Pope affirms traditionalist fraternity for unity with Peter

Paris, France, Nov 15, 2013 / 02:47 am (CNA).- Congratulating them on their 25th anniversary, Pope Francis has expressed his appreciation for the devotion to the Bishop of Rome exhibited by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter.

“It was in a moment of great trial for the Church that the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter was born,” read an Oct. 28 letter from Archbishop Luigi Ventura, apostolic nuncio to France, to Fr. Vincent Ribeton, French district superior of the fraternity.

“The Holy Father encourages them to pursue their mission of reconciliation among all the faithful, whatever may be their sensibility, and this to work so that all welcome one another in the profession of the same faith and the bond of an intense fraternal charity.”

The letter, translated into English at Rorate Caeli, opened by stating that “Pope Francis joins the thanksgiving of her members for the work accomplished in this quarter-century spent at the service of ecclesial communion 'with Peter and under Peter'.”

“In a great spirit of obedience and hope, her founders turned with confidence to the Successor of Peter so as to offer the faithful attached to the Missal of 1962 the possibility of living their faith in the full communion of the Church.”

The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter was founded in 1988 by 12 priests of the Society of St. Pius X. The founders left the Society of St. Pius X to establish the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter after the society's leader, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four bishops without the permission of Blessed John Paul II.

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter forms priests for the use of the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, and having formed them, deploys priests in parishes for the service of the Church.

The letter from Archbishop Ventura continued, noting the importance of the FSSP in the work of the Second Vatican Council.

“By the celebration of the sacred Mysteries according to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite and by the orientations of the Constitution on the Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, as well as by passing on the apostolic faith as it is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, may they contribute, in fidelity to the living Tradition of the Church, to a better comprehension and implementation of the Second Vatican Council.”

The nuncio noted that Pope Francis “exhorts them, according to their own charism, to take an active part in the mission of the Church in the world of today through the testimony of a holy life, a firm faith, and an inventive and generous charity.”

The letter concluded by noting that Pope Francis granted “with an open heart” an apostolic blessing upon pilgrims who visited Lourdes or St. Sulpice parish in Paris for the fraternity's 25th anniversary.

Colorado Obamacare ad criticized even by Planned Parenthood

Denver, Colo., Nov 15, 2013 / 05:54 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A Colorado ad campaign to encourage young people to purchase the insurance plans offered under Obamacare have garnered criticism for their glib attitude and promotion of risky behaviors.

Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado, a subsidiary of Planned Parenthood, tweeted Nov. 12 that an ad entitled "Let's get physical" was "unfortunate"for its " #slutshaming #women who use #birthcontrol" incorrectly assuming that the campaign was a parody by "anti-obamacare folks."

It was only after two hours that PPVotesColorado realized the ads were not parodies, and tweeted that “to be clear, ads encouraging women to be healthy are good! So is dialogue about birth control”.

The ad in question featured a "Hot to Trot" millennial woman with a date and birth control pills, who expressed that she hoped the man is "as easy to get as this birth control," and that all she has "to worry about is getting him between the covers.”

"It's degrading to women, and it says a lot about what they think of America's youth today," said Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., to Fox News.

The ads were commissioned by Colorado Consumer Health Initiative and ProgressNow Colorado Education, targeting younger generations to join the Affordable Care Act's healthcare exchanges.

The exchanges have been the subject of criticism since their opening on Oct. 1 due to their expense, lack of coverage, difficult-to-navigate website, and the cancelation of millions of already-existing plans due to new regulations.

As of Nov. 13, little more than 106,00 people have signed up for an Obamacare plan, the majority of them middle-aged or older, and policymakers have expressed concern over the program's future because of a lack of healthy, young people participating in the exchanges to offset the healthcare costs of the older individuals.

