Conferenza di Bonn sul clima: Save the Children, 72 milioni di persone vivono livelli di insicurezza alimentare acuta

(Sir Agenzia ).

Il numero di bambini che affrontano livelli critici di fame nei Paesi in cui gli eventi meteorologici estremi influiscono maggiormente sulle forniture alimentari è più che raddoppiato negli ultimi cinque anni, registrando un aumento del 20% solo nel 2023. È quanto emerge dalla nuova analisi di Save the Children.
L’analisi è stata pubblicata mentre i governi si incontrano per uno storico “dialogo con gli esperti” sugli impatti sproporzionati dei cambiamenti climatici sui bambini in occasione della Conferenza sul cambiamento climatico delle Nazioni Unite che si apre oggi a Bonn, in Germania, e che anticipa l’appuntamento con la Cop29 di fine anno. L’analisi di Save the Children ha mostrato che più di 33 milioni di bambini e 39 milioni di adulti vivono in condizioni tali da essere classificati nella fase 3 di “crisi” della fame, come stabilito dall’Ipc, e nei 18 Paesi in cui gli eventi meteorologici estremi come la siccità, i cicloni e le inondazioni sono stati le principali cause dell’insicurezza alimentare. Ciò significa che nei Paesi in cui gli eventi meteorologici estremi sono stati la causa principale della fame, il numero di persone che si trovano ad affrontare la fase 3 dell’Ipc e le successive è più che raddoppiato, passando da 29 milioni nel 2018 – inclusi 13 milioni di bambini – a 72 milioni nel 2023.

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Indígenas encapuchados se tomaron la entrada de la Nunciatura Apostólica, en Bogotá

(Semana).

En la mañana de este martes 4 de junio, aproximadamente 50 indígenas, divididos en dos grupos y quienes son integrantes del ‘Congreso de los pueblos’ se tomaron tanto la entrada del Ministerio del Interior en el centro de Bogotá, como la entrada de Nunciatura Apostólica en la localidad de Teusaquillo.

Inicialmente, un grupo de integrantes del Congreso de los Pueblos arribó al Ministerio del Interior desde las primeras horas de la mañana para realizar un platón y manifestarle al Gobierno de Gustavo Petro su descontento con la crisis humanitaria de los territorios.

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Cardinal Sarah : quelle est la vocation d’une université catholique ?

(Editorial. La Nef).

Discours prononcé en avril 2024 aux étudiants prêtres, religieux, religieuses et laïcs de l’École Théologique Saint-Cyprien du diocèse d’Obala (Cameroun), sur le thème suivant : « La vocation d’une université catholique à la lumière de l’enseignement de Benoît XVI »

Chers étudiants de l’École Théologique Saint Cyprien du diocèse d’Obala,

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Could Zuppi become latest confidante to fall out of Francis’s favor?

(Crux. John L. Allen Jr.).

Will Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, president of the powerful Italian bishops’ conference, be the next erstwhile darling of the Pope Francis era to fall from favor? The question may seem impertinent, but it’s being asked anyway amid a rare perceived contrast between Zuppi and the pontiff vis-à-vis Italian politics. Such a development could carry consequences not merely for Zuppi’s ecclesiastical standing in the here and now, but also for his prospects as a papal contender in a future conclave.

Should some distance begin to emerge between Francis and Zuppi, it would make the 68-year-old prelate the latest in a fairly long list of former papal confidantes who, for one reason or another, appear to have been exiled from the inner circle. They include the late Cardinal George Pell, the onetime tip of the spear for Francis’s financial reform, whose wings were clipped even before he faced sexual abuse charges in his native Australia; Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, once the pope’s key adviser on social justice issues, who was forced out as prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in 2021; Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, who was deposed as president of Caritas in 2023 and now plays a diminished role at the Dicastery for Evangelization; and Italian Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the former vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, who’s now marking time as head of the Apostolic Penitentiary.

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After gay gaffe, Pope Francis attempts to mend fences

(Crux. Elise Ann Allen).

After Pope Francis sparked a wave of controversy for using an off-color gay slur, he now appears to be attempting to mend fences, offering reassurances to a homosexual man turned away from seminary and writing the preface to a book by a prominent LGBTQ+ activist priest.

 On June 4, the Italian version of Jesuit Father James Martin’s book, “Come forth: The promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle,” was published, including a preface written by Pope Francis.

