The newly formed Vatican John Paul I Foundation released a statement on Wednesday. It states that on the 42nd anniversary of Pope John Paul I’s pontificate, they are pleased to communitate the members of the Foundation’s Ccientific Committee.
These persons were appointed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and President of the new Foundation, during a meeting of the Administrative Board that took place on 3 July.
The people who make up this Scientific Committee will serve for a five-year period.
Dr Stefania Falasca, Vice President of the Foundation, will coordinate the new Scientific Committee which is made up of:
Professor Carlo Ossola, Philology Professor, Collège de France, Paris
Professor Dario Vitali, Director of the Department of Dogmatic Theology, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome
Msgr. Gilfredo Marengo, Vice President of Rome’s Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences
Professor Mauro Velati, collaborator of the John XXIII Foundation for Religious Sciences and the cause of canonization of John Paul I relating to the Venetian years.
Fr Diego Sartorelli, Director of the Library and Historical Archive of the Patriarchate of Venice
Dr Loris Serafini, Archivist, Director of the Albino Luciani Museum in Canale d’Agordo
The statement also reads that the Prefect of the Vatian’s Apostolic Archives, Bishop Sergio Pagano, and the Prefect of the Vatican’s Apostolic Library, Fr Cesare Pasini, will also play a role on the Scientific Committee.
Speaking to reporters, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said, “[We] respectfully request our spiritual leaders to bring this much-needed message of hope to our suffering countrymen in order to stave off more incidents of self-destruction.”
The Justice Secretary, who is also a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said they had asked the Catholic Church and other denominations for their assistance to provide counseling and guidance to those suffering from depression and distress as the pandemic continues.
Minister Guevarra said he had spoken with Secretary Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the IATF national task force, about “the alarming increase in the number of suicides during these pandemic times.”
The rise in suicides and depression is being blamed on the economic fallout due to the pandemic. The period of lockdown has also led to feelings of isolation and anxiety.
The World Health Organisation describes mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and can make a contribution to his or her community.”
According to the WHO, there has been a drastic increase in mental health disorders in the country since the start of the outbreak.
In a recent study, the health body said, “Thinking of whether life will ever return to normal, and how one will survive amid the pandemic, are some of the questions making ordinary Filipinos very anxious.”
“Likewise, questions like how will one survive economically and financially amid a pandemic; the sudden changes in everyday life and how to cope with them; the unremitting fear of being infected, the fear of dying from the virus, or the fear that a family member or relative might be infected with COVID-19 and die, and the fear of not being able to receive medical treatment in time are also playing on the minds of many Filipinos.”
As part of its public health response, WHO says it “has worked with partners to develop a set of new materials on the mental health and psychosocial support aspects of COVID-19.”
Covid Hopeline already in place
One diocese that is already providing assistance to those struggling with anxiety and depression in these uncertain times is the Diocese of Kaloohan in Metro Manila which has set up a phone in counseling service known as “Covid Hopeline”.
During the months of lockdown in the Philippines, the National Centre for Mental Health reported a significant increase in the number of people experiencing mental health issues as a result of the pandemic.
One of the shortest pontificates in history could bring to the honour of the altars another pope of the 20th century. John Paul I lived only 34 days on the Chair of Peter, but his testimony – not only in that short period of time, but more so in the previous decades as bishop and pastor, esteemed even outside the Italian borders – remains very tangible in the Church even today.
It was 42 years ago that Albino Luciani, the Patriarch of Venice, was elected pope on the fourth ballot on August 26, 1978, and assumed the double name “John Paul”, in homage to his immediate predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI. The former appointed him Bishop of Vittorio Veneto, thus including him among the Fathers of the Council; while the latter transferred him to Venice and created him cardinal.
The month-long pontificate of John Paul I earned for him from the media the title, “the Smiling Pope”. The world came to learn that the mild character that his expression revealed was never an indication of a lack of spiritual clarity and pastoral energy. Proof of this was his attitude and the work he did at the Second Vatican Council.
