London, England, Mar 6, 2020 / 04:28 pm (CNA).- Bones discovered in the late 19th century are likely those of a seventh-century English saint, scientists announced on Friday, March 6.
Carbon dating confirmed that human remains discovered hidden … […]
Lancaster, England, Mar 6, 2020 / 03:19 pm (CNA).- The Bishop of Lancaster on Thursday issued a decree meant to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission at Mass, which focused on suspending the sign of peace and the reception of Holy Communion from the chalice.
The March 5 decree, signed by the diocese’s bishop and its chancellor, discouraged, but did not attempt to prohibit, reception of the Host on the tongue.
Bishop Paul Swarbrick introduced seven “pastoral measures” in the diocese effective March 5-21 “to reduce possible transmission” of coronavirus.
The sign of peace, reception from the chalice by the lay faithful, and the use of holy water stoups have been suspended.
“Those who choose to receive the Sacred Host on the tongue should be encouraged to receive on the hand instead. Their doing this represents an act of loving charity to their community. Alternatively, they should be encouraged to make a ‘Spiritual Communion’,” the decree states.
It addes that churches and chapels open for private prayer should remain open, with regular sanitization; ministers should wash and sanitize their hands before and after distributing Holy Communion; and “shared hymnbooks and Mass books should ideally not be used at this time.”
There are 147 confirmed cases of coronavirus in England. There has been one death in the country due to the infection.
Many Churches around the world have issued precautionary guidelines for Masses, or cancelled public Masses entirely, because of the coronavirus outbreak which originated in China late last year.
The new strain of coronavirus causes a respiratory disease, COVID-19, and has a fatality rate of roughly 3%. There have been more than 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in at least 81 countries, and more than 3,400 deaths. The vast majority of cases and deaths have been in China.
Like the Diocese of Lancaster, the Archdiocese of Chicago has urged hygienic practices, and it it said that “given the frequency of direct contact with saliva in the distribution of Holy Communion on the tongue, every consideration should be given by each individual to receive Holy Communion reverently in open hands for the time being.”
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon said March 2 that “a parish cannot ban the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue, nor may an Ordinary or Extraordinary minister refuse a person requesting Holy Communion on the tongue.”
Its worship office emphasized that ministers of Holy Communion should be “able to distribute Holy Communion without risk of touching the hands or the tongue,” and that “parishioners should also be instructed how to receive Holy Communion properly either on the tongue or in the hand.”
The Portland archdiocese said, “We consulted with two physicians regarding this issue, one of which is a specialist in immunology for the State of Oregon. They agreed that done properly the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue or in the hand pose a more or less equal risk.”
“The risk of touching the tongue and passing the saliva on to others is obviously a danger however the chance of touching someone’s hand is equally probable and one’s hands have a greater exposure to germs.”
The Portland archdiocese referred to Redemptionis sacramentum, the Congregation for Divine Worship’s 2004 instruction on certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist, which notes that “each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice.”
Immediately to Portland’s north, in the Archdiocese of Seattle, Archbishop Paul Etienne issued a differing set of directives in response to coronavirus.
The Northwest Catholic wrote March 3 that Archbishop Etienne “said that holy water should be removed from fonts” and “that Communion hosts should be received only in the hand, not on the tongue.”
On March 4, Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane encouraged pastors to suspend the sign of peace, and to refrain from distributing the Precious Blood. He added that “this might also provide a catechetical opportunity to remind the faithful that reception of the Sacred Host is indeed reception of the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ.”
The following day, after a meeting “with local health experts, the vicars, school and other diocesan leaders,” Bishop Daly added that clerics should “consider encouraging parishioners to receive Holy Communion in the hand. Receiving in the hand carries a risk of infection, but there is an increased danger of transmitting this virus through droplets in the mouth.”
Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe issued directives March 3 that directly prohibited the reception of the Eucharist on the tongue.
“During the flu season and given the possibility of being exposed to the coronavirus, ALL communicants are to receive Communion in the hand,” the archbishop said.
The Diocese of Tucson said March 5 that “as receiving Holy Communion on the tongue almost always involves some accidental touch with tongues and lips, Holy Communion should be distributed only in the hand for the immediate future.”
In guidelines updated March 6, the Diocese of Phoenix said that at the current stage of the outbreak, pastors “may implement” voluntary precautions, among which is that they “may invite communicants to receive on the hand,” adding that “reception of Communion on the tongue could inadvertently contaminate the hands of those distributing Communion. However, individual communicants have the right to decide.”
Should the outbreak become worse, pastors would be mandated to “invite communicants to receive on the hand.”
On March 5, Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces issued guidelines which said that “it is still left to the discretion of the communicant how they wish to receive the Host. Please note that it may be good to notify them that receiving Holy Communion in the hand and not on the tongue is preferred to limit the exposure of being exposed to the Coronavirus Disease.”
Bishop Baldacchino added that “as the distribution of Holy Communion involves contact with both the mouth and hands, any Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion who feels uncomfortable distributing Communion should be allowed to temporarily step down from ministry.”
Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford wrote March 3 to the clerics of his local Church to say that “Communion on the tongue should be strongly discouraged” as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus.
A Feb. 28 memo sent from Archbishop Blair in his capacity as chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship to the US bishops regarded “liturgical celebrations amid public health concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus.”
The memo offered considerations “meant to be helpful” to bishops “if and when it becomes necessary to take preventative steps with regard to the celebration of the liturgy in your local church.”
The precautionary measures it offered were “suspending the exchange of the sign of peace” and “suspending the distribution of Holy Communion to the faithful via the chalice.”
Prohibiting the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue was not mentioned in the memo.
CNA contacted the USCCB and the archdioceses of Seattle and Santa Fe March 5 to inquire whether an ordinary is able to prohibit the reception of Communion on the tongue, considering that the Congregation for Divine Worship has called this a right that each of the faithful always has. No responses have been forthcoming.
Salt Lake City, Utah, Mar 6, 2020 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- An elder from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued a letter on Tuesday responding to a Mormon university’s decision to remove a prohibition on same-sex expression from its Honor Code.
On March 4, Elder Paul V. Johnson, commissioner of the LDS’s church Educational System, which administers all educational programs affiliated with the sect, wrote that same-sex romantic behavior is “not compatible” with the moral beliefs of the church. The letter came in response to the decision by Brigham Young University, which is owned by the LDS church, to remove a prohibition on “homosexual behavior” from its Honor Code.
Each Brigham Young University student and employee, regardless of faith background, must sign the Honor Code in order to attend the school, and students are subject to expulsion or other punishments for violating the terms of the code.
The Honor Code requires, among other things, that all students refrain from swearing, consuming alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and illegal drugs, and forbids vaping and premarital sex. Mormon members of the BYU community must attend religious services per the Honor Code.
On campus, the code is taken seriously; in 2011, the school removed basketball star Brandon Davies from the team after he confessed to having sex with his girlfriend.
Before the updated Honor Code was approved on February 12, 2020, students were subject to discipline for displaying “all forms of physical intimacy that gives expression to homosexual feelings.”
At the time the updated code was released, LGBT BYU students celebrated on campus, and many posted pictures of themselves with their same-sex partner.
At the time, university officials said that code enforcement would be handled on a “case-by-case basis,” with one member of the university administration reportedly telling a same-sex attracted student that she could openly date someone of the same sex at the university.
BYU is now saying that was a “miscommunication” among university staff, which was confirmed by the letter published Wednesday.
“The Moral standards of the Church did not change with the recent release of the General Handbook or the updated Honor Code,” said Johnson. “There is and always has been more to living the Lord’s standard of a chaste and virtuous life than refraining from sexual relations outside of marriage. Lasting joy comes from when we live the spirit as well as the letter of God’s laws.”
Johnson went on to explain that since one of the foundational principles of the LDS church is the definition of marriage between a man and a woman, and that these marriages are “central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children,” the religion cannot endorse same-sex relationships.
“Same-sex romantic behavior cannot lead to eternal marriage and is therefore not compatible with the principles included in the Honor Code,” said Johnson.
The LDS church teaches that a temple marriage between two Mormons results in an eternal bond that lasts after death, and that this “Celestial Marriage” is key to entering the “celestial kingdom,” which Mormonism teaches is the highest degree of heaven. No other religion holds this doctrine, which is in direct conflict with many passages from the New Testament, including Romans 7:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 7:8-11.
Members of the BYU community who were upset with Johnson’s letter took to Twitter to accuse the school of hypocrisy, noting that dating or marrying a non-Mormon of the opposite sex would not result in either an “eternal marriage” or disciplinary action.
“I married a nonmember, so technically that doesn’t ‘lead to an eternal marriage’ and nobody kicked me off campus or told me I was breaking the honor code. This is disgusting,” tweeted Candace Hill, a graduate of BYU.
Although Mormons officially consider themselves to be Christian, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has definitively stated that the group’s theology does not recognize the Trinity as held and articulated by all Christian communities. Although Mormon baptisms are performed invoking the “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” the Holy See has made clear that they are not valid.
On March 11-12, the High Court of Australia will hear Cardinal George Pell’s appeal of his conviction on charges of “historic sexual abuse.” The High Court has seven judges and a majority vote is required […]
Vatican City, Mar 6, 2020 / 10:41 am (CNA).- Rolls Royce and Italian Luxury Living are no longer offering an exclusive meeting and Mass with Pope Francis to Rolls Royce owners who donate over $100,000 to the Catholic Church.
“The offer does not exist anymore,” Ananda Gari of Italian Luxury Living told CNA by phone March 6.
Religion News Service reported March 5 that Rolls-Royce was offering its luxury car owners a chance to meet privately with Pope Francis, receive the Eucharist from the pope during a private Mass, and take an “exclusive” tour of the Vatican. The cost of the trip was reportedly $155,000, in addition to a suggested donation of 100,000 euros to the Holy See.
The RNS report said the offer was facilitated through tour operator Italian Luxury Living.
Gari said his company and Rolls-Royce decided mutually to cancel the offer to meet Pope Francis.
