My People

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Drug Scourge Spirals

The costs of drug abuse are well known. Efforts must be made to address this issue. Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development issued a message for the International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking. It follows:

"Today, June 26, is the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, instituted by the United Nations on December 7, 1987 to strengthen action and cooperation, at national and international levels, in countering and promoting a greater knowledge of the phenomenon.

"From the 2017 World Drug Report of the UNODC, it emerges that in 2015, around 250 million people around the world used drugs and of these, 29.5 million suffered from disorders caused by their consumption. In particular, among the 12 million who use intravenous drugs, more than half (6.1 million) are affected by hepatitis C, while 1.3 million live with both hepatitis C and the HIV/AIDS virus. Widespread damage is caused by the use and abuse of drugs, not only to health but also in terms of development, for peace and security, in all regions of the world.[1]

"The lacerating drama of drugs is an evil that threatens the dignity and freedom to act of every person, and progressively breaks down the image that the Creator has formed in us. This scourge must be strongly condemned as it is fed by unscrupulous men who, giving in to the temptation of easy money, disseminate death by striking down hope and destroying many families.[2]

"Drugs are a wound inflicted on our society, which traps many people in a spiral of suffering and alienation. There are many factors that lead towards drug dependency, such as social exclusion,[3] the absence of the family, social pressure, propaganda by traffickers, and the desire for new experiences.

"It is important to promote a culture of solidarity and subsidiarity, oriented towards the common good; a culture that is opposed to selfishness and to utilitarian and economic logic, but which instead inclines towards the other, to listen, in a path of encounter and relations with our neighbor, especially when he is more vulnerable and fragile, as is the case with those who abuse drugs. As Pope Francis emphasizes, 'every drug addict has a unique personal story and must be listened to, understood, loved, and insofar as possible, healed and purified. We cannot stoop to the injustice of categorizing drug addicts as if they were mere objects or broke machines; each person must be valued and appreciated in his or her dignity in order to enable them to be healed.' [4]

"The young are the first victims of drugs. Immersed in a relativist and hedonist society, they receive proposals that alienate them from values, from a concrete reality tending towards a full realization of the self. The new generations often live in a 'virtual' [5] world, in which they are offered 'a wide range of opportunities to enjoy passing pleasures, which in the end are nothing but poisons that corrode, corrupt, and kill. Step-by-step, a person begins to destroy himself and to destroy everything around him. The initial desire to flee, to seek out a moment of happiness, is transformed into the destruction of the entire person, with repercussions at every level of society.' [6]

"It is clear, as Pope Francis affirms, that in many cases these forms of dependency are not a consequence of giving in to vice, but an effect of the dynamics of exclusion: 'There is a global armament of drugs that are destroying this generation of young people, who are destined to be discarded!' [7]

"Incisive and concrete educational programs must be proposed to our young people, to develop their potential and educate them in the joy of profoundness, not of superficiality. [8] In the process of helping them, human relations are important, inasmuch as 'the call, the joy, and fullness of life are found within a cultural context, and one of social relations.' [9]

"Even though prevention is a priority, it is also fundamental to work for the rehabilitation of drug victims in society, to restore to them the authentic joy of living,[10] so that they do not feel discriminated against or stigmatized, but rather welcomed and understood so as to take a path of inner renewal in search of goodness.

"We must never forget that, 'even if a person's life is a disaster, destroyed by vices, by drugs, or any other thing, God is in his life. ... Even if a person's life is a terrain full of thorns and weeds, there is still a space in which the good seed can grown. We must trust in God.' [11] An example of this is given by the many young people who, wishing to free themselves of their drug dependency, make an effort to rebuild their life, looking ahead trustfully.

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[1] United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2017, vol. 1 p. 9, 11.

[2] Cf. Francis, Homily for Holy Mass on the occasion of the Holy Father's Apostolic Trip to Colombia, port zone of Contecar (Cartagena de Indias), September 10, 2017.

[3] Cf. 15th Ordinary General Assembly, Young people, the faith and vocation discernment, Instrumentum Laboris, Vatican City 2018, no. 7.

