Reviewing UNHOOKED: A Show Seeking to Cure Addiction

Hope Channel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hope TV the Christian cable network was
kind enough to send me an advanced copy of their new show UNHOOKED.
The show which currently spans 28 thirty minute episodes seeks to
show those impacted by addictions a compassionate way to recovery.

Each segment of the first episode opens
with an addict we only know as Keith. Keith shares the story of how
he found himself the victim of addiction, the impacts it was having
on his life, and the journey he took on his way out of those
addictions.

Two of the show’s hosts Pastor Bernie
Anderson, and Dr Kiti Freier Anderson spent much of the show
interviewing this episode’s guest Dr. Mickey Ask. The three of them
went through a detailed explanation of what is an addiction, many of
the common reasons people fall victim to addiction etc. They did not
place emphasis on one recovery model over another in this episode,
but were non judgmental approach throughout.

This episode contained a lot of
information for such a short program. I myself ended up with a page
and a half of notes preparing for this article. Much of it I may use
for more than this one brief article.

As the series progresses I hope that we
can see more through the eyes of the addicts, pastors, and clinicians
that have been there. They are the ones who often have the strongest
message and greatest impact on those who are suffering. Soothing
music plays through much of the episode. This sets a calming tone
that many of those the show is trying to reach may find comforting. I
like that the show uses both a clinical and spiritual approach, and
shows how someone seeking to recover doesn’t have to choose between a
spiritual or clinical recovery, but can journey to recovery aided by
the best both spheres have to offer.

I would definitely suggest you give
this show a try if you or anybody you care about may be suffering
with an addiction.

Unhooked is
made possible through a partnership between Hope Channel, Versacare,
the Health Department of the North American Division of Seventh-day
Adventists, and Adventist Recovery
Ministries.

The show will be available on Hope TV
which can be found on Hope Channel can be seen on DirecTV Channel 368, Roku, and via live stream
at the show’s website http://www.hopetv.org/unhooked
It airs Sundays at 9pm Eastern and Tuesdays at 3:30 pm Eastern. More
information about the show can also be found at its website.

http://www.hopetv.org/unhooked.

NOTE: The opinions expressed here are my own and I was not asked to give a positive review by Hope Channel.”

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Remembering Uncle M. L.: Alveda King Reflects on the Death of the Dreamer

Martin Luther King leaning on a lectern. Deutsch: 1964: Martin Luther King Português: Martin Luther King (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

OPINION, April 4, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ — The following is submitted by Dr. Alveda King:

Forty-five years ago today, my Uncle M.L., the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered by an assassin’s bullet. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if that shot had never been fired; what our nation would be like if that bullet had missed. Many are the times I wish he were here.

But though Uncle M.L. is no longer with us on earth, his voice lives on in the words he used to change our nation in the cause of justice.

We are a more just society today because of Martin Luther King, Jr. Not because he brought new ideas into the public consciousness, but because he reminded us of fundamental, eternal truths – truths that needed to be restated and lived out. He once asked and answered this question: “How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust?” He went on to explain:

“A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: ‘An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

These timeless truths must be restated again today.

Remember Reverend Martin Luther King — let us not forget that he was an ordained Baptist minister and preacher of the Word of God – taught that we are to respect the law. But he also taught that there is a law higher than man’s. There are no commands more deserving of obedience than God’s.

Those commands caused Uncle M. L. to look beyond city ordinances, state statutes, or even federal law for guidance. He believed that those ordinances, statutes, and laws were to be respected, but that they were to be weighed against God’s law or what some would term natural law to determine if they were just.

The same is true today. But some still look to themselves to determine right and wrong.

We are told by the Obama administration that it is “unjust” that women should have to buy their own birth control pills, so everyone else must reach into their pockets to pay for them.

We are told by abortion advocates that it is “unjust” that some women cannot afford to abort their babies, so tax dollars must be used to finance the killing of those children.

We are told by same-sex “marriage” advocates that it is “unjust” that men cannot marry other men and women cannot marry other women, so 2,000 years of wisdom must be abandoned.

And yet, the Bible tells us that human life is sacred. We are thereby to choose life over abortion. The Bible teaches us that natural marriage between one man and one woman is part of the procreative process. We are thereby compelled to choose holy and procreative matrimony.

In forgetting our heritage, in distancing ourselves from God’s moral rules, we are doing Uncle M. L. a disservice, and we are in danger of coming face to face with disaster. So, in remembering Uncle M. L. today, I urge America and the world to remember that he was a servant of God who, though imperfect, tried to point people to the truth.

