VATICAN - On the First Sunday of Advent, Benedict XVI refers to the three great “hinges” of time and expresses his “horror and the disapproval of the explosion of such cruel and senseless violence” in India and Nigeria
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – As the First Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year, before the recitation of the Angelus with the faithful gathered in Saint Peter's Square on November 30, the Holy Father Benedict XVI invited the faithful to reflect on the dimension of time. He said: “We all say 'I don't have time' because the rhythm of daily life has become too frenetic for everyone. The Church has 'good news' to announce about this too: God gives us his time. We always have little time. Especially in regard to the Lord, we do not know how to find him, or, sometimes, we do not want to find him. And yet God has time for us! This is the first thing that the beginning of a liturgical year makes us rediscover with an ever new wonder. Yes: God gives us his time, because he has entered into history, with his Word and his works of salvation, to open it to eternity, to make it into a covenant history.” From this perspective time is already, in itself, “a basic sign of God's love. It is a gift that man can, like everything else, appreciate or, on the contrary, squander.”
The Pope then mentioned the three great “hinges” of time, that span salvation history: creation, Incarnation-redemption, and 'parousia,' the final coming that also includes the universal judgement. The Pope explained that “These three moments, however, are not to be understood simply in chronological succession.” In fact, is realized along the whole arc of cosmic becoming to the very end of time. So also with the Incarnation-redemption, which occurred at a determinate historical moment, nevertheless, its effect extends over the time that preceded it and all of the time that follows it. And the Final Coming and the Last Judgment, exercise their influence on the conduct of men of every age.
The liturgical season of Advent “invites us to awaken the expectation of Christ's glorious return; then, nearing Christmas, it calls us to welcome the Word made man for our salvation. But the Lord comes constantly into our lives. How opportune, then, is Jesus' call, which is more powerfully proposed than ever this Sunday: 'Be vigilant!'. It is addressed to the disciples, but also to 'everyone,' because everyone, at the hour that God alone knows, will be called to give an account of his own life.” Then, prior to the recitation of the Angelus, he referred to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus' Mother, as the Icon of Advent.
Following the Angelus, the Pope recalled that November 30 marks the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, patron of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, with whom the Church of Rome feels linked “by a special fraternal bond.” According to tradition, a delegation was sent by the Holy See to visit Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and Benedict XVI expressed his hope that heavenly blessings may be bestowed upon all the faithful of the Patriachate.
The Pope then mentioned the recent tragic events in India and in Nigeria, with these words: “I would like to invite you to join in prayer for the numerous people killed, wounded or in any way harmed in the brutal terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, and the fighting that has broken out in Jos, Nigeria. The causes and the circumstances of these tragic events are different but the horror and the disapproval of the explosion of such cruel and senseless violence must be the same. Let us ask the Lord to touch the hearts of those who falsely believe that this is the way to resolve local or international problems and let us all feel encouraged to offer an example of meekness and love to build a society worthy of God and man.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 1/12/2008)
Links:
Complete text of the Holy Father's address, in various languages
http://www.evangelizatio.org/portale/adgentes/pontefici/pontefice.php?id=1293
Links:
Pope Benedict XVI's Message to His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch, on the Feast of Saint Andrew (English)
http://www.evangelizatio.org/portale/adgentes/pontefici/pontefice.php?id=1294
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VATICAN - Holy Father's homily at First Vespers for the 1st Sunday of Advent: “Advent is the spiritual season of hope par excellence, and in this season the whole Church is called to be hope, for itself and for the world.”
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Celebrating the liturgical seasons, we actualize the mystery -- in this case the coming of the Lord -- in such a way as to be able, so to speak, to 'walk in it' toward its full realization, at the end of time, but already drawing sanctifying virtue from it from the moment that the last times have already begun with the death and resurrection of Christ. The word that sums up this particular state in which we await something that is supposed to manifest itself but which we also already have a glimpse and foretaste of, is 'hope.' Advent is the spiritual season of hope par excellence, and in this season the whole Church is called to be hope, for itself and for the world.” Opening the new liturgical year, the Holy Father Benedict XVI presided the celebration of First Vespers for the 1st Sunday of Advent, in Saint Peter's Basilica on November 29.
In this liturgical season, “the whole people of God begins the journey, drawn by this mystery: that our God is 'the God who comes' and who calls us to come to meet him. In what way? Above all in that universal form of hope and expectation that is prayer, which finds its eminent expression in the Psalms, human words by which God himself has placed and continually places the invocation of his coming on the lips and hearts of believers.” The Pope then paused to reflect on two Psalms from the Vespers, Psalms 141 and 142.
