March 3, 2023

Friday, March 3rd 2023  Established 1905  222 South & Wellington Streets, Georgetown, Guyana  Year 118, No. 9

A priesthood for all: Synodal church

VATICAN CITY (CNS) If the goal of a “synodal” church is to have all the baptized recognize their responsibility for the life and mission of the Catholic community, Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet said that necessarily means taking a new look at priesthood.

The cardinal, outgoing prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, organized an international conference on the theology of priesthood in February 2022, which drew some 500 priests, religious and theologians to the Vatican.

Yet one year later, he and other conference organizers said that coming to grips with the clerical abuse crisis and trying to promote a real understanding of the vocation of all the baptized priests or laity is an exercise that cannot be limited to priests and theologians.

To that end, the Vatican presented a two-volume book, “For a Fundamental Theology of the Priesthood,” cataloguing the (please turn to page 8)

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, outgoing prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, speaks to reporters at the Vatican Feb. 20, 2023, about the release of a two-volume book on the theology of the priesthood and the need to promote a better understanding of priesthood in a "synodal" church. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)

Editorial: The enduring moments of Pope Francis’ first 10 years - p2

Mourners pray for migrants killed in shipwreck off Italian coast - p3

A Christian Perspective on Social Issues - p4

Sunday Scripture - p5

Gospel Reflection - p6

Only 1 in 3 US Catholic parents say it’s ‘very important’ children share parents’ religious beliefs - p7

With Him on the mountain - p8

Children’s Page - p9

‘Sorry’ is not enough: Abuse victims need answers, support, pope says - 10

Dailyat-homeLentenactivitiesforfamilies - p11

New asteroids named after three Jesuits and a Pope - p12

Saint of the Week - p12

On the lighter side

of the Immaculate Conception, Brickdam

Wednesday, March 8th

09:00 hrs – Meeting with Diocesan Priests

Friday,March 10th

Travel to Hosororo

Sunday,March12th

Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, Hosororo

Monday,March13th

Return to Georgetown

 Francis Alleyne OSB

The Caribbean Region Meeting for the Continental Phase of the Synod on Synodality took place in the from left: Deacon David Popo (St. Lucia), Leah Casimero (Guyana), Bishop Clyde Harvey (Grenada), Christiana Paul

WEDNESDAY MARCH 8TH 2023

The Son of God

Dear Editor,

At the Baptism of Jesus by John, Jesus knew His Sonship. A voice spoken from heaven, “This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.” (Matt. 3:13-17.)

EDITORIAL The enduring moments of Pope Francis’ first 10 years

From Our Sunday Visitor

Moment by moment, sign by sign and word by word, Pope Francis has defined his papacy in the 10 years since his election to the See of Peter. Through iconic gestures and memorable quotes, the Holy Father has used his service in the Petrine ministry to call Catholics throughout the world to be animated, living bearers of the Gospel. As the Church marks the 10th anniversary (March 13) of Pope Francis’ election as bishop of Rome, now is an appropriate time to ask: What is the charism of Pope Francis? What is his special contribution to the Church?

On this occasion, we have the opportunity to revisit the quintessential Pope Francis moments. If viewed as moments of the past and points of an agenda to be untangled or interpreted, they remain constrained by the unreflective habits of thought we use to evaluate our celebrity and political figures. But if we view them as insights into Christian living, they become more powerful timeless invitations to better conform our lives to the Gospel.

Initially, some thought Pope Francis might have chosen his name in honor of the saintly Navarrese missionary, Francis Xavier, who was a cofounder of the Society of Jesus. The Vatican clarified early on that the pope’s namesake was, in fact, Francis of Assisi. During the election in the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, archbishop emeritus of São Paulo, Brazil, and prefect emeritus of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy, congratulated the newly elected pope, Jorge Bergolio, and urged him, “Don’t forget the poor!” Those words struck Cardinal Bergoglio, who immediately thought of Francis, known to be a patron of peacemaking and for the care of creation.

The day after his election, Pope Francis, in his first act as pope, visited Santa Maria Maggiore, where he paused to pray at the tomb of Pope St. Pius V. Commentators took special delight in the image of the Jesuit pope named Francis praying before a Dominican saint. But the visit had deeper symbolism still. Pope Pius V was a renowned reformer of the Roman Curia. He was famous for (please turn to page 6)

Whatever besides the Baptism meant, it means certainly that God’s seal upon the conviction Jesus had that He was the Son of God. Just look at the immediate consequence, the Temptations of Jesus. Two of the

Dear Editor,

What is in danger of being lost in the furore surrounding the temporary suspension of Guyana’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI) is that unless the Government mends its ways, it is courting more serious sanctions.

Recognizing that the ultimate authority in the EITI is the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) is the critical issue at stake. A member Government has a great deal of flexibility about how it administers its national EITI body as long as it is in conformity with the Principles and Objectives set out in the EITI Standard. What it cannot do is join or remain a member on its own terms when these are incompatible with the Standard.

EITI developed and takes very seriously the tri-partite arrangement whereby Government, the extractive industry and civil society jointly run the EITI, both at the national and international levels. This formula can only function successfully where compromise is the dominant strategy for decision-making. To the extent that compromise is the essence of EITI politics, the denouncing, confronting, monopolizing, and boycotting which has characterized Guyanese politics for decades is incompatible with the democratic culture of the EITI.

