“Conversion is a forgetting of ourselves, it is to stop pretending to be the center of the universe… and saying: ‘Lord, sit down, now the center is going to be you’” Bishop Munilla said during his Sept. 11, 2024, presentation at the International Eucharistic Congress. / Credit: Eduardo Berdejo/EWTN News

Quito, Ecuador, Sep 14, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The presentation by Bishop José Ignacio Munilla at this year’s International Eucharistic Congress in Quito, Ecuador, was considered one of the most impactful so far, containing inspiring reflections that resonated in the hearts of the nearly 5,000 people gathered to hear the prelate.

The bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, Spain, called for spiritual renewal centered on the heart of Jesus and the Eucharist as the only ways to “Christify ourselves” and “transform our heart of stone” into one like that of Jesus.

Below are 15 quotes that left their mark on attendees from more than 50 countries.

1. “If they don’t teach you to love, you confuse loving with possessing, loving with desiring. Learning to love is quite a challenge. We need Jesus Christ, the heart of Jesus, to learn to love.”

2. “I am loved, therefore I am. If I had not been loved by God, I would not exist.”

3. “How many people suffer because they do not have a well-founded self-esteem! … If God loves me and wants me, and this is what the heart of Christ has revealed, I have no right to despise myself or think that this life has no meaning.” 

4. “The heart of Jesus is a school of love. Allow me this expression: It is the human school of divine love and it is the divine school of human love.”

5. “We all have a holy guardian angel. Not just those of us who are baptized. An atheist, even if he doesn’t know it, has a guardian angel; you’ll find out.”

6. “The Church is not an NGO [nongovernmental organization]; it is the family of Christ that continues the message, extending the message of Christ’s salvation to the entire world.

7. “We are weakened by sin. We are not capable of love. We need the heart of Jesus as a school of love.”

8. “Without the grace of Christ, it is impossible to heal the emotional wounds that characterize the present time and that make us suffer so much.”

9. “In God’s plan we are all necessary. There is not a person that is not needed.”

10. “My enemy is Satan, it is not this one who is making my life impossible, or this one who is next to me.”

11. “It is said that abortion is a right, that killing a child in the womb is a right. That is unnatural.”

12. “Conversion is a forgetting of ourselves, it is to stop pretending to be the center of the universe… and saying: ‘Lord, sit down, now the center is going to be you.’”

13. “From the heart of Jesus springs the Eucharist, and from the Eucharist springs that transformation of my heart of stone into a heart like that of Jesus.”

14. “Frequent Communion well carried out and Eucharistic adoration will be the keys to the miracle of interior transformation.”

15. “Let us be in love with the Eucharist, because the Eucharist will be responsible for Christifying us. We Eucharistize ourselves to Christify ourselves.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Father Vitalis Anaehobi, who serves in the southesast region of Nigeria, says that most of the young people he has spoken to are grieved by “difficulties in life” such as poverty, unemployment, and “the failure by the Church to protect them” as attacks against Christians continue in the country where religious-based persecution is one of the highest in the world. Many young people in the villages are now turning to paganism. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Vitalis Anaehobi/ACI Africa

ACI Africa, Sep 14, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

While many Catholic leaders in Nigeria are concerned about the influence of Pentecostalism, Catholics in the southeastern parts of the country are concerned about another trend.

In rural parts of the West African country, the number of young people participating in Sunday Mass has plummeted and continues to fall as many of them turn to paganism.

Father Vitalis Anaehobi serves in the region and said that most of the young people he has spoken to are grieved by “difficulties in life” such as poverty, unemployment, and “the failure by the Church to protect them” as attacks against Christians continue in the country where religious-based persecution is one of the highest in the world.

In an interview with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, regarding concerns about the growth of private ministries linking themselves to the Catholic Church in Nigeria, Anaehobi said: “We are not upset by the influence of these ministries. The greatest fear we have, especially in southeast Nigeria where I am based, is the fact that young people are going back to traditional religion.”

He said that the youth in rural villages in Nigeria are not going to Pentecostal churches but to religions that their forefathers abandoned when they embraced Christianity.

“Our youths are going back to paganism,” Anaehobi told ACI Africa. “This emerging trend is nowhere on social media but for us here, this is our greatest worry. Very young boys and girls are going back to these practices.”

Anaehobi, who is the secretary-general of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA), said that at the heart of the worrying trend is the increasing insecurity in the region.

“There is the false belief that in the face of the current insecurity in the region, Christianity cannot protect anyone. [The youth] believe that with traditional religion, they can obtain some way to protect themselves,” he said.

“According to our young people, Christianity is not as practical as traditional religion. When you go to the churches in our villages, you will not find young people there. They are out there practicing traditional religion.”

The priest said that because of poverty and lack of employment, young people there, especially in the rural parts of the country, are avoiding the Church where they are told “to go ahead and give the little they have to get blessings.”

They say that with traditional religion, no one is allowed to give much, Anaehobi shared with ACI Africa, adding that young people embracing African religious practices instead “meet, slaughter animals, perform rituals, dance, and go home with full stomachs.”

