We all know how the pandemic has disrupted the lives and businesses of millions of EU citizens and we cannot see with absolute clarity how and when we will be out of this crisis.
At the European Union level, the efforts to mitigate its devastating impact have been intensive, comprehensive and robust. A number of radical and creative decisions have been taken and as we saw just a few days ago, Malta has already received EUR 120 million as part of the EU Sure programme, intended to help subsidise the salaries of workers hit by the Covid-19 outbreak. And it will receive a similar amount shortly as well.
But this is just a foretaste of what was meant to come to Malta from the EU. As part of the Covid-19 Recovery Plan and the EU long-term-budget, an extra €2 billion were allocated to Malta for the next seven years. First Vice President Roberta Metsola and Quaestor David Casa, together with their EPP Group MEP colleagues, fought tooth and nail over the past months, for this generous level of funding. This is indeed good news for small businesses, citizens, students, farmers, researchers and many others.
The bad news is that a few days ago the Polish and the Hungarian governments have blocked these EU funds from being released to the people that need it most. Those who have found themselves gasping for air precariously, under the heavy yoke of the pandemic.
We, as EPP Group, made sure that the EU-seven-year-budget is based on an effective, expert-driven mechanism that ensures the respect for the rule of law is made a precondition for receiving EU payouts. What this means is that countries which do not respect this EU core principle of the rule of law, particularly in relation to the independence of justice and the freedom of the media, would not receive EU payouts. This policy mechanism, is a non-political process that applies equally to all countries. Yet, Hungary and Poland object to it and we cannot understand why.
This rule of law mechanism is not about one specific country or about East and West. It is neutral and it applies to all. If you respect the rule of law there is nothing to be scared about. Denying the whole European continent crisis funding, in the worst crisis since decades is incomprehensible.
And let us be clear. Independent judiciaries and free media are the corner stones of our democracies and our freedom. We will not compromise on that and European citizens are behind us.
According to the latest poll carried out for the European Parliament, a stunning 80 percent of Europeans believe that sticking to democratic principles must be a precondition for receiving EU money. We will not let these people down. We will not give in and we will not give up.
The EU is not a cash machine
Every member state which wants to receive EU money must stick to the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law. The EU is not a cash machine but a union of values. That is why we made sure that the EU’s long-term budget is based on an effective mechanism that ensures the respect for the rule of law as a precondition for receiving EU funds.
The new mechanism defines clear timelines for decisions and will allow for a more effective defence of the values that are laid down in our treaties. As such, it will complement the current lengthy mechanism (the so called Article 7 procedure), under which European leaders have refused to take any action in the past.
Under the agreed mechanism, EU funding will be stopped not only when the rule of law has already been breached, but also in cases where there is a serious risk of this still happening. For example, when the independence of national courts is undermined, there is a clear future risk that judges may take arbitrary decisions or disregard cases of corruption and fraud.
The EU cannot continue using double standards; demanding high democratic standards from candidates countries which seek to join the EU and at the same time letting EU governments slip back to authoritarian tendencies, without batting an eye lid.
This is not acceptable for us and we won’t cave in. Our people deserve better.
Manfred Weber is leader of the European People’s Party, Bernard Grech is leader of the Nationalist Party in Malta.
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As the early morning mist clears to reveal the turrets of San Quirico Castle in central Italy, the greenery surrounding local farmhouses comes alive with sound: Red-bellied woodpeckers chirp and bright-green tree frogs call to each other among the cypress and beech trees.
But walk a little further towards the fields of young hazelnut plantations and there is suddenly silence: the birds and insects have been driven away by the monoculture. Seemingly never-ending lines of saplings are now the defining feature of Alfina plateau which lies a few hundred meters above sea level. Until recently, much of this area was composed of wildflower fields and a patchwork of different crops.
“Six or seven years ago this place looked completely different,” Gabriele Antoniella said. He works as a researcher and activist with Comitato Quattro Strade, a conservation organization in Alfina. Antoniella estimates there are around 300 hectares (741 acres) of new plantations in the area, mostly owned by a few large investors.
The plateau sits in the northern section of Tuscia, a historical region in Viterbo province and the heart of Italy’s hazelnut production. Around 43% of the agricultural land in Viterbo is reserved for hazelnut orchards, the bulk of which goes to the confectionary industry for use in products such as nougat and chocolate.
