Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow - Albert Einstein
 
When you reach the end of your rope you will find the hem of His garment.
 
 
Local News
1.  Tag Team Parenting         Feb. 22, 23, 24
2.  The Between         Live in Concert              Feb. 23
3.  "Show the Truth" Fundraising Dinner & Concert            Feb. 23
4.   Prière de Taizé / Taizé Prayer         Feb. 28
5.  World Day of Prayer               For Men and Women             March 2
5.  March 17         Cal Bombay of 100 Huntley Street to be in Sudbury           Mark your calendars.     More details to follow.
6.  Lenten Prayer for your Mp3 Player 
7.  Interfaith Emergency Preparedness Workshop Invitation          March 20
8.  Pregnancy Care Centre Fundraiser            March 23
9.  It's a Miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!              Praise Report         
Provincial News
1.  Concern about Trillium Foundation funding
National News
1.  People's Parliament
2.  National Prayer Cenacle
3.  Update on  The Little Black Book
4.  Marriage Update
International News
1.  Relativism Hurts Families says Pope Benedict
2.  Number of Catholics and Priests Rises
3.  Popes Reaching Out to Young People
4.  Tony Blair's Bioethical Legacy
5.  Relating to the Opposite Sex
6.  Pope's Family Handbook; Law -- Naturally
7.  Religious Leaders in France Sign Joint Statement Defending Traditional Marriage
8.  Christian Churches Together -  Finally
Movie Notice
1.  Amazing Grace: The William Wilberforce Story
Words of Wisdom
1.  Parents Who Drugged Us
2.  The Way You Live
3.  Making Mistakes
 
 
Local News
 
1.  Tag Team Parenting
 
Tag Team Parenting Workshops               Feb. 22, 23, 24th, 2007        All Nations Church   
 
Who:                      Luan Jackson
·         M.A. Psychology & Administration: B.A. Nursing
·         Member American Speakers Association for 15 years
·         Owner & Operator Abundant Life Counselling, Michigan
·         Nationally accredited
 
 
 
What:                     Parenting Seminars
Tag Team Parenting: Solutions for Parenting of All Ages
 
 
 
Where:                  All Nations Church (885 Prete Street, Sudbury, Ontario)
 
 
                               
When:                    Thursday Feb.22- to Saturday, February 24, 2007
 
Thursday Feb.22- Parenting: The Season Opener
                                                 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
 
Friday Feb.23-      Parents and Youth: Surviving the Teen Years (Combo Night: parents and teens)
                              7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
 
Saturday Feb.24- Saturday Morning: When You’re Too Tired for Sex (Parenting children 0-5 years)
                             9:00 - 12:00 p.m.
 
                              Saturday Afternoon: Why does the Principal have us on Speed Dial?
                              1:30 - 4:30 p.m.                         (Parenting School Age Children 6-12 years)
 
                               
 
Cost:                      Thursday plus one session                $25.00 per person
                                Thursday plus two sessions              $30.00 per person
                                Thursday plus three sessions           $35.00 per person
                                One session only                                 $20.00 per person
 
 
 
Day Care cost included for children up to age 12.  Pre- registration required at least 48 hours ahead.
 
No cost for teens on Friday night
 
 
Information:         All are welcome
                                Contact All Nations Church @  673-6110
  
 
Contact Person:  Jill Neely/Kim MacKinnon              
                            All Nations Church
                            673-6110
                                                                               
                        
                      
Ephesians 6:4 (The Message)
Fathers, don't exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take
them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.

Just a letter of encouragement to get us men out to the TAG TEAM PARENTING

Thursday, February 23rd 7:00 - 9:30 pm.     All Nations Church      885 Prete Street Ministry Centre
 
I wish there would have been
something like this when I was a young father. This is for Grandfathers,
Fathers, Single Men, as well as the women. Come one come all.
Hope to see you there.
 

Because He is our example,
Doug Jeffrey,
Men's Ministry Coordinator, All Nations Church
 
 
 

2.  The Between                 Live In Concert!                February 23, 2007


Where: Lansing Ave Baptist Chapel (1192 Lansing Ave)
When: Friday, February 23rd, 2007
Time: 7:00 PM
Cost: Bring a Canned Food Item to go to Elgin Street Mission
Come to hear some great acoustic folk rock and to support Elgin Street Mission.
(They aren’t a worship group, but rather a Christian band that writes their own music.)

Thanks.
Blessings,
Mark Smith
Youth Pastor
Lansing Ave Baptist Chapel
 
 
 
3.  Fundraiser       "Show the Truth"           Pro-Life Event                Friday, Feb. 23        St. Anne des Pins
 
Dinner & Concert           Proceeds to "Show the Truth"
 
Dear Friends,
 
You are invited to a special nite to celebrate the Sudbury Pro-Life movement
and at the same time, to celebrate the 50th Birthday of Evelyn St. Denis,
a key figure in this movement.
 
Evelyn is the wife of Richard St. Denis, who initiated the Sudbury Coalition for
Traditional Marriage, Life & Family, along with Kevin Serviss.
 
The party will be held  Friday,  February 23, 2007   at 6:00  pm    at St. Anne des Pins Church.
 
There will be a dinner and a concert to follow.
 
 
Cost - $20.00    or       $35.00 per couple.
 
 
RSVP and thanks,    God bless this time of celebration, and
uplifting pro-life Christians,
 
 
Call Marguerite Groulx for tickets             675 5712
 
Join my table!          Diane Ikonen         566 9752

 

4.  Prière de Taizé / Taizé Prayer

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 7 p.m., Sainte Anne des Pins Church,  14 Beech Street  (Parking off Ste Anne’s Road)

Prière de Taizé / Taizé Prayer

All are welcome /Bienvenue à toutes et à tous

 

 

5.  World Day of Prayer                 Men and Women Welcome                    March 2

 

World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year, and who, in many countries, have a continuing relationship of prayer and service.
It is a movement initiated and carried out by women in more than 170 countries and regions.
It is a movement symbolized by an annual day of celebration - the first Friday in March - to which all people are welcome.
It is a movement which brings together women of various races, cultures and traditions in closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year.
Through World Day of Prayer, women around the world
           affirm their faith in Jesus Christ
           share their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows, their                                 
           opportunities and needs.
Through World Day of Prayer, women are encouraged
           to become aware of the whole world and no longer live in       
           isolation
          
           to be enriched by the faith experience of Christians of    
           other countries and cultures
           to take up the burdens of other people and pray with and   
           for them
           to become aware of their talents and use them in service
           of society.
Through World Day of Prayer, women affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have an immeasurable influence in the world.
The small land-locked country of Paraguay, the "heart of South America", is the focus of this year's World Day of Prayer celebration.  Women from Paraguay have written the service for the 2007 World Day of Prayer on the theme "United Under God's Tent".
Wars and a long dictatorship have taken their toll on Paraguay.  It lost its sea access and 80% of its male population following the Triple Alliance War in the 1800's.  The 35-year dictatorship, which ended in 1989, left scars of poverty, environmental destruction and repression.
Despite their poverty and struggle to survive the Paraguayans are a caring and musical people known around the world for folk music and handmade spider web lace known as "Nanduti" - and, of course, their Olympic medal-winning soccer team.
This year in the West End Sector the World Day of Prayer service will be held at St. Eugene Parish, 40 Eyre Street, on March 2, at 1:30 P.M.   We will be joined by the Salvation Army, and St. Paul's United, Trinity Lutheran, Calvary Baptist, St. Anthony, Our Lady of Hope parishes in celebrating this event.   Fellowship will follow after the service.    Everyone is welcome. Bring a friend.
 