At the moment, this trend can only be observed in rural villages.

“We are not worried about the cities because there, the Church is full of young people,” Anaehobi said. “What we worry about the most is our villages.”

To encourage young rural people to stay in the Church, the priest has suggested that the Church in Nigeria rethink its role and look for practical ways to empower youths in the country.

“As we teach and give hope, we must go out and meet these young people where they are. They are out there looking for solutions to their poverty and unemployment,” he said. “The Church may not have the means to get our young people employed, but we can organize mentorship programs for them and facilitate their link to potential recruiters.”

In an interview with ACI Africa on Sept. 4, Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of Nigeria’s Diocese of Oyo said he had observed the increasing presence of paganism in the country.

“At the moment, we are talking about the revival of superstition and old traditional religions and beliefs in Nigeria,” the bishop said.

Badejo’s comments were echoed by Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of the Archdiocese of Abuja in Nigeria, who raised an alarm about the emergence of a group in the country calling itself “Old Catholics.” 

“We have a new group coming in, calling themselves ‘Old Catholics,’ and they are setting up churches all over the place and causing confusion among the people,” the archbishop said, adding that some members are dressed as Catholic priests and hold liturgies similar to the Mass.

“Very many people are following this group,” he lamented. “We are very careful as bishops to watch out and to enlighten our people to be very careful not to fall into their traps. This isn’t healthy for us at all.”

This article was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA. 

Cardinal Jaime Sin hosted both of Pope John Paul II’s visits to the Philippines in 1981 and 1995. / Credit: © Ryansean071/Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Sep 14, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

An archdiocese in the Philippines opened a museum this month in honor of Cardinal Jaime Sin, a Filipino cardinal who was the people’s “voice against corrupt forces” during difficult times in the country’s history. 

Sin’s family residence will be home to the museum, called the “Museo Kardinal,” according to the Archdiocese of Manila. The project was a collaboration between the local diocese of Kalibo and the Serviam Foundation. 

“Jaime Cardinal Sin was the archbishop of Manila during critical times in Philippines history,” said Father Rufino Sescon Jr., the former personal secretary to the cardinal. “At a time when the people were looking for leaders who could be their voice and defense against abusive and corrupt forces, Cardinal Sin rose to the occasion.”

Sin left a legacy behind as an important figure during the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, which ousted the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, restoring democracy in the Philippines. He is remembered as a driving force behind two revolts that ousted two dictators.

In his address to the people in 1986, the cardinal spoke on Radio Varitas to the Philippines, saying: “My dear people, I wish you to pray, because it’s only through prayer that we may solve this problem.” 

In his address, Sin called for a nonviolent protest, inspiring 20,000 people to rally peacefully at Camp Aguinaldo on Feb. 22, 1986,  to protect “our two good friends”: defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile and vice military chief Fidel Ramos, who defected from Marcos’ regime. 

“He led two people power revolutions. He was not afraid to be unpopular and criticized if only to denounce the evils of society,” Sescon explained. 

The museum is located in New Washington in Aklan and holds a collection of archival materials and Church artifacts, such as the mitre used by Sin, according to the Archdiocese of Manila. Sescon donated memorabilia to the museum as well. 

The first floor of the museum had already been turned into a chapel in honor of St. John Paul II. Sin hosted both of John Paul II’s visits to the Philippines in 1981 and 1995. 

The new museum was unveiled and blessed on Aug. 31, on what would have been Sin’s 96th birthday, and opened to the public the following day. 

The cardinal was born Aug. 31, 1928, and appointed archbishop of Manila by Pope Paul VI in 1974. In 1976, at the age of 48, he became the youngest cardinal in the world. Sin died on June 21, 2005, of complications from diabetes. 

“Hopefully, the museum in his hometown will instill to the people, especially the youth, the importance of good citizenship and morality in public office, that a good Christian is also a good citizen and leader,” Sescon noted. 

“May his life and legacy inspire more Filipinos to be more concerned and participative in the plight of the country and the need to choose righteous leaders,” he added.

An inscription on the wall of the museum reads: “My duty is to put Christ in politics. Politics without Christ is the greatest scourge of the nation,” a quote attributed to Sin.

“Cardinal Sin showed that love for country is also an expression of love for God,” Sescon said. “Our Catholic faith should also impel us to work for justice, peace, and good governance.” 

French Catholic priest Abbe Pierre takes part in a demonstration on May 6, 1994. / Credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Sep 13, 2024 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

The bishops of France have decided to release archive files related to the famous priest Abbé Pierre nearly six decades ahead of schedule amid multiple claims of sexual abuse involving the late cleric. 

Famed for his resistance work in World War II and later his founding of the poverty ministry Emmaus, Pierre died in 2007. In recent months, numerous allegations have surfaced regarding alleged sexual misconduct by the priest. 

A July 17 report released by the Emmaus Movement detailed claims from several alleged victims largely consisting of Emmaus employees and volunteers as well as young women in Pierre’s social circle. Multiple new allegations were revealed this month.