Local environmentalists say once many of the saplings grow, beloved views will also be obscured
Monocultures are believed to be damaging the air, soil and water
The nuts have been grown for thousands of years in the southern part of Tuscia and have largely sustained its economy since production ramped up in the 1960s. But the intensification of monoculture practices and their expansion into new areas such as the Alfina plateau is an increasing concern for environmentalists.
Several diverse cropshave been replaced by hazelnut plantations, and hedgerows have been cleared to minimize the presence of insects. As the nuts are harvested once they fall, the ground beneath the trees is also usually kept completely free of vegetation.
“For us the hazelnut represents a great resource, but it’s cultivated in an unsustainable way,” said Famiano Cruciarelli, president of the Biodistretto della Via Amerina e delle Forre, an environmental organization in southern Tuscia. “Hazelnut monoculture has caused problems with water, soil, and air.”
The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides treatments, he says, is making the soil increasingly arid, which in turn has led to its erosion in some places. And during harvest season, clouds of dust are kicked up into the air by the heavy machinery. “That dust is full of chemicals, which are a big problem for people’s health,” he said.
One of the most glaring examples of environmental degradation can be seen in a nearby volcanic lake encircled by decades-old hazelnut plantations.
“Large quantities of fertilizers have been used in the intensive hazelnut cultivation, and they have ended up in Lake Vico,” explains Giuseppe Nascetti, a professor at the Tuscia University who has been studying the lake for over 25 years. This has caused the proliferation of so-called “red-algae,” which produce carcinogenic chemicals harmful to environmental and human health.
Famiano Crucianelli says monoculture has made the soil increasingly arid
High-levels of fertilizers have been found in Vico Lake, a body of water surrounded by decades-old hazelnut plantations
Expansion of the industry
While the transformation towards monoculture has been underway for decades, environmentalists say the growing demand for hazelnuts from big companies and investors has further fueled this shift.
Italian manufacturer Ferrero Group, which makes the chocolate and hazelnut spread Nutella, doesn’t own or run any farms in the region but is one of the biggest consumers of the nuts produced in Tuscia.
In 2018, the company launched its Progetto Nocciola Italia plan which aims — in cooperation with farming associations — to increase hazelnut plantations across Italy by 20,000 hectares by 2026. In Lazio — a region that includes Alfina plateau — the company is also working with local producers through a farming association in Lazio to develop 500 hectares for the crop over a five-year period. According to Ferrero’s figures, 17,708 hectares are currently devoted to hazelnut cultivation in Viterbo, and 80,000 across Italy.
A Ferrero spokesperson said it was a company objective to integrate hazelnut shrubs with existing crops — and that organic production is neither an obligation nor prohibited.
They add the company is also working in collaboration with researchers including those at Tuscia University to “gain a better understanding of its environmental impact” and “enhance sustainability in hazelnut cultivation.”
A large amount of the hazelnuts grown in the region end up in chocolate bars and spread
Sustainable, organic agriculture
Yet as local farmer Anselmo Filesi has discovered, choosing a sustainable path isn’t without its challenges.
In 2002, concerned about the environmental and health impacts of using pesticides, he converted his small 20-hectare hazelnut plantation in southern Tuscia to organic methods.
But it came at a cost. Filesi says he was no longer able to sell his products to the world’s biggest buyers: Most confectionary multinationals require hazelnuts with little damage from shield bugs — a common pest which can cause shriveled kernels and a slightly bitter taste.
“This is very difficult to achieve with organic methods,” Filesi said. “If the hazelnuts are not perfect the market will not accept them.”
Filesi shells, toasts and packages his own produce before selling it directly to local shops and supermarkets. But he says it’s harder for bigger farmers — which usually sell pre-processed nuts in bulk – to make the switch as they fear losing their biggest buyers.
The rush to invest in hazelnut plantations in the area is also increasing land prices, says Filesi, making it harder for small farmers like him to buy or rent land.
“Converting all hazelnut plantations to organic ones could be one way forward, but there is no incentive to do so,” said Professor Nascetti, citing a lack of commitment from big companies to pay good prices for organic produce. “Until sustainability is put before profit … it’s unlikely this will happen.”