[4] Francis, Address to participants in the meeting sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on: "Narcotics: problems and solutions to this global issue", November 24, 2016.

[5] Cf. Francis, Meeting with the Diocese of Rome, Basilica of Saint John Lateran, May 14, 2018.

[6] Francis, Address to participants in the meeting sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on: "Narcotics: problems and solutions to this global issue", November 24, 2016.

[7] Cf. 15th Ordinary General Assembly, Young people, the faith and vocation discernment, Instrumentum Laboris, Vatican City 2018, no. 50.

[8] Cf. Francis, Address at the Meeting with the CELAM Executive Committee, Bogotà, September 7, 2017.

[9] Cf. 15th Ordinary General Assembly, Young people, the faith and vocation discernment, Instrumentum Laboris, Vatican City 2018, no. 144.

[10] Cf. Francis, Address to participants in the meeting sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on: "Narcotics: problems and solutions to this global issue", November 24, 2016.

[11] Message from Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on behalf of the Holy Father Francis, for the 36th Meeting for Friendship among Peoples, August 17, 2015.

Everyone Should Witness

This year World Mission Day occurs on October 22. This year there is a special focus on young people. The Pope's message, dated May 20, follows:

Together with young people, let us bring the Gospel to all

"Dear young people, I would like to reflect with you on the mission that we have received from Christ. In speaking to you, I also address all Christians who live out in the Church the adventure of their life as children of God. What leads me to speak to everyone through this conversation with you is the certainty that the Christian faith remains ever young when it is open to the mission that Christ entrusts to us. 'Mission revitalizes faith' (Redemptoris Missio, 2), in the words of Saint John Paul II, a Pope who showed such great love and concern for young people.

"The Synod to be held in Rome this coming October, the month of the missions, offers us an opportunity to understand more fully, in the light of faith, what the Lord Jesus wants to say to you young people, and, through you, to all Christian communities.

Life is a mission

"Every man and woman is a mission; that is the reason for our life on this earth. To be attracted and to be sent are two movements that our hearts, especially when we are young, feel as interior forces of love; they hold out promise for our future and they give direction to our lives. More than anyone else, young people feel the power of life breaking in upon us and attracting us. To live out joyfully our responsibility for the world is a great challenge. I am well aware of lights and shadows of youth; when I think back to my youth and my family, I remember the strength of my hope for a better future. The fact that we are not in this world by our own choice makes us sense that there is an initiative that precedes us and makes us exist. Each one of us is called to reflect on this fact: 'I am a mission on this Earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world' (Evangelii Gaudium, 273).

We proclaim Jesus Christ

"The Church, by proclaiming what she freely received (cf. Mt 10:8; Acts 3:6), can share with you young people the way and truth which give meaning to our life on this earth. Jesus Christ, who died and rose for us, appeals to our freedom and challenges us to seek, discover, and proclaim this message of truth and fulfilment. Dear young people, do not be afraid of Christ and His Church! For there we find the treasure that fills life with joy. I can tell you this from my own experience: thanks to faith, I found the sure foundation of my dreams and the strength to realize them. I have seen great suffering and poverty mar the faces of so many of our brothers and sisters. And yet, for those who stand by Jesus, evil is an incentive to ever greater love. Many men and women, and many young people, have generously sacrificed themselves, even at times to martyrdom, out of love for the Gospel and service to their brothers and sisters. From the cross of Jesus we learn the divine logic of self-sacrifice (cf. 1 Cor 1:17-25) as a proclamation of the Gospel for the life of the world (cf. Jn 3:16). To be set afire by the love of Christ is to be consumed by that fire, to grow in understanding by its light and to be warmed by its love (cf. 2 Cor 5:14). At the school of the saints, who open us to the vast horizons of God, I invite you never to stop wondering: 'What would Christ do if He were in my place?'

Transmitting the faith to the ends of the earth

"You too, young friends, by your baptism have become living members of the Church; together we have received the mission to bring the Gospel to everyone. You are at the threshold of life. To grow in the grace of the faith bestowed on us by the Church's sacraments plunges us into that great stream of witnesses who, generation after generation, enable the wisdom and experience of older persons to become testimony and encouragement for those looking to the future. And the freshness and enthusiasm of the young makes them a source of support and hope for those nearing the end of their journey. In this blend of different stages in life, the mission of the Church bridges the generations; our faith in God and our love of neighbor are a source of profound unity.

