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Southern Cross, Page 2
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Thursday, June 25, 2020
Bishops of the Atlanta Province which encompasses the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the four dioceses of
Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah gathered for their annual
meeting in Savannah June 22-23. The bishops posed for a photograph prior to celebrating Mass in the
Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist, Savannah. From left to right: Bishop Emeritus of Savannah J.
Kevin Boland, Bishop of Charleston Robert Guglielmone, Bishop of Raleigh (N.C.) Luis Zarama, Archbishop of
Atlanta Gregory J. Hartmayer OFM Conv., Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta Joel Konzen, S.M., Bishop of Charlotte
(N.C.) Peter Jugis, Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta Bernard E. Shlesinger, III and Diocesan Administrator of
Savannah, Father Daniel F. Firmin. Photograph by Donnell Suggs.
Laudato Si’ must inspire
building better world,
panelists at Vatican say
VATICAN CITY (CNS)
The coronavirus pandemic
and ongoing global crises
clearly indicate that Pope
Francis’ encyclical on caring
for creation urgently needs to be
implemented worldwide, a panel
of church leaders said. “After
COVID-19, nothing will be the
same,” Aloysius John, secretary
general of Caritas Intemationalis,
said June 18 at a Vatican news
conference unveiling a new
document. “As Pope Francis
said, it is time to build a new
future and this new future must
be built in the light of Laudato
Si’. It is time for everyone,
governments and civil societies,
to make that conversion effort to
which the Holy Father exhorts
us in this prophetic encyclical,”
he said. John was one of several
speakers at the news conference
to present the document,
“Journeying Toward Care for
Our Common Home. Five Years
after Laudato Si’.” Archbishop
Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican
foreign minister, said the
pandemic “has highlighted many,
many things, many, many areas
in which we have a lot of work to
do he said at the news conference.
Racism in any form is
intolerable, Vatican official
says at U.N. hearing
VATICAN CITY (CNS)
Speaking at a special U.N.
discussion about racism and
police brutality, a Vatican official
repeated Pope Francis’ recent
remarks: “We cannot tolerate or
turn a blind eye to racism and
exclusion in any form and yet
claim to defend the sacredness
of every human life.” Speaking
about demonstrations in the
United States following the
killing of George Floyd by
police, Pope Francis also said,
“At the same time, we have to
recognize that violence is self
destructive and self-defeating.
Nothing is gained by violence and
so much is lost.” Archbishop
Ivan Jurkovic, the Vatican’s
permanent observer to U.N.
agencies in Geneva, shared the
pope’s words June 18 as the U.N.
Human Rights Council held an
“urgent debate on current racially
inspired human rights violations,
systemic racism, police brutality
against people of African descent.
Christians called to intercede
for, not condemn, others, pope
says
VATICAN CITY (CNS)
True believers do not condemn
people for their sins or
shortcomings but intercede on
their behalf with God through
prayer, Pope Francis said. Just
as Moses implored God’s mercy
for his people when they sinned,
Christians also must act as
intermediaries because even “the
worst sinners, the wickedest
people, the most corrupt leaders
- they are children of God,” the
pope said June 17 during his
weekly general audience. ‘Think
of Moses, the intercessor,” he
said. “And when we want to
condemn someone and we
become angry inside - to get
angry is good; it can be healthy,
but to condemn does no good -
let us intercede for him or her; it
will help us so much.” The pope
continued his series of talks on
prayer and reflected on Moses’
prayer to God who was angered
at the people of Israel after they
made and worshipped a golden
calf.
Reaction positive to Supreme
Court decision on bid to end
DACA
WASHINGTON (CNS)
Reaction was largely laudatory
to the Supreme Court’s
June 18 rejection of a Trump
administration bid to revoke
Deferred Action on Childhood
Arrivals, an Obama-era
executive order that allowed
young people brought into the
country illegally as minors by
their parents to stay in the
United States.
Under DACA, about 700,000
young people who qualify for
the program have been able
to work, go to college, get
health insurance, obtain a
driver’s license and not face
deportation. “Just as the church
has stood by immigrants and
refugees throughout our nation’s
history, we will walk alongside
our brothers and sisters who
have DACA during the legal
steps ahead,” said a June 18
statement from Bishop Jaime
Soto of Sacramento, California,
board chair of the Catholic
Legal Immigration Network.
“This ruhng gives a reprieve to
DACA holders, but Congress
should quickly pass legislation
granting these Americans a
pathway to permanent residency
and citizenship.” “Our prayers
have been answered!” exclaimed
Sister Simone Campbell, a
Sister of Social Service, who
heads the Catholic social justice
lobby Network, in a statement.
She added, “For ‘Dreamers’ to be
safe, Congress must affirm that
their home is here.”
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