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Pope criticizes politicization of Christianity

ROME – Pope Francis categorically rejected on Tuesday the use of the cross as a political tool, an apparent attack on nationalist forces in Europe and beyond who have used imagery of Christianity for personal gain.

“Let us not reduce the cross to an object of devotion, let alone a political symbol, a sign of religious and social status,” Francis said in eastern Slovakia during a four-day visit to this country. and to Hungary, his first trip since undergoing bowel surgery in July.

The remarks were made two days after Francis stopped in Budapest, where he met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who made the nation’s Christian roots and identity the hallmark of his message and policies. policies, including anti-immigrant and nationalist measures.

“The cross is not a flag to be waved, but the pure source of a new way of life,” said Francis, adding that a Christian “does not regard anyone as an enemy, but everyone as a brother or a sister”.

On Sunday, he urged the bishops of Hungary to embrace diversity. And after celebrating Mass there, with Orban in the front row, he said strong Christian roots enabled a nation to reach out “to all.”

But the pope’s words in Slovakia on Tuesday were more direct. He appeared to extend his criticism to politicians and activists who use Christian references and symbols to gain traction in so-called culture wars.

“How many times do we desire a Christianity of conquerors,” he asked, “a triumphalist Christianity that is important and influential, that receives glory and honor?

He then added to his message of inclusion by traveling to meet the country’s Roma, who have long been victims of discrimination and poverty, in the dilapidated and isolated neighborhoods of Kosice.

In his homily on Tuesday, Francis spoke at length about Christian identity, lamenting that the cross and crucifix have too often become mere ornaments, diluting their true meaning.

In recent years, some European politicians have used religious symbols as part of campaign messages focusing on identity politics.

In Italy, Matteo Salvini, leader of the populist League party, has often campaigned with a rosary in his hand. During a rally with far-right leaders from France, Germany and the Netherlands, he also invoked the protection of the Virgin Mary over Italy.

Some conservative Vatican cardinals – many of whom are very critical of Francis – have spoken enthusiastically about Salvini and also expressed sympathy for Orban.

In interviews ahead of the pope’s visit on Sunday, several Hungarian priests and other Catholics in Budapest echoed Orban’s emphasis on Hungary as a Christian country. They said the prime minister had been unfairly criticized for opposing waves of predominantly Muslim migration, which he compared to an invasion.

On Sunday, Orban and Francis gathered for a courtesy meeting that lasted 40 minutes, and the prime minister urged the pontiff “not to let Christian Hungary perish”.

Francis only spent seven hours in Hungary, despite calls from his bishops to stay longer.

The Vatican said the Pope’s visit to Budapest was of a purely spiritual nature, to celebrate the closing mass of a week-long Catholic congress. But others close to the Pope admitted that there could be an unspoken message to Orban in the gap between time spent in Hungary and time spent in Slovakia, which is led by a progressive president who, like Francis, is critical. with regard to nationalism.


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Christianity without the cross is “sterile”, declares Pope Francis during the Byzantine Divine Liturgy

On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Pope Francis celebrated the Byzantine Divine Liturgy and called Christianity without the Cross worldly and sterile.

Sep 15, 2021

Pope Francis presides over the Byzantine Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom in Prešov, Slovakia, September 14, 2021./ Vatican Media.

By Courtney Mares
On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Pope Francis celebrated the Byzantine Divine Liturgy and called Christianity without the Cross worldly and sterile.

“Crucifixes are found all around us: on our necks, in houses, in cars, in pockets. What good is it if we do not stop to look at Jesus crucified and open our hearts to him, if we do not allow ourselves to be struck by the wounds he bears because of us, if our hearts do not swell with emotion and if we let us cry before the wounded God for love for us ”, declared Pope Francis in Slovakia on September 14th.

“The witnesses of the Cross have only one strategy, that of the Master: humble love. They do not wait for triumphs here on earth, for they know that the love of Christ bears fruit in the events of daily life, renewing all things from within, like the seed that falls into the earth, dies and produces lots of fruit, ”he said. .

The Pope presided over a Divine Liturgy broadcast live in the Byzantine rite in Prešov, eastern Slovakia, and delivered a homily in which he asked the question: Why did Jesus die on the cross?

“Why did he do that?” He could have saved his life, he could have kept his distance from the misery and brutality of human history ”, declared Pope Francis.