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POPE FRANCIS: GOD’S MERCY CAN MAKE EVEN THE DRIEST LAND FLOWER

emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Français : emblème pontifical Italiano: emblema del Papato Português: Emblema papal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Vatican City, 31 March 2013 (VIS) – At 10:15 this morning, Easter Sunday, the Holy Father Francis celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Resurrection in St. Peter’s Square. Faithful from Rome and pilgrims from around the world participated in the celebration, which began with the “Resurrexit” rite—in which an icon of the Risen Lord, placed next to the papal altar, is opened and venerated to recall St. Peter’s witness of the resurrection. The Pope did not give a homily since immediately after the Mass he gave his Easter message and “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (to the city and to the world).

In honour of the feast, St. Peter’s Square was decorated with splendid floral arrangements. More than 40,000 flowers, donated by Dutch horticulturists, transformed the area around the altar into a magnificent garden. Yellow daffodils and white lilies highlighted, the colours of Easter and the papal flag that represent the purity of Jesus’ sacrifice and the glory of his resurrection. The pink flowers—delphinium and cherry blossoms—symbolized the light of the risen Christ who destroys darkness.

At noon, from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father Francis addressed the over 250,000 people overflowing St. Peter’s Square and those who were following the celebration by radio or television. He delivered his Easter proclamation—“God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden!”—and made a strong appeal for peace throughout the world. He then imparted the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing. Following is the full text of the Pope’s message:

“Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! Happy Easter!”

“What a joy it is to announce this message: Christ is risen! I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons… Most of all, I would like it to enter every heart, for it is there that God wants to sow this Good News: Jesus is risen, there is hope for you, you are no longer in the power of sin or of evil! Love has triumphed! Mercy has been victorious! God’s mercy always triumphs!”

“We too, like the women who were Jesus’ disciples, who went to the tomb and found it empty, may wonder what this event means (cf. Lk 24:4). What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom. God’s love can do this.”

“This same love out of which the Son of God became man and followed the way of humility and self-giving to the very end, down to hell—to the abyss of separation from God—this same merciful love has flooded Jesus’ dead body with light and transfigured it; has made it pass into eternal life. Jesus did not return to his former life, to an earthly life, but entered into the glorious life of God and He entered there with our humanity, opening us to a future of hope.”

“This is what Easter is: it is the exodus, the passage of human beings from the slavery to sin and evil to the freedom of love and goodness. Because God is life, life alone, and we are his glory, the living person.”

“Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all time and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passing from the slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when are lacking love for God and neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14).”

“So this is the invitation that I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ’s Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God’s mercy! Let us be loved by Jesus! Let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.”

“And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world.”

“Peace for the Middle East, in particular between Israelis and Palestinians who struggle to find the road of agreement: that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long. Peace in Iraq: that every act of violence may end. And above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found?”

“Peace for Africa, still the scene of bloody conflicts. In Mali: may unity and stability be restored. In Nigeria, where attacks sadly continue, gravely threatening the lives of many innocent people, and where great numbers of persons, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups. Peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Central African Republic where many have been forced to leave their homes and continue to live in fear.”

“Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow.”

“Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century. Human trafficking is precisely the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century! Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! Made the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation.”

“Dear brothers and sisters, to all of you who are listening to me, from Rome and from all over of the world, I address the invitation of the Psalm: ‘Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; for his mercy endures for ever. Let Israel say: “His mercy endures forever”.’ (Ps 118:1-2).”

“Dear brothers and sisters who have come from all over the world to this Square, the heart of Christianity and to all of you joining us via the media, I repeat my wishes for a happy Easter! Bring to your families and your nations the message of joy, of hope, and of peace that every year, on this day, is powerfully renewed. May the Risen Lord, who defeated sin and death, sustain us all especially the weakest and those most in need. Thank you for your presence and the witness of your faith. A thought and special thanks for the gift of these beautiful flowers that come from the Netherlands. I affectionately repeat to all of you: May the Risen Christ guide all of you and all of humanity on the paths of justice, love, and peace!”

Then, in Latin, Pope Francis imparted the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.

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FaithVillage Launches Nonprofit Online Bookstore

                                                 

Unique online Christian community helps readers discover new authors while supporting nonprofit ministriesPLANO, Texas, March 26, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ – FaithVillage.com, the social network for faith experiences launched last year, is opening a new online bookstore this week. FaithVillage Books bookstore will serve the website’s growing community of readers with a faith-friendly, nonprofit shopping experience that helps support its free services to site members and participating causes, churches and ministries. Opening with more than 200,000 Christian titles, the store plans to expand book and music categories in the near future.”While the retail book industry has been undergoing massive changes, we have increasingly heard from Christian readers, authors and publishers who want more alternatives to the existing channels for finding new authors and purchasing books online,” said Brad Russell, FaithVillage senior editor.The Christian Leadership Alliance (CLA), already has adopted FaithVillage Books as its official online bookstore to support its rapidly expanding continuing education program for Christian leaders.