The ad campaign featured a tongue-in-cheek treatment of young persons engaging in risky behavior, including two bloodied pre-teen girls gathered together after a particularly violent game of soccer; college "bros" doing keg stands; ayoung boy carving a pumpkin with a machete; women taking "shotskis" off of skis; and two young women looking to "run away" with a cardboard cutout of Ryan Gosling after gaining "easy access to birth control."

One of the ads featuring college-aged men drinking, entitled "Brosurance," proclaimed: "Kegstands are crazy. Not having insurance is crazier. Don't tap into your beer money to cover those medical bills."

Adam Fox, the director of strategic engagement for the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative told Business Insider that it has "been fun to watch how it all plays out."

“We wanted to come up with a campaign that would attract attention and inject a bit of humor, and try to approach educating people about health insurance a little bit differently," he continued.

"It was really just brainstorming, 'OK, what are some of those risky activities we could work with that would tie it all together?'"

Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, Senior Fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute, however, commented that the emphasis on risky behavior was less than entertaining. On a Nov. 13 post on the Concerned Women for America Facebook page, Crouse questioned the "encouragement for young people to destroy themselves and their futures."

She explained that among youth, "there is an STD epidemic (20 million NEW cases every year in the 15-25 bracket)," and binge drinking among youth sends many "teens to the hospital with alcohol poisoning — some to their deaths, not to mention the assaults, depression, suicide and wasted years," that come with risky behavior.

She added that the glorification of people's desires was not a positive trend for culture at large.

"While we glorify all sorts of strange, weird, off the wall 'spiritual' ideas, we denigrate and poke fun at Judeo-Christian values and the people who live by those tenets of faith," she commented.

"While we claim to love children and give them every material thing they could possibly want, we deny them the chance for meaningful, fulfilling lives. While we claim we want to empower women, we treat them as though they are ignorant, non-thinking fools and/or sex objects."

Pope Francis cancels meetings due to having a cold

Vatican City, Nov 15, 2013 / 09:55 am (CNA/EWTN News).- It was announced earlier today that Pope Francis cancelled all of his morning meetings due to a cold, but still presided over a scheduled Mass in which he ordained a bishop in the afternoon.

In a statement issued to journalists on Nov. 15, Vatican Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi noted that although the Pope had four audiences scheduled with various heads of dicasteries within the Curia, he decided to postpone them because the officials live in Rome and can be met with at any time.

However, despite his illness, Fr. Lombardi revealed that the Pope still decided to preside, as previously planned, over a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the afternoon.

During the Mass, which occurred at 4:30pm local time, Pope Francis ordained Monsignor Fernando Vergez Alzaga, Secretary General of the Vatican City State’s Governing Body, as a bishop.

Msgr. Alzaga is a member of the Legionaries of Christ, and was appointed to his position as Secretary General by the Pope earlier this fall.

It was noted upon his appointment that bishop-elect has not been appointed as a titular bishop, which is a traditional custom for the position, causing some to question the possibly that this is a signal of a new policy of Pope Francis.

Born in Salamanca in 1945, Msgr. Vérgez made his perpetual profession with the Legionaries in 1965, receiving his priestly ordination in 1969. He studied philosophy and theology at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, and obtained a diploma from the School of Archives at the Vatican’s Secret Archives.

Fr. Vérgez first began his work for the Vatican over forty years ago, in 1972, at the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Afterwards, in 1984, he was transferred to the Pontifical Council for the Laity, before becoming the head of the Holy See’s internet office ten years later. He served there until becoming head of the telecommunications office in 2008.

There are no current dates set for the morning’s audiences to be re-scheduled.

Reports of a more lax one-child policy in China 'misleading'

Beijing, China, Nov 15, 2013 / 02:39 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Recent news that the Chinese government is easing its one child policy is “very misleading” because they do not address the human rights violations at the policy's core, a leading critic says.

“The core of the policy is coercion,” Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, told CNA Nov. 15.

“The problem is, that the government is telling people how many kids they can have, and it is enforcing that limit coercively, including forcibly aborting women up to the ninth month of pregnancy.”

