(Vatican Radio) An international seminar on Women and Work takes place in Rome on December 4th and 5th organised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. About a hundred participants from across the globe will be discussing the challenges facing professional women trying to balance the demands of their careers and their family life.
As the Council marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of Saint John Paul II’s Letter to Women, the seminar will be looking at the ongoing issues of a gender pay gap, as well as innovative solutions to help women overcome discrimination in the workplace.
Among those attending the seminar is Donella Johnston who heads the Australian Catholic bishops’ office for women’s participation, based in the capital Canberra. Philippa Hitchen talked to her about her work, in particular in the field of combatting violence against women in the family home…
Listen:
Donella says the Australian bishops recognized the challenge of women’s participation in the life of the Church back in the 1990s, conducting a large research project which culminated in the publication of the ‘Woman and Man: One in Christ Jesus’ report in 1999.
The report notes that women out-participate men in all areas of Church life – except for decision making, leadership and ordained ministry. In education, health care and social service, it found that women carry out respectively around 70%, 80% and 90% of the work.
One of the recommendations of the report was the establishment of a commission for Australian Catholic women which was set up in 2000. Donella says she believes the Australian Church was unique in “the magnitude and scope” of its work in this field two decades ago, although she points out the Indian bishops now also have “a remarkable gender policy”. Several goals of the report, have yet to be achieved, she notes, “but the vision is there”.
Donella says that Pope Francis is “a big influence” on her work, especially his call for a “profound theology of women”. She notes that “we have great feminist theologians teaching in Catholic institutions” who are well placed to work with the bishops and the Pope on these issues. She also points to the Pope’s words describing the gender pay gap as “a scandal”, noting that in Australia that gap is 18.8% and rising.
Another area where Donella would like to see the Church playing a stronger role is in combatting domestic or family violence: 2 women a week are dying at the hands of their intimate partners, she says. Recent research has found that key causes of such violence are “gender inequality and rigid gender stereotypes”. The Anglican Church has been discussing this, she says, adding that the Catholic Church could also discuss more about the way rigid stereotyping “influences the way women and girls are seen by men and boys”.
Noting how CEOs of large Australian companies are stepping up to become ‘male champions of change”, Donella asks “how can the men of our Church” speak out more forcefully about violence against women? As a Catholic woman, she says, “I’d really like to hear that voice a little bit more”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Today, 3 December 2015, the Holy Father Francis received the Prime Minister of the Independent State of Samoa, His Excellency Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for Relations with States.
During the cordial discussions, the Parties focused on some aspects of the social and economic life of the country, as well as the valued contribution of the Catholic Church in various sectors of Samoan society and, in particular, in the field of education. This was followed by an exchange of opinions on the international and regional situation, with special reference to the Conference on climate change currently taking place in Paris, and the environmental problems that some Pacific island states must face.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says it is not the Church that carries out a mission, but the mission itself that makes the Church pointing out that: “the mission is not the tool but the starting point and the end”.
The Pope was addressing participants of the XIX Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the Vatican on Thursday morning.
The theme of the Plenary is “Missionary awareness and young Churches 50 years after the Ad Gentes Decree” and it marks the 50th anniversary of the “Ad Gentes” conciliar Decree on the Missionary activity of the Church.
Receiving participants of the Plenary on the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, Patron of the Missions, Pope Francis, recalled his just concluded apostolic trip to Africa where – he said – he had first hand witness of the “spiritual and pastoral dynamism of many young Churches of the Continent, as well as the serious difficulties in which most of the population lives”.
“I have seen that where there are needs, there is almost always a presence of the Church ready to heal the wounds of the most needy, in whom they recognize the wounded and crucified body of the Lord Jesus. How many works of charity, of promoting human dignity! How many anonymous good Samaritans work every day in the missions!” he said.
The Pope then spoke of the “evangelizing nature of the Church which always begins by evangelizing herself” by listening to the Word of the Lord which never disappoints because it is founded on the grace of the Holy Spirit.
And quoting from the “Ad Gentes” Conciliar Decree the Pope said: “it is the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that the Church, according to the plan of God the Father, derives its origin”.
And he explained that the Church is servant of the mission, and that “the mission is not the tool, but the starting point and the end”.
Pope Francis also mentioned the fact that the Council has recently carried out a survey on the vitality of the young Churches in order to make its work more effective.