In the first Psalm, the Lord's help is invoked: “O Lord, I cry to you, hasten to help me.” The Holy Father explained: “It is the cry of a person who feels himself to be in grave danger, but it is also the cry of the Church in the midst of the many snares that surround her, that threaten her holiness, that irreprehensible integrity of which the Apostle Paul speaks, that must be maintained for the coming of the Lord. And in this invocation there also resounds the cry of all the just, of all those who want to resist evil, the seductions of an iniquitous well-being, of pleasures that are offensive to human dignity and the condition of the poor. At the beginning of Advent the Church's liturgy again cries out with these words and addresses them to God 'as incense.' The evening offering of incense is in fact a symbol of prayer, the lifting up of hearts to God, to the Most High.”
In Psalm 142, “Here every word, every invocation makes us think of Jesus in the passion; in particular we think of his prayer to the Father in Gethsemane. In his first coming, in the incarnation, the Son of God wanted fully to share our human condition. Naturally, he did not share in sin, but for our salvation he suffered its consequences. Every time she prays Psalm 142 the Church experiences again the grace of this com-passion, this " +'"'+"coming" +'"'+" of the Son of God into human anguish, his descent into its deepest depths. Advent's cry of hope expresses, then, from the beginning and in the most forceful way, the whole gravity of our condition, our extreme need of salvation. It says: We await the Lord's coming not like a beautiful decoration added to an already saved world but as the only way to freedom from mortal danger. And we know that he himself, the Liberator, had to suffer and die to bring us out of this prison.”
The Holy Father concluded his homily by highlighting the fact that these two Psalms, “protect us against any temptation of evasion and flight from reality; they preserve us from a false hope, one that would like to enter into Advent and set off for Christmas forgetting the dramatic nature of our personal and collective existence.” Thus, he exhorted all to place our hand in that of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Advent and enter with joy into this new season of grace that God grants his Church for the good of the whole of humanity, making us docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, “so that the God of Peace might completely sanctify us, and the Church might become a sign and an instrument of hope for all men.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 1/12/2008)
Links:
Complete text of the Holy Father's homily, in Italian
http://www.evangelizatio.org/portale/adgentes/pontefici/pontefice.php?id=1295
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AFRICA - “AIDS is still a priority emergency in Africa,” the Jesuits' AIDS Network says
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – We should be on alert, as the AIDS epidemic is not only not over, but it remains the leading cause of death in Africa. This is what the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) says in their Message for World AIDS Day, celebrated today, December 1. In the message, which was sent to Agenzia Fides, AJAN affirms that the progress made in the last 20 years (life-prolonging drugs, more funds for prevention and treatment, more knowledge leading to increased awareness, etc.) “may lead some to wonder whether AIDS – of all the urgent challenges facing Africa – still deserves privileged attention.”
The United Nations' statistics for 2008 leave no room for doubt: AIDS continues to be the leading cause of death in the continent, home to 22 million HIV-positive or two-thirds of the global total of 33 million. Millions of African children are orphans because of the disease. And yet, says one African professor who gives courses on AIDS to religious and seminarians, quoted in the message from the Jesuit organization, “I get a feeling that more and more, the issue of HIV/AIDS is getting less importance among students as well as in society. It makes me really worried.”
In the same formation houses of the Jesuits, the document says, “some raise the question whether AIDS deserves such attention any more (and a network to focus on it) because it is no longer an emergency.”
The Jesuits mention their commitment in fighting the epidemic and in assisting AIDS/HIV patients: “Setting up AJAN in 2002, the Jesuit Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (JESAM) clearly made the pandemic an urgent priority for the Society of Jesus in Africa, in the firm belief that Jesuits have a unique contribution to bring to the struggle against HIV and AIDS. AJAN is a highly flexible response and, like all our major ministries, the commitment is long-term. Much work is already being done in nearly 30 sub-Saharan countries across Africa. Coordinated and supported by AJAN, Jesuits are providing leadership in communities, schools and universities, in parishes and families: integral support and pastoral care; education for orphans; advocacy for real universal access to treatment; value-based education as a solid basis for prevention; social, cultural and theological research.”
In spite of the great work they have been able to carry out, the Jesuits mention that “treatment, good nutrition, pastoral care and support are still far from accessible for many who need them.”
