austraLasia #3207
Pope Francis: two national
responses
Two further responses, this time of a national
flavour, to Pope Francis' new style and direction for the
Church.
PRIME MINISTER VISITS
Gizo Catholic Community and Training center
+ Luciano Capelli sdb
GIZO: 17 March 2013
--Prime
Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo joined Catholic services at St
Peter’s
Catholic Cathedral, Gizo, visited the St Peter’s Training
Center and
helped a public dialogue with constituency members at the
newly
constructed youth center hall at St Peter’s Compound this
morning
Sunday March17.
In the same week when Catholic’s rejoiced over a new world
church
leader, a Jesuit trained person with a Franciscan heart and
Salesian
spirit of joy and optimism, Prime Minister Lilo of Solomon
Islands has
prayed with, visited and dialogued with his people in his
constituency
of origin.
The Prime Minister in his address referred to Bishop’s
Luciano’s Homily
on the Gospel account of the woman caught in adultery and
agreed that
forgiveness is further above the law… Punishing with the full
power of
the law is one option, compassion and forgiveness shown to a
person can
transform him/her from sinner into a good person…since the
person’s
dignity is far above his/her failures
This is exactly what the St Peter’s Training center wants to
do: to
show mercy, compassion and service to people who might have
offended or
might offend the law… by offering them a chance to be forgiven
and to
undertake a journey of conversion through an education to form
him/her
into a good Christian and an honest citizen as Don Bosco did.
The gift
of education shows trust and respect for the offender’s
dignity and
rebuilds him/her into a positive member of the church and
society.
Thus the PM agreed to offer a new chance to juveniles why
might have
offended the law by giving them an alternative to show their
good will…
he will recommend ‘alternative sentencing’ for juvenile
offenders to
give them this last chance
This step is indeed in the right direction in the prevention
of
criminality and re-orientation of our youth to higher values
as good
Christians and honest citizens.
The Catholic community of Gizo rejoices at this option of
mercy above
blindly applied justice in the case of juveniles who lost
their
way…because they probably never experienced parental care and
love. The
same community joins Pope Francis in the option of giving
priority to
the lost, the least and the abandoned…
-------------------------------
Rally at National MHC
Shrine for Pope Francis
Bro. Jomar Castillo sdb
PARAÑAQUE CITY: 16
March 2013
-- Yesterday afternoon, 16 March, at around 3:00 pm,
parishioners and
youth groups, Bosconian representatives from Don Bosco
Makati and
Mandaluyong, Salesians and seminarians from Canlubang, and
some
students from the Don Bosco Center of Studies and the
Seminaryo ng Don
Bosco, gathered at the National Shrine of Mary Help of
Christians in
the grounds at Better Living, Parañaque City for a
prayer rally
spear-headed by Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB, Rector and head of
the office
for Marian Devotions and the Parish-Shrine.
In his short homily in the prayer service, he shared with
those
gathered that Don Bosco left the Salesians three devotions:
Jesus in
the Eucharist, Mary Help of Christians and the Holy Father.
Likewise,
he said that the present pope is close to the Salesians
because he was
mentored by a Salesian at least in his student life; he has a
special
devotion to Mary Help of Christians as he would always
volunteer to
preside at the 24 May celebrations in Buenos Aires; he has
supported a
football team established by a Salesian; and he has a special
devotion
to Blessed Artemides Zatti, whom he knew personally. Finally,
he
encouraged those gathered to continue praying for the pope for
his
health and ministry and also to share the devotions which Don
Bosco
left us as a legacy.
The short program was also covered by two leading media giants
in the
Philippines (GMA 7 and ABS-CBN), the One Million Stories
website, Youth
Pinoy and Reuters Media