5.  March 17        Cal Bombay of 100 Huntley Street to speak at Full Gospel Event
 
 
6.  Lenten Prayer for your Mp3 Player
 
Hi Folks:
For those interested:
Click on the link below and go to Lenten Prayer for your Mp3 Player( an Mp3 player is not essential). When the screen appears select the day you want and you will get the daily celebration. They are between 10-15 minutes. Enjoy a prayerful Lent!
Bob
http://christtheking.diocesessm.org/index.html/en
 
 
7.  Subject: Interfaith Emergency Preparedness Workshop Invitation
 
****The "Emergency Preparedness Workshop" referred to here is for all clergy. I
thought that you might mention this in the messenger.
Blessings,
John Harvey

The City of Greater Sudbury Emergency Management Division would like to
extend to you and your fellow religious leaders the opportunity to
attend our Emergency Preparedness Workshop on March 20, 2007.  Please
see attached invitation for details.
Please note: Limited seating is available, please register early.
Thank you,
Judy
Judy Bond,  Administrative Assistant to the
Director of Emergency Management Division
City of Greater Sudbury Emergency Services
Centre Lionel E. Lalonde Centre
239 Montee Principale, Unit 3, 2nd Fl.
Azilda,  ON     P0M 1B0
Tel # 674-4455 x 2733
Fax# 983-5021
 
 
8. 

Pregnancy Care Centre of Sudbury

 

‘FUNDRAISING EVENT’

 

Friday, March 23, 2007

 

Caruso Club, 385 Haig Street

 

Dinner – Entertainment – Auction

(Entertainment – The Electric Kazoo)

 

Doors open 6:00 p.m.

Dinner at 6:30 p.m.

 

TICKETS:

 

$30 each or Table of 8 $210

 

Tickets Available from:

 

Pregnancy Care Centre Office

Board Members

Volunteers

CJTK Radio

 

Or Call 673-5003

 

We accept cash, cheques, VISA or Mastercard

9. 
It’s a Miracle!!        
 
What Sudbury First Nations Church has dreamed about for years has finally happened.
We have purchased our very own building!  This story is right out of a book of miracles.  God has performed the impossible right before our eyes.
 
On Friday, January 5, the Hillside Presbyterian Church went up for sale.  Our family was out of town and didn’t get back until Monday night.  On Tuesday Gord and I went to look at the church.  We got excited about it, but were told we would need to put an offer on it that night yet.  That seemed too quick to make a major decision like this.  Mervin was also out of town and we wanted him to see it.  The price was $219,000.  The church had $23,000 in our building fund. That was really good for a church our size but just didn’t seem like much compared to $219,000.  We decided to let the core group look at it and see what they thought.  We all went over Tuesday evening and everyone was very positive about the building.  We decided that we should put an offer on the church.  We got Merv’s opinion over the phone as we walked around the church.  There were already other offers so we knew we were competing.  We decided we had a God who was big enough to help us raise the money if that was his plan. We put in an offer of $210,000 The next morning we received a call that our offer was accepted and we had 7 business days to secure the funds to buy the church.   We were full of all kinds of emotions.  We were excited, fearful and  wondering what we got ourselves into.  We all got busy on Wednesday.  We let the need be known. We phoned and e-mailed. We prayed and told God our desires.  It was like placing a match up to a tinder dry pile of wood.  It seemed like everyone who heard about it wanted to get involved.  In one day our little church pledged an additional $15,000.  Pledges started coming in from all around.  Native and non Native churches gave generously.  Churches and individuals from 15 states pledged to help.  Organizations, businessmen, young children, teenagers, and elders all gave sacrificially. We watched as the miracle unfolded and the amounts pledged grew by the hour. We saw God begin to take our little bit of faith and blow us away.  Within one week of putting in our offer we had over $230,000 toward buying our church!  That’s right! God brought in more that we needed!  We will walk into that church with no mortgage to weigh us down. I believe that God has great plans and a great purpose for Sudbury First Nations Church.  It is not about a building. It is about equipping us with the tools we need to reach the First Nations community of Sudbury with the message of Jesus. I believe God performed this miracle for us to encourage us.  We have an awesome God
 
The church holds around 120 people and can be moved into right away.  Everything comes with the building.  There is a fully equipped kitchen in the spacious basement.  We are eager to move in Feb 13.  We will be making some changes to reflect who we are as a Native Church.  May God get all the glory from all that happens with this facility.
 
                                             -Pastor Stuart Swartzentruber            contact me  at 670-1884 or e-mail at stu@tyenet.com.   
 
 
Provincial News
 
1.  Pro-Life Monthly Prayer Letter ....concern about Trillium Foundation funding






February 12, 2007

Dear Prayer Partners,

Not a day goes by without another assault on life being exposed. Like an American Army General once said, "The enemy is on the North, the South, the East and the West. Good! Now we know where they are! " This couldn't be truer for the pro-life. Recently, the Alliance for Life has been investigating the hospice care programs in Ontario and they forwarded the "Dying With Dignity" pamphlet to us. Yikes! Not only is there a group dedicated to adding "killing you" to the menu of care options available to you in your last years, but, as I found out in the small print, it is being funded by you and I through The Ontario Trillium Foundation!!

According to their website:

We are an agency of the Ministry of Culture and receive $100 million annually in funding generated through the province's charity casino initiative. We are committed to being open and accountable to you and actively pursue ways to keep you informed about our activities. Our website is one of the ways we do this.

Our vision
The Ontario Trillium Foundation is a catalyst that enables Ontarians to work together to enhance the quality of life in their communities. We believe that communities across Ontario are rich in talent, creativity and drive and our grants stimulate communities to build on these assets.

Our mission
Building healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector, through investments in community-based initiatives.

Now, I may not be a rocket scientist but I really don't see how killing people who are in pain instead of offering them pain therapy is enhancing the quality of life in our community.

From the pamphlet of the Dying with Dignity, "…We also advocate for improved hospice and palliative care services, and for legislative change that will ensure people can experience the best possible end of life options, including physician aid-in-dying, if they so choose." So, let's see, we use tax money raised to help our communities, to encourage our government to change laws that are already in place to protect our lives and to ensure that doctors to their duty to "do no harm". I don't know about you, but these are the last people I want to be "advocating for my improved hospice and palliative care".

There is something very wrong with this picture. Please pray for this situation and write to express your concern that The Trillium Foundation is supporting a group that is piggybacking a very bad purpose on the back of a few good ideas (which at their very core contradict one another.) Notably, at this time "Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are illegal in Canada." (Taken from the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association Issue Paper of November 22, 2006)

 

For Life,

Nancy Bartz

The Life Centre, Goderich, ON  lifecentre01@gmail.com

Contact Ontario Trillium Foundation
Call us:
1.800.263.2887
416.963.4927
TTY: 416.963.7905
Fax: 416.963.8781
trillium@trilliumfoundation.org  

Send us applications, reports, etc.: (for those of you who receive the hard copy of this letter)
The Ontario Trillium Foundation
45 Charles Street East, 5th Floor
Toronto ON , M4Y 1S2

L. Robin Cardozo
Chief Executive Officer
corpoffice@trilliumfoundation.org
1.800.263.2887
416.963.7933
Fax : 416.963.8781

 

 

National News

1.  People's Parliament
Craig has uploaded new content to our Web site about a national on-line people's parliament -- www.ccfd.ca. It's certainly getting big interest. Forward the link to anyone you know who should be aware of it, and send us any thoughts or questions you have about it.
 