“Instead, he chose to enter this story, to immerse himself in it. This is why he chose the most difficult path possible: the Cross. So that no one on earth is ever to the point of not being able to find him, even there, in the midst of anguish, darkness, abandonment, the scandal of his own misery and his mistakes.

There, in the very place where we think God cannot be present, he has come. To save those who despair, he himself chooses to taste the despair; taking upon himself our bitterest anguish.

Pope Francis said that Jesus even experienced abandonment so that no one would ever be alone in their trials.

At the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, the Pope spent a moment in the prayerful veneration of the Cross.

A large Byzantine cross with three transverse arms hung above the outer altar of Prešov, flanked by an icon of Mary, Mother of God, and the icon of Christ the Master.

“’We proclaim the crucified Christ… the power of God and the wisdom of God.’ This is what Saint Paul tells us, but he does not hide the fact that, in terms of human wisdom, the Cross appears as something completely different: it is “scandal” and “madness” ”, declared the Pope in his homily.

“The cross was an instrument of death, but it became the source of life. It was a horrible sight, but it revealed to us the beauty of God’s love. This is why, on today’s feast, the people of God venerate the Cross and the liturgy celebrates it.

The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross dates back to the 4th century, when the solemn consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher took place on September 13, 335, at the site of Christ’s crucifixion in Jerusalem.

“One can not accept, except perhaps in words, a weak and crucified God, and instead prefer to dream of a powerful and triumphant God. It is a great temptation, ”said Pope Francis.

“How often do we miss a Christianity of victors, a triumphalist Christianity which is important and influential, which receives glory and honor? However, a Christianity without a cross is a worldly Christianity and shows itself sterile. “

Pope Francis arrived at the Divine Liturgy in Prešov in the popemobile, which passed through crowds of people standing in the streets waving Vatican flags. About 40,000 people attended the liturgy, according to local authorities.

Prešov was part of the Kingdom of Hungary until the middle of the 20th century and is home to most of the 200,000 Byzantine Ruthenian Catholics in the country.

The Ruthenian Catholic Church is one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the Holy See.

In April, Byzantine Catholics in Slovakia and around the world celebrated the 375th anniversary of the Union of Oujhorod, an agreement that brought the Ruthenian Orthodox Church into fellowship with the Pope after nearly six centuries of schism.

Since the Union of Oujhorod, eparchies have been established to guide Ruthenian Catholics wherever they live, including the Metropolitan Eparchy of Pittsburgh and its three Suffragan Eparchies in the United States, and the Metropolitan Eparchy of Prešov in Slovakia with his suffragants, as well as a Slovak Eparchy in Canada.

During the Divine Liturgy in Prešov, Pope Francis recalled the testimony of the Byzantine Catholic priests and bishops of the Eparchy of Prešov who were imprisoned and martyred by the Communist regime in the 1950s.

“Here I think of the martyrs who, in this nation, bore witness to the love of Christ in troubled times, when everything advised silence, shelter, not professing the faith. However, they could not help but testify ”, declared the Pope.

“How many generous people suffered and died here in Slovakia for the name of Christ! Their testimony was given out of love for the one they had long contemplated. So much so that they looked like him even when they died.

Pope Francis said there is no shortage of opportunities for witnessing today if Christian witness is not weakened by worldliness and mediocrity.

“Dear brothers and sisters, you have seen such witnesses. … Humble and simple people who gave their lives in love to the end. They are our heroes, the heroes of everyday existence, and their lives have changed history. Witnesses generate other witnesses, because they are life givers, ”he said.

“This is how faith is spread: not with worldly power, but with the wisdom of the Cross; not with structures but with a testimony. Today, the Lord, from the eloquent silence of the Cross, asks us all … Do you want to be my witness?–CNA


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Vancouver artist’s cross helped beautify cathedral after “modernization attempt” – BC Catholic

Two of the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s major sacred works are the work of a former actor with dozens of Hollywood films and stage and television appearances to his credit.

Iconographer Frank C. Turner, now a parishioner of Holy Family in East Vancouver, was born and raised in Alberta, where in his youth he was a dedicated altar boy, serving mass in Latin in his country parish.

He remembers admiring paintings in the church of his youth, looking at the decorated apse and seeing an image of the Holy Trinity.