Numerous groups and organizations connected to Emmaus and to Pierre have been scrambling to address the fallout from the bombshell claims. 

The French bishops, meanwhile, are making available documents related to the priest that would otherwise not have been released until the 2080s. 

The Bishops’ Conference of France (CEF) said in a statement on Thursday that, due to “the seriousness of the successive revelations concerning Abbé Pierre,” the conference would “exceptionally [lift] the duration of communicability of the archives” regarding the priest. 

Standard CEF rules dictate a nondisclosure period of 75 years for archival files and documents “containing information relating to the private life, career, or intimacy” of individuals, including clergy and religious.

For clergy, the period begins upon the death of the priest in question, meaning Pierre’s files would normally only be available at the National Center of Archives of the Church of France beginning in 2082.

On Friday, meanwhile, the Diocese of Grenoble-Vienne — where Piere was incardinated in 1939 — said in a statement that Bishop Jean-Marc Eychenne had “[taken] the decision to exceptionally lift the deadline for the communication of the diocesan archives concerning Father Pierre.”

Both the CEF and the Grenoble-Vienne Diocese said documents related to Pierre would be available to researchers, journalists, and other authorized persons. 

Earlier this month the Abbé Pierre Foundation revealed that it was changing its name amid the ongoing claims of sexual abuse regarding the priest. 

The board of Emmaus France, meanwhile, said it would submit a proposal for the removal of “Abbé Pierre, founder” from its logo at an extraordinary general assembly that will take place in December. 

Emmaus International also said it would convene a panel of independent experts in order to “apprehend and explain the flaws in the movement that allowed Abbé Pierre to behave as he did for more than 50 years.”

null / Credit: Stephen Velsaso via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), filter added

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 13, 2024 / 15:54 pm (CNA).

Two proposed constitutional amendments — one pro-life and one pro-abortion — will appear on Nebraska ballots on Nov. 5, the state Supreme Court ruled on Friday.

One referendum would establish constitutional protections for unborn children in later stages of pregnancy and the other would create a constitutional right to obtain an abortion.

Both proposed amendments faced legal challenges, which claimed the proposals violated the constitution’s single-subject rule. The Supreme Court found that both amendments contain one general subject and are not in violation of the rule.

Pro-life amendment

The pro-life referendum would grant constitutional protections to “unborn children” that protect them from “abortion in the second and third trimesters” except in the case of a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest.

It would effectively prohibit elective abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy.

Although the proposed amendment would not grant constitutional protections to unborn children in the first trimester of pregnancy, state lawmakers would be allowed to adopt stronger pro-life protections than what is established in the amendment.

Pro-abortion amendment

The pro-abortion referendum would establish “a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.” It would prohibit “the state and its political subdivisions” from interfering with the newly established constitutional right.

It would effectively guarantee the legality of elective abortion until viability, which occurs around the 23rd or 24th week of pregnancy.

The text defines viability as the point at which “there is a significant likelihood of the fetus’ sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.” A preborn child’s viability would be determined by “the patient’s treating health care practitioner,” who is often the abortionist.

The text does not elaborate on when the “health” of the mother exception would apply or whether “mental health” would be included in the exception.

Because the Nebraska measures are mutually exclusive and cannot both be added to the constitution, the measure with the most “for” votes will be added. For a ballot measure to pass in Nebraska, it needs more “for” votes than “against” votes and must receive at least 35% of the total votes cast at that election to be in favor of the measure. The governor is responsible for determining whether there is a conflict, per state law.

Nebraska’s current abortion laws

Under current law, Nebraska allows elective abortion through the 12th week of pregnancy. After 12 weeks, a woman can only obtain an abortion when the child is conceived in rape or incest or if there is a medical emergency.

The pro-life referendum would allow the current law to stay in place. However, the pro-abortion referendum would substantially expand abortion.

Nebraska is one of 10 states where abortion will be on the ballot this fall.

Bishop José Ignacio Munilla speaks at the International Eucharistic Congress taking place in Quito, Ecuador, Sept. 8–15, 2024. / Credit: Eduardo Berdejo/EWTN News

Quito, Ecuador, Sep 13, 2024 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

One of Spain’s most prominent prelates, Bishop José Ignacio Munilla, delivered a powerful summons at the International Eucharistic Congress taking place in Quito, Ecuador, this week.

During an address to the congress, which wraps up Sept. 15, Munilla encouraged everyone in attendance to turn their eyes upon Jesus: “We need Christ to love. Without Jesus Christ, we don’t know how to love.”

The revered Spanish theologian and bishop of Orihuela-Alicante emphasized the importance of divine grace to be able to live the commandment to love. In an emphatic tone, he asked the thousands of attendees: “Could we fulfill the commandment to love one another as Jesus has loved us, or even the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, without the grace of Jesus Christ? Impossible.”

During a presentation titled “The Sacred Heart of Jesus, Demand for Fraternity,” Munilla recalled that human beings “are weakened by sin” and therefore have a diminished capacity to love.

