“I have two words of advice for you: make a mess and respect your elders!” Pope Francis offered those words of advice on September 11 as he met with the young people of Timor-Leste in the capital, Dili.
The encounter was held at the Congress Centre and was the final public event of the Holy Father’s Apostolic Journey to Timor-Leste. In his address, the Pope noted that young people make up a clear majority of the population of 1.4 million, of whom over 95% are Catholic, praising their enthusiasm in living the faith.
Pope Francis said he would never forget the smiles he found on the faces of the Timorese people. He also invited Timorese youth to recall the sacrifices their forefathers made in laying the foundations of the nation, and took the opportunity to urge them to respect their elders.
A society, he noted, has two treasures: young people and the elderly. “The children and the elderly,” said the Pope. “A society that has so many children like you must take care of them. And one that has so many elderly, who are the memory, must respect and care for them.”
Pope Francis spoke briefly about the three values of “freedom, commitment, and fraternity.”
He recalled a saying in the Tetum language of Timor-Leste—“ukun rasik-an” which means “everyone is able to govern themselves.” The Pope said young people should recall the true meaning and purpose of freedom. “To be free does not mean doing what we want,” he said, noting that freedom means respecting others and caring for our common home. He also recalled the value of “fraternity” and the importance of reconciliation. “You, in this smiling country, have a wonderful history of heroism, faith, martyrdom, and above all, faith and reconciliation,” he said. Pope Francis concluded his meeting with young Timorese by urging them to recall the example that Jesus gave in forgiveness and reconciliation.
Pope Francis opposes idea to ‘dissolve’ 400-year-old missionary university in Rome
Pope Francis expressed disagreement with a proposal to absorb a 400-year-old missionary-focused university in Rome into other pontifical universities. Members of the Dicastery for Evangelization were meeting in an extraordinary plenary assembly Aug. 29–30 to discuss the future of the Pontifical Urban University, which educates priests and religious from the Catholic Church’s mission territories. “There is some plan to ‘dissolve’ [the university] with the other universities: No, this will not do,” Francis said in his address Aug. 30 to the cardinals, bishops, priests, and religious gathered for the plenary.
According to Agenzia Fides, a missionary-focused news age-ncy under the Dicastery for Evangelization, the Rome assembly is an intermediate step in discussions about “the present and future” of the Pontifical Urban University. Also known as the “Urbaniana,” the missionary university was founded as the Urban College in 1627 by Pope Urban VIII, part of the educa-tional aspect of the then-Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide. In 1962, it was elevated to a pontifical university. Its mission is to train and educate the priests, religious, and laypeople who help spread the Gospel in places with-out a strong Christian presence or where the Church has few financial resources.
In his speech on Friday, Pope Francis thanked the dicastery’s members for traveling to Rome “to reflect on the identity, mission, expectations, and future of the Pontifical Urbaniana University.” “I, too, would like to offer some thoughts on this,” he added, underlining that the Urbaniana “has its own identity.”
The pope reflected on the still-relevant missionary vocation of the Urban University and the need to balance that identity with the issues faced by the Church and world today.
He also said the need to raise the quality of educational and research offerings must be balanced with a necessary rationing of human and economic resources. ”Making good use of resources,” Francis said, “means unifying equal paths, sharing faculty from the six [pontifical] institutions, eliminating waste, planning activities wisely, and abandoning outdated practices and projects.” “In the specific case of the Urbaniana, it is important that, in the quality of the educational offerings, its missionary and intercultural specificity emerges even more, so that those who are being trained are able to mediate with originality the Christian message in the relationship with other cultures and religions,” he said.
Cardinal Ribat:Pope’s visit to PNG underscores unity of global Church
One of Pope Francis’ most powerful messages in Papua New Guinea, according to Cardinal John Ribat, Archbishop of Port Moresby, was the one he deli-vered to young people on Septe-mber 09. It was plain to see that the Pope engaged in a personal connection with the 10,000 young people gathered in the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, as he set aside his prepared text and spoke to them from the heart. Speaking to Vatican News’ Del-phine Allaire after the Pope had left the island nation, Cardinal Ribat noted that the Holy Fa-ther encouraged young Papuans to stand up when they fall and to help others who have also fallen.
“That was a powerful messa-ge for the youth,” he said, “to help one another, not just seek help from outside, but also from within themselves, and to rise together.” “He also gave them another message,” the Cardinal continued. “They need to stay connected with their grand-parents.” The Cardinal explained that, as he often does, Pope Francis highlighted the invaluable riches that come from our grand-parents– “values and culture that now, with so many modern influences, we risk disconnecting from.” The internet and social media can never provide those values, added the Cardinal.
