Pope Francis

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-08/pope-to-youth-in-medjugorje-follow-christ-with-courage-and-joy.html

Pope to youth in Medjugorje: follow Christ with courage and joy
02 August 2021, 12:24

Pope Francis sends a message to young people gathered at Mladifest, the annual international prayer meeting being held from 1-6 August in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Entrusting them to the example of Mary, the Pope invites them to believe in the fullness and true happiness giving oneself to God brings.
By Gabriella Ceraso - Vatican City

The guiding theme of the youth festival underway in Medjugorje until August 6 is: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" They cite the words of the rich young man of whom the Synoptic Gospels speak (cf. Mt 19:16-22; Mk 10:17-22; Lk 18:18-23), when he set out, or rather, ran to meet the Lord, to inquire about gaining eternal life, that is, happiness. Pope Francis sent his good wishes to the participants with a message offering some reflections on the theme.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2021-08/pope-francis-donna-strickland-pontifical-academy-sciences.html

Pope appoints new member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
02 August 2021, 12:43

Professor Donna Theo Strickland, 2018 Nobel prize laureate and professor at the University of Waterloo, Canada, joins other academicians as a new member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis has appointed Nobel prize laureate, Professor Donna Theo Strickland, as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Strickland is a professor of optical physics at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and was one of the recipients of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-08/pope-francis-to-resume-general-audiences-in-paul-vi-hall.html

Pope Francis to resume General Audiences in Paul VI Hall
03 August 2021, 11:34

Following the summer break in July, Pope Francis will resume holding his weekly General Audience, beginning this Wednesday, 4 August.
By Vatican News

Pope Francis’ General Audiences will resume this week on August 4. As is customary, the regular Wednesday meetings were suspended throughout the month of July to allow for a period of rest.

This year, the break also coincided with the convalescence of Francis, who on July 4 underwent colon surgery at the Gemelli Hospital. During that time, most papal activities were suspended, with the exception of the Sunday Angelus, one of which was held from a balcony of the Roman hospital. Wednesday’s General Audience, which will take place in the Paul VI Hall, will mark the resumption of a normal schedule, exactly one month after his operation.
 

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video at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-08/pope-francis-prayer-intention-august-church-way.html
Pope's prayer intention for August: Church on the way
03 August 2021, 16:00

Pope Francis releases the prayer intention for the month of August, inviting everyone to work for a transformation of the Church - a work that begins with “a reform of ourselves” through an experience of prayer, charity and service, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

In his video message for his prayer intention for August, Pope Francis reminds the faithful that “the vocation of the Church is evangelization,” and even more, “the Church’s identity is evangelization.”

In this month, the Holy Father reflects on the situation of the Church, its vocation and its identity, and calls us to renew it “by discerning God’s will in our daily life,” and “embarking on a transformation guided by the Holy Spirit.”

“Our own reform as persons is that transformation,” the Pope said. This allows the “Holy Spirit, the gift of God in our hearts, to remind us what Jesus taught and helps us to put into practice.”
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248567/pope-francis-asks-catholics-to-pray-in-august-for-church-reform-in-the-light-of-the-gospel
Pope Francis asks Catholics to pray in August for Church reform ‘in the light of the Gospel’
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Aug 3, 2021 / 09:00 am

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Video, with English commentary, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-08/pope-at-audience-there-is-only-one-gospel.html
Pope at Audience: There is only one Gospel
04 August 2021, 10:43

Pope Francis continued his catechesis on St Paul’s Letter to the Galatians at the General Audience, which resumed on Wednesday following the summer break.
By Christopher Wells

“When it comes to the Gospel and to the mission to evangelize, Paul is enthusiastic,” said Pope Francis at Wednesday’s General Audience. “Everything in him is dedicated to this proclamation, and has no interest other than the Gospel.”

Headed down a wrong path

The Holy Father is continuing his catechesis on St Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.

Resuming his Audiences after the summer break, Pope Francis noted the sadness and disappointment Paul felt at seeing the Galatians taking a “wrong path, which would lead them to a point of no return.”