Breath of the Universal Church
During the working sessions of the Council, the future pope lived an intense experience of the Universal Church. “In the Council hall,” he wrote to the faithful of his diocese in 1963, “it is enough for me to raise my eyes to the steps in front of me.” “There they are, the beards of missionary bishops, the black faces of Africans, the protruding cheekbones of Asians.” “And it’s enough for me to exchange a few words with them, and visions and needs open up, of which we have no idea”. In other words, one feels the breath of “Christian optimism”, which promises to be the fruit of the Council, against the “widespread pessimism” of relativistic culture.
Towards beatification
The cause of the sainthood of John Paul I has been underway since 2003. After three years of the diocesan phase, the documents arrived in Rome in 2006, and the “positio” (formal argument for sainthood) of Pope Luciani began to be examined by experts at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. A meticulous investigation of the testimonies and documents led to the conclusion of the case in November 2017. A miracle that will clear him for beatification is currently being examined. It concerns a presumed extraordinary healing through the intercession of John Paul I that took place in 2011 in Argentina, in the Diocese of Buenos Aires.
In his greetings to Polish-speaking faithful during the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis took note of the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, honoured as the Queen and Protectress of Poland.
Recalling his own visit to the Shrine of Jasna Gora during his visit to Poland for World Youth Day in 2016, the Holy Father said, “I unite myself today to the thousands upon thousands of pilgrims who are gathered there, together with the Polish episcopate, to entrust themselves, their families, the nation, and all of humanity to her maternal protection.”
Pope Francis invited the faithful gathered at the Shrine to “pray to the Blessed Mother to intercede for us all, especially for those who in different ways are suffering from the [Covid-19] pandemic, and bring them relief.”
The Polish Episcopal Conference met together at Poland’s national shrine ahead of their 386th Plenary Assembly, which formally opens on Thursday in Jasna Gora. It is the first plenary meeting held this year, as earlier gatherings scheduled for March and June were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary goes back to the earliest days of Christianity in Poland, says Father Michal Legan, spokesman for the Jasna Gora Sanctuary. “It was the most important sign of the Lord’s grace during the very, very difficult history, even in the darkest moments of our national history,” he said in an interview with Vatican Media’s Emanuela Campanile. “Even in the darkest hours of the personal story of each of us, she was present, and she was the point of the hope and of the faith,” he said.
“She’s the most important way to Jesus” for each of us, he added.
Entrusted to Our Lady of Czestochowa
Father Legan said that throughout the pandemic, the people of Poland “are looking to Our Lady with faith and prayer, with all our hopes.” That, he said, “is why the Polish episcopate is gathered here during the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, to proclaim the act of devotion an act of love and hope,” to express to the Madonna “that we of the nation are her children and we want her as our queen.”
Father Legan noted that, during his visit to Jasna Gora four years ago, Pope Francis said Poland had a great privilege, “because we have our mother as the queen, and our queen as the mother.”
Prayer to the Blessed Mother during the pandemic
Poles have felt the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and have turned to her in prayer throughout the coronavirus crisis. Father Legan noted that the sanctuary has seen far fewer pilgrims since the beginning of the pandemic. But even if the faithful are not able to come to Jasna Gora, he said, there is still a special, spiritual bond, “with the sanctuary, with the holy icon, and this is something we know deeply in our hearts.”
That is why “we pray every day to our Black Madonna for all the people who are sick, and for all who work” in the field of medicine.
And, he said, “we can assure you that here in the Sanctuary of Our Lady, this prayer, will be continued.”
On the second day of the Republican party convention, First Lady Melania Trump took to the podium against the backdrop of the White House Rose Garden, making a plea for racial harmony.
Her speech came amid racial unrest that has engulfed the country since the death of black man, George Floyd, who was pinned under the knee of a white police officer in Minnesota.
Only this week there were more protests after another black man was shot and left paralyzed by police in Wisconsin.
“I urge people to come together in a civil manner so we can work and live up to our standard American ideals,” Mrs Trump said.
She also called on people to stop the “violence and looting being done in the name of justice and never make assumptions based on the colour of a person’s skin.”
“Like all of you”, the First Lady said, “I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country.”
“It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history. I encourage you to focus on the future while still learning from the past.”
Coronavirus
In her speech, Melania Trump also expressed her sympathy for victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My deepest sympathy”, she said, “goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one.”
“And my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know: You’re not alone.”
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 178,000 people in the U.S. and the President’s wife acknowledged that since March “our lives have changed drastically.”