The book, published in English in September 2023, offers an extended reflection and analysis of the biblical account of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, and telling him to come out of the cave where he had been buried. Martin, editor at large for America Magazine and famous for his support of the Catholic LGBTQ+ community,  explores various aspects of the passage and the figure of Lazarus in art and culture, focusing on the story as an example of how God’s presence can transform people and offer them new life.

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Cardinal Schönborn and Viennese dogmatician Tück speak out against the ordination of women

(CNA. Alexander Folz).

Following Pope Francis’ clear no to female deacons, the Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, spoke out against a sacrament of ordination for women in a sermon at the Catholic University ITI in Trumau, Lower Austria, on Saturday, as the Catholic weekly newspaper “Die Tagespost” reports .

Schönborn was “deeply convinced that the Church cannot and must not change this, because it must keep the mystery of women present in its purest form.” All social evidence suggests that the Church’s order of the sacrament of ordination is “the last remnant of a patriarchal system” and is therefore discriminatory.

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Catholic Trump voters see no choice in upcoming election — even after conviction

(National Catholic Reporter. Heidi Schlumpf).

Robert Stenson has some reservations about Donald Trump as president, but he plans on voting for him anyway. “There’s a lot of baggage with Trump, a lot of things I don’t agree with,” says the attorney from southern California. But Stenson believes Trump most aligns with his concerns about government overreach, both domestically and in “new wars” overseas. Brian Rumschlag, a software architect in Indiana, says his faith guides everything in his life, including his choice for president. A self-described “card-carrying Republican,” he has voted for Trump in the past and plans to vote for him in 2024. Overturning Roe v. Wade was Trump’s “crowning achievement,” he says. “That was a huge, huge win for the culture at large.” Abortion is also the “No. 1” issue for Keara Burke of Illinois, who supports a national ban. Although she admits that Trump has “taken a few steps backward” on the issue, she still calls him “the most pro-life president in the history of the country.” But even if abortion were not on the table, she would vote for Trump, because of what she calls the “failed economic policies” of the Biden administration. She and her husband work in real estate and construction and notice that “American families are struggling,” she said.

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Francisco, un pontificado de siembra, no de cosecha

( Roland Müller. RD).

(katholisch).- El papa Francisco no lo pone precisamente fácil: hace unos días se quejaba de que hubiera demasiado «mariconeo» en los seminarios; ahora se ha sabido que había escrito a un exseminarista que tuvo que renunciar a sus aspiraciones profesionales por su homosexualidad. “La Iglesia debe estar abierta a todos. Sigue adelante con tu vocación”, le decía Francisco en su carta al joven. ¿Eso encaja? Y el jefe de la Iglesia, ¿se refiere aquí a la vocación de un sacerdote?

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Los obispos chilenos defienden el derecho a la vida frente a las leyes del aborto libre y la eutanasia

(Alfa y Omega. Victoria Isabel Cardiel).

El presidente de Chile, Gabriel Boric, está decidido a respaldar un proyecto de ley para aumentar la condiciones por las que se permite practicar el aborto. No será fácil. La propuesta tendrá que pasar la barrera del Congreso de ese país —Boric no tiene mayoría en ninguna de las cámaras— en una votación prevista para finales de este año. De momento es solo un anuncio, pero las intenciones del presidente han provocado un terremoto político y social en un país que ya despenalizó el aborto en 2017, durante el segundo mandato de la expresidenta socialista Michelle Bachelet. De hecho, algunos legisladores presentes en el Congreso durante el anuncio del jefe de Estado chileno abandonaron el recinto en señal de protesta.

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What’s behind the latest killing of a Christian in Pakistan?

(Luke Coppen. Pillar).

The death of Nazir Masih, a Christian in his 70s, was announced Monday, nine days after he was attacked by a mob in Sargodha, a city in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

The Catholics in Pakistan website published a photograph June 3 of Masih’s body being lowered into the earth in a black coffin bearing a cross.

The website reported that the burial took place in Sargodha’s Mujahid Colony, following a funeral service led by Protestant pastors and attended by Catholic representatives.

Why was Masih killed by a mob? Will anyone be brought to justice? And is life getting worse for Pakistan’s Christian minority?

