DOCSLIB.ORG

1930 to 2017

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
1930 to 2017 REPORT ON THE HOLY SEE’S INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND DECISION-MAKING RELATED TO FORMER CARDINAL THEODORE EDGAR MCCARRICK (1930 TO 2017) Prepared by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See Vatican City State 10 November 2020 Copyright © 2020 Holy See – Secretariat of State. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part is permitted exclusively for the exercise of the right to report. Copyright © 2020 Holy See – Secretariat of State. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part is permitted exclusively for the exercise of the right to report. Published without waiver of privileges or immunities and with a full reservation of intellectual property and other rights. Copyright © 2020 Holy See – Secretariat of State. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part is permitted exclusively for the exercise of the right to report. Copyright © 2020 Holy See – Secretariat of State. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part is permitted exclusively for the exercise of the right to report. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 A. Scope and Nature of the Report Related to Former Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick................... 1 B. Executive Summary .......................................................... 5 1. Knowledge and Decision-Making Related to McCarrick During the Papacy of Paul VI ............................................................................ 5 2. Knowledge and Decision-Making Related to McCarrick During the Papacy of John Paul II ...................................................................... 5 a. Appointments to Metuchen and Newark .......................................................... 5 b. Appointment to Washington......................... 6 3. Knowledge and Decision-Making Related to McCarrick During the Papacy of Benedict XVI ........................................................ 10 4. Knowledge and Decision-Making Related to McCarrick During the Papacy of Francis ................................................................... 12 II. BACKGROUND (1930 TO 1976) ................................................... 15 III. ELEVATION TO THE EPISCOPATE (1968 TO 1977) ....................... 21 IV. APPOINTMENT AS BISHOP OF METUCHEN (1981) ....................... 27 V. TENURE AS BISHOP OF METUCHEN (1982 TO 1986) ................... 29 VI. ANONYMOUS ALLEGATION DURING TENURE AS BISHOP OF METUCHEN (MID-1980S) ........................................................... 37 VII. APPOINTMENT AS ARCHBISHOP OF NEWARK (1986) .................. 49 Copyright © 2020 Holy See – Secretariat of State. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part is permitted exclusively for the exercise of the right to report. i VIII. TENURE AS ARCHBISHOP OF NEWARK (1986 TO 2000) .............. 51 IX. BISHOP HUGHES, BISHOP SMITH AND BISHOP MCHUGH’S KNOWLEDGE OF MCCARRICK’S MISCONDUCT ........................... 67 A. Information Received by Bishop Hughes from Priest 4 (1989) ................................................................. 67 B. Information Received by Bishop Hughes from Priest 1 (1993 to 1996) .................................................... 77 C. Information Received by Bishop Hughes from Priest 3 (1994) ................................................................. 82 D. Incident at a Newark Catering Hall (January 1990) ............................................................................... 87 X. ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MCCARRICK DURING HIS TENURE AS ARCHBISHOP OF NEWARK (1992 TO 1997) ............................ 95 A. Anonymous and Pseudonymous Letters (1992 to 1993) ............................................................................... 95 B. Cardinal O’Connor’s “Verification” and Information Received Prior to the Papal Visit (Late 1993 to 1995) ....................................................... 111 C. Information Received from Cardinal O’Connor and Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons (1996 to 1997) ................ 117 XI. CANDIDACY FOR THE ARCHBISHOPRIC OF CHICAGO (1997) ..... 125 XII. CANDIDACY FOR THE ARCHBISHOPRIC OF NEW YORK (MID-1999 TO EARLY 2000) .................................................... 129 XIII. NUNCIO MONTALVO’S INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MCCARRICK (MAY TO JUNE 2000) ........................... 147 XIV. EPISCOPAL ENDORSEMENTS FOR MCCARRICK’S TRANSFER TO WASHINGTON (MAY TO JULY 2000) ................................... 163 XV. POPE JOHN PAUL II’S INITIAL DECISION AGAINST THE TRANSFER OF MCCARRICK TO WASHINGTON (JULY 2000) ...... 165 Copyright © 2020 Holy See – Secretariat of State. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part is permitted exclusively for the exercise of the right to report. ii XVI. MCCARRICK’S LETTER TO BISHOP DZIWISZ AND POPE JOHN PAUL II’S DECISION TO TRANSFER MCCARRICK TO WASHINGTON (AUGUST TO NOVEMBER 2000) ......................... 169 XVII. