VATICAN INSIDER: VICKI THORN AND PROJECT RACHEL (PART II)
Tune in to “Vatican Insider” this weekend for Part II of my conversation with Vicki Thorn, founder of Project Rachel and the Executive Director of the National office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation & Healing in Milwaukee. Vicki was recently re-appointed as a corresponding member of the Pontifical academy for Life.
I will be taking a look in the future at the Academy since its strategies, membership and statutes have been reformed under Pope Francis.
In the United States, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (there is a list of U.S. stations at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio. Outside the U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” Vatican Insider airs Saturday mornings at 9:00am (ET). On the SKY satellite feed to the UK and parts of Europe, VI airs on audio channel 0147 at 11:30 am CET on Saturdays, and 5:30am and 10pm CET on Sundays. It’s also available on demand on the EWTN app and on the website. CHECK YOUR TIME ZONE. Here’s a link to download VI to your iTunes library: http://www.ewtn.com/se/pg/DatService.svc/feed/~LE.xml For VI archives: http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/file_index.asp?SeriesId=7096&pgnu=
POPE CONDEMNS “BLIND VIOLENCE” OF BARCELONA ATTACK
Friday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, sent a telegram in Pope Francis’ name to Cardinal Juan José Omella y Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, for the attacks in that city:
“In the face of the cruel terrorist attack that sowed death and pain on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Pope Francis wishes to express his very deep pain for the victims who lost their life in such an inhuman action and he offers prayers for the eternal repose of their souls. In these moments of sadness and pain he wishes also to send his support and closeness to the many wounded, to their families and to the entire Catalan and Spanish society. The Holy Father condemns once again blind violence which is a most serious offense against the Creator, and he offers his prayers to the Most High that he help us to continue working with determination for peace and harmony in the world. With these wishes, His Holiness confers his Apostolic Blessing on all the victims, their families and on the dear Spanish people.”
(JFL: The cardinal visited a hospital where many of the wounded were taken: photo from diocese twitter account via Crux)
SPANISH BISHOPS: TERRORISM IS “MOST TERRIBLE FORM OF INTOLERANCE AND TOTALITARIANISM”
(Vatican Radio) The Catholic bishops of Spain have condemned the terrorist attack in Barcelona’s city center, which killed at least 14 people and injured more than a hundred others on Thursday. Devin Watkins reports:
In a statement released shortly after the terrorist attack in Barcelona on Thursday, the Spanish Bishops’ Conference strongly condemned all terrorism and offered prayers for the victims.
They called it a “lamentable and detestable act”.
“Before this mournful and detestable act, the Spanish Bishops’ Conference wishes, first of all, to express its solidarity and prayer for all the victims and their families. We also convey our support for the whole of society under attack by these actions, in this case the citizens of Barcelona, as well as for the Security Forces.”
The Spanish bishops went on to condemn “every demonstration of terrorism” as “an intrinsically perverse practice, completely incompatible with a just, reasonable, and moral view of life.”
Terrorism, they say, “not only gravely infringes the right to life and liberty, but is also an example of the most terrible form of intolerance and totalitarianism”.
Turning to the victims of Thursday’s attack, the bishops invite all the faithful “to pray that God grant them eternal rest” and that “He return the injured to health and grant consolation to their families”.
Finally, the Spanish bishops pray that “these despicable actions may never be repeated.”
13 DEAD, 50 WOUNDED WHEN TREE FALLS ON PROCESSION IN MADERA
Yet another terrible tragedy – but this time a natural disaster, not a terror attack…
Pope Francis has sent a telegram to Bishop José Carrilho of Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madera, to express his condolences for the victims of an accident that killed 13 people and wounded about 50 others when a tree fell on a group of Catholic faithful as they prepared to participate in a procession to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on Tuesday. (photo news.va)
The telegram was sent in the Pope’s name by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
The Pope expressed his distress at the many dead and wounded “in the misfortunate accident at Our Lady of the Mount Parish” and entrusted “our deceased brothers and sisters to the mercy of God.” He asked Bishop Carrilho to convey his grief to their families of all the victims.
Joan's Rome 