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Vatican to EU election voters: don’t dehumanise migrants

( ZAWYA. Alvise Armellini)

The Vatican’s point man on migration and social justice on Monday urged EU citizens who might be tempted to vote for far-right parties in this week’s European Parliament elections to remain sympathetic towards migrants and refugees. Far-right and conservative parties are expected to make gains in the June 6-9 vote, potentially tilting European Union politics towards a tougher approach on law and order and border security. The Vatican does not normally take political sides, but during his 11-year papacy, Pope Francis has consistently spoken up for migrants’ rights and called for a more humanitarian approach by Western governments. Voters should put themselves in the shoes of migrants and realise that they too would want to look for a better life in Europe, Cardinal Michael Czerny, head of the Vatican’s human development office, told reporters. “It is very important to understand what it means to be pressured by reality, by history, to flee… Often propaganda or ideology suggests that (migrants come) out of pleasure or a sense of adventure: this is false, false, false,” he added. Czerny was responding to a question on whether he was worried by EU election far-right gains at a press conference that unveiled a papal message for the Catholic Church’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees, falling on Sept. 29. The cardinal, the son of Czech immigrants to Canada who wears a cross made from the wood of a migrant boat that landed on Italy’s Lampedusa island, said it was important not to dehumanise migrants.

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More than one million United Methodists quit the church overnight after sex rule change

no foto

(LAURA PARNABY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM)

More than one million United Methodists have quit the church overnight over new rules about homosexuality. During a North Carolina conference in early May, the United Methodist Church – a global denomination of Protestantism based in the US – changed some regulations to allow gay pastors and same-sex marriage. The Ivory Coast division – which has an estimated 1.2 million followers – responded by accusing the international leaders of ‘deviating from the Holy Scriptures’ and ‘sacrificing its honor and integrity to honor the LGBTQ community’.  Bishop Benjamin Boni, who is president of the division, said it voted to separate from the umbrella church during a May 28 gathering in the Jubilee Temple of Cocody, Abidjan, on the southern coast of the West African country. He said in a statement that the decision to separate after more than 20 years was made ‘for reasons of conscience’. 

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New Papal document to be released this September

(The Catholic Weekly. By Rome Reports).

Pope Francis is writing a new papal document that is set to be published in September. He told the leadership of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference that it will be an exhortation on the heart of Jesus. There are no further details, but everything points to the fact that it will be in line with the messages on mercy that Pope Francis has repeated throughout his pontificate. On many occasions he has reminded everyone of the mercy of God and that “Jesus forgives everything and always forgives,” but that “we must have the humility to ask for forgiveness.” On a spiritual level, one of Pope Francis’ most frequently repeated messages is that God’s mercy is greater than personal sins.

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Obispos chilenos fijan posición ante anuncio presidencial de un nuevo proyecto de aborto libre y eutanasia

( Aníbal Pastor N. Corresponsal en Chile).RD.

A 24 horas de que el Presidente de la República, Gabriel Boric, anunciara en su cuenta pública que enviará al parlamento un proyecto sobre aborto libre y eutanasia, el Comité Permanente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Chile reaccionó con una declaración pública titulada “Promover y defender la vida para un futuro compartido como país”.

El gobierno de Gabriel Boric formuló este anuncio en un contexto de intensas discusiones legislativas sobre temas de mucha relevancia para la ciudadanía, como son las reformas de la previsión, la salud y la tributaria, entre otros proyectos. Ahora se añaden los temas del aborto y la eutanasia, siendo especialmente el primero (aborto) parte de la agenda valórica en Chile y en consecuencia, objeto de controversias durante décadas. Hoy vuelve el tema del aborto libre y se añade eutanasia ante lo cual la Conferencia Episcopal ha respondido con firmeza, reafirmando su postura tradicional y moral frente a estos temas, fijando la pauta de algún modo, especialmente para los sectores conservadores y opositores a Boric.

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Record crowds return to Walk With Christ

(The Catholic Weekly. George Al-Akiki).

Record crowds have celebrated the largest Walk With Christ since the COVID pandemic, with more than 15,000 Catholics joining the procession through the streets of Sydney for the Feast of Corpus Christi. Speaking with joy at the public witness, Archbishop of Sydney Most Rev. Anthony Fisher OP stated that the solemn event was an encouraging display of devotion as Australia aspires to host the 2028 International Eucharist Congress. “Today, my dear friends, you have done as the Council asked and helped prepare this city and country for that event we devoutly hope Pope Francis will grant us in 2028,” Archbishop Fisher said.

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Nuncio Eterović emphasizes Pope Francis’ “no” to the ordination of women

(Kath).

