www.Radiovaticana.org http://www.radiovaticana.org The voice of the Pope in dialogue with the world Webteam en 2005 Vatican Radio. All rights reserved. Vatican Radio webteam@vaticanradio.org webteam@vaticanradio.org webteam@vaticanradio.org 60 No Audio reports from Vatican Radio in Podcast http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=562736 Syrian forces Monday bombarded districts of Homs and attacked other cities.The attacks came after Arab states pledged support for the opposition battling President Assad and called for international peacekeepers to be sent to the country. During his Sunday Angelus Pope Benedict appealed for an end to the violence and bloodshed and called for a commitment to dialogue, reconciliation and peace. Lydia O’Kane spoke to Jesuit Fr Samir Khalil Samir, Professor at Rome’s Pontifical Oriental Institute about the current situation for Christians living in Syria who says, “the situation for Christians was quite as long as long as they didn’t interfere with the politics…What will come is probably an Islamic regime, Islamic system which is for Christians is a danger”. Fr Samir also says that it is time to find a solution immediately because the situation is deteriorating day by day. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview 00:15:02:35 webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:15:02:35 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:36:17 GMT 562736 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=562734 Attorneys for the victim in a Wisconsin sex abuse case voluntarily withdrew a lawsuit against the Holy See on Friday, in which Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinals Tarcisio Bertone and Angelo Sodano, the Secretary of State and Secretary of State-emeritus, respectively, were named as defendants. “I think it is enormously important that this case is not longer on the docket, because this was the case centred on revelations about Father Lawrence Murphy who allegedly abused almost 200 kids at a school for the deaf in the Milwaukee area from 1950 until 1974,” said John Allen, Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. “This was the case that triggered the global media firestorm in early 2010 that led to a very incendiary front page piece in the New York Times suggesting that the Vatican and Pope Benedict had failed to respond aggressively to the crisis, and really did galvanize and shift public perceptions in very important ways,” he told Vatican Radio. “So that fact that this case has now in a sense died on the vine does mark the end of what has been a very important chapter in this story.” Attorney for the Holy See, Jeffrey S. Lena called the original claim “outworn and discredited” in a statement released on Friday. “Mythology about the Catholic Church to the contrary, the Holy See is not responsible for the supervision of the more than 400,000 priests around the world,” he said. “Attorneys in this case knew that, and their knowledge of this fact is precisely what made the filing of this lawsuit so pernicious in the first place -- such misuse of the legal process leads to disrespect for lawyers and courts, and never helps the pursuit of legitimate legal claims.” Lena also said the plight of abuse victims must never be forgotten. “As Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly said, abuse -- whether in public or private institutions, by whomever, and of whatever creed or religious affiliation -- is a sin and a crime,” he said. Listen to the full interview by Charles Collins with John Allen (transcript below): 00:07:01:73 Q: What is the significance of the dismissal if the Milwaukee case against the Holy See? Allen: Well it should be said that the attorneys who originally filed the lawsuit have described the decision to withdraw the case as a purely practical move. One they say, they got most of the documents they wanted from a separate lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and two they say they want to concentrate on a similar lawsuit they’ve got against the Vatican in Oregon. So they are playing down the significance of it, but that said, I think it is enormously important that this case is not longer on the docket, because this was the case centred on revelations about Father Lawrence Murphy who allegedly abused almost 200 kids at a school for the deaf in the Milwaukee area from 1950 until 1974. This was the case that triggered the global media firestorm in early 2010 that led to a very incendiary front page piece in the New York Times suggesting that the Vatican and Pope Benedict had failed to respond aggressively to the crisis, and really did galvanize and shift public perceptions in very important ways. So that fact that this case has now in a sense died on the vine does mark the end of what has been a very important chapter in this story.” Q: The Holy See’s attorney mentioned there has been some confusion going on because of the difference between canon law and civil law. How important is this distinction in people’s understanding of the issues? Allen: The distinction between Church law and civil law is important, and it is often misunderstood. At the heart of this case in Milwaukee, and it is has been at the heart of other complaints against the Vatican, is a document titled “Crimen sollicitationis”, originally issued in 1922 and then updated in 1962, which outlined church procedures for handling abuses of the confessional, including sexual solicitation. It’s been touted by many people as a smoking gun proving there was a kind of a Vatican cover-up of these cases, because it calls for them to be handled confidentially. Now the misunderstanding there is that this had to do with the Church’s internal discipline. The document in no way addressed the question of whether these cases should also be reported as crimes under the civil law, it simply had nothing to do with that. So if you don’t understand that distinction, it is easy to look at this document and see, “Aha! it