“Earlier this month a woman died in a forced abortion,” Littlejohn added, saying this fact is “startlingly absent” from the latest news report from the Chinese government-run news agency Xinhua.

The Chinese government on Nov. 15 said it would allow couples in which one parent is an only child to have a second child, Reuters reports. The change could affect millions of families.

The policy was implemented in the 1970s to control population growth. Officials now believe the policy harms economic growth and has rapidly aged the population without young people to support them, Reuters reports. China’s working age population decreased in 2012 for the first time in many years.

The population control measures have also created a sex imbalance. Due to a cultural preference for boys, unborn baby girls are more likely to be aborted. There are now 118 boys born for every 100 girls.

Some Chinese officials’ use of coercive abortion to meet population goals has also drawn significant domestic and international opposition.

Wang Feng, a sociology professor at Fudan University who specializes in demographics, said the policy change will have “minimal” impact on demographics but has “substantial” political significance.

“This is one of the most urgent policy changes that we've been awaiting for years. What this will mean is a very speedy abolishment of the one-child policy,” Wang told Reuters.

However, Littlejohn characterized the policy change as “a mere tweaking” based only on economic and demographic considerations, not a rejection of coercion.

“We have not seen any reduction in forced abortion or forced sterilization in the countryside,” she said. “It’s still rampant.”

She also criticized sex-targeted abortions that disproportionately kill unborn girls, terming this “gendercide,” and adding that major media should not ignore the coercive aspects of the policy.

“It’s really hard to sustain a movement to end a human rights atrocity when everyone thinks it’s ended already,” she said. “It’s really destructive to human rights for them to fail to address the human rights aspect of the  one-child policy.

Previous news reports have also wrongly claimed an end to the policy was near, Littlejohn noted.

Pope Francis most popular name online, survey says

Rome, Italy, Nov 13, 2013 / 11:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A new global survey has revealed that Pope Francis has topped the list of names most mentioned on the internet so far this year, with his twitter account also receiving a high ranking on a list of most mentioned words.

“It’s official: Pope Francis is the most talked about person on the planet,” CNN’s “Belief Blog” co-editor Daniel Burke wrote in a Nov. 12 post.

“More folks have been chatting about the popular new pontiff online this year than Edward Snowden, Kate Middleton or even Miley Cyrus.”

The statistics, noted by Burke in his post, come from the 14th annual survey of the Global Language Monitor, which is a company based in Texas that tracks “top talkers” on the worldwide web.

According to Burke, the Monitor divides its research into the categories of “top words, top phrases and top names,” and base their research on the analysis of “English-language blogs, social media and 275,000 electronic and online news media.”

In this year’s survey, the Monitor found that Pope Francis came out as number one on the list of the most talked about names, followed by Obamacare, The National Security Agency, Edward Snowden, and Kate Middleton.

On the list of the most popular words mentioned online, the Monitor found that the Pope’s twitter handle, @Pontifex, came in fourth, stating that it was beat out by the words “404” – the code for a broken webpage – along with “fail” and “hashtag,” which is used to denote different topics on twitter.

President of the Global Language Monitor Paul Payack revealed that the words “’404’ and ‘fail’ got a big boost from the problematic launch of the Obama administration's website for purchasing health care under the Affordable Care Act,” Burke wrote.

In separate post written on the “Belief Blog” earlier this month, Burke spoke of the fact that the new pontiff seems to be gaining popularity even amongst atheists.

In light of the Pope’s “spontaneous acts of compassion,” Burke noted that Pope Francis has not only “earned high praise from fellow Catholics,” but that “even atheists love him.”

During a Nov. 7 video interview posted on the blog, Burke expressed his opinion that the pontiff’s popularity is growing because “we see a lot of religious leaders who talk about reaching out to the poor and the marginalized…but we finally see a religious figure who actually putting his hands on it, who's actually embracing these people physically.”