And if you've been thinking you should become a member or supporter, you can do that there too.
 
Best regards,
Link Byfield


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Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy
Suite 203, 10441 - 178 Street
Edmonton, AB T5S 1R5
Phone: 780-481-7844
Toll Free: 1-866-666-6768
Fax: 780-481-9983
contact@ccfd.ca
www.ccfd.ca

 

 

2.  National Prayer Cenacle

Dear League Members,

The National Prayer Cenacle described below may be of interest our supporters, especially as it is focused on the moral renewal of Canada. Please contact the organizers directly for further information.

Thank you,

Joanne McGarry

 

 

CANADIANS

FOR

RENEWAL

 

once again invite you to join Catholics across the nation in a

 

 

National Prayer Cenacle for Canada

 

 

 

on the First Weekend of Lent,

February 23 - 25

 

 

 

 

"If My people who bear My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My presence and turn from their wicked ways, I Myself will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their land." 

                                                                            2 Chronicles 7:14:   

 

 

Please consider gathering together with friends, family, or parishioners in your home, church or chapel sometime during this weekend to pray for the needs and moral renewal of our nation,

as well as our own personal renewal and sanctification.

 

 

This Prayer Cenacle can be of any length and include your choice of prayers: 

 “What will save the world?  “My answer is prayer.  What we need is for every Parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in
Holy Hours of prayer." - Bl. Mother Teresa

 

 

For your convenience, Prayer Cenacle Programs, complete with prayers, are available for Cenacles from one to nine hours long by contacting us at:

cbmccabe@golden.net.

 

 

 

Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion.  (Eph 6:10-18)

 

 

Because the power of prayer is increased when united with acts of self-denial, fasting is encouraged on Friday, February 23.  Also, consider praying until or during the early morning hours.

 

 

(eg. Prayer Cenacle could start on Friday at 8:00pm and conclude on Saturday at 2:00 am.  This is just one example as well as the time frame that we will be using.  But please feel free to choose the time frame that suits you best.)

 

If not you – then who?

If not now – then when?

 

 

“Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit.  If you have hope, this will make you cheerful.  Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying.”  (Romans 12:11-12)

 

 

 

 

 

"We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the antichurch, between the Gospel and the antigospel, between Christ and the antichrist." - Pope John Paul II

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

“The hour has struck - the battle, the most widespread, bitter and ferocious the world has ever known, has been joined. It must be fought to the finish."  - Pius XII

 

 

For more information, contact Christine and Ben at cbmccabe@golden.net or cfr@golden.net

 

 

For the Glory of God,

Ben and Christine McCabe

Canadians for Renewal

 

 

PS. Please help us spread the word by forwarding this invitation to as many as possible.  Canada needs (y)our prayers! 

 

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

 

 

If we don’t give up the struggle we shall get our harvest at the proper time.  (Gal 6:10)


3.  Update on The Little Black Book

As of now it appears that, thanks in large part to your efforts, no educational jurisdiction in Canada is using this material as part of its curriculum, although we understand that a somewhat toned-down version is now finding its way into some municipal libraries and bookstores. The Manitoba government is planning on using a substantially different version that is very different from the one that first was brought to our (and your) attention.

The aggregate of little acts of citizenship is quite large. In this case, public officials heard your voice and we were able to ward off, for the time being anyway, this particular menace.



Thanks again for your interest in this matter and please do let us stay in touch.

 Joseph C. Ben-Ami

Executive Director

Institute for Canadian Values

www.canadianvalues.ca

 

4. 

January 30, 2007

Marriage Update


Dear Defender of Marriage,

Two recent events put into sharper focus the challenges and opportunities ahead of us in trying to restore marriage to Canada. One was the recent decision by the High Court of Ireland to uphold traditional marriage in that country. The second is the recent planning conference at which all of the major pro-family groups in Canada mapped out a coordinated strategy for the months and years ahead.

The Irish case should be of more than passing interest to Canadians for two reasons. It was brought by two Irish lesbians who traveled to Canada to be married and returned home to sue to have their Canadian marriage recognized in Ireland. In an ever shrinking world, citizens of any nation should be more aware of, and take greater responsibility for, the actions of their government.

By becoming only the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, we must understand that Canada has undermined this critical institution around the world. I think that places an additional responsibility on us to restore true marriage.

The second reason to take special note of this decision is because it is further evidence of the defense of traditional marriage in other countries. Most Canadians know of the ongoing effort to protect traditional marriage in the U.S. So far, 27 of the 50 states have amended their state constitutions to define marriage as only between a man and a woman and an additional 18 have laws that similarly define marriage. A number of additional states will adopt constitutional amendments in the next national election.

Fewer Canadians know that several years ago Australia also adopted national legislation to define marriage as only between a man and a woman (in part, I might add, to protect themselves from the situation where Australian same-sex individuals would marry in Canada and then return to challenge Australian law). Other countries have either adopted constitutional amendments or have taken other steps to protect their own marriage laws.

The question we should be asking ourselves is, what do these nations understand that too many of our fellow citizens--and especially too many of our politicians--do not. The answer, of course, is that they understand the grave danger posed by so radically redefining the time-proven and fundamental institution of marriage as we have already done in Canada. It is increasingly clear that this risk is especially great for children. The decision by the Irish court, for example, stressed the likely negative impact on children if same-sex marriage were legalized. That portion of the decision is worth reading and you can find it here. You may also recall that last year the commission of the French Assembly that strongly recommended against legalizing same-sex marriage did so largely because of the negative impact on children.

The second major event I would like to note is outcome of the recent national conference of all the Canadian pro-family and pro-marriage groups to map out strategy for the months and years immediately ahead. Far from being discouraged and disheartened by the recent vote in Parliament refusing to even reconsider the legalization of same sex marriage at some future time, the tone at this conference was one of increased resolve, determination and commitment to restoring marriage and to implementing a number of other pro-family policies.

It was clear to all who participated in this conference that we are in a long term battle for the very future of our country, one that must be conducted on many fronts. We have already made great strides in educating our fellow citizens about the importance of traditional marriage and the family to our future. Certainly, there is a greater understanding of this across Canada now than when I was first elected to Parliament in 1993. We must step up and expand that educational effort and you will see some projects and initiatives to do that unveiled in the months ahead.

At the same time, the pro-family coalition agreed that we must also work on other fronts as well if we are ultimately going to be successful. We must be more pro-active in the courts, and we will be. We must continue to demand that the Government deal with the problems that legalization of same sex marriage will create and we will be undertaking several initiatives to do that as well. For example, we will be stepping up our efforts at the provincial level to pass laws to protect religious organizations from being forced to perform same sex marriages.

In the months ahead, we will be informing you of the various ways you can help in these efforts as well as reporting on significant developments. While it will take increased effort and commitment by each of us, I am optimistic that we will be able to restore true marriage in Canada. Our future depends upon it!