“We need the heart of Jesus as a school of love. Without the infinite love of God, which establishes Gospel fraternity, there is no such hope,” he explained on the fourth day of the global event attended by delegations from 54 countries.

In his remarks, Munilla directed special attention to those who suffer emotional and affective wounds in any of their forms, reaffirming that “without the grace of Christ, it is impossible to heal them.”

“For example, narcissism. How much does narcissism make us suffer? Pansexualism. How much does sex divorced from love make us suffer? Distrust. How much does that distance between us make us suffer? We don’t trust each other because we have failed each other many times. All these emotional wounds need to be healed by the heart of Christ,” he pointed out.

The renowned prelate emphasized that through the Sacred Heart of Jesus revealed in the Gospels — and to which he has special devotion — it is possible not only to trust but also to “live in purity, forget ourselves, and give of ourselves generously.”

At the beginning of his presentation, Munilla noted that this International Eucharistic Congress is taking place in Ecuador, the first nation to consecrate itself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 150 years ago and also the first to organize a National Eucharistic Congress, 10 years after that consecration.

He compared this dedication to the image of the heart of Jesus on the Cerro de los Ángeles in Spain, which bears the inscription “I will reign in Spain,” suggesting that in Ecuador, in the center of the world, one could also say “I will reign in the world.”

“May Christ reign, may Christ reign, may the reign of Christ come true. We proclaim this from here, from the center of the world,” he said.

‘We exist because we are loved’

The bishop of Orihuela-Alicante also observed that this year marks the 350th anniversary of the revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who received a crucial message: “Behold this heart that has loved men so much.” However, immediately afterward she received the message that this love has often been reciprocated with ingratitude.

“It is a drama that God is not reciprocated, that God is telling you ‘I love you,’ ‘I love you,’ and that we sometimes respond with indifference,” he reflected.

Despite man’s rejection, the Spanish bishop recalled that the heart of Jesus is “a great sign” that emphasizes “the declaration of love that God has made to humanity.”

“The sign of the heart of Jesus is: We exist because we are loved … If I had not been loved by a very free decision of God, who decided to bring me into the world out of love, I would not exist,” he reminded the audience.

‘If God loves me… I have no right to despise myself’

Munilla explained that many people suffer from low self-esteem, feeling devalued when faced with criticism or lack of acceptance. However, in the face of this situation, he stated that it is crucial to understand that “God loves me, God loves me.”

“If God loves me and wants me, and this is what the heart of Christ has revealed, I have no right to despise myself or think that this life has no meaning,” he exhorted with hope.

Munilla explained that we call God “Father,” first of all, because he has created us all, and “he has created the world and has thought about the good of all his children.”

“God the Father wants everyone to know Jesus Christ … God the Father sent his Son to the world to redeem us from sin. Jesus rescued us at the price of his shed blood to obtain forgiveness of sins, and our faith confesses that his redemption was not limited to forgiving us but, in the height of his mercy, he elevated us to the status of children, in a sense much higher than the one we had at creation,” he explained.

In that sense, he recalled that God the Father “makes us participants in the divine filiation of Jesus Christ.”

“We are sons and daughters in the Son. That’s incredible. It is as if we have been grafted into the father-son relationship that exists between Jesus and the Father. And the grace of Christ introduces us into that relationship,” he said with emotion.

Munilla highlighted to the audience that “in Jesus Christ we are introduced into the bosom of the Holy Trinity.” However, unlike what happens in the rest of creation, “this supernatural filiation has to be freely accepted by faith” and by each of us through the sacrament of baptism.

The bishop was also clear in pointing out that “there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved.”

“It is Jesus who saves us, it says in Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, verse 12: ‘There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved.’”

‘The heart of Jesus is a school of love… and it gives me the grace to love’

Munilla explained that sharing the “wonderful fatherhood of God” brings with it many consequences for man, mainly that we are called to discover a relationship of intimate “brotherhood” with the Lord; and consequently, the heart of Jesus is the key to achieving this, since it is the “school of love” that allows this bond.

The Spanish prelate summarized it in the following way: “Allow me this expression: The heart of Jesus is the human school of divine love and it is the divine school of human love. I say that it is the human school of divine love because, with human language, Jesus, who is the revealer of the Father, tells us that God is love. Not only does he teach me to love, he not only tells me that God is love, but he enables me to love, he gives me the grace to love.”

Munilla highlighted that original sin and its consequences “have greatly weakened the human being’s capacity to love” but that Christ himself provided human beings with the way to sanctify themselves through the Eucharist, which “configures us with the heart of Jesus.”

Near the end of his presentation, Munilla stressed the deep connection between the image of the heart of Jesus and the Eucharist. He recalled that at the Last Supper, during which the Eucharist was instituted, the beloved disciple, John, reclined his head on Christ’s chest. “This is a symbol that the heart of Jesus gives us the Eucharist. Do you remember? ‘I have longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer’ (Lk 22:15).”

Therefore, he pointed out: “The heart of Jesus gives us the Eucharist, but, at the same time, the Eucharist configures us with the heart of Jesus. They are two simultaneous and rotating movements: from the heart of Jesus the Eucharist springs, and from the Eucharist springs this transformation of my heart of stone into a heart similar to that of Jesus.”