From the outset the MultiStakeholder Group that runs the GYEITI adopted the three-step system of decision-making recommended in the EITI Standard: firstly, seek compromise, secondly, accept the results of a vote if at least one member from each sector is part of the majority; thirdly, the co-chairs of each sector seek compromise and finally, when all else has failed, take an up-and-down vote. In its sevenyear existence the EITI has taken only one vote prior to the recent one that provoked the Government commotion. The recent abstention vote by MSG-Civic was unanimous including all four, not two, members as alleged.

In our view the EITI provides a crucible for refining governance

three temptations begin, “If you are the Son of God.” The true sense is “since you are the Son of God.” They state the assumption which makes these temptations really possible. “Tell these stone to turn into loaves”.

“If you are the Son of God” “throw yourself down: for scripture says, He will put you in his angels’ charge, and they will support you on their hands in case you hurt your foot against a stone.” (Matt: 4:1-11).

Jesus is thus tempted, precisely because he knows that He is the Son of God.

techniques applicable to a much broader spectrum of Guyana’s political life. Ironically, the lack of trust that characterizes Guyanese politics creates favourable circumstances for EITI’s formula of working in awkward alliances. It enables movement from modest to meaningful goals as trust is developed. All sides have something to gain from it and a lot to lose if it doesn’t work.

Policy Forum Guyana (PFG), a network of civic organizations, came into being prior to the 2015 elections to promote financial and environmental transparency. This orientation explains the early interest in EITI by PFG and also its acceptance of the invitation to take responsibility for devising the process by which civic candidates to MSG-Civic are selected. Since selection to the MSG is based on individuals, not organizations, PFG also provides a support platform to enable the MSG-Civic members to communicate collectively with the broader civil society.

It would be fair to say the collective governance experiment worked well in the formative stages. Three factors influenced this progress, namely the first Champion of EITI, Raphael Trotman, allowed the process to evolve and encouraged independence; the Permanent Secretary at MNR successfully guided awkward administrative challenges and thirdly, rotation of the MSG Chair through the three sector co-Chairs underlined the equality of status.

In addition to these factors, recognition of Guyana as a full member of EITI was facilitated by complementary conditions at that time, including a range of legislative and administrative measures that strengthened Government’s accounting procedures. These included creating constitutional Agencies directly responsible to Parliament in budgetary matters rather than to a single Ministry; creation of the Agencies SOCU and SARA, all of which contributed to Guyana moving up the Transparency International index.

However, since the Burnham era, Guyana has become adroit in projecting a progressive internation-

Come now to Cesarea Phillipi, to Peter’s high moment in gospel history. “But you”, Jesus said, “who do you say I am?” Then Simon Peter spoke up “You are the Christ”, he said, “ the Son of the living God.” It is this designation of Him by Peter as Son of the living God, which evokes from Jesus the commendation, “Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man. Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in Heaven”. The recognition of His Sonship rather than in his Messiahship. (Matt 16: 13-18)

Leon Jeetlall

al image alongside a domestic democratic deficit. On the one hand, trumpeting a range of legislation such as an Integrity Commission, Ombudsman, Information Act, anticorruption laws and ratifying the Convention on Corruption, while on the other, domestic implementation is practically zero, outweighed by money-laundering, gold smuggling and drug sales amounting to billions of dollars along with fostering new, dubious alliances with autocractic countries and disreputable corporations.

Sustaining this contradiction is now proving a challenge due to the EITI system of continuing assessment, known as Validation. EITI allows member countries seven years since their inception to get their house in order. Guyana is now in its seventh year without noticeable democratic progress. For example, the last monthly Minutes of MSG Meetings posted on the web-site - a requirement of the Standard - are those of the 42nd Meeting while the last Meeting constituted the 59th. Likewise, little effort has been directed at implementing recommendations from the Validation exercise and the Annual Reports, e. g. the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) provisions on confidentiality remain in place severely limiting the quality of EITI Reports. EITI Standard rules on Open Data are not respected - byzantine procedures are required to access mining information on the GYEITI web-site; Beneficial Ownership –creating a register of the real names of the people who own extraction companies - is progressing at a snail’s pace and public out-reach is almost non-existent. Token gestures have been made to encourage broad -based cooperation of the gold mining sector in providing data to participate in the reporting process

It is difficult to convey how underdeveloped the concept of accountability has become as reflected in Guyana’s primitive and obsolete system of auditing public accounts. Along with Cuba, for example, Guyana is the only country in the entire Caribbean with no Electronics Transactions Act. (please turn to p4)

Guyana cannot enjoy EITI membership on its own terms

Mourners pray for migrants killed in shipwreck off Italian coast; Greece’s worst train crash in history leaves many dead

(Vatican News) - Pope Francis and the Roman Curia dedicated the first week of Lent to Spiritual Exercises, focused on private, personal prayer.

Last month, the Holy See Press Office announced the Pope had invited all Cardinals residing in Rome, heads of Dicasteries, and Superiors of the Roman Curia to take the week for prayer.

Pope Francis’ engagements were suspended this week, including the Wednesday General Audience of 1 March.

His next public event will be his Sunday Angelus.

The Holy Father urged top officials of the Roman Curia to “experience in a personal way a period of Spiritual Exercises.”

In order to facilitate their personal retreat, he requested them to suspend their “work activities and engage in prayer from the afternoon of Sunday, 26 February, to the afternoon of Friday, 3 March."❖

CROTONE, Italy (OSV News) Archbishop Angelo Raffaele Panzetta of Crotone-Santa Severina joined other faith leaders, local officials and members of the public March 1 in praying for migrants aboard a wooden boat who died in a Feb. 26 shipwreck off the southern Italian coast.

The coffins of those whose bodies were recovered from the water were lined up at the local sports hall in Crotone to allow people to pay their respects to the deceased.