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RECEIVED BY NUNCIO MONTALVO FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT OF MCCARRICK’S APPOINTMENT TO WASHINGTON (LATE 2000 TO EARLY 2001) .......................................................... 185 XVIII. TENURE AS ARCHBISHOP OF WASHINGTON (2001 TO 2006) ................................................................................... 193 XIX. INFORMATION ABOUT MCCARRICK’S PAST CONDUCT RECEIVED DURING HIS TENURE AS ARCHBISHOP OF WASHINGTON (2001 TO 2006) ................................................. 211 A. Information Received Early During McCarrick’s Tenure in Washington (2001 to 2002) .......................... 211 B. McCarrick’s Public Revelation of a Prior Anonymous Accusation and Journalists’ Investigations Regarding the Beach House (April to May 2002) ...................................................... 214 C. Information Received by the Apostolic Nuncio Related to Priest 2 (2004 to 2005) ................................ 225 D. Information Received Related to Priest 1 and McCarrick’s Resignation as Archbishop of Washington (2005 to 2006) .......................................... 229 XX. PRIEST 1’S INCIDENT REPORT AND VERBAL INDICATIONS GIVEN TO MCCARRICK (2006) ................................................. 249 XXI. HOLY SEE DECISION-MAKING AND MCCARRICK’S ACTIVITY FOLLOWING PREFECT RE’S VERBAL INDICATIONS (2007 TO MID-2008) ........................................... 271 XXII. HOLY SEE DECISION-MAKING AND MCCARRICK’S ACTIVITY FOLLOWING POPE BENEDICT XVI’S TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES AND PREFECT RE’S 14 JUNE 2008 LETTER TO MCCARRICK (MID-2008 TO EARLY 2009) .......................... 279 Copyright © 2020 Holy See – Secretariat of State. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part is permitted exclusively for the exercise of the right to report. iii A. Richard Sipe’s Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Viganò’s Memorandum and Nuncio Sambi’s Report (April to May 2008) ............... 279 B. Cardinal Re’s Written Indications to McCarrick (June to August 2008) ................................................... 295 C. McCarrick’s Responses to the Written Indications and Related Holy See Decision- Making (August 2008 to June 2009) ............................ 302 XXIII. MCCARRICK’S CONTINUED ACTIVITY AND RELATED HOLY SEE DECISION-MAKING (FALL 2008 TO FALL 2011) ................................................................................. 345 XXIV. MCCARRICK’S ACTIVITY AND HOLY SEE DECISION- MAKING DURING THE FIRST EIGHTEEN MONTHS OF ARCHBISHOP VIGANÒ’S TENURE AS APOSTOLIC NUNCIO (FALL 2011 TO SPRING 2013) ............................... 367 A. McCarrick’s Continued Activity During Archbishop Viganò’s Tenure as Apostolic Nuncio (Fall 2011 to Fall 2012) ................................... 367 B. Information Received by Nuncio Viganò from Priest 3 and Cardinal Ouellet’s Instructions to Viganò (August to November 2012) ............................ 378 C. McCarrick’s Activity During the Transition from Pope Benedict XVI to Pope Francis (February to March 2013) .................................................................. 389 XXV. KNOWLEDGE OF PRIOR ALLEGATIONS AND MCCARRICK’S ACTIVITY DURING THE PAPACY OF FRANCIS (SPRING 2013 TO SPRING 2017) ........................... 393 A. Knowledge of Prior Allegations and Indications During the Early Papacy of Francis (Spring to Fall 2013) ...................................................................... 393 B. Holy See Decision-Making and McCarrick’s Activity During the Papacy of Francis (Spring 2013 to Early 2017) ...................................................... 408 Copyright © 2020 Holy See – Secretariat of State. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part is permitted exclusively for the exercise of the right to report. iv XXVI. ACCUSATION IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK AND MCCARRICK’S RESIGNATION FROM THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS (MID-2017 TO MID-2018) .............................. 433 XXVII. NEW ACCUSATIONS, CDF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING, AND MCCARRICK’S DISMISSAL FROM THE CLERICAL STATE (MID-2018 TO EARLY 2019) ........... 437 XXVIII. INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM MINORS, MEMBERS OF CERTAIN NEW YORK FAMILIES AND FORMER SEMINARIANS AND PRIESTS (2019 TO 2020) ...................... 439 XXIX. INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM CATHOLIC ENTITIES (2018 TO 2020) .................................................................. 443 A. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ............. 443 B. Archdiocese of New York ............................................ 443 C. Archdiocese of Newark ................................................ 445 D. Seton Hall University .................................................... 445 E. Diocese of Metuchen ...................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Allegations Against Cardinal Mccarrick Raise Difficult Questions