Burke then quoted several twitter posts from atheists written on the same day as the interview, including one by a woman who states that “I may be an atheist, but there's something about Pope Francis that makes me want to be Catholic. He's so inspiring.”

US bishops to address 'pervasive' challenges of pornography

Baltimore, Md., Nov 12, 2013 / 04:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The U.S. bishops have overwhelmingly approved the creation of a statement on pornography to address the “serious pastoral challenges” and consequences that it poses on a spiritual, social and personal level.

“Pornography comes in many forms but leaves its effects on all those exploited by or exposed to it. It is a great temptation that ravages men, women and children,” Bishop Richard J. Malone, chairman-elect of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, told the bishops’ fall assembly Nov. 12.

“The number of men, women and children who have been harmed by pornography use is not negligible, and we have an opportunity to offer healing and hope to those who have been wounded.”

The growing awareness of pornography’s “grave” impact means the bishops have “an opportunity to educate and to shine light on the mercy and freedom found in Christ,” he said.

Bishop Malone, who heads the Buffalo diocese, noted that the U.S. bishops have not issued a statement explicitly addressing pornography. He asked the assembled bishops to approve his committee’s request to write a statement on the issue to encourage more pastoral attention to it.

The U.S. bishops approved his request by a vote of 226 to 5.

Bishop Malone said that pornography poses “serious pastoral challenges” for clergy and the faithful. Pornography is widespread and “more accessible than in the past,” affecting people of younger and younger ages. Fewer people disapprove of it, and its use is increasing among both men and women.

Pointing to statistics that pornography is “a significant factor” in nearly 60 percent of divorces, the bishop cautioned that it is “highly addictive” and capable of altering brain chemistry and causing harmful social consequences.

The average age of first exposure to pornography is 10-11 years old, an alarming fact, he said.

“Love resonates in the human heart, because we were made for it,” Bishop Malone explained. “But we also know that there are many obstacles to true, lasting love. There are many counterfeit versions of love that promise much but deliver little.”

“There are many ways in which the body, created in the image of God as male and female, becomes a place of exploitation and ‘use’ instead of a place of communion and love.”

Bishop Malone’s proposal drew strong support and suggestions from the floor of the assembly.

In the question period, Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wis., spoke “very much in favor” of the proposal.

“There are great advantages to the advances in social media. This is the dark side of all of that,” he said.

He warned that pornography “captures younger and younger people” and is “destroying marriages and families at a very rapid rate.”

He praised his diocese’s anti-pornography addiction initiative Reclaiming Sexual Health, noting that there are many new resources and ministries on the topic.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City said that his diocese’s Catholic Charities affiliate reports that over 50 percent of family counseling clients had pornography use as a problem that impaired their marriages and family life. He suggested that awareness of this issue should be raised at Sunday Mass, if it can be done through lay witness.

Bishop David Foley, retired head of the Diocese of Birmingham, Ala., praised the Sacrament of Reconciliation for combating pornography.

“I have found the power of the Sacrament of Penance in overcoming pornography is tremendous,” he said.

“It’s true confessors are hearing of this sin more often, but they are working with their penitents. The regular practice of confession is an answer, a strong answer, to this problem.”

Archbishop George Niederauer called attention to the Cincinnati-based Religious Alliance against Pornography, a 30-year-old organization co-founded by Cardinals Joseph Bernardin and John O’Connor.

In addition, Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Neb., recommended the Covenant Eyes anti-pornography filtering and accountability computer program.

“I think it is the best out there,” he said.

Salt Lake City Bishop John Wester noted that the bishops’ Committee on Communications has been working on anti-pornography legislation. Bishop Curtis Guillory of Beaumont, Texas, said his diocese recently held a workshop on the issue for priests. Many of his priests said that they previously lacked information on pornography.

Another speaker, Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, asked that the statement highlight social aspects of pornography, including exploitation of women and children in the U.S. and abroad.