The boat, crowded with about 200 passengers heading to Europe, smashed into rocky reefs and broke apart before dawn Feb. 26 amid rough seas.

According to Reuters, at least 65 people died, with 12 of them children, including a baby. At least 82 passengers survived the shipwreck, an official from Italy’s Crotone prefecture told CNN Feb. 27. Dozens more people were still missing. Reuters also reported that Italian authorities arrested three people and were looking for a fourth suspect who they believe trafficked the migrants.

“This morning I learned with sorrow of the shipwreck off the Calabrian coast, near Crotone,” Pope Francis said after his Angelus Feb. 26. “I pray for each one of them, for the missing and for the other surviving migrants. I thank those who have brought relief and those who are providing shelter. May Our Lady sustain these brothers and sisters of ours.”

Rescue workers said passengers on the shipwrecked boat included people from Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. More tragedy struck this region of the Mediterranean when just before midnight March 1 a passenger train carrying 350 people collided with a freight train “after both ended up on the same track” near the city of Larissa in northern Greece, the BBC reported.

By midday March 2, at least 57 people were confirmed dead in what is being called the country’s worst rail crash. Rescue workers continued to search for survivors in the mangled,

burned-out wreckage of the two trains.

According to the BBC, a 59-year-old station master in Larissa has been charged with “manslaughter by negligence” and was to appear in court March 2. “He has denied any wrongdoing, blaming the crash on a technical fault.”

Rail workers across Greece staged a walkout and held a one-day strike following the crash. The BBC quoted a statement from the workers’ union: “Pain has turned into anger for the dozens of dead and wounded colleagues and fellow citizens.”❖

Segment II of the Lay Ministers' Formation Programme (February to April 2023) will be held via Zoom from 3 - 5pm every Saturday afternoon. All interested persons are invited to participate.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 815 5614 2686

Passcode: 445718

18 & 25 February, 04 March

First Session: Basic Pastoral Counselling: Sr. Katrina Charles, O. Carm.

Second Session: Liturgy II: Preparing for Lent & Easter: Andrew Kerry & Bro. Paschal Jordan, OSB

11, 18 & 25 March

First Session: Homilies for Holy Week & Easter Triduum: Msgr. Terrence Montrose.

Second Session: Liturgy II [cont'd] Holy Week Liturgies: Andrew Kerry & Bro. Paschal Jordan, OSB

01 April Sessions 1 & 2: Retreat: Bp. Francis Alleyne, OSB

Easter Break: 08 - 15 April

Segment III - end of April to Junewill begin on Saturday 22 April .

A piece of the boat and child s clothing are seen on the beach from a shipwreck in Steccato di Cutro, Italy, Feb. 27, 2023. A wooden boat crowded with migrants smashed into rocky reefs and broke apart before dawn Feb. 26 off the Italian coast, authorities said. (OSV News photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters)

File photo of Pope Francis at the start of Lent (Vatican Media)

A crane lifts part of a destroyed carriage March 2, 2023, as rescuers operate at the site of a train crash near the city of Larissa, Greece. (OSV News photo/Kostas Mantziaris, Reuters)

A Christian Perspective on Social Issues

Hopelessness

By GHK Lall

Hopelessness is a crime. Hopeless is more than a crime, it is a sin. Hopelessness is more than a crime and a sin combined. Hopelessness is a great evil, the mother of them all. This is what many in our society struggle with in this Season of Lent, all year long. As Catholics journey in these early days of Lent, hopelessness exists in broad pockets, and it is what must be fought against, for we believe in higher, greater things.

Hopelessness by itself is a bad state for anyone to coexist with on a continuing basis; a chronic condition that does not ease up, go away. Whatever the underlying factor-poverty, illness, relationship, work-a state of hopelessness is a way of that is gnawing of the spirit, and grinding down of will and life itself; and with little on which to fall back to cushion from the assaults on the emotions, mood, and psyche. If we are not careful, then the hopelessness can creep into our lives. That is bad enough, and usually is triggered by circumstances over which there is no control. But there is another kind of hopelessness which I place before my fellow Guyanese today, and the source of which can itself be a horror of the unimaginable kind.

As seen by me, there is also that hopelessness that is induced and compelled. Hopelessness induced to reduce to the point of helplessness. Take away support systems. Remove surrounding layers of tradition and reliance. Isolate and segregate. Take aim and then slice away, one little or large sliver at a time. Whether vision or program, there is this relentlessness and remorselessness that becomes obvious in the power of ongoing, self-serving practices. More and more spaces and places and faces are targeted and felled. A juggernaut of a machine is unleashed, and it is broad as it is big, few are spared, fewer left untouched to this point. This is what is being stood up against in Nicaragua, other parts of the world.

In Guyana, the savaging irony is that there are those Guyanese who speak with a straight face of what is about

togetherness. Artful construction or conviction? How can this be when there are so many have nots, and the resulting hopelessness? Where is the condition that gives us some muscle? Whenever anyone speaks of oneness, then a long journey is undertaken, a great, big obligation is owned, and nothing but the most powerful of commitments is going to see it through to the end.

Every effort is expended, all goodwill spent, all capital invested to reach for, to encircle those neither wholly nor partially receptive to one of anything. The heavy output of energy, the thankless toiling, must be to gather the outliers and stragglers, to influence and sway the resistant, to persuade the indifferent, the disbelieving. As Catholics, this must be second nature. This is how oneness is achieved in my humble perspective. The assertions, attributes, and exercises must all contribute to give hope to the hopeless.