Of her husband, Mrs Trump said, “you have a president who will not stop fighting for you and your families.”
In her role as First Lady over the last four years, Melania Trump has promoted a number of causes including the “Be Best” public awareness campaign, which focuses on well-being for youth, and advocating against cyberbullying and drug (particularly opioid) use.
This second day of the convention also featured President Trump’s children Eric and Tiffany as well as a pre-recorded appearance by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household announced on Wednesday that as of Wednesday, 2 September, Pope Francis’s General Audience will once again take place “with the participation of the faithful.”
Following the hygiene directives issued by the competent authorities, the audiences for the month of September will be held in the Apostolic Palace’s San Damaso courtyard.
The statement says that attendance at these General Audiences “is open to anyone who wishes” to participate. It also notes that no ticket is necessary and that it begins at 9:30 am.
The Bronze Door under the right colonnade of St Peter’s Square will serve as the entrance to the Courtyard. People wishing to attend will be allowed to enter beginning at at 7:30 am.
Colombia’s President Ivan Duque has announced the imminent end of the blanket quarantine, at the beginning of the coming month.
He explained that Colombia will carefully start up a new phase, during which isolation will be specifically selective, with an emphasis on individual responsibility involving common sense.
Each region’s situation and plight will be individually monitored and assessed. This could lead to a graduated resumption of economic activity, while health measures will continue to be applied.
National air transport will be re-established, but the worst affected places will remain closed down.
Balancing lives and livelihoods
It’s a bold and controversial calculated risk.
So far, Colombia has over 540,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 17,000 have already died from it.
Latin America remains the epicenter of the pandemic.
All of this must be balanced against the corrosive and rapidly worsening impact on economies.
The considerable gamble involves lives and livelihoods.
This week marks the launch of one of WHO/Europe’s new flagship initiatives: mental health. Mental health is a key public health concern in the WHO European Region – over 110 million people are living with some kind of mental health condition, accounting for over 10% of the population.
The 4 new flagships – mental health, digital health and innovation, behavioural and cultural insights, and immunization – represent identified priorities for WHO/Europe in the coming 5 years. The mental health flagship will bring together a broad coalition of mental health leaders, champions, service users and other partners to improve mental health policies and practices across the Region.
Mental health has been an essential programme within WHO’s agenda since its founding in 1948. But in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a renewed focus on mental health is particularly important. Apart from the fear and uncertainty regarding infection itself, measures brought in to contain the spread of the virus, such as quarantine and lockdown, have been psychologically challenging. These compound social isolation for many and add to existing anxieties and stresses.
For frontline health-care workers and for those suffering from existing conditions, the pandemic has taken a significant toll on well-being. Furthermore, the socioeconomic fallout is exacerbating pressures on the population’s mental health. Precarious work conditions, unemployment and uncertainty with regard to the future are expected to contribute to a sharp increase in mental health conditions, just as they did in the wake of the global financial crisis a decade ago.
As the world begins to adjust to and recover from the initial impacts of the pandemic, renewed attention to the mental well-being of affected vulnerable populations and of the public at large will be crucial.
Supporting countries
Reform and development of the mental health system is an area of work for which many countries across the Region have been requesting help. WHO has responded with guidance, capacity-building and technical support.
Now, a more concerted effort is required to secure better mental health for all, both through intensified country support and intercountry initiatives at regional and global levels. By marking mental health as a fundamental element of the European Programme of Work, existing opportunities and evidence-based approaches for mental health promotion, protection and care can be seized, scaled up and sustained.
Poor mental health already claims the lives of 140 000 people per year by suicide in the Region. We urgently need to address long-standing gaps and deficiencies in mental health service delivery and financing, and to implement prevention and mitigation strategies to stem any worsening of the mental health situation across the Region.
What will the flagship do?
People with mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities have long been stigmatized. One of the core components of the WHO mental health flagship will therefore involve challenging stigma and discrimination by improving mental health awareness and literacy among not only the public but also service providers and decision-makers.
Another key pillar of the new initiative will be enhancing access to person-centred, rights-based mental health care in communities. This will expedite progress towards universal health coverage for people with mental health conditions and make the case for a parity of esteem between mental and physical health.