    Allegations against Cardinal McCarrick raise difficult questions A new allegation of child sexual abuse was leveled against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick last Thursday, one month after the June announcement that he had been suspended from priestly ministry following an investigation into a different charge of sexual abuse on the part of the cardinal. Along with emerging accounts from priests and former seminarians of sexual coercion and abuse by McCarrick, those allegations paint a picture of McCarrick’s sexual malfeasance that may be among the most grave, tragic, and, for many Catholics, infuriating, as any in recent Catholic history. From all corners of the Church, questions are being raised about those who might have known about McCarrick’s misconduct, about how the Church will now handle the allegations against McCarrick, and about what it means for the Church that a prominent, powerful, and reportedly predatory cleric was permitted to continue in ministry for decades without censure or intervention. Because McCarrick was a leading voice in the Church’s 2002 response to the sexual abuse crisis in the United States, and an architect of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Dallas Charter of the same year, the credibility of that response has also, for some, come into question. For parents and others who placed trust in the Church to secure a safe environment for children, those questions are especially important. At the USCCB’s 2002 Spring Assembly in Dallas, the bishops drafted their Charter for the Protection of Young People and the Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons, under intense media scrutiny.
    [Show full text]
  • Rosary Evangelization Apostolate
    Rosary Evangelization Apostolate “Gazing on the Face of Jesus with Mary” P.O. Box 305, Oak Creek, WI 53154-0305 USA [email protected] www.rosaryea.org Phone (414)-570-4389 Ave Maria December 12, 2011 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe His Holiness Episcopal Advisors: Pope Benedict XVI Archbishop of Milwaukee 00120 Vatican City State Most Rev. Jerome E. Listecki Jan. 31, 2010-Present Rome, Italy Most Rev. William P. Callahan, OFM Conv April 21, 2009 –Jan. 30, 2010 Most Holy Father, Most Rev. Timothy M. Dolan Founding Episcopal Advisor Greetings and a blessed day to you from the Most Rev. Jerome E. Jan. 31, 2003 – April 15, 2009 Listecki of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and everyone at the Rosary Honorary Episcopal Advisors: Evangelization Apostolate! This letter is accompanied by our love and Most Rev. Timothy M. Dolan of New York Most Rev. William P. Callahan, OFM Conv . loyalty to you. Of LaCrosse, WI You may recall our correspondence to you dated August 15 of 2009 in Spiritual Advisors: Fr. James Kubicki, SJ which we related to your Holiness our Sacrament of Mercy Initiative Most Rev. Donald Hying which focuses on the rediscovery of the sacrament of Reconciliation. We Directors: are still thankful for your gracious reply with your prayers and spiritual Dick & Terry Boldin support which you expressed through Archbishop Fernando Filoni of the Don Torner Office of the Secretary of State. We have enclosed a summary of this Initiative and the resulting good fruit and the continuing efforts not only in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee but throughout the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Vital. Pope Says
    vital. pope says , CASTELGANDOLFO, Italy (CNS)-As cess of the negotiations, and he asked Israeli and Palestinian leaders meeting in Arafat and Barak "not to disregard the im­ antees" is the only way to establish religious the United States tried to reach an agree-, portance of the spiritual dimension of the peace in Jerusalem. ment on the status ofjerusalem, Pope John city ofjerusalem with its holy places and "Religious peace in Jerusalem is funda­ Paul II encouraged them to keep the spiri­ with the communities of the three mental for the peace of die city, but it is al­ tual meaning of the city in mind. monotheistic religions which surround so fundamental for die peace of the Mus­ Speaking to visitors at his summer resi­ them." lim, Christian and Jewish world," he told dence July 23, the pope said he. knew the "The Holy See continues to maintain that Catholic News Service July 24. negotiations between Palestinian leader only a special internationally guaranteed Archbishop Sambi said regardless of how Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister statute effectively can preserve the most sa­ the sovereignty over die city is divided or JEhud Barak were not easy, but he asked cred places in the holy city and assure free­ shared or not shared, there should be an in­ ternational body — be it from the United ."the leaders to continue their efforts." dom of faith and worship for all the faith­ US-mediated negotiations began two ful who, in the region and throughout the Nations or made up of international reli­ weelcs earlier at Camp David in Thurmont, whole world, see Jerusalem as the crossroad gious leaders or another configuration — to ^,,,and seemed to be mired in the details of peace and coexistence," die pope said.
