Irish cast ballots in favour of same-sex unions

Referendum: 62.1 per cent of citizens vote 'Yes' in 42 of 43 constituencies

Celtic cross gravestones seen in Dublin. (Photo credit: Lonely Planet.)

A cardinal's eyes are not smiling after the May 23 referendum in Ireland, in which Irish voters legalized same-sex unions. The result will allow politicians to amend the Irish constitution.

“I was deeply saddened by the result,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.

“The Church must take account of this reality, but in the sense that it must strengthen its commitment to evangelisation. I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity.”

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin told reporters:

“We [the Church] have to stop and have a reality check, not move into denial of the realities … I appreciate how gay and lesbian men and women feel on this day. That they feel this is something that is enriching the way they live. I think it is a social revolution.”

The prelate concluded:  

“I ask myself, most of these young people who voted 'yes' are products of our Catholic school system for 12 years. I’m saying there’s a big challenge there to see how we get across the message of the Church.”

Massive cross being built in Karachi

Pakistan's Christian population to gaze at symbol that rises to heaven

A 140-foot tall cross is slowly going up next to a Christian cemetery in Pakistan.
(Photo credit: Tim Craig / The Washington Post.)

A businessman claims that God told him to build a fascinating project: a cross that will be higher than an average town's office buildings.

Parvez Henry Gill awoke with a start four years ago. "I said, 'I am going to build a big cross, higher than any in the world, in a Muslim country.'"

Actually, this cross will not be the tallest.  Regardless, Gill said, it will be a "symbol of God, and everyone who sees this will be worry-free."

For more, check our Tim Craig's article at The Washington Post's website.

Kick off your Sunday shoes at Notre Dame!

1980s musical Footloose to grace Vancouver high school stage

Notre Dame students prepare to channel their inner Kenny Loggins.
(Photo submitted)

What happens when you combine eager drama students with a villainous preacher who hates dancing? Footloose!

The musical about an outsider from Chicago who moves to a small midwestern town starts May 6 at Notre Dame Regional Secondary School. Show times are as follows:

May 6: 7:30 p.m.

May 7: 12:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

May 8 & 9: 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15. For tickets, contact Catrina Centanni, 604-255-5454.

Vatican releases Jubilee of Mercy logo and motto

Image of Good Shepherd unveiled at press conference

The Jubilee of Mercy logo features Christ carrying a lost soul back to the Father.
(Vatican handout) 

Now available for curious Catholics: the logo and motto for the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy which will start Dec 8.. The logo was displayed for the first time May 5, along with the motto, "Merciful Like The Father."

For more on the Jubilee of Mercy, only the 30th jubilee year in the Church's history, click here.

Archdiocesan office offers youth scholarships

Two $500 prizes are available for post-secondary education

A group of youngsters watch the Men in Black soccer game at Archbishop Carney Regional High School May 2.
(Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic)

Perhaps one of the students above will win one of the Youth and Youth Adult Ministry (OYYAM) scholarship. Two $500 prizes are up for grabs but you only have until May 15 to apply.

In order to apply, you must fulfill the following criteria:

1.  A practicing Catholic in Grade 12.
2.  Live in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
3.  Participate in your parish and/or archdiocesan youth ministry.

Have all of those checked off? If your answer is "Yes," then for more details, click here.

British politicians try to coax Christian voters on Easter

'We should feel proud to say: This is a Christian country': PM David Cameron

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron.
Photo credit: Youtube.

All three major party leaders in Great Britain acknowledged the important role of faith at Easter. In a televised message, Prime Minister David Cameron, who calls himself an evangelical Christian, said the following:

"Yes, we are a nation that embraces, welcomes and accepts all faiths and none but we are still a Christian country. And as a Christian country, our responsibilities don’t end there. We have a duty to speak out about the persecution of Christians around the world too."

"It is truly shocking to know that in 2015 there are still Christians being threatened, tortured, even killed, because of their faith from Egypt to Nigeria, Libya to North Korea … to all those brave Christians in Iraq and Syria who are practising their faith, or sheltering others, we must say, ‘We stand with you'."

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister, also made an Easter address. While he is an atheist, his Catholic wife is raising their children in the faith.

"The values that Jesus lived his life by, compassion, humility, forgiveness, resonate with people of all faiths and none," Clegg said.