I contend that we are the worst of cancers to ourselves, when any tiny opportunity, any small promise, that is present is not explored. I insist that rather than a raise a hand in anger and frustration to beat into submission, or to teach a lesson by reducing to the despair of hopelessness, there are the roads identified earlier that must be traveled. If we are genuinely about togetherness, then there can be no limit to our patience, no curb on our imagination, no objection to trying different things, ways that have never been contemplated before. This has to be our calling, Lent or no Lent, in what we foster in our sanctuary, in our community and country. patient hands, sincere words, inspiring deeds. We have it in ourselves from our belief system to care for those who do not have, the lesser and lower in our midst. This is what Jesus exemplified, the penance of which Lent is about. We have so much richness, yet there is so much hopelessness. There is mourning over the poverty of spirit that is observed, touched, in our society It is what just should not be Perhaps in an earlier time, but not at this time of great abundance.

I am familiar with Christians and Catholics and citizens who are wounded and limping in the spirit, despite the brave face they put on, the tight, pained smiles that they try. We must look not to man for succor, but to the heavens, call out to the mountains, for there is our deliverance from the hopelessness that invades consciousness and circumstances. The prayers of Lent, as we await the coming of our Lord. This must be the substance of the hope that we should have. When we look to man, expect the good of

men, too often disappointments follow. God does not disappoint. Into his hands, we must commend our spirit, our hope, our visions for ourselves. In God we trust and the hope nurtured must be our Lenten prayer and mantra. Amen.

Letters · Letters · Letters

Trinidad has had such an Act since 2000 and the rest followed a few years later. Guyana still relies on cash-based accounting, best suited to a cake-shop and hopelessly inadequate for any public accounts, much less those of an oil producing nation. A modern accruels-based system has been resisted for years. Our ramshackle accounting system, for example, cannot alert Guyana to dangerous financial risks such as not monitoring over-runs on the budget or borrowing too much money. When a parallel situation developed in Ghana, shortly after it became an oil producer, recourse to an IMF for bail-out was required. Agencies such as the World Bank, IMF and the Inter-American Development Bank know exactly what is going on, but with Guyana on the spectrum of oilproducing nations, they choose to be more deferential than demanding. Political will for financial reform is feeble, as evidenced by the following gaps. The National Audit Office has never carried out any forensic audit required for legal prosecution of officials who may be suspected of financial fraud; the current Auditor-General was only appointed the year he was to retire and, therefore, can be dismissed at any time and the Parliamentary Accounts Committee’s last Report was for 2010-2012.

Moreover, modernizing public accounts in Guyana cannot get the attention it deserves since the Annual Report of the Auditor-General restricts itself to the exact format required by the Audit Act which predates such things as electronic transactions.

This combination of inaction on implementing accountability reforms together with dismantling those already in place provides a consistent and serious incompatibility with the democratic culture required of EITI member countries. Should further sanctions be triggered for violations to the EITI Standard, the Government of Guyana will not need to seek ‘villains’ to blame: it is will have achieved this all by itself.

PolicyForum Guyana

Pope’s Intentions

March Monthly Intention: For Victims of Abuse

We pray for those who have suffered harm from members of the Church; may they find within the Church herself a concrete response to their painandsuffering ❖

Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests.

Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.

Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.

Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen

Counselling Services at Brickdam Presbytery

Carmelite Sisters are available for counselling on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00am to 12 noon and 1:00pm to 2:00 pm, at theCathedral Presbytery.

They are also available by appointment. Persons are encouraged to avail themselves of these services. Kindly contact the Cathedral parish office on tel. no. 226-4631fordetails.

- a troubling state to be fought against

First Reading Genesis 12:1-4

The call of the people of God.

The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

‘I will bless those who bless you: I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.’

So Abram went as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 32:4-5, 18-20, 22

Response: May your love be upon us, O Lord, as weplaceallourhopein you.

l. The word of the Lord is faithful and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right and fills the earth with his love. Response

2. The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine. Response

3. Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield, May your love be upon us, 0 Lord, as we place all our hope in you. Response

Second Reading

God calls and enlightens us.

2 Timothy 1:8-10

With me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace.

This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only

been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus.

He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.

GOSPEL: Matthew 17:1-9

His face shone like the sun.

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus.

‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this the disciples fell on their faces overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus. As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order. “Tell no one about this vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” ❖

Our readings for this second Sunday of Lent offer us Christian stewards motivation to continue on our 40-day journey towards deeper holiness.

The first reading from the book of Genesis describes God’s call to Abram

(who would later be called Abraham). God instructs Abram to leave his home and set out to a land that God had chosen for him. Abram’s response is an ancient example of a good stewardship. Instead of clinging to his comfortable home and way of life, he recognizes that all he has is gift from God, puts his trust in God and obeys. And God rewards him saying, “I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”

To “be a blessing” is the true aim of a stewardship way of life. It is also an excellent way to live out the season of

Lent. The sacrifices we take on, the spiritual disciplines we practice, the extra acts of service we perform during this season all give glory to God and transform our lives into a blessing for others.

