Wine flows from water faucets in Italian village

CNA Staff, Jul 29, 2020 / 06:00 am (CNA).- Catholic bishops have said that proposed hate crime legislation in Scotland could criminalize the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

In a statement issued July 29, the bishops argued that t… […]

Rome, Italy, Jun 6, 2018 / 12:52 am (CNA).- A new ad in the Italian edition of Vanity Fair magazine has given the global #MeToo movement another dimension, shining a spotlight on women who have suffered persecution, rape and violence due to their faith.

Three of these women – Rebecca Bitrus, a Christian woman from Nigeria; Dalal, a Yazidi woman from Iraq, and Sr. Meena, a nun from India – are featured in the ad, sharing just a glimpse of horrors they have endured.

“They raped me, they kept me as a prisoner for two years, they killed one of my sons and they sold me as a slave.” These are the words of Rebecca, who in the ad holds a sign bearing the famous #MeToo hashtag.

“At 17 years old I was kidnapped and sold as a sexual slave to nine different men in nine months. ISIS still has my mother and my sister as prisoners.” This is what happened to 21-year-old Dalal, who is pictured holding a sign that says #NotJustYou.

“They raped me and beat me, they forced me to walk naked for five kilometers while the crowd continued to hit me.” This is the story of Sr. Meena, an Indian nun raped by Hindu extremists, who is shown holding a sign saying #StopIndifference.

Sponsored by the international pontifical aid organization Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the ad was published June 6 in the weekly Italian edition of Vanity Fair magazine, which is one of the most successful women’s magazines in Italy and which has been heavily involved in covering the #MeToo movement.

In comments to CNA June 5, Alessandro Monteduro, director of ACN Italy, said the goal of the ad is to raise awareness about “the sufferings of women persecuted for their faith.”

“We have thousands and thousands of women who are raped, tortured and forced to marry only in the name of faith,” he said, noting that until recently, there was not a true awareness of the atrocities these women have faced.

Monteduro praised the efforts of the many women who have spoken out about sexual violence through the “#MeToo” movement, which was born after the New York Times in October 2017 published an investigative report on Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who this week pled “ not guilty” to charges of rape and other criminal sexual acts.

After the report ran in the New York Times, other celebrities and women throughout the world spoke up and began to share their own stories of sexual assault on social media, using the now world famous hashtag #MeToo.

“It’s good, it’s wonderful to create the awareness for actresses and women in the Western world who are in any way victims of violence,” Monteduro said, but stressed that at the same time, “all over the world there are women who are suffering the same, but maybe more aggressive violence in the name of faith.”

The ad begins by addressing some of the actresses who have spoken out as part of the #MeToo initiative, saying that their efforts have helped to raise awareness about sexual violence in western nations.

“Your faces, known by everyone, have been associated with the denunciation of a practice that seriously damages women, their sexuality and their dignity,” the ad says, noting that ACN for more than 70 years has sought to help persecuted Christians throughout the world, including many women who have suffered rape and sexual harassment.

“The faces of these women are invisible,” it says, and, introducing Rebecca, Dalal and Sr. Meena, notes that there are thousands of women like them who are both “persecuted and outraged without receiving any solidarity or visibility on social media.”

These women “need you,” the ad says, and asks the celebrities who have already spoken out on the #MeToo movement to join in condemning “the intolerable hypocrisy of those who are outraged only by what happens in the yard of their own home and who are stingy in their thoughts, words and help for those who suffer far away due to the silence of so many.”

“The solidarity of famous actresses such as yourselves would break the indifference.”

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Pope Benedict XVI greets the faithful in St. Peter’s Square on the occasion of the Beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1, 2011, in Vatican City, Rome. / Jeffrey Bruno / Shutterstock

CNA Newsroom, Dec 28, 2022 / 11:00 am (CNA).

On Dec. 28 the press office of the Holy See announced that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s condition had taken a turn for the worse and that he was receiving medical care at his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.

The news has sparked an outpouring of prayer for the 95-year-old retired pope and renewed interest among Catholics and others around the world in the details of his life and pontificate. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Benedict XVI:

How many years was Benedict pope?

He was pope for eight years, from April 19, 2005, to Feb. 11, 2013.

When and why did Benedict resign?

Benedict announced his resignation from the papacy on Feb. 11, 2013. On that day he explained that, due to his advanced age, he no longer had the strength to properly exercise the Petrine ministry.

Why is he called pope emeritus?

The title with which the pontiff is designated, who of his own free will decides to resign from the papal ministry, is pope emeritus or also bishop emeritus of Rome.

Where does Pope Benedict XVI live?

Pope Benedict XVI lives in Mater Ecclesiae, a monastery in Vatican City. This place was named in honor of the Virgin Mary (Mother of the Church) and is located on Vatican Hill within the Vatican gardens.

How old is Pope Benedict?

Benedict is 95 years old.

Where is Benedict from?

Benedict was born in the city of Marktl, in Bavaria, southern Germany.

How many trips did Benedict make?

During his pontificate, Benedict visited 24 countries on six continents. Antarctica was the only continent he didn’t travel to as pope.

Did Benedict have siblings?

Yes, Benedict was the youngest of three siblings. His siblings were Georg and Maria Ratzinger, both of whom have died. Georg, who died on July 1, 2020, was a priest.

Why did he take the name, Benedict XVI?

After being elected pope, he chose the name Benedict XVI inspired by the memory of St. Benedict of Nursia, the man who founded the Benedictine order and who is considered the patron saint of the West, and also as “a link to the venerated Pontiff, Benedict XV, who guided the Church through the turbulent times of the First World War.”

Is it true that Benedict was part of the Nazi army?

Although his family did not support the Nazis, at age 16, Joseph Ratzinger was forcibly recruited into the German army during World War II. He never saw combat, and in 1945 he deserted and was taken as a prisoner of war by U.S. troops.

Is it true that Benedict loves cats?

Yes, Benedict loves cats and had two as pets when he was pope. One of them was a stray cat that he found in Rome.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper ABC in 2005, Cardinal Tarsicio Bertone, who a year later would become the Vatican’s secretary of state, said that Benedict was an “inveterate cat-lover.”

“On his walk from Borgo Pío to the Vatican, he stopped to talk with the cats; don’t ask me in what language he spoke to them, but the cats were delighted. When the cardinal approached, the cats raised their heads and greeted him,” the cardinal said.

Is it true that Benedict likes beer?

Yes. In fact, Weideneder Brau Vertriebs GmbH, a family-owned brewery in the town of Tann, Germany, created a special beer called Pabstbier (Pope’s Beer). The label read: “Dedicated to the Great Son of our Country, Pope Benedict XVI.”

How many languages does Benedict speak?

The pope emeritus is fluent in nine languages: German, Italian, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Ancient Greek, and Biblical Hebrew.

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