ZENIT, Daily dispatch
The World Seen From Rome
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VATICAN DOSSIER
* Benedict XVI to Sign 2nd Encyclical
* Pontiff: Time Has Come to Eliminate Hunger
* Vatican: Schools Need Communion in Relativistic World
* Pre-consistory Meeting to Focus on Ecumenism
WORLD FEATURES
* Prayer Is Best Way to Aid Pope, Says His Brother
* Cardinal: Sacraments Key in Caring for Elderly
* A Scientific and Religious Look at the Embryo
* Man Needs God to Become a Family, Says Cardinal
NEWS BRIEFS
* Caritas Feeding Hungry in Bangladesh
COUNTDOWN TO SYDNEY
* Taking Canberra's Pulse; Youth-Day Beanies
DOCUMENTS
* Pope's Address to Food and Agriculture Organization
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VATICAN DOSSIER
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Benedict XVI to Sign 2nd Encyclical
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI will sign his second encyclical, dedicated to the theme of hope, this Nov. 30, confirmed his secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
The cardinal confirmed the Pope's plan today during the 4th world congress of the organizations dedicated to justice and peace, under way in Rome and focusing on the 40th anniversary of Paul VI's "Populorum Progressio."
Nov. 30 is the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle. Normally, encyclicals and other papal documents are not published on the same day they are signed; rather, the texts are released to the public some time after the official signing date.
The Holy Father's second encyclical is inspired by St. Paul's letter to the Romans. His first encyclical, about charity, titled "Deus Caritas Est," was released in 2006 .
Cardinal Bertone said over the summer that the Pope is also preparing an encyclical about social themes.
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Pontiff: Time Has Come to Eliminate Hunger
Addresses U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The time has come to ensure, for the sake of peace, that no man, woman or child will ever be hungry again, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope said this today when receiving in audience participants in the 34th general conference of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), headquartered in Rome.
"All forms of discrimination, and particularly those that thwart agricultural development, must be rejected since they constitute a violation of the basic right of every person to be 'free from hunger.' These convictions are in fact demanded by the very nature of your work on behalf of the common good of humanity," said the Pontiff.
Speaking in English, the Holy Father highlighted "the relentless spread of poverty in a world that is also experiencing unprecedented prosperity, not only in the economic sphere but also in the rapidly developing fields of science and technology."
Obstacles such as "armed conflicts, outbreaks of disease, adverse atmospheric and environmental conditions and the massive forced displacement of peoples," said the Pope, "should serve as a motivation to redouble our efforts to provide each person with his or her daily bread."
Benedict XVI continued, saying, "Today more than ever, the human family needs to find the tools and strategies capable of overcoming the conflicts caused by social differences, ethnic rivalries, and the gross disparity in levels of economic development."
Technical solutions
"For her part," the Pope explained, "the Church is convinced that the quest for more effective technical solutions in an ever-changing and expanding world calls for far-sighted programs embodying enduring values grounded in the inalienable dignity and rights of the human person."
He added: "The united effort of the international community to eliminate malnutrition and promote genuine development necessarily calls for clear structures of management and supervision, and a realistic assessment of the resources needed to address a wide range of different situations.
"It requires the contribution of every member of society -- individuals, volunteer organizations, businesses, and local and national governments -- always with due regard for those ethical and moral principles which are the common patrimony of all people and the foundation of all social life."
Beyond progress
The Pontiff told the FAO delegates: "Technical progress, important as it is, is not everything. Progress must be placed within the wider context of the integral good of the human person. It must constantly draw nourishment from the common patrimony of values, which can inspire concrete initiatives aimed at a more equitable distribution of spiritual and material goods.
"Religion, as a potent spiritual force for healing the wounds of conflict and division, has its own distinctive contribution to make in this regard, especially through the work of forming minds and hearts in accordance with a vision of the human person."
"FAO's outstanding activity on behalf of development and food security clearly points to the correlation between the spread of poverty and the denial of basic human rights, beginning with the fundamental right to adequate nutrition," the Pope concluded. "Peace, prosperity, and respect for human rights are inseparably linked."
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Vatican: Schools Need Communion in Relativistic World
Education Congregation Discusses Consecrated-Lay Teamwork
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education is convinced that the educative experience in Catholic schools should be understood as an experience of communion, and their newly-released document reflects that conviction.
With Benedict XVI's approval, the 26-page statement "Educating Together in Catholic Schools: A Shared Mission Between Consecrated Persons and the Lay Faithful" was released Tuesday in four languages, including English.