Sincerely,

The Hon. Dr. Grant Hill, P.C.
Coordinator

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International News
 
 
 
-
-
-
 ZENIT
-
 

The World Seen from Rome  
-
-
-
 WEEKLY
-
February 17, 2007


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Relativism Hurts Families, Warns Benedict XVI
Presents Natural Law as Objective Criterion
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 12, 2007 (Zenit.org).- If natural law is not respected, then life, family and society become victims of ethical relativism, warns Benedict XVI.
This was the Pope's message on receiving in audience today some 200 participants in the international congress on natural law, called by the Pontifical Lateran University.
The Holy Father began his address by pointing out the contradictions of the present time, characterized by technological progress.
"We see all the great advantages of this progress, but we also increasingly see the threats of destruction of the gift of nature," he said. "And there is another danger, less visible, but no less disturbing: The method, which allows us increasingly to know the rational structures of matter, makes us ever more incapable of seeing the source of this rationality, creative Reason."
The Bishop of Rome said it is urgent to reflect on natural law as the source of norms which precede any human law and which cannot be altered by any one.
The bulwark
Benedict XVI highlighted "the principle of respect for human life, from its conception until its natural end, as this good of life is not man's property, but the free gift of God."
As well, the Pope pointed out "the duty to seek the truth, [a] necessary assumption of any authentic maturity of the person."
Attacking this vision is "juridical positivism," according to which private interests become rights, the Holy Father said.
On the contrary, "the natural law is … the only bulwark against arbitrary power or the deceits of ideological manipulation," he added.
The Pope explained that, according to natural law, the family is "that intimate community of life and conjugal love, founded by the Creator" and, therefore, a "sacred bond" that "does not depend on human choice."
Benedict XVI added that "no law made by men can alter the norm written by the Creator without society remaining dramatically wounded in what constitutes its very foundation. To forget this would mean to weaken the family, to penalize children and to make the future of society precarious.
"I feel the duty to affirm once again that not everything that is scientifically feasible is also ethically licit."
"Technology," the Pope said, "when it reduces the human being to an object of experimentation, ends up by abandoning the weak to the decisions of the strong."
ZE07021203
email this article
TOP

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Number of Catholics and Priests Rises
Pontifical Yearbook of 2007 Releases Data
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 12, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The number of Catholics and priests in the world at year-end 2005 had increased slightly over the previous 12 months, according to the new Pontifical Yearbook.
The 2007 edition of the yearbook, presented to Benedict XVI today, stated that as of year-end 2005, the latest date for which data are available, there were 1.115 billion Catholics worldwide.
The 2,400-page volume, which offers a numerical overview of the state of the Church, showed an increase of 1.5% of Catholics compared with the 1.098 billion listed the previous year.
A Vatican communiqué summarizing some of the data revealed that "since this relative growth is quite close to that of the general population -- 1.2% -- the presence of Catholics in the world has remained substantially unchanged -- 17.20%."
However, there are some areas where Catholic growth was greater than population growth.
There was an increase of 3.1% of Catholics in Africa, whose population has grown by slightly less than 2.5%, the communiqué said.
"The Asian and American continents have also registered a higher increase in Catholics than in population growth, 2.71% against 1.18% for Asia, and 1.2% against 0.9% for America," continued the Vatican statement. There was a slight increase of Catholics in Europe.
Priests
The Pontifical Yearbook revealed that the number of diocesan and religious priests rose to 406,411 from 405,891, a relative increase of 0.13%.
The percentage increases were much higher in Asia and Africa, 3.8% and 3.55%, respectively, it noted.
This is in contrast to "Europe and America with a percentage decrease of about a half point, and Australia, with a fall of 1.8%" in the number of priests.
Africa and Asia proportionately had more priests, the Vatican statement noted: "Africa and Asia together provided 19.58% to the world's overall number in 2004; in 2005 their contribution had risen to 20.28%."
The Americas maintained a percentage of around 29.8%, while Oceania stayed stable, at slightly over 1% of the world's priests, according to the communiqué.
"The only continent to see its own quota decline is Europe," it said. "In 2004, the 199,978 priests represented nearly 49.3% of the total ecclesiastic group, while one year later it had diminished to 48.8%."
The Pontifical Yearbook reported that the number of seminarians had increased in Africa, Asia and America, while decreasing in Europe and remaining stable in Oceania.
"In 2005, of every 100 candidates to the priesthood in the whole world, 32 were American, 26 Asian, 21 African, 20 European and one from Oceania," the communiqué stated.
The yearbook will soon be on sale from the Vatican Publishing House.
ZE07021201

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ANALYSIS

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Popes Reaching Out to Young People
Youth Day Messages Center on Christ
By Father John Flynn
ROME, FEB. 11, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI invited young people to discover the true meaning of love in his message for World Youth Day, which this year will be observed at the diocesan level on Palm Sunday, April 1.
"Everybody feels the longing to love and to be loved," the Pope observed in his recently published message. Yet, efforts in this endeavor are often marked by mistakes and failures, he continued. The Pontiff then offered three stages to follow to discover a true love.
The first stage is having God as our source of true love, and the second stage is the revelation of this love to us in the person of Christ. The third stage is when we show our commitment to God by loving him, and our brothers and sisters.
Both Pope John Paul II and the current Holy Father have used the occasion of World Youth Day to encourage young people to reflect on the meaning of their lives and the need enrich them through a more intimate relationship with God.
Love was also one of the central themes in the letter John Paul II wrote for the 1987 World Youth Day. Citing what he had written in his first encyclical, "Redemptor Hominis," the Pope observed: "Man cannot live without love."
This is even more so for the young, John Paul II continued. He told youth that it is vital not to look for happiness in the superficial attractions of hedonism, or to enclose themselves in egoism. The path to finding a true love is, instead, by giving priority to the values of the spirit and by recognizing and accepting the presence of God in our lives.
John Paul II also noted that this experience will lead to communicating this love to others: "The world anxiously awaits our witness of love, a witness born from a deep personal conviction and a sincere act of love and faith in the Risen Christ.
"This is what is meant by experiencing love and believing in it."
Finding meaning in life
Another key theme in World Youth Day is the need to follow God in order to find the true meaning of our lives. In his message for World Youth Day 2006, Benedict XVI noted the need to follow God in order to find the true meaning of our lives. "It is not easy to recognize and find authentic happiness in this world in which we live, where people are often held captive by the current ways of thinking," he wrote.
The Pope recommended that young people meditate often on the word of God, and allow the Holy Spirit to be their teacher. "The loving presence of God, through his word, is the lamp that dispels the darkness of fear and lights up the path even when times are most difficult," said Benedict XVI.
In his letter, the Pontiff also invited young people to become more familiar with the Bible, and to build their lives on Christ: "There is an urgent need for the emergence of a new generation of apostles anchored firmly in the word of Christ, capable of responding to the challenges of our times and prepared to spread the Gospel far and wide."
John Paul II, in his 1985 letter to the youth of the world, "Dilecti Amici," written for the occasion of the United Nations' International Youth Year, insisted on the vital need to be close to God. Reflecting on the example of the young man in the Gospel who asked Jesus what he needed to do gain eternal life (Mark 10:17-21) the Pontiff observed that today the equivalent question could be thus framed: "How must I act so that my life will have meaning and value?" (No. 4).
Christ's answer, John Paul II continued, amounts to saying that only God is the ultimate basis of all values, and it is only God who can give the definitive meaning to our human existence. God gives this meaning because he is love, a love manifested in Christ's sacrifice for us.
Christ at the center
In fact, bringing young people closer to Christ was for John Paul II the main objective of the World Youth Days. In a letter dated May 8, 1996, to Cardinal Eduardo Pironio, the then president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Vatican body in charge of organizing the World Youth Days, the Pope said: "The principal objective of the days is to make the person of Jesus the center of the faith and life of every young person so that he may be their constant point of reference and also the inspiration of every initiative and commitment for the education of the new generations" (No. 1).
John Paul II noted that the World Youth Days are meant to be "providential events, occasions for young people to profess and proclaim faith in Christ with ever greater joy" (No. 2).
By participating in such an event young people will have an experience of faith and communion, "which will help to face the profound questions of life and to responsibly assume his or her place in society and in the ecclesial community."
In his last letter to youth, written for World Youth Day 2005 held in Cologne, Germany, John Paul II again urged young people to follow Christ. The Magi, he commented, offered the Baby Jesus gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
He wrote: "My dear young people, you too offer to the Lord the gold of your lives, namely, your freedom to follow him out of love, responding faithfully to his call; let the incense of your fervent prayer rise up to him, in praise of his glory; offer him your myrrh, that is your affection of total gratitude to him, true man, who loved us to the point of dying as a criminal on Golgotha" (No. 4).
John Paul II urged young people to resist the illusions and passing fads that only leave behind them a spiritual vacuum. Equally, he recommended they reject the seductions of wealth, consumerism and violence. "Worship Christ: He is the rock on which to build your future and a world of greater justice and solidarity," John Paul II wrote (No. 5).
This task is far from easy in today's world, as John Paul II admitted in his letter to young people for the Jubilee Year in 2000. "You will ask me: But is it possible today to be saints?" he commented (No. 3).
By ourselves it is indeed impossible, the Pope acknowledged. But, he continued, we are not alone in our journey. Turn to Jesus, he urged: "Rely on him; believe in the invincible power of the Gospel and place faith as the foundation of your hope."
"Jesus walks with you, he renews your heart and strengthens you with the vigor of his Spirit," John Paul II said.
Another theme often present in the World Youth Day messages is the hope the Church places in young people. In his apostolic letter "Dilecti Amici," John Paul II commented on the importance of youth for the Church. "In this sense the future belongs to you young people, just as it once belonged to the generation of those who are now adults, and precisely together with them it has become the present reality" (No. 1).
Looking at the world around him no doubt Benedict XVI is also hoping that young people will listen to the Church's message to youth, and will help build the future of the Church and of the world.
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INTERVIEW