proves that the Vatican was sweeping this stuff under the rug,” when in reality it had nothing to do with what has become one of the defining questions about this crisis, which is the question of collaboration with civil authorities.” Q: This decision came just a few days after an event at the Gregorian University about the sexual abuse crisis. Where do we stand now about sexual abuse in the Church? How important was this event last week for this crisis? Allen: I think the event - which was a four day symposium at the Gregorian University titled Towards Healing and Renewal which was cosponsored by many important offices in the Vatican and attended by senior personnel – I think it was a symbol of the fact that the Church is sort of foursquare now committed to an aggressive response to the scourge of child abuse. But you asked, “Where do we stand?” Look, I think the answer to that question is: The policy problems have largely been solved. A few years ago the questions were things like: Are we going to have a zero tolerance policy for abuse – that is, if church personnel are credibly accused of abuse, will they be removed from the field? We were debating questions like to what extent should we commit ourselves to a policy of full cooperation with civil authorities: that is reporting all of these crimes to the police and the prosecutors and collaborating with their investigations. I think for the most part, those questions have been answered, and they have been answered in favour of the reformed position. So the policy of the Church, both at the Universal level and certainly in the countries most scarred by this crisis – like the United States, Ireland, and Germany – we have strong policies now. So the question no longer is, “What is the policy going to be”; the question is “How universally and thoroughly is it going to be applied?” In those moments when there is a breakdown and a failure, what are the consequences for that? Those are the hard questions which now have to be answered. Q: What is the role of the media? Many of these cases would never have come to light, and these new policies would not have been put in place, without media exposure. Yet some people also accuse the media of exaggerating or misunderstanding what is going on. Allen: Look, speaking as a media professional myself, I will tell you we are definitely a mixed bag. I mean that is, if the question is: Is media coverage of the Church – whether if it is about the sex abuse crisis or anything else – is it sometimes scandalistic, is it sometimes exaggerated, is it sometimes unbalanced in an unfair way – the answer to all that is: Yes, of course, and we all know it. Now, if the question is: Has media coverage of the Church – again not just on the sex abuse crisis, but in other things – has that coverage also sometimes galvanized the Church into reforms that it might have taken a lot more time for the Church to arrive at were it were not for that external pressure? Then I think the answer there is also clearly “yes”. I think one of the striking things about this symposium at the Gregorian is that net-net, if you sort of listen to the tone with regard to the media there – it was fundamentally positive. We heard American Cardinal William Levada, who is the head of the Vatican’s powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - which has responsibility under Church law for managing the sex abuse crisis – we heard him say that in many countries around the world that we now look at as pacesetters for the Church’s response for the crisis – places like the United States, and Ireland, and Germany – that had it not been for aggressive media coverage, the Church might well not have adopted the strong policies of which it is now justifiably proud. So look, I don’t think this kind of undertone of concern, and occasional annoyance, about media bias is ever going to go away, but I do think at senior levels there is also an acknowledgement that the kick in the teeth the Church took probably did some good. webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:07:01:73 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:35:34 GMT 562734 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=562614 Speaking to the thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Pope called for an end to the violence and bloodshed that has claimed thousands of lives in Syria. The Holy Father made the appeal at his Sunday Angelus. The Holy Father also called for priority to be given to the path of dialogue, reconciliation and peace. Much of the conflict in Syria has focused on the city of Homs where 23 were killed yesterday after a lull in shelling on Saturday. Protests which began 11 months ago have left thousands dead. The government of President Bashar Al Assad did promise to enact political reforms but they remain far from the changes demonstrators are asking for. Even a resolution on Syria put forward by the UN Security was vetoed by both China and Russia. Pope Benedict said he was following with great apprehension events in Syria and he added that he remembered in prayer the victims, including children, “those who have been wounded and those suffering the consequences of an increasingly worrying conflict." Listen to Sean Patrick Lovett's report: 00:01:20:64 webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:01:20:64 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:52:56 GMT 562614 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=562599 Healing was the theme of Pope Benedict’s weekly Angelus address, delivered this morning in St. Peter’s Square. The Holy Father spoke about today’s Gospel, which relates how a leper had come to Christ, saying “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus replied, saying, “I do will it, be made clean.” “In that gesture and in those words of Christ,” the Pope said, “is the whole history of salvation, there is embodied the will of God to heal, to cleanse us from the evil that disfigures us and destroys