Massive sex trafficking bust applauded by US lawmaker

Washington D.C., Jul 30, 2013 / 05:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A major U.S. law enforcement operation, which saved over 100 minors from prostitution rings and arrested over 150, drew praise from a congressman known for toughening laws against sex trafficking.

The raids were “simultaneously sad and heartening,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional Human Trafficking Congress.

“Those children are freed from a terrible life of misery, but these crimes would not occur without the demand of buyers of commercial sex,” he told CNA July 30.

“It is my hope that law enforcement also caught buyers among the 150 arrests, and that it will seek justice to those who obtain children for commercial sex.”

Launching on July 26, the FBI and 230 separate law enforcement agencies took part in Operation Cross Country in 76 cities across the U.S. The children rescued were almost all girls and ranged from 13 to 17 years old.

The largest numbers of children were saved in the FBI divisions based in San Francisco, Detroit, Milwaukee, Denver and New Orleans. Those arrested include 150 alleged pimps.

Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, said that child prostitution remains “a persistent threat to children across America.”

“This operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere, and the FBI remains committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and holding the criminals who profit from this exploitation accountable,” he said July 29.

The operations often began as local law enforcement actions against truck stops, casinos, and websites that advertise dating or escort services, the FBI said. Initial arrests for violations of local and state laws help uncover organized prostitution efforts across different states.

About 2,700 children have been rescued in similar raids since 2003.

Teen runaways are particularly vulnerable to being lured into prostitution. Many sex trafficking victims are runaways from foster care or group homes, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said.

Rep. Smith, author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, said his legislation “comes down hardest on those who traffic children.” Those who violate its provisions could face life in prison.

After train crash, archbishop points to Christ for comfort

Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Jul 31, 2013 / 01:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Celebrating Mass for the 79 victims of the July 24 train crash near Santiago de Compostela, Spanish Archbishop Julia Barrio invited the mourning families to seek hope and comfort in Christ.

When we unite our suffering to that of Christ, it becomes redemptive, the archbishop told those gathered at a July 29 Mass at the Santiago Cathedral, including the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Spanish President Mariano Rajoy, and the regional governor Alberto Nunez Feijoo.

In his homily, Archbishop Barrio noted that “from the very first moments Pope Francis has been united with us in spirit with his fraternal affection and heartfelt solidarity. We are deeply thankful to him.” 

“It is not easy to understand and accept” this tragedy, he added, but the mystery of death and suffering are “signs of light.”

“Everything has meaning in our lives,” the Santiago de Compostela archbishop continued. “Suffering and death seem to contradict the good news of the love of God and to shake our faith. But the faith tells us that our pain and suffering united to Christ on the cross brings salvation.” 

“For this reason all of the sadness we feel for the death of a loved one is sacred,” he explained.  Only hope in Jesus Christ “can console the loss of our loved ones and give meaning to our lives.”

He concluded by inviting family members to call on the Apostle James and the Virgin Mary for their aid. 

“We pray that they have journeyed with them to the gates of heavenly Glory. Holy Apostle James, through you may hope shine forth from here,” the archbishop prayed.

Pope Francis thinking about declaring Pius XII a saint

Vatican City, Jul 31, 2013 / 11:05 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis is considering whether he will make Pope Pius XII a saint, in the same way that he approved the cause of John XXIII.
 
A source who works at the Vatican’s Congregation for Causes of Saints, who asked for anonymity, told CNA July 25 that “just as Pope Francis moved ahead with John XXIII’s canonization, he is considering the same thing for Pius XII.”

According to the normal procedures, Pius XII would be beatified once a miracle attributed to his intercession is officially certified by a team of doctors and recognized by a commission of cardinals.

But if Pope Francis decides to go ahead without a miracle, he could “even canonize him with the formula of scientia certa (certainty in knowledge), thereby jumping over the step of beatification,” the source said.

“Only the Pope is able to do it, and he will, if he wants to.”

Pope Francis is very interested in Pius XII because “he considers him ‘a great,’ in the same way as John XXIII is, even if for different reasons,” the source explained.

But there is also a historical reason that Pope Francis is interested in Pius XII.

When Pope Paul VI started the beatification and canonization process in 1967, nine years after Pius XII’s death, he formed a committee of historians to conduct an in-depth study of his predecessor’s life and behavior, giving particular attention to the events of World War II.