For Paul, he said, the Gospel came down to four points: Christ died for our sins… was buried… rose from the dead… and appeared to the disciple. “This Gospel is the fulfilment of the promises and the salvation offered to all men.”

But the Galatians were in danger of turning away from the Gospel, following new preachers who threatened to “distort the true Gospel” by “preventing them from attaining the freedom gained by coming to faith.” These preachers of novelty wanted to impose on them the obligation to follow the Mosaic law.
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-08/pope-francis-appeals-for-lebanon-on-first-anniversary-of-beirut.html
Pope Francis appeals for Lebanon on first anniversary of Beirut explosion
04 August 2021, 11:10

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248579/pope-francis-with-the-truth-of-the-gospel-one-cannot-negotiate
Pope Francis: ‘With the truth of the Gospel, one cannot negotiate’
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Aug 4, 2021 / 04:30 am

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2021/documents/papa-francesco_20210804_udienza-generale.html
POPE FRANCIS
GENERAL AUDIENCE
Paul VI Audience Hall
Wednesday, 4 August 2021

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248599/argentine-diocese-apologizes-for-prayer-to-pachamama

Argentine diocese apologizes for prayer to Pachamama
By Walter Sanchez Silva
Venado Tuerto, Argentina, Aug 5, 2021 / 17:49 pm

The Diocese of Venado Tuerto’s Caritas branch apologized Tuesday for having posted on its social media a prayer to Pachamama, an Andean deity.

“The pachamama is a symbol of fertility, of the earth and the sacredness of life. It is a myth full of spiritual meaning (that) can be used to advantage,” said the now-deleted Aug. 1 post.

“Some religious festivals have a sacred meaning and are occasions for gathering and fraternity. These are the new paths for the Church and for the achievement of an integral ecology. Holy Father Francis. #somoscaritasarag #caritasvt #equipomagrevenadotueto,” the post said.
 
The posting of the prayer drew massive pushback on social media, leading to its deletion.

Cáritas Venado Tuerto posted Aug. 3 on Facebook: "We want to apologize to those who felt offended by our post about Pachamama, the intention was to communicate our communion with Francis who in the Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia says to us: ‘It is possible to take up an indigenous symbol in some way, without necessarily considering it as idolatry. A myth charged with spiritual meaning can be used to advantage and not always considered a pagan error. Some religious festivals have a sacred meaning and are occasions for gathering and fraternity, albeit in need of a gradual process of purification or maturation. A missionary of souls will try to discover the legitimate needs and concerns that seek an outlet in at times imperfect, partial or mistaken religious expressions …’ (79). ‘Such a spirituality will certainly be centered on the one God and Lord, while at the same time in contact with the daily needs of people who strive for a dignified life…’ (80)”
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248602/budapest-international-eucharistic-congress-to-feature-mass-setting-in-romani-language

Budapest International Eucharistic Congress to feature Mass setting in Romani language
By CNA Staff
Budapest, Hungary, Aug 6, 2021 / 04:50 am

The International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest will feature a Mass setting in Lovari, a language spoken by the Romani people in Hungary.

The new Mass setting, known as “Le Devleske,” will be heard at a Mass celebrated on Sept. 9 at the Hungexpo Budapest Congress and Exhibition Center, the main congress venue.

The Mass setting, created by young composer Patrik Gergő Oláh, will receive its world premiere days earlier at St. Stephen’s Basilica, the co-cathedral of the Catholic archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest.

The events will mark a significant moment for the traditionally nomadic Romani people, who are Hungary’s largest minority group.

The 52nd International Eucharistic Congress will open on Sept. 5 with a 1,000-strong choir and a “vast” number of First Communions.

The congress was originally scheduled to take place in 2020 but was postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event’s program lists cardinals from five continents as leaders of the congress’ morning prayers, catechesis, testimonies, and workshops.