“People do not imagine that behind a jar of hazelnut [spread] there is an environmental and social economic catastrophe,” Antoniella said. By staging protests against intensive agriculture, encouraging smallholder farmers to turn to organic farming and not to sell their land, activists hope to foster a new relationship between locals and the land.
“We are not against hazelnuts, but against these agro-industrial methods that don’t respect our land,” Antoniella said. “We want to show that things can be done differently, that agriculture can be based on respect for the environment.”
He glances at the endless lines of saplings and explains that once the trees grow, the striking view of San Quirico castle perched on a hill in the background will be obscured. “The landscape will change forever.”
Europe’s crops of the future?
Wine from the north
As northern regions warm, winegrowers have moved into places like Denmark and the UK, among them Ryedale Vineyards in England. The EU-funded VISCA app, now being tested in Spain, Italy and Portugal, aims to help vineyards that are starting to feel the effects of a warming climate. Adaption strategies include precise irrigation, drought-resistant grapes and pruning techniques that influence growth.
Europe’s crops of the future?
Sorghum revival
Sorghum, a hot weather grain, has been cultivated in Europe since just after World War II, primarily as animal fodder. But with increasing droughts it has started to see a resurgence in countries like France, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria. A staple in Africa, sorghum uses 30% less water than corn and can produce grains even in high temperatures. The EU has been promoting the plant since 2017.
Europe’s crops of the future?
Adapting olives
Europe’s olive oil industry, led by Spain, Italy and Greece, produces about three-quarters of global supply. But drought, erratic weather like hail, as well as warm-weather pests and diseases have become detrimental. 2018 was a particularly bad year: Italy’s production dropped 57%. Improved irrigation techniques, selective pruning and a gradual northward shift could help olive groves adapt.
Europe’s crops of the future?
Trying out pistachios
Some farmers in Spain and Italy have begun cultivating pistachios, drought-resistant nut trees which are suited to arid areas with lots of sun. Today, most of the world’s pistachios are grown in Iran and California, but other parts of southern Europe share the same ideal conditions: cold winters, very hot summers and late frosts.
Europe’s crops of the future?
Putting papaya first
Other alternatives for farmers in southern Europe are tropical fruits, including mango, avocado, lychee and papaya. Recent years have seen an exponential growth of such crops in southern Italy. They’ve begun to edge out citrus fruits, which are no longer the moneymakers they once were. Milder winters have been beneficial, but water shortages in the summer months remain a challenge.
“After technical discussions this weekend, negotiations continue online today… Time is short. Fundamental divergences still remain, but we are continuing to work hard for a deal”, EU negotiator Michel Barnier warned in a tweet, speculating about the continuing bilateral negotiations over the terms and conditions of Britain’s divorce from the European bloc.
???? After technical discussions this weekend, negotiations continue online today with @DavidGHFrost and our teams. Time is short. Fundamental divergences still remain, but we are continuing to work hard for a deal.
British and European Union negotiators resumed Brexit talks, stalled after one of the EU team tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
On 31 December 2020, the UK is set to withdraw from the European Union’s Single Market and Customs Union, thereby drawing a line under the so-called transition period, which was ushered in in early 2020 by Britain’s formal exit from the bloc.
Such issues as fishing quotas and market terms including a level playing field have since remained major talking points in the latest rounds of discussions on the subject.
A fishing boat at work in the English Channel, off the southern coast of England, Saturday Feb. 1, 2020
London insists that “British fishing grounds are first and foremost for British boats”, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisting that “taking back control” over the UK’s waters is a key Brexit objective and vowing that Britain will become an “independent coastal state”. Brussels, for its part, demands a “fair share” of the fisheries as a precondition for any potential trade deal.
Another sticking point in the discussions is London’s would-be regulatory autonomy. More specifically, London has remained firm about “divergence” from EU rules, to which Brussels agreed, but outlined that “some mutual understanding of how much divergence is likely to happen” must be reached.
A woman holds up the Union and the European Union flags during an event called “Brussels calling” to celebrate the friendship between Belgium and Britain at the Grand Place in Brussels, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020
Amid recent reports on the upcoming inking of the long-sought trade deal, 10 Downing Street insisted that “the government is united behind the negotiation position”, admitting that “key elements of the draft text are not agreed [upon]”.