The committee was made up of four Jesuits: Fathers Pierre Blet (France), Angelo Martini (Italy), Burkhart Schneider (Germany), and Robert A. Graham (United States).

Their work led to the publication of “Actes et Documents du Saint Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale” (Acts and Documents of the Holy See related to the Second World War), an 11-volume collection of documents from the Vatican’s Secret Archive about Pius XII’s papacy during that tumultuous time.

Yet, the remainder of the documents from Pius XII’s papacy is not expected to be released until 2014 – the time it will take to organize the papers.

The completed catalog will include approximately 16 million documents from Pius XII's papacy (1939-1958).

Pope Benedict XVI initially decided to postpone Pius XII's cause for sainthood and advocated waiting until the archives would be open for researchers in 2014.

But Benedict changed his mind and declared Pius XII Venerable on Dec. 19, 2009, based on the recommendation of the committee investigating his cause.

The decision was met with criticism from some Jewish quarters, which charged that Pius XII was silent about the Holocaust and did not do enough to resist the Germans.

Despite the conclusions of the committee, the debate that followed the initial criticism brought Pius XII’s canonization process to a halt.

According to Matteo Luigi Napolitano, a member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Science who wrote several books about Pius XII, “for what concerns the historical judgment, the dossier on Pius XII is almost complete.”

Napolitano added in his July 29 interview with CNA, “theological judgments on Pius XII’s life and behavior” are “not competence of the historians.”

His remarks referred to what is known as a “positio,” a document that is compiled for every person being considered for canonization, after they have been declared “venerable” – the second step in the process.

The study is comprised of two parts: the first deals with the history of the person and is sketched by a commission of historians, while the second contains a  “theological judgment” on the life and works of venerable, which is handed down by a theological committee.

At the moment, according to the source from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Francis has said he wants Pius XII’s cause to move ahead.

Since there are several miracles attributed to Pius XII’s intercession, the source explained that Pope Francis might decide that he will sidestep the normal process and declare him a saint.

“It is not impossible that the Pope would act in the way he did for the canonization of John XXIII.”

When Pope Francis decided to approve the canonization of John XXIII, he submitted his case to a vote by the members of the congregation, despite the fact that “a miracle attributed to the intercession of John XXIII was discussed,” the source said.

But “the miracle would have needed further checks,” the saints expert explained, so Pope Francis “opted to canonize him without waiting for the certification of the miracle.”

The source maintained, “this seems to be possible for what concerns Pius XII.”

Matteo Luigi Napolitano acknowledged that the possibility of the Pope pushing the cause forward. There are “several (saints) causes that, for several reasons, are the object of pressures,” he remarked.

What remains to be seen is whether Pius XII being declared a saint will result in a new debate about the emerging historical record of the wartime Pope or a recycling of the claims that he was “Hitler’s Pope.”

Napolitano noted, “the debate about Pius XII is more widely a debate about the Shoah, i.e. the biggest tragedy of the Second World War.”

So, Napolitano said, “it is normal to investigate what the Vatican did during that period.”

This investigation involves several areas of interest: the choice of the Holy See to remain neutral, the way Christian values were lived during that period, the choices of Catholics who confronted the tactics of the Nazis, and what dioceses and clergy in countries involved in the war did.

Napolitano underlined that “the ‘positio’ on Pius XII is made up of all of these aspects, with a collection of sources that agreed the Congregation for the Causes of Saint should carry their job forward.”
 
For what concerns a historical judgment of Pius XII's behavior, “interpretations can vary, but I can say that the most authoritative Jewish, Catholic and lay historians agree on one key point: Eugenio Pacelli never was, and he never could be, ‘Hitler’s Pope.’”

THE POPE CELEBRATES MASS WITH JESUITS ON THE FEAST OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA

Vatican City, 31 July 2013 (VIS) – The Pope celebrated Mass at 8.00 a.m. today, the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, the order to which he belongs, with Jesuits in the Roman Church of Jesus, where the saint's reliquaries are preserved.

It was a private, like the Mass celebrated each day at the Santa Marta guesthouse, attended only by priests of the Society of Jesus, friends, and collaborators. However, the Pope was received by hundreds of people who wished to greet him and who waited until the end of the celebration to do so.

Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, S.J., Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Superior General of the Jesuits, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, concelebrated with the Pope, as well as members of the Council and more than two hundred Jesuits.

In this homily, the Pope proposed a reflection based on three concepts: putting Christ at the centre of the Church, allowing oneself to be conquered by Him to serve; and feeling the shame of our limits and sins in order to be humble before Him and before our brothers.

“The symbol of the Jesuits is a monogram, the acronym of 'Iesus Hominum Salvator'”, said Francis. “It reminds us constantly of a fact we must never forget: the centrality of Christ for each one of us, and for the entire Society, that St. Ignatius chose to call 'the Society ofJesus' to indicate its point of reference. … And this leads us, Jesuits, to be 'decentred', to have 'Deus semper maior' before us … Christ is our life! The centrality of Christ also corresponds to the centrality of the Church: they are two flames that cannot be separated. I cannot follow Christ other than in the Church and with the Church. And also in this case, we Jesuits and the entire Society are not in the centre; we are, so to say, removed; we are in the service of Christ and of the Church. … To be men rooted and grounded in the Church: this is what Jesus wants. We cannot walk in parallel or in isolation. Yes, there are paths of research, creative paths, yes: this is important; to go out to the peripheries … but always in community, in the Church, with this belonging that gives us the courage to go ahead”.

The path to live this dual centrality is found in “letting oneself be conquered by Christ. I seek Jesus, I serve Jesus because he sought me first. … In Spanish there is a very descriptive phrase, which explains this well: 'El nos primerea', He is always first before us. … To be conquered by Christ to offer to this King our entire person, all our effort … to imitate Him also in withstanding injustice, contempt, poverty”. The Pope recalled the Jesuit Fr. Paolo dall'Oglio, missing in Syria for days, and added “being conquered by Christ means forever striving to reach what is before you, to reach Christ”.

Francis also recalled Jesus' words in the Gospel: “those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. Those who are ashamed of me … will be ashamed when He comes in His glory” and compares this with the shame of the Jesuits. “Jesus invites us not to be ashamed of Him, but to follow Him for ever with total dedication, trusting in and entrusting ourselves to Him”.

“Looking to Jesus, as St. Ignatius teaches us in the First Week, and especially looking at Christ crucified, we feel that sentiment, so human and so noble, that is the shame of not being able to measure up; … and this leads us always, as individuals and as a Society, to humility, to living this great virtue. Humility makes us aware every day that it is not we who build the Kingdom of God, but rather it is always the grace of the Lord that acts in us; humility that urges us to give ourselves not in service to ourselves or our ideas, but in the service of Christ and the Church, like clay vases – fragile, inadequate, insufficient, but inside which there is an immense treasure we carry and communicate.

The Pope confessed that when he thinks of the twilight of a Jesuit's life, “when a Jesuit finishes his life”, two icons always come to mind: that of St. Francis Xavier looking to China, and that of Father Arrupe in his final conversation at the refugee camp. “It benefits us to look at these two icons, to return to them, and to ask that our twilight be like theirs”.

Finally, Francis encouraged those present to ask the Virgin “to let us feel the shame of our inadequacy before the treasure that has been entrusted to us, to live in humility before the Lord. May the paternal intercession of St. Ignatius accompany our path and that of all holy Jesuits, who continue to teach us to do everything with humility, ad maiorem Dei gloriam”.

Interfaith leaders support Israeli-Palestine peace talks

Washington D.C., Jul 30, 2013 / 11:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Leaders from various faiths, including three U.S. bishops, sent a letter of support to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for his promise to prioritize Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

"We support the President’s commitment to make Israeli-Palestinian peace a high priority of U.S. policy," said the July 26 letter.

“Recognizing, as you do, that the passage of time makes achieving a viable two-state solution increasingly difficult, we have voiced strong support for your determined initiative for peace.”

The signatories, who included Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders, welcomed a July 19 statement by Kerry announcing that Palestinian and Israeli representatives have reached an agreement “that establishes the basis for resuming direct final status negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.”

Catholic representatives signing the letter were Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington; Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines; and Bishop Denis J. Madden, an auxiliary bishop of Baltimore.

Cardinal McCarrick helped found an interreligious initiative for Mid-East peace, Bishop Pates is chair of the U.S. bishops' international justice and peace committee, and Bishop Madden is chair of the interreligious affairs committee.