Among the future commitments of the Jesuit organization is that of education on all levels, as it is “the sine qua non condition for any sustainable and durable development of Africa and the royal way through which Africa could tackle the many challenges of today’s globalization, among them the AIDS pandemic.” (LM) (Agenzia Fides 1/12/2008)
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ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Pastoral Letters from various Korean Bishops on the time of Advent: family, Pauline Year, apostolate
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – The time of Advent is a time of grace, a favorable time for conversion, for placing one's life in God's hands, spending time in prayer, looking over one's life, performing works of charity...these are some of the main common points in the Pastoral Letters from several Korean Bishops who have written and distributed them in their own dioceses, encouraging the faithful to live this month of preparation for Christmas 2008 with intense fervor.
The Bishops point out the importance and centrality of the Christian family, the birthplace of the faith, in which there should be prayer, listening, and lecture on the Word of God, along with experiences of forgiveness and reconciliation. The family thus becomes “a training ground for the faith,” which prepares Christians to bear witness to the Gospel in society.
Another topic proposed by the Bishops is that of the relationship of Advent with the Year of Saint Paul. In this year dedicated to the figure of Saint Paul, the faithful are encouraged to become protagonists in the evangelization effort, following in the footsteps of the Apostle to the Gentiles.
In particular, the letter written by Cardinal Nicholas Cheong, Archbishop of Seoul, entitled “The family, the basis of the faith,” encourages the faithful to live out “the spirit of martyrdom” in the family, explaining that “loving one's own family, as their neighbor, is the authentic manner of participating in martyrdom, which means Christian witness.”
Archbishop Andrew Choi Chang-Mou of Kwanju, in reflecting on the three-year pastoral plan of the Archdiocese, defines the liturgical year as “the Year of the Apostolate,” encouraging priests, religious, and the laity to bear fruit and be active apostles.
2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Daegu and its Archbishop John Choi Young-soo has told the faithful, in his letter, to prepare for this historic event beginning this year.
Other Bishops have also written messages encouraging the Ecclesial Base Communities to renew their gift of faith and re-evangelize the area. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/11/2008)
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ASIA/CHINA - Catholics in Inner Mongolia celebrate the 90th birthday of Bishop Ma Zhong Mu, the only Bishop of Mongolian ethnic background
Ning Xia (Agenzia Fides) – The faithful of the parish of Cheng Chuan, in Inner Mongolia (China mainland), held a grand celebration for the 90th birthday of Bishop Joseph Ma Zhong Mu, in addition to his 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, and 25th anniversary as Bishop. Bishop Ma Zhong Mu, in the Monglian language Tegusbeleg, is the only Bishop of Mongolian origin in the world. Although the government does not recognize him as Bishop, his Bishop was celebrated with a Mass presided by Bishop Li Jing, Coadjutor of Nig Xi, who was consecrated on December 21, 2007 and is approved and recognized by the authorities. Bishop Li Jing celebrated the Mass, as personal representative of Bishop Liu Jin Shan, present Titular Bishop of the Diocese of the Ning Xi, who is already 96 years of age and has not been able to participate for health reasons that do not allow him to travel long distances.
During the Mass, Bishop Li Jing affirmed before the authorities there present as well, that “he is our pastor, and there is no room for discussion.” Dozens of priests and nearly a thousand faithful took part in this moment of intense communion and praise, rejoicing to their beloved Bishop, getting on in years, dressed in the traditional red Mongolian outfit, arriving in a carriage. According to the pastor of the parish, “at first, Bishop Ma Zhong Mu wanted to come on horse, alone, like a true Mongolian. And it is true that, even at his age, he does go horseback riding. However, we convinced him to use a Mongolian carriage instead, with decorations, and led by 4 strong Mongolian horsemen. In this manner, we were able to pay homage to our beloved Pastor, showing him our esteem and gratitude.” Over the course of his long life, Bishop Ma Zhong Mu has suffered over 20 years of persecution. After he had already turned 80, he translated the Liturgy of the Hours into the Mongolian language, as well as several religious works and works of Biblical exegesis. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 28/11/2008)
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ASIA/CHINA - The Church in China, led by Jinde Charities, has been working in the frontline in the battle against AIDS
Shi Jia Zhuang (Agenzia Fides) – For years now, the Catholic Church in China, led by the AIDS Prevention and Control Office of Jinde Charities (the Catholic charitable association), has been working on the frontline in the battle against AIDS on the mainland. Several religious congregations have dedicated much of their activity to fighting this disease, not only from a health perspective, but above all, with a moral and spiritual perspective, following Christian teaching, maintaining strict collaboration with the national and international organizations, such as the Di Tai Hospital of Beijing, which specializes in treating AIDS patients.
