Saint Joseph Catholic Church

interview

Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of an Indonesian prelate who was named a cardinal in 2024, but soon declined the nomination.

The prelate, Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur, OFM, of Bogor, is only 63.

“Behind every administrative decision, I believe there is the hand of God weaving His plan,” Bishop Syukur said upon his resignation, which was accepted on January 19. “I accept this with inner joy, because obedience to the Holy See is a promise that He holds firmly.”

Pope Leo XIV received the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way and described the movement’s “charism and works of evangelization and catechesis” as “a precious contribution to the life of the Church.”

“You have kindled the fire of the Gospel where it seemed to be extinguished, and you have accompanied many Christian individuals and communities, awakening them to the joy of faith, helping them to rediscover the beauty of knowing Jesus and fostering their spiritual growth and their commitment to witness,” the Pope said during yesterday’s audience.

At the same time, the Pope warned the leaders that “no ministry must become a reason to feel better than one’s brothers and sisters and to exclude those who think differently ... The good you do is great, but its purpose is to allow people to know Christ, always respecting the path of life and the conscience of each one.”

“The proclamation of the Gospel, catechesis and the various forms of pastoral action must always be free from forms of constraint, rigidity and moralism,” and should avoid evoking “feelings of guilt and fear instead of interior liberation,” the Pope added.

Kiko Argüello, who was present at the audience, founded the Neocatechumenal Way in 1964. The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life describes it as “an itinerary of Catholic instruction at the service of the bishop as one of the diocesan ways of implementing Christian initiation and ongoing education in the faith.”

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Welcoming Finnish Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran prelates who were in Rome for their annual ecumenical pilgrimage, Pope Leo XIV praised their commitment to Christian unity and encouraged them to bear witness to Christ, the “incarnation of hope.”

“At a time when people are often tempted by a sense of hopelessness, we have the essential mission, as Christian messengers of hope, to bring the Lord’s light into the darkest corners of our world,” Pope Leo said during the January 19 audience.

“Thus, encouraged and strengthened by the grace of Jesus Christ, who is the very incarnation of hope for all, we are called and sent out to bear witness to this saving truth with edifying words and charitable deeds,” the Pope added.

Finland, a Nordic nation of 5.6 million (map), is 75% Christian (73% Protestant) and 5% Muslim.

Pope Leo XIV received executives and officers of Italy’s Vatican Public Security Inspectorate on January 19 and thanked them for the sacrifices they made during the conclave and the jubilee year.

The inspectorate, a division of the Italian police, is responsible for security in St. Peter’s Square.

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Leo said, “May your presence be an ever more valid guarantee of that good order and tranquility which are fundamental for building a peaceful and composed social life, and which, in addition to being taught to us by the Gospel message, are a sign of authentic civilization.”

St. Fabian and St. Sebastian have always been paired together, with their names coupled in the ancient martyrologies, and still paired in the Litany of Saints. The Church today celebrates separate Optional Memorials for Sts. Fabian and Sebastian:

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commentary

The apostolic nuncio to Ukraine said in an interview that current Russian attacks on Ukraine bear “some resemblance” to the Holodomor perpetrated against Ukraine by Joseph Stalin’s Soviet regime in 1932-1933.

Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas said:

Food shortages are being caused by this energy crisis, apart from the difficulties faced by civilians due to the cold. This seems to have some resemblance to the Holodomor that Ukraine went through in the 1930s.

We have our own generator at the Nunciature, which means we can have more light, water, and heating than the others. If the situation remains unchanged, it is possible that the entire Ukrainian capital would need to be evacuated, as the mayor of Kyiv said a few days ago.

The nuncio also spoke about the Latin-rite hierarchy’s decision to dedicate the year to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Seeking Christ’s “merciful reception, forgiveness of sins, and protection from all evil, we prayed that God’s goodness would overcome sin and war and grant us peace,” said the nuncio. “We know that war is caused by the devil’s actions, and the devil is afraid every time we worship God.”