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Tony Blair's Bioethical Legacy
Interview With John Smeaton of SPUC
LONDON, FEB. 16, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The United Kingdom is exporting anti-life and anti-family values, says John Smeaton, director of an organization campaigning for pro-life laws.
Smeaton, the national director of the U.K.-based Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, spoke with ZENIT about the present and the future of bioethics in Britain.
Q: Tony Blair expects to step down as prime minister this year. How has the bioethical landscape in Britain changed during his tenure?
Smeaton: Under Tony Blair's leadership, the government and parliament have plunged Britain into an ethical abyss, in which there is no right or wrong but simply administrative and technical questions to be resolved by the implementation of new anti-life evils.
Two of the first things Tony Blair did in office was to establish a strategy on teenage pregnancy and to revive proposals to change the law on end-of-life treatment.
The former involves supplying abortion and birth control drugs and devices to schoolgirls as young as 11 without parents' knowledge or consent; the latter has led to a law -- the Mental Capacity Act 2005 -- which allows, and in certain circumstances requires, doctors to starve and to dehydrate to death vulnerable patients.
The Blair government exports abortion-on-demand to the developing world under the guise of the Millennium Development Goals and it has increased funding for population control agencies -- such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the United Nations Population Fund -- complicit in China's one-child policy.
Tony Blair has personally championed destructive experiments on cloned human embryos. In general, there is virtually no area of pro-life or pro-family ethical concern which has not been made worse by the Blair government.
In addition, the U.K. is a major influence within the European Union and in many other parts of the world in support of anti-life, anti-family policies.
Q: How does the level of bioethical debate in Britain compare to the rest of the world? The United States, for instance? Or Australia? Or Germany?
Smeaton: The level of bioethical debate compares badly with the rest of the world.
The mass media in Britain, led by the so-called quality media, such as the Times and the BBC, present the debate on bioethical issues such as human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and abortion, in an almost entirely one-sided way.
Scientific and ethical considerations which suggest why human embryonic stem cell research is ethically irresponsible are either not included at all in such media coverage, or they are presented in a totally inadequate way. Also, the government of the day appears to have an infinite capacity to manipulate the terms of bioethical debate.
For example, the government succeeded in enshrining euthanasia by neglect in law in April 2005 while simultaneously successfully assuring politicians and church leaders that they were completely opposed to legalizing euthanasia.
Q: Christian leaders in Britain in recent years have lamented the state of religion, as witnessed in low church attendance. Has that affected culture-of-life issues?
Smeaton: Whatever the fundamental cause of low church attendance, the situation is worsened by the lack of clear teaching on culture of life issues.
Tragically, in Britain, induced abortion and birth control drugs and devices are provided to children at school, including Catholic schools, under the age of 16 without parental knowledge or consent.
Last year, a teacher at a mixed Catholic school in Kent, in England, spoke out publicly about the sex education given to her class of 13- to 14-year-old children. The teacher, a Miss McLernon, said: "I think people should be aware of what is going on in schools. I witnessed the nurse using a plastic model to show these children how to put on what she said was a chocolate flavored condom."
Miss McLernon said: "Every child in the class was given a card explaining where you could get free contraceptives and the abortion-inducing morning-after pill. The card also gave details of a website for young people explaining how a surgical abortion could be arranged. This is a Catholic school where you would expect children to be protected from this sort of thing."
Sadly, more and more Catholic parents are approaching the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children with terrible experiences in Catholic schools, both at the secondary and primary school level. Protests on the part of Catholic parents and teachers seeking to protect young people do not appear to be heard.
Furthermore, the British and European Union governments have enacted a body of law on the equal employment rights of male and female homosexuals and bisexuals and transsexuals which is to be enforced with the threat of severe legal sanctions.
Q: Does debate in Britain have the philosophical and theological language necessary to handle bioethical issues well?
Smeaton: Britain has not only lost its moral compass. For the most part, it has also lost both the language and the capacity to think in a morally rational way.
For most, morality is primarily connected with a curious mixture of self-interest, compassion, and the desire to avoid pain, suffering and inconvenience. This explains the capacity of the British to be both pro-choice about abortion while at the same time feeling a moral unease about it all.
Even the word "discriminate" has been appropriated as a word with wholly negative connotations when in the not-so-distant past to be called discriminating was a compliment.
Thus has the distinction between just and unjust discrimination disappeared from the moral lexicon. There is no objective language to categorize moral rightness or wrongness where sexual conduct is concerned, but at the same time there is a moral Stalinism in the legal insistence that all employers employ a person irrespective of their declared sexual orientation and personal living arrangements.
Q: If things stay on course, what will Britain look like -- culturally, ethically -- in 25 years?
Smeaton: The answer lies in Rome and in the appointment of courageous bishops. If the Catholic Church begins to provide an unambiguous lead in defense of life and the family and, in particular, on the inseparable connection between the unitive and procreative aspects of sexual intercourse, the work of lay secular movements like the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children which have been working for over four decades will bear fruit and things will improve.
A peaceful pro-life and pro-family movement, increasing in numbers, sharing its values with their fellow-citizens, will have a growing influence in society.
[If not,] lay people who seek to defend life, marriage and the family may be imprisoned. The Mental Capacity Act 2005, in certain circumstances, already criminalizes doctors who insist on giving patients food and water.
Legislation promoting homosexual rights is becoming ever more draconian.
Health professionals who refuse to refer patients for abortion will become unemployable as will teachers who refuse to obey the government's secret abortion policy for children.
Parents who provide their children with traditional Christian teaching regarding homosexuality may have their children taken into care by the state. Authentic moral values will be taught in secret or not at all.
Britain will continue to be a major influence in the European Union and other parts of the world in support of abortion, embryo research, human cloning, euthanasia and homosexual "marriage."
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Relating to the Opposite Sex
Interview With Author of "Men and Women Are From Eden"
GAITHERSBURG, Maryland, FEB. 14, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Mary Healy says she has the key to helping men and women in their relationships with each other.