The letter also noted the leaders' appreciation for “intermittent progress toward resolving final status issues in both unofficial talks and formal negotiations” between Israeli and Palestinian parties over the years.

They noted that “while these talks and negotiations have yet to yield a blueprint for peace, they have identified ideas for addressing key issues that must be resolved in a manner acceptable to both sides.”

The signers pledged to Kerry that they would "offer our prayers for your efforts," and support for “bold American leadership for peace” in the Mid-East.

“We know the path to peace is complex and challenging, but peace is possible.”

Peace talks between Palestine and Israel were put on hold in 2010 over the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.

Pope cries with Brazilian child who wants to be a priest

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 30, 2013 / 02:54 pm (CNA).- Nathan de Brito brought Pope Francis to tears during one of his motorcades through the streets of Rio de Janeiro on Friday, when he broke past barriers to deliver an important message to the Pontiff.

“Your Holiness, I want to be a priest of Christ, a representative of Christ,” de Brito whispered in the ear of Pope Francis July 26, after jumping hurdles and making his way to the Popemobile in his Brazilian national soccer team jersey.

“I am going to pray for you, but I ask you to pray for me,” Pope Francis responded, moved to tears and embracing him.

“As of today, your vocation is set.”

Onlookers noticed that de Brito did not want to leave the Holy Father. It was only after several attempts that the Pope's security entourage was able to take him off the Popemobile.

Once on the street, Nathan walked along side the Popemobile, waving to the Pontiff and blowing him kisses. One of the security guards stopped to console the boy before bringing him back to his waiting family.

After beatings, imprisoned pastor finally receives medical care

Washington D.C., Jul 24, 2013 / 08:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been imprisoned in Iran for over 300 days, has at last received long-awaited medical care after suffering numerous beatings in captivity.

“Thank you to all of the individuals who have prayed, written letters, signed petitions, called government officials, run benefit races, tweeted, and shared Saeed’s story,” said the pastor’s wife, Naghmeh Abedini, in a press release.

“Thank you to all the government officials from around the world who have stood for my husband. Iran has listened to your pleas.”

Pastor Saeed is an Iranian-born United States citizen, and is currently serving an eight-year sentence in Evin Prison in Iran on charges of threatening national security for earlier pastoral work in Iran. Human rights organizations and Christian activists, however, have contended that he is being held because of his Christian beliefs.

Abedini, who was raised Muslim, converted to Christianity in 2000, and, after his marriage to Naghmeh, an American citizen, gained U.S. citizenship in 2010.

Previously, Abedini worked with house churches throughout Iran until he stopped his work with religious organizations in the country at the government’s request. Since 2009, Pastor Saeed has worked exclusively with non-religious orphanages in the country. He was arrested in the fall of 2012 during a visit to one of these orphanages.

While in prison, Abedini has suffered beatings, and sustained a number of internal and external injuries. He has been sent to the hospital on two occasions, however on both visits, he returned to prison with no treatment for his injuries.

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, which represents his wife, Abedini was taken to a hospital again on July 20, and “for the first time, he was examined by a physician and prescribed  medication for  injuries he sustained from the beatings he endured by prison guards.”

“While I am encouraged that Saeed is finally getting medical care, the fight is not yet over,” said Naghmeh Abedini of her husband’s treatment.

“It has been a difficult 300 days – 300 days of torment simply because Saeed loves Jesus Christ. I am hopeful Iran will do the just and honorable thing and release Saeed.”

Cricket star's Catholic wedding spreads joy in Sri Lanka

Colombo, Sri Lanka, Jul 24, 2013 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The marriage of Catholic Sri Lankan cricket star Angelo Mathew and national badminton player Heshani Silva caused joy among the country’s Catholics and gave added prominence to the country’s Catholic minority.

“We are proud of our Catholic sportsmen and their contribution to the nation,” Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, Spokesperson and Episcopal Vicar for the Southern Region of the Archdiocese of Colombo, told CNA.

The wedding took place July 18 at St. Mary’s Church in Bambalapitiya, a suburb of the capital Colombo.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, presided at the solemnization. He imparted blessings on the couple.

Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa served as the attesting witnesses to the couple’s marriage.

Mathew is the second Catholic cricketer to captain the Sri Lankan national team after Duleep Mendes, Fr. Fernando said.

