News from the Church in Malta
Ms Silvia Teresa Retamales Morales said that it was a great privilege and responsibility for her to be at the Synod. She said that he was here to express the voices of all those young people who wanted to come to Rome and talk to the bishops. She says that when young heard she was coming to the Synod they reached out to her, many of whom were non-Catholic…
Ms. Corina Fiore Mortola Rodríguez from Mexico said that she wants to convey that she, and the young people at the Synod, are very grateful to Pope Francis for giving them this opportunity to be at the Synod and for the chance to speak. She said that the presence of young people has been fruitful and everyone is working together…
In the midst of the Synod on Youth, today, Sunday 14th October 2018, Pope Francis canonised seven new saints of the Catholic Church. This include Pope Paul VI and Oscar Romero, two well-known figures in the Catholic Church who made significant contributions in the past century. Yet, there are others, including a teenager, a parish priest and a few religious sisters.
Below are brief biographies on each of their lives, as well as photos of each saint’s banner currently on display at St Peter’s Square.
Born Giovanni Battista Montini in 1897 and ordained a priest in 1920, he did graduate studies in literature, philosophy, and canon law in Rome before beginning to work for the Vatican Secretariat of State…
The Justice and Peace Commission believes that the financial prosperity currently experienced should translate into a better quality of life for all. In its document with proposals prior to the upcoming 2019 Budget, the Commission presented recommendations in relation to five major focus areas: transport, environment, health, affordable housing and migration.
Transport: More long-term solutions rather than quick fixes are needed…
Is‑Segretarjat għall‑Edukazzjoni Nisranija llum għamel mandat ta’ inibizzjoni fil‑Qorti kontra d‑direttivi tal‑UPE (Union of Professional Educators) fl‑iskejjel tal‑Knisja.
Is‑Segretarjat ħa din l‑azzjoni għaliex il‑UPE ma mxietx mal‑proċeduri li għandhom jiġu segwiti f’każ ta’ nuqqas ta’ qbil kif stabbilit fil‑Ftehim Kollettiv. Dawn il‑proċeduri jistabilixxu li union l‑ewwel tiddiskuti ma’ kap ta’ skola, u jekk il‑każ ma jissolvix tiddiskuti mas‑Segretarjat…
The Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications, Mr Paolo Ruffini, began today’s Synod press briefing with a report outlining numerous interventions made in the Synod’s general assembly hall. The bishops have begun working on the second part of the Instrumentum Laboris, analysing the context in which young people find themselves today.
Mr Ruffini also clarified the fact that the Chinese bishops would not be staying for the entire Synod…
The decision by the Maltese Bishops to prohibit a priest from exercising his priestly ministry, despite the decision by the Court of Appeal, shows that the Church abides by specific and more stringent criteria resulting from the responsibilities laid down on priests by canon law. The Head of the Safeguarding Commission, Andrew Azzopardi, said this during the presentation of the annual report of the Church’s Commission which is responsible for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults…
Despite the varying situations and contexts of young people across the world their basic aspirations are the same. They want to be taken seriously, listened to, allowed to contribute and they want us to trust them, Cardinal Oswald Gracias from India said.
Listening
“Listening is key in the Synod process,” said French Sister Nathalie Becquart…
Three participants at the Synod of Bishops on Youth attended the daily press briefing. These included Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna, auxiliary bishop of Lyon, France, Emmanuel Gobilliard and Italian author Mr Thomas Leoncini. After offering their impressions of the Synod, two issues were addressed: the sexual abuse of minors and the role of women in the Church.
Participants impressions of the Synod
Archbishop Scicluna opened the briefing by saying that he was touched by the very vocal presence of 30 young people at the Synod who, at times, reacted vociferously to what they heard…