    [Show full text]
  • Information Guide Vatican City
    Information Guide Vatican City A guide to information sources on the Vatican City State and the Holy See. Contents Information sources in the ESO database .......................................................... 2 General information ........................................................................................ 2 Culture and language information..................................................................... 2 Defence and security information ..................................................................... 2 Economic information ..................................................................................... 3 Education information ..................................................................................... 3 Employment information ................................................................................. 3 European policies and relations with the European Union .................................... 3 Geographic information and maps .................................................................... 3 Health information ......................................................................................... 3 Human rights information ................................................................................ 4 Intellectual property information ...................................................................... 4 Justice and home affairs information................................................................. 4 Media information .........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • NOCERCC Nwsltr December 2008
    News Notes Membership Newsletter Winter 2009 Volume 36, No. 1 CONVENTION 2009 IN ALBUQUERQUE: A CONVERSATION The NOCERCC community gathers February 16-19, 2009 as the Archdiocese of Santa Fe welcomes our thirty-sixth annual National Convetion to Albuquerque. News Notes recently spoke with Rev. Richard Chiola, a member of the 2009 Convention Committee, about the upcoming convention. Fr. Chiola is director of ongoing formation of priests for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Church in Springfield. He is also the Author of Catholicism for the Non-Catholic (Templegate Publishers, Springfield, IL, 2006). In This Issue: Convention 2009 in Albuquerque: A Conversation.................... 1&3 2009 President’s Distinguished Service Award....................... 2 2009 NOCERCC National Albuquerque, New Mexico Convention............................ 4 NEWS NOTES: Please describe the overall theme of the convention. Rev. Richard Chiola: The ministry of the Word is one of the three munera or ministries which the ordained engage in for the sake Tool Box................................. 5 of all the faithful. As the USCCB’s The Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests indicates, each of these ministries requires a priest to engage in four dimensions of ongoing formation. The convention schedule will explore those four dimensions (the human, the spiritual, the intellectual, and the pastoral) for deeper appreciation of the complexity of the ministry of the Word. Future conventions will explore each of the other two ministries, sanctification and governance. 2009 Blessed Pope John XXIII Award.................................... 5 The 2009 convention will open with a report from Archbishop Donald Wuerl about the Synod held in the fall of 2008 on the ministry of the Word.
    [Show full text]
  • Catholic Identity and Cultural Diversity
    1 “CATHOLIC IDENTITY AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY” Catholic Cultural Diversity Network Convocation Thursday, 6 May 2010, 7:00 PM ‐ Notre Dame, IN Archbishop Pietro Sambi ‐ Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Thank you for your kind invitation to speak with you at this evening’s Convocation introduction on the important themes of Culture and Catholic identity, from the perspective of the Holy See. Each day in the Easter Season, the Church’s liturgy reminds us how the message, the ‘Good News’ of Jesus Christ went from the Apostles’ preaching in Jerusalem, to all regions, and households, and throughout various cultures. The Acts of the Apostles chronicles the Church and her early, marvelous growth. Today, we heard about the evangelizing work of Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and James. My own personal journey in the diplomatic service to the Holy See has taken me to different nations and continents, regions and cultures: serving in the Diplomatic Corps of the Holy See in Cameroon, in Jerusalem, in Cuba, in Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, in Nicaragua, in Belgium and Luxembourg, and in India; then serving as Pro-Nuncio and Nuncio in Burundi, in Indonesia, in Israel, Palestine, and Cyprus, and now as Nuncio to the United States of America and also as Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States. In that journey of 41 years in the Vatican’s Diplomatic Service, I have come to know, and admire, the various cultures of Africa, Asia, the Middle-East, Latin America, Europe, and now North America. From the Church’s history, and from my own history, I feel blessed to speak with you about Culture and Catholic Identity.