From an early age, Turner was fascinated by art and influenced by the spirituality of Catholic iconography.

His family later joined St. Albert Parish, a historic church atop Mission Hill in St. Albert, Alberta. On this same site, the original mission was established in 1861 by the Oblate Fathers, who were missionaries in Canada. Although their order was not noted for liturgical arts and design, here the Oblates built a beautiful red brick church, designed in the Lombard Romanesque style of northern Italy.

Turner remembers how in those childhood years the interior was painted in pleasant blues and golds with a sky blue interior dome.

Then, in a move towards modernization, the interior was emptied in 1971 and the walls of the church were painted entirely white.

In addition, the modernizers walled up half of the sanctuary to make it a meeting room for the Knights of Columbus.

In Turner’s eyes, the interior was losing all definition. In some ways, this experience led him on a mission to right this wrong.

During a prolific acting career, Turner began painting side icons in 1991.

Archbishop Miller blesses Frank Turner’s crucifix at the John Paul II Pastoral Center in 2015. (Paul Schratz)

In 1989, his wife saw a news item in The Catholic of British Columbia advertising a workshop with a Russian iconographer from New York named Vladislav Andreyev.

Turner really enjoyed the workshop. This led him to enroll in two other successive workshops in 1990 and 1991, learning all he could from the supervised teaching of the master iconographer.

From the first lesson, Turner fell in love with painting, the art of Christian iconography – the visual quotation of holy images. The first work he did was an image of Saint Michael the Archangel.

He then attended various iconography workshops at the Benedictine Abbey of Mt. Angel near Portland, Oregon, as well as at St. Gertrude’s Monastery in Cottonwood, Idaho.

Over the years, Turner has done his own research on the subject of icons and the science of iconography and its resurgence since the fall of communism in Russia.

As he progressed as an artist, he even learned to build his own icon board and source the best pigments and even gold leaf, sourced from Montreal.

Later that same year, Turner received his first order, a request for a hand-painted icon of Saint-Raphael, which he sold for $ 250.

Over the years, Turner has produced works for various Latin and Byzantine rite churches and religious buildings across Canada and beyond.

He was even commissioned to paint an icon for a small village in Lebanon.

In Vancouver, 13 of his icons are enshrined in the Corpus Christi Church in Vancouver. These monumental pieces were among several early works commissioned by the local priest, Father Donald Neumann.

In 2003, Turner and two other artists founded the Epiphany Sacred Arts Guild, a local organization for the promotion of the liturgical arts, based in Vancouver. For 10 years, he was its president, helping to present works by local artists.

In 2007, Turner traveled to Italy and Spain, where he was fully immersed for a month, visiting art centers such as Bologna, Ravenna, Assisi and Perugia.

In Spain, he lived in an Augustinian monastery and visited the museums of Madrid, including the famous Museo del Prado, one of the finest art collections in Europe.

In Europe he was fascinated to see the scale of works of art that many can only dream of and see in books, describing it as “something that cannot be calculated, because you have to see it in person”.

As God would have wanted, Turner gradually moved from a professional acting career to a full-time job as an artist. In 1997, he rented his first art studio.

From his studio, Turner continues to create great works of art. He goes there almost every day for about four to six hours a day, working at his own pace.

Each year he works on a handful of orders he receives, many of which are private. For him, the act of creating an icon is a prayer in itself, the action of prayer being the elevation of inanimate material to God.

Turner’s greatest iconic masterpieces are two monumental crucifixes located in Vancouver, one in the foyer of the Archdiocese’s John Paul II Pastoral Center and the other in the shrine of Holy Rosary Cathedral.

Frank Turner at the John Paul II Pastoral Center in 2015 for the blessing of his crucifix in the foyer. (Paul Schratz)

The cathedral cross, which hangs from the ceiling above the high altar, was commissioned by Archbishop J. Michael Miller in 2015.

It took two intense years to complete.

The purpose of the new cross was to glorify God and help beautify the cathedral while emphasizing the faithful who visit and pray.

The Archbishop, himself passionate about art, requested a Romanesque style crucifix from the 11th to 13th century period.

The Romanesque-style corpus differs from the Gothic style, which represents Christ hanged from the S-shaped cross, in agony, with his eyes closed.