Listed speakers include Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, retired Vatican Cardinal Robert Sarah, Iraqi Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Nigerian Cardinal John Onaiyekan, and Canadian Cardinal Gérald Lacroix.

The event will culminate on Sept. 12 with a closing Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Budapest’s Heroes’ Square.
 
Video at the link--
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/247708/budapest-international-eucharistic-congress-to-open-with-1000-strong-choir-first-communions
Budapest International Eucharistic Congress to open with 1,000-strong choir, First Communions
CNA Staff, May 19, 2021 / 06:40 am

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/247354/cardinal-bo-and-cardinal-sarah-among-speakers-at-budapest-international-eucharistic-congress
Cardinal Bo and Cardinal Sarah among speakers at Budapest International Eucharistic Congress
By Courtney Mares
Rome Newsroom, Apr 21, 2021 / 12:00 pm

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248604/vatican-announces-launch-of-catholic-global-compact-on-the-family

Vatican announces launch of Catholic ‘global compact’ on the family
By Hannah Brockhaus
Vatican City, Aug 6, 2021 / 08:10 am

The Vatican is launching a research project on the family to be carried out by Catholic universities around the world.

The results of the project, called the Catholic Global Compact on the Family, will be presented at an event held before the World Meeting of Families in Rome in June 2022.

The global compact was launched to create “a shared program of actions for promoting the family throughout the world in light of the social doctrine of the Church,” an Aug. 6 press release said.

The Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences are organizing the Catholic Global Compact on the Family with cooperation from the International Center of Family Studies in Milan, Italy.

According to organizers, “the compact involves the study and research centers on family present in the Catholic universities situated throughout the five continents, by collecting information and research carried out on the cultural and anthropological importance of the family, focusing particularly on family relationships, the social value of the family and good practices of family policies at the international level.”

The project is part of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year, which began on March 19 to mark the fifth anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation on the family.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248605/vatican-swarms-of-kamikaze-mini-drones-pose-threat-to-civilians

Vatican: Swarms of ‘kamikaze’ mini-drones pose threat to civilians
By CNA Staff
Geneva, Switzerland, Aug 6, 2021 / 12:00 pm

The Vatican said this week that the potential use of “swarms of ‘kamikaze’ mini-drones” could pose a threat to civilians.

An Aug. 3 statement by the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said that the devices could attack the wrong target in urban settings.

“A specific potential challenge that this delegation wishes to underline relates to the possibility of the use of swarms of ‘kamikaze’ mini-drones, that is, swarms of weapon systems endowed with autonomous capabilities,” it said, alluding to Japanese kamikaze pilots who launched suicide attacks in World War II.
 
In an Aug. 4 statement, it called for a “cautious and preventative approach” to the development of LAWS to avoid an “irreversible alteration of the nature of warfare,” which, it said, would “compel all states to reassess their military capabilities.”

The Holy See said it was critical to maintain “meaningful human control over weapon systems.”

“The unique human capacity for moral judgment and ethical decision-making is more than a complex collection of algorithms, and such a capacity cannot be replaced by, or programmed into, a machine,” it said.

In another statement the following day, the Vatican delegation noted that LAWS raised “potential and serious implications for peace and stability.”

It welcomed moves by other parties to “emphasize the central role of ethics and the importance of the reference to the human person and to humanity in the discussion.”

“This delegation believes that to prevent an arms race and the increase of inequalities and instability, it is an imperative duty to act urgently,” the Holy See said.
______________
Statements--

https://nuntiusge.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CCW-LAWS-Challenges-clean-August-3.pdf
Statement by the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations
and Other International Organizations in Geneva at the
2021 Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous
Weapons Systems (LAWS) of the Convention on Certain Conventional
Weapons
5 (a) An exploration of the potential challenges posed by emerging
technologies in the area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems to IHL
Geneva, 3 August 2021

https://nuntiusge.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CCW-LAWS-Characterization-of-system-clean-August-4.pdf
Statement by the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other
International Organizations in Geneva at the
2021 Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons
Systems (LAWS) of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
Item 5 (b) Characterization of the systems under consideration
Geneva, 4 August 2021

https://nuntiusge.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CCW-LAWS-Humanitarian-and-international-challenges-clean-August-5.pdf
Statement by the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other
International Organizations in Geneva at the
2021 Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons
Systems (LAWS) of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
5 (e) Possible options for addressing the humanitarian and international security
challenges posed by emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapon
systems in the context of the objective and purposes of the Convention
Geneva, 5 August 2021