Bishop Malone said that possible statement topics include chastity and sexuality; basic information about pornography, its use and its effects on users and users’ families; the negative effects of pornography on society; an “authentic vision” of the human person; and “the mercy, grace of conversion and freedom Christ offers through his Church, especially through the sacraments and prayer.”

He said the statement could also recommend “proven practical resources” for pornography users, their loved ones, and clergy.

Now that the proposal for the statement has been approved, it must be drafted by bishops working in committee and then presented to the bishops at a future meeting.

Baptism is a 'bath of regeneration,' says Pope

Vatican City, Nov 13, 2013 / 07:09 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During his general audience, Pope Francis devoted his reflections to the sacrament of Baptism, stating that it opens the door to a journey of faith, and helps to sustain us along the way.

“This sacrament constitutes a true immersion in the death of Christ to rise with him in a new life. It is a bath of regeneration by water and the Spirit and that illuminates us with the grace of Christ,” the Pope expressed in his Nov. 13 address.

The pontiff offered his words to the thousands of pilgrims present in Saint Peter’s Square for his general audience earlier this morning.

“Dear brothers and sister,” he began, “I would like to continue our catechesis on the Creed by turning to the Sacrament of Baptism.”

Each Sunday when making the Profession of Faith, we pray the words “I believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins,” noted the Pope, adding that this Baptism is “the door of faith and the fountain of Christian life.”

It expresses “our relation with God as children, as well as the starting point of a path of conversion that lasts our whole life,” he explained, and it “constitutes a true immersion in the death of Christ” in order “to rise with him in a new life.”

Focusing on three main elements of the proclamation, Pope Francis explained first that the words “I confess” are a “solemn declaration” which “highlights the importance of Baptism and affirms our identity as children of God.”

“In the Sacrament,” continued the pontiff, “our faith is also linked to the remission of sins. When we confess our sins, we renew and strengthen our Baptismal identity.”

Baptism “illuminates us with the grace of Christ, so that we may also be light for others,” he went on to say, and it is in this sacrament that “God’s mercy intervenes in a powerful way to save us and forgive our sins, opening to us the doors to a new life.”

In the second part of the proclamation, when we confess our belief in “one Baptism,” the word for the sacrament “literally means immersion,” the Pope revealed, and through this process “we are immersed spiritually in the death of Jesus Christ and we rise with him as a new creation.”

“Regenerated by water and the Holy Spirit, we are illuminated by grace which dispels the darkness of sin.”

“For the forgiveness of sins,” reflected the Pope, referring to the third part of the proclamation he wished to specify, “Baptism forgives original sin and personal sin.”

“The door to a new life is opened and the mercy of God enters our lives,” he noted, warning that despite receiving the grace of the sacrament, “human weakness remains,” and that “our responsibility and our effort to fight each day against evil impulses and Satan’s action, which are always lurking,” are not “diminished.”

“The Church teaches us to confess our sins with humility” stressed the Pope, “because only in forgiveness, received and given, do our restless hearts find peace and joy.”

Pope Francis concluded his reflections by challenging those present, asking them “Brothers, are we conscience that Baptism is the fountain of our relationship with God? Is it a live reality for us?”

“Do we often reflect about this gift that we have received, this profound union with Jesus who gave His life for me,” he continued, “Do I trust in the love of God that dwells in the depths of my being?”

The pontiff then offered a few words in various languages to the 45,000 pilgrims present, and spent some minutes greeting the handicapped.

Pope thanks boy for entrusting him to guardian angel

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov 13, 2013 / 02:43 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A 16 year-old Argentine boy who suffers from chronic encephalopathy – a brain disorder – was moved by a letter from Pope Francis responding to a note that he had sent the pontiff a few days earlier.

The boy, Nicolas Marasco, is unable to speak, but was able to send a letter to Pope Francis, with the help of his parents, saying that he asks his guardian angel every night to watch over the Holy Father and assist him in his pontificate.