Lest we grow weary on this path, our Gospel passage today, from Matthew, offers us a powerful image of the great God we serve. It is the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus, when our Lord reveals Himself in His true glory and the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The apostles

who witnessed this were awestruck. But our loving Saviour reassured them saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” As we continue on our Lenten journey, let us take these two verses, “Listen to him,” “Rise, and do not be afraid” to heart. Let us rely on God’s strength to aid us in our spiritual disciplines as we move through Lent. We will arrive at Easter with deeper holiness, as a blessing to God and others and as better stewards of all God’s gifts to us ❖ [www.catholicsteward.com/blog/

Reflection

On this second Sunday of Lent we hear of the special call God made to a man who would become the father-in-faith of both Jews and Christians. His response to that call has changed the history of the relationship of human beings with God. The short sentence “Abram went as God told him” does not really express what was involved, in what he had to do which was basically to give up all that he knew and loved to travel into the unknown across the endless desert. It took a deep and strong faith in God’s promise. Therefore, Abram’s response to God’s call was an act of great bravery. It is also because of the brave acceptance of God’s special call that many individuals have courageously gone out and done things that made a difference in their own lives and in the lives of many others. It is through human actions that God has acted throughout history. And we are sure that God is continuing to act today through us.

We can identify with Abraham because, in a sense, we too are on a journey – the great journey of life. In fact, we are involved in not one but two journeys. The first is the outward journey we make through our involvement in the world around us as we try to find our role and purpose there. The second is the inward journey, the search for oneself, which eventually leads to a search for God. In reality these two journeys are closely linked together. Life’s journey is truly a journey of faith because we never know where it will take us. Faith begins with a call from God. God calls us forward, away from where we are at present. This is not necessarily into a new place but into a new way of seeing, towards new values, a new way of living, of relating with others. As we continue to build a closer relationship with Jesus, we come to realise more and more what we are called to be and to do❖

[From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, Diocese of Georgetown,

EDITORIAL: The enduring moments of Pope Francis’ first 10 years (From P2)

walking the cold, marble floors of the apostolic palace barefoot and for his special affection and care for the poor of Rome. St. Pius V even forewent the customary festival thrown for a newly elected pope and gave the money instead to the poor, personally washing their feet and caring for the sick.

The pope’s daily homilies during the Masses he offered and preached from Casa Santa Marta provided insight into the spiritual life widely appreciated throughout the Church. His regular references to Satan, denouncing the prince of lies, and offering clear, practical advice on how to better hear the voice of Jesus were appreciated by many. For years, around 50 people a day joined him for those Masses, with 25 of those 50 seats reserved for Romans, so that local pastors could bring groups of parishioners to pray with the pope.

On Easter Sunday 2013, a photo of Pope Francis took the world by storm. While touring St. Peter’s Square after Mass, the pope embraced 8-year-old Dominic Gondreau. The young boy with cerebral palsy was lifted up by the crowd to the pope in the popemobile, and he gently embraced him and blessed him. Dominic, who suffers from extremely limited physical mobility, raised his arm and put it around the pope. The image became iconic, reprinted on newspapers and carried on websites across the globe, showcasing the pope’s special love for the sick and disabled.

Pope Francis’ special love for the poor was given greater attention with his concrete actions.

He has regularly dined with those experiencing poverty, including on the World Day of the Poor, which he established during the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016. Pope Francis has supported mobile health clinics in St. Peter’s Square and renovated a public restroom to make showers available to the homeless.

In his writings, Pope Francis has drawn the attention of the global Church to themes dear to his patron. In his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, he concluded Pope Benedict XVI’s trilogy of encyclicals on the theological virtues, calling for special attention to be given to recovering the light of faith in our day. In Laudato Si’, which begins with a canticle of praise authored by Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis urges the Church to make increasingly greater efforts for the care of creation. In Fratelli Tutti, he called for members of the Church to work for the common good of the social order, fostering interreligious dialogue and peace.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Pope Francis arranged for a special urbi et orbi address to be made from St. Peter’s Square. In an unforgettable scene, with blue police lights eerily flashing and fires flickering, Pope Francis called the Church to place our confidence in Christ, who would care for his beloved boat, the Church, just as he once tended to the apostles tossed about

the stormy seas. The Eucharistic Benediction, with Pope Francis standing alone, holding a monstrance, braced against all the suffering of the world, was a sight that will not be erased swiftly from the annals of Church history.

In his apostolic journeys, the pope has diligently worked to foster relationships with the Islamic world. Pope Francis was the first pope to visit Iraq, traveling to the war-torn nation to offer healing. Several years before, Pope Francis made history by becoming the first ever pontiff to visit the Arabian Peninsula, traveling to the United Arab Emirates in 2019. The Abrahamic Family House, a new interfaith center which includes a church, a synagogue and a mosque, came about as a fruit of that pilgrimage.

And what will the future icons be? Some continue to see great symbolism in his visit to the tomb of St. Celestine V last summer. Celstine V was the last pope to voluntarily resign before Benedict XVI did so in 2013. As rumors about the pope’s health rise and fall, he offers little indication that a resignation is anywhere on the horizon. Perhaps the best indication, like so much of his papacy, is to be found in the example of his namesake, Francis, who followed Christ in zealous service to the last of days. ❖

How is your synodal listening going? Last Sunday, February 26, prayer group leaders from Aishalton, Deep South Rupununi, Region 9, gathered to share on their experiences of leading and animating Gospel sharing groups. Let us continue to listen to the Holy Spirit in our Churches. (St Ignatius Mission Facebook page)

important’ children share parents’ religious beliefs

on the “kerygma” which he described as the core message of the Gospel to help Catholics discover or rediscover why they and their children need Jesus and the church.

He encouraged the refocus not only for adults, but also for children.

“When we fall in love with someone, we want to know everything about them,” he said. we can help our children see the need for Jesus and the church in their lives, to understand what Jesus has done for them and who he is, they will want to know everything about him and will want to be active in his church.”

that it is extremely or very important to them that their children grow up to hold similar religious beliefs.