He spoke of the ambiguity faced by some today in the experience of the faith pointing out that the secular world, even when it is warm to the gospel values of love, justice, peace and sobriety, does not show the same openness to the person of Jesus, does not consider Him the Messiah or the Son of God, but an enlightened man, separating therefore “the message from the messenger, the gift from the Giver”.
In this situation of detachment – he said – , “missio ad gentes” serves as engine and horizon of faith.
And he encouraged the Church “to come out to proclaim the Gospel to all, in all places, in all occasions, without delay, without repulsion and without fear”.
The Pope said mission is a force capable of transforming the Church within itself even before the life of peoples and cultures.
He urged each parish to embrace the style of “missio ad gentes” so that the Holy Spirit may transform habitual believers into disciples, disaffected disciples into missionaries” drawing them away from their fears and closures, projecting them in all directions, to the ends of the world”.
The Pope recalled that four centuries ago, Pope Gregory XV instituted “Propaganda Fide” which took the name of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 1967 and said that just as the Church renews itself so must the congregation.
He encouraged all present to continue to be committed to the spirit of mission and always “listen to the cry of the poor and distant, meet everyone and proclaim the joy of the gospel”.
Pope Francis concluded his address thanking those present for their work of missionary animation and cooperation, with which they remind all churches of the danger of atrophy if they close their horizons.
He encouraged communities to continue to be generous even in moments of vocational crisis and to allow their priests in sister churches to serve churches in need in other parts of the world.
“Let us be inspired by the power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit; to emerge from our enclosures, emigrate from territories where sometimes we are tempted to close ourselves, so we will be able to walk and sow further and further” he said.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written a preface to a new volume of the Bible for young people, the inspiration for which came from Thomas Söding, professor of New Testament studies at Bochum university. As a father of three, Mr Söding felt it was necessary to provide a more appealing approach to the Bible for young readers.
The Holy Father begins his preface saying that his old, tatty, well-thumbed Bible is his “priceless treasure”. “I would not give it away for the world”. He said he did he did not wish for a new €1000 version: “I love my old Bible… which has shared my joy and has been soaked with my tears”.
He speaks about how more Christians are being persecuted nowadays than ever before because they wear a crucifix or they have a Bible. He goes on to mention Mahatma Gandhi who once said “A text has been given to you Christians, a text that has the dynamic power to make human civilization explode into a million pieces, to turn the world upside down and to bring peace to a planet torn apart by war. However, you merely regard it as a work of literature, nothing more”.
The Pope says “you hold in your hands something truly divine: a book of fire, a book in which God speaks”. He reiterates Gandhi saying, “the Bible was not written to be put on a bookshelf; it was written to be read every day”.
He warns his young readers “Read carefully. Do not skim-read the Bible, as you would a comic strip! The word of God cannot be skim-read! Ask yourselves ‘What is the Bible telling my heart? What is God telling me through these words?’”
Pope Francis concludes explaining how he reads his Bible, like a son sitting near his father. He adds that he prays sitting because it hurts him to kneel down…
He finishes saying “Do you want to make me happy? Read the Bible” .
The new edition includes reproductions of pieces of holy art, along with introductions to each book and quotations of saints, Popes and important religious figures.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The opening Mass for the Jubilee of Mercy and the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on 8 December will be seen around the world in greater clarity than any other Papal event in history.
The Centro Televisivo Vaticano (CTV — Vatican Television Centre) has announced a major overhaul of the equipment used for its live footage capture, and the opening event of the Jubilee will be broadcast for the first time in ULTRA HD and 4K.
CTV’s OB-8 OB truck has been fully kitted out with 4K technology and will feature eight Sony HDC-4300 cameras, a 4K PWS-4400 server and a 4K MVS-7000X switcher.
This will create an “immersive experience”, which tries to capture, deliver and display images in a way that is as close to the performance of the human eye as possible.
The technology was discussed at a press conference on Tuesday attended by Monsignor Dario E. Viganò, Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications for the Holy See, and long-time head of CTV.
“CTV’s mission is to document all of the activities of the Pope and the Holy See and then offer a service that draws television broadcasters from all over the world,” Msgr. Viganò said.
“This requires the highest attention to quality and the need to keep up to date with the latest and most advanced technologies” – he continued – “HDR’s ability to capture reality just as our eyes see it has certainly provided followers and viewers from around the world with a great opportunity to be part of the events of the Holy Father in an even more immersive and engaging way.”
(from Vatican Radio)…