“Dear Francis, my name is Nicolas and I am 16.  Since I am unable to write you (because I still cannot speak or walk), I asked my parents to do it for me, because they know me best,” his letter said.

“I want to tell you that when I was seven years old, Father Pablo gave me First Communion at my school,” he continued, “and this year, in November, I will receive confirmation – something which gives me great joy.”

“Every night ever since you asked me, I pray to my guardian angel – whose name is Eusebio and who is very patient – to watch over you and help you. You can be sure that he is good at it because he watches over me and is with me every day.”

“I would very much like to go see you and receive your blessing and a kiss, just that,” the boy continued. “I send you many greetings and I continue praying to Eusebio to watch over you and give you strength.  Love, Nico.”

The Argentinean daily Clarin reported that Pope Francis was deeply moved by the letter from Nicolas.

He shared the story of the young boy during his visit to Assisi on Oct. 4, saying, “In this letter, in the heart of this boy, is beauty, love, the poetry of God.  God who reveals himself to the simple hearted, the little ones, the humble ones, those who we often consider to be the last.”

A few days later, Marasco received the Pope’s answer, which was also published in Clarin.

“Dear Nicolas, thank you so much for your letter. Thank you so much for praying for me. Your prayers are helping me to do my work, which is to bring Jesus to the people,” the Holy Father wrote. “For this reason, dear Nicolas, you are important to me.”

“And I want to ask you a favor. Keep helping me with your prayers, and also keep praying to Eusebio, who is surely friends with my guardian angel, who also watches over me.”

“Nicolas, thanks for your help,” the Pope continued. “I am praying for you. May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin watch over you. Affectionately, and with my Blessing, Francis.”

On Nov. 9, Marasco received the Sacrament of Confirmation, together with 16 of his classmates.

His mother, Marisa Mariani, told Clarin, “What has happened to us has made us realize that the simple things are what matter, a word of encouragement, someone who listens, someone who doesn’t look the other way, as we sometimes experience out on the street.”

Costa Rica ambassador praises 'paternal' heart of Pope Francis

Vatican City, Nov 12, 2013 / 09:25 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Costa Rican ambassador to Italy praised Pope Francis for his example and attention to the poor, speaking also of the many visible fruits in the country's relationship with the Vatican.

“We are absolutely marveled, absolutely happy he has been selected, because His Holiness has an attitude...so beautiful, so paternal, so open,” Ambassador Jaime Feinzaig reflected in a Nov. 8 interview with CNA.

Feinzaig has held the position as Costa Rica's ambassador to Italy for just over a year, and accompanied the president of the country, Laura Chinchilla, in an audience with the Pope last week.

Expressing his joy in election of the Argentinian pontiff, the ambassador reflected that “the election of Pope Francis is one of the most important acts of the century. It’s one of the most important acts in the history of the Catholic Church.”

Despite having been in office for such a short time, Feinzaig revealed that there are already “logical” and “obvious” changes in Costa Rica’s interaction with the Italy so far since the new pontiff’s election.

Many changes can be seen “worldwide” he noted, due to Pope Francis' unique “style,” emphasizing that “with his example, with the dialogues” he offers a new approach to situations.

“He preaches with his own example, with his example he is changing all the structures that haven't always been all good. So we only have blessings for the Holy Father. In this I speak in the name of all of Costa Rica.”

Among the issues discussed in Chinchilla's cordial meeting with the Holy Father were the country's infrastructure problems, the need for peace and the means required in order to obtain it, as well as concern surrounding the use of nuclear and chemical weapons.

Both sides of the discussion also stressed the need for greater collaboration between the Church and State in their shared concern over the protection of human life and environmental concerns, as well as handling various social problems.

Despite these present concerns, Fenzaig highlighted several areas of growth in the country where many fruits of previous collaboration efforts can be seen, one of which is the topic of immigration.

This issue is “very, very, very important,” he stressed, adding that “Costa Rica has been extremely open to all the immigration.”