In the Romanesque style, Christ is depicted almost standing on the cross with his eyes open, triumphing over death. This style is called Christus Triumphant (or Christ triumphant).

The crucifix that served as the original inspiration for the Vancouver cross was from Siena, Italy, inspired by the cross before which Saint Catherine of Siena received the stigmata.

While Turner was visiting Bologna, he had seen this modern version of the cross of the Stigmata of Saint Catherine, a creation of his mentor Don Gianluca Busi. This cross became the basis for the design of the crucifix in Vancouver Cathedral.

Interestingly, the crown of thorns is not depicted on this cross, as this custom was not common until the 13th century.

The Vancouver crucifix was built by a local carpenter from Turner Parish, Darrell Doering. The wood is approximately 4cm thick and is made of Baltic birch plywood topped with 2cm × 7.5cm oak.

From the start, Turner envisaged incorporating a large rosary around the frame of the cross, in reference to the patron’s title: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.

Frank Turner discusses his crucifix at the John Paul II Pastoral Center. (Paul Schratz)

The giant rosary surrounding the cross has some 223 gold beads, representative of the 20 official mysteries of the rosary: ​​the joyful, sorrowful, glorious and luminous mysteries.

Readers will be intrigued to know that the beads were salvaged from old car seat mats made from rounded bamboo rounds that Turner picked up from a local thrift store. He took them apart and attached them individually to the frame and covered them with gold leaf.

Meanwhile, the base of the painted parts of the crucifix is ​​made of chalk powder mixed with rabbit skin glue, a traditional universal floor for painting, applied in layers and sanded to the touch.

The images are painted with egg tempera, the traditional medium of iconography: a mixture of egg yolk, white wine and pigment.

The cross is distinguished by bright colors to emphasize the spiritual significance of the cosmic scene. The azurite blue evokes the sky and unites the sky and the earth in the sacrifice of Calvary.

Azurite is one of the most valuable traditional natural pigments and is therefore particularly suitable for such a project, together with the gold leaf, which has been applied with great care.

Above Christ’s arms we see the letters IC and XC. These are the first and last letters of IHCOYC (Jesus, in Greek) and XPICTOC (Christ, in Greek).

On the halo of Christ are letters that denote “He who is,” or the name of God, a clear testimony of the divinity of Christ.

Holy Rosary Cathedral with the Turner crucifix above the altar. (Cathedral of the Holy Rosary)

The two subsidiary figures of Our Lady and of Saint John are represented halfway up the scale of Christ, emphasizing the centrality of the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.

The inscription above Mary’s shoulder is a Greek abbreviation for the Mother of God. Mary’s inner garment is blue-green, in reference to her humility, while the outer garment is a rich wine red, in reference to her clothing of divine grace.

This red pigment contains hematite collected in Marathon, Ontario, while the highlights contain red ocher taken from the floor of a shrine in Alabama, the convent monastery of Mother’s Eternal Word television network. Angelica.

The inscription above Saint-Jean translates to “Le Saint Jean”, or simply Saint-Jean.

22 karat gold leaf comes in 15 pounds of gold with each pound containing a total of 25 squares, each 3“X 3“.

Frank Turner’s crucifix at Holy Rosary Cathedral. (Cathedral of the Holy Rosary)

In areas where gold is visible, at least two or three coats have been applied. Turner prayed a Gloria patri while waiting for each gold leaf to adhere before putting on the next piece with a traditional squirrel hair brush.

The halo of Christ has the most gold, five layers: Christ as king speaks through the image.

The crucifix was installed in the cathedral in 2016 during a special mass during which it was blessed by Bishop Miller in the presence of the parish community.

On the back is a painted ¼ “stainless steel hanger plate, supporting the eye bolts used to hang it from the ceiling, with these Latin words engraved: Adoramus Te Christe (We worship you, Christ).

There is also a bronze plaque on the back commemorating the dedication and blessing of the cross, a gift from the Abi-Rached family in memory of their beloved father, George.

Professor Georges Abi-Rached, originally from Lebanon, was a distinguished Vancouver engineer of international renown and a devoted Catholic husband and father. He died in 2006.

Pastors or bishops interested in icon commissions can contact Turner to discuss future projects: [email protected]. His website is homeshrineicons.com.


