Sohrab Ahmari Sri Lanka’s challenge for US Christians Tim Stanley Biden v Buttigieg FrGeorgeRutler Catholic midlife crises Gerald Russello Elegy fora playful philosopher CATHOLIC APRIL 26 2019 ISSUE: 6912 US EDITION $5.99 HERALDESTABLISHED 1888 SamuelAfterGregg onthethe battle infernofor France’s soul PERMIT NO. 448 448 NO. PERMIT HARRISBURG, PA PA HARRISBURG, t un U.S. POSTAGE PAID PAID POSTAGE U.S. o e c d PRSRT STD STD PRSRT is si d n i er 0% e v 2 Se co WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CatholicHeraldUS.com SUBSCRIBE NOW The Catholic Herald magazine and website U.K. & RoW subscriptions U.S. subscriptions Call the Catholic Herald’sU.K. Order your weekly magazine or subscriber services team to place paywall subscription easily at our your Catholic Herald, Magnificat, website or contact our sales team. and paywall orders. You can also 20% DISCOUNT easily subscribe at our website. QUOTE: CARD2019 (o(erUS-only) Telephone our friendly UK customer Telephone our friendly US customer services to buy or gi' a subscription. services to buy orgi) a subscription. We take all major credit/debit cards We take all major credit/debit cards +44 (0)1371 853645 877-548-6510 Go to our new website: Go to our website: catholicherald.co.uk catholicheraldUS.com Subscribe directly online: Subscribe directly online: catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe catholicheraldservice.com Email inquires: Email inquires: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] U.K. & RoW subscriptions U.S. subscriptions CATHOLIC HERALD ESTABLISHED 1888 Love your enemies n Easter Sunday an image dire situation of Christian minorities appeared on social media that around the world. seemed to sum up Christianity According to the group World Watch Oin the 21st century. It showed a statue International, an estimated 200 million of the Risen Christ, dressed in a flow- Christians face some form of perse- ing white garment, with his right arm cution today. As the Catholic commen- raised in a gesture of victory, the mark tator John Allen says, “The low-end of Crucifixion visible on his left hand. estimate for the number of new Chris- His robe was spattered with blood, great tian martyrs every year is around 8,000, clots of it as well as small specks, while the high end runs to 100,000. freshly shed that very morning. The That works out to either one new statue stands in one of the three martyr every hour, or every five churches in Sri Lanka targeted by minutes – in any event, a human rights suicide bombers on what should have scourge of astonishing proportions.” been the most joyful day of the year. Some Western leaders are begin- The bombers carried out a coordi- ning to grasp this reality. In her Easter nated assault on the churches, and four message, Theresa May acknowledged hotels frequented by Westerners, on that across the world “churches have Easter Sunday morning. As we went been attacked, Christians murdered to press, the death toll had reached [and] families forced to flee their 321 and was still rising, with at least homes”. The Prime Minister promised 500 injured. that Britain would in future “stand up More than 50 were killed at St Sebas- S for the right of everyone, no matter N tian’s, a church north of the capital, C what their religion, to practise their Colombo, in a predominantly Catholic The statue of Christ at St Sebastian faith in peace”. area known as “little Rome”. Amateur Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka That is easier said than done, because footage showed twisted bodies lying it is almost impossible to guarantee between shattered pews and gaping In a heartening sign, the Muslim the security of the hundreds of thou- holes in the roof. This is the church council of Sri Lanka condemned the sands of churches worldwide. Terror- with the blood-flecked statue of the atrocities against “our Christian broth- ists will always be able to find a soft Risen Christ. At St Anthony’s Shrine in ers and sisters on their holy day of target. This creates what John Allen Colombo, a blast ripped pews to pieces Easter”. Meanwhile, Sheikh Ahmed calls “an ugly and utterly predictable and left the floor and ceiling covered in el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, dynamic”: that on every major feast blood. The church, which contains a the seat of Sunni Muslim learning, day for the foreseeable future Christian precious relic of St Anthony of Padua, deplored the violence, saying: “I cannot communities will face attacks as dread- is a designated national shrine. The imagine a human being could target ful as those in Sri Lanka. third church attacked by bombers was the peaceful on their celebration day.” But we should not despair: Christi- the Evangelical Zion Church in The mass media’s reaction was also anity was born amid persecution and