Munilla highlighted that, upon understanding that the great miracle of the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus occurs in the Eucharist, “frequent Communion well carried out and Eucharistic adoration will be keys to the miracle of interior transformation.” 

“You, by receiving Jesus Christ, are also transformed, you learn to love. If you learn to love, change your family; there is a transubstantiation, too. And change your job, because before you worked bitterly, but now you work vocationally.”

“It changes your life, it changes your work, it changes your life in the parish,” Munilla underscored.

Finally, Munilla highlighted to the audience the importance of “being in love with the Eucharist, because the Eucharist will be responsible for Christifying us. We Eucharistize ourselves to Christify ourselves.”

“I end by turning to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that she too may teach us to love … Let us look at Mary: There has never been an undivided human heart like hers in history. And for this reason, we invoke with faith: ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you; sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation,’” he concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

A picture taken on March 27, 2019, shows a scaffold during the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, in Paris. / Credit: LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Aboard the papal plane, Sep 13, 2024 / 14:28 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis definitively ruled out the possibility of visiting France for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral on his return flight on Friday from Southeast Asia.

Speaking during an in-flight press conference on the papal plane on Sept. 13, the pope resolutely stated: “I will not go to Paris!”

French President Emmanuel Macron invited Pope Francis to visit Paris for the long-awaited reopening of the historic cathedral, which is set to take place on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

Pope Francis traditionally celebrates the Marian feast with the city of Rome in the piazza at the foot of the Spanish Steps.

In 2019 the world mourned the damage done to the medieval Paris cathedral by a fire that devastated the 315-foot-tall oak spire and timber roof of the eight-centuries-old cathedral.

Major religious and artistic treasures of the cathedral were removed as the fire began, including a relic of Christ’s crown of thorns.

Authorities have not yet found any evidence that the blaze was not an accident, with an initial investigation conducted in the months after the fire concluding it may have been caused by an electrical malfunction. 

Almost immediately after the disaster, debate began as to whether the cathedral would be restored as it looked before the fire or if it would be updated with modern architectural designs and flourishes atop the ancient portion of the church. 

The French Parliament subsequently enacted a law mandating that the reconstruction must “preserve the historic, artistic, and architectural interest” of the original structure. 

The spire was not original to the 800-year-old structure, having been added during a 19th-century renovation. In 2020, President Emmanuel Macron of France announced, amid controversy over the possibility of a new and contemporary design, that the spire would be rebuilt as a replica of the one destroyed. 

Friends of Notre Dame de Paris, a nonprofit supporting the renovation, said the new spire is constructed of an oak framework covered with lead, just as the old one was. Construction of the cathedral originally began in 1160 and took nearly two centuries. While most work was done by 1260, it was finally completed in 1345. 

While the pope does not plan to visit Paris for the reopening, he did express his desire to travel to the Canary Islands, an autonomous Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, in part to visit its migrant population.

Pope Francis said that he would also like to go to his native Argentina, but “it is still not decided” because “there are a number of things to resolve first.”

The 87-year-old pope spoke about his future travel wishes on the return from the longest trip of his pontificate to date — a nearly two-week tour of four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.

In the press conference, in which Pope Francis discussed the upcoming U.S. presidential election, the pope repeated his dream of visiting another country.

“I would like to visit China. It’s a great country,” he said.

The pope is scheduled to travel to Belgium and Luxembourg Sept. 26–29.

Pope Francis speaks to journalists aboard the papal plane during an in-flight press conference on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, on his return from his nearly two-week tour of Southeast Asia. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Aboard the papal plane, Sep 13, 2024 / 13:50 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis said that American voters face the choice between “the lesser evil” in the U.S. presidential election during an in-flight press conference Friday on his return from his nearly two-week tour of Southeast Asia.

Speaking aboard the papal plane, a chartered Singapore Airlines flight, on Sept. 13, the pope encouraged Catholics to vote with their conscience.

“In political morality, in general they say that if you don’t vote, it’s not good, it’s bad. You have to vote, and you have to choose the lesser evil,” he said.

“What is the lesser evil? That woman, or that man?” he continued, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris and her Republican opponent, former president Donald Trump. “I don’t know. Each one, in his or her conscience, must think and do this.”

In the first press conference that Pope Francis has had to face in nearly a year, the pope expressed his satisfaction with the Vatican’s controversial diplomatic accord with communist China, and he firmly ruled out the possibility of attending the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. The pope was asked no questions about the alleged abuses and artwork of Father Marko Rupnik and he again underlined that abortion is “murder.”

CBS News reporter Anna Matranga asked Francis what advice he would give to an American voter who has to decide between a candidate “who is in favor of abortion and another who wants to deport millions of migrants.”

Pope Francis replied: “Both are anti-life — both the one who throws out migrants and the one who kills babies — both of them are against life.”

