BY CINDY WOODEN
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Under the gaze of a seventh-century icon of Mary, Pope Francis launched a monthlong, global recitation of the rosary, pleading for Mary's interces- sion for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. And he prayed May 1 that Mary would move people's consciences "so that the enormous amounts spent to increase and perfect weapons are instead used to promote research to prevent similar catastrophes in the future." The pope and about 160 young adults and families from Rome prayed in St. Peter's Basilica and were joined remotely by people at the National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham in England, the first of 30 Marian shrines around the world that will lead the rosary every day throughout May. "At the beginning of the month dedicated to Our Lady, we join in prayer with all the shrines around the world, the faithful and all people of good will to entrust to our holy mother all of humanity so harshly tried by this pandemic," the pope said, introducing the recitation of the glorious mysteries of the rosary. The Pontifical Council for Promot- ing New Evangelization coordinated the rosary marathon, the scheduling of the shrines and the assigning of a specific prayer intention for each day of the month traditionally devoted to Mary. The pope said those intentions would include people who have died or fallen ill with the virus, their loved ones and the medical personnel who cared for them, people who had lost their jobs and students who longed to return to school and to their friends. The prayers, he said, also would remember "the people, espe- cially women, who endured violence within the home" during the pan- demic lockdowns. "Mother of Succor, welcome us un- der your mantle and protect us, sus- tain us in times of trial and light in our hearts the lamp of hope for the future," the pope prayed.
BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
BOGOT, Colombia (CNS) - A Venezuelan doctor who treated patients during the Spanish flu pandemic and was one of the first to introduce microscopes to his nation's hospitals was beatified April 30 in an austere ceremony held in Caracas, the city where he spent much of his life tending to the sick. Blessed Jos Gregorio Hernndez led a pious life marked by science, faith and public service. He was a founding member of Venezuela's academy of medicine and tried unsuccessfully to be- come a priest. Along with his colleagues, Blessed Hernndez resisted a dicta- tor's plans to shut down a university in Venezuela at the turn of the 20th century, while introducing the study of pathological anatomy. But Blessed Hernndez was known most of all for being a kind doctor who refused to charge his poor- est patients for his services and served people from all walks of life. He died in 1919 after being hit by a car while on his way to taking free medicine to an elderly patient. "In his person you can find a great doctor, a scien- tist, a professor. And at the same time, humility, the rejection of arrogance and dedication to the poor," said Archbishop Aldo Gior- dano, Vatican ambassador to Venezuela, during his homily at the beatification Mass. "This is the logic of the Gospel. And Venezuela's future depends on people who are capable of living with that same kind of logic," the archbishop said. The beatification Mass was held at a church in a Catholic school and, due to COVID-19 restrictions, was attended by fewer than 200 people; it was broadcast on national television in Ven- ezuela. Earlier, churches around the country rang their bells in unison to cel- ebrate Blessed Hernndez's life as he took one step closer to sainthood. Relics made with small fragments of Blessed Hernndez's bones were sent to all of Venezuela's dioceses. The reliquar- ies had the shape of mi- croscopes and a golden crown, to highlight Blessed Hernndez's lifelong dedi- cation to faith and science.
Pope approves canonizations, no date set
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The sainthood causes of seven men and women - including the hermit Blessed Charles de Foucauld and the Indian martyr Devasa- hayam Pillai - cleared their final hurdle May 3 during an "ordinary public consistory," a meeting of the pope, cardinals and promoters of sainthood causes that formally ends the sainthood process. The meeting included a prayer, an affirmation that church law had been followed in preparing for the candidates' declara- tion of sainthood and a formal request "in the name of Holy Mother Church" that Pope Francis set a date for the canonizations. Speaking in Latin, Pope Francis approved the canonizations but said the date for the ceremony would have to be determined later, Vatican News reported, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pan- demic. Blessed Charles de Foucauld is undoubtedly the best known of the seven saints-to-be. Pope Francis, in his encyclical "Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and So- cial Friendship," described Blessed de Foucauld as a "person of deep faith who, drawing upon his intense experience of God, made a journey of transformation toward feeling a brother to all."
Sri Lankan churches halt services in third wave
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNS) - Sri Lankan churches once again have halted services, church weddings and Sunday schools due to a third wave of COVID-19 infec- tions. Ucanews.com reported universities, schools and pre-schools have closed until further notice. All funer- als have been limited to 25 people in attendance. A Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of Colombo said doctors were predicting there would soon be a short- age of oxygen in the country, where the number of cas- es tripled within days. "Every family should recite the rosary to save us from this dangerous situation," said the priest, who asked that his name not be used. "This is especially the month we recite the rosary for Mother Mary. "Politicians thought of their families rather than the people," he added. "Everyone should work hard to save the country from becoming like India." Hospital sources told ucanews.com that beds in many hospitals and treatment centers were almost full due to the hike in the number of COVID-19 patients.
