By Joseph Tulloch
Pontifical (Church-run) universities in Rome are coming together to launch a new Joint Diploma in Integral Ecology.
This is a key concept for Pope Francis, stressing the interconnectedness of environmental, economic, political, social, and ethical issues.
The course will run from January to June 2024, and be taught by an international group of prominent academics, leaders and activists.
Planet “nearing breaking point”
In a press release, the Pontifical Universities said that the course was a response to “the unprecedented challenge facing the planet.”
“In 2015,” they write, “Pope Francis gifted us Laudato si’”, his landmark Encyclical calling all people of good will to action on climate change.
However, they say, as Pope Francis recognizes in his more recent Exhortation Laudate Deum, “our responses have not been adequate”, and “the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing breaking point.”
Course details
The Joint Diploma was first launched in 2016, but is now being offered for the first time in English.
The course will consist of six modules of 90 minutes each, to be held from January to June 2024, on every third Thursday of the month from 13.30 to 15.00 Rome time. There will also be a workshop in March and an international on-line conference on Laudate Deum in May.
The course will be officially inaugurated on 25th January, but admissions will remain open up to 31st March 2024.
Pope acknowledges resistance to same-sex blessings but doubles down: ‘The Lord blesses everyone’
Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer from his studio’s window overlooking St.Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Rome — January 16, 2024
Pope acknowledges resistance to same-sex blessings but doubles down: ‘The Lord blesses everyone’
Pope Francis has defended his controversial decision to let priests bless same-sex couples but admitted that “solitude is a price you have to pay” when you make difficult decisions.
Francis doubled down and insisted that the “Lord blesses everyone,” during a Jan. 14 interview with an Italian talk show. But he acknowledged the remarkable opposition his decision has sparked — Africa’s bishops have united in a continent-wide refusal to implement the Vatican declaration and individual bishops in Eastern Europe, Latin America and elsewhere have also voiced opposition.
Vatican’s Dec. 18 declaration restated traditional church teaching that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and woman. But it allowed priests to offer spontaneous, non-liturgical blessings to same-sex couples seeking God’s grace in their lives, provided such blessings aren’t confused with the rites and rituals of a wedding.
During an appearance on “Che Tempo Che Fa,” Frances acknowledged, in his first comments since the uproar, the “resistance” the decision has generated. He blamed it on bishops not really understanding the issue and refusing to open a dialogue about it.
Asked if he felt alone, Francis replied: “You take a decision and solitude is a price you have to pay.”
“Sometimes decisions are not accepted,” he said. “But in most cases, when you don’t accept a decision, it’s because you don’t understand.”
The danger, he said, is that when people who don’t understand refuse to enter into a “brotherly discussion” and instead harden their hearts, resist and “make ugly conclusions.”
“This has happened with these last decisions about blessing everyone,” Francis said. “The Lord blesses everyone.”
Cardinal Czerny undertakes pastoral visit to Benin
Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, will be in the West African country of Benin from 17-20 January. His visit will include be a stop at the Saint Jean De Dieu Hospital in Cotonou, which guarantees quality medical care at affordable prices for the poor and those living in remote villages.
By Antonella Palermo
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, is visiting Benin from 17 to 20 January.
Last June, he had travelled to the Republic of Congo, known as Congo-Brazzaville, as papal representative on the occasion of the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the evangelisation of the Congo.
Saint Jean hospital: quality care at sustainable costs
Africa is at the centre of the Cardinal’s upcoming commitments. Over the next few days, he will be in the city of Cotonou, where he will visit the non-profit Saint Jean De Dieu Hospital, a health care facility that assists the population with various medical services.
Created in 1963 by the religious sisters of the Congregation Saint Joseph of Lyon, it first passed under the management of lay people after the sisters’ departure in 1986; it is currently run by priests appointed by the archbishop of Cotonou. Today, it is an accredited area hospital and has also managed to buy a 43-hectare piece of land in Sèhouè.
This hospital aims to facilitate access to quality care at an acceptable cost for people who are less well-off or who live far from the city. There are several wards, including the newly built maternity ward, two operating theatres (only one of which is functioning), and two reanimation wards.
Beninese women at the Saint Jean Health Centre in Cotonou
Meeting with bishops and religious, and a round table on ecology
As part of the Cardinal’s pastoral visit, there will also be two working meetings to address the challenges of the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Togo and the bishops of Benin.
In addition, the Cardinal Prefect will participate in a meeting with episcopal social commissions and religious congregations working locally in the social field.
On 19 January, Cardinal Czerny will preside at Mass in St. Michael’s Church in Cotonou, with more than 5,000 faithful expected to participate.
A round table on ecology will close the visit to the country, an important appointment considering that Benin is among the countries most exposed to deforestation and drought, which in turn lead to clashes between herders and farmers.
European aid for humanitarian development and security
From an internal security perspective, Benin is attempting to respond to the presence of jihadist militias in West Africa.
As reported by Africa Express, the US Army Corps of Engineers in Europe has been responsible for the construction of a reinforced boat facility and some humanitarian assistance projects, in particular the renovation of schools and health centers, in remote regions in the north where violent extremist organisations operate.
In total, the European Union has allocated 255 million euros in “macroeconomic stability” economic aid to Cotonou over the last five years, mainly along three strategic axes: human development, green digital growth, and a prosperous and secure society.