The prefect and undersecretary of the dicastery, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski and monsignor Angelo Zani, respectively, presented the document. Roberto Zappalà, rector at the Gonzaga Institute of Milan, joined the Vatican officials in presenting the details of the text.
Zappalà noted that the concept of communion in Catholic schools was the guiding point for the dicastery, given that contemporary society shares less and less common points of reference, due to individualism and moral relativism.
And this comes into play in every teaching institution, in particular in a Catholic school, because "it proposes itself as an educational community that not only frames itself within a determined set of values -- those of the Gospel -- and transmits them, but also lives and makes come alive an experience of communion in which these values take on the form of educational norms," Zappalá said.
A mission
From this perspective, the professor added, "the educational experience of a Catholic school" has to be understood as "an experience of communion," something "that can't be improvised, but which requires ecclesial maturity in the relationship between consecrated members and the laity," and a path of formation.
The document thus explained that man is called to fulfill himself in communion with God and others, and that education can only truly be carried out in a relational and communitarian context, beginning with the family and then the school, which places itself alongside the family as an aid, explained Zappalà.
The text further emphasized the need for good teachers. The suggestions of the dicastery in this area highlight the need for professional formation, capable of synthesizing competence and educational motivations.
The overall goal, Zappalá explained, is that "the Catholic school participates in the mission of the Church, and the Church -- as Benedict XVI has emphasized -- is never an end in itself: It exists to show God to the world, it exists for others. The Catholic school exists for the entire world and is the builder of a communion open to the entire world."
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Pre-consistory Meeting to Focus on Ecumenism
Cardinals' Day of Reflection Follows "1st Step" With Orthodox
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- As cardinals from around the world arrive to Rome to welcome 23 new members to their college, the day before Saturday's consistory will be marked by prayer and reflection on ecumenism. The Vatican press office released a communiqué today announcing the details of the special meeting that will begin with prayer and then a greeting from Benedict XVI.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will deliver a report titled "Information, Reflections and Evaluation Concerning the Current Moment in Ecumenical Dialogue." Other cardinals will also make contributions on the theme of ecumenism.
The cardinals' meeting comes just a few days after the release of the final document from the Oct. 8-14 plenary assembly of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
The conclusion of that assembly was what Cardinal Kasper referred to as a "modest first step," noting that "for the first time the Orthodox Churches have said yes, this universal level of the Church exists and also at the universal level there is conciliarity, synodality and authority; this means that there is also a primate; according to the practice of the ancient Church, the first bishop is the Bishop of Rome."
The College of Cardinals will later turn attention to the life of the Church in general, with a free exchange of ideas Friday evening. The day of prayer and reflection will conclude with an address by the Holy Father.
Cardinal Araujo Sales, retired archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, told ZENIT that "these meetings of the College of Cardinals help a lot in preventing anything that could damage the unity of the Church and the role of the Pope. They help to confront the challenges of today's world, according to Christ's command: 'That they may be one.'"
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WORLD FEATURES
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Prayer Is Best Way to Aid Pope, Says His Brother
Monsignor Georg Ratzinger Recalls Family Environment
VIENNA, Austria, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's brother says the best way to help the Pope is with prayer.
Monsignor Georg Ratzinger told ZENIT that his younger brother indeed bears a heavy burden with the mission of Pontiff, but affirmed that the Holy Father knows he is not alone and feels "supported by the entire Church, by all his brothers and by all the faithful."
Monsignor Ratzinger added, "He knows many people pray for him and he knows he has a guardian angel, as well as the protection of God, who chose him for this task."
The monsignor recommended, in addition to prayer, supporting the younger Ratzinger, "above all in affirming and living out in one's own environment his exhortations, and everything he teaches."
Monsignor Ratzinger spoke of the days he spent with his brother when the Pope traveled to Bavaria, Sept. 9-14, 2006: "Above all, I should say that I was treated everywhere with much attention and a spirit of service. I felt supported by people always willing to help, and I found a great atmosphere of celebration. The bad weather could never have bothered me."
On that occasion, the Holy Father reserved a day for personal activities, visiting Monsignor Ratzinger's house in Regensburg, traveling to the house in Pentling, where he lived when he was professor at the University of Regensburg, and to the cemetery of Ziegetzdorf, where his parents (Maria and Joseph) and his sister, Maria, are buried.