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Christianity without a cross is “sterile”, says pope in Slovakia

PREŠOV, Slovakia (CNS) – Falling into the temptation to reject the cross and choose a triumphalist form of Christianity leads to superficial and sterile faith, Pope Francis said.

Presiding over a Divine Liturgy on September 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Pope Francis declared that although God saved humanity by “allowing the evil of our world to be unleashed upon itself”, the world views the cross as a “failure.”

Christians too, he warned, can also fall into the trap of preferring “a mighty and triumphant God” rather than “weak and crucified.”

“It’s a great temptation. How often do we miss a victorious Christianity, a triumphalist Christianity that is important and influential, that receives glory and honor? However, a Christianity without a cross is a worldly Christianity and shows itself sterile, ”declared the Pope.

The liturgy took place in a square outside the Mestská športová hala stadium. A plaque outside the stadium commemorates Saint John Paul II’s meeting in Prešov with Byzantine Catholics in Slovakia in 1995.

According to statistics published in the CIA World Factbook, in Slovakia Latin Rite Catholics represent 62% of the population, while 3.8% are Eastern Catholics.

More than 30,000 people, mostly masked, were present at the Divine Liturgy. Although the government initially mandated all participants in papal events to be vaccinated, authorities relaxed their initial regulations and allowed participants who presented a negative COVID-19 test or proof of recovery from the coronavirus.

Arrived in his popemobile, the Pope greeted the thousands of faithful present, many of whom had waited several hours outside for his arrival. As the early morning rain threatened to complicate the liturgy, moods brightened as much needed sunlight broke through the clouds.

As he toured the square, the Pope waved and blessed the crowd as they sang and waved the yellow and white papal flags.

In his homily, the Pope reflected on the reading of the Gospel of Saint John’s day recounting the crucifixion of Jesus. The evangelist, he noted, both “sees and witnesses” to the mystery of the cross.

Saint John, he said, saw “an innocent and good man, brutally put to death between two criminals”, a reflection of the countless injustices suffered throughout the history of mankind in which “the good are put aside and the wicked prevail and prosper. “

Nevertheless, he also saw the “glory of God” which “is offered willingly for every man and woman.”

“There, at the very place where we think God cannot be present, he has come. To save those who despair, he himself chooses to taste the despair; taking upon himself our bitterest anguish, he cried from the height of the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

While Christians often carry crucifixes, hang them on walls or carry them in their pockets, Pope Francis has said that without taking the time to contemplate Christ crucified, the cross will remain “an unread book whose title we know and the author, without having any impact on our lives.

“Let us not reduce the cross to an object of devotion, let alone a political symbol, a sign of religious and social status,” said the Pope.

Contemplating the cross, he continued, leads to witnessing to Jesus and transforming his life by becoming his reflection, like the Slovak martyrs who gave their lives for the faith.

“How many generous people suffered and died here in Slovakia for the name of Christ! cried the Pope. “It was a testimony given out of love for the one they had long contemplated. So much so that they looked like him even when they died.

Although there is no persecution of Christians in the country “as in too many other parts of the world,” he added, witnessing to Christ can be “weakened by worldliness and mediocrity.”

“A witness to the cross does not dwell on the wrongs of the past and does not continue to lament the present. The witnesses to the cross do not use the ways of deception and worldly pretension: they do not want to impose themselves and theirs, but to lay down their lives for others ”, declared the Pope.

Concluding his homily, Pope Francis encouraged Christians in Slovakia to remember those who bore witness to the love of God, especially those who “nourished you and helped you grow in the faith” and gave their “lives”. in love until the end ”.

“They are our heroes, the heroes of everyday existence, and their lives have changed history,” the Pope said. “Witnesses generate other witnesses, because they are givers of life. This is how faith is spread: not with worldly power but with the wisdom of the cross; not with structures but with a testimony.

Pope Francis was in Slovakia from September 12 to 15 for a brief pastoral visit. He traveled to Prešov from the capital, Bratislava, where he stayed every night.

After the Divine Liturgy, the Pope made an unexpected stop at the Jesuit house in Prešov.

Later, in Košice, he was to meet the Roma community and young people.