Meanwhile, Labour’s Ed Miliband, a lapsed Jew, does not believe in God, but respected those who do believe in Him.

However, Cameron, Miliband, and Clegg might just be appealing for votes. Britons go to the polls May 7.

Victor over death to console marginalized: Pope

Vicar of Christ gives Urbi et Orbi message at Easter

Catholics hold umbrellas to ward off the rain in St. Peter's Square April 5.
Photo credit: AFP.

Below are excerpts from the English translation of the Pope's Urbi et Orbi (to the City and to the World) message from Easter Sunday, April 5.

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Jesus Christ is risen! Love has triumphed over hatred, life has conquered death, light has dispelled the darkness!

To enter into the mystery, we need to “bend down,” to abase ourselves. Only those who abase themselves understand the glorification of Jesus and are able to follow him on his way. The world proposes that we put ourselves forward at all costs, that we compete, that we prevail.

But Christians, by the grace of Christ, dead and risen, are the seeds of another humanity, in which we seek to live in service to one another, not to be arrogant, but rather respectful and ready to help. This is not weakness, but true strength! 

We ask Jesus, the Victor over death, to lighten the sufferings of our many brothers and sisters who are persecuted for his name, and of all those who suffer injustice as a result of ongoing conflicts and violence.

May constant prayer rise up from all people of goodwill for those who lost their lives – I think in particular of the young people who were killed last Thursday at Garissa University College in Kenya – for all who have been kidnapped, and for those forced to abandon their homes and their dear ones.


May the marginalized, the imprisoned, the poor and the migrants who are so often rejected, maltreated and discarded, the sick and the suffering, children, especially those who are victims of violence; all who today are in mourning, and all men and women of goodwill, hear the consoling voice of the Lord Jesus: “Peace to you!” (Lk. 24:36).

For the entire message, go to Vatican Radio.

Armenian saint made Doctor of the Church: Pope

In the 10th century, St. Gregory of Narek took holy orders at 25 years old

St. Gregory of Narek wrote many prayers that the Armenian Church still uses.
(Photo credit: Vatican handout) 

Pope Francis has named an Armenian saint the 36th Doctor of the Church. St. Gregory of Narek "is widely revered as one of the greatest figures of medieval Armenian religious thought and literature," according to Vatican Radio.

Pope & Archbishop Miller mourn murdered Copts

'We are united in profound sorrow': archbishop

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB
(Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic)

Both Pope Francis and the archbishop of Vancouver have sent condolences to the Coptic Christian community after the horrific beheading of 21 Copts by ISIS militants in Libya.

Read the papal message here.

Meanwhile, Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, sent a letter to St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey.

Here is an excerpt:

"Following the heartless massacre of the Egyptian Copts … we are united in profound sorrow with our brothers and sisters," the archbishop wrote.

"Together, let us pray that God will grant them the reward of eternal life in His Kingdom."

Pope approves three new saints

Canonizations of three religious set for May 17

Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy (1846-1878) will be a saint later this year.
(Photo credit: Carmelite Sisters of Ireland website)

The Pontiff has added another three names to the saintly list Feb. 14. Here are the names, courtesy of Vatican Radio:

1. Blessed Jeanne Emilie de Villeneuve was born in France, in Toulouse in 1811. She founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception for the education of poor girls and children, for the sick and for missions in faraway lands. She died of cholera on October 2nd 1854. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
2. 
   
2. Blessed Mary Alphonsine Danil Ghattas was born in Jerusalem in 1843. When she was 15 she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition. She worked tirelessly to help young people and Christian mothers. She had a special mystic affinity with the Mother of God. She founded the Congregation of Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Jerusalem, to which she belonged. She died in 1927 and was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
3. 
   
3. Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy was born Maria Baouardy in Abellin, a village in Upper Galilee, near Nazareth, in 1846 of Arab parents. She was baptized in the Melchite Greek Catholic Church. From early youth she experienced many sufferings together with extraordinary mystic phenomena. In France, she entered the Carmel of Pau. She was sent to India to found new Carmels, and then to Bethlehem, where she died in 1878. She was beatified by St John Paul II in 1983.