Gari said that he did not want to cause a “scandal,” which is why the offer was “canceled.” He declined to elaborate.
Gari also declined several times to answer questions about whether some Vatican official was to be the facilitator of the exclusive meeting, insisting only that “the offer no longer exists.”
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told CNA March 6 he has “heard nothing of this offer.”
Italian Luxury Living is registered as a Texas limited liability corporation. The company was registered with the Texas Secretary of State in April 2018; its registered agent is Jonathan Henley, an attorney in the 16,000-person town of Gainesville, Texas. The company’s official address is the office of Henley’s law firm.
“I set up the company a long time ago and have not heard from the guy,” Henley told CNA March 6.
“That sounds fishy to me,” Henley added, asking if the offer was “some sort of scam.”
“If there is something going on like that, I will be resigning as a registered agent.”
As of March 6, the company’s website says it has been taken down temporarily, “for maintenance.” Gari told CNA he took the site down after the publication of the RNS story, which he said could be “damaging” to hims professionally.
On the company’s LinkedIn page, Gari is listed both as Italian Luxury Living’s “Founder and Director,” and as the company’s “President and Co-Founder.”
According to British registries, Gari is also director of two UK companies: ALG Ventures, founded in October 2019, and Journey of a Lifetime Entertainment Limited, founded in November 2019.
Gari insisted to CNA that his company has never before offered an opportunity to meet the pope. He also equated the offer to other typical Italian tour offers and said “competitors have done similar things.”
JD Flynn contributed to this report.
Chicago, Ill., Mar 6, 2020 / 10:30 am (CNA).- The national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List will make a five-figure investment in the primary race of pro-life Democrat Rep. Dan Lipinski (Ill.), the group announced on Friday.
Lipinski, a Catholic e… […]
Castelvetro di Modena, Italy, Mar 6, 2020 / 08:05 am (CNA).- As Italy weathers the spread of coronavirus, residents of one village appeared to witness their own version of the miracle at the Wedding at Cana.
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Vatican City, Mar 6, 2020 / 05:10 am (CNA).- The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Philippe Barbarin as archbishop of Lyon after his recent acquittal at the conclusion of his appeal of a 2019 conviction of failing to report abuse.
Jan. 30 the French cardinal was acquitted of last March’s conviction of failing to report the sexual abuse of a minor by a diocesan priest. He had received a six-month suspended prison sentence.
Barbarin, 69, had submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Francis after his initial conviction in March 2019, but it was not accepted, pending his appeal.
The Vatican stated at the time that Pope Francis preferred to leave “Cardinal Barbarin free to make the best decision for the diocese.”
Barbarin elected to step back from the governance of the diocese, leaving the day-to-day management to his vicar general, Fr. Yves Baumgarten.
Archbishop of Lyon since 2002, Barbarin was accused of not reporting instances of abuse to judicial authorities between July 2014 and June 2015, in a case involving Fr. Bernard Preynat, who has been accused of abusing dozens of minors in the 1980s and early 90s.
At the time of his conviction in March last year, five other archdiocesan officials on trial with Barbarin were acquitted. Barbarin’s conviction was widely expected to be overturned after the prosecutor in the case argued there was no proof of the cardinal’s legal wrongdoing and therefore no grounds for conviction.
In 2017, the cardinal told Le Monde that he did not conceal allegations against Preynat, but said that his response to the allegations had been “inadequate.” He said he opened an investigation against Preynat after becoming aware of the allegations against him and removed him from ministry in 2015.
Barbarin’s trial also made headlines when, in October 2018, the French court issued a summons to Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to testify in the case. The Vatican invoked diplomatic immunity, saying that as a minister of Vatican City State, Lardaria is protected under international law.
The court summons had involved a letter Ladaria sent to Barbarin, advising him to take disciplinary action against Preynat, “while avoiding public scandal.”
The plaintiffs’ lawyers wanted Ladaria to testify as to whether the direction to prevent scandal was intended as an injunction to avoid going to court, in which case, they said, the CDF prefect would have been complicit in failing to report the allegedly abusive priest to authorities.
Allegations against Preynat became public in 2015. Prosecutors dropped the case the following year after an initial investigation, but a victims’ group with more than 80 members who say they were abused by Preynat led to a reopening of the case. He now faces up to ten years in prison in a trial which is still ongoing.
At the time of his conviction, Barbarin said “after the decision of the court, regardless of my personal fate, I want to reiterate first of all compassion for the victims and the whole place that they and their families have in my prayers.”
Barbarin was born in 1950 in Rabat, Morocco, at the time under French protectorate. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Creteil, France in 1977.
He was bishop of Moulins from 1998 until his appointment as archbishop of Lyon in 2002. He was created cardinal in October 2003.
Vatican City, Mar 6, 2020 / 04:30 am (CNA).- Vatican City has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, a Vatican spokesman said Friday.
All outpatient services in Vatican City State’s Health and Hygiene Department were suspended March 6 to allow… […]
“God spoke further to Moses: ‘Go and gather the elders of the Israelites, and tell them, The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and […]
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