Tami Heim, CLA’s president and CEO and a former executive with Borders Books and Thomas Nelson Publishing, praised the partnership.

“As the premier provider of lifelong learning resources for Christian leaders, CLA is thrilled to be partnering with FaithVillage as our exclusive online bookstore,” Heim said. “We share with them a deep passion for providing transformational content which leads to higher thinking for greater Kingdom gain.”

“People can be put off by the aggressive commercialization, controversial products and monopolistic strategies of some online retailers,” Russell said. “We think there should be a place where you don’t have to worry about these things when you’re doing some good in the world, a place where your purchase supports your life work and not merely stockholders.”

The unique integration of content, community and commerce in the FaithVillage.com website creates an unprecedented benefit for readers and authors alike by providing a seamless continuum from discovering new authors, to engaging them, shopping and sharing, Russell noted.

Authors can become independent content contributors to the site or be represented through content partnerships with a publisher or publicist. Readers can discover new authors and books through the many articles, book reviews, videos and podcasts found in more than 20 thematic buildings, or channels, on the site. When a reader is interested in a book, a click on a “Buy Now” button locates the item in FaithVillage Books, where the book can be reviewed, purchased and shared to social media channels.

“Easy to navigate, bright and inviting, the FaithVillage bookstore is a boon to both authors and readers,” reported Mary DeMuth, an author and early contributor to the site.

“FaithVillage is dedicated to nurturing emerging writers,” Russell said. “As a community of young leaders, thought-shapers and artists, FaithVillage validates their faith experiences, gets their voices heard and ultimately supports book sales.”

Dave Schroeder, a Nashville-area publishing strategist, affirmed FaithVillage’s concept and execution. “As a consumer, I value the process of discovery in finding the best books that will help me make a difference,” he explained. “The innovative FaithVillage bookstore has the benefit of new channels for author discovery and engagement, a faith-friendly online space for book clubs and the value of a nonprofit shopping venue that supports Christian causes.”

FaithVillage.com is a service of Baptist Standard Publishing, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. 

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POPE FRANCIS’ MESSAGE FOR ENTHRONEMENT OF ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

Vatican City, 21 March 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis has sent a message to the Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, on the occasion of his enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral in London, UK, this past Thursday. Archbishop Welby is the 105 Archbishop of Canterbury and the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

“The pastoral ministry,” writes Francis, “is a call to walk in fidelity to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please be assured of my prayers as you take up your new responsibilities, and I ask you to pray for me as I respond to the new call that the Lord has addressed to me.”

“I look forward to meeting you in the near future, and to continuing the warm fraternal relations that our predecessors enjoyed.”

POPE BENEDICT XVI CONGRATULATED MOST REVEREND WELBY ON HIS ELECTION AS ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

Vatican City, 21 March 2013 (VIS) – Today was made public the message that Benedict XVI wrote this past 4 February to the Most Reverend Justin Welby on the occasion of his election as Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Pope wrote that the archbishop was taking up his office “at a time when the Christian faith is being called into question in many parts of the Western world by those who claim that religion is a private matter, with no contribution to offer to public debate. Ministers of the Gospel today have to respond to a widespread deafness to the music of faith, and a general weariness that shuns the demands of discipleship. Yet the hunger for God, even if unrecognised, is ever-present in our society, and the preacher’s task, as a messenger of hope, is to speak the truth with love, shedding the light of Christ into the darkness of people’s lives. May your apostolate yield a rich harvest and may it open the eyes and ears of many to the life-giving message of the Gospel.”

Benedict XVI concluded with the prayer that “the Lord grant you strength and wisdom” in whatever challenges the new archbishop may encounter and asking that “the Holy Spirit guide you in all that you undertake in his name.”

Mideast Christians News (MCN) — the First Professional News Agency to Cover All Christian Minorities in the Middle East

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ — Mideast Christian News (MCN), the first professional and independent News Agency specialized in covering Christian minorities in the Middle East, was launched officially on January 7, 2013.

The local media hides and distorts reality, while international Media fails to report regularly, as they are focusing on the regional conflicts. Hence the severe need for professional coverage especially in the New Islamic Era that’s starting in the region. MCN’s aim is to fill this gap.

MCN provides timely news, cover stories, reports, interviews, photos and videos, both in English, targeting the international media, Governmental Organizations and NGOs, and Arabic, targeting local and regional media.

