Every day, Aleteia offers a selection of articles written by the international press about the Church and the major issues that concern Catholics around the world. The opinions and views expressed in these articles are not those of the editors.
Rome & the World: remembering Bloody Sunday • Vatican could mediate in Ukraine?
Credit: Public Domain
Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland, Eamon Martin, remembered his experience of Bloody Sunday during Mass on Sunday at Saint Eugene’s Cathedral (Derry, Northern Ireland) and called for the building of “meaningful reconciliation.” Archbishop Martin was 10 years old on January 30, 1972, when 13 innocent civil rights demonstrators were shot dead by soldiers in what became known as Bloody Sunday, during the Northern Ireland conflict. The archbishop acknowledged that building reconciliation is “complicated and delicate” but said that if “if we are to unite hearts and minds and nourish a genuine hope for lasting peace and reconciliation in Ireland, then we have to work together on healing the legacy of our shared past.”
Belfast Telegraph, English
Archbishop of Moscow says meditation by the Vatican could be “possible” in conflict in Ukraine
In an interview with Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera, the Archbishop of Moscow Paolo Pezzi, said that the possibility that the Ukrainian President, Volodimir Zelenskij, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, meet through the Holy See is not “entirely abstract.” The Archbishop cited other peace processes the Holy See got involved in, such as in South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Archbishop Pezzi also commented that he feels “very strongly the anguish of the people involved” in the conflict, but that he believes “in the strength of a prayer that transforms anguish into trust" in God. He also stated that although a visit by Pope Francis to Russia is not feasible at the moment, he believes a meeting between the Pontiff and Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is being prepared.
La Repubblica, Italian.
The Order of Malta narrowly avoids change of status
During a decisive meeting held in Rome on January 25 and 26, 2022, the Holy See reversed its initial plan to abolish the sovereignty of the Order of Malta, says journalist Jean-Marie Guénois in French news outlet Le Figaro. As a subject of international law, the Order enjoys all the functions of sovereignty, which allows it to intervene in many countries. If the project had succeeded, the order would have come under the total control of the Vatican, which would have jeopardized its capacity to act. Pope Francis, however, is not abandoning the whole reform process, especially concerning the spiritual side. The central issue remains the status of the Professed Knights, who are aging and increasingly less numerous because of the rigorous conditions of their recruitment.
Le Figaro, French.
Secularization accelerates in the Netherlands
According to a national study there are fewer parishioners and increasingly less money for the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. One in three Dutch Catholics say they are going to church less often because of closures and merging of parishes. At the beginning of the century, there were more than 1,500 parishes and almost 1,800 churches. Today, there are 640 parishes and 1,300 churches. Due to the decline of incomes and the increase of distances to reach places of worship, the practice of going to church is dying out in a country facing a shortage of priests. However, observers urge that we also look at other forms of churches and Christian communities that are not directly linked to parishes.
Nederlands Dagblad, Dutch.
How Do You Respond When an Anti-Vaxxer Dies of Covid? (Opinion article by Father James Martin)
“‘Schadenfreude,’ the German term for the joy one takes in another’s misfortune," is cruel, says Father James Martin in an opinion article published in The New York Times. The American Jesuit supports vaccination and the wearing of masks because "it's not just about you," he says. However, to rejoice in the death of anti-vaxers, even if their attitude generates frustration, anger, or fear, is immoral, he comments. There is a satisfaction in saying, “See? I was right," he points out, but "Jesus asked us to pray for our enemies, not celebrate their misfortunes.” "Don’t find another person’s misery the subject of mirth, glee or satisfaction. Doing so is mean. It’s immoral. And one day you may be the unfortunate one," he concludes.
New York Times, English.
When Pius XII coined the expression "brothers in faith" to refer to the Jews
Historian Michael Feldkamp told German news outlet Katholisch.de that the expression “brothers in faith,” referencing Jews and Christians, can be traced back to Pope Pius XII. The formulation can be found in a letter that Pope Pius XII wrote during the First World War, explained Professor Feldkamp, a biographer of this Pontiff, during a lecture in Rome. The German academic explained that recently accessible archives on this Pope have showed how the Holy See tried to help Jews across Europe during the Holocaust and turbulent times of the Second World War. Also he said that Pope Pius XII was committed to peace and neutrality.
Katholisch.de, German.