Cricket is an important sport in British Commonwealth countries, with a large fan base that generates billions of dollars in revenue. It originated in England in the 16th century and has some similarities to baseball.

Fr. Sunil De Silva, parish priest of St. Mary’s Church, told CNA that Mathew is an alumnus of St. Joseph’s College. He hails from a “devout practicing Catholic family” in the “strong” Catholic belt of Vattala.

Fr. De Silva said the Sri Lankan Catholic Church is rejoicing in this happy event and wishes the newlywed couple a fruitful family life.

He added that talents and capability are recognized in Sri Lanka in a way that puts aside all religious differences. He said the country is proud of giving opportunities to its people.

 He said many of the country’s great sportsmen and politicians had their formation and education in Catholic schools, colleges and institutions where they “excel” in their disciplines and career.

Over 70 percent of the 20.4 million people in Sri Lanka are Buddhists. Christians make up an estimated 8.4 percent of the population.

Despite repression, Cuban youth celebrate WYD in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 24, 2013 / 04:50 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A group of young pilgrims from Cuba have arrived in Brazil to celebrate the 28th World Youth Day despite initial restrictions from their government.

“We have come to take part in World Youth day; to be part of this great manifestation of the Church and what always happens is that (reporters) end up bringing politics into everything,” one pilgrim who wished to remain anonymous told CNA July 24.

 “We are not allowed to talk,” one of the other members of the group said, explaining that the group decided not to make public statements to the media.

Although young people from Cuba have been allowed to leave the country to attend previous World Youth Days, this delegation faced difficulty in leaving the country.

One member of the group, they said, was initially barred from leaving Cuba until a bishop intervened. Government officials eventually gave in and allowed the pilgrim to travel to Brazil.

“The Church has brought us here,” one girl explained. “A bishop called and because of that we are here.”

So far, catching a glimpse of Pope Francis has been one of the biggest highlights of the pilgrimage.

“Seeing the Pope was so awesome,” the girl said. “We hope to see him more.”

The entire group agreed that it was a blessing to be among the few people, only 54 in their delegation, to have been able to attend World Youth Day in person.

They hope to bring their experience back to the young people in Cuba who were not allowed to attend the pilgrimage.

Pope embraces, voices love for drug addicts at Rio hospital

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 24, 2013 / 04:33 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- At a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis said his namesake St. Francis of Assisi put his conversion into action when he embraced a man with leprosy, saying this is a model for the life of a Christian.

“This brother, suffering and an outcast, was the 'mediator of light ... for Saint Francis of Assisi,'” Pope Francis said, quoting his recent encyclical, “because in every suffering brother and sister that we embrace, we embrace the suffering Body of Christ.”

“Today, in this place where people struggle with drug addiction, I wish to embrace each and every one of you, who are the flesh of Christ, and to ask God to renew your journey, and also mine, with purpose and steadfast hope,” he said during his July 24 visit to St. Francis of Assisi Hospital, a center which treats drug and alcohol addiction and is free of charge to indigents.

Earlier, Pope Francis had said Mass at the shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida and visited a seminary. On returning to Rio de Janeiro and coming to the hospital, he was greeted by the city's bishop, Archbishop Orani Tempesta, and by the hospital's coordinator of projects and its director.

Two of the facility's patients gave their testimony, and gave gifts to Pope Francis before he spoke.

At this “particular shrine of human suffering,” he said “we all have to learn to embrace the one in need” as did St. Francis, who saw that “true joy and riches” are found not in the possession of material things but “only in following Christ and serving others.”

Pope Francis addressed the effort in “various parts” of Latin America to de-criminalize and “liberalize” drug use, saying this “will not” achieve a “reduction in the spread and influence of drug addiction,” as is sometimes argued.

The Pope lamented that selfishness often prevails in society, rather than the “attention, care and love” required to fight chemical dependency. Societies need to be courageous, he taught, in acting against drug-trafficking and its attendant violence.

“It is necessary to confront the problems underlying the use of these drugs, by promoting greater justice, educating young people in the values that build up life in society, accompanying those in difficulty and giving them hope for the future.”

“We all need to look upon one another with the loving eyes of Christ, and to learn to embrace those in need, in order to show our closeness, affection and love,” Pope Francis insisted.