Recalling how most of the country's immigrants come from Nicaragua, the ambassador revealed that “It's interesting the Costa Rican government is welcoming Nicaraguan people that don't have work in Nicaragua,” adding that the relationship between the people in each country is “very close, it's very nice.”

Although the influx of immigrants is “a source of” problems for Costa Rica, Fenzaig observed that “Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans, we are brothers, we are brothers and sisters.”

When asked if Pope Francis' continuous call to have compassion for the poor and marginalized has helped to foster this attitude, the ambassador replied “Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. The Holy Father is a man truly wise,” and “truly magnificent.”

“Really, with all of my heart, compliments.”

Feinzaig also made known that there will be a special delegation of different ambassadors to the Holy See on the Dec. 8-10 of of next year, where they will have the opportunity for a private audience with the Bishop of Rome.

French movement to protect marriage is welcoming of all

Washington D.C., Nov 12, 2013 / 04:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A French movement dedicated to the understanding of marriage as an institution between a man and a woman has assembled a large coalition that respects all persons, regardless of political affiliation or sexuality.

The question of marriage is “not a question of religion, faith, political opinion; it's a question of life,” Ludovine de La Rochère, president and founder of La Manif Pour Tous, said in a Nov. 1 interview with CNA.

In defining marriage for society, she added, “the question is not homosexuality: it is the reality of marriage and filiation of children.”

La Manif Pour Tous, which translates as “The Demonstration for Everyone” began in late 2012 when French President Francois Hollande announced that his government would pursue the redefinition of marriage to include both same-sex and opposite-sex partners. At the time, France also had civil unions open to all couples regardless of sex.

“From the very beginning it was a great success,” Rochère said. On Nov. 17 2012, a first demonstration of around 200,000 people was held in Paris against the proposed legislation. Over the course of the next several months, a coalition was formed of over 40 organizations representing a variety of people – parents, members of the LGBT community, communists, atheists, Catholics, and Muslims, among others.

“For the first time, many organizations worked together,” she remarked, to protest the French government's insistence on same-sex marriage. “We are open to everybody, and encourage everyone to join,” she said of the movement’s membership.

The largest demonstration was held March 24, 2013, Rochère said, with “at least 1 million” people marching between 3 different locations in Paris alone. Simultaneous marches were held elsewhere across France, she added. In addition, the movement collected over 700,000 signatures on a petition to halt the government's attempt to redefine marriage.

However, the French government and media have both tried to act “as if we never existed,” Rochère said.

After the March 24 demonstration, the French media under-reported the number of protestors at the marches, she claimed, saying that only around 300,000 people attended, and without mention of the other demonstrations.

Rochère said that since the March protest, the French media has not reported on La Manif Pour Tous' other events, and has labeled the movement as “homophobic” and “religious,” despite its broad and diverse support – even among the gay community in France.

In addition, she said, the government, who “thought it would stop,” have ignored the widespread support for La Manif Pour Tous.

“It was terrible for French democracy.”

Between February and April, both the French Senate and National Assembly approved legislation redefining marriage and permitting adoption by same-sex couples. The redefinition of marriage went into effect May 18.

Furthermore, “we began to be arrested” for speaking out in opposition to the law, Rochère said.

“In those demonstrations we have had to defend freedom of thought, freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of conscience, because many of the demonstrations have been forbidden by the ministry of the interior,” she explained.

Some violators of the government's restriction on the marches, such as a 23-year-old man named Nicolas, were arrested and subjected to “scandalous” prison conditions, she said.

Violations of free speech escalated to the point that the European Union called on France to respect human rights. The French human rights department is also investigating the restrictions on free speech and expression “because it thinks what happened was absolutely illegal.”

“France is the country of human rights, but we are in a situation in which human rights are no longer respected.”

In spite of these difficulties, the group will “go on insisting that we will never surrender.” Rochère stated that even she and the other organizers “didn't realize the determination and motivation and dynamism of each of those Frenchmen who were convinced” of the nature of marriage as an institution oriented to the family. 