    [Show full text]
  • Vatican: FIA Becomes ASIF, New Set- up for Financial Information Authority
    12/9/2020 Vatican: FIA becomes ASIF, new set-up for Financial Information Authority - Vatican News Vatican: FIA becomes ASIF, new set- up for Financial Information Authority Pope Francis on Saturday approved the new Statute of the Financial Information Authority (FIA), changing its name to Supervisory and Financial Information Authority (ASIF). The Statute redefines the role of its administrators and distributes some internal competencies. By Vatican News Pope Francis on Saturday approved the new Statute of the Financial Information Authority (FIA), which will henceforth be called the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority [It: Autorità di Supervisione e Informazione Finanziaria (ASIF)]. He issued a “chirograph” to approve the new Statute that comes into effect immediately on Saturday, December 5. A chirograph is a form of a papal document with legal force circulated among the Roman Curia. “In the overall reform desired by Pope Francis for the Holy See and the Vatican City State, aimed at greater transparency and the strengthening of controls in the economic-financial field, the Holy Father has approved the new Statute of the Financial Information Authority, which, from today's date, will be called the "Supervisory and Financial Information Authority" (ASIF),” said the Holy See Press Office in a release on Saturday. The change of name had been hinted at earlier in July when FIA published its annual report. Following the Pope’s approval of the ASIF Statute, FIA President Carmelo Barbagallo, who now becomes ASIF’s president, explained some of its important features. As part of the Pope’s overall reform of the Holy See and the Vatican City State, he said, it is regarding “transparency and strengthening of controls in the economic-financial field”.
    [Show full text]
  • The Catholic Church in the Czech Republic
    The Catholic Church in the Czech Republic Dear Readers, The publication on the Ro- man Catholic Church which you are holding in your hands may strike you as history that belongs in a museum. How- ever, if you leaf through it and look around our beauti- ful country, you may discover that it belongs to the present as well. Many changes have taken place. The history of the Church in this country is also the history of this nation. And the history of the nation, of the country’s inhabitants, always has been and still is the history of the Church. The Church’s mission is to serve mankind, and we want to fulfil Jesus’s call: “I did not come to be served but to serve.” The beautiful and unique pastoral constitution of Vatican Coun- cil II, the document “Joy and Hope” begins with the words: “The joys and the hopes, the grief and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the grief and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” This is the task that hundreds of thousands of men and women in this country strive to carry out. According to expert statistical estimates, approximately three million Roman Catholics live in our country along with almost twenty thousand of our Eastern broth- ers and sisters in the Greek Catholic Church, with whom we are in full communion. There are an additional million Christians who belong to a variety of other Churches. Ecumenical cooperation, which was strengthened by decades of persecution and bullying of the Church, is flourishing remarkably in this country.
    [Show full text]
  • SINO-VATICAN FAITH DIPLOMACY: Mapping the Factors a Ecting Bilateral Relations
    Perspectives SINO-VATICAN FAITH DIPLOMACY: Mapping The Factors Aecting Bilateral Relations By Juyan Zhang CPD PERSPECTIVES ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY Paper 2, 2017 Sino-Vatican Faith Diplomacy: Mapping the Factors Affecting Bilateral Relations Juyan Zhang April 2017 Figueroa Press Los Angeles SINO-VATICAN FAITH DIPLOMACY: MAPPING THE FACTORS AFFECTING BILATERAL RELATIONS by Juyan Zhang Published by FIGUEROA PRESS 840 Childs Way, 3rd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90089 Phone: (213) 743-4800 Fax: (213) 743-4804 www.figueroapress.com Figueroa Press is a division of the USC Bookstores Cover, text, and layout design by Produced by Crestec, Los Angeles, Inc. Printed in the United States of America Notice of Rights Copyright © 2017. All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without prior written permission from the author, care of Figueroa Press. Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an “As is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, neither the author nor Figueroa nor the USC University Bookstore shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by any text contained in this book. Figueroa Press and the USC Bookstores are trademarks of the University of Southern California. ISBN-13: 978-0-18-221704-5 ISBN-10: 0-18-221704-3 About the USC Center on Public Diplomacy The USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) was established in 2003 as a partnership between the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California.