(OSV News photo/CNS file, J.D. Long-Garcia, The Catholic Sun)

WASHINGTON (OSV News)

Catholic experts are expressing concern after a recent Pew Research Center survey found that only 35 percent of U.S. Catholic parents say that it is extremely or very important to them that their children grow up to hold similar religious beliefs.

The survey also showed that 30 percent of Catholic parents say it is somewhat important to them, while 34 percent say it is not too important or not at all important.

“This study is concerning in that it points to an ambivalence that many people involved in pastoral ministry see so much among our families,” Susan M. Timoney, associate professor of practice, pastoral studies area, and associate dean for undergraduate studies at The Catholic University of America’s School of Theology and Religious Studies in Washington, told Our Sunday Visitor, the weekly newspaper of OSV based in Huntington, Indiana.

“Parents want their children to be ‘good people,’ which is inclusive of many elements of a Catholic worldview, but what parents seem to struggle doing is sharing a conviction about the importance of practicing the (Catholic) faith and speaking to a personal relationship with God,” Timoney said. “It calls for a spiritual renewal among parents and families.”

The numbers come as part of a larger survey of 3,757 U.S. parents with children younger than 18, conducted last fall. An analysis of that survey, published on Feb. 6, focused on religious and ethnic differences in parenting among Protestants and Catholics.

Greg Popcak, director of CatholicCounselors.com, a pastoral telecounseling practice,

Journeying with the Word of God

suggested that the findings are due to the lack of impact people believe faith and religious practice have on their daily lives and relationships, especially family relationships.

“Most people see faith and religious involvement as something that complicates their relationships more than it benefits them,” he said. “At best, church is one more thing to do in an already busy life. At worst, it asks me to follow rules that I fail to see having any positive impact on the quality of my relationships.”

He highlighted efforts such as the CatholicHOM (Households on Mission) app, a digital family formation platform for Catholic families launched by his practice, as important for both the future of Catholic family life and the future of the church itself.

“Unless we can show people how our Catholic faith helps people lead more loving, connected, caring lives especially in their families most people will find no compelling reason to celebrate the faith themselves or encourage their children to own it,” Popcak said.

Joseph White, a child and family psychologist and the associate publisher for catechetical resources at OSV, found it “especially striking” that a third of Catholic parents do not consider it important to pass on their faith.

“I think this highlights the need for evangelization of Catholic adults,” White said. “The issue here is not just that Catholic adults don’t ‘know’ their faith; they don’t see why their children would ‘need’ it.”

He said this represents not only a failure to catechize but also a failure to evangelize. In response, he called for a refocus

In many areas of Pew’s analysis, responses by Catholic parents resembled the responses of U.S. parents in general.

The percentage of Catholic parents and the percentage of all parents who say it is extremely or very important that their children have similar religious beliefs to their own as adults is the same: 35 percent. Of all parents, 22 percent say it is somewhat important and 42 percent say it is not too or not at all important. The majority of U.S. parents (81 percent) and Catholic parents (81 percent) find it extremely or very important for their children to grow up to become people who help others in need, according to the analysis. The majority of U.S. parents (80 percent) and Catholic parents (79 percent) also say it is extremely or very important for their children to grow up to be accepting of people who are different from them.

Parents’ answers changed depending on how often they attend religious services or Mass, according to Pew. U.S. parents who attend religious services at least once a week are more than three times as likely to consider it important to raise children who will share their religious views.

With two-thirds of Catholic parents saying it is at least somewhat important that their kids share their religious beliefs as adults, White recommended that ministry leaders in Catholic parishes and schools consider what evidence-based tools they can give parents to ensure that the Catholic faith is handed on to the next generation.

“We need to use this knowledge to help parents who want to raise their children as lifelong disciples of Jesus,” he said. “This is a primary responsibility of the parish. Pope Francis calls us to be ‘a family of families,’ and we need to work harder to ensure that the family stays together.”❖

MAKING THE WORD OF GOD YOUR OWN

Step 1: Lookattoday’sReadingsprayerfully.

1st Reading: Abram is called by God to leave all that is closest to him – his relatives, his home, and his country. His response is immediate.

2nd Reading: Towards the end of his life, Paul is writing from prison to his trusted fellow worker, Timothy, urging him to endure hardship for the sake of preaching the Good News.

Gospel: This is Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration. We hear the very words spoken by the Father in heaven that we heard at Jesus’ baptism. Now “Listen to him!” is added.

Step 2: ApplyingthevaluesoftheReadings toyourdailylife.

1.The Transfiguration story is always heard on the Second Sunday of Lent as we prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. Can you tell why?

2.Paul gives encouragement to the young Timothy to rely on the power of God rather than on his own efforts. In what way are we encouraged and challenged today?

3.Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration has the voice from the clouds saying “Listen to him”. Why do you think he adds this line to the words heard at Jesus’ baptism?

4.Abraham gave up all he knew to go forward into the unknown when he answered God’s call. In answering God’s call, what are the secure things you will feel you have to give up as you set out in a new direction?

Step 3: Accepting the message of God’s Wordinyourlifeoffaith

On Transfiguration Sunday we are challenged to remember the call we receive at our baptism to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of our world. We reflect on the call to continue the journey into the unknown that is the future, trusting in God.

We are made in the image of God. We carry the beauty of godliness within us. Sin darkens that image and so disfigures us. Goodness causes that image to shine and so brighten our lives. We are at our best when we are good.