MCN has its own team of professional correspondents, journalists, photographers, cameramen and editors in the Middle East. While the international main office is located in Washington D.C.
MIDEAST CHRISTIAN NEWS is an independent agency, neither associated nor affiliated to any local, regional, international organization or group.

MCN was founded by Dr. William Weessa, who has extensive experience in developing and managing news media services. In 1997, he established the Arab language programming for the multilingual European television (Euro News). He directed the Arabic-language news service at Radio France International (RFI) (1992-1997).

In 1979 he received a PhD in Communications from the Sorbonne University.

Please visit MCN website at www.mcndirect.com.

Reaction to The Election of Pope Francis I

Below is a sampling of the comments of various leaders and groups around the United States on the election of Pope Francis I.

“Pope Francis stands as the figure of unity for all Catholics wherever they reside. The bishops of the United States and the people of our 195 dioceses offer prayers for our new leader and promise allegiance to him,” Cardinal Dolan said. “Intense prayer from all around the world surrounded the election of Pope Francis. The bishops of the United States thank God for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the inspired choice of the College of Cardinals.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

“The Catholic world rejoices that the Chair of Peter is no longer empty. The Cardinal-electors have chosen Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 266th Successor of Peter and the Bishop of Rome. I offer Pope Francis my fidelity and obedient love as the Chief Shepherd of the Universal Catholic Church and my daily prayers that he will confirm our faith in Jesus Christ and lead us in holiness and to fullness in charity to all and be a voice for world peace.”

- Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

“This past Tuesday, Cardinal DiNardo asked the people of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to pray for the Church, the Cardinals, especially himself, and for the new Pope. Since then, we have been praying to God the He would send His Holy Spirit upon all involved in the election of our new Pope. Today our prayers have been answered. We now have a new Pope, Francis. We congratulate him and pledge our unending support to him. May God Bless our new Holy Father.”

- Bishop George A. Sheltz

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

“Pope Francis is a humble leader who has vigorously defended the fullness of the Gospel on issues of public concern. Life, marriage, religious liberty and economic justice are borne out of the Church’s defense of the dignity of every human person beginning with the unborn. Pope Francis represents a historic invitation to all Catholics, especially Hispanic Catholics, to respond to the call of the New Evangelization in American political life.”

VoteCatholic.Org

“I am very happy with the election of Pope Francis.

For us as Catholics, this is a beautiful spiritual moment, a time of joy and thanksgiving.

A time for prayer for the whole Church. This is a great day, not only for Catholics, but for the whole world. Because the Pope is the living sign of the universality of God’s Church. And the Pope is a sign of Jesus Christ’s love for the world and for every person in every nation.

I have had the privilege of knowing our new Holy Father through our work together on

the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. I look forward to seeing him and getting

to know him better while I am in Rome next month. It is a beautiful sign to have a new Pope who is the first Pope from the Americas, from the New World. The election of Pope Francis is a call for all of us to strive for holiness and to work to make our countries and ourcontinents a “new world of faith.”

So today we thank God that he has given us a Pope who is a humble man who lives with simplicity and a desire for holiness.

Our new Pope is a defender of the poor, a strong teacher, and a leader committed to renewal in the Church and the new evangelization of our world.

I join my brothers and sisters in the Church in Los Angeles and throughout the Americas and the whole world in offering my prayers for Pope Francis and pledging my loyalty and love for him and my obedience to him.

I ask the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe for our new Pope. And I pray that we

all go to Jesus, closely united to the Pope, through Mary.”

Most Reverend José H. Gomez

Archbishop of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Departing for a moment from strictly American reaction the Rt Rev. Justin Welby the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the following statement which gives us insight into the thinking of Non-Catholic Christian leaders. As head of the Anglican Communion, Welby is also the spiritual leader of the members of the Episcopal Church here in the United States.

“We wish Pope Francis every blessing in the enormous responsibilities that he has assumed on behalf of Roman Catholics around the world.

“His election is also of great significance to Christians everywhere, not least among Anglicans. We have long since recognised – and often reaffirmed – that our churches hold a special place for one another. I look forward to meeting Pope Francis, and to walking and working together to build on the consistent legacy of our predecessors.  May the love of Christ unite us, and intensify our service in a genuine and fruitful ecumenism that can be a blessing for the Body of Christ throughout the world.

“Pope Francis is well known as a compassionate pastor of real stature who has served the poor in Latin America, and whose simplicity and holiness of life is remarkable. He is an evangelist, sharing the love of Christ which he himself knows. His choice of the name Francis suggests that he wants to call us all back to the transformation that St Francis knew and brought to the whole of Europe, fired by contemplation and closeness to God.