The pandemic has shone a light on the fragility of existing institution-based systems and the need for community-based support and care (delivered through digital means where necessary or applicable). The mental health flagship will encourage efforts and investments to relocate care away from institutions and towards community services, including through the integration of mental health into primary health care and other priority programmes such as adolescent health and noncommunicable diseases.
Since mental health is an integral element of individual and collective well-being, protecting and promoting it during times of adversity and uncertainty is especially important, as is ensuring the availability and continuity of quality care for those living with mental health conditions. It is time to instigate long-awaited reforms to mental health services and deconstruct social stigma around mental ill health. Through collaboration with a strong coalition of partner organizations and citizens, WHO/Europe looks forward to building a more positive approach to and future for mental health across the Region.
Vatican News English Africa Service – Vatican City
“We stand with the truth that the Catholic Bishops so ably articulated,” reads a statement issued by the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe President, Bishop Never Muparutsa -the Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assembly of Zimbabwe. Bishop Muparutsa referred to a “multi-layered crisis of … economic collapse, deepening poverty, food insecurity, corruption, and human rights abuses” in Zimbabwe. With all these happening, EFZ stands with the Catholic Bishops, Muparutsa explained.
“We stand with the truth that the Government is focused on things other than national democratic priorities,” said the EFZ head.
Speaking in an interview with Jayson Casper, of Christianity Today, Bishop Never Muparutsa said the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe had decided to side with the Catholic Bishops because Churches in Zimbabwe have in the past discussed ecumenical cooperation and unity. The Churches have pledged not to allow themselves be divided by politicians.
“We realised that when we are divided, politicians take advantage. We have not eradicated this completely; politicians still divide us for particular agendas. But we have all agreed that in national matters we must be united, in order to move society in a positive direction. The Church must be nonpartisan, but at the same time, be concerned about the well-being of the general population. We must be the voice of the weak and the voiceless. We must hold our government accountable when it comes to looking after the vulnerable. Sometimes this makes us look like we are pro-Opposition. But we have nothing to do with the Opposition because they are not in power. Our interactions instead are with those in power, because they bear the responsibility,” Bishop Muparutsa told Christianity Today.
Pastoral Letter condemned Government crackdown on dissent
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) on 15 August issued a strong Pastoral Letter that criticised the country’s heavy-handed clampdown on dissent. Many activists, political actors and journalists are still being held in prison after the 31 July protests. The Pastoral Letter also condemned corruption, widespread human rights abuses, and the Government’s handling of an economy in free fall.
Government’s attacks on Catholic Bishops
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, responded to the Pastoral Letter with a personal attack on the Archbishop of Harare, Robert Christopher Ndlovu. The Government called the Archbishop “evil minded” and went on to cast aspersions on his integrity and that of the country’s Catholic Bishops as a whole.
While it comes naturally for Catholics and some civil society organisations to come to the defence of the Catholic Bishops, the voice of Zimbabwe’s Evangelical Churches speaks to a history of ecumenical unity.
We stand with Catholics because an insult to one is an insult to all
Bishop Muparutsa explained that the Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Letter meant well.
“The Catholic (Bishops’ Pastoral) Letter was trying to provoke discussion, not give an insult. It pointed out problems like all of us were doing. But it received such a strong (Government) backlash. We felt that given the situation in the country if we just stand by and watch, we don’t know what will happen. We have journalists and activists in prison. There have been abductions with perpetrators unidentified, making us all vulnerable. So, this prompted us to stand with the Catholics, because an insult to one is an insult to all,” said Muparutsa.
Widespread disillusionment in Zimbabwe
Muparutsa also spoke of the disillusionment many Zimbabweans now find themselves in. When President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed office in 2017, many were encouraged by his talk of the dawn of a new era.
“The former President (Rober Mugabe) left us with a system of mis-governance, human rights issues, and international sanctions. We were all very happy when (President Mnangagwa) was elected, hearing that he would turn over a new leaf. There was so much hope. Having been part of the system, we expected he would learn the lessons of the past and bring us back into the family of nations. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, problems began to multiply. We were already suffering, and our health situation became dire. The majority of our people live hand-to-mouth. But as workplaces closed due to the lockdown, there was civic upheaval because people were hungry,” said Bishop Muparutsa.
A feminist pianist who decided to convert to Orthodox Judaism to marry her Jewish partner has claimed her experiences over the last three years are a ‘far cry’ from those depicted in the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox.