"This transmission of the faith, the heart of the Church's mission, comes about by the infectiousness of love, where joy and enthusiasm become the expression of a newfound meaning and fulfilment in life. The spread of the faith 'by attraction' calls for hearts that are open and expanded by love. It is not possible to place limits on love, for love is strong as death (cf. Song 8:6). And that expansion generates encounter, witness, proclamation; it generates sharing in charity with all those far from the faith, indifferent to it and perhaps even hostile and opposed to it. Human, cultural, and religious settings still foreign to the Gospel of Jesus and to the sacramental presence of the Church represent the extreme peripheries, the 'ends of the earth,' to which, ever since the first Easter, Jesus' missionary disciples have been sent, with the certainty that their Lord is always with them (cf. Mt 28:20; Acts 1:8). This is what we call the missio ad gentes. The most desolate periphery of all is where mankind, in need of Christ, remains indifferent to the faith or shows hatred for the fullness of life in God. All material and spiritual poverty, every form of discrimination against our brothers and sisters, is always a consequence of the rejection of God and His love.

"The ends of the earth, dear young people, nowadays are quite relative and always easily 'navigable.' The digital world - the social networks that are so pervasive and readily available - dissolves borders, eliminates distances, and reduces differences. Everything appears within reach, so close and immediate. And yet lacking the sincere gift of our lives, we could well have countless contacts but never share in a true communion of life. To share in the mission to the ends of the earth demands the gift of oneself in the vocation that God, who has placed us on this earth, chooses to give us (cf. Lk 9:23-25). I dare say that, for a young man or woman who wants to follow Christ, what is most essential is to seek, to discover, and to persevere in his or her vocation.

Bearing witness to love

"I am grateful to all those ecclesial groups that make it possible for you to have a personal encounter with Christ living in His Church: parishes, associations, movements, religious communities, and the varied expressions of missionary service. How many young people find in missionary volunteer work a way of serving the 'least' of our brothers and sisters (cf. Mt 25:40), promoting human dignity and witnessing to the joy of love and of being Christians! These ecclesial experiences educate and train young people not only for professional success, but also for developing and fostering their God-given gifts in order better to serve others. These praiseworthy forms of temporary missionary service are a fruitful beginning and, through vocational discernment, they can help you to decide to make a complete gift of yourselves as missionaries.

"The Pontifical Mission Societies were born of young hearts as a means of supporting the preaching of the Gospel to every nation and thus contributing to the human and cultural growth of all those who thirst for knowledge of the truth. The prayers and the material aid generously given and distributed through the Pontifical Mission Societies enable the Holy See to ensure that those who are helped in their personal needs can in turn bear witness to the Gospel in the circumstances of their daily lives. No one is so poor as to be unable to give what they have, but first and foremost what they are. Let me repeat the words of encouragement that I addressed to the young people of Chile: 'Never think that you have nothing to offer, or that nobody needs you. Many people need you. Think about it! Each of you, think in your heart: many people need me' (Meeting with Young People, Maipu Shrine, January 17, 2018).

"... This coming October, the month of the missions, we will hold the Synod devoted to you. It will prove to be one more occasion to help us become missionary disciples, ever more passionately devoted to Jesus and His mission, to the ends of the earth. I ask Mary, Queen of the Apostles, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, and Blessed Paolo Manna to intercede for all of us and to accompany us always."

Prison to Praise Grace, Mercy And Hope

by Lloyd Kaugman

(Editor's note: Mr. Kaufman writes from Nevada. He requests prayers. Since he wrote this article, the deacon has retired and services are diminishing at the prison and the help he was getting as a New Christian has severely diminished. We welcome contributions from prisoners. We would like to hear from a variety of prisoners.)

1 Timothy 1:13 NIV

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

After so many years serving evil and Satan I suddenly realized how disgusted and horrified I had become of my coldness and vicious behavior. I became aware of how much pain, discomfort, and fear I had inflicted on so many people. As the darkness seemed to overwhelm me, I feared there was no way out and it would always control me.