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What is Celtic Christianity? | John D Gee

According to John Koch and his 2006 book “Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia”. Celtic Christianity generally refers to certain characteristics of Christianity that were common, or considered common, in the Celtic speaking world during the early Middle Ages. (Koch) Celtic Christianity has been considered on many levels by many different writers. On one level, the authors sought to describe a distinct Celtic Church. Its aim was to unite the Celtic peoples. In the early writings, he sought to distinguish his practices from the Roman Catholic Church.

Celtic Christianity is not a dogma

In many ways, it is quite unfair to label Celtic spirituality as a separate denomination. First, Celtic Christianity is a practice of faith that could be applied in any denominational setting. It is more of a movement and an expression than a true religious structure.

Other authors seek to classify Celtic practices as a set of distinctive practices. These exist in the already existing denominations of Christianity. Even the term “Celtic Church” is disputed because it implies a church distinct from others in the mainstream. For this reason, many have opted for the term “island Christianity”. (Brown, The Rise of Western Christiandom: Triumph and Diversity (2nd ed.). 2003). “Celtic-speaking regions were part of Latin Christendom at a time when there were significant regional variations in structure. But a general collective veneration of the papacy was no less intense in Celtic-speaking areas. (Sharpe, 1984). This tells us that Celtic theology and practice developed over time within the Roman Catholic Church.

Celtic Christianity is not a religion

Given the proof that there was not really a “Celtic Church” in the sense that there is a Baptist or Catholic Church. Celtic spirituality exists independently of the denominational division. In its very essence, anyone who believes in Christ is invited to participate in the process. It is not necessary to give up their denomination to join Celtic spirituality.

Within the Latin Rite, distinctive traditions and practices developed in Celtic Christianity. these started what could be considered an independent movement. It is not the purpose of this author to decide whether Celtic Christianity is its own independent form of Christianity. It should be left to historians. However, this author seeks to show that from Catholic and Reformed traditions a practice of Christianity has been developed which contains incredibly unique and important perspectives that should be brought to light, so that the reader can understand this practice.

Celtic Christianity is a movement

So what is Celtic Christianity? This writer believes that it may be both an independent movement and a practice within another Christian denomination. Whoever decides to attribute the practices will himself make this distinction. Simply put, Celtic theology is the discovery, systematization, and presentation of the truths of God, through the prism of the Panceltic peoples of early Christianity.

In short, Celtic Christianity is a movement, not a religious dogma

for more information click here


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Exhibition of relics at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral – Catholic Philly

Posted on September 13, 2021

The Ukrainian Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia will present a teaching and display of sacred relics on Sunday, September 19 at noon.

“Sacred Relics of Saints: Treasures of the Church” will present an extraordinary Vatican collection of over 150 relics, some 2,000 years old, explained by Father Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross.

Among the treasures will be the relics of Saint Joseph, Saint Maria Goretti, Saint Teresa of Lisieux (the “little flower”), Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Faustina Kowalska. There will also be a portion of the Veil of Notre Dame and one of the largest remaining pieces of the True Cross in the world.

Those present will be able to examine and worship each relic. Throughout history, many healings have taken place in the presence of relics, and thousands have taken place as a result of this ministry.

Participants are encouraged to bring devotional items such as rosaries or holy cards and photos of sick friends and family, which can be touched at the reliquaries as a means of intercession.

For more information on this unique opportunity, send an email to [email protected]

The Ukrainian Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 830 N. Franklin Street, Philadelphia.


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Roman Catholic Church to start building shrine in honor of Blessed Benedict Daswa outside Thohoyandou – SABC News

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tzaneen in Limpopo says a miracle recognized by the church must occur to reach the final step to canonize and declare Blessed Benedict Daswa a saint.

Monday September 13 marks the sixth anniversary of his beatification to become the first martyr of the Catholic Church in Southern Africa.

This opened the way for the Pope to canonize him and declare him a saint.

Daswa, a devout Catholic, was beaten to death by villagers near Thohoyandou because of his opposition to witchcraft in 1990.

The promoter of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tzaneen, Sister Tshifhiwa Munzhedzi, says there are few ways to recognize a person in order to become a saint.

“We have many ways of recognizing that a person becomes a saint. Martyrdom is what we use to make him a saint. Martyrdom is already recognized that it has occurred. It only remains for him to be recognized as a saint. However, for this to happen, we need a miracle recognized by the church, ”says Sister Munzhedzi.

Sister Munzhedzi says they will start to develop land in Tshitanini where they will build a shrine.