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Video, with English commentary, at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-08/pope-may-we-grow-in-friendship-with-jesus-the-bread-of-life.html
Pope: May we grow in friendship with Jesus, the Bread of Life
08 August 2021, 12:20

In his reflections before leading the recitation of the Angleus prayer on Sunday, Pope Francis recalls the day's Gospel reading when Jesus reveals himself as the Bread of Life. He underscores that Jesus alone nourishes our soul and gives unending life when life on earth ends.
By Vatican News staff writer

Addressing pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis offered his reflections drawing from the day's Gospel reading which recounts when Jesus was preaching to the people who had seen the wonder of the multiplication of the loaves. Recalling the manna with which God fed their forefathers when journeying in the desert, the Pope said Jesus revealed himself as bread, that which is essential and necessary for everyday life, saying "I am the bread of life". The Pope said in this we understand that Jesus alone "nourishes the soul", forgives us for our failings, accompanies us always and gives us strength and peace of heart, underlining "He alone gives eternal life when life here on earth ends."
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248618/pope-francis-jesus-bread-of-life-discourse-renews-our-amazement-for-the-gift-of-the-eucharist
Pope Francis: Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse renews ‘our amazement for the gift of the Eucharist’
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Aug 8, 2021 / 05:05 am

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2021/documents/papa-francesco_angelus_20210808.html
POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 8 August 2021

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248622/report-envelope-with-three-bullets-addressed-to-pope-francis-intercepted

Report: Envelope with three bullets addressed to Pope Francis intercepted
By Hannah Brockhaus
Rome Newsroom, Aug 9, 2021 / 07:00 am

An envelope addressed to Pope Francis and containing three bullets was intercepted in Milan late on Sunday night, according to Italian media reports.

The piece of mail, which had no return address but carried a French stamp, was addressed to “The Pope, Vatican City, St. Peter’s Square in Rome,” the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported.

The newspaper said that the envelope contained three pieces of 9 millimeter ammunition, of the kind used in a Flobert gun, and a message referring to financial operations in the Vatican.

The manager of an Italian post office branch in the town of Peschiera Borromeo, about seven miles southeast of Milan, alerted authorities when he found the suspicious piece of mail during sorting on the night of Aug. 8.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2021/08/argentine-prelate-friend-of-pope-francis-faces-trial-for-sexual-abuse/

Argentine prelate, friend of Pope Francis faces trial for sexual abuse
Inés San MartínAug 7, 2021

ROME – Argentine Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, a veteran prelate who once boasted of his friendship with the pope, will be tried criminally in October in his former diocese on allegations of sexual abuse against seminarians.

A hearing in the case against the former bishop of Oran, in Argentina’s northern Salta region, will take place Oct. 12-15 of this year, as announced by the local public ministry.

The local prosecutor for what are known as “family and gender violence and crimes against sexual integrity” in Oran, María Soledad Filtrín, was formally notified about the hearing, and soon after the news was shared by the public office through their website and Twitter account.

Zanchetta will come to trial charged with simple sexual abuse, aggravated by being committed by a recognized religious minister against G.G.F.L. and C.M, two young seminarians at the time. Their identities are being withheld by the court.

According to a statement by the public ministry, the former bishop of Oran was summoned under penalty of law and at least 39 witnesses are expected to testify during the hearing. The court will be composed of three judges, one woman and two men.