“As I begin tomorrow a prayer pilgrimage toward my own inauguration as Archbishop in Canterbury next Thursday, Pope Francis will be much in my own prayers, as he will be throughout the coming months and years.”

Rt. Rev. Justin Welby

The Archbishop of Canterbury

“In the humility and vigor of his first appearance, Pope Francis gave immediate hope and spiritual renewal to the world’s Catholics.

“Secular liberals hoping the new pope will bend the Church’s teachings to their political agenda — such as acceptance of same-sex marriage — will no doubt be disappointed to discover that Francis is, in fact, a Catholic.

“It was an inspired and history-changing choice for the cardinals to elect the first pope from the New World.

“As American Catholics face a continuing battle with the Obama administration, and the President’s secular liberal allies, over Obamacare’s abortion mandate and President Obama’s push for universal acceptance of same-sex marriage, we can take heart that we have a new pope who has already shown he is willing to stand before worldly leaders girded only in Christ’s teachings to tell them they are wrong.

“In Argentina, the Pope worked to assert the church’s moral influence and support traditional values.

“As Bishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis’ legacy in Argentina included rebuilding the Church’s reputation after many followers were disheartened when the Church failed to openly challenge Argentina’s murderous 1976-83 dictatorship.

“If Pope Francis’ outspoken criticism of Argentine President Cristina Kirchner didn’t stop her from imposing radical secular liberal policies, such as same-sex marriage and adoption to free contraceptives for all, he provided the great moral compass that society must have when temporary political expediency points a nation or a people in the wrong direction.

“Such moral leadership and courage will inject much-needed backbone into the bishops, priests, and lay-leaders here in the United States, where the Church has too often adopted the trends and habits of a secular amoral society.

“The election of Pope Francis is a life-changing, world changing event for Catholics, and all Christians, who can be inspired by what he told priests in Argentina last year:  ‘Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit.’”

Richard A. Viguerie

Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com

“Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and the 1.8 million members of the Knights of Columbus extend cordial best wishes and prayers to our newly elected pope. The election of Pope Francis – the first pope from the American hemisphere – highlights the fact that America is the continent of baptized Christians, and a place of central importance to the faith today. Pope Francis is well known also for his emphasis on charity – the first principle of the Knights of Columbus. Both in our efforts for evangelization and in our charitable work, we will strive with him to bring the light of Christ to the people of our continent during his historic pontificate.”

Official Statement of the Knights of Columbus

 

“I rejoice with all the Catholics of the world in the election of Pope Francis. His life as a disciple of Jesus Christ and his service as a Jesuit priest and as Archbishop of the local Church of Buenos Aires have prepared him for his universal pastoral service as successor of St. Peter. His great sense of humility, his eloquent preaching of the Faith and his life of simplicity and dedication to the poor already mark him as a fitting Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Universal Church.

May I also add how privileged I was to participate in the conclave. It was a humbling and enriching experience. “

+ Daniel Cardinal DiNardo
Archbishop of Galveston-Houston

 

Below is a statement from Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, on the election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis I

I join my brother Cardinals in giving thanks to God for the election of Pope Francis I, the 266th successor of St. Peter and Vicar of Christ. The clergy, religious and laity of the Archdiocese of Boston celebrate this blessing for the Church.

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus commissioned St. Peter the rock upon which the Church would be built. Pope Francis continues that mission in an increasingly secular culture, where many people have not come to know or have forgotten that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. The world will greatly benefit from Pope Francis witnessing Jesus’ call for us to love God and love one another. We pledge our faithful support for the Holy Father as he leads the Church in proclaiming the New Evangelization, inviting all people to a develop a closer relationship with Christ and to share that gift with others.

May God grant Pope Francis the grace and strength to lead the worldwide community of more than one billion Catholics. The Holy Father has already shown us his deep humility in the invitation to pray with him, for him and for the Church. We pray that the Holy Spirit, who led us to choose the Holy Father, will guide him in witnessing the eternal truths of our faith.

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley

Archbishop of Boston

 

“It is a brilliant stroke of the Holy Spirit that completely faked out the media (and me too, I have to say). A son of Ignatius takes the name of Francis. A man of Old World heritage who is part of the New World. Truly a Pontifex Maximus (which means “the greatest builder of bridges”). He’s solidly orthodox with a zeal for the poor. His model is the obedience of Ignatius and the poverty of Francis. How blessed we Catholics are in our popes!”

Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio

Founder and Publisher of Ignatius Press

 

“The Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Israel congratulates Pope Frances on assuming the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. We wish him great success in guiding the Catholic faithful and continuing the great work of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to strengthen the friendship between the Church and the Jewish People that began at the Second Vatican Council.