Through all of this I became aware of the desire to fight this and seek a way to be free. As I fought to be free of his horror, the evil fought to overwhelm me. I struggled with this for many years. Sometimes I seemed to make forward progress but then I would fall back into the darkness, always striving to break this cycle on my own. I have since learned that it is God the Father and the Holy Spirit who changes heart and minds. The love of Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life for me was what melted my heart and freed my mind.

About ten years ago I was walking up a hill on the yard of the Nevada State Prison facility. It was late in the afternoon and it was a very hot summer day. As I passed the make-shift chapel, which was a double side moble home, I felt a strong desire to go inside.

I wandered into a Christian service which was in progress. It was being facilitated by an inmate. It appeared to me that he was teaching his own ideas about what the Bible said. I started perusing some of the literature and decided to read some of it.

I was still a non believer at this time and wondered where the proof was of this Jesus Christ. I could debate the matter for hours and it seemed that my arguments were more convincing than those of the faith. However, my arguments were out of my hard-headedness and my lack of knowledge and faith. Something or someone was moving me, my feelings and my apathetic coldness were less in action. However, I wasn't openly admitting the change I was experiencing. I was still convinced I was a non believer.In reflecting back on my years as a teen and young adult my life took a tragic turn of events. I had turned away from the Christian life I was acquainted with and headed into a life of sin and self-destructive behavior. I sank deeper into drugs, alcohol, and rebellious, hurtful behavior, ending in a horrific tragedy.

When I was arrested, I felt my life was over. My girlfriend was my main concern. I was very remiss in not thinking about myself, my future, and the effects this would have on my family. I became very depressed and contemplated taking my life. Thinking only of myself and how despondent I had become, I began to consider a way to end my life. I began to look around my jail cell to see how I could accomplish this.

I found some old, heavy speaker wire and formed them into a noose. The wires were not long enough but I thought I could make it work. I was barely able to secure the end to the top of the ceiling (made of wire) and then placed the noose around my neck. I was barely able to hold myself in p;ace because it was difficult to place my feet on the edge of the bed. I let my feet slip from the bed and instantly there was excruciating pain! I was not expecting, nor could I believe that the pain was so great. My weight tightened the noose around my neck strangling me! I struggled, trying to get my feet back on the edge of the bed to relieve the pressure, unfortunately, that did not happen!

In seconds my vision was gone and then everything went dark. I have no idea how long it was until slowly light began to penetrate my eyelids. I was lying on the floor of my cell, flopping around like a fish out of water. I COULD BREATH! I WASN'T DEAD! Somehow the cord broke while I was hanging there struggleing, before I lost consciousness.

After much reflection on this situation and current knowledge of God's love, I know in my heart this was a divine intervention.

After many occasions in which I have been in physical altercations where weapons were handy and being used, I have been injured almost to the point of death. In looking back I consider myself blessed with God's intervention on those situations. Since I was seventeen I was tried as an adult and sent to an adult prison. I was placed in protective custody which is really a fallacy. Due to the fact that my victim was a young female, I was under constant attack. I learned to confront the attacks and defended myself to the best of my ability. After a while I just got tired of the fighting and I became vicious in eliminating the battles as quickly as possible.

I find my self in fewer fights, even though it is all around me. So I began to frequent the Christian services so I could have some peace and quiet in my mind. I read and I listened to those who spoke on what they felt the Lord had done for them or what they believed the sacred scriptures said.

I started attending the Episcopal services for a number of years. However, I was uneasy and didn't find the comfort, peace, and solitude I was hoping for.

Then one day I walked across the hall and entered a small room with several other men who were sitting around a table studying and conversing about the Lord and scripture. I sat down in one of the chairs and listened intently as I became more and more interested in the discussion. I became completely engulfed in the subject matter and tried to take notes of the conversation and opinions.

It was a Catholic service called Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. There I would study with the others about the way of Jesus Christ, and understanding of the Sacred Scriptures. I immediately fell into a peace that only the Lord could instill in me. The joy of Faith, Hope, and Love, understanding and patience were feelings I had not had before.