Zanchetta was appointed by Francis to the diocese of Oran, in northern Argentina, in 2013, making it one of his first episcopal appointments. He resigned in 2017 citing health reasons. A few months later, the pontiff appointed Zanchetta to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), which functions as the central bank for Vatican City and which administers the Vatican’s financial portfolio.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248621/update-police-question-man-suspected-of-murdering-catholic-priest-in-france

Update: Police question man suspected of murdering Catholic priest in France
By CNA Staff
Paris, France, Aug 9, 2021 / 05:40 am

A 40-year-old Rwandan immigrant already suspected of starting a devastating fire at a French cathedral was questioned by police in connection with the murder of a Catholic priest on Monday in western France.

The man, identified by the media as Emmanuel Abayisenga, was welcomed into a Catholic religious community led by the victim, Fr. Olivier Maire, 61, in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, a commune in the Vendée department.

Abayisenga reportedly met with Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2016, four years before he was arrested by police and later released on bail following the fire on July 18, 2020, at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of Nantes, where he worked as a volunteer warden.

The murder of Maire, the French provincial superior of the Montfort Missionaries (the Company of Mary), was announced on Aug. 9 by the country’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248623/who-was-fr-olivier-maire-the-catholic-priest-murdered-in-france
Who was Fr. Olivier Maire, the Catholic priest murdered in France?
By CNA Staff
Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, France, Aug 9, 2021 / 09:05 am

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https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vice-rector-of-american-seminary-in-rome-resigns-after-homosexual-misconduct-allegations/

Vice-rector of American seminary in Rome resigns after homosexual misconduct allegations   
David McLoone
Mon Aug 9, 2021 - 1:13 pm EDT

ROME, Italy (LifeSiteNews) – The vice-rector of the North American College (NAC) in Rome is returning to the United States.

Father Adam Park has stepped down from the senior position at the elite seminary following allegations that he sexually harassed seminarians under his care.

According to the Complicit Clergy website, NAC’s rector, Father Peter Harman, stated that Park would “not be returning” to his position as the new academic year approaches. The announcement appeared in the wake of litigation alleging sexual misconduct and cover-ups at the seminary over many years and implicating some 30 clerics, including Harman and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York.

In the lawsuit, ex-seminarian Anthony Gorgia alleges that, while a student at NAC, he witnessed inappropriate physical contact initiated by Park on a seminarian. The lawsuit also contains the accounts of other seminarians who allege he has a history of similar inappropriate behavior.

Gorgia filed his complaint against NAC, the Archdiocese of New York, Dolan, Harman, Park, Father John G. McDonald, a NAC lecturer, as well as a number of John Does, in February, and is suing for $125 million. The suit alleges defamation and discrimination against Gorgia for his heterosexuality and the spinal condition which caused him to take a six-week medical leave. The former seminarian stated also that he was harmed financially and emotionally by those named.

According to victims’ rights advocate Gene Gomulka,  Gorgia’s legal team procured new testimony against Park and Harman in affidavits filed this June, including allegations that Omaha’s Archbishop George Lucas was guilty of sexual misconduct with Harman. One of the sworn testimonies was reportedly provided by a retired FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC).
 

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Update:  Sender of envelope with bullets

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248635/italian-police-say-sender-of-envelope-with-bullets-addressed-to-pope-francis-has-been-identified
Italian police say sender of  envelope with bullets addressed to Pope Francis has been identified
By Alejandro Bermudez
Milan, Italy, Aug 9, 2021 / 17:44 pm

Italian police announced Monday that the sender of the letter addressed to Pope Francis containing three bullets has been identified.

The police have not released the name of the individual, but said Aug. 9 it is a French citizen "already known to Vatican security, with whom the Carabinieri of Milan will now coordinate to evaluate the meaning of the gesture and its possible danger."

At the moment, according to the Italian news agency ANSA, "the information that most interests investigators is knowing where he is, because it would raise a different level of alarm to know if he were in France or in St. Peter's Square in Rome."