Glorifying God
Georg Ratzinger was born in 1924 in Pleiskirchen, close to the city of Altotting. Joseph Ratzinger was born April 16, 1927. The Ratzinger brothers were ordained the same day, June 29, 1951.
Monsignor Ratzinger, like his brother, recorded his memoirs, stressing the deep devotion that continually shaped the life of his family.
He said the principle that always guided the three siblings was one they found in the catechism: "Why are we here on this earth? So we can give glory to God and get to heaven."
Father Georg followed his passion for music, becoming chapel master in Traunstein and then, in 1964, the director of the chorus at the Regensburg Cathedral.
As far as his vocation to the priesthood, Monsignor Ratzinger said his calling progressed naturally: "The ground was prepared by a good family life, where the faith was something living."
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Cardinal: Sacraments Key in Caring for Elderly
Says Psychological Support Cannot Replace Spiritual Aid
ROME, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Though providing psychological support to the elderly is important, nothing can replace the value of spiritual aid, and especially the benefit of the sacraments, said the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry.
Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán made this affirmation when he concluded the 22nd international conference sponsored by his dicastery Nov. 15-17.
The pastoral care of the elderly was the main point of the conference, and the Eucharist, as viaticum, was considered the most important element of this pastoral attention.
Among the key points of the 40 sessions of the conference, emphasis was made on the growing number of elderly due to longer life expectancy. In this context, the development of geriatric science, "although good, is not completely sufficient," the cardinal said in the synthesis.
Scripture
Conference participants considered the world of the elderly through the perspective of sacred Scripture. Above all, the cardinal explained, they underlined the respect owed to elderly persons, whose presence leads "to awaiting the time of the mercy and clemency of God."
The experts "considered the action of Christ in curing the sick as an anticipation of the Kingdom of God, or the resurrection," Cardinal Lozano Barragán explained. He noted the consequent need for catechesis and Catholic education in order to transmit this message, including an explanation of the sacraments.
"Psychological resources in attending to the elderly sick should be taken into account, but should never be considered as substitutes for the sacraments," the cardinal emphasized.
Family's role
Another conclusion, the cardinal noted, related to the necessity of "favoring the family as the natural place for aging."
In addition, "in dioceses and parishes, there should be assistance for the sick, among whom are priests and religious as well," added Cardinal Lozano Barragán. There should be "spiritual help, sacraments and prayer, for and with the elderly."
Conference participants also emphasized the need to visit the elderly, a work of mercy in which one gives witness of fraternal charity and participates in the love of God "in an effective solidarity to overcome solitude," the cardinal explained.
Thus are fulfilled "the three ministries of the word, of sanctification and of communion, and also of helping the elderly not to lose their faith," he added.
The one who visits a sick or elderly person, the cardinal concluded, "represents the entire Christian community smiling and praying."
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A Scientific and Religious Look at the Embryo
Conference Gathers Experts of Various Disciplines
ROME, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The study of the human embryo is one point where the dialogue between faith and science is both possible and important, said organizers of a conference that brought together experts to discuss the beginning of human life.
The Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest project (Project STOQ), a venture sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture, held a conference last week called "Ontogenesis and Human Life" at Rome's Regina Apostolorum university. Ontogenesis refers to the development of the individual, from embryonic formation up through adulthood.
Legionary of Christ Father Rafael Pascual, dean of philosophy at the Regina Apostolorum, explained why ontogenesis was chosen as the theme for the conference. He said, "The study of human life, from the point of view of its origin, is of particular interest in today's world in which we have to confront all the bioethical questions associated with artificial fertilization, genetic cloning, experimentation with embryonic stem cells, hybrid embryos, etc."
In addition to Regina Apostolorum, five pontifical universities (Lateran, Gregorian, Salesian, Holy Cross and St. Thomas) collaborated with the Pontifical Council for Culture in the event.
Different viewpoints
Speaking to the press prior to the conference, Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the newly-nominated president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, noted that Project STOQ's objective is to "contribute to dialogue between the areas of investigation and study, that have been separated little by little," and to help institute "stable points of fruitful exchange between science, philosophy and theology, by means of dialogue among experts in these fields."
Bishop Elio Sgreccia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, gave the opening lecture where he spoke of the importance of reflecting on the association between ontogenesis and creation, which links together the studies of science, metaphysics and theology.