Harris, a Democrat who has made abortion without legal restrictions the centerpiece of her presidential campaign, and Trump, who has called for the deportations of perhaps millions of immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally in recent years, are locked in a tight contest with just 52 days to go before the Nov. 5 election.

The Holy Father’s remarks about “the lesser evil” refers to the Church’s long-standing teaching that when faced with a choice between candidates who aren’t wholly aligned with the Church’s position on fundamental “nonnegotiable” issues — such as the sanctity of life, marriage, and religious freedom — it is permissible to cast a vote against the candidate who would do the most harm.

Abortion is ‘murder’

The pope went on to say that the science supports that life begins at conception, adding that although people may not like to use the word “kill” when discussing the topic, abortion is “murder.”

“To have an abortion is to kill a human being,” Francis said.

“The Church does not allow abortion because it is to kill, it is murder,” he added. “It is murder. And this we have to be clear about.”

In their updated voters guide, the U.S. bishops state: “The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks our most vulnerable and voiceless brothers and sisters and destroys more than a million lives per year in our country alone.”

Pope Francis also spoke strongly about the topic of immigration, recalling his visit to Mexico’s border with the United States where he offered Mass near the Diocese of El Paso, saying that “to send migrants away” or to not give them welcome is “sinful.”

“Sending migrants away, not letting them develop, not letting them have life, is a bad and nasty thing. Sending a baby away from its mother’s breast is a murder because there is life. On these things, we must speak plainly,” he said.

The pope’s comments come three days after the first presidential debate between Trump and Harris in which both abortion and migration were significant topics of debate. The U.S. debate occurred as Pope Francis was nearly 10,000 miles away visiting the island nations of East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Singapore Sept. 2–13.

During the 45-minute in-flight press conference — which was briefly interrupted by strong turbulence on the papal plane — Pope Francis also responded to questions about clerical sex abuse, Vatican-China dialogue, the war in Gaza, the death penalty, and his upcoming travel plans.

Abuse is ‘something demonic’

While Pope Francis was not asked about Rupnik during the in-flight press conference, the pope did speak at length about clerical sex abuse in response to a question from a French journalist about another recent clerical abuse scandal — that of Abbé Pierre, a Catholic priest and Capuchin friar who died in 2007 and was one of the Church of France’s most beloved and iconic figures.

The late founder of the Emmaus Movement in France has been accused of sexual abuse and misconduct by at least seven victims — including one who was a minor at the time of her alleged assault. Like East Timor’s Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, the island country’s independence hero and Nobel Peace prize winner who has been sanctioned by the Vatican for sexually abusing young boys, Abbé Pierre was looked up to in his country. Pierre was part of the French Resistance in World War II and is remembered for helping Jews cross the French border into Switzerland.

Simon Leplatre, a journalist from Le Monde, asked Pope Francis what he would say “to the general population who find it hard to believe that a person who did so much [many] good deeds could also commit crimes,” referencing both Belo and Abbé Pierre.

In his reply, the pope said that the question “touched a very painful and very delicate point,” adding that public sins are to be condemned, including “all kinds of abuse.”

“Abuse is, in my judgment, something demonic,” Pope Francis said. “Because every type of abuse destroys the dignity of the person. Every type of abuse seeks to destroy that which all of us are, the image of God.”

During the pope’s response, the papal plane was hit by strong turbulence, causing the captain of the aircraft to interrupt the press conference with a safety announcement.

“Your question caused turbulence!” Pope Francis remarked. “To conclude, the sexual abuse of children, of minors, is a crime. It is a shame.”

Journalists who did not get the opportunity to ask a question during the in-flight press conference told CNA that they would have liked to confront the pope about Rupnik and other Catholics in positions of influence who have been accused of serious sexual offenses, including Luis Fernando Figari, the founder of the Sodalitium Vitae Christianae.

The pope responded to questions from 10 journalists — representing the countries visited and the different languages spoken in the press corps: Italian, Spanish, French, German, and English. Each language representative could only ask one question, and the English-speaking journalist chose to ask about the U.S. presidential election. In addition, a journalist from a Chinese-owned news outlet was allowed to ask the pope about the Holy See’s dialogue with the Chinese government.

Vatican-China dialogue

In response to the question of whether the pope was satisfied with the results of the Holy See’s provisional agreement with Beijing so far, Pope Francis said that in his view the results are good and there is goodwill in working on the appointment of bishops.

“I am happy with the dialogue with China,” Francis said. “I have heard how things are going from the secretary of state, and I am happy.”

Pope Francis expressed his admiration for China’s long history and reaffirmed his strong desire to visit the country.

“China is a promise and a hope for the Church,” the pope said.

The pope’s comments on China come as the Vatican-China deal, first signed in 2018, is up for another two-year renewal at the end of this month.

The Vatican’s dialogue with China has not always been smooth. The Vatican has admitted that China violated the terms of its provisional agreement on the consensual appointment of Catholic bishops in China via a joint China-Vatican commission by unilaterally appointing Catholic bishops in Shanghai and the “diocese of Jiangxi,” a large diocese created by the Chinese government that is not recognized by the Vatican.