I was completely overwhelmed with emotion in learning the value of the Sacraments, to partake of the host, and the rituals of the Mass, has taught me the peace and fulfilment of God that I have sought.

Experiencing the communion of the Saints, especially Mary and the Rosary, setting free all of the emotions within my heart and soul. When I received the Host of the Eucharist for the first time and being confirmed, I knew that I was saved and my debt of gratitude is forever to God and I pray to live in His peace and grace every day. The Catholic Church has been the catalyst that has brought me to God, family, and peace of mind in my life.

Still I know so little about my faith as a Catholic and I need direction, encouragement, and guidance in my walk as a Catholic. In prison, there just isn't the education and teaching that I so desperately need.

I would appreciate any encouragement, guidance, and correspondence you could give me in my walk as a Catholic.

I can be contacted at loydkaufman55@gmail.com and please include your physical address so I can reply to you.

Book Focuses On Role Of God In U.S.

by Michael Halm

Fr. Bill McCarthy, MSA, wrote his book God Bless America: His Vision or Ours? shortly after 9/11. It is well worth re-reading. In it he remembers how our country and other countries as well prayed then. He remembers how public prayer was once the norm and dates the loss of America's abundant blessings to 1962, when prayer and the Bible were made illegal in public schools (Murray vs. Curlett and Abington vs. Schempp).

He notes many historical documents such as 1642's The Old Deluder Satan Act that made the Bible the basis of the American education system. He noted the Scripture-based The New England Primer introduced by Benjamin Harris in 1690 that was used in schools until 1900.

He points out that 94 percent of all existing quotations of our founding fathers came from the Bible. He quotes Washington's warning, "[T]he propitious [favorable] smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained," the Natural Law.

Andrew Jackson said, "The Bible is the Rock upon which our republic stands." Patrick Henry wrote, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded ... by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible is worth all other books that have ever been printed." James Madison said, "A nation that will not be ruled by the Ten Commandments, shall be ruled by tyrants." Lincoln said, "But for [the Bible] we would not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it."

Fr. McCarthy quotes the Maryland Supreme Court, "By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion; and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed on the same equal footing." (Runkel vs Winemiller, 1799)

He reminds us of the Supreme Court Justice Brewer's statement in the Church of the Holy Trinity vs. the United States from 1892, "Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian." In 1932 Supreme Court Justice George Sutherland again called us a "Christian people."

In 1844 the Supreme court ruled against a Philadelphia school teaching morality in place of religion, asking, "Why may not the bible, and especially the New Testament ... be read and taught as a divine revelation in the [school] - its general precepts expounded ... and its glorious principles of morality inculcated? ... Where can the purest principles of marality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?"

After 9/11 the House of Representatives passed 404-to-0 allowing "God Bless America" to be sung in public schools. Fr. McCarthy also quotes extensively from From the Ashes, A Spiritual Response on the Attack in his chapter "What September 11th Taught Us."

He then lists several lessons we ought to have learned about God and ourselves: "God glories in poor and ordinary people," "God gives us freedom to choose the good because He is a God of love," "We all should live more simply," "We should promote a culture of peace" although "Life is warfare against evil," "We love best when we are broken," "God will make a way for redemption," and "Life is fragile."

Fr. McCarthy ends his book by quoting St. Pope John Paul II's farewell in Baltimore, "I express to the Catholic community of the United States my heartfelt thanks! In the words of St. Paul, 'I give thanks to my God every time I think of you - which is constantly in every prayer I utter.' " (Phil 1:3) He then adds his own prayer, "We come back to you in fullest faith, brightest hope, lasting love, humble repentance, and gracious forgiveness. give us the courage to truly love as You have shown us."

How Does Technology Impact Tourism?

The Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development issued (August 4) a message for World Tourism Day 2018. Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect signed the document July 26. The message follows:

"World Tourism Day, promoted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is celebrated every year on September 27. The theme proposed for 2018 - Tourism & Digital Transformation - focuses on the advances made in digital technology that have transformed our era and our behavior by dramatically changing the way we live periods of rest, vacation, mobility, and tourism in all its forms.

