Pope Francis speaks at the general audience on June 22, 2022. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA
Rome Newsroom, Jul 28, 2022 / 03:16 am (CNA).
The Vatican is asking Catholics around the world to share their experiences welcoming migrants and refugees. In… […]
Pope Francis meets with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Québec, Canada, on July 27, 2022. / pool VAMP
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 27, 2022 / 17:04 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis asked for forgiveness for the harm done to indigenous Canadians by Cat… […]
Pope Francis meets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Vatican on May 29, 2017. / © L’Osservatore Romano.
Denver Newsroom, Jul 27, 2022 / 16:28 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this afternoon, July 27, in Quebec City, as part of his weeklong “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada.
Today’s encounter wasn’t Pope Francis’ first meeting with Trudeau; the Prime Minister welcomed the pope when he arrived at Edmonton International Airport on Sunday. And Trudeau and Pope Francis have had one face-to-face meeting before, at the Vatican in 2017.
In their 36-minute 2017 meeting, which the Vatican described as “cordial,” the pope gave Trudeau a medallion symbolizing forgiveness, joy, and mutual acceptance. The medallion also references Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
During that meeting, their conversation focused on religious freedom as well as reconciliation with native people of Canada. Trudeau at that time reiterated his open invitation to the pope to come to Canada and for “reconciliation” with the indigenous communities.
That trip to Canada has now come to fruition and has included a public apology from Pope Francis for the Catholic Church’s role in running much of Canada’s government-sponsored residential school system. During more than a century of operation, the system worked to stamp out aspects of native culture, language, and religious practice. Former students at the schools have described mistreatment and even abuse within their walls, along with broad criticisms of the quality of education they received, psychological damage, and other problems such as malnutrition and unsanitary conditions.
The meeting between the two leaders in 2017 was not Trudeau’s first visit to the Vatican. A Catholic, he met St. John Paul II in 1980 during the meeting of his father, former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, with the pope.
Trudeau has been criticized during his tenure as prime minister for pushing policies that are at odds with his Catholic faith, including strongly pushing for the continuation of legal abortion in Canada, as well as assisted suicide.
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Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann from the Archdiocese of Kansas City appeared on EWTN’s Pro-Life Weekly. / Credit: Pro-Life Weekly
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 27, 2022 / 15:40 pm (CNA).
Over the last month, the nation has seen a historic wave of change following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, with the political debate over abortion now shifting to the states. Currently, the Kansas legislature is debating the “Value Them Both” amendment, which would potentially regulate access to abortion within the state.
Prudence Robertson of EWTN’s Pro-Life Weekly recently spoke with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann from the Archdiocese of Kansas City about his support for the proposed amendment. They also discussed the reaction to the overturning of Roe v. Wade among local pro-life advocates, and Naumann’s thoughts on the role that Catholics have in defending the unborn.
“I think for many of us, it’s been like the Berlin Wall coming down,” Naumann said as he described what it felt like for pro-life Kansans following the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe. “But of course, there are others that have become convinced … that we can’t survive as a society without the ability to kill our own children.”
On Aug. 2, Kansans will vote on the pro-life “Value Them Both” amendment. If approved, it would enable state lawmakers to pass legislation to regulate abortion. Currently, lawmakers are generally prohibited from restricting abortion following a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling that the state’s constitution protects abortion.
One of the unfortunate side effects of the overturning of Roe has been the vandalization of Catholic churches and pro-life pregnancy centers across the nation as a form of protest — something that Naumann has seen occur within his state.
“It’s really tragic to see the viciousness and unfortunately, we’ve had at least one episode of vandalism at one of our churches here,” Naumann said. “A lot of other stealing of signs and defacing of our signs and kind of organized efforts and what I would call almost bullying by the opponents of the amendment here in Kansas.”
Ahead of the vote, parish buildings and a statue of the Blessed Mother at the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park were “extensively defaced” with red spray paint in an “overt act of hatred and incivility,” Naumann’s archdiocese previously confirmed.
On EWTN’s Pro-Life Weekly, Naumann said that the final decision regarding the “Value Them Both” amendment ultimately comes down to voter turnout on Aug. 2.
Naumann also touched on the role that Catholics and the Church itself have in advocating for passage of the amendment — as well as the broader role of defending the unborn. You can watch the interview with Naumann in the video below.
“Our approach … is comprehensive and part of it is advocacy,” Naumann described. “Since [the U.S. Church’s] very inception, Archbishop Carroll thought it was not appropriate for us to endorse candidates, politicians, or parties. And so the Church has chosen never to do that. I think that was a wise decision, that we don’t want to stake the Church’s reputation to any particular politician or party. But it’s not a vote on a politician. It’s a vote on an issue.”
For any Catholic who is looking for ways to participate in this ongoing movement, Naumann stressed the importance of an approach that highlights the dignity of human life, including that of the unborn.
“I think we’ve got to reach minds and change hearts by [education]. Not the way that our opponents try to do things with violence and with bullying, but by simply presenting people with the truth… And so I think we don’t have enemies. We just have pro-lifers who haven’t yet been converted. And I think we have to work on that.”
For upcoming news on pro-life developments, be sure to stay tuned to Catholic News Agency and EWTN’s Pro-Life Weekly.
A motorcyclist crashed into the wooden door of Our Lady of Valvanera Church in Bogotá, Colombia, on July 25, 2022. There were no serious injuries reported. / Credit: Twitter screen shot / Arriba BoBogotá Citytv
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Photo illustration / Shutterstock
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Pope Francis speaking in the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 26, 2022. / Vatican Media
Edmonton, Canada, Jul 27, 2022 / 11:00 am (CNA).
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Rome Newsroom, Jul 27, 2022 / 06:33 am (CNA).
After photos of a shirtless Italian priest celebrating Mass in the sea using an inflatable lounge chair went viral this week, the local Catholic archdiocese has called for liturgical dec… […]
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