Michael Swan The key in fundraising is to easily grasped identity, said Cafiso. saying, ‘If you don’t support the based on the idea that most The Catholic Register have a story to tell and find an “They (CNEWA) have devel - Christians that will be it for the marriages don’t need an audience willing to hear the story. oped an identity,” she said. church, for us and our mission.’ ” overhaul, just regular tune- TORONTO (CCN) — From A successful charity has a distinct, The rise of CNEWA in Canada Hétu pointed out that many of ups, says Phil Wrubleski, zero to $4.3 million annually in coincided with growing aware - the people who have benefitted co-chair of the diocesan just 12 years is part of the re - ness of the Iraqi refugee crisis, from programs CNEWA supports Marriage Task Force in markable success story that is and the existential threat faced by are Muslims, but the situation is Saskatoon. CNEWA Canada. Middle East Christians in the particularly dire for Christians. — page 7 When the Holy See asked aftermath of the American con - “Most of the aid is for Chris - Prairie meditation Can ada’s bishops to help the quest of Baghdad. In the confu - tians because they are about to Catholic Near East Welfare sion of a civil and religious war leave the whole region forever,” A new book by Saskatchewan Association set up a Canadian between Iraqi Sunni and Shia said Hétu. author and naturalist Trevor operation in 2005, there were two Muslims, combined with an in - Canada’s charitable sector has Herriot is a call to enter into a reactions. Many thought the ven - surgency against the American come to be dominated by a few new relationship with the ture was doomed. Others worried military occupation and a com - very large entities with resources prairie environment and with that it would only divert money plete breakdown of civil order, to fund an around-the-clock the peoples left behind by the that would otherwise go to sup - almost nobody wanted to talk media presence. gods of profit-driven develop - port established Canadian about how Christians faced the Small charities can disappear Catholic charities. threat of extinction in Iraq. in the shadows of World Vision, ment, writes Gerald Schmitz. “A lot of people (in other “We established ourselves as Plan Canada, Oxfam and others, — page 11 Catholic charities) were telling the only organization that would unless they are able to develop a Prophetic book me at the time, ‘Well, you’re only talk about those issues,” said community of donors who identi - going to take money from us,’ ” Hétu. “I even remember people fy strongly with the mission of The Vatican’s point man on recalls CNEWA Canada executive saying, ‘Yeah, but you’re only their charity, said Hétu. Catholic Register family issues and a cardinal director Carl Hétu. supporting the Christians, what who is close to Pope Francis Today, CNEWA is a signifi - Carl Hétu about the others?’ I remember — SYRIA , page 5 have both blurbed a new cant fundraising force among book by popular author Canadian Catholics, but all those Film examines euthanasia misconceptions Jesuit Father James Martin other Catholic charities have that calls on the church to be grown as well. more respectful and compas - “CNEWA did not take one By Kiply Lukan Yaworski about issues raised in the film. divided family wrestling with the sionate toward gay people. penny from them. Quite the con - Through interviews with physi - pain of her decision. There are — page 12 trary,” Hétu said. “The more you SASKATOON — The harms cians, health care providers, legal other ways to relieve pain, and to talk about the struggling people, and dangers of euthanasia and experts, family members and dis - address the other fears that so Music for Liturgy the more people are aware, the assisted suicide were explored ability advocates, the film exam - often prompt a request for assist - more they give.” March 16 at St. Philip Neri Parish ines three misconceptions around ed death, said several of those This week’s Prairie To a casual observer, it might in Saskatoon. physician-assisted dying: that interviewed for the film. Messenger seem like Canadian Jesuits The event organized by St. euthanasia and assisted suicide are Dr. Benoit Beuselinck de scribed features music International (CJI) and CNEWA Philip parish nurses began with the compassionate, that euthanasia and having a 72-year-old patient ask for selections for are fighting for the same charita - screening of The Euthanasia assisted suicide affect only the indi - euthanasia. After talking with her, liturgy from ble dollar. Both Catholic organi - Deception , an hour-long documen - vidual, and that government safe - he learned that what she really May 14, the zations fund partners overseas tary produced by the Euthanasia guards will protect the vulnerable. wanted was to discontinue the bur - Fifth Sunday of Easter, to working with local churches in Prevention Coalition, examining Stories and examples through - den of treatment. As a result, the July 2, the 13th Sunday in relief efforts. how euthanasia has gone wrong in out the film brought home how treatment was stopped. He added Ordinary Time. “I don’t necessarily think Belgium, and how legalization of euthanasia offers a false compas - that the woman also didn’t want to — pages 8, 9, 10 we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” euthanasia and assisted suicide sion. “She and all the others be a burden on others — and how, said CJI executive director Jenny threatens vulnerable people. deserve more,” said one man upon hearing this, the woman’s Cafiso. “People are moved by dif - Those in attendance then spent whose mother chose to die by ferent things.” time in small group discussion euthanasia, leaving behind a — QUALITY , page 15 2 Prairie Messenger INTERNATIONAL NEWS April 12, 2017 Christianity’s growth will be in global South: study By Bronwen Dachs mothers than to members of any gion switching are among factors In Europe, Christian deaths veys and population that it used other religion, reflecting Chris - that will lead to a drop in numbers already outnumber births, and for its 2015 report “The Future of CAPE TOWN, South Africa tianity’s status as the world’s of Christians living in Europe and this trend is likely to continue World Religions: Population (CNS) — Most of Christianity’s largest religious group, Muslim North America, according to Pew through 2060. In North America, Growth Projections, 2010-2050.” future growth is likely to be in the births will start to outnumber Research Centre demographic esti - the number of Christian deaths is In 2015, Christians made up global South, particularly in sub- Christian births by 2035. mates released April 5. projected to exceed the number of 31 per cent of the world’s 7.3 bil - Saharan Africa, where the The share of Christians world - The centre said there are im - births by the year 2050.