“We are working to get a deal, but the only one that’s possible is one that is compatible with our sovereignty and takes back control of our laws, our trade, and our waters”, David Frost, the UK’s chief Brexit negotiator tweeted last week.
The European Investment Advisory Hub’s funding will enable the Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank to strengthen support for investment projects in priority sectors such as renewable energy, transport, and the circular and digital economy.
The advisory unit will accompany a wide range of public and private project promoters in the Czech Republic.
EIB support will complement that provided by DG REFORM under the Structural Reform Support Programme.
Today, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank (CMZRB) signed an agreement funded by the European Investment Advisory Hub as part of the EIB’s Call for Proposals “Delivery of local investment advisory services by National Promotional Banks (NPBs).”
Thanks to the funding support of the European Investment Advisory Hub, CMZRB will set up a dedicated advisory and business development unit within its structure, with the aim of increasing investment activity in priority sectors of the Czech economy, such as renewable energy, transport, circular economy, social infrastructure, digital economy, and digital and smart city infrastructure. Once in place, the unit will identify a pipeline of projects that need advisory support and will help promoters in the Czech Republic to prepare, finance and implement such projects. The support of the dedicated advisory unit will be made available to large-scale projects as well as to projects for small businesses and mid-caps.
Under this programme, CMZRB will focus on various business development and awareness-raising activities aimed at informing project promoters about the services of the new unit. The low level of awareness among project promoters about suitable support mechanisms has been identified as a particular vulnerability on the market and CMZRB will undertake targeted actions to address it. The unit will also help project promoters connect with investors, thus facilitating access to finance.
Lilyana Pavlova, EIB Vice-President responsible for Advisory Services, said: “We are very proud to be helping CMZRB develop their own advisory capacity through the establishment of a dedicated advisory unit that will support priority sectors of the Czech economy.This agreement builds on a long-standing relationship with CMZRB and represents an important milestone in the cooperation with our local partner in the Czech Republic. This additional support by the EU bank as part of the Advisory Hub’s activities will allow CMZRB to play a key role in supporting the development of sustainable investment projects to help the recovery of the country and support its transition towards a low-carbon economy, which is fully in line with our recently approved Climate Bank Roadmap.”
Jiří Jirásek, Chair of the Board of Directors of CMZRB, said: “CMZRB has successfully cooperated with the EIB for many years in a wide range of areas. The creation of this new advisory platform is a unique opportunity to enlarge our current scope of services. CMZRB’s strategic goal as a national promotional institution is to serve as a knowledge centre for financial instrument implementation in the Czech Republic. We believe that creating new organisational capacity will help us to bridge the gap, mobilising the investment potential of local project promoters.”
This agreement will complement advisory and technical assistance already provided by the EIB to public and private project promoters in the Czech Republic in the areas of energy efficiency, smart cities and sustainable infrastructure. CMZRB benefited from the Advisory Hub’s support in assessing the potential for establishing an investment platform in the area of energy efficiency, mainly based on the model of Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs), as well as with regard to smart cities. CMZRB also participated in exploratory work assessing the viability of establishing a regional advisory and investment platform for regionally important infrastructure projects in the Visegrad Four region. In parallel to the support of the European Investment Advisory Hub, CMZRB is also in receipt of a grant under the ELENA facility to support the preparation of an investment programme for energy efficiency investments in private non-residential buildings and EPC-based investments in public buildings.
The European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) is a partnership between the European Investment Bank Group and the European Commission under the Investment Plan for Europe. The EIAH is designed to act as a single access point for various types of advisory and technical assistance services. It supports the identification, preparation and development of investment projects across the European Union. Building our local partnerships across Europe has been a priority of the Advisory Hub since its launch in 2015. Today, the Hub’s partner network includes more than 40 local institutions, with almost 30 formal agreements signed with national promotional banks and institutions (NPBIs) and other partners. Through a dedicated Call for Proposals, the Hub made funding and technical support available to NPBI partners to develop their capacity to deliver advisory services locally and boost investments on the ground. Read more about the Hub’s support for energy efficiency investments in the Czech Republic here.
About the European Investment Bank
The EIB has worked with the Czech Republic since 1992 and invested in infrastructure, small businesses, environment and innovation. Since the start of operations in the Czech Republic, the EIB has provided €22.51 billion of financing to 185 projects.