“Next month we will start building the wall around the square. We are already starting to move with Tshitanini himself. We have some money. Originally, the project was estimated at R 67 million, ”says Sister Munzhedzi.

Daswa was stoned to death in 1990 for his Catholic beliefs. He refused to pay money to pay for a traditional doctor. Identify a person the community suspected of practicing witchcraft.

Below, an archived video of the beatification of Blessed Benedict Daswa:


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The Pope demands open Christianity in front of Orbán

The Christian world has always been divided. But the arrival of Francis on the Chair of Peter in 2013 further underlined the gap between a certain way of understanding the message of Jesus, more welcoming and open, and another of a more exclusive and closed nature. The separation between these two worlds, more and more evident in recent years, has been more staged through certain policies. One of the clearest examples of this confrontation is Vicktor Orbán, the Hungarian president, an avowed Calvinist and whom the Pope met on Sunday morning. “I asked the Pope not to let Christian Hungary perish,” the Hungarian leader posted on his Facebook account just after the 40-minute meeting with the Pontiff.

The disagreements are fundamentally based on the issue of immigration, the persecution of LGTBI groups and the idea of ​​opening up Europe. Francisco made the need to welcome refugees one of the main flags of his pontificate, while Orbán, although he based his politics and the extent of his electorate on Christian ideas, based his work on completely the opposite. Sitting next to his Catholic wife in the front row of the Angelus prayer, he must have listened to how the Pope refuted this idea. The Pontiff asked that Christianity, “the lifeblood of this nation”, “raise and extend its arms to all; that it maintains the roots, but without closing itself; resort to sources, but open up to the thirsty of our time ”. An obvious allusion to the migratory phenomenon and the need to provide a welcome response.

Francisco has said over the years that walls and borders end up locking those who build them inside. A very clear reference to the wall that Donald Trump wanted to build on the border with Mexico, but also to the barbed wire fence that Orbán had erected during the most intense days of the arrivals of Syrian refugees in Europe. The Pontiff’s opposition extended to the far-right policies of the Matteo Salvini League on immigration. The Hungarian leader, however, remains a crucial player for many European Union policies of this type to go in the right direction.

Francisco met with Orbán and the country’s president, Janos Ader, for 40 minutes behind closed doors and without cameras. The meeting lasted longer than expected, as a half-hour discussion was scheduled which also included Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Vatican “Foreign Minister” Richard Gallagher.

The Vatican explained in a statement that among the topics discussed were “the role of the Church in the country, the commitment to safeguard the environment, the defense and promotion of the family”. Nothing more. No subject that might bother you. The Holy See itself had been instructed to stress before the meeting that this was not a state visit, but spiritual and religious. In this way, the channel of Hungarian diplomatic protocol was avoided and the possibility of the visit being exploited by the Hungarian Executive, very interested in showing its Christian electorate the closeness to the highest authority of the Catholic Church, was avoided.

Francis insisted, in his own way, in another of his morning speeches with the World Council of Churches and certain Jewish communities in Hungary on this distance which separates his way of seeing Christianity from that of Orbán. “The God of the covenant asks us not to give in to the logic of isolation and vested interests. He does not want alliances with someone to the detriment of others, but people and communities who are bridges of communion with all ”.

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Why the Chief Imam donated to the National Cathedral – Spokesman speaks

Spokesman for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu

• The spokesperson for the chief imam explained why he made a donation to support Christians

• According to him, the move was symbolic

• He said this was part of efforts to encourage peace and solidarity

The spokesperson for the national chief imam, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, provided clarification on the reasons why the Islamic leader made donations to support the Christian community.

According to him, the actions of Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu are part of the efforts to promote unity between religions in the country.

His donation in the amount of 50,000 GHC and a visit by the Chief Imam to the Catholic Church of Christ the King at Easter in 2019, he added, were a symbolic step in the same direction.

Speaking to Citi FM, he said:

“The Chief Imam would like to stress that religious diversity is respected in Islam. But it doesn’t stop with diversity. It goes further to establish a basis for dialogue and for genuine engagement beyond religious divisions, ”he explained.

While visiting the church in 2019, he said:

“The same day the Grand Imam entered the church was the day Christians were bombed in Sri Lanka. “

“Because our people are not used to it here, that’s why I described them as revolutionary,” added Sheikh Shaibu.

Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu’s comments follow some criticism leveled by some sections of the public on the National Chief Imam in August this year.

Sheikh Shaributu made the donation when the Chairman of the Board, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah and the president of the Ghana Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle paid him a courtesy visit to his Fadama residence in Accra.

Following this, some members of the Muslim community criticized his actions.
Sheikh Shaibu however believes through donations: “The Chief Imam has brought honor and dignity beyond what you can imagine to Muslims in this country. The chief imam [achieved this] by his way of doing things, especially how he welcomes Christians.


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Catholic cathedral becomes physical, gets confused by visiting Helix

It took Helix and Cathedral Catholic 50 years before they finally decided to meet in football, but the wait was worth it.

They’ve met in every full season since 2009, plus three playoff times, and are now the San Diego Chapter gold standard. The Open Division champion of the last five seasons reads: 2015 – Helix; 2016 – Cathedral; 2017 – Propeller; 2018 – Cathedral; 2019 – Helix.

“When people ask me who Helix’s rival is, I think it’s Cathedral,” Helix coach Robbie Owens said. “The game signals San Diego football at the highest level.”

The rivals met for the 15e Friday night at the Cathedral, and this time it turned into a rare rout, with the Dons running away with a 52-0 win. It was 42-0 at halftime. The fourth quarter was played against the clock.

The difference was the physique of the Dons, especially in defense. Cathedral ranked second (3-1) forced four turnovers. Three were converted to touchdowns, the fourth led to a field goal.

“It looks like (the defense) have given us the ball inside the 30s so many times,” Cathedral head coach Sean Doyle said. “We’re starting to play Don football like we’re supposed to. We pride ourselves on a great defense. We start to play this way.

It was the most unbalanced match in the history of the rivalry. Previously, the most one-sided game was Helix’s 39-0 victory in 2017. The Highlanders still lead the series 9-6.

The game started off positively for Helix with the Scotties advancing to 6 from Cathedral on the first drive of the game. But in the fourth and goal of 6, a big hit from Jaxson Moi forced a fumble. Moi’s teammate Jack Janikowski picked up the ball and picked up speed, wandering to the Helix 24.

Four games later, Lucky Sutton scored from 10 yards.

On the next scrum play, Cathedral linebacker Tanoai Letuli hit a slap pass, sending it back to the Helix 5. Darian Whaley scored on a 5-yard run on the next play and the rout began. Cathedral had run five games, covered 29 yards and led 14-0.

Helix, sixth (2-1), starts five sophomores in attack and defense. And the Scotties were just overwhelmed by the second-place muscle of the Dons.

“Their physique was the difference,” Owens said. “Their backs were breaking tackles and their defensive linemen were throwing our guys all over the place. “

Sutton finished with 12 carries for 134 yards and four touchdowns. Three came on 10, 2 and 22 yard runs. The fourth was a 10 yard catch. Dons quarterback Charlie Mirer completed 10 of 16 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

Helix’s Christian Washington entered the game after running for 433 yards, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. Running behind an offensive line that kicks off four sophomores, Washington was limited to 45 yards on 16 carries. Seven of his runs resulted in fewer yards. Two more went without gain.

I, who pledged to Cal, led the defense.

“We played humbly, we played hard and we got to the ball,” Moi said.

Doyle said the rout doesn’t take away from the rivalry.

“We were right on top of our game,” Doyle said. “It doesn’t mean anything. Next year will be a frightening battle.

Minutes after the game, the cathedral players and cheerleaders sprinted to the front of the student section and swayed as Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me” exploded over the speakers.

The Donations will have to build on each other next week when the competition stiffens. The cathedral hits the road to confront the power of Northern California, Concord De La Salle.

Norcross is a freelance writer.

Cathedral 52, Hélix 0

Propeller 0 0 0 0 – 0

Catholic Cathedral 14 28 3 7 – 52

CC – Sutton 10 run (cheek)

CC – Whaley 5 run (cheek)

CC – Sutton 10 pass from Mirer (cheek)

CC – Sutton 2 run (cheek)

CC – Sutton 22 run (cheek)

CC – Haynes 4 assists from Mirer (cheek)

CC – Play 32 FG

CC – Bond 6 run (Berning kick)


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