Healy is the author of "Men and Women Are From Eden" (Servant Publications), a study guide to Pope John Paul II's theology of the body.
In this interview with ZENIT, she discusses getting to the root of the problems between the sexes, and from there, finding the most effective solutions.
Q: With so many books coming from the secular press on relationships and the differences between men and women, where does this book on the theology of the body fit in?
Healy: The topic of the differences of the sexes never gets old, because in every generation men and women experience the challenge of relating to one another. Yes, there is an avalanche of secular books offering relationship advice, some of it helpful and some less so -- and some that should be tossed in the trash!
But no advice really gets to the heart of the matter unless it goes all the way back to the beginning -- to God's original plan for man and woman, as it was unveiled in the garden of Eden, before the Fall.
And of course the only complete access we have to that original plan is through Scripture, authoritatively interpreted by the Church.
Pope John Paul the Great left the Church a great gift by presenting the biblical teaching on men, women, sex and marriage in a new and compelling way, in his catecheses known as the theology of the body.
The purpose of my book is to try to make the theology of the body accessible to ordinary people, and to give them a tool for studying it in-depth.
When people are introduced to the theology of the body, they usually find that it resonates with the deepest stirrings of their hearts and begins to transform their whole approach to relationships, from the inside out.
Q: The title seems to allude to the popular relationship book from the United States entitled "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus." Is your book a Catholic version of that best seller? What inspired the title?
Healy: Yes, you caught the hint. The title is inspired by John Paul II's insight -- based on the words of Jesus himself in Matthew 19:4 -- that the key to understanding who we are as men and women is found in the book of Genesis, in the story of Adam and Eve in the garden.
As John Paul II noted, the creation accounts in Genesis are "mythic," not in the sense of being fictional, but in that they recount the events at the dawn of history using symbolic language so as to convey profound truths about God and the human condition.
Only by understanding those truths will we be able to fully appreciate our identity as men and women and fulfill our longings for authentic love.
Q: While much of what popular theories say about the differences between men and women is true, is there something lacking about how these theories view maleness and femaleness, and then the dynamics of relationships between the two?
Healy: The best that a secular approach can do is explain the biological, psychological and social reasons why men and women have trouble relating, and then offer practical advice for dealing with those differences. But as John Paul II shows, those differences are not merely accidental; they are part of God's marvelous design for humanity. In fact, they even hold the clue to the meaning of our existence.
Our sexual complementarity reveals what he called "the spousal meaning of the body" -- that is, the body's capacity, in its masculinity or femininity, to be a vehicle and expression of self-giving love. Adam and Eve discovered that when they encountered one another and, in the words of Genesis, became "one flesh."
So, God has stamped in our very bodies the call to a communion of persons, an exchange of love in which each person becomes a gift for the other.
But because of the Fall -- our first parents' decision to disobey God -- the complementarity that God designed for life-giving union became instead a source of conflict. Ever since then, relationships between men and women have often been characterized by lust, selfishness, manipulation and abuse.
So you can see why relationship advice remains on a very superficial level unless it gets to the root of the problem, which is sin, and the key to the solution, which is our restoration to God's magnificent plan through the grace of Christ. Once that key is found, then people begin to deal with the dynamics of relationships on a much more profound level.
Q: John Paul II explains that the response to the human being's quest for happiness is to be found in the Garden of Eden. Can you explain this?
Healy: As Pope John Paul II explains, the story of our origins presents a vision for why we were created and what is the deepest purpose of our lives.
According to Genesis, when God wanted an image of himself in the created world, he didn't fashion isolated individuals, but rather a married couple. This means that both are needed to complete the picture.
Why? Because it is their communion of love with one another that most reveals God! Only in the New Testament is the truth fully revealed that God himself is a communion of persons, an eternal exchange of love between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
And God has destined us to share in that exchange. This is the meaning of our sexual complementarity and of the vocations in which it is lived out, whether in marriage or in consecrated life.
By becoming a gift to one another in a communion of persons we learn to love and be loved as God loves, and so prepare to share in his life forever. This is our dignity and our destiny, and the quest for happiness depends on discovering it and living it out.
Q: Who is this book written for? Youth? Couples in crisis? Engaged couples? Can a beginner with no background in theology or philosophy understand it?
Healy: All of the above!
My book does not focus on practical advice, but rather on the doctrinal foundations people need to guide their practical decisions. It was written with the goal of helping ordinary people understand the theology of the body and apply it to their real-life situations.
John Paul II writes on a very theoretical level, but as a priest he had counseled hundreds of couples, and he well understood the issues people face. The theology of the body is not too abstract or difficult for anyone. It is true that those who try to put it into practice will find it very challenging on a personal level -- in fact, eventually they will find that it is simply impossible without the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Even solid Catholics may find that it causes a revolution in their whole perspective on sex, marriage and relationships. But that is part of the whole point, because the grace to change is there for anyone who asks.
Regarding youth in particular, I have taught theology of the body to teens and young adults, and I have found them in every case to be extremely receptive to and hungry for these teachings. This generation has reaped the bad fruits of the sexual revolution, and they see the fallout in broken families and broken lives all around them.
Many of them are not impressed by the false promises of the permissive culture they've grown up in. They are ready for something new. The theology of the body gives them hope and enables them to pursue their vocation, whether to marriage or celibacy, with a deep sense of purpose and vision.
Q: What impact do you hope the book will have on the Catholic world?
Healy: I hope my book will help many people, both Catholics and non-Catholics, discover the theology of the body and the dramatic impact it can have on their lives. In Europe and America, Christians do not have a very good track record for presenting a lifestyle different from the surrounding secular culture -- as shown by our statistics on divorce, abortion, contraception and premarital sex.
But that is beginning to change. I am convinced that as the theology of the body is embraced by the current generation, marriages will be strengthened, families will be healed, respect for human life will be renewed, and young people will be rekindled in their zeal to live for God.
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ROME NOTES