Turning to the Pope’s off-the-cuff remarks to civil autho-rities on the rights of women, Cardinal Ribat noted that the culture of Papua New Guinea is male-dominated and “emphasises men, looking down on women.” Women are not respected or promoted for their contributions to society, said the Cardinal, add-ing that this “often leads to vio-lence against them.”
“But women are the ones who are committed; they are the great builders of society,” he continued, noting that the Pope’s words recognise and promote this fact. “Women should be respected, loved, and promoted. They, too, need to live their lives freely, just as men do, but in a responsible and positive way,” he said.
He acknowledged that every encounter had a specific message, and that at the heart of the Pope’s visit to Papua New Guinea was a message of hope, love, and faith. For the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea, this visit offered a great encouragement to be united and to work together, said the Cardinal. Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Papua New Guinea, concluded Cardinal Ribat, underscores the unity of the Church, no matter how physically distant its members may be.
Pope Francis’ Mass in East Timor draws 600,000 Catholics
An estimated 600,000 Catholics attended Pope Francis’ Mass on 10 September in East Timor, a small island country that is 98% Catholic.
The pope celebrated the youthfulness of East Timor at the massive outdoor Mass where the crowd appeared like a sea of yellow-and-white Vatican-themed umbrellas used for protection from the island’s scorching midday sun.
“I have been thinking a lot about what is the best thing about Timor …The best thing is its people. …The best thing about this place is the smiles of the children,” Pope Francis said in off-the-cuff remarks in Spanish at the end of the Mass. I wish for you peace, that you keep having many children, and that your smile continues to be your children,” the pope told the Timorese.
East Timor is one of the world’s most Catholic countries, with 98% of its 1.3 million people identifying as Catholic. The country gained independence in 2002 after a long struggle with Indonesia, during which the Catholic Church played an important role advocating human rights. The local govern-ment declared the three days of the pope’s visit as a national holiday in which nearly all of the streets and local businesses were closed with people flocking to the Esplanade of Taci Tolu in the capital city of Dili to take part in the papal Mass.
“In East Timor it is beautiful, because there are many children: You are a young country where in every corner you can feel life pulsating and exploding. And this is a gift, a great gift: The presence of so much youth and so many children, in fact, constantly renews our energy and our life,” Pope Francis said. “But even more it is a sign, because making space for children, for the little ones, welcoming them, taking care of them, and making ourselves small before God and each other, are precisely the attitudes that open us to action of the Lord.”
Priest dies of electrocution while removing flagpole in Kerala
Gloom has spread over the archdiocese of Tellicherry in Kerala after one of its young priests died of electrocution on August 15. Father Mathew (Shince) Kudilil was dismantling a pole erected to hoist the national flag in the morning as part of the Independence Day celebration in the premises of Infant Jesus Church at Mulleria in Kerala’s Kasaragod district. After the mandatory lowering of the flag at sunset, the 29-year-old priest was removing the pole when it accidentally touched a high-tension electrical line passing near the church premises. He was declared brought dead at a hospital in Mulleria, a village on the Kerala-Karnataka border and some 70 km south of Mangalore. Father Kudilil was ordained a priest three years ago. He came to Mulleria on May 14, 2023. He had earlier served as the assistant vicar at St George Church, Chempanthotty in Kannur district from February 6, 2021, to January 25, 2022. He was the assistant vicar of St Sebastian’s Church Nellickampoil, also in Kannur, until February 3, 2023. He was in Fathima Matha Church, Kudiyanmala, Kannur, for three months.
Kannur diocese gets auxiliary bishop
Pope Francis on August 15 appointed Monsignor Dennis Kuruppassery as the auxiliary bishop of Kannur that covers Kerala’s northern districts of Kannur and Kasaragod. The 57-year-old priest is currently the counsellor at the Nunciature in Malta. Monsignor Kuruppassery was born on August 4, 1967, in Palliport in the Kottapuram diocese. He studied philosophy and theology at the St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary in Alwaye, Kerala. He has a degree in canon law. He was ordained a priest on December 23, 1991, for the Kottapuram diocese. He has held the following positions: Assistant Parish Priest of St Francis of Assisi, Thuruthipuram (1991-1993) and of St Sebastian’s, Gothuruth (1994-1995), and Parish Priest of St Anthony’s, Pullot (1996-1997) in the Diocese of Kottapuram. He entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See on July 1, 2001, and worked in the Papal Representations in Burundi (2001-2004), Egypt (2004-2007), Thailand (2007-2010), Czech Republic (2010-2013 ), Gabon (2013-2016) and United States of America (2016-2021).