The Italian police originally revealed that the envelope contained three pieces of 9 millimeter ammunition, of the kind used in a Flobert gun, and a message referring to financial operations in the Vatican. The new statement reveals that the envelope also contained a copy of a 10 Euro deposit, but it is not known for what and under what circumstances it would have been made.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2021-08/pope-emmanuelle-charpentier-pontifical-academy-sciences.html

Pope names Nobel laureate as member of Pontifical Academy of Sciences
10 August 2021, 12:15

Professor Emmanuelle Marie Charpentier joins the Pontifical Academy of Sciences as its newest member.
By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis has appointed Professor Emmanuelle Marie Charpentier, founder and director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin, Germany, as the newest ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Prof Charpentier is also the recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2021-08/zayed-award-committee-members-hail-good-collaboration.html

Zayed Award committee members hail good collaboration
10 August 2021, 13:44

Jury committee members of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity met on Friday to review entries for the 2022 prize, which recognizes individuals and institutions offering profound contributions to human progress and peaceful coexistence. Cardinal Michael Czerny, head of the Vatican's Migrants and Refugees Section, one of the jurors, participated in the encounter.
Vatican News staff writer

The committee meeting of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity brought together the judges who are reviewing submissions and eventually choosing the winners of the 2022 prestigious prize.

Among them, Cardinal Michael Czerny, head of the Vatican's Migrants and Refugees Section, said he looked forward “to cooperating with the committee to advance fraternity with all its human, social, and societal values”, as the committee begins its review process. The closing date for entry submissions is December 1st this year with the award recipient(s) scheduled to be announced on February 4, 2022.

The former President of Niger H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou also expressed his joy at being a member of the judging committee and said this “great responsibility” can be guided by the example of late founder of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the values of the historic Document on Human Fraternity, signed by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-08/pope-francis-telegram-condolences-cardinal-martinez-somalo.html

Pope sends condolences upon death of Cardinal Martinez Somalo
11 August 2021, 13:58

Pope Francis expresses his condolences upon the death of Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, who passed away on Tuesday.
By Devin Watkins

Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo died in the Vatican on Tuesday at the age of 94, following a long and distinguished career at the Holy See.

In recognition of the late Cardinal’s years of service, Pope Francis sent his condolences on Wednesday in a telegram addressed to Msgr. Fernando Loza Martinez, his nephew.

“I wish to express my closeness to you, to your relatives, and to all who knew and esteemed [the late Cardinal Martinez Somalo], warmly remembering his spiritually-fruitful witness,” wrote the Pope.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2021-08/pope-names-nobel-laureate-jennifer-doudna-to-pontifical-academy.html

Pope names Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna to Pontifical Academy
11 August 2021, 12:19

Pope Francis appointed Dr Jennifer Doudna to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Wednesday.
By Vatican News staff reporter

The Holy Father has appointed the distinguished Professor Jennifer Anne Doudna as ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Professor Jennifer Doudna

Professor Jennifer Doudna was born on 19 February 1964 in Washington, D.C. (USA). She studied biochemistry at Pomona College in Claremont, California, and earned her doctorate in Biological Chemistry at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge.

Later, she continued her studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder. She is currently Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair Professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 2020, together with Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 genomic editing method.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248649/cardinal-burke-tests-positive-for-covid-19

Cardinal Burke tests positive for COVID-19
By Alejandro Bermudez
Denver Newsroom, Aug 10, 2021 / 22:15 pm

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke confirmed on the evening of Tuesday, August 10, that he has tested positive for COVID-19 but that he is doing well.

In a tweet, Cardinal Burke wrote: "Praised be Jesus Christ! I wish to inform you that I have recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Thanks be to God, I am resting comfortably and receiving excellent medical care. Please pray for me as I begin my recovery. Let us trust in Divine Providence. God bless you."

The Cardinal’s tweet put to rest speculations circulating on social media regarding his health. Early in the day, Monsignor Roger J. Scheckel, a priest of the diocese of La Crosse, posted a message on social media denying the Cardinal had COVID-19, citing Mary Burke, the Cardinal's sister.