The Congregation of Saint Joseph, of the Diocese of Shi Jia Zhuang is one of the many active Catholic groups in this area. The AIDS Prevention and Control Office of Jinde Charities has been able to create a network with courses (designed for married and engaged couples, university students, immigrants, etc.), encounters (with similar groups, authorities, the sick, pastoral ministers, Catholic volunteers, etc.), frequent public events (in the parish, diocese, or ecclesial base community in collaboration with local authorities, and offer support to the sick in the clinic.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph work in the Di Tai Hospital in Beijing and in many other Centers for AIDS patients throughout the country, including those run be Buddhists. Several of the Buddhist university students have been impressed after accompanying the sisters on their visit to 40 families affected by AIDS in one town. Today, these youth are the link between Catholics and Buddhists in spreading the word on how to prevent AIDS. Today, there are AIDS Prevention and Control Offices of Jinde Charities located throughout the country. One interesting characteristic is that the volunteers are Catholics and non-Catholics, and thus, funding is provided by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. While it is well-respected by all, the Office is also a living testimony of the collaboration between the Catholic community and society.
According to the most recent statistics published by the Chinese Health Minister, from January to September 2008, on the mainland there have been nearly 700,000 cases (of these, 440,000 do not know that they are infected), 260,000 HIV-positive, 77,000 have developed AIDS, 34,864 have died from AIDS, and an average of 140 are infected each day. Among these, 40.4% were caused by heterosexual relations, 5.1% by homosexual relations, 28.3% by drug addiction. The increase from 2006-2007 was 45.04% and reveals an alarming situation. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 1/12/2008)
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SCIENCE AND MEDICINE
EUROPE/ITALY - December 1: World AIDS Day. There are 33 million tested positive in the world, with sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected...universal access to the cure is urgently needed.
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Today, December 1 is World AIDS Day. The epidemic, that in past decades has led to a high number of victims, is today passing through a new phase. Several developments have been made in the attempt to deter it, however there is still lots left to be done in other areas. Once again, Africa is the continent where the problem is most serious. The statistics released by the United Nations can help in better understanding the situation.
We are seeing an increase in the number of people infected, on a world level: from 29.5 million in 2001, to 33 million in 2007. The increase has been determined by the new cases diagnosed, almost 7,500 cases per day, however there is also a greater availability for receiving antiretroviral treatment, which offers a greater number of people infected, the chance to live longer.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the most heavily HIV-infected area, as it is home to 67% of all those tested HIV-positive and 72% of those who died from AIDS in 2007. On a global level, thanks to the prevention methods, the number of people newly infected with HIV has dropped from 3 million in 2001 to 2.7 in 2007. In Kenya, however, the number has risen (6.7% in 2003; between 7.1% and 8.5% in 2007) and in several countries outside Africa, it is also rising.
It should be noted that in 2007, nearly 3 million people received antiretroviral treatment, and the increase in people receiving therapy has led to a decrease in the number of deaths from AIDS: from 2.2 million in 2005 to 2 million in 2007. It seems that the epidemic has taken a certain path in recent years, in regards to women. On a global level, the number of HIV-positive women is at 50%, and the number of those contracting the disease is on the rise in several countries. In Africa, 60% of HIV-positive are women, and two out of every three young people infected are females.
There is also the part of the consequences on children. On a global level, the number of children (under the age of 15) who are HIV-positive has increased from 1.6 million in 2006 to 2 million in 2007, 90% of them living in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2003, however, the number of children who have died from AIDS has begun to decrease, thanks to a wider distribution of antiretroviral therapy. In the regions outside sub-Saharan Africa, HIV has mainly affected those most at risk (drug addicts, homosexuals, prostitutes).
On a general level, it is certain that without a greater effort from the international community, in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the level of human loss is destined to increase. In December 2007, the number of HIV-positive persons in the world was 33.2 million, 2.5 million of whom were newly infected. The most recent statistics from the United Nations in this area leave no room for doubt. Their discoveries are alarming: the international community is losing the fight against the virus. The results are still lacking in the area of prevention: it is estimated that in 2007 the number of newly infected was 2.5 times higher than those who received antiretroviral medicines. In spite the 42% increase (from 2006) in antiretroviral medicine distribution, only 30% of the infected living in developing nations have had access to the cure.
The problem, once again, is affecting the poorest countries in the nation, and thus, it makes it even more important that the objectives established by the international community be reached. Specifically, this implies guaranteeing universal access to prevention services, treatment, and support for HIV/AIDS by 2010. This has been the clearest and most ambitious objective established by the G8, the eight countries whose next summit meeting is scheduled to take place in Italy in 2009. (Mtp) (Agenzia Fides 1/12/2008)
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