The prelate explained that these separate sciences can all consider the notion of creation through a unique point of view. But, he affirmed, they can also work together, especially in light of Pope John Paul II's encyclical "Fides et Ratio." Together, these disciplines can bring about a greater understanding of human life, from fertilization to death -- through questions about one's purpose in life and about supernatural life after death.
Seeking understanding
William Hurlburt, a physician and consulting professor in the Neuroscience Institute at Stanford University, California, spoke of the advances in developmental biology with regard to embryonic stem cell research.
He noted a century of dramatic advances in molecular biology and cytology, saying this has delivered us to the doorstep of a new era in the study of developmental biology. When applied to human biology, this inquiry reopens the most fundamental questions concerning the relationship between the material form and the moral meaning of developing life, he explained.
Scott Gilbert of Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, a professor of developmental genetics, embryology, and the history and critiques of biology, spoke on new discoveries in developmental biology.
He explained that developmental biology has recently undergone a revolution in its understanding of the mechanisms of embryonic development, saying that one major transition has come from insights concerning the incompleteness of the genetic model for development.
Gilbert said recent studies have documented that the environment also affects gene expression, saying that even such things as maternal diet during pregnancy can play a role.
Paul O'Callaghan of the University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, asked the age-old question of when the soul enters an embryo. He focused his remarks on arguments made in classical thought, particularly in Platonic, Aristotelian and stoic thought, and then considered the efforts made during the last century to clarify the status of the human soul with respect to the body.
These, he said, have only repeated the classic dilemma between dualism and monism, but suggested that a theological solution to the dilemma draws its inspiration from the dogma of the resurrection of the body.
Other speakers and topics included Mónica López Barahona, director of VidaCord, on the genetic status of the human embryo; and Giuseppe Noia of the University of the Sacred Heart, on physiological and pathological aspects of mother-fetus interactions.
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Man Needs God to Become a Family, Says Cardinal
Justice and Peace Council Begins Plenary Assembly
ROME, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Mankind needs God in order to discover its vocation to be a united human family, said the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the inauguration of the dicastery's plenary assembly.
The council opened its assembly Tuesday, dedicated to the study of Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Populorum Progressio" 40 years after the document was written.
Cardinal Renato Martino opened the assembly, saying, "There is not true development without vocation and there is no vocation without God."
The dicastery president emphasized the current importance of Paul VI's encyclical, given the challenges regarding the truth of man, dialogue and globalization.
In this sense, he highlighted "Populorum Progressio's" vision of integral development and the call to all men of good will to face and resolve the plague of hunger.
3 tasks
According to Cardinal Martino, the papal document outlines the three-fold task faced by the pontifical council.
First, he mentioned the need to promote "a humanism open to the Absolute," because, without God, it is difficult for all of humanity to discover its vocation of being one united family.
Second, the cardinal called for "new thinking about human action," which overcomes the technical preeminence of doing over receiving and of producing over welcoming.
Finally, Cardinal Martino promoted a "brotherhood among men," in order to free development from a reductive, materialistic interpretation.
The cardinal cited the encyclical, saying development is not "something optional, but a duty to assume." The encyclical is "the invitation to assume responsibility for the vocation proper to mankind, according to the plan of God," he said.
"Without God," concluded the cardinal, "it is difficult for men to read in his own nature a vocation; without God, people require much effort to detect a vocation in their history and in their culture; without God, all of humanity finds it difficult to discover the vocation of being one united family."
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NEWS BRIEFS
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Caritas Feeding Hungry in Bangladesh
Disaster-Preparedness Program Helped Quick Response
DHAKA, Bangladesh, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The international aid organization Caritas already distributed food to 120,000 people in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr.
The cyclone, which hit a week ago, claimed the lives of at least 3,100 people. Rescuers fear that number could climb as high as 10,000, once more remote areas are reached. At least 1.2 million were left homeless.
The executive director of Caritas Bangladesh, Benedict Alo D'Rozario said, "During my visits to the affected areas of Bagerhat and Patuakhali districts, I have seen that the roofs of about 90% of the houses have been blown away. [] [t]he roofs of many schools have been blown away and children do not know where their books are.
"Roads are yet to be cleared for vehicles and transport connections are not fully restored yet. No ferry is available to cross the river at Kalapara. People are still under open sky and searching for their valuables from the debris. Many of them are desperately looking for or waiting for their loved ones to return as thousands of them are still missing."
Caritas Bangladesh has long-term development and disaster preparedness programs in the worst-hit areas, which helped with the speed of the response.