our relationships”. Pope Benedict spoke of the “existential commentary” on this Gospel passage in the life of Saint Francis, who recognised Christ in a leper. When, overcoming his initial revulsion, Francis nonetheless embraced the leper, “Jesus healed him of his leprosy—that is, his pride—and converted him to the love of God. This,” the Pope said, “is the victory of Christ, which is our deep healing and our resurrection to new life!” The Pope concluded his remarks with a prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose apparition at Lourdes was commemorated yesterday. Our Lady, he said, gave to St. Bernadette, the visionary of Lourdes, a timeless message: the call to prayer and penance. At the end of his address, Pope Benedict made an urgent appeal for an end to violence and bloodshed in Syria. He called all people to remember in prayer the victims of the conflict. And he called on everyone—and above all the political authorities in Syria—to favor the path of dialogue, reconciliation and commitment to peace. Listen to Christopher Wells' report: 00:02:13:49 webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:02:13:49 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:36:05 GMT 562599 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=562130 “I’ll be taking back news of a very successful symposium, I think on a very important topic towards healing and renewal in the church in the midst of this child safeguarding crisis”. That was the reflection of Cardinal Seàn Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland who attended the 4 day Vatican Conference on the Catholic Church’s approach to the crisis of clerical sex abuse. Speaking to Lydia O’Kane the Cardinal said, “ above all I see this as a very important step in the church recognising the seriousness of this matter of child safeguarding and once again we must recognise the importance of listening to victims…” Regarding his own country of Ireland, the Cardinal said, he hoped that a forthcoming report on Apostolic Visitations to various dioceses and church institutions would acknowledge “the progress that has been made and identify areas which still need attention”. He also stressed the importance of a “renewal of faith” in the country. The four day symposium entitled “Towards healing and Renewal” concluded on Thursday with the launch of an internet portal in four languages including English which will offer information and training for all those dealing with child protection in the Church. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Cardinal Brady 00:11:05:59 webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:11:05:59 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT 562130 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=562077 Few people are lucky enough to escape sickness during their life and all of us face death at the end of it. But at the same time, it’s not always easy for people, especially those in a position of authority, to talk openly about their illnesses, particularly when it is a life-threatening one like cancer. Bishop Crispian Hollis in Portsmouth in southern England has recently undergone two major operations for bowel cancer and unlike many in his position he was very upfront about his sickness. He spoke to Susy Hodges about his illness and what it had taught him.. Bishop Hollis said when one is ill , "one of the most difficult things is to pray" but said he learnt to overcome that. He also added that "being sick ... is a great leveller... you're on a par with everybody else and that's a very good thing." He also spoke about how he went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes last year and for the first time went there as one of the sick... "I found myself on the other side of the fence." Contrary to many other sick people, the Bishop said he regarded his sickness "as a gift..... a moment of grace" rather than a burden and says he believes his experience has made him "a better person." Listen to the full interview by Susy Hodges With Bishop Crispian Hollis: 00:11:52:32 webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:11:52:32 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05:58 GMT 562077 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=562073 The government of Burma arrested a prominent monk Friday morning for his leadership role in the anti-government protests which took place back in 2007. The arrest of Shin Gambira comes less than a month after the release of 651 political prisoners. Director of Burma Campaign UK Mark Farmaner spoke with Ann Schneible about the implications of the arrest within the international community, which had expressed cautious optimism about last month’s prisoner release being an indication of genuine government reform. “I hope that this arrest will make the international community a little bit more aware that all the laws that sent the political prisoners to jail in the first place are still in place. They’re still on the books. None of them have been revealed. And that the government still doesn’t tolerate dissent taking place in Burma.” “People will be hoping that this will just add a little bit of caution to the international community," he said, adding, "yes, there is cause for optimism." Noting that things have changed considerably, he went on to say, "you haven’t seen any real fundamental democratic reform in Burma yet. You still need that international pressure to encourage the government to make real genuine reforms and not just pragmatic changes that can be given and taken away at the stroke of a pen.” Listen 00:04:47:02 webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:04:47:02 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:58:33 GMT 562073 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=562011 Radio stations around the world are gearing up to celebrate the very first “World Radio Day” proclaimed by UNESCO for February 13th 2012. The aim of the day is “to celebrate radio broadcast, improve