"There have been many changes due to the implementation of the new digital technologies which affect people's social life, their way of conceiving interpersonal relationships, work, health, communications, extending their 'connection' everywhere, enabling us to share information, express and compare a multifaceted and varied wealth of ideas, opinions, and visions of the world. The latest trends show that about 50% of digital travellers are influenced and inspired by observing images and comments online, and that 70% consult videos and opinions of those who have already travelled to places, before deciding[1].

"Therefore, this commemoration invites us to reflect on the contribution of technological progress not only to improve tourist products and services, but also because this progress is part of tourism's sustainable and responsible development, towards which the growth of the sector should be oriented. Digital innovation is therefore aimed at promoting inclusiveness, increasing the engagement of people and local communities and achieving an intelligent and equitable management of resources. Last year, the international tourism sector registered a global increase of 7% annually and is expected to grow steadily over the next decade. The need for 'sustainable tourism' should not be underestimated, since a number of well-known and more frequented tourist destinations experience the negative effects of a phenomenon that runs contrary to a healthy and fair tourism, of so-called 'over-tourism.'

"The Church has always paid particular attention to the pastoral care of tourism, leisure and holidays, as opportunities for recovery, to strengthen family and interpersonal ties, to reinvigorate the spirit, to enjoy the extraordinary beauty of creation, and to grow in our 'integral humanity.' 'Our insistence that each human being is an image of God should not make us overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose. (...) The entire material uni­verse speaks of God's love, His boundless affec­tion for us' [2]. Thus, tourism is an effective vehicle for values and ideals when it offers occasions and opportunities for the growth of the human person, both in his transcendental dimension, open to the encounter with God, and in his earthly dimension, particularly in the encounter with other people and in contact with nature.

"The use of digital equipment by the tourism sector's operators and users is a great opportunity to increase quality services that satisfy new demands, but also to educate people on the shared responsibility towards our 'common home' in which we live, generating forms of innovation for the functional recovery of waste, recycling, and creative reuse that helps protect the environment[3]. If, however, 'there is a tendency to believe that every increase in power means an increase of progress itself, an advance in security, usefulness, welfare, and vigor; an assimilation of new values into the stream of culture, as if reality, goodness, and truth automatically flow from tech­nological and economic power as such' [4], we run the risk of an incorrect and annihilating use of human dignity itself, with harmful consequences. In particular, this concerns the production and use of 'data,' especially personal data, which are generated within the 'digital world' and the preponderant role of the algorithms that process the data and produce, in turn, additional data and information, at different levels, also available for those who intend to use it for purely commercial, propaganda, or even manipulative purposes and strategies. Algorithms, in fact, are not simple numbers and neutral sequences of operations, but rather elaborations of intentions that pursue precise aims and can be used to influence personal choices and decisions, and effect the formation of individual thought and consciousness. When technological tools 'become omnipresent, they do not favor the development of a capacity to live wisely, to think in depth, to love generously' [5].

" 'That is why the time has come to accept decreased growth in some parts of the world, in order to provide resources for other places to experience healthy growth. (...) technologically advanced societies must be prepared to encourage more sober lifestyles, while reducing their energy consumption and improving its efficiency' [6]. Access to digital equipment must be made possible for everyone while respecting and safeguarding the freedom of choice of individuals. The ultimate goal is not to implement tourism with new digital technologies, but that the progressive use of technology be accompanied by a growing awareness of the individual and the community respectful use of the environment for sustainable development.

"A special thought goes out to the younger generations who make up the largest proportion of digital users. In the Instrumentum Laboris being prepared for the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Young People[7], n. 3 discusses how it is necessary to offer them paths for formation and anthropological education, so that they may live their 'digital life' without separating online and offline behavior, nor allowing themselves to be deceived by the virtual world that distorts the perception of reality and the loss of identity connected with an erroneous representation of the person. As Pope Francis reminds us: 'It is not enough to be a passersby on the digital highways, simply 'connected'; connections need to grow into true encounters. We cannot live apart, closed in on ourselves. We need to love and to be loved' [8].