After completing the first round of aid, Caritas will repeat food assistance to the same families.
Over $3.2 billion worth of crops have been destroyed resulting in the loss of food and income for millions of people. Caritas will be looking at the medium- to long-term impact after the initial phase of the relief effort has ended.
The Bangladesh government promised today to feed the more than 2 million people left destitute after the storm destroyed crops, saying it had promises of some $390 million in international aid.
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Countdown to SYDNEY
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Taking Canberra's Pulse; Youth-Day Beanies
Gearing Up for Days in the Diocese
By Catherine Smibert SYDNEY, Australia, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Among my many and frequent travels across this Australian land of late, I have been overwhelmed by the fervor of each of the 28 dioceses in the anticipation of World Youth Day. I look forward to giving you all a taste of what's to come via this column by highlighting the activities being coordinated by each diocesan group over the coming months.
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The Capital
In his speech to the hundreds of young participants gathered in the hall of Canberra's Marist College, Archbishop Mark Colerige of Canberra-Goulburn told the group that, combined they all looked like "one big refresh button on a computer."
Archbishop Colerige was addressing his flock at the first annual diocesan youth summit -- "The Pulse" -- held Nov. 16-17 in Australia's capital city.
Though Sydney is where all the action will take place July 15-20, some 5,000 to 10,000 international pilgrims will have the chance to visit the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese for four days of activities leading up to the World Youth Day week.
The Pulse summit included sharing, singing, praying, preparing and "just having fun in the Lord," 20-year-old participant Liam Mackay told me while munching on a sausage sandwich, courtesy of the event directors.
He added that coming from Cooma -- a more rural area of the region -- the event was a "fantastic opportunity to see what is on offer via the wider Church community, which you wouldn't necessarily have a chance to do in your own parish. So it's really given me a taste of what's to come at World Youth Day."
Executive officer of the WYD Canberra squad, Brett Anderson, explained why the summit was named The Pulse: "As in taking someone's pulse -- seeing how they're feeling and then giving them the right medicine -- Christ -- to make their hearts beat more strongly again."
Accordingly, they received guidance from their archbishop who, in turn, set his benchmark in keeping with the standard of the original World Youth Day creator -- Pope John Paul II.
The prelate told me: "One of the great insights which John Paul II had with World Youth Day was that young people aren't just the Church of the future as we often say they are -- but he understood that they are the Church of now.
"And we in Canberra are doing our best to support the acknowledgement that the Spirit is calling the young people to lead the Church into new and exciting territory in exciting new ways."
This is why Canberra-Goulburn has constructed its very own, customized phase-by-phase process to build on the momentum of World Youth Day before, during and after the actual event, taking up the theme "Seeking the Heart of Jesus."
The archbishop insists that, in fact, the formation programs being offered to the youth in the diocese are not just forming leaders for World Youth Day, but rather "leaders of the Church for the future of Australia."
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Close-Knit Community
Down Under, while summer is just around the corner, it will be winter by the time the World Youth day pilgrims start arriving.
That's why hundreds of people across the Central West are knitting beanies for those who might not appreciate the weather report prior to arrival -- and as a true sign of welcome.
The Bathurst Diocese will host over 1,300 pilgrims from Ireland, Brazil, Saint Lucia, France, the United States, Venezuela, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Canada a week before the official World Youth Day celebrations begin in Sydney on July 15.
Executive director of World Youth Day in the Bathurst Diocese, Gabrielle Sinclair, says the "Knitting Together Project" also serves to unite both the young and the older community.
"People of all ages around the region are knitting orange beanies in solidarity, with our Bathurst logo on them, which was designed by two students from the diocese," Sinclair explained.
And, in true World Youth Day spirit, the unique venture has already received a great response from the whole community.
Jill McKenzie is one of the knitters using her skills to contribute to the largest Catholic youth event in the world. "I got involved with this project, as knitting is something that I can actually do, so it allows people like myself who aren't particularly involved in the nitty-gritty of the organization of this massive event to lend a hand -- literally."
Kathy Bowman is coordinating the knitting in the cathedral parish and says the 60 volunteer knitters from around Bathurst have done a great job so far.
Both McKenzie and Bowman see World Youth Day as a good opportunity for the Bathurst Diocese to join together and appreciate their faith.
According to Sinclair, that is the idea behind the project: "It's about knitting together on many levels, connecting as community and sharing our skills, to create something practical as a gift of love and a prayer to both our own pilgrims and our international guests on their journey."
