15 January 2019 Monthly Year 3
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
0119 15 January 2019 Monthly Year 3 Fake News and the Bible: Which word is credible? Studying Facebook .01 O Urban Catholicism in China A ‘Protocol’ for the Good Spiritual Battle: Chapter Five of Gaudete et OLUME 3, N 3, OLUME Exsultate V A Church that ‘spends time with the 2019 future’ Preparing the Meeting of Bishops on the Protection of Minors The Current Situation in Nicaragua Music against the Mad Cry of War CONTENTS 0119 BEATUS POPULUS, CUIUS DOMINUS DEUS EIUS Copyright, 2019, Union of Catholic Asian Editor-in-chief News ANTONIO SPADARO, SJ All rights reserved. Except for any fair Editorial Board dealing permitted under the Hong Kong Antonio Spadaro, SJ – Director Copyright Ordinance, no part of this Giancarlo Pani, SJ – Vice-Director publication may be reproduced by any Domenico Ronchitelli, SJ – Senior Editor means without prior permission. Inquiries Giovanni Cucci, SJ, Diego Fares, SJ should be made to the publisher. Francesco Occhetta, SJ, Giovanni Sale, SJ Title: La Civiltà Cattolica, English Edition Emeritus editors Federico Lombardi, SJ ISSN: 2207-2446 Virgilio Fantuzzi, SJ Giandomenico Mucci, SJ ISBN: GianPaolo Salvini, SJ 978-988-79386-7-5 (paperback) 978-988-79386-8-2 (ebook) Contributing Editor 978-988-79386-9-9 (kindle) Luke Hansen, SJ Published in Hong Kong by Contributors UCAN Services Ltd. Federico Lombardi, SJ (Italy) George Ruyssen, SJ (Belgium) P.O. Box 80488, Cheung Sha Wan, Fernando De la Iglesia, SJ (Spain) Kowloon, Hong Kong Drew Christiansen, SJ (USA) Phone: +852 2727 2018 Andrea Vicini, SJ (USA) Fax: +852 2772 7656 www.ucanews.com David Neuhaus, SJ (Israel) Camilo Ripamonti, SJ (Italy) Publishers: Michael Kelly, SJ and Vladimir Pachkow, SJ (Russia) Robert Barber Arturo Peraza, SJ (Venezuela) Production Manager: Bert Daelemans, SJ (Belgium) Rangsan Panpairee Thomas Reese, SJ (USA) Grithanai Napasrapiwong Paul Soukup, SJ (USA) Friedhelm Mennekes, SJ (Germany) Marcel Uwineza, SJ (Rwanda) Marc Rastoin, SJ (France) Claudio Zonta, SJ (Italy) CONTENTS 0119 15 January 2019 Monthly Year 3 1 Fake News and the Bible: Which word is credible? Vincenzo Anselmo, SJ 13 Studying Facebook: Research on the social network that has changed communication Paul A. Soukup, SJ 26 Urban Catholicism in China Michel Chambon – Antonio Spadaro, SJ 39 A ‘Protocol’ for the Good Spiritual Battle Chapter Five of Gaudete et Exsultate Diego Fares, SJ 52 A Church that ‘spends time with the future’ The Synod of Bishops on young people, faith and vocational discernment Antonio Spadaro, SJ 68 Preparing the Meeting of Bishops on the Protection of Minors Federico Lombardi, SJ 85 The Current Situation in Nicaragua Antonio Spadaro, SJ 95 Music against the Mad Cry of War: Mary Gauthier and Michele Gazich Claudio Zonta, SJ ABSTRACTS ARTICLE 1 FAKE NEWS AND THE BIBLE: WHICH WORD IS CREDIBLE? Vincenzo Anselmo, SJ Fake or manipulative news is not a recent phenomenon. Today, it bounces around the internet and social media, passing from one corner of the planet to another. From very early days the Bible warns of the great danger arising from distorted truths and false or counterfeit information. Scripture – in particular the narratives of Genesis 2-3 and Numbers 13-14 – instructs the reader on how to weigh different points of view and their degree of reliability, discerning the words that give life from the lies that lead to death. So, to which word should we pledge allegiance? Those who read discerningly are able to recognize the agenda of opposing points of view in the story, and hence rely on the narrator and the promise of God. The author is a professor of Bible and Biblical Hebrew at the Interregional Pontifical Seminary of Campania in Naples, Italy. ARTICLE 13 STUDYING FACEBOOK RESEARCH ON THE SOCIAL NETWORK THAT HAS CHANGED COMMUNICATION Paul A. Soukup, SJ Over the last 12 years, communication researchers have regularly examined Facebook, gathering its data and analyzing its functions. They have observed how this social network illustrates the perspectives of theoretical communication, and how it helps interpersonal communication, journalism, education, politics, communication within companies and non-profit organizations, healthcare and entertainment. In addition, they have shown the ways it influences daily life, anticipated some of the ethical issues raised by the platform, and identified its negative impacts. The author is a professor of Communication Sciences at Santa Clara University (California, USA). ABSTRACTS ARTICLE 26 URBAN CATHOLICISM IN CHINA Michel Chambon – Antonio Spadaro, SJ This article examines the recent social and economic changes in the People’s Republic of China and the social context that has seen rural Catholics leave their hometowns. In addition, we analyze how networks of workers who are Catholic have progressively taken shape in the big