Since the law has passed, she said, parents across the country have been organizing in their communities “to exercise their parental rights” to know what is being taught to their children about marriage, sexuality, and gender.

Allies of the Manif movement “have proposed to French people to think and debate about” the nature of the family, and potential means of protecting the family through economic policy, and are getting ready to protect the definition of the family as upcoming laws attempt to enshrine in French law the idea that two parents of the same sex are no different from parents of the opposite sex.

Instead, what Rochère and others involved in La Manif Pour Tous wish to emphasize, is the image of “family as the place of solidarity” and the place of filiation.

“When you understand that a child is born to a mother and a father,” she said, the need to protect the “right for children to have a mother and a father” becomes very clear.

This right can be balanced with the rights of all persons, she emphasized, and people should “have great respect” for persons with same-sex attractions.

“Lack of respect for homosexual persons is, of course, abnormal,” Rochère remarked, but stressed that working against the redefinition of marriage “is not homophobia” because “the subject of the family is of interest to all persons.”

“It's a scandal to deprive children of a father and a mother” by adopting them to same-sex couples, she continued, because in such a case “they will be deprived of either a father or a mother.”

In such a case, she proclaimed, the government and society should work to protect children. “The role of the society of the civilization is to protect the weak,” Rochère said, and it is important for those in power to recognize that “children can't be used as anyone wants, they have rights.”

“What is important is that we be together for families.”

Pope Francis: the hands of God are 'blistered by love'

Vatican City, Nov 12, 2013 / 10:59 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his daily homily Pope Francis recalled how God formed man with his own hand, emphasizing that he is a father who seeks to console his children rather than hurt them.

“Jesus, God, has taken his wounds with him: he makes them visible to the Father. This is the price: The hands of God are hands blistered by love! And this consoles us much,” the Pope stated during his Nov. 12 daily homily.

The pontiff directed his reflections to those who attended his Mass in the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse.

Centering his words on the day’s reading from the Book of Wisdom describing how God created man by hand out of the dirt of the earth, the Pope emphasized that "God has created man for incorruptibility," but that "by the devil's envy, death entered the world."

This envy, he specified, has begun a war which is a “way that ends with death,” emphasizing also that now “we all have to undergo death.”

However, noted the Pope, “it is one thing to pass this experience with a belonging to the devil and it's another thing to pass this experience by the hand of God,” adding that we have been in the hands of God “since the beginning.”

“The Bible explains the creation to us, using a beautiful image,” reflected the pontiff, “that God, with his hands, makes us out of mud, of the earth, in his image and likeness.”

“The hands of God have created us: God the artisan, eh! He has created us like an artisan. These hands of the Lord...the hands of God, that have not abandoned us.”

Pope Francis continued by reflecting that God is our Father, and that as such he “teaches us to walk; teaches us to go on the path of life and of salvation.”

His hands, stressed the Pope, “caress us in times of sorrow, they comfort us,” observing that “it is our Father who caresses us! He loves us so much,” and within “these caresses, many times, there is forgiveness.”

It is good to think about this fact, advised the pontiff, conveying that the “blistered” hands of Jesus have paid the price for our salvation out of love.

“Let us think of the hands of Jesus,” he encouraged, “when he touched the sick and would cure them… they are the hands of God: They cure us! I can't imagine God slapping us! I can't imagine it.”

“Reproaching us, yes I can imagine, because he does that! But he never, never, hurts us. Never! He caresses us.”

When God does need to chastise, “he does it with a caress, because he is a Father,” said the Pope, quoting the verse from scripture which states that “the souls of the just are in the hands of God.”

Pope Francis concluded his homily by urging those present to continue thinking about the hands of God, which “have created us like a craftsman, have given us eternal health.”

“They are blistered hands and they accompany us on the path of life. Let us entrust ourselves to the hands of God, like a child entrusts himself to the hand of his father. This is a safe hand!”