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Pope's Family Handbook; Law -- Naturally
Volume Compiles Papal Texts on Marriage
By Catherine Smibert
ROME, FEB. 15, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI has been an eloquent defender of the institution of marriage and the family since the beginning of his pontificate. And now, thanks to L'Osservatore Romano, his most poignant texts on these issues have been gathered in one place.
The Vatican daily has published a booklet comprised of choice excerpts from the Pontiff's work entitled: "The Truth About the Family: Marriage and De Facto Unions in the Words of Benedict XVI."
The director of the Vatican press office, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, presented the publication this week. He said that "the correct compilation of the works helps us to more adequately understand the Pope's concerns and motivations behind them. … Presented in abundance, they are in stark juxtaposition to the more superficial and improvised way these considerations are often portrayed."
Mario Agnes, director of L'Osservatore Romano, said his team was motivated by the Holy Father's call for Christians not to be silent on these issues.
"On Dec. 22," said Agnes, "Benedict XVI pronounced to the Roman Curia that he couldn't silence his concern for civil union legislations around the world. We want to help him to be heard and we saw this as an opportune moment to offer a collection of the Pope's works as an instrument for reflection for all."
Francesco D'Agostino, president of the Union of Catholic Judges, reminded those of us attending the launch that "even before being made Pope, Cardinal Ratzinger spoke extensively about our collective task to protect and promote the family and its traditional makeup."
The professor added though that Christians shouldn't merely reduce the faith to a private experience. He said these works help them be prepared to express their convictions more publicly to make a difference in society.
"Let's face it," said D'Agostino, "the family wasn't invented over the course of history like technologies. … It's at the heart of a human's identity, and we have proof of the devastating effects its breakdown has on different cultures from varying epochs."
A copy of the booklet, currently only available in Italian, can be obtained by writing a request directly via e-mail: info@ossrom.va or via fax: +39 06 69 88 28 18.
* * *
Truth, Not Authority
It's an intense subject, but a fundamental one for our world. It's natural law, and Benedict XVI stressed the urgency of studying it this week to those attending an international congress on the topic organized by the Pontifical Lateran University. The Pope received in audience some 200 participants of the congress.
The convention examined all the perspectives and problems surrounding the issue of natural law, and then looked at how to best reintroduce it into today's society.
To get an insiders perspective into the congress, I asked Redemptorist Father Terrence Kennedy to highlight some of the main issues.
The dean of theology for the Pontifical Alfonsianum University began with his address in which he underlined the role human rights has over natural law in our society. "It's an idea that most people appear to be aware of, and it's only been around for 200 years, whereas the age-old natural law, of which it was born, goes practically unmentioned. … So, from the point of view of civil or 'Roman' law, concerns come up over whether human rights have replaced natural law."
And why would this be a problem? According to these scholars, it seems that in an attempt to open up the discussion to the world, natural law eventually became prone to elements like secularization, and was thereby distorted from the protection of the inherent "right" to the trendy "want."
This panel of experts also explained that legal positivism, which holds that all laws are valid, runs contrary to natural law jurisprudence, which says that a law must be just to be valid.
The theologian for the Pontifical Household, Dominican Father Wojciech Giertych, noted that new virtues and vices, such as the "virtue of tolerance" and the "vice of exclusion," have eroded those natural ones identified by St. Thomas Aquinas.
The rector of the Lateran University of Rome, Auxiliary Bishop Salvatore Fisichella, said that he traces the real demise of the definition of natural law to the 1970s when "there was a general internal crisis within the academia." He said some schools and philosophers deny the existence of natural law because they say the very concept of nature can be different from one person to the next.
Bishop Fisichella added that "the concept of nature is subject to generational trends, which is very risky."
The participants of the congress recalled that the current debate is an age-old argument.
Aristotle criticized one of Plato's proposals from "The Republic" that promotes abolishing the family unit and replacing it with a commune state.
Aristotle said in "The Politics" that any societal model other than the family would erode the core foundations of our community, as it would be in direct opposition to humanity's basic disposition.
More than 2,000 years later the Catholic Church is in the forefront of the same debate. Father Kennedy commented to me: "The magisterium of the Church has intervened on this type of issue particularly over the last 20 years through such encyclicals as 'Veritatis Splendor' and 'Fides et Ratio.'"
Bishop Fisichella said that "we are seeing legal proposals today being increasingly based upon sheer interpretation without any consideration for the basic conscience."
Laws that go against human nature, according to Father Giertych, are only upheld and continued through "brute political force," as they can't be upheld by reason.
Father Kennedy says all Christians must act: "It's of grave concern when you get on that sort of open sea where there's no point of reference anymore and people are saying, 'Let's change social institutions.' Often enough the discussion doesn't even get back to the level of -- 'What should it be anyhow?'"
"And at that level," adds Bishop Fisichella, "is when you get back to something like natural law as we can see it through the eyes of faith … going back to God as Creator and that he made the person good and for goodness with himself."
But Father Kennedy notes, "A mere discussion of what's good in the here and now is not sufficient; you need to look at the whole vocation of humanity, the vocation to God, and make it actual."
* * *
The Parish Group that Grew and Grew
As they enter their 40th year of ministry this week, the Community of Sant'Egidio is determined to "use the signs of the times" to guide its next moves.
A small group of Roman youths, imbibed with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, grew into a lay movement that now boasts more than 60,000 members in 70 countries.
Aside from their activities in ecumenism, dialogue and peace-building, they're most recognized for their work in solidarity and in championing social justice issues.
During their anniversary celebrations, some members of the community shared their secret to the longevity and effectiveness.
"We want to try to live the call of Pope John XXIII to Christians to observe what the world around us is living today and respond to it," said Claudio Betti, one of the original community members. "So today it's the death penalty, tomorrow it may be climate change."
But that's not to say classic societal indicators can't dictate action. On the contrary, the heart of this award-winning Catholic community is none other than the poor.
"Throughout these years," said Betti, "we've been close to the poor to the point that the poor are not clients of our services but they are really members of our family."
Betti clarified that in actual fact the real service of the community is none of the above but is actually grounded in daily prayer. He's convinced that their path has been enriched by the Holy Spirit because of their being consistently rooted in the Gospel and its call to be close to the suffering.
"All those years ago the founder realized that being close to the poor meant being close to Scripture and vice versa," he told me. "We have never detached ourselves from these."
Indeed, a walk over the cobbled paths of the Trastevere area of Rome will provide you with the thrilling sound of bells chiming out and the music of exquisite liturgies any evening of the week.
"It only makes sense that we dedicate ourselves by the thousands to that at the end of a work day," said this co-founder of one of Europe's most influential lay associations. "Just think that the prayer in the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere alone, in one year, has welcomed 300,000 friends of the community who have joined us. This is done all over the world."
The president of the Council for Culture, Cardinal Paul Poupard, presided over their anniversary mass and was flanked by other prelates who are friends of the group and had met with Benedict XVI that same day.
"It's certainly encouraging to experience the consistent support from the Church hierarchy and it's a link of friendship and fraternity that we want to stress very much," says Betti. "It just shows again that we're all one big family tree working through different branches."
* * *
Catherine Smibert can be reached at catherine@zenit.org.
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7.  Religious Leaders in France Sign Joint Statement Defending Traditional Marriage