cities, before highlighting the strengths and challenges of this recent evolution of Chinese urban Catholicism. The article was written by our director and by Michel Chambon, who teaches Anthropology at Hanover College (Indiana, USA). ARTICLE 39 A ‘PROTOCOL’ FOR THE GOOD SPIRITUAL BATTLE CHAPTER FIVE OF GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE Diego Fares, SJ At the heart of the apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (GE) are the Beatitudes, a veritable “program of holiness.” The pope has often defined the Church as a field hospital and, as can happen in hospitals, he has drawn up a “protocol” for acting in mercy. This includes four aids for spiritual combat: the first comes from the certainty of victory, because it is always God’s battle, not ours; the second is to think without falling into the trap of pragmatism; the third is an invitation always to organize dreams and desires, in the light of the beauty of one’s own dedication. The fourth comes from the Jesuit maxim: Non coerceri a maximo, contineri tamen a minimo, divinum est (see GE 169). ABSTRACTS CHURCH LIFE 52 A CHURCH THAT ‘SPENDS TIME WITH THE FUTURE’ THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS ON YOUNG PEOPLE, FAITH AND VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT Antonio Spadaro, SJ This article summarizes the work of the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme “Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment,” held in Rome, October 3-28, 2018. Our director – who was a synod member by pontifical nomination and secretary for information – examines the Final Document, taking into consideration the synodal process as a whole that lasted for two years. In addition to being an assembly “about” young people, it showed itself in reality to be an assembly “with” young people and “about” the Church, the faithful people of God on its journey in the history of the world. It indicates a direction for the reform of the Church, which is synodal and missionary conversion. ARTICLE 68 PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS Federico Lombardi, SJ Preparations are underway for the meeting of presidents of episcopal conferences on the subject of protecting children. Convoked by the pope, it will take place at the end of February 2019. This article presents a brief overview of the emergence during the last 20 years of awareness of the need to protect minors in different parts of the world. It also underlines the lessons to be learned and looks at what has happened in the United States, Germany, Ireland, Australia and Chile and the particular cases of Marcial Maciel and Fernando Karadima. Then it shows how much has been done to confront the problem during the last two pontificates, with the renewal of canonical norms, the formulation of guidelines by the episcopal conferences, the formation projects and other initiatives, as well as the recent letters by Pope Francis. Finally, it enumerates a series of key issues that the bishops’ meeting will have to address. ABSTRACTS FOCUS 85 THE CURRENT SITUATION IN NICARAGUA Antonio Spadaro, SJ The situation in Nicaragua has been of grave concern since April. Why is President Ortega, who fought in the 1970s to overthrow the Somoza regime, now trying to impose his “dynasty” and repressing the popular movement that is trying to prevent him from doing so? Since protests began, two different reconstructions of events have spread: that of the government which speaks of its response to an “attempted coup,” and that of international observers who see an unjustifiably violent repression of a popular protest. The peace talks initiated by the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua, called to intervene by Ortega himself, are currently suspended at the government’s request. ART, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT 95 MUSIC AGAINST THE MAD CRY OF WAR: MARY GAUTHIER AND MICHELE GAZICH Claudio Zonta, SJ Rifles & Rosary Beads and Temuto come grido, atteso come canto are albums by Mary Gauthier and Michele Gazich. These two artists shared the same stage and traveled thousands of miles on tours throughout America. The devastating effects of the war in Iraq on the psyche of American veterans and the murderous madness that targeted Jewish patients in the psychiatric hospital of San Servolo during the Second World War are the respective themes of these two albums. The thread that unites them is not only the drama of evil but, above all, an act of artistic love that, through storytelling, allows us to reflect on the need to step out of the logic of violence and follow paths of memory and mercy. LCC 0219: FEBRUARY TABLE OF CONTENTS • Nazareth and Bethlehem: Jesus’ origins in the Gospel • Interreligious Dialogue in Asia Annual Digital • The ‘Global Compact’ for Subscription Migration $79 • A Decade after the Collapse of Lehman Brothers Annual Print