international cooperation among radio broadcasters and encourage decision-makers to create and provide access to information through radio.” UNESCO calls the day a means "to draw attention to the unique value of radio, which remains the medium to reach the widest audience.” On this occasion, Vatican Radio would like to remember Lebanon’s Voice of Charity Radio which, in the words of its Director, Fr. Fady Tabet, “miraculously” survived a number of bombings and has lived on to tell its tale, providing true Christian witness in a region in upheaval. Run by the Catholic Maronite order, the Voice of Charity Radio north of Beirut was bombed in May 2005 – a particularly violent period following the February assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and a spate of bombings in Christian neighbourhoods. Huge protests eventually led to Syria’s troop withdrawal from Lebanon that same year. In Lebanon, many believed Syria or pro-Syrian political figures were behind the attack on the Voice of Charity. The radio had just run a marathon program expressing solidarity with families of prisoners in Syrian jails, demanding freedom and information about those who had disappeared. The next day, a powerful bomb exploded between the Voice of Charity radio station and the Mar Yuhanna in . The radio station was destroyed and the church suffered major damage. Twenty-two people were wounded Speaking to Vatican Radio’s Tracey McClure, Fr. Fady Tabet remembers that May 6, 2005 in which his life and those of 27 others were spared, he says, with Our Lady’s help. “This day for us was a miracle – it was a miracle” Fr. Fady reflects. He says he cannot explain why he and 27 other staff members decided to leave the station just six minutes after they had re-entered it upon having celebrated mass next door. It was a decision that saved their lives. “That’s why I’m telling you it’s a miracle,” he exclaims and notes that the radio has set up “a statue of the Virgin Mary with the bomb” by way of thanks. “She took the bomb… and helped us to have a new life and to start again because we have a lot of work to do.” Previous to the bombing in 2005, the Voice of Charity considered its birthday to fall on the day which the Church celebrates Pentacost. “But we decided because we had a new life after this bomb, we decided to celebrate the birthday of the radio on that day – so every 6th of May.” Fr. Fady says the Voice of Charity continues its advocacy work on behalf of Lebanese prisoners in Syrian jails, and produces special memorial programs remembering them every May 6th. But the Voice of Charity alone, he stresses, is not enough and action must be taken on a political level to address the circumstances of these prisoners. “We need a strong voice to talk about it… but the situation in Syria now is very dangerous and that’s why no one is talking about the prisoners in (Syrian) jails.” Listen to Tracey McClure's interview with Fr. Fady Tabet: 00:04:09:38 webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:04:09:38 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:39:22 GMT 562011 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=561997 The John Paul II Sahel foundation works to aid one of the poorest regions in the world.The countries include Chad, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal.The foundation was established by Pope John Paul II after his first trip to Africa in 1980. Its’ administrative council is made up of bishops representing the episcopates of nine countries of the Sahel as well as representative from the German and Italian Bishops ‘ conferences. Addressing the members of the foundation on Friday the Holy Father noted how the Sahel region had been seriously threatened again in recent months by a significant decrease in food resources and by famine due to lack of rain and the constant advance of the desert as a result. He then went on to urge the international community to seriously address the extreme poverty of these people whose living conditions are deteriorating. The Holy Father encouraged and supported the efforts of Church bodies working to help those in need and noted how the John Paul II Sahel foundation in particular was a sign of the presence of the Pope with, as he put it “our African brothers who live in the Sahel.” The existence of the foundation, said Pope Benedict demonstrated the humanity of his blessed predecessor but he also stressed that the work of this charity needed to be immersed in prayer in order for it to achieve its full potential. Speaking about the foundation’s work in countries where Islam exists, Pope Benedict said he was very pleased that it continues to maintain good relations with the Muslim community adding that it testifies to the fact that Christ is alive and that his love is beyond any religion, race and culture. Regarding the Foundation’s future challenges and commitment, the Holy Father underlined how important it was that it continue to renew and update itself, and he added that with the help of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum it was important that the charity focus on Christian training and education In his concluding remarks the Pope said, that now Africa is being seen as the home of good news and it is for the Church the continent of hope. Listen to Lydia O'Kane's report 00:02:39:67 webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:02:39:67 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:32:35 GMT 561997 http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/articolo.asp?c=561646 In this week's edition of "There's more in the Gospel than meets the eye," Jill Bevilacqua and Seàn-Patrick Lovett bring us readings and reflections for the Sixth Sunday of the Year. Listen: 00:17:31:90 Gospel Mk 1:40-45 A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once. He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. webteam@vaticanradio.org News 00:17:31:90 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:26:40 GMT 561646