6 AROUND THE WORLD, NATION
THE CATHOLIC POST SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020
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This page is sponsored by Mary Linden-Fymbo in loving memory of the deceased members of the Linden/Mollie/Shane/Farraher families. World Meeting of Families, World Youth Day pushed back
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Pope Francis has agreed with a recom- mendation by the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life to postpone by one year the next gatherings of the World Meeting of Families and World Youth Day. Because of the current health situation and its consequences on the movement and gatherings of young people and families, the World Meeting of Families in Rome will be pushed back until June 2022 and World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, will be pushed back until August 2023, the Vatican announced. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the dicastery, told Catholic News Service April 20 that now isthetimehisicewouldbe signing contracts with hotels and airlines if the World Meeting of Families were still to be held in 2021, but no one knows what will happen, so it seemed prudent to push the meeting back a year. The dicastery also would not hold two large gatherings during the same summer, so that was one reason World Youth Day was pushed back, he said. The other reason, Cardinal Farrell said, is that although people are talking about re- turning to normal and govern- ment leaders are making plans for phasing out lockdowns and reopening businesses, we do not believe travel will be that extensive anytime soon.
U.S. bishops' assembly in Detroit is canceled
WASHINGTON (CNS) - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has canceled the U.S. bishops spring general assembly that was planned for June 10-12 in Detroit. This marks the first cancella- tion of a plenary assembly in the conferences history. The Administrative Com- mitteemadethisverydicult decision with consideration of multiple factors, but most im- portantly the health, well-being and safety of the hundreds of bishops, staff, observers, guests, iliates,volunteers,contrac- tors and media involved with the general meetings, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, WASHINGTON (CNS) - The chairmen of four U.S. bishops committees, joined by the lead- ers of several health care, bio- ethics and pro-life organizations, urgently and respectfully implored the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Admin- istration to ensure any vaccines developed for the coronavirus are free from any connection to abortion. To be clear, we strongly sup- port efforts to develop an effec- tive, safe, and widely available vaccine as quickly as possible, the leaders said in an April 17 letter to Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, the FDA commissioner. However, we also strongly urge our federal government to ensure that fundamental moral principles are followed in the development of such vaccines, most importantly, the principle that human life is sacred and should never be exploited, they said. Copies of the letter were sent to President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar. The text of the letter was released late April 17 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The chairman who signed it and their respective USCCB committees were: Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma A woman models a small bottle labelled "Vaccine COVID-19" in this illustration photo. CNS/Reuters
COVID vaccine must be free of abortion ties: leaders
president of the USCCB, said in announcing the decision. Additionally, even if the nu- merous temporary restrictions on public gatherings resulting from conditions associated with COVID-19 are lessened by June, he said, the priority for the physical and pastoral presence of the bishop in his See will be acute to tend to the faithful.
Release of 'Fatima' film postponed until August
NEW YORK (CNS) - Moviego- ers anticipating the feature film about the story of the children of Fatima will have to wait a few more months to see the famous miracle story on the big screen. The historical drama, directed by Marco Pontecorvo and distrib- uted by Picturehouse, was origi- nally scheduled for widespread release April 24, the second Fri- day of Easter. But like many films slated for this spring, Fatima was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic. The circumstances that the world finds itself in now require precautionary measures and ac- tion,thefilm'sicialFacebook profile posted March 19. As a result, we are postponing the opening of Fatima in theaters to Aug. 14, 2020.
Paterson, N.J., bishop retires; successor named
WASHINGTON (CNS) - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli of Paterson, New Jer- sey, and named Father Kevin J. Sweeney, a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, as his successor. Bishop Serratelli is 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to turn in their resigna- tion to the pope. Bishop-des- ignate Sweeney, 50, will be the eighth bishop of Paterson. The date for his episcopal or- dination has not been scheduled due to the pandemic. Until that time, Bishop Serratelli will serve as apostolic administrator of the diocese. A native of Newark, New Jersey, the now-retired bishop was named to head the Paterson Diocese in 2004. Before that, he was an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark for four years. City, Domestic Justice and Hu- man Development; Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne- South Bend, Indiana, Commit- tee on Doctrine; and Bishop John F. Doerfler of Marquette, Michigan, the Subcommittee on Health Care Issues, which is a subcommittee of the doctrine committee. Other signatories were the heads of 20 organizations such as the Catholic Medical Associa- tion, National Catholic Bioethics Center, American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, National Associa- tion of Catholic Nurses, South- ern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Children of God for Life, March for Life Edu- cation & Defense Fund, Family Research Council and Students for Life of America.
PURSUEETHICALALTERNATIVES
We are aware that, among the dozens of vaccines currently in development, some are being produced using old cell lines that were created from the cells of aborted babies, they said. They noted that, for example, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a substantial contract from HHS and is working on a vac- cine that is being produced using one of these ethically problem- atic cell lines. Other vaccines such as those being developed by SanofiPas- teur, Inovio and the John Paul II Medical Research Institute utilize cell lines not connected to unethical procedures and methods. It is critically important that Americans have access to a vac- cine that is produced ethically: No American should be forced to choose between being vaccinat- ed against this potentially deadly virus and violating his or her conscience, the group said. Fortunately, there is no need to use ethically problematic cell lines to produce a COVID vac- cine, or any vaccine, as other cell lines or processes that do not involve cells from abortions are available and are regularly being used to produce other vaccines, they said. On April 6, a group of about a dozen Democrats in Congress sent a letter to Azar urging the Trump administration to lift re- strictions on research that uses human fetal tissue for potential treatment for COVID-19. They argued that allowing fetal tissue in such studies could lead more quickly to a treatment.
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Masses in New Mexico
Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico, wears a mask and gloves while giving Communion to a passenger of a vehicle during the Easter Vigil in the parking lot of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Las Cruces on April 11. Four days later Bishop Baldacchino became the first-known U.S. prelate to lift a diocesan ban on public Mass, and told priests they may resume sacramental ministry if they follow state health mandates . CNS/Diocese of Las Cruces
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