Strive against a 'globalization of indifference'

Pope Francis's Lenten message: 'A merciful heart does not mean a weak heart'

Pope Francis has a smile for Lent. Do you?
Photo credit: catholicnews.org.uk

Ash Wednesday is Feb. 18. The solemn 40 days of Lent are around the corner. Here are some highlights of the Pontiff's musings on Lent:

1.  "As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don't think about those less well off. Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalization of indifference."

2.  "The world tends to withdraw into itself and shut that door through which God comes into the world … hence the hand, which is the Church, must never be surprised if it is rejected, crushed, and wounded."

3.  "Lent is a favourable time for letting Christ serve us so that we in turn may become more like Him. This happens ever whenever we hear the word of God and receive the sacraments, especially the Eucharist."

4.  The current Vicar of Christ recalled Pope Benedict XVI's saying, "the formation of the heart."

Pope Francis wrote: "A merciful heart does not mean a weak heart. Anyone who wishes to be merciful must have a strong and steadfast heart, closed to the tempter but open to God. A heart which lets itself be pierced by the Spirit so as to bring love along the roads that lead to our brothers and sisters."


Want to read more of this papal fireside chat on Lent?  Click here to go to Vatican Radio.

Trio sings for Seahawk Super Bowl triumph

'So it's gonna be a repeat, Pats are gonna go down in flames'

Arielle Tuliao (left) and Marie Hui sing "Blank Space," a song for the Seattle Seahawks.
(Photo capture from Youtube.)

Clay Imoo, the director of the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, is a diehard Seattle Seahawks fan. To cheer on his team, Imoo has teamed up with Marie Hui, and Arielle Tuliao.

The trio have released a Taylor Swift parody song, called “Blank Space.” To watch the music video, click here.

Clay Imoo (right) provides backing vocals for "Blank Space."

The Super Bowl will be played Feb. 1 between the ’Hawks and the New England Patriots.

STOP – Pope Francis sends old school telegrams

On papal plane, Pontiff transmits to Russian, Filipino, Chinese heads of state

Pope Francis chats with reporters flying from Manila to Rome Jan. 19, 2015. Photo credit: Alan Holdren / CNA.

While the Vicar of Christ recently brought his fresh enthusiasm to Sri Lankans and Filipinos, he relied on a far more old school technology to say a diplomatic "hello" from on board the papal plane.

During his return flight from Manila to Rome, the Pope sent telegrams (yes, they still exist!) to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Chinese president Xi Jinping, and others.

Courtesy of Vatican Radio, here are a few of the messages:

HIS EXCELLENCY BENIGNO AQUINO

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

MANILA

AS I DEPART FROM THE PHILIPPINES, I EXTEND TO YOU, THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE NATION MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR YOUR WARM WELCOME AND EVERY KINDNESS SHOWN TO ME DURING MY VISIT. I RENEW TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY THE ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY.

FRANCISCUS PP

HIS EXCELLENCY VLADIMIR VLADIMIROVICH PUTIN
PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
MOSCOW


I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AS I FLY OVER THE COUNTRY ON MY WAY FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO THE VATICAN.  I ASSURE YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR YOU AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, INVOKING UPON YOU GOD’S BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.

                                                                                                                 FRANCISCUS PP

Fun fact: Samuel Morse, who invented the Morse code, sent the first telegram from Washington to Baltimore in 1844. His message: WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT?

Manila prelate prepares for papal visit

Cardinal Luis Tagle reflects on Pope Francis

Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila. (Photo credit: Catholicmedianetwork.org)

The Church's top prelate in the Philippines is excited about Pope Francis coming to town. In an wide-ranging interview with Vatican Radio, Cardinal Luis Tagle remembers his first glimpse of a Pontiff in person:

Vatican Radio: It’s 45 years since the visit of Paul VI and it’s 20 years since that of John Paul II. Back in 1970 there was a young man of 13 years old craning his head over the crowd trying to catch a glimpse of the Man in White. What do you remember about that visit of Paul VI?

Cardinal Tagle: The Philippines was just recovering from a typhoon
at that time and my memories are still vivid of trees that had been denuded,
no leaves at all, streets that were cleaned up hastily for the coming of the 
Pope, roads that had been paved again, etc… 

So just like this visit of Pope Francis, the Philippines had been 
recently ravaged by a typhoon. And the people were enthusiastic. 
They received Paul VI like a Grace from Heaven. And Paul VI made sure 
that he went to the poor also: he visited the poor families in the district 
of Tondo in Manila, known for being one of the poorest sections of 
the metropolitan area. And they still remember that visit. 