Human rights advocates have raised concerns over the Vatican’s silence during the years of dialogue on the Chinese Communist Party’s religious freedom violations, including the internment of Uyghur Muslims, and the imprisonment of democracy advocates, including Catholic Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong.

Last month, the Chinese government officially recognized a formerly “underground” bishop in China, 95-year-old Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen, something the Vatican called “a positive fruit of the dialogue” with Beijing.

‘Every day I call Gaza’

The press conference during the pope’s 12-hour return flight to Rome was the first papal press conference since the start of the war in Gaza nearly one year ago. Responding to a question about the recent Israeli strike on a Gaza school that killed 18 people, including two staff members of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the pope offered an assurance that “the Holy See is working.”

“Every day I call Gaza, the parish in Gaza,” Pope Francis revealed. “In the parish in the college there are 600 people, Christians and Muslims. They live as brothers. They tell me bad things, difficult things.”

Lamenting the “bodies of killed children” in Gaza, the pope repeated his oft-repeated phrase that “war is always a defeat” even for the winner. The pope added that he was grateful for the King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, lauding him for “trying to make peace.”

Desire to visit Canary Islands

Pope Francis, who will turn 88 in December and frequently uses a wheelchair, appeared energetic and smiled often as he responded to journalists’ questions aboard the plane. On the final day of the longest and one of the most arduous international trips of his pontificate, the 87-year-old pope was already ready to discuss future travels.

Pope Francis revealed that he is thinking of visiting the Canary Islands, an autonomous Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, especially because of its migrant population. The pope was asked to visit the Canary Islands by the Canary Islands’ President Fernando Clavijo in an audience at the Vatican in January.

The pope definitively ruled out the possibility of visiting France for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral on Dec. 8. The cathedral is set to reopen on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a feast that the pope traditionally always celebrates with the city of Rome in the piazza at the foot of the Spanish Steps.

Pope Francis was less decisive about the possibility of a long-awaited trip to his native Argentina. He told Argentine journalist Elisabetta Pique that he would like to go to Argentina but “it is still not decided” because “there are a number of things to resolve first.”

Longest journey of his pontificate

Amid much skepticism as to how the elderly pope would be able to handle the ambitious international trip, Pope Francis completed his longest journey yet, flying a staggering 20,000 miles in total on seven flights to visit four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

On his final return flight to Rome, the pope slowly made his way down the aisle of the aircraft using a walking cane before being assisted to sit down on a small folding chair from which he thanked the journalists for accompanying him on the long journey.

Pope Francis said that he was impressed by the art and the traditional dances he encountered in Papua New Guinea and the skyscrapers and apparent lack of discrimination in the multicultural city-state of Singapore. The pope added that Singapore will soon host the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix, which he said is a testament to how the city is an international destination that attracts different cultures.

As he spoke about his journey, it was clear that East Timor, a small, impoverished country established in 2002, made a strong impression on the pope. An estimated 600,000 people turned out for the papal Mass in East Timor — nearly half of the population of the island country that is 98% Catholic.

Pope Francis praised East Timor’s “culture of life,” commending the country’s high birth rate and adding that wealthier countries, including Singapore, could learn from the small country that “children are the future.”

“East Timor is a simple culture, very family-based, happy, a culture of life with many children,” he said. The pope underlined that he hopes this aspect of Timorese culture can be protected from “ideas that come from outside,” which can be like the saltwater crocodiles that have overrun some of the young country’s pristine coral-reef beaches.

“Let me tell you one thing,” Pope Francis added. “I fell in love with East Timor.”

Pope Francis addresses elderly and sick people on his final day in Singapore on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, marking the conclusion of his 12-day, four-country apostolic journey to Asia and Oceania — the longest trip of his pontificate to date. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Sep 13, 2024 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

After blessing the elderly on his last day in Singapore, Pope Francis told an assembly of youth that religions are “like languages that try to express ways to approach God” at an interreligious meeting that concluded his 12-day, four-country apostolic journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania.   

‘Your prayers are very important before God’

As the Holy Father made his way toward the chapel of St. Theresa’s Home where approximately 200 elderly residents and staff gathered to receive his papal blessing, several residents in wheelchairs seized the opportunity to see the pope up close and shake his hand as he passed by them in the corridors of the country’s oldest Catholic-run nursing home.

Before imparting his blessing in English, the pope thanked the residents for their patience and their prayers and asked that they pray for him.

“Your prayers are very important before God. God is very happy to hear your prayers,” he said to those present in the chapel. “With this blessing the Lord shows himself close to you. He pardons everything.”

Pope to youth: ‘All religions are paths to reach God’

After visiting the sick and elderly in St. Theresa’s Home, the Holy Father was impressed by the capacity of Singapore’s youth to engage in interreligious dialogue following an exchange with students hosted by Catholic Junior College.

“Religions are seen as paths trying to reach God. I will use an analogy: They are like different languages that express the divine,” the pope explained.

“But God is for everyone, and therefore, we are all God’s children,” he said. “There is only one God, and religions are like languages that try to express ways to approach God. Some Sikh, some Muslim, some Hindu, some Christian.”