Prison Ministry, Mangaluru, provides scholarships to mark silver jubilee
The Mangaluru unit of the Prison Ministry India celebrated its silver jubilee by providing scholarships to children of prisoners. As many as 25 students from Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Ballari and Kalaburagi were given a cheque for 10,000 rupees each to support their studies. “A large number of people are suffering in prison due to lack of money or influence to get even a bail,” said Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha of Mangalore, who lauded the ministry’s volunteers for instilling hope among prisoners and their families. Elaborating the silver jubilee theme “You are not alone,” the bishop said the prison ministry has been a ray of hope for many prisoners. He also highlighted that the prison can be a place where people can hope for a new vision of life. The celebrations began with Mass presided by Bishop Saldanha and assisted by Bishop Francis Serrao of Shimoga and co-celebrated by Father Francis Kodiyan, the founder of the ministry and past directors. Tressie Menezes, coordinator of PMI Mangaluru, presented an audio-visual report on the movement’s journey in Mangaluru starting in September 1999. She said the PMI Mangaluru unit could rehabilitate several prisoners after their release. Sister Therese Mascarenhas, PMI coordinator for Karnataka, spoke about the challenges faced by the team as several prisons put restrictions on prison ministry.In his speech, Father Kodiyan compared the PMI Mangaluru unit volunteers to Irish Catholics, who excelled in all the fields they encountered. Terming the Mangalureans as intelligent and resourceful, he called upon the volunteers not to limit their potential to Mangaluru alone, but to reach out the PMI community all over the nation. Mangaluru prison superintendent B T Obaleshappa and donor Pascal Monteiro were felicitated on the occasion.
Indian bishop, priest get bail in high tuition fee case
A Protestant bishop, a Catholic priest and 10 other management members of seven Christian-run schools in a central Indian state have secured bail after spending close to three months in jail for allegedly charging excessive tuition fees. India’s top court granted bail to Father Abraham Thazhathedathu of the Jabalpur diocese, Bishop Ajay Umesh Kumar James of the Church of North India (CNI), and others on Aug. 20. They appealed to the Supreme Court after the Madhya Pradesh High Court in central India turned down their pleas. “We are happy that the top court has granted bail to our priest and others who are accused in a fabricated case,” vicar-general of Jabalpur diocese Father Davis George said. The attorney for the state government vehemently opposed their bail pleas before a division bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh, saying they might tamper with evidence. The lawyers for the applicants, however, countered by saying, the accused were engaged in educational activities and did nothing illegal. Police in Madhya Pradesh arrested 22 people on May 27, including 13 management members and staff from seven Christian-run schools in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh state, ruled by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party.
They were accused of charging students excessive fees and selling textbooks at exorbitant prices. Cases have been registered against 51 people from 11 private schools and book publishers. A female principal from a Christian school secured bail earlier while other Christian-run school staff members were detained. “We are relieved,” George told UCA News on Aug. 20. The police action against the Christian schools was “totally illegal” with “malicious intent,” he added. The Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Aug. 13 suspended an education department order on July 9 telling the Christian schools to reimburse nearly US$5 million they allegedly collected in excessive fees from students in the past six years. The court will hear the case on Aug. 25 after the education department filed its reply. Schools in Madhya Pradesh are allowed an annual fee hike of up to 10 percent. Beyond that, the district collector’s nod is required, while a fee hike exceeding 15 percent has to be sanctioned by a state-level panel. “We never charged exorbitant fees,” said George. “The schools were ordered to reimburse tuition fees even for the Covid-19 period when we did not charge any fees,” the priest said. Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tribal people in India. Christian schools are the most sought-after in Jabalpur, known as the cultural capital of Madhya Pradesh. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is against missionary activities that benefit tribal people and other poor sections of society, said a Church official. Church leaders have accused the right-wing state government of unleashing targeted attacks on Church-run institutions, including schools, hostels, and orphanages. Cases are registered against Church officials, including a retired Catholic bishop, priests, and nuns, under a stringent anti-conversion law in the state that bans religious conversion. The Church runs many educational institutions that benefit tribal people in the state, who constitute more than 21 percent of Madhya Pradesh’s 72 million people, and Christians make up a mere 0.27 percent.
Indian Church leader allays Odisha violence fears
A leading Church official in the eastern Indian state of Odisha has dismissed rumors that there might be communal violence in the state’s Kandhamal district as Hindus gear up to celebrate Janmashtami, or the birth of the Hindu Lord Krishna, on Aug. 26.