“At a time when the entire human family desperately needs to recommit itself to fundamental moral values for humanity to flourish, we pray that the Church and Pope Francis will be successful in teaching the world the truths of Judeo-Christian ethics and the intrinsic value of the human person created in God’s Image,” said R. Shlomo Riskin, founder and Chancellor of CJCUC.

All of us at CJCUC look forward to continued cooperation with the Vatican and Catholics everywhere to teach mutual understanding between Catholics and Jews and to defend religious tolerance and freedom for all.”

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin, Chancellor, CJCUC
Mr. David Nekrutman, Executive Director, CJCUC
Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn, North American Director, CJCUC
Rabbi Dr. Angel Kreiman-Brill, Latin American Director, CJCUC

The Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding in Israel

 

 

THE CARDINALS WHO WILL ELECT THE POPE

Vatican City, 12 March 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon, 115 cardinals will enter the Conclave to elect Pope emeritus Benedict XVI’s successor. The two Cardinal electors who are not participating are Cardinal Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja, S.J., archbishop emeritus of Jakarta, Indonesia, for health reasons and Cardinal Keith O’Brien, ex-archbishop of Edinburgh, Scotland, for personal reasons.

Categorizing the cardinals from area of origin, the 60 European cardinals come from: Italy: 28. Germany: 6. Spain: 5. Poland: 4. France: 4. Austria: 1. Belgium: 1. Switzerland: 1. Portugal: 2. Netherlands: 1. Ireland: 1. Czech Republic: 1. Bosnia-Herzegovina: 1. Hungary: 1. Lithuania: 1. Croatia:1. and Slovenia: 1.

The 14 Northern American cardinals come from: the United States: 11. and Canada: 3.

The 19 Latin American cardinals are from: Brazil: 5. Mexico: 3. Argentina: 2. Colombia: 1. Chile: 1. Venezuela: 1. the Dominican Republic: 1. Cuba: 1. Honduras: 1. Peru: 1. Bolivia: 1. and Ecuador: 1.

The 11 African cardinals come from: Nigeria: 2. Tanzania: 1. South Africa: 1. Ghana: 1. Sudan: 1. Kenya: 1. Senegal: 1. Egypt: 1. Guinea: 1. and the Democratic Republic of the Congo: 1

The 10 Asian cardenales are from: India: 4. the Philippines: 1. Vietnam: 1. Indonesia: 1. Lebanon: 1. China: 1. and Sri Lanka: 1.

The sole cardinal from Oceania hails from Australia.

Below is the list of Cardinal electors and the roles that they currently serve in, following the Church’s hierarchical order of precedence. Please note that the cardinals who serve in the Roman Curia (secretary of State, heads of the Church’s congregations and councils, etc.) are listed with their role before the beginning of the period of the Sede Vacante, but at that moment they were automatically relieved of their offices. The two exceptions to this norm are the Cardinal Camerlengo and the Major Penitentiary who continue to perform their previous functions.

ORDER OF BISHOPS

Giovanni Battista RE, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Bishops

Tarcisio BERTONE, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber

Eastern Rite Cardinal Patriarchs

Antonios NAGUIB, Patriarch Emeritus of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt

Béchara Boutros RAÏ, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Lebanon

ORDER OF PRIESTS

Godfried DANNEELS, Archbishop Emeritus of Brussels, Belgium

Joachim MEISNER, Archbishop of Cologne, Germany

Nicolas de Jesús LÓPEZ RODRÍGUEZ, Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Roger Michael MAHONY, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles, California, USA

Jaime Lucas ORTEGA Y ALAMINO, Archbishop of San Cristobal de la Habana, Cuba

Jean-Claude TURCOTTE, Archbishop Emeritus of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Vinko PULJIĆ, Archbishop of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Juan SANDOVAL ÍÑIGUEZ, Archbishop Emeritus of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Antonio María ROUCO VARELA, Archbishop of Madrid, Spain

Dionigi TETTAMANZI, Archbishop Emeritus of Milan, Italy

Polycarp PENGO, Archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

Christoph SCHÖNBORN, Archbishop of Vienna, Austria

Norberto RIVERA CARRERA, Archbishop of Mexico City, Mexico

Francis Eugene GEORGE, Archbishop of Chicago, Illinois, USA

Zenon GROCHOLEWSKI, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education

Crescenzio SEPE, Archbishop of Naples, Italy.