About CMZRB
CMZRB is the only promotional bank in the Czech Republic entrusted with the administration of funds disbursed within the assistance programmes launched by the government to help the development of small and medium-sized enterprises using financial resources from national or EU funds for guarantees and loans. The Bank’s activities result from its long-term strategy focused on contributing to the implementation of the economic policy of the government of the Czech Republic and its regions.
In this special jubilee year dedicated to the celebration of the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’, on the care of our common home, priests in Uganda have begun a campaign to mobilize individuals, communities and institutes to curb climate destruction.
The initiative, launched under the umbrella of the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM), hopes to concentrate on improving the environmental message in the Encyclical, as well as promote the integration of ecological conversion into the faith life, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and advocate for concrete actions to encourage the use of renewable energy.
At the head of this ecological campaign is Fr. Benedict Ayodi, a Franciscan Capuchin priest from Kenya who is the Program Manager in Africa.
Alongside his team of self-driven environmentalists and in collaboration with the Center for Citizens Conserving (CECIC) based in south-western Uganda, they hope to help people understand the devastating effects of environmental degradation in Africa, particularly in East Africa.
The GCCM highlights several areas of concern including the increasing water level of Lake Victoria which has affected several settlements in Uganda and its surrounding countries; the locust invasions across East Africa; the unpredictable rainy seasons leading to food shortages and the impending displacement of people due to the oil pipeline project to be constructed from western Uganda to Tanzania.
GCCM is also concerned about the Ogoni struggle against oil pollution in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, the effects of the mineral exploration in South Africa and the continuing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Global Catholic Climate Movement
In recent months, the GCCM has implemented several climate initiatives using Catholic structures and initiatives, such as Caritas.
The climate movement also rallies societies and international partners to advocate for ethical investment and for people to think of alternative energy sources that are not destructive to nature and the environment.
Fr. Ayodi notes that, in May 2020, the group reached out to at least 28 Catholic institutions that have been sensitized to embrace solar energy.
“Efforts by the government to uphold Islam can be seen in the constitution which has placed Islam as the religion of the federation.”
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki
COMMENT | The quote by Asyraf that opens this piece was made when he was a panellist at a conference titled “Bicara Minda dan Sesi Dialog Perjuangan For All” in 2017. Why is this important? This is important because another panellist at that conference was then Umno info chief Annuar Musa.
Annuar Musa recently said that the recent guidelines for alcohol applications and sales had nothing to do with religion and was a strategy to look after the well-being of “the Kuala Lumpur community, especially the less fortunate and the needy in continuing with their lives amidst the Covid-19 pandemic”.
The prime minister on another related issue even “joking” about how it may be a good idea for nightclubs and pubs to remain closed because it is difficult to have “social distancing” in these venues points to the kind of religious and moral pandering that goes in this Malay uber alles government.
Take this anecdote from Martin Vengadesan’s latest report where “live music and deejays are already not allowed, but many more are not even permitted to play piped-in music or even broadcast entertainment on their TV screens”.
Keep in mind this is a country where we have a religious body which decries “excessive laughter”…
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<span>November 22, 2020 - 19:40 GMT</span>
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<span itemprop="description" class="hidden">Fancy finding out how His Dark Materials concludes? Find out here
Fans are loving <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/tags/his-dark-materials/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>His Dark Materials </strong></em></a>season two so far, which is based on the events of the second novel in Philip Pullman's bestselling series. </p> <p><strong>MORE: <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20201116100935/his-dark-materials-fans-devastated-heartbreaking-detail-episode-two/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">His Dark Materials fans devastated by heartbreaking hidden detail in episode two</a></strong></p> <p>Season two introduces Will Parry, a boy from our world, who meets Lyra as they both find a way into the city of Cittàgazze in an alternate universe. </p> <fieldset class="video video-en" data-autoplay="false" data-idplayer="" data-idvideo="Rzp31bb6" data-isplayercodeneeded="true" data-provider="jwplayer" data-videoads="false"><div id="MC42NTU3MzgwMCAxNjA1ODg2NzI0MjE0OTA=">Loading the player...