When I went to the parish for a feast-day, the parish priest and the leaders 
pointed out to me where the house Paul VI visited used to stand. 

When the Pope visits, memories and images and the effects of that 
visit are still there after 45 years.

Pope prays for conversion of terrorists

Pontiff cites recent standoff in Sydney, execution of schoolchildren in Pakistan

During a happier occasion, Pope Francis says hello to Koreans in August 2014.  Photo credit: Wikipedia.

Pope Francis has asked thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square to pray for suffering families to be comforted at Christmastime.

He also told the faithful to petition the Lord to "convert the hearts of the violent who do not hold back even before children."

For more, click on the link to Zenit.

Pope welcomes Canadian ambassador

Dennis Savoie presents credentials

Dennis Savoie, the Canadian ambassador to the Holy See, met Pope Francis Dec. 15. (Photo credit: The Canadian Embassy to the Holy See)

The Canuck representative to the Vatican has kissed the ring of Pope Francis. The two met Dec. 15.

"It was a very humbling experience," said the longtime Knight of Columbus. "I met a man [the Pope] who is very, very simple, very personable, makes you feel at ease right away."

For more, check out the link to Vatican Radio.

Varsity football rivals to collide at Burnaby Lakes

Vancouver College Fighting Irish, St. Thomas More Knights to meet in play-offs

Caption: The Vancouver College Fighting Irish routed the Notre Dame Jugglers 46-7 in the 58th Archbishop's Trophy game Oct. 31. Father Joseph Nguyen, archdiocesan vicar general, hands the Archbishop's Trophy to Irish captains Emilio Cantagallo (93), Matteus Yep (73), and Matt Legge (19). Photo credit: Dave Fong / Special to The B.C. Catholic.

Are you ready for some football? Some play-off football? Then head to Burnaby Lakes Nov. 21 at 6 p.m., when V.C. and St. Thomas More, two Catholic high schools, will renew their grudge match.

The winner will advance to the 2014 Subway Bowl semi-finals.

Vatican to open showers for homeless

Splish-splash, I was taking a bath, long under Bernini's Colonnade…

A Vatican worker fills in the cracks in Bernini's Colonnade in March 2013, before the conclave. Three showers for the homeless will soon be installed in the colonnade's public washrooms.
(Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic)

With apologies to Bobby Darin for the headline above, the homeless will soon be bathing under the colonnades.

According to Msgr. Konrad Krajewski, three showers are slated for construction in the public washrooms. He came up with the idea after meeting Franco, a homeless man, who alertly pointed out that he could find places to eat, but rarely a place to wash.

Sts. Peter & Paul parishioners release cookbook

More than 175 recipes available for $26

A photo of the new Sts. Peter and Paul cookbook (Courtesy of Diana Leaney).

When the faithful of Sts. Peter and Paul parish celebrated the 90th anniversary of the church's foundation in 2013, an idea was born.

Now, almost two years later, the parish cookbook is available to order. An impressive 446 pages contain more than 175 recipes.

Diana Leaney, a member of the parish cookbook committee, told The B.C. Catholic that the tome contains a “wide range of recipes in every possible category.”

She explained that chicken, pork, and beef dishes are complemented with “a lot of Christmas cookie recipes, and family stories about the history of some of the recipes.”

For more information, call the Sts. Peter and Paul parish office at: 604-261-3535. Orders will be taken until Nov. 8.

Bishop to arm-wrestle deacon at Man Alive

Ding ding! Epic battle to conclude manly event

A poster that sets the stage for Bishop Gordon and Deacon Goo's battle Nov. 7.

There will be a very unique end to the annual Archdiocese of Vancouver's "Man Alive" event scheduled for Nov. 7 at St. Patrick's Parish in Vancouver (2881 Main Street).

Bishop Gary Gordon of Victoria and Deacon Paul Goo are expected to arm-wrestle each other in what the media has termed the "Melee on Main St."

To reserve your seat for the 9:30 p.m. face-off, visit rcav.org for more information.