    [Show full text]
  • Our Journey… October 19, 2021, Tuesday: USA – Tel Aviv, Israel Depart Our Home City to Tel Aviv
    Why this Pilgrimage to the Holy Land? But to go on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land means setting off and turning the physical journey into a “path of the soul”. Walking on this land with the heart, soul and mind for an encounter: of conversion, of devotion, of listening, with the Eucharist, and with Christ in brothers. John Paul II expressed this in very moving words: “How many memories and images and how much passion and great mystery surround the word Jerusalem! For us as Christians, it represents the geographical point of union between God and men, between eternity and history.” Our Journey… October 19, 2021, Tuesday: USA – Tel Aviv, Israel Depart our home city to Tel Aviv. (In-flight meals) October 20, Wednesday: Arrival to Holy Land and Nahsholim Seaside Resort Arrive in the Holy Land and transfer through the Plain of Sharon and the western coastal cities of Israel to the site of the ancient port city of Dor where the Nahsholim Seaside Resort is located at Kibbutz Nahsholim. After dinner and a brief information meeting, we retire to our cabins on the resort’s private Mediterranean beach. (Nahsholim Seaside Resort; D) October 21, Thursday: Nahsholim (Dor) – Nazareth After breakfast we travel south to Caesarea Maritina archaeological site. Caesarea, a historic seaport and home to the summer palace of Herod the Great built in 22 BC and later home to Pontius Pilate. We continue along the coastal plain to Haifa and up Mount Carmel to the Cave of Elijah below the Stelle Maris Monastery or the Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a 19th-century Discalced Carmelite monastery.
    [Show full text]
  • The Holy See
    The Holy See POPE FRANCIS MORNING MEDITATION IN THE CHAPEL OF THE DOMUS SANCTAE MARTHAE The salt that gives flavour Thursday, 23 May 2013 (by L'Osservatore Romano, Weekly ed. in English, n. 22, 29 May 2013) The Christian, according to the Gospel metaphor in Matthew (5:13-14), is called to be the salt of the earth. But if the Christian does not transmit the flavour which the Lord has given to him then he becomes “tasteless salt” and the person becomes “a museum-piece Christian”. Pope Francis spoke about this at Thursday morning's Mass on 23 May in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. The day's Gospel (Mk 9:41-50) inspired the Holy Father to reflect on one characterizing peculiarity of Christians: they must be for the world what salt is for the homemaker and for those who have good taste and appreciate the flavour of things. “Salt is something good... which the Lord created”, said the Pontiff; but, “if the salt has lost its flavour, how shall its saltiness be restored?”. This refers to the salt of faith, hope and charity. “The Lord gives us this salt”, the Holy Father clarified. He then posed the problem: “What can we do to prevent salt from losing its power?”. The savour of Christian salt, he explained, comes from the certainty of the faith, hope and charity that springs from the awareness “that Jesus rose for us” and saved us. But this certainty was not given to us so that we might simply keep it. If that were so, the salt would end up being kept in a bottle: “it doesn't do anything, it doesn't serve any purpose”.
    [Show full text]
  • New Global Commitment to End Hunger by 2030
    News about Bread for the World members working together to end hunger Legacy of Hope FALL 2 015 u VOLUME 15 NUMBER 2 New Global Commitment to End Hunger by 2030 Pope Francis challenges the United States to take the lead in ending hunger. Bread for the World organizes a historic convocation in Washington, D.C. ith strong support from Bread include the top leaders from the Wfor the World’s members and major faith families in the United its board of directors, a convo - States as well as the presidents of cation of more than 100 interfaith Catholic Relief Services, Church World leaders met in Washington, D.C., Service, and Lutheran World Relief. just days before the arrival of Pope For a full list of the pledge signers, Francis on September 24 to meet visit bread.org/interfaithpledge. David Beckmann (left), president of with President Obama and to In his speech to a joint session Bread for the World, looks on as address the U.S. Congress. of Congress, Pope Francis urged Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop At a media event at the National “legislative activity that stimulates the of Washington, D.C., announces a Press Club, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, growth of all members [of society], pledge to work to end hunger by 2030. the archbishop of Washington, D.C., especially those of greater vulnerability announced that interfaith leaders had or risk.” Citing Moses, the pope told PHOTO © ZACH BLUM / BREAD FOR THE WORLD signed a pledge that calls for a “shift members of Congress, “You are asked in U.S.
    [Show full text]