Vatican Blogfest

The list of 150 bloggers invited to attend in person the meeting at the Vatican is here!

Congratulations to those selected from the 750 requests! We hope the meeting is enlightening.

pax

(AFP/ANSA/File/Alessandro Bianchi)

Vatican Reaching Out To Bloggers

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Looking forward to the video-journals from this meeting of minds :

Vatican Blogfest

In a fitting tribute to a pontiff whose last major text prophetically spoke of the "rapid development" of the means of communication, the Holy See has announced plans for a first-of-its-kind encounter with the world of new media, to be held a day after the 1 May beatification of Pope John Paul II.

Arranged by the Pontifical Councils for Culture and Social Communications, the "Meeting with Bloggers" will take place at the Via della Conciliazione building where both dicasteries have their offices.

Intended to foster an exchange between bloggers and the global church's media chiefs...

(h/t Te Deum laudumus)
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US Accused of Lying To Secure Support For Gay 'Rights' Declaration

C-FAM:

In their statement in support of the “sexual orientation” declaration, the US stated that it was proud to join in support of “LGBT rights”, which the delegate likened to the struggle for democracy in parts of the world, including the Middle East. In a press release issued today, the US touted its role in securing 20 additional countries to sign onto this year’s declaration, who had not signed onto the 2008 or 2006 statements.

Which apparently they acquired by lying, through a series of meetings, to the Latin American delegates, telling them that the Vatican had changed its opposition to the declaration. US officials acknowledge they had meetings, but deny lying... they only IMPLIED that the Vatican was now in agreement.

"..they were only told that the Holy See was against violence against all individuals including those based on their sexual orientation."

Archbishop Tomasi clarifies the Vatican's actual stand :

“Human sexuality, like any voluntary activity, possesses a moral dimension,” said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, on behalf of the Holy See. “It is an activity which puts the individual will at the service of a finality; it is not an “identity”. In other words, it comes from the action and not from the being, even though some tendencies or “sexual orientations” may have deep roots in the personality. Denying the moral dimension of sexuality leads to denying the freedom of the person in this matter, and undermines ultimately his/her ontological dignity,” said Tomasi.

UN Human rights - rights without the freedom 'to be' or the dignity 'of being' more than a body with bodily functions . A world where the human being is just a body - and only some bodies are valuable. Gays ,apparently , are somebodies - but only when 'being' gay? Perhaps you are only a 'somebody' if you are having sex. That fits with current attitudes towards the unborn, the old, sick, disabled or poor(except those having sex- they are very interested in those bodies).

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History In The Making ?

Big news , not entirely surprising, out of the Vatican today:

NOTE OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH ABOUT PERSONAL ORDINARIATES FOR ANGLICANS ENTERING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

With the preparation of an Apostolic Constitution, the Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion.

In this Apostolic Constitution the Holy Father has introduced a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony. Under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution, pastoral oversight and guidance will be provided for groups of former Anglicans through a Personal Ordinariate, whose Ordinary will usually be appointed from among former Anglican clergy.....

From The Primate Of The TAC


Lots of commentary out there....


ZENIT

The Anchoress

Damien Thompson

Inside Catholic

The Curt Jester

Fr. Rutler

Anglican Samizdat

Stand Firm

FiF UK

While we were in Prince Edward Island this summer, a married Anglican priest we knew became a married Catholic priest for the PEI Diocese.We attended Martin Carter's ordination at St. Dunstan's Basilica, which was accomplished with 'special permission' from the Vatican, after several years of preparation. Although Fr.Carter's conversion was more a result of personal reflection than any dissatisfaction with his Anglican experience, I wonder how today's events might have altered his journey.

As a Catholic with an Anglican husband whose brother is an Anglican priest, and whose father was an Anglican Canon (before becoming an Orthodox Archpriest), I am also wondering what this all means for my entire family!

More interesting times ahead!

UPDATE:

Telegraph,UK

A senior Anglican bishop reveals he is ready to convert to Roman Catholicism.
The Rt Rev John Hind, the Bishop of Chichester, has announced he is considering becoming a Roman Catholic in a move that could spark an exodus of clergy...

Vatican Not Persuaded To Sign Ambiguous UN Convention

Although many people around the world assume that initiatives of the UN are always with the good of mankind at heart, increasingly the UN has been pushing vigorously the mandate of the 'Culture of Death'.

ZENIT

...The Holy See will not lend its support to U.N. conventions that hide a defense of abortion and same-sex marriage under a cover of legitimate rights, explained a Holy See representative....

...In regard to the convention on persons with disabilities the prelate said that "while recognizing the importance and urgency of putting many of its aspects into practice, the Holy See abstains from signing it because the text lends support to abortion as a form of so-called reproductive health."

The Holy See delegation worked to bring the convention in line with a true defense of human rights, he said, but without success.

In the negotiation phase, the delegation pointed to the ambiguity of the wording, asking "not that it be deleted but made precise once and for all so that it would exclude abortion from among the possibilities of its interpretation," Archbishop Migliore noted....

... "In dealing with rights that have to do with life and the conduct of persons, communities and peoples," he observed, "discernment foresees that we must ask every time whether demands for the recognition of new rights promote a true good for all and what the relationship is to other rights and with each person's responsibility."...

We need to keep ourselves informed about what is going on in our name. The UN is NOT government. Our governments give the UN its mandate. The end to the 'Culture of Death' starts at home!

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