archives
Pope strives to bring missions, work for justice back together
Posted on Jul 12, 2008 09:03am CST.By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), evangelization and the promotion of social justice have sometimes been treated within Catholicism, at least de facto, as two separate enterprises – driven by separate logics, and often carried out by distinct groups of people. This division of labor can be found even in the Vatican, where the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is responsible for missionary activity, while the Council for Justice and Peace focuses on the church’s social teaching.
WYD: Down Under, Benedict continues to 'go green'
Posted on Jul 12, 2008 18:32pm CST.By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Denver
Pope Benedict XVI has barely arrived Down Under, and already environmentalism is emerging as one key theme of his visit to Australia for the 2008 edition of World Youth Day.
The pope made a brief refueling stop in Darwin, on the northern tip of Australia, after flying directly from Rome. After landing in Sydney, Benedict XVI will take three days of rest before beginning the World Youth Day program on July 17.
WYD: Once again, papal flight features talk of abuse crisis
Posted on Jul 12, 2008 18:54pm CST.By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Denver
For the second time in a row, Benedict XVI has opened a papal trip by tackling the issue of sexual abuse in comments to reporters aboard the papal plane.
In April, Benedict responded to a question from NCR during his flight to Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, D.C., by saying that he is “deeply ashamed” by the sex abuse scandals, stressing that pedophiles must be “absolutely excluded” from the priesthood, and vowing that the church will strive to bring “justice and healing” to victims.
WYD: Benedict lands in Sydney, heads to Opus Dei center
Posted on Jul 12, 2008 19:40pm CST.By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Denver
While being pope is obviously an enormous burden, the job does have its perks – one of them being that any flight he takes is virtually always on time.
That proved to be the case once again today, as Benedict XVI’s Alitalia jet landed punctually at a Royal Australian Air Force base outside Sydney at 3:04 pm local time, within five minutes of his scheduled arrival. Counting a brief refueling stop in Darwin in northern Australia, the pope and his entourage travelled for roughly 20 hours to reach Sydney from Rome, covering more than 10,000 miles, making this by far the longest foreign journey of his papacy.