Ivi Chin, 35, fron London, spoke to Glamour about what it’s really like to join the religion – which has been accused of misogyny and the oppression of women – after growing up in a secular household.
She suggests a lot of the scenes in the show are over-dramatised for effect, yet acknowledges that some of the customs, including not being allowed to handle her partner’s plate or sleep in the same bed as him when she is on her period, do in fact still apply.
Ivi Chin, 35, has spent the last three years converting to Judaism and claims accusations of misogyny concerning the Orthodox Judaism faith are unjust
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Ivi suggests the portrayal of Orthodox Judaism is a ‘far cry’ from what she has experienced while converting to the religion in order to marry her partner. Pictured: a scene from the Netflix series Unorthodox
Conversion can take up to 10 years to complete, and those hoping to join are expected to immerse themselves in the faith, homes and communities of other Orthodox Jews.
Since starting her conversion three years ago, Ivi has been studying Judaism under the London Beth Din, which provide a central religious authority for Jewish communities in London and throughout the United Kingdom.
In her case, she has six rebbetzins – the wives of rabbis – whom she can rely upon and contact at any time to discuss her conversion.
But she says since the release of Unorthodox – which depicts the fictional journey of 19-year-old Esther Shapiro (Esty), a member of the ‘ultra-orthodox’ Satmar Haredi Jewish sect – she has had lots of people asking if her experiences have been similar to those in the show.
She said: ‘I have been asked, “Why would you want to join a community that treats women in this way?”, but the way Esty is treated is a far cry from my experience of Judaism which has given me huge unexpected joy and fulfilment.’
Instead, she remarked that all women in all societies face misogyny – like that depicted in Unorthodox – and insisted the ‘draconian’ treatment of women in the show was not what she had experienced.
By contrast, she suggests women are revered in the religion and claims Judaism is one of the ‘earliest champions’ of feminism.
Ivi said her favourite example of women’s importance in the Jewish community is through the Ayeshet Chayil (Woman of Valour) which is sung to them every Friday evening.
The self-professed feminist boasted that instead of getting one card a year as a show of appreciation, her man serenades her and brings her flowers every week.
Ivi acknowledged that while there are stark contrasts between her experience and that depicted in the Netflix show, there are also similarities.
In the programme the newlywed couple struggle to consummate their marriage and continue to try for months – something Ivi said was most likely put in for ‘fantastic drama’.
She noted that Jewish law forbids married couples from having sexual relations when there is ‘disharmony’ between them.
Ivi has six rebbetzins – the wives of rabbis – whom she can rely upon and contact at any time to discuss her conversion
Judaism also stipulates that men and women cannot have any sort of physical contact with each other when her period begins and for seven days after she stops bleeding.
For this reason, Ivi says most couples sleep on two single beds joined together, which can be easily separated when necessary.
The separation, according to Ivi, is designed to spark up the ‘honeymoon feeling’ once again.
Although many people assume the procedure is linked to periods being seen as ‘impure’, Ivi said it is actually treated as a time to work on the non-physical needs of your partner.
The women are not allowed to do certain chores such as serve their husbands food or pour a glass of water in front of him.
Another custom in the programme which Ivi said is adhered to in real life is Orthodox women only allowing their husband and female family members see their real hair.
In the show, Esty is forced to shave off her hair the night before her wedding – a tradition which dates back to medieval Hungary
Instead they wear scarves or wigs – something which is also worn on their wedding day.
In Unorthodox, Esty is forced to shave off her hair before her wedding – harking back to a former practice from medieval Hungary in which men would shave their future bride’s heads in order to repel feudal lords from bedding them before they were married – something Ivi said she had never seen in her experience.
And while phones and internet are banned in Unorthodox, Ivi only has to put down her luxury electrical items from sunset on Fridays to nightfall on Saturday.
During that time, the community gathers to eat meals together and do fun activities away from technology.
As she continues on her journey of converting to Judaism, Ivi acknowledged that the rules she must adhere to are not for everyone and may seem restrictive to people in the secular world.
She said: ‘A boundless life is analogous to a violin – when the strings of a violin are not bound, they are free yet purposeless. It is only when the strings are bound that they make beautiful music.’
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