"The hope that this Dicastery formulates for all, tourists and vacationers, is 'that tourism will contribute to glorifying God, and to increasingly validating human dignity, mutual knowledge, spiritual brotherhood, refreshment of body and soul' [9]."

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[1] Cfr. Politecnico of Milan's School of Management, Osservatorio Innovazione Digitale nel Turismo, 2017.

[2] Francis, Encycical Letter Laudato si', 2015, n. 84.

[3] Cfr. Idem, n. 192.

[4] Idem, n. 105.

[5] Idem, n. 47.

[6] Idem, n. 193.

[7] Synod of Bishops, Instrumentum laboris of the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishop, on the theme: "Young People, the Faith & Vocational Discernment" [October 3-28, 2018] , n. 3.

[8] Francis, Message for the 48th World Communications Day, January 23, 2014.

[9] Paul VI, Address to participants at the 1st Diocesan Congress on the Pastoral Care of Tourism, June 12, 1969.

Light to the Nations

(A Christian Perspective on World News)

call for national prayer campaign

WASHINGTON - Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York and Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement today inviting all people of good will to join in a prayer campaign that the change in the U.S. Supreme Court will move our nation closer to the day when every human being is protected in law and welcomed in life.

Cardinal Dolan's full statement follows:

"As soon as Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, pro-abortion groups began lobbying the U.S. Senate to reject any nominee who does not promise to endorse Roe v. Wade. While the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops does not support or oppose the confirmation of any presidential nominee, we can and should raise grave concerns about a confirmation process which is being grossly distorted by efforts to subject judicial nominees to a litmus test of support for Roe v. Wade. And we must pray.

Each Friday, from August 3 - September 28, 2018, I urge all people of good will to join me in prayer that this change in the U.S. Supreme Court will move our nation closer to the day when every human being is protected in law and welcomed in life. The USCCB Call to Prayer network will share prayers and educational resources and an invitation to fast on Fridays for this intention.

May Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for the healing of our nation and our people from decades of abortion on demand."

(Source: USCCB press release)

welcomes change on death penalty

WASHINGTON - Following the publication of the revised section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding the death penalty, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, welcomed the change and echoed the call to end the death penalty in the United States.

The full statement follows:

"Today, we welcome the Holy Father's decision to revise the Catechism and its explanation of the Church's teaching on the death penalty. All human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, and the dignity bestowed on them by the Creator cannot be extinguished, even by grave sin, such that all persons, from conception until natural death possess inalienable dignity and value that points to their origin as sons and daughters of God. The new section in the Catechism is consistent with the statements of Pope Francis' teaching on the death penalty, including his 2015 address to the U.S. Congress, as well as the statements of his predecessors. Pope Benedict the XVI urged 'the attention of society's leaders to the need to make every effort to eliminate the death penalty,' and Pope St. John Paul II observed that 'Not even a murderer loses his personal dignity, and God himself pledges to guarantee this."

"For decades the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for the end of the death penalty in the United States. As the revised Catechism states, 'more effective systems of detention...which ensure the due protection of citizens' exist, ones that also maintain the human dignity of all. It is our hope that today's announcement will bring new attention to this critical issue, and speed along the end of this practice, which, as Pope Francis has said in the light of the Gospel, is 'inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.' "

(Source: USCCB press release)

bishops address moral failures

WASHINGTON - Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the following statement noting the steps the U.S. Bishops Conference will take in addressing the failures of the Church in protecting the people of God.

Cardinal DiNardo's full statement follows:

"The accusations against Archbishop Theodore McCarrick reveal a grievous moral failure within the Church. They cause bishops anger, sadness, and shame; I know they do in me. They compel bishops to ask, as I do, what more could have been done to protect the People of God. Both the abuses themselves, and the fact that they have remained undisclosed for decades, have caused great harm to people's lives and represent grave moral failures of judgement on the part of Church leaders.

These failures raise serious questions. Why weren't these allegations of sins against chastity and human dignity disclosed when they were first brought to Church officials? Why wasn't this egregious situation addressed decades sooner and with justice? What must our seminaries do to protect the freedom to discern a priestly vocation without being subject to misuse of power?