Batticaloa, on Sri Lanka’s east coast. striking. For years, Western media have has grown despite it into the world’s This was the first major attack given scant coverage to atrocities largest faith. Violence harms the body on the Indian Ocean island since a fero- against Christians. But for a full 24 of Christ, but it can never destroy it. cious civil war ended a decade ago. A hours the Sri Lanka bombings domi- Jesus himself not only predicted that government spokesman said that a local nated the news cycle. Cynics might his followers would be persecuted, he Islamist group known as National argue that this was because dozens of also showed the daunting path that he Thowheed Jamath carried out the holidaying Westerners were among the wished them to follow: “But I tell you, attacks with the help of an “interna- victims. Nevertheless, the coverage love your enemies and pray for those tional network”. will have raised awareness of the who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). , CATHOLIC HERALD APRIL 26 2019 3 As an RAF chaplain you will be involved in the lives of our personnel, regardless of their rank or religious beliefs. You will provide vital religious, pastoral and ethical support to service personnel, their families and the wider RAF community. While exploring innovative ways of engaging with them, you will also fulfil the more traditional clerical roles. Partners and families are well cared for and the RAF provides excellent in-service training and education opportunities. If you are ready for an exciting, highly-rewarding position, Could You be contact us now. We have vacancies for full-time their Chaplain? and spare-time chaplains. www.raf.mod.uk/chaplains Weekin review e big story Hundreds killed in Sri Lanka church bombings What happened? What the media said What world leaders said MORE THAN 300 people IN THE New York Times, Randy Boy- POPE FRANCIS expressed his “grief and were killed in a series agoda said that the attackers must sorrow”, and said that he was praying of bomb attacks in Sri have chosen their targets carefully. “for the numerous victims and Lanka on Easter Sun- St Anthony’s is a national shrine and injured”. He hoped “that everyone day. The eight bomb “has long been a place frequented by will condemn these terrorist acts, blasts targeted churches travellers – domestic and foreign, inhuman acts, that are never justifi- and hotels, including Catholic and non-Catholic – before able.” The UN Secretary General, the shrine of St An- they begin journeys around the António Guterres, and Mike Pompeo, thony of Padua in the island”. Negombo, where another the US Secretary of State, also offered capital city Colombo. church was bombed, is known as their condolences and condemned S N Christians, almost all C “Little Rome” thanks to its “robust the attack. Catholics, make up less Mourners in Catholic culture”; yet the annual festi- Other responses were less than eight per cent of Colombo val in honour of St Sebastian attracts predictable. On Twitter, Barack Sri Lanka’s 21 million those of all faiths. The question for Sri Obama referred to the victims not as residents. Lanka was whether terrorism would Christians but as “Easter worshippers” The government wreck its tradition of pluralism. – a phrase also used by several US believes the attacks In the Guardian, Giles Fraser said politicians, including Hillary were carried out by the the attacks reminded us that “We are Clinton. There was some debate on Islamist group National living though one of the most serious social media over whether the phrase Thowheed Jamath. phases of Christian persecution in was an attempt to avoid saying Twenty-four people history, and most people refuse to “Christian”, or merely an awkward have been arrested. acknowledge it.” formulation. Overlooked ‘Final dra ’ of new Vatican constitution What happened? Why was it under-reported? What will happen next? THE Council of Cardi- CATHOLIC media have received the ITS MAIN reported change is the nals has reportedly story cautiously. The original report creation of a ‘‘super-dicastery’’ for approved the final came in an exclusive article by Dario evangelisation, combining the work draft of a new Vatican Menor Torres of the Spanish weekly currently overseen by the Congrega- constitution. Praedicate Vida Nueva. Other publications may tion for the Evangelisation of Peoples Evangelium (Preach the be biding their time until Pope Francis and the Pontifical Council for the Gospel), will replace makes an official announcement. Promotion of the New Evangelisa- Pastor Bonus (The There may also be an attitude of tion. This would reportedly be placed Good Shepherd), “We’ll believe it when we see it”: the above the Congregation of the S N promulgated by St John C document has been five years in the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).