"[Family] cannot be subjected to the fluctuations of currents of thought."

Gudrun Schultz (Feb. 15th, 2007)

In France last week, Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders met to sign a statement proclaiming the fundamental place of marriage in human society and their opposition to same-sex unions, Zenit News Agency reported.

According to a report on LifeSiteNews, the religious leaders emphasized the many difficulties young families are already facing, without the added burden of a society that does not value the institution of marriage.

The statement says, among other things, that the traditional institution of marriage is the basic foundation of society and that the family, as the "foundational reference of humanity," is an essential institution that "cannot be subjected to the fluctuations of currents of thought. It is situated beyond religious differences or ideological divisions...It is a lie to pretend that it is indifferent for a child to grow with or without a father and mother."

Reporter Gudrun Schultz noted that in February 2006, one year ago, the French government issued a report saying that homosexual 'marriage' and adoption by homosexual couples should not be permitted by law, a decision based primarily on concerns about the impact such legislation would have on the welfare of children.
 
 
 

8.  Christian Churches Together - Finally

I want to alert our whole constituency to a development of major importance. Since 2001, a conversation has been quietly taking place among American church leaders from all of our church families about what it would take to come together in common fellowship, common unity, and common voice on the most important issues of our time. For many years now, the churches of the United States have been divided, with evangelical, pentecostal, mainline Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Black, Latino, and Asian Christians all gathered in different organizations and around separate "tables," often even with multiple tables within each group. While there has been cross-fertilization on projects, campaigns, and issues, there has been no genuinely "ecumenical" or "inter-denominational" organization in the United States that crossed all of our dividing lines – until now.

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In Pasadena, California, last week, Christian Churches Together (CCT) was formally launched after almost six years of conversation, fellowship, worship, and prayer together. Thirty-six churches and national organizations from virtually all of the key U.S. church groups formally joined with one another over meetings on February 6-9, culminating in a powerful worship service with the church "families" visibly coming together.
A consensus has been reached on the key importance of evangelism and the biblical imperative to overcome poverty – and those two most basic commitments will shape the new fellowship. In Pasadena, each of the "five families" – Evangelical/Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Racial/Ethnic, Historic Protestant, and Orthodox – each shared their interpretation of Jesus' "mission statement" in Luke 4:18, and asked, "Is Jesus’ proclamation our proclamation?" The convergence on the meaning of evangelization today was quite incredible; a strong emphasis on "discipleship" and "the kingdom of God" was central to all the presentations. Bishop Stephen Blaire, from the Catholic Diocese of Stockton, Calif., expressed our common understanding that the root of evangelism is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
And that relationship to Jesus is the foundation of our witness in the world. In a statement on poverty, the leaders said, "Our faith in Christ who is the truth compels us to confront the ignorance of and indifference to the scandal of widespread, persistent poverty in this rich nation. We must call this situation by its real names: moral failure, unacceptable injustice." The leaders of CCT declared, "We believe that a renewed commitment to overcome poverty is central to the mission of the church and essential to our unity in Christ." Dr. William Shaw of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., one of the founding "presidents" of CCT, said that poverty "will not be redressed without intentional and painful effort by the total U.S. community. CCT calls the country's conscience to that effort and commits itself to being a part of that redressing."
The next meeting of the church leaders will be in January of 2008, in Washington, D.C., in the heat of a presidential election campaign. In the nation’s capital, the church leaders from across America’s theological and political spectrum hope to both re-commit themselves to the mission of eliminating the "scandal" of U.S. domestic poverty and to call upon the candidates from both parties to put poverty near the very top of the nation’s political agenda. That, my friends, is a big deal.
"Seeing the leaders of all the participating churches and organizations standing and praying together in their commitment to this vision was a powerful, visible sign of hope," said Wes Granberg-Michaelson of the Reformed Church in America, chair of the CCT steering committee. "We have said from the beginning that our purpose is to grow closer together in Christ in order to strengthen our Christian witness in the world. In Pasadena we all experienced how this is truly happening and this fills us with joy for the future."
In a service of commitment and celebration to formally launch CCT, Bishop James Leggett of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church urged us to follow the prayer of Jesus, "that all might be one." Dr. Shaw, Bishop Leggett, Rev. Larry Pickens, Father Leonid Kishkovsky, and Bishop Richard Sklba of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (representing Cardinal William Keeler of the Archdiocese of Baltimore), the first presidents of the five faith families of CCT, joined in lighting candles as a sign of unity.
Quoting a statement from his mother, Methodist Rev. Pickens said that the wisdom that will keep CCT together is to "remember that you belong to God and God does not belong to you." Rev. Kishkovsky of the Orthodox Church in America said, "CCT is good news for American Christians. Our gathering of the wider spectrum of U.S. Christian churches is succeeding in building mutual trust and overcoming stereotypes. Our common hope and expectation is that CCT will enable our churches to offer a strong and united Christian moral voice and vision in the public square."
And for the first time in ecumenical gatherings, four national Christian organizations were also invited to a place at the churches' table: World Vision, Bread for the World, Evangelicals for Social Action, and Sojourners/Call to Renewal. This is all a very hopeful sign and one can only imagine the impact of all these churches' constituencies joining together in both more common fellowship and voice – especially as the idea of CCT spreads down to the congregational and community level of the churches' life. That is now the next step. God is good.
 

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Movie Notice
 
Amazing Grace: The William Wilberforce Story
 
As this year is the 200th anniversary of the abolishment of the Slave trade in England, a movie has been made about this subject and the man who was behind it, William Wilberforce.  His mentor was John Newton, who was once a slave trader but turned from it.  He wrote the hymn Amazing Grace.
 
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) hosted two movie screenings of Amazing Grace: The William Wilberforce Story
for MPs, Senators, ambassadors, staff and pastors. The Honourable Bill Blaikie commented in Parliament about the EFC
screening of the movie. The film commemorates the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. The EFC was
able to inform viewers about human trafficking and highlight the World Evangelical Alliance’s resources for the film and
Walden Media’s Amazing Change campaign. 
 
LINKS: 
 
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1&DocId=2679488#SOB-1890095 
 
http://amazinggraceresource.com/index.htm 
 
http://www.amazingchange.com
 
Starts in theaters on February 23rd.  (Ed. Note:  not sure if this includes Sudbury) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Words of Wisdom

Parents who Drugged Us
The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a
Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in
the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question.


"Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were
growing up?"
I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young:
I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to
church for weddings and funerals.
I was drug to family reunions and community socials no
matter the weather.
I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.
I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my
parents,told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with
respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't
put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.
I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out
with soap if I uttered a profanity.
I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds
and cockleburrs out of dad's fields.
I was drug to the homes of family, friends, and neighbors to
help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the
clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever
known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she
would have drug me back to the woodshed..
Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior
in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine,
crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug
problem, America would be a better place.
God bless the parents who drugged us.

 




2. The way you live

By sincerely admiring beauty, you become more beautiful. When you truly appreciate the creative work of others, your own creativity grows stronger.

Act with respect toward others, and you'll develop a deeper respect for yourself and your own possibilities. Be generous with those around you, and you'll find that life is more generous with you.

Spend time in peaceful surroundings, and you'll continue to carry that peace within you. Listen to the words of someone who is filled with positive passion, and that passion will find a place in you as well.

The way you live can have a great influence on the way you are. You carry within you lasting echoes of the people, things, places and experiences to which you have been exposed.

The choices you make in this moment can affect your life long after this day has passed. So fill this moment with beauty, love, friendship, accomplishment, admiration and passion.

Put yourself in situations where the goodness of life will be able to accumulate within you. And as that goodness grows, life's richness will grow along with it.

-- Ralph Marston


3.  Making mistakes

Mistakes are valuable reminders that you do not know it all. And as such, they provide golden opportunities to learn.

Mistakes are a sure sign that you're making progress. For when you make mistakes, it means you are putting forth effort and having an influence.

Mistakes are certainly no cause for shame. The greatest achievements require you to work your way through the greatest errors and misunderstandings.

Mistakes are not to be feared. For the same actions that enable you to make a mistake also put you in a position to correct it.

When you're willing to accept the possibility of mistakes, you're able to follow the best opportunities. When you become experienced at handling mistakes, you'll be skilled at creating real value.

Success comes not from avoiding all mistakes, but from learning to find a positive way forward no matter what may happen. With each mistake, get over it, get wisdom from it, and become even more effective than you were before.

-- Ralph Marston

 

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