 The Apostolic Nuncio in Germany, Nikola Eterović, explained on the sidelines of the Erfurt Catholic Day to the Würzburg “Tagespost” newspaper: Pope Francis has repeatedly made it clear that the decision of St. Pope John Paul II to reserve sacramental ordination for men remains in place. “Ordinatio sacerdotalis” is still as relevant as ever. “Ordinatio sacerdotalis” is an apostolic letter from John Paul II from 1994 which emphasizes that priestly ordination is reserved for men only (see link to the Vatican website: “Ordinatio sacerdotalis”).

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Processioni eucaristiche in tutto il Paese in occasione della solennità del Corpus Domini

(Agenzia Fides)

Le comunità cattoliche cinesi hanno partecipato in tutto il Paese alle processioni eucaristiche e mariane che si sono svolte domenica 2 giugno, nella solennità del Corpus Domini, a conclusione dei tre giorni che hanno visto concludersi il mese di maggio, dedicato a Maria, e aprirsi il mese di giugno, in cui il popolo di Dio ravviva la sua tradizionale devozione al Sacro Cuore di Gesù. Da Pechino a Shanghai, dalle diocesi dell’Hebei a quelle dello Jiangxi, le celebrazioni moltitudinarie sono iniziate con la festa liturgica della Visitazione di Maria, il 31 maggio.
A Shijiazhuang, nella provincia di Hebei, migliaia di cattolici si sono ritrovati la sera di sabato presso la cattedrale, dedicata a Maria Immacolata, e hanno percorso le strade intorno alla chiesa con le candele accese, recitando Rosario

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Münster residents call for common budget law

ZdK Vice President Söding: Bishops’ monopoly on church taxes must end

(Kirche Leben.Jan Dirk Wiewelhove).

At the federal level, there is a “total bishops’ monopoly” on the distribution of church tax funds, criticized Thomas Söding during a panel discussion on synodality at the Catholic Convention in Erfurt. The Münster resident said he could not find any reason that spoke against changing the status quo.

The ZdK vice-president confidently demanded: “We want to have joint budgetary rights. These are our church taxes.” In the dioceses, Söding explained, there are already committees for participation, and now mechanisms are also needed at the level of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK).

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Catholics march to one joyous beat

(The Catholic Weekly. Darren Ally).

A chorus of common joy arose from the more than 15,000-strong army of Catholics who marched through the city last Sunday for the annual Walk with Christ procession.  Many young Catholics like 16-year-old Chris Pereira from Frenchs Forest, were experiencing Australia’s biggest Catholic procession for the first time.   “I’ve never seen so many people. I haven’t experienced anything like this before. Just how silent the city was. And we’re all just walking together, that sense of community is something I’ll never forget,” he said.  He was one of the many thousands of young Sydney Catholics proudly professing their faith.   “It’s unbelievable! And I’m just so happy to be one of the young people honouring and celebrating Christ in this wonderful city,” said 14-year-old Dima Shamonka from St Thomas Chaldean church in Bossley Park.  

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Record ‘profits’ for WYD 2023, but transparency may be biggest legacy

(The Pillar. FILIPE D’AVILLEZ).

The World Youth Day 2023 Foundation, which organized the event that drew over 400 thousand pilgrims to Portugal last summer, presented its official accounts on Friday, 31 May, the feast of the Visitation — a nod to the motto of the gathering: “Mary arose and went with haste”. The event’s chief organizer and now Bishop of Setúbal, Cardinal Américo Aguiar, told journalists that the WYD had made a “profit” of around 35 million euros, though the technical term is “surplus,” not profit, since the World Youth Day project is a non-profit.  The financial result is a likely record for a World Youth Day since the event began in Rome in 1986. At least, as far as anyone call tell. While the results from last year’s gathering show a very healthy financial situation, organizers in Portugal have little data to go on for comparison, since previous WYDs have been notoriously lax in their bookkeeping and financial transparency, Cardinal Aguiar pointed out during the press conference. “As far as we know, this is the most lucrative WYD ever,” the cardinal said. “We have an outline of Panama’s accounts, and they required an injection of capital to remain afloat. Brazil had a significant deficit, partly because of weather conditions that flooded the initial venue. We got nothing from Krakow. Madrid, in 2009, was a special case, since the Church formed a private company to organize it, which was then extinguished and never felt the need to make its accounts public.” 

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