Pope: Use resources to end, prevent pandemic
2 AROUND THE WORLD
THE CATHOLIC FREE PRESS MAY 7, 2021
Cardinal Burke, seven others rise in rank
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - With a consistory to approve the canonization of seven saints as a backdrop, eight cardinals - including U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke - moved from the rank of cardinal deacons to the rank of cardinal priests. According to the Code of Canon Law, "through a choice made in consistory and ap- proved by the Supreme Pontiff," cardinals can move "from the diaconal order to another diaconia and if they have been in the diaconal order for 10 full years, even to the presbyteral order." The rankings have their roots in the ancient church when cardinal deacons handled charitable and administrative activities in the pope's name and cardinal priests led the most impor- tant parishes in the Diocese of Rome. Today, most of- ficials of the Roman Curia who become cardinals enter the college as cardinal deacons, while cardinals who head dioceses enter as cardinal priests. The ranking and the date on which the prelate entered the College of Cardinals determines seniority and the cardinal's place in processions and seating arrangements.
Pope asks for prayers for peace in Myanmar
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - With an ongoing military crackdown and political upheaval in Myanmar, Pope Francis called for prayers for peace and reconciliation in the country. After reciting the "Regina Coeli" prayer with visitors in St. Peter's Square May 2, the pope said, "We have entered the month of May in which popular piety expresses devotion to the Virgin Mary in many ways." The pope said that in addition to the global marathon praying for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, the church in Myanmar was leading an initiative inviting everyone "to pray for peace with a 'Hail Mary' for Myanmar in our daily rosary. Each of us turns to our mother when we are in need or in dif- ficulty; this month, we ask our mother of heaven to speak to the hearts of all leaders in Myanmar so that they may find the courage to walk the path of encoun- ter, reconciliation and peace," he said.
German parishes plan blessings for lovers
BONN, Germany (CNS) - Catholic chaplains in par- ishes across Germany plan to invite people to "blessing services for lovers" on and around May 10. The cam- paign, "Love Wins," was launched in Hamburg, report- ed the German Catholic news agency KNA. The cam- paign's website said the aim was to celebrate "the di- versity of people's different life plans and love stories" and to ask for God's blessing. Gay and lesbian couples are also invited, which is attracting public attention because the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said in mid-March that the Catholic Church had no authority to bless same-sex relationships. "I have blessed buildings and sugar-beet-harvesting ma- chines," said Father Burkhard Hose of of Wrzburg. "So why not also people who love each other?" Father Hose and Father Bernd Mnkebscher, a theologian from Hamm, have gathered about 11,000 signatures against the ban on blessing same-sex couples. Venezuelan Cardinal Baltazar Porras pointed out that when Blessed Hernn- dez died in 1919, 30,000 people - about 1% of Ven- ezuela's entire population at that time - attended his funeral procession in Caracas. "The people who cried over him at his funeral soon discovered he was not really gone," the car- dinal said at the Mass, where a large mosaic of Blessed Hernndez's face was unveiled by one of his descendants. "He will keep on living to relieve us of our pains and cure our ill- nesses." The doctor's reputation as a healer has endured after his death, and for decades Venezuelans have prayed to him for good health. Statuettes and photo- graphs depicting Blessed Hernndez in his mous- tache and bowler can be found at shops and homes throughout the country, and devotion to "the doc- tor of the poor" has spread to Colombia, Mexico and other Latin American countries. "People have a lot of faith in him," said Dr. Leopoldo Briceo, a pediatric sur- geon from Caracas who used to lead the country's national academy of medi- cine.
Venezuela's 'doctor of the poor' beatified in austere ceremony
YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH
May Saint Joseph always guard, protect and enlighten families.
Fill out and mail this coupon or subscribe online at www.catholicfreepress.org Name _________________________________________ Address _______________________________________ Email _________________________________________ Parish _________________________________________
Annual rate includes one year HOME DELIVERY of THE CATHOLIC FREE PRESS, ANNUAL DIRECTORY plus access to our E-EDITION (Please mail form with payment)
!
Please bill my: Mastercard / Visa / Discover / AMEX
Mail to: The Catholic Free Press, 49 Elm Street, Worcester, MA 01609 www.catholicfreepress.org
Celebrating the
$39
The Catholic Free Press
C
ard No. ___________________________ Exp. _______ Signature ______________________________________
!
Check enclosed. Thank you!
BRIEFSI
Vatican reopening Vatican Museums
People visit the Sistine Chapel during the reopening of the Vatican Museums after weeks of closure, at the Vatican May 3.
CNS PHOTO PAUL HARING CNS PHOTO LEONARDO FERNANDEZ VILORIA, REUTERS
Venezuelan street artist Badsura paints an image of Jos Gregorio Hernndez on a wall in Caracas April 28, in preparation for his April 30 beatification. A man wears a mask for protection from COVID-19 as he participates in the rosary led by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican May 1.
CNS PHOTO PAUL HARING
Litany of St. Joseph updated
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Updating the Litany of St. Joseph, approved in 1909, the Vatican has added seven invocations, including two that address the guardian of Jesus and husband of Mary as "support in difficulty" and "patron of refugees." The Con- gregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments published the additions May 1, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. The additions were approved by Pope Francis, the congrega- tion said, and drew the new invocations mainly from modern papal texts about St. Joseph, including Pope Francis' December apostolic letter proclaiming a Year of St. Joseph and St. John Paul II's 1989 apostolic exhorta- tion, "Redemptoris Custos" ("Protector of the Redeemer"). Since Pope Francis wanted, as he wrote in his letter, "to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his in- tercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal," the congregation said, it seemed appropriate to update the 112-year-old litany.
CNS PHOTO VATICAN MEDIA
A statue of St. Joseph is seen during general audience at the Vatican in March.
CNS PHOTO VATICAN MEDIA
Previous Page