Kandhamal district witnessed the worst ever anti-Christian violence in the South Asian nation on this day 16 years ago. “Just as the Hindu festival is approaching, vested interest people are spreading false messages that Kandhamal might witness more communal violence,” said Father Dibakar Porichha, chancellor of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese that covers Kandhamal. “It is false news and people should not believe it,” Porichha told. We have met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, local politicians, and police officials and have alerted them to the rumor, he added. Since July, Odisha (formerly Orissa) has been headed by a government from the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP and its sister organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (world Hindu council) are against missionary activities of the Church among India’s indigenous people, according to Church leaders. “They [the government] have assured us help,” Porichha said. Kandhamal witnessed anti-Christian riots on Aug. 26, 2008, as Hindus celebrated Janmashtami (the birthday of Lord Ram), after a Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was shot dead on Aug. 23 of that year allegedly by outlawed Maoists who have a strong following among tribal people in the mineral-rich Indian state. Soon after the murder, four ethnic Christians, including an illiterate 13-year-old boy, were picked up by Hindu activists and were accused of killing the Hindu monk. They termed the murder a “Christian conspiracy.” The riots that lasted for seven weeks killed some 100 people, rendered 56,000 homeless, and destroyed 6,000 houses and 300 churches. “There is some kind of uneasiness among Christians in the region whenever Janmashtami approaches,” said Christian leader Pratima Minj, who hails from a tribal community in Odisha. This time, they are worried as the state is headed by the pro-Hindu party, she noted. Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese in a statement on Aug. 20 asked people to desist from spreading rumors. “We commend the proactive steps taken by the district administration of Kandhamal and the government of Odisha,” it said. As part of this, peace-building meetings have been held across Kandhamal district with the participation of religious leaders, including priests and pastors. On Oct. 2 last year, the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints issued “no objection” to initiate the beatification process for the Servant of God Kanteeswar Digal and companions who are called the Martyrs of Kandhamal. They were killed during the riots. The total population of Odisha is 41 million and tribal people constitute its 22.85 percent.
Indian court indicts police for implicating Hindu follower of Christ
A Hindu follower of Christ in a northern Indian state has hailed a court ruling that indicted police for filing a false case against him under the sweeping anti-conversion law. “I lost my job and reputation because of the false case,” Abhishek Gupta, a resident of northern Uttar Pradesh, said. The court has ordered action against the police to prevent the recurrence of such illegal actions in the future. “It is a welcome step,” he added. The 41-year-old lab technician with a private hospital in Uttar Pradesh lost his job after police filed charges against him under the draconian anti-conversion law, enacted by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in India’s most populous state in 2021. The case was filed on May 29, 2022, when Himanshu Patel, a resident of Bareilly and district president of the right-wing Hindu group Hindu Jagran Manch, accused Gupta of leading a religious conversion program with an eight-team. The “police acted under pressure on the complaints made by persons like the plaintiff for their desire for publicity and took action in a futile attempt to give legal form to a baseless, fabricated and imaginary story which wasted valuable time, labor and money of not only the police but also the court,” said the trial court Judge Gyanendra Tripathi. The judge said their collective efforts had caused irreparable loss to the two accused and directed the senior superintendent of police, Bareilly, “to take appropriate legal action against the complainant, Himanshu Patel, as well as three people listed as key witnesses.”
The July 30 order, published in the media few days ago, acquitted the accused men. It sought action against the former police station in charge, “the investigating officer, and the jurisdictional officer who approved the charge sheet.” Gupta was arrested under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. Later, Kundan Lal, whose house Gupta used to visit, was also arrested. After he lost his job, he was forced to transfer his nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son from a reputed private school to another school as he was “unable to afford monthly fees.” The court has directed the victims to approach an appropriate court for compensation. “We are yet to decide on the compensation,” said Gupta. Though, not converted to Christianity, “I follow the teachings of Jesus Christ,” Gupta said. The court has sought action against police officials, the complainant and the witnesses for implicating Gupta and his friend in a false case in Uttar Pradesh, which occupies the second slot in anti-Christian violence in the country, according to Church leaders. The July 30 order was released to the media a few days ago. Gupta’s case is an exception where the court took a strong stand in favor of truth and justice, said a Church leader who assists Christians in fighting their cases in the court. “Several similar cases are pending in different courts,” the Church leader told on condition of anonymity. I realized the “helping hand of God during the 40-day stay” in jail, Gupta recalled. “God protected us even when our family members discarded us,” he added.