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Singing is Praying Twice
In the lead up to World Youth Day 2008, contemporary music with a Catholic flavor is playing a key role in conveying the messages it aims to present.
Paulini, key performer of the official theme song "Receive the Power," identified why this is the case.
"Music is something that everyone loves and it brings them together," she told me.
Composers of the song agree. Guy Sebastian and Gary Pinto told me what an honor it is to witness the potency of the Gospel when presented in song.
Sebastian, past winner of Australian Idol, hopes that the song "will further help to cement the message of this amazing event into people's hearts" and that "through singing 'Alleluia, receive the power,' the youth will know that it is not through our own talents that we do this, but by the power of God. ... Nothing is impossible to his Holy Spirit."
Pinto extends an encouraging hand to all young Catholic musicians and artists consistent with the call of John Paul II in his Letter to Artists (1999), saying that as musicians "we are in the vocational service of beauty. What greater beauty to be presenting to people than that of God? It's so humbling and spiritually rewarding to be able to give the gifts he gave us back to him."
And other groups have stepped up to the call in turn -- not just the big names.
The Emmanuel Worship band is a group of musicians from Brisbane, Queensland, who produce music ministry for every youth meeting -- whether it be highly liturgical or punk rock. The troupe has been involved in spreading the World Youth Day message around Australia, via the animation of a series of events with the cross and icon journey.
Mass Revival is another worship rock band that has been lending its gifts in the preparatory stage of the youth event. The band won the 2004 YELL! Catholic songwriting competition, presented to them by Cardinal George Pell.
I discovered that the members of both groups have deeply experienced the effectiveness of music as a tool for spreading Christ's message.
Patrick Keady, keyboardist and composer in the Emmanuel Worship group, told me: "In music ministry, what we are trying to do is communicate an age-old message, which has seemed dead, but it's not; it is fresh, alive and vibrant.
"Music is a universal language that everyone gets. When you speak this language, it helps the transition from an old generation to a new generation who needs to rise up and take their place in history. And it does it in a way that they understand."
As Christian bands producing a similar sound to that of popular culture, they seek to take advantage of particular styles of music to help others experience Jesus.
"The beginning point definitely has to be a personal relationship with Jesus," said 23-year-old Bernard Drumm, guitarist from Mass Revival. "There's no point in being a Christian if you don't understand that you need to have a personal relationship with Jesus. So our objective is to motivate all to follow Christ and to try to understand the joy and hope that is in him and that will help us live the faith."
These two Christian bands, as Catholics, also try to allow people to see another face of Catholicism.
"A lot of young Catholics have been brought up with many misconceptions about the Church and its teachings," said Drumm, a seminarian. They think that it's something from yesterday that doesn't relate to today."
"As Catholics," he continues, "we seem to spend a lot of time defending our beliefs and trying to explain ourselves into oblivion ... rather than just allowing the joy we find in it to inspire the core of the hearts of others so they may begin their own search for that Truth which is the source of our joy."
Of course, in the context of World Youth Day, music is helping promote the event itself, as well as the Church.
The drummer for the Mass Revival band, Michael Campbell, feels that "the sense of sharing that music provides is representative of what's to come at World Youth Day when you have so many people from different cultures and languages coming together, singing and dancing in the Lord."
Lead singer of Mass Revival, Daniel Foster, added: "World Youth Day shows you are part of a huge Church and that this is an event showing that we are one Church holding an event for our young people in Australia, and even non-Catholics will see that this is really something.
"When people hear our name Mass Revival they seem to think that we are lobbying for a revival of the Mass, but that's not the case, as much as we are seeking a revival en masse for our Catholic communities.
"So as each of us musicians and artists use our gifts in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, in God's name and for his sake, we pray that he use us to assist in refreshing and reviving our Church here in this great southland and across the world."
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Catherine Smibert is a freelance writer in Sydney, Australia. She can be reached at catherine@zenit.org.
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DOCUMENTS
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Pope's Address to Food and Agriculture Organization
"Peace, Prosperity and Respect for Human Rights Are Inseparably Linked"
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the address Benedict XVI delivered today to members of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
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Mr President,
Mr Director General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you gather for the Thirty-fourth Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican. Our meeting today is part of a tradition reaching back to the time when your Organization first set up its headquarters in Rome. I am happy to have yet another occasion to express appreciation for your work to eliminate the scourge of global hunger.