</div> </fieldset><p><strong>WATCH: His Dark Materials season two is finally here</strong></p> <p>However, this marks just the beginning of Lyra and Will's joint adventures together, which are concluded in the third and final novel in the series, <em>The Amber Spyglass. </em>So just what happens at the end of the books? Find out here... </p> <p>In the final novel, Will and Lyra discover that there is a land of the dead after Lyra continues to have dreams about Roger trapped there. Promising to help him, she and Will journey there by using the subtle knife. However, Lyra is forced to leave Pantalaimon behind, causing her immense pain. </p> <p> <span class="photo"> <span class="copyright" data-copy=""/> <meta itemprop="width" content=""/><meta itemprop="height" content=""/></span> </p> <p><strong>Lyra leaves Pan as she goes to the world of the dead</strong></p> <p>After liberating the residents of the world of the dead, who happily join with the universe, Will and Lyra return and the latter is eventually reunited with Pantalaimon, while Will discovers that he finally has a daemon who appeared when he too went to the land of the dead.</p> <p>The pair discover that Spectres, the evil entities that destroy every adult they meant, are created by making windows through universes, and the only way to banish them is to close every window in existence. <strong>They also discover that they can't stay together in one of their worlds, as if you remain in a world where you don't belong, you will sicken and die. </strong></p> <p><strong>MORE: <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2019111180424/his-dark-materials-major-detail-opening-credits-will-parry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Did you spot this detail in His Dark Materials opening credits?</a></strong></p> <p><strong>MORE: <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2019111080369/his-dark-materials-major-change-from-books-episode-two-reaction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">His Dark Materials made a major change to the books</a></strong></p> <p><strong>MORE: <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2020102699733/his-dark-materials-review-season-two-episode-one-the-subtle-knife/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">His Dark Materials season two review: a pitch-perfect start to The Subtle Knife</a></strong></p> <p>The pair finally admit that they are in love with one another, but accept that they have to return to their own worlds. They promise to sit on the bench that exists in both of their worlds on the same day of the same year so that they may feel close to one another again. </p> <p> <span class="photo"> <span class="copyright" data-copy=""/> <meta itemprop="width" content=""/><meta itemprop="height" content=""/></span> </p> <p><strong>Have you been enjoying the series so far?</strong></p> <p>Indeed, the bench was introduced in the second episode of the second series, leading book fans to take to <a class="wpil_keyword_link " href="https://twitter.com/times_european" title="Twitter" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Twitter</a> to discuss the significance of the moment.</p> <p>One writing: "Excuse me is this THE bench, as in... THE. BENCH?!?!?!" Another added: "I’m enjoying a lot of the foreshadowing in #hisdarkmaterials. <strong>BUT NOT THIS. THIS WAS A LOW BLOW." </strong></p> <p><em><strong>Like this story?<a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/newsletter/?utm_source=article&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=newsletter-signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Sign up to our newsletter</a> to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.</strong></em>
Marking the Solemnity of Christ the King on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, Pope Francis reflected on the parable that, he said, unfolds the mystery of Christ.
Addressing the faithful during the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said “He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of history” and he explained that today’s liturgy focuses on the “Omega”, that is, on the final goal.
“The meaning of history is understood by keeping its culmination before our eyes: the goal is also the end,” he said.
Taking his cue from the Gospel according to Matthew (25:31-46) that places Jesus’s discourse on the universal judgement at the end of His earthly life, the Pope observed that “He, the one whom men are about to condemn is, in reality, the supreme judge.”
The King of the Universe is filled with meekness and mercy
“In His death and resurrection, Jesus will manifest Himself as the Lord of History, the King of the Universe, the Judge of all. But the Christian paradox is that the Judge is not vested in the fearful trappings of royalty, but is the shepherd filled with meekness and mercy,” he said.
The Pope explained that Jesus, in this parable of the final judgement, uses the image of a shepherd, recalling the prophecy of Ezekiel who had spoken of God’s intervention in favour of His people against the evil pastors of Israel. They had been cruel exploiters, he said, preferring to feed themselves rather than the flock.
Therefore, he continued, “God Himself promises to personally take care of His flock, defending them it from injustice and abuse.”
The Pope said that this promise God made on behalf of His people is fully accomplished in Jesus Christ, who says of Himself: “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11, 14).
“In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus identifies Himself not only with the king-shepherd, but also with the lost sheep, that is, with the least and most in need of His brothers and sisters,” he said.
We will be judged according to love ‘given or denied’
What’s more, “He thus indicates the criterion of the judgement: it will be made on the basis of concrete love given or denied to these persons, because He Himself, the judge, is present in each one of them.”