Step 4: Somethingtothink&prayabout

1.The Transfiguration experience is meant for us as much as it was for the three apostles. We have to be conscious of such moments in our everyday lives. They are moments of real joy. Recall such moments that you have experienced. ❖

[From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana ]

A family is pictured in a file photo praying the rosary in their Phoenix home. Catholic experts are expressing concern after a recent Pew Research Center survey found that only 35 percent of U.S. Catholic parents say

conference’s articles and providing complementary academic documents that contextualize its main themes.

Salesian Sister Linda Pocher, a contributor to the book’s second volume, which compiles academic papers supporting the conference’s main documents, told reporters Feb. 20 that varying perspectives on the realities of the priesthood worldwide must be still studied, and not only by the clergy.

“It’s not the same thing to be a priest in Rome, Ukraine, Romania and Australia,” she said. And “it’s not the same thing to be a priest before or after the explosion of the sexual abuse scandal. This can’t be denied.”

At the book presentation, Cardinal Ouellet said that while the abuse crisis was not the focus of the conference, the subject of clerical abuse “was not ignored” in its considerations.

In his opening remarks at the conference last year, he had said a discussion of priesthood today must begin with expressing “our sincere regret and asking again for forgiveness from the victims, who suffer for their lives destroyed by abusive and criminal behavior, which has remained hidden for too long and treated lightly out of a desire to protect the institution and the perpetrators instead of the victims.”

Sister Pocher said the conference underscored the need for an “interdisciplinary study” of the ministerial priesthood as a vocation “realized in the fragile and wounded humanity of men, who are and remain human beings, like their brothers and sisters in the faith.”

Cardinal Ouellet said the book “fills a gap in the current theological literature” on synodality because a “synodal church cannot progress without the commitment of conscious and personally involved actors to follow Christ in the church.”

With the book’s publication, Cardinal Ouellet called for a “renewed co-responsibility between pastors and the lay faithful” in carrying out the church’s mission and the developing of a theology of the priesthood “deeply rooted” in the Second Vatican Council.

The council’s Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests stressed the role of priests as members of the baptized faithful and affirmed the laity’s participation in the mission of the church, effectively reducing the distinction between the clergy and the laity.

Among the texts included in the book is one that asks whether the priesthood should be “desacralized,” removing the “divine aura” that surrounds priests and which some people

argue enables them to commit abuse with impunity. Another analyzes the connection between celibacy and the sacrament of holy orders.

One of the conference’s contributors, Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, said that by reflecting on the vocation of ordained priests, laypeople will better understand their own priestly vocation, which they receive in baptism.

The baptismal and ministerial forms of the priesthood are “not only complementary, but reciprocal,” said Cardinal Ghirlanda; “they are all necessary and ordered toward each other in a circular relationship.”

“If synodality means walking together,” he said, ” we must keep in mind that ‘together’ means diversity and at the same time unity, a diversity of vocations.”

Bishop Gianmarco Busca of Mantua, Italy, said one way to strengthen the relationship between clergy and laity is to involve more laypeople in priestly formation, particularly in seminaries. The church, he said, should consider the possibility of allowing “figures that are not only priests, but also laypeople, couples, female figures” to be members of formation communities.

The structure of many of today’s seminaries, he said, creates “worlds incapable of interacting with the culture” and form priests “with a weak gauge for the people they must minister to.”

Cardinal Ghirlanda added that he has encountered many young priests who, due to a lack of strong relationships, have felt “totally abandoned, even by their own bishop.”

“They are in difficulty, and they don’t know who to turn to,” he said.

In his speech opening the 2022 conference, Pope Francis emphasized the theme of closeness in priestly life and said that every priest must work to be close to God, to his fellow priests and to the people he serves.

“It is important today to be closely involved in people’s real lives, to live alongside them, without escape routes,” he had said.

For Cardinal Ouellet, the publication of the book is just the beginning of a discussion about understanding priesthood and helping priests minister better to their fellow Catholics. Study initiatives will be launched to continue discussions on the priesthood in Spain, France, Ivory Coast, Thailand, Colombia and the United States, among other countries, in the coming months. A group will also travel to World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, to host conferences on vocations with bishops and young people, “to give the event a vocational slant.” ❖

Dear Girls and Boys,

One day Jesus took three of his disciples Peter, James, and John up on a mountain so that they could be alone. While they were on the mountain, an amazing thing happened. Jesus' appearance began to change. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Then Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Jesus. The disciples couldn't believe their eyes! Then they couldn't believe their ears! They heard the voice of God saying, "This is my Son. I love him and I am pleased with him. Listen to what he has to say."

Well, from that moment on Peter, James, and John had no doubt about who Jesus was. He was the Son of God. God said it and that settled it. Peter himself said, "We were eyewitnesses of his majesty...we ourselves heard the voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the mountain." (2 Peter 1:16,18)

There are many people today who still don't know who Jesus is, but we know, don't we? He is the Son of God. How do we know? Because God said it and that settles it whether others choose to believe it or not.

Dear Father, we thank you for sending Jesus, your Son. We know that he is your Son because you said so and that settles it. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.❖

‘Sorry’ is not enough: Abuse victims need answers, support, pope says

Their pain and their psychological wounds can begin to if there are concrete actions to repair the horrors they have suffered and to prevent them Pope Francis said.

The church cannot try to hide the tragedy of abuse of any kind. Nor when the abuse takes place in families, in clubs, or in other types of institutions,” he said. In fact, the church must be a model to help shine light on and remedy

The church must offer safe spaces for victims to be heard, supported psychologically and protected,” he said.

Let us pray for those who have suffered because of the wrongs done to them by members of the church; may they find within the church herself a concrete response to he said.