He added, however, that an embrace is not sufficient – “we must hold the hand of the one in need,
of the one who has fallen into the darkness of dependency … and we must say to him or her: 'You can get up, you can stand up. It is difficult, but it is possible if you want to.'”

Pope Francis encouraged the patients, as well as “all those others who have not had the courage to embark” on the journey of recovery that for them to flourish, they must “stand up” and seek assistance.

“You will find an outstretched hand ready to help you, but no one is able to stand up in your place. But you are never alone! The Church and so many people are close to you. Look ahead with confidence.”

He returned to the theme of hope, which had discussed during his homily at the Marian shrine Aparecida earlier in the day.

“To all of you, I repeat: Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! And not only that, but I say to us all: let us not rob others of hope, let us become bearers of hope!”

Pope Francis commended and thanked the workers and volunteers at the hospital, saying that “I believe that here … the parable of the Good Samaritan is made tangible,” and that “in these persons, the flesh of Christ suffers.”

“Here there is no indifference, but concern. There is no apathy, but love.”

He concluded by assuring those who struggle against addiction, and their families, that the Church is close to them, and “accompanies you with affection.”

“The Lord is near you and he takes you by the hand … trust in the maternal love of his Mother Mary. This morning, in the Shrine of Aparecida, I entrusted each of you to her heart. Where there is a cross to carry, she, our Mother, is always there with us. I leave you in her hands, while with great affection I bless all of you.”

Sri Lankan cardinal forgives church desecrators

Colombo, Sri Lanka, Jul 24, 2013 / 01:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo has forgiven the desecrators of a Catholic church in Sri Lanka, refusing to press criminal charges against them.

Father Cyril Gamin Fernando, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Colombo, told CNA that the act is an exemplar of “Christian love and mercy.” He said the gesture caused a “shockwave” of surprise and won “goodwill” among Sri Lankans.

On the night of June 5 a group of drunken young men attacked and desecrated St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the town of Angulana south of Colombo.

Fr. Sunil De Silva, parish priest of St. Mary’s Church in Bambalapitiya, told CNA that the men destroyed the century old historical statues of the church also statues of Mother Mary and forced opened the tabernacle.

He said the group poured Kerosene oil to burn the tabernacle, which miraculously failed to catch fire. Investigators found 30 matches that had been lit soaked inside the Tabernacle. 

The Angulana police arrested three persons for the crime.

The small church is about 750 square feet in area. It is one of several chapels and churches in the parish of Rawathatte, which serves about 4,000 families.

Soon after the crime, parish priest Fr. Christo Viraj Fernando and the rest of the community conducted penitential services with intercessory prayers seeking forgiveness for the desecration of the house of God.

Fr. Cyril Fernando, the archdiocese spokesman, said local Buddhists praised the forgiving “benevolence” shown toward the perpetrators.

The priest said most Buddhists are “tolerant” people and are peaceful and harmonious except for a few “extremists.” 

Some Buddhist monks have also condemned the attack and expressed their “solidarity” with Catholics, Fr. De Silva said.

He told CNA that most Sri Lankans are “rational,” “understanding” and favor inter-religious dialogue, though some extremist forces are indoctrinated and incited to violence.

Christians make up about 8.4 percent of the 20.4 million people living in Sri Lanka.

Pope's unpredictability challenges security planners

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 24, 2013 / 06:35 am (CNA).- The rules for the Pope’s security during international trips have had to change since Pope Francis was elected, bringing into focus the tension between safety and pastoral priorities.

When he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio walked through the streets, and took buses and the subway, so when he became Pope he did not want to follow the normal security protocols and asked his security team to allow him to be “as close to people as I can.”

And those new rules were evident on July 22, the first day of the Pope’s visit to Rio de Janeiro for the 28th World Youth Day.

The regular security procedures required Pope Francis to travel from the airport to Rio de Janeiro’s downtown in the so-called popemobile, a special car that permits onlookers to see him, while also keeping the pontiff protected behind bulletproof glass.

But Pope Francis found this way of moving to be too far removed from people. He did not want to use the popemobile, and preferred to use a small car as he does when he is in Rome, where he uses a Ford Focus.

In the hours that followed, crowds of eager pilgrims broke through security lines and stopped his car as they tried to touch the Pope and greet him. The papal convoy also ended up taking a wrong turn and getting stuck in traffic, a turn of events that alarmed the security detail.