Quoting from the Gospel reading, the Pope recalled that Jesus says “what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.”
“We will be judged on love, not on feelings, no: on works, on compassion that becomes nearness and kind help,” he said.
At the end of the world, Pope Francis explained, “the Lord will inspect the flock, and he will do so not only from the perspective of the shepherd, but also from the perspective of the sheep, with whom He has identified Himself.”
And He will ask us, he added: “Were you a little bit like a shepherd as myself?”
This, he stressed, is the question that the Gospel puts in our hearts today as the criterion of the judgement: “That time when I was experiencing difficulty, were you able to lose a bit of time to take care of me? With my grace, were you able to go out of yourself a bit to realize I needed help? Did your heart soften before my wounds, my loneliness, my discomfort?”
This will be the criterion with which Christ, the King of the Universe, who made himself a lamb in order to save us, will inspect and judge us, he said.
The Pope concluded exhorting the faithful to ask the Virgin Mary to teach us to reign by serving:
“Let us learn from her to enter God’s Kingdom even now through the door of humble and generous service.”
“We exist only in relationships: with God the Creator, with our brothers and sisters as members of a common family, and with all of God’s creatures within our common home. We cannot live in harmony with creation if we are not at peace with the Creator who is the source and origin of all things.”
“The earth herself, burdened and laid waste,
is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she ‘groans in travail’.
We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth;
our very bodies are made up of her elements,
we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.”
(Pope Francis – Laudato si’)
Under the direction of Paolo Ondarza #SeasonOfCreation Instagram: @vaticanmuseums @VaticanNews Facebook: @vaticannews
The recent Report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and a new Independent Review of Safeguarding Structures and Arrangements in the Catholic Church in England and Wales, known as the “Elliot Report”, were the main items discussed by the Bishops of England and Wales during their Plenary Assembly that met from November 16-20.
The IICSA Report was published by the British Government on November 10. It examines the extent of institutional failings by the Catholic Church in England and Wales to protect children from sexual abuse over the past 50 years and the Church’s current safeguarding regime, drawing from the victims’ accounts.
During their Plenary session, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) confirmed it had accepted its seven recommendations to improve the Church’s response to abuse. The CBCEW also accepted the final proposals and recommendations of the “Elliot Report”, an independent reviewtheycommissioned in order to shape the safeguarding. The review was carried out by Mr Ian Elliott, an experienced safeguarding professional who has worked across the world in this area.
One of his key proposals of this second Report, which was issued on November 20, is the creation of a national body with powers of effective audit and oversight of safeguarding in both Dioceses and Religious Orders. Mr Elliot also suggested the creation of an independent tribunal dealing with the canonical issues related to abuse, a closer cooperation with the survivors and the creation of a second authority for the prevention of abuses in Religious Orders.
In their final statemement, the Bishops of England and Wales, once again, expressed their “sorrow and contrition” for the abuse inflicted on children in the Catholic Church and committed “to listen more intently to those who have been abused so as to learn from them and benefit from their wisdom. It is through learning from their testimony that hearts are changed. We are grateful to those survivors”, they said.
According to the Bishops, the new recommendations are a further step towards the goal “to be a Church in which every child and vulnerable person is not only safe but nurtured into human flourishing”. They assured that the work of implementation will begin immediately and will be carried out in close cooperation with the Religious Orders.
Noting that the “Elliott Report” builds on all that has been achieved in the Church safeguarding ministry in the past 20 years, achievements also recognised in the IICSA Report, the Bishops acknowledged “without hesitation”, their failings, mistakes, and lack of adequate cooperation, expressing “deep sorrow” and asking “forgiveness, especially from victims and survivors.” “We affirm our resolve to effect the next step in our work of safeguarding and care for survivors”, the statement concludes.
Apologies from Cardinal Nichols
In a second statement, the president of the CBCEW Cardinal Vincent Nichols apologized on his part for letting people down “in many ways, in different times, in different places, for different reasons”, describing abuse in the Church as “a terrible wickedness”.
The Elliot Review” is the third independent enquiry commissioned by the CBCEW on Church Safeguarding Structures against abuse, after the “Nolan Report” del 2001 e la “Cumberlege Review” del 2007.