Walter KASPER, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity

Ivan DIAS, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples

Geraldo Majella AGNELO, Archbishop Emeritus of São Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

Audrys Juozas BAČKIS, Archbishop of Vilnius, Lithuania

Francisco Javier ERRÁZURIZ OSSA, Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago de Chile, Chile

Julio TERRAZAS SANDOVAL, Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

Wilfrid Fox NAPIER, Archbishop of Durban, South Africa

Óscar Andrés RODRÍGUEZ MARADIAGA, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Juan Luis CIPRIANI THORNE, Archbishop of Lima, Peru

Cláudio HUMMES, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy

Jorge Mario BERGOGLIO, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina

José da Cruz POLICARPO, Patriarch of Lisbon, Portugal

Severino POLETTO, Archbishop Emeritus of Turin, Italy

Karl LEHMANN, Bishop of Mainz, Germany

Angelo SCOLA, Archbishop of Milan, Italy

Anthony Olubunmi OKOGIE, Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Nigeria

Gabriel ZUBEIR WAKO, Archbishop of Khartoum, Sudan

Carlos AMIGO VALLEJO, Archbishop Emeritus of Seville, Spain

Justin Francis RIGALI, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Ennio ANTONELLI, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family

Peter Kodwo Appiah TURKSON, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

Telesphore Placidus TOPPO, Archbishop of Ranchi, India

George PELL, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia

Josip BOZANIĆ, Archbishop of Zagreb, Croatia

Jean-Baptiste PHAM MINH MÂN, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Philippe BARBARIN, Archbishop of Lyon, France

Péter ERDŐ, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary

Marc OUELLET, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Bishops

Agostino VALLINI, Vicar General of His Holiness for Rome, Italy

Jorge Liberato UROSA SAVINO, Archbishop of Caracas, Santiago de Venezuela

Jean-Pierre RICARD, Archbishop of Bordeaux, France

Antonio CAÑIZARES LLOVERA, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

Sean Patrick O’MALLEY, Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Stanisław DZIWISZ, Archbishop of Krakow, Poland

Carlo CAFFARRA, Archbishop of Bologna, Italy

Seán Baptist BRADY, Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland

Lluís MARTÍNEZ SISTACH, Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain

André VINGT-TROIS, Archbishop of Paris, France

Angelo BAGNASCO, Archbishop of Genoa, Italy

Théodore-Adrien SARR, Archbishop of Dakar, Senegal

Oswald GRACIAS, Archbishop of Bombay, India

Francisco ROBLES ORTEGA, Archbishop of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Daniel N. DiNARDO, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, Texas, USA

Odilo Pedro SCHERER, Archbishop of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

John NJUE, Archbishop of Nairobi, Kenya

Raúl Eduardo VELA CHIRIBOGA, Archbishop Emeritus of Quito, Ecuador

Laurent MONSENGWO PASINYA, Archbishop of Kinshasa, Congo (Dem. Rep.)

Paolo ROMEO, Archbishop of Palermo, Italy

Donald William WUERL, Archbishop of Washington, D.C., USA

Raymundo DAMASCENO ASSIS, Archbishop of Aparecida, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Kazimierz NYCZ, Archbishop of Warsaw, Poland

Albert Malcolm Ranjith PATABENDIGE DON, Archbishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Reinhard MARX, Archbishop of Munich, Germany

George ALENCHERRY, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars, India

Thomas Christopher COLLINS, Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Dominik DUKA, Archbishop of Prague, Czech Republic

Willem Jacobus EIJK, Archbishop of Utrecht, Netherlands

Giuseppe BETORI, Archbishop of Florence, Italy

Timothy Michael DOLAN, Archbishop of New York, New York, USA

Rainer Maria WOELKI, Archbishop of Berlin, Germany

John TONG HON, Bishop of Hong Kong, China

Baselios Cleemis THOTTUNKAL, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malabars, India

John Olorunfemi ONAIYEKAN, Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria

Rubén SALAZAR GÓMEZ, Archbishop of Bogota, Colombia

Luis Antonio TAGLE, Archbishop of Manila, Philippines

ORDER OF DEACONS

Jean-Louis TAURAN, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Attilio NICORA, President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See

William Joseph LEVADA, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Franc RODÉ, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life

Leonardo SANDRI, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches

Giovanni LAJOLO, President Emeritus of the Governatorate of Vatican City State

Paul Josef CORDES, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”

Angelo COMASTRI, Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Peter

Stanisław RYŁKO, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity

Raffaele FARINA, Archivist Emeritus of the Vatican Secret Archives

Angelo AMATO, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints

Robert SARAH, President of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”

Francesco MONTERISI, Archpriest Emeritus of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls Basilica

Raymond Leo BURKE, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura

Kurt KOCH, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity

Paolo SARDI, Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Mauro PIACENZA, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy

Velasio DE PAOLIS, President Emeritus of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See

Gianfranco RAVASI, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture

Fernando FILONI, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples

Manuel MONTEIRO de CASTRO, Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary

Santos ABRIL y CASTELLÓ, Archpriest of Saint Mary Major Basilica

Antonio Maria VEGLIÒ, President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

Giuseppe BERTELLO, President of the Governatorate of Vatican City State

Francesco COCCOPALMERIO, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts

João BRAZ de AVIZ, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life

Edwin Frederick O’BRIEN, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

Domenico CALCAGNO, President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See

Giuseppe VERSALDI, President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See

James Michael HARVEY, Archpriest of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls Basilica

SECOND CONCLAVE OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY BEGINS

Vatican City, 12 March 2013 (VIS) – The 115 cardinals who will elect the Pope entered the Pauline Chapel at 4:15pm. There Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the assembly, making the sign of the Cross, pronounced: “May the Lord, who guides our hearts in the love and patience of Christ, be with you all.” After this brief prayer, he invited those gathered to begin the procession towards the Sistine Chapel, where the Conclave will be held, saying: “Venerable Brothers, after having celebrated the divine mystery, we now enter into Conclave to elect the Roman Pontiff. The entire Church, joined with us in prayer, constantly calls upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, to elect from among us a worthy Pastor of all of Christ’s flock. May the Lord direct our steps along the path of truth, so that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, we may always do that which is pleasing to him.”

Chanting the Litany of Saints, those gathered, preceded by the Cross, moved through the Sala Regia toward the Sistine Chapel. The procession included: non-elector Cardinal Prospero Grech, O.S.A., who will give the meditation; the General Auditor of the Apostolic Camera, Msgr. Giuseppe Sciacca; the Master of Ceremonies of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, Msgr. Guido Marini; two members each of the Colleges of Protonotaries Apostolic de Numero Participantium, of the Prelate Auditors of the Roman Rota, and of the Prelate Clerics of the Apostolic Camera; the secretary of the cardinal who will preside over the the Conclave; the pontifical masters of ceremonies; and members of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel choir.

At the entrance of the Sistine Chapel they were welcomed by: Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, substitute of the Secretariat of State; Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States; Archbishop Georg Ganswein, Prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household; religious who supervise the pontifical sacristy; religious charged with hearing confessions; Colonel Daniel Rudolf Anrig, commander of the Swiss Guard; and authorized auxiliary personnel. Members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard guarded the Chapel’s doors.

Each of the cardinals took their cherry-wood seats, which are arranged in the order of hierarchical precedence: first those of the Cardinal-bishops, then the Cardinal-priests, and finally the Cardinal-deacons. Together they chanted the “Veni Creator Spiritus”. On concluding, Cardinal Re invited them to take the oath of secrecy, pronouncing in Latin the following common form in front of all present, the others reading along with him:

“We, the Cardinal electors present in this election of the Supreme Pontiff promise, pledge and swear, as individuals and as a group, to observe faithfully and scrupulously the prescriptions contained in the Apostolic Constitution of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, ‘Universi Dominici Gregis’, published on 22 February 1996. We likewise promise, pledge and swear that whichever of us by divine disposition is elected Roman Pontiff will commit himself faithfully to carrying out the ‘munus Petrinum’ of Pastor of the Universal Church and will not fail to affirm and defend strenuously the spiritual and temporal rights and the liberty of the Holy See. In a particular way, we promise and swear to observe with the greatest fidelity and with all persons, clerical or lay, secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff and regarding what occurs in the place of the election, directly or indirectly related to the results of the voting; we promise and swear not to break this secret in any way, either during or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless explicit authorization is granted by the same Pontiff; and never to lend support or favour to any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention, whereby secular authorities of whatever order and degree or any group of people or individuals might wish to intervene in the election of the Roman Pontiff.”

Each Cardinal elector then, still following the hierarchical order of precedence, individually swore this shorter form of the oath, again in Latin, placing their right hand on the Book of Gospels opened in the centre of the Sistine Chapel:

“And I, [first name] Cardinal [last name], do so promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand.”

When Cardinal James Michael Harvey, the last of the Cardinal electors to take the oath, finished, the Master of Ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini spoke the phrase “Extra omnes” and all those not directly participating in the Conclave left the Sistine Chapel. The doors of the Chapel were shut at 5:35pm.

Along with the Cardinal electors within the Sistine Chapel remain the Master of Ceremonies and Cardinal Prosper Grech, O.S.A., who will give the meditation concerning the grave duty incumbent on them and thus on the need to act with right intention for the good of the Universal Church prescribed in No. 52 of the Apostolic Constitution “Universi Dominici Gregis”.

After that exhortation, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will propose to the electors to begin with, if they so desire, the first ballot of the Conclave, which is optional in the first session.