Prayer for the Synod on Synodality

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.

They also must be offered concrete actions to repair the horrors they have suffered and to prevent them from happening again” as well as the truth, transparency, safe spaces, psychological support and protection, the pope said in a video message released by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network March 2.

“

The church must serve as a model to help solve the issue and bring it to light in society and in families,” he said.

At the start of each month, the network posts a short video of the pope offering his specific prayer intention. For the month of March, the pope dedicated his prayer intention for the victims of abuse. Child Abuse Prevention Month is observed in April in the United States.

In his video message, the pope said, “In response to cases of abuse, especially to those committed by members of the church, it’s not enough to ask for forgiveness.”

“Asking for forgiveness is necessary, but it is not enough. Asking for forgiveness is good for the victims, but they are the ones who have to be ‘at the center’ of everything,” he said.

With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.

Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.

All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever.

Amen

New asteroids named after

Saint of the Week

March 7th

Saints Perpetua & Felicity

“When my father in his affection for me was trying to turn me from my purpose by arguments and thus weaken my faith, I said to him, ‘Do you see this vessel waterpot or whatever it may be? Can it be called by any other name than what it is?’ ‘No,’ he replied.

‘So also I cannot call myself by any other name than what I am a Christian”.” So writes Perpetua, a young, well-educated noblewoman of Carthage in North Africa, mother of an infant son and chronicler of the persecution of the Christians by Emperor Septimius Severus.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) Three Jesuit astronomers and the 16thcentury pope who commissioned the Gregorian calendar have recently been honored with having asteroidsnamedafterthem.

The new additions include:

“562971 Johannhagen,” honoring Austrian Jesuit Father Johann Hagen, who was serving as director of the Georgetown University Observatory when Pope Pius X called him to Rome in 1906 to be the first Jesuit director of the new Vatican Observatory; “551878 Stoeger,” honoring U.S. Jesuit Father Bill Stoeger, a cosmologist and theologian who died in 2014; and “565184 Janusz,” honoring Polish Jesuit Father Robert Janusz, a philosopher and physicist on the staff atthe VaticanObservatory.

A working group of the International Astronomical Union also approved of the designation of “560974 Ugoboncompagni,” honoring Ugo Boncompagni, who was electedPopeGregoryXIIIin1572.

The working group approved and published the names in its bulletin Feb. 7, the Vatican Observatory said in a press release Feb. 28. There are now 32 asteroids named after Jesuits.

Pope Gregory began the tradition of having papal astronomers and observatories. He commissioned German Jesuit Father Christopher Clavius to help with the reform of the calendar, which took his name, the “Gregorian” calendar, and still today is an internationally accepted civilcalendar.

This is not the first asteroid named after apope, however.

According to the Minor Planet Center’s asteroid orbital database, the “8661 Ratzinger” was named after Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, after it was discoveredinGermany in1990.

The asteroid’s discoverer chose to name it after the German theologian, who was head of the Vatican Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith at the time, honoring him as “one ofthemostauthoritative voicesintheVatican.”

“Under his supervision, the Vatican opened its archives in 1998 to enable researchers to investigate judicial errors against Galileo and other medieval scientists,” the center’sdatabasesaid.

“According to the IAU, the assignment of a particular name to a particular asteroid minor planet comes about through a process that can, in some cases, take decades,” theVaticanObservatorysaid

Only after the orbit of a newly discovered minor planet has been “determined well enough that its position can be reliably predicted far into the future,” it said, does the body receive “a permanent designation number, issued sequentially by the IAU’s Minor Planet Center” andthenits discoverer is invitedtosuggestaname forit.

Naming rights cannot be purchased, it said, and “names of pets or names of a commercial nature are not allowed.” Proposed names are then judged by the working groupcommittee.

The very first asteroid, Ceres, was discovered by an Italian priest, Theatine Father Giuseppe Piazzi, in 1801. The 1000th asteroid to be designated was named Piazzi in his honor in 1923, a lunar crater was named after him in 1935 and a large feature on Ceres, possibly a crater, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope has been informally namedPiazzi.

More than 30 objects on the moon are named after Jesuits, starting with the Riccioli Crater named after Jesuit Father Giovanni Battista Riccioli, who developed the system, still in use today, of naming lunar objects. He led the naming and cataloging of many of the moon’s larger craters, including the “Sea of Tranquility” where the Apollo 11 mission landed three centuries later.❖

Despite threats of persecution and death, Perpetua, Felicity (a slavewoman and expectant mother), and three companions, Revocatus, Secundulus, and Saturninus, refused to renounce their Christian faith. For their unwillingness, all were sent to the public games in the amphitheatre. There, Perpetua and Felicity were beheaded, and the others killed by beasts.

In her diary, Perpetua describes her period of captivity: “What a day of horror! Terrible heat, owing to the crowds! Rough treatment by the soldiers! To crown all, I was tormented with anxiety for my baby... Such anxieties I suffered for many days, but I obtained leave for my baby to remain in the prison with me, and being relieved of my trouble and anxiety for him, I at once recovered my health, and my prison became a palace to me and I would rather have been there than anywhere else.” Two days before the execution, Felicity went into a painful labour. The guards made fun of her, insulting her by saying, "If you think you suffer now, how will stand it when you face the wild beasts?" Felicity answered them calmly, "Now I'm the one who is suffering, but in the arena Another will be in me suffering for me because I will be suffering for him." She gave birth to a healthy girl who was adopted and raised by one of the Christian women of Carthage.❖

The Jesuits and Pope Gregory, who gave their names to the new asteroids (Vatican Media)