The Holy Father encouraged the interfaith youth representatives — Raaj, a Hindu youth who is chief coordinator of the Inter-religious Organisation Youth Wing; Preet, a young Sikh woman working in the interfaith space since 2017; and Nicole, a Catholic educator who used to work for Singapore’s Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue — to not be closed in on themselves but to take risks and “move forward with hope” even when faced with our own and others’ mistakes and shortcomings.

“Youth is courageous and youth likes to go toward the truth,” he said.

Challenging his audience, the Holy Father urged them to have the courage to be critical thinkers: “I ask all young people, each one: Are you critical?”

“Do you have the courage to criticize and also the courage to let others criticize you?” he asked.

“This is the sincere dialogue between young people.” 

During the youth-led meeting, the Holy Father also reiterated the need for “respect for others” in interreligious dialogue, even when confronted with our own or others’ mistakes and shortcomings.

“Each one of us has our own abilities and limitations,” he explained. “Do we all have abilities? Do we all have some limitations? Even the pope? Yes, all, all! As we have our limitations, we must respect the disabilities of others.”

“Why do I say this? Because overcoming these things helps in your interfaith dialogue since it is built upon respect for others. This is very important.”

According to Pew Research Center, Singapore is ranked as one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. Approximately 26% of Singaporeans identify as Buddhist, 18% as Muslim, 17% as Christian and 8% as Hindu. An additional 22% of Singaporeans do not identify with a specific religion.

Pope urges unity among bishops, priests, religious, and laypeople

Before his Sept. 13 meetings with the elderly and youth, the Holy Father met with bishops, priests, and consecrated men and women after celebrating Mass at the St. Francis Xavier Retreat Centre. 

Drawing upon the theme for his papal visit to Singapore, “Unity and Hope,” the pope reminded bishops and priests to live united with God and one another and to be “in the midst of the people” they serve.

At around midday, the Holy Father was transported to Singapore Changi Airport to embark upon his journey back to Rome to conclude his whirlwind Sept. 2–13 apostolic journey, which brought him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore to meet with civil and religious leaders and communities in the Southeast Asia and Oceania regions.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about Florida’s new six-week abortion ban on May 1, 2024, in Jacksonville, Florida. Harris has made abortion policy a central issue of her presidential campaign. / Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 13, 2024 / 10:45 am (CNA).

A political action committee that supports Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential candidacy launched a $15 million advertisement campaign in key battleground states that promotes the Democratic nominee’s pro-abortion political agenda.

The campaign, launched by American Bridge 21st Century on Thursday, will air television, radio, and digital advertisements promoting Harris’ support for abortion and criticizing former President Donald Trump. The advertisements will air in three important swing states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

“American Bridge’s program to defeat Donald Trump has always been about three things: abortion, democracy, and freedom,” Bradley Beychok, co-founder of American Bridge 21st Century, said in a statement.

“Voters in the Blue Wall states, especially women, will make or break this election,” Beychok continued. “That’s why American Bridge is putting their true stories about Trump’s threats to reproductive rights [abortion] at the forefront of our paid media program, and why we’re fighting to make sure that voters know how much is at stake this November.”

One of the television advertisements airing in Michigan opens with a resident who works as a physician’s assistant saying: “I think Kamala Harris understands the people I serve [because] she’s not going to stop until reproductive rights [abortion] are restored.”

“We know exactly where Trump stands on abortion,” the physician’s assistant continues. “When I heard him bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade, it gutted me.”

The advertisement quotes the former president taking credit for the United States Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, which allowed states to pass restrictions on abortion. Trump has campaigned on the position that abortion policies should be set by states but has said he would not sign a federal law that prohibits abortion.

Harris has said she would support legislation to codify Roe v. Wade’s abortion standards into federal law, which would prevent states from adopting pro-life laws that restrict abortion. In the Sept. 10 presidential debate, the vice president refused to say whether she supports late-term abortion. 

The advertisement alleges that Trump could restrict birth control and in vitro fertilization or sign a federal law that prohibits abortion. The former president has said he does not support federal restrictions on abortion or restrictions on birth control or in vitro fertilization.

This advertisement campaign builds on Harris’ emphasis on abortion policy as a key element of her 2024 presidential campaign. The vice president has led the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to promote abortion and has consistently supported abortion as a senator and as the attorney general of California.

American Bridge 21st Century intends to spend about $140 million on advertising campaigns to support Harris’ candidacy. The political action committee’s funders include billionaires Michael Moritz and Reid Hoffman, according to OpenSecrets.

Polls are showing tight races in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. According to averages compiled by RealClearPolling, Harris is ahead by less than two percentage points in Wisconsin and by less than one percentage point in Michigan. The polls show Harris and Trump virtually tied in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, both mail-in and in-person early voting begins on Sept. 16. In Michigan, mail-in early voting begins on Sept. 26 and in-person early voting starts on Oct. 16. In Wisconsin, mail-in early voting begins on Sept. 19 and in-person early voting starts on Oct. 22.