As you know, the Holy See has always maintained a keen interest in every effort made to rid the human family of famine and malnutrition, in the awareness that resolving these problems requires not only extraordinary dedication and highly refined technical training, but above all a genuine spirit of cooperation uniting all men and women of good will.
This noble goal calls for unwavering acknowledgement of the inherent dignity of the human person at every stage of life. All forms of discrimination, and particularly those that thwart agricultural development, must be rejected since they constitute a violation of the basic right of every person to be "free from hunger". These convictions are in fact demanded by the very nature of your work on behalf of the common good of humanity, as expressed so eloquently by your motto -- fiat panis -- words that are also at the heart of the Gospel which the Church is called to proclaim.
The data gathered through your research and the extent of your programmes for supporting the global endeavour to develop the world's natural resources clearly testify to one of the most troubling paradoxes of our time: the relentless spread of poverty in a world that is also experiencing unprecedented prosperity, not only in the economic sphere but also in the rapidly developing fields of science and technology.
The obstacles standing in the way of overcoming this tragic situation can at times be discouraging. Armed conflicts, outbreaks of disease, adverse atmospheric and environmental conditions and the massive forced displacement of peoples: all these obstacles should serve as a motivation to redouble our efforts to provide each person with his or her daily bread. For her part, the Church is convinced that the quest for more effective technical solutions in an ever-changing and expanding world calls for far-sighted programmes embodying enduring values grounded in the inalienable dignity and rights of the human person.
FAO continues to play an essential role in relieving world hunger, while reminding the international community of the pressing need constantly to update methods and to design strategies adequate to today's challenges. I express my appreciation for the generous efforts made in this regard by all associated with your Organization. The Holy See has closely followed the activities of FAO over the last sixty years and is confident that the significant results already achieved will continue. FAO was one of the first international organizations with which the Holy See established regular diplomatic relations. On 23 November 1948, during the Fourth Session of your Conference, the Holy See was granted the unique status of "Permanent Observer", thus ensuring its right to participate in the activities of FAO's various departments and affiliated agencies in a way consonant with the Church's religious and moral mission.
The united effort of the international community to eliminate malnutrition and promote genuine development necessarily calls for clear structures of management and oversight, and a realistic assessment of the resources needed to address a wide range of different situations. It requires the contribution of every member of society -- individuals, volunteer organizations, businesses, and local and national governments -- always with due regard for those ethical and moral principles which are the common patrimony of all people and the foundation of all social life. The international community must always avail itself of this precious treasure of common values since genuine and lasting development can only be furthered in a spirit of cooperation and a willingness to share professional and technical resources.
Indeed, today more than ever, the human family needs to find the tools and strategies capable of overcoming the conflicts caused by social differences, ethnic rivalries, and the gross disparity in levels of economic development. Mankind is thirsting for true and lasting peace -- a peace that can only come about if individuals, groups at every level, and government leaders cultivate habits of responsible decision-making rooted firmly in the fundamental principles of justice. It is therefore essential that societies dedicate their energies to educating authentic peacemakers: this is a task which falls in a particular way to organizations like your own, which cannot fail to recognize as the foundation of authentic justice the universal destination of the goods of creation.
Religion, as a potent spiritual force for healing the wounds of conflict and division, has its own distinctive contribution to make in this regard, especially through the work of forming minds and hearts in accordance with a vision of the human person.
Ladies and Gentlemen, technical progress, important as it is, is not everything. Such progress must be placed within the wider context of the integral good of the human person. It must constantly draw nourishment from the common patrimony of values which can inspire concrete initiatives aimed at a more equitable distribution of spiritual and material goods. As I wrote in my encyclical "Deus Caritas Est," "those who are in a position to help others will realize that, in doing so, they themselves receive help; being able to help others is no merit or achievement of their own" (No. 35). This principle has a special application to the world of agriculture, in which the work of those who are often considered the "lowliest" members of society should be duly acknowledged and esteemed.
FAO's outstanding activity on behalf of development and food security clearly points to the correlation between the spread of poverty and the denial of basic human rights, beginning with the fundamental right to adequate nutrition. Peace, prosperity, and respect for human rights are inseparably linked. The time has come to ensure, for the sake of peace, that no man, woman and child will ever be hungry again!
Dear friends, in renewing my esteem for your work, I assure you of my prayers that Almighty God will enlighten and guide your deliberations, so that the activity of FAO will respond ever more fully to the human family's yearning for solidarity, justice and peace.
© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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