Pope's Prayer Intentions for April

General Intention: "That Christians, even in the difficult and complex
situations of present-day society, may not tire of proclaiming with
their lives that Christ's resurrection is the source of peace and of
hope."

Missionary Intention: "That the future priests of the young
Churches may be constantly more formed culturally and spiritually to
evangelize their nations and the whole world."

The Newest Missionary Venture

Don't miss this week's article by John Allen on a fledgling missionary operation in Mongolia. It's a fascinating subject: a brand new territory for Christian evangelization, Mongolia, just started in 1992 by a Filipino priest, now bishop. To date there are about 400 Christians.

The attraction for the new Christians has come simply from the liturgy (in the vernacular) and from the social relief programs.

Padilla said that when he conducts interviews with Mongolian converts to understand what attracted them and made them decide to join the church, most will say they first came into contact with Catholicism through one of its social programs – a school, soup kitchen, or relief center. What “hooked” them, however, was the liturgy.

“They say it’s the singing, the liturgy,” Padilla told an audience at the Oratory of St. Francis Xavier del Caravita in Rome. “They say it’s more worthwhile than what they experience in the Buddhist temple. They’re active in the prayers and in the singing, It’s not just the monks doing all the singing.”

Padilla said that even though the four parishes in Mongolia (and four parochial sub-stations) use largely Western liturgical music, it’s translated into the vernacular, and most of the liturgy now is also said using the Mongol language. That, too, he said, is a major point of entry for new converts, most of whom are young and from the middle class or below.

“We cater mostly to the young and to the very poor,” Padilla said.

Bishop Padilla also found a strategy to soften up the local officials to get church building permits.

[A] Belgian missionary who had served in Inner Mongolia explained to him how to get things done.

“He told me that when you’re in difficulty, the thing to do is to invite these officials to dinner and get them drinking, especially vodka,” he said.

“It worked, but it was rough. At one point, I was drunk at least once or twice a week. One time I had to leave my car behind because I was too drunk to drive … but God will forgive, and anyway I wasn’t a bishop yet!”

Actually, Jesus attended a lot of parties from all accounts.

Building the Kingdom may not be so complicated as we tend to think.

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Cardinal Ruini, in a speech to religious, urged them to use the internet to reach young people on the authentic message of Christ. From Zenit.

"A priest from Novara told me that the theme of 'Jesus' is very much discussed by youth in blogs. The focus, though, comes from destructive books that are widespread today, and not from Benedict XVI’s book ‘Jesus of Nazareth.'

"What will the idea of Christ be in 10 years if these ideas triumph?"

The 76-year-old prelate admitted, "I don’t understand the Internet, but especially young religious ought to enter blogs and correct the opinions of the youth, showing them the true Jesus.”

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20 Years of Computer Evangelization

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of Catholic Information Network (CIN). The first CIN BBS was started to record and distribute the messages from Pope John Paul II who was then making a historic visit around the U.S. The BBS was networked with other computers around the world and people dialed-up to find texts and conferences on Catholic topics. Of course, the internet was not available to the public at that time.

We were the first electronic service to distribute full texts of encyclicals, other papal documents and Catholic texts to the public free of charge making them widely accessible for the first time. Fortunately, the Vatican website came online some years later and now offers all the important texts on the Church's teaching and life.



POPE JOHN PAUL II ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS

"With the advent of computer telecommunications and what are known as computer participation systems, the Church is offered further means for fulfilling her mission. Methods of facilitating communication and dialogue among her own members can strengthen the bonds of unity between them. Immediate access to information makes it possible for her to deepen her dialogue with the contemporary world.

"In the new "computer culture" the Church can more readily inform the world of her beliefs and explain the reasons for her stance on any given issue or event.

"She can hear more clearly the voice of public opinion and enter into continuous discussion with the world around her, thus involving herself more immediately in the common search for solutions to humanity's many pressing problems (cf. "Communion et Progressio," 114ff.).

"It is clear that the Church must also avail herself of the new resources provided by human exploration in computer and satellite technology for her ever pressing task of evangelization. Her most vital and urgent message has to do with knowledge of Christ and the way of salvation which He offers. This is something she must put before the people of every age, inviting them to embrace the Gospel out of love, ever mindful that "truth cannot impose itself except by virtue of its own truth, which wins over the mind with both gentleness and power" ("Dignitatis Humanae," 1). ...

"Surely we must be grateful for the new technology which enables us to store information in vast man-made artificial memories, thus providing wide and instant access to the knowledge which is our human heritage,to the Church's teaching and tradition, the words of Sacred Scripture, the counsels of the great masters of spirituality, the history and traditions of the local churches, of religious orders and lay institutes, and to the ideas and experiences of initiators and innovators whose insights bear constant witness to the faithful presence in our midst of a loving Father who brings out of His treasure new things and old (cf. Mt 13:52)."

-- Pope John Paul II, May 27, 1989, "Church Must Learn to Cope with Computer Culture."

THE CHURCH AND THE INTERNET
Reflecting on the Internet, as upon all the other media of social communications, we recall that Christ is "the perfect communicator" the norm and model of the Church's approach to communication, as well as the content that the Church is obliged to communicate. "May Catholics involved in the world of social communications preach the truth of Jesus ever more boldly from the housetops, so that all men and women may hear about the love which is the heart of God's self-communication in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever".

From the Vatican, 24 January 1990, the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales
Whether we are young or old, let us rise to the challenge of new discoveries and technologies by bringing to them a moral vision rooted in our religious faith, in our respect for the human person, and our commitment to transform the world in accordance with God's plan. On this World Communications Day, let us pray for wisdom in using the potential of the "computer age" to serve man's human and transcendent calling, and thus to give glory to the Father from whom all good things come.

Catechism of the Catholic Church
V. THE USE OF THE SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA
2493 Within modern society the communications media play a major role in information, cultural promotion, and formation. This role is increasing, as a result of technological progress, the extent and diversity of the news transmitted, and the influence exercised on public opinion.

Sent to Proclaim Christ's Presence - Fr. Giussani

Monastic Musings: Sent to Proclaim Christ's Presence - Fr. Giussani

In today's Gospel, Jesus appointed and sent 72 people to the towns and villages of Galilee, proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God. His instructions to them were still in my ears when I began to read some of the earliest writings of Fr. Luigi Giussani - Reflections on Experience in The Journey to Truth Is an Experience. Written almost at the birth of the Communion and Liberation movement, this essay describes the method for carrying Christ - not his morality or his edicts, but an experience of Christ - to people in the secular world. I can hear the echo of Jesus' instructions to the 72 in his words, and it is a call as strong today as it was 2000 years ago:

It is through us that Christ proposes himself to men and women. Our attitude and words constitute the proposal through which others can know him. ... Jesus said: "Go forth through the entire world and preach to all the peoples." Each person is responsible for a specific task ("go forth and preach") but is free to choose how to achieve his or her particular vocation.