Pope Francis, on the other hand, seemed to be pleased to be so enthusiastically welcomed, going so far as to lower the windows of his car to make physical contact with the people who approached his car.

Luckily, nothing happened.

In a July 23 news release the Brazilian authorities denied responsibility for the diversion in the Pope’s itinerary and attributed the decision to “the wish of the Holy Father to stay in touch with the most people he can.”

But the fact is that the Brazilian security forces are being strongly tested by Pope Francis’ unpredictability.

Yesterday, for example, Pope Francis had no official appointments scheduled, but he suddenly announced that he wanted to visit Corcovado, the mountain near Rio de Janeiro where the famous Christ the Redeemer statue stands.

It would have been a risky outing since a forest surrounds Corcovado and the access points to it are narrow, as well as the fact that the security detail would have had little time to plan the outing.

But the security personnel were able to convince the Pope that it was not a good idea to go because of the weather and cold temperatures.

It is likely that the coming days will present more divergences from the Pope’s itinerary, not less, as he alluded to during the flight to Rio de Janeiro, telling journalists that “there will be a lot” of unscheduled events.

The careful balance between safety and bringing the Pope’s ministry to the people has a long history.

In 1964, during his visit to Jerusalem, the crowd separated Pope Paul VI from his followings. Paul VI wanted to walk on foot along the “Via Dolorosa” that Jesus took as he ascended Mount Calvary.

The Pope ended up being completely surrounded by a crowd, so the Jordanian soldiers protecting him led him into the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

During his trip to Philippines in 1970, a deranged Bolivian tried to assassinate Paul VI with a knife.

The Pope’s life was saved by Monsignor Paul Marcinkus who helped fight off the attacker. Later, Paul VI acknowledged how grateful he was by appointing Msgr. Marcinkus the head of the Institute for Religious Works, the so-called Vatican bank.

John Paul II was also the target of two assassination attempts: the first was carried out by Mehmet Ali Agca in Rome on May 13, 1981, while the second was attempted by a Spanish priest, Juan Maria Fernandez y Krohn, in Fatima on May 12, 1982.

These kinds of episodes and the inevitable demonstrations by groups trying to grab the international news spotlight resulted in a strengthening of the security protocols during the papal visits.

Although no large-scale protests are expected in Rio during Pope Francis’ visit, several demonstrations against the Brazilian government are planned.

These manifestations first appeared while the Pope was visiting President Dilma Roussef on July 22, but the protestors were repelled by tear gas after one of them reportedly lobbed a Molotov cocktail at police.

According to Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, the Pope “had to use a helicopter to avoid the protestors” as he left the governmental palace.

On Sunday, the day before the Pope’s arrival, a homemade bomb was discovered in a public bathroom adjacent to a parking lot at the Marian shrine of Aparecida, where the Holy Father is paying a visit on Wednesday morning.

In fact, an attempted bombing or attack against the Pope is often tried during a papal trip.

When Benedict XVI went to London in 2010, together with reports on the protests against the Pope’s visit came the news that police arrested six men for allegedly plotting to attack the Pope.

In 2011, before the Benedict XVI’s trip to Germany, two Muslims were arrested while allegedly planning to make a chemical bomb to attack the Pope.  

However, an Italian policeman who is familiar with papal trips and who asked for anonymity told CNA July 23 that “those bombs are made to be found, not to explode. There are often secret services that place the bomb, so the police can find and defuse the bomb or arrest alleged people, thus gaining more trust from the population and a sense of general tranquility which can avoid riots.”

Catholic bishops offer prayers for royal baby

Westminster, England, Jul 23, 2013 / 11:10 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Catholic bishops in the United Kingdom offered their congratulations and prayers for Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, upon the birth of their first son, the Prince of Cambridge.

“The birth of the new prince will be a source of joy not only for the royal family but for the peoples of the United Kingdom and beyond,” Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said July 23.

“I assure their royal highnesses of the prayers and best wishes of the Catholic Church in England and Wales for their new family.”

The baby boy was born Monday afternoon at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. His name has not yet been announced.

He is third in line to become the monarch of the United Kingdom and head of the Anglican Church.

“May Our Lord Jesus Christ bless and protect them, and may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph intercede for them,” Archbishop Nichols said.