Archbishop McCarrick will rightly face the judgement of a canonical process at the Holy See regarding the allegations against him, but there are also steps we should be taking as the Church here in the United States. Having prayed about this, I have convened the USCCB Executive Committee. This meeting was the first of many among bishops that will extend into our Administrative Committee meeting in September and our General Assembly in November. All of these discussions will be oriented toward discerning the right course of action for the USCCB. This work will take some time but allow me to stress these four points immediately.

First, I encourage my brother bishops as they stand ready in our local dioceses to respond with compassion and justice to anyone who has been sexually abused or harassed by anyone in the Church. We should do whatever we can to accompany them.

Second, I would urge anyone who has experienced sexual assault or harassment by anyone in the Church to come forward. Where the incident may rise to the level of a crime, please also contact local law enforcement.

Third, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will pursue the many questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick's conduct to the full extent of its authority; and where that authority finds its limits, the Conference will advocate with those who do have the authority. One way or the other, we are determined to find the truth in this matter.

Finally, we bishops recognize that a spiritual conversion is needed as we seek to restore the right relationship among us and with the Lord. Our Church is suffering from a crisis of sexual morality. The way forward must involve learning from past sins.

Let us pray for God's wisdom and strength for renewal as we follow St. Paul's instruction: 'Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect' (Romans 12:2)."

(Source: USCCB press release)

synod delegates approved

WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has ratified the members elected by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to represent the United States at the upcoming XV Ordinary General Assembly: Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. The Synod will take place October 3-28.

The delegates are:

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Vice President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, Diocese of Bridgeport, member of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.

Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archdiocese of Newark, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations

The XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops has been convened by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, along with the Vatican Synod Office. In preparation for this Synod, the USCCB and other episcopal conferences, as well as ecclesial movements, associations, and experts in the field, were consulted throughout 2017 on the topic of "young people, the faith, and vocational discernment." In addition, the Vatican collected responses from an online questionnaire aimed at youth and young adults conducted last year. In March 2018, over 300 young adult delegates gathered in Rome, where Pope Francis convened a pre-synod gathering to listen directly to the voice of young people from around the world. The gathering produced a Final Pre-Synodal document... .

The Working Document... ("Instrumentum Laboris") for the October Synod was released in late June 2018 and includes a summary of all the Synod consultations to date. It describes the purpose of the 2018 Synod of Bishops as an opportunity for the Church "to accompany all young people, without exception, towards the joy of love," realizing that "taking care of young people is not an optional task for the Church, but an integral part of her vocation and mission is history."

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of Newark, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., of Philadelphia, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, welcomed the recent release of the Synod Working Document, saying:

"After a lively discussion with our brother bishops at the Spring 2018 General Assembly on the topic of the Synod, we are happy to receive this Instrumentum Laboris, and look forward to exploring how it sheds light on the pastoral challenges of United States. The 2018 Synod will powerfully renew the Catholic Church's engagement with youth and young adults, and provide a deeper understanding of vocational discernment."

The official Vatican website for the Synod, which is inclusive of the Pre-Synod gathering, is http://www.synod2018.va/content/synod2018/en.html.

The official USCCB webpage for the Synod is www.usccb.org/synod-2018.

(Source: USCCB press release)

Edge To Edge

Pray The News

Because we are sons and daughters of God, saved by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we do not merely read the news but make the news. We direct the course of world events by faith expressed in action and intercession. Please pray for the stories covered in this paper. Clip out this intercessory list and make it part of your daily prayer.

• We pray that every Christian will witness for Jesus in every circumstance and to the ends of the earth.
• We pray for conversion and repentance in the Church and wisdom and courage in addressing moral failures.
• We pray for healing and for all victims of sexual abuse.
• We pray in thanksgiving for faithful priests and bishops and for them to continue to be strong and courageous witnesses for Jesus.
• We pray for the truth to be known in allegations of abuse and for those falsely accused to have their good name restored.
• We pray for young people to be strong witnesses for Jesus.
• We pray for the whole Church, including all ages, to work together to spread the Gospel.
• We pray